67679095
submission
cold fjord writes:
The Weekly Standard reports, "... the Affordable Care Act aims to make the use of Electronic Health Records (EHR) universal. This plan actually began with the 2009 stimulus ... Doctors and other health providers have been offered incentives to convert patient information and health histories to a compatible and transferable electronic format, and as of June 2014, 75 percent of eligible doctors and 92 percent of eligible hospitals had received payments under the program. This week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the release of the Federal Health IT Strategic Plan 2015-2020, which details the efforts of some 35 departments and agencies of the federal government and their roles in the plan to "advance the collection, sharing, and use of electronic health information to improve health care, individual and community health, and research." ... Now that HHS has publicly released the Federal Health IT Strategic Plan, the agency is seeking the input from the public before implementation. The plan is subject to two-month period of public comment before finalization. The comment period runs through February 6, 2015." — Among the many agencies that will be sharing records besides Health and Human Services (HHS) are: Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Department of Education, Department of Justice and Bureau of Prison, Department of Labor, Federal Communications Commission, Federal Trade Commission, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Office of Personnel Management, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
67298509
submission
cold fjord writes:
The Local (DE) reports, "The Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), Germany's foreign intelligence service, spied on some citizens living abroad, a former lawyer for the spies told MPs on Thursday. Dr Stefan Burbaum ... said that some Germans were targeted as “office holders”, a legal loophole the spies used to circumvent the law that protects Germans citizens from being spied on by its own intelligence agency. ... the German spies argue that a citizen working for a foreign company abroad is only protected in his private life, not in his professional communications ... "The office holder is the legal person," Burbaum said. ... “This construct of an office holder is just as absurd in practice as it appears in the law,” Konstantin von Notz of the Green party said. Further, foreigners' communications conducted abroad are not protected, even if they are in contact with German people or work for a German company. MPs ... criticized the BND's ability to operate in a “lawless zone” when it came to spying on foreigners. ... the BND regularly retains traffic which it had not received specific permission to investigate which it collects during such trawls. In this way, access acquired under the “G10 law” becomes a “foot in the door” to otherwise closed-off sources of data, Burbaum said." — The parliamentary investigation was initiated by reports that Chancellor Merkel's phone was being tapped by NSA but later it was found that at least five countries were tapping Merkel's phone.
67109971
submission
cold fjord writes:
The Washington Examiner reports, "In a survey of nearly 7,000 in the agriculture field, found that most scientists agree that climate change is happening, but just 50.5 percent blame mankind. “More than 90 percent of the scientists and climatologists surveyed said they believed climate change was occurring, with more than 50 percent attributing climate change primarily to human activities,” said the Purdue report published in the authoritative Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society and highlighted by MRC Business. “Contrary to the repeated insistence of both climate alarmists and the media, scientists do not all agree on the standard climate alarmism talking points,” said MRC’s review of the scholarly report from one of the nation’s leading ag schools. “More shocking was that just 53 percent of climatologists surveyed thought ‘climate change is occurring, and it is caused mostly by human activities.’ While that number of climatologists was small, the result is still significant,” added MRC."
66155061
submission
cold fjord writes:
The Hill reports, "States have abandoned electronic voting machines in droves, ensuring that most voters will be casting their ballots by hand on Election Day. With many electronic voting machines more than a decade old, and states lacking the funding to repair or replace them, officials have opted to return to the pencil-and-paper voting that the new technology was supposed to replace. Nearly 70 percent of voters will be casting ballots by hand on Tuesday, according to Pamela Smith, president of election watchdog Verified Voting. "Paper, even though it sounds kind of old school, it actually has properties that serve the elections really well," Smith said. It’s an outcome few would have predicted after the 2000 election, when the battle over “hanging chads” in the Florida recount spurred a massive, $3 billion federal investment in electronic voting machines." — There are also reports of various issues, including "calibration issues" which have resulted in votes to the wrong candidate.
65189499
submission
cold fjord writes:
NetworkWord reports, "Police officers in Dubai will soon be able to identify suspects wanted for crimes just by looking at them. Using Google Glass and a custom-developed facial recognition software, Dubai police will be able to capture photos of people around them and search their faces in a database of people wanted for crimes ... When a match is made in the database, the Glass device will receive a notification. .... What's particularly interesting about the project is that facial recognition technology is banned by the Google Glass developer policy. ... The section of the policy that addresses such technology seems to disqualify the Dubai police force's plan for Glass:" — Video at Engadget.
65021255
submission
cold fjord writes:
The Woodrow Wilson School reports, "If scientists want the public to trust their research suggestions, they may want to appear a bit "warmer," according to a new review published by Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. The review, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), shows that while Americans view scientists as competent, they are not entirely trusted. This may be because they are not perceived to be friendly or warm. In particular, Americans seem wary of researchers seeking grant funding and do not trust scientists pushing persuasive agendas. Instead, the public leans toward impartiality. "Scientists have earned the respect of Americans but not necessarily their trust," said lead author Susan Fiske, the Eugene Higgins Professor of Psychology and professor of public affairs. "But this gap can be filled by showing concern for humanity and the environment. Rather than persuading, scientists may better serve citizens by discussing, teaching and sharing information to convey trustworthy intentions.""
64620069
submission
cold fjord writes:
Phys.org reports, "The life sciences have come under fire recently with a study published in PLOS ONE that investigated the level of sexual harassment and sexual assault of trainees in academic fieldwork environments. The study found 71% of women and 41% of men respondents experienced sexual harassment, while 26% of women and 6% of men reported experiencing sexual assault. The research team also found that within the hierarchy of academic field sites surveyed, the majority of incidents were perpetrated by peers and supervisors. — More at The New York Times where it notes, "Most of these women encountered this abuse very early in their careers, as trainees. The travel inherent to scientific fieldwork increases vulnerability as one struggles to work within unfamiliar and unpredictable conditions..." "
64474343
submission
cold fjord writes:
The Guardian reports, "In July, a Stockholm judge ruled that Sweden's prosecutor had sufficient cause to continue to pursue the arrest of Assange in order to question him ... No charges have yet been brought against Assange in Sweden, because he has not been interrogated by police regarding the allegations brought by the second of the two women. The prosecutor insists Assange come to Sweden for questioning over the allegations of sexual molestation and rape involving the women whom he met during a visit to the country in 2010. ... A spokesperson for Sweden's chief prosecutor ... added, Ny remained of the view that "Julian Assange has chosen to evade the criminal justice system by seeking asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy he should make himself available for interview and, if needed, trial for the offences to which he is suspected of in Sweden." Assange's lawyers argue that Sweden's prosecutor "is in gross breach of Swedish law" by not travelling to London to interrogate Assange. ... The case will now go to the court of appeal. .... Sweden is in the final days of a closely fought general election campaign in which feminist demands have had a high profile on the left and the right."
64280701
submission
cold fjord writes:
Wired reports, "As the trial of alleged Silk Road drug market creator Ross Ulbricht approaches, the defense has highlighted the mystery of how law enforcement first located the main Silk Road server in an Icelandic data center, despite the computer being hidden by the formidable anonymity software Tor. ... The answer, according to a new filing by the case’s prosecution, is ... mundane: The FBI claims to have found the server’s location without the NSA’s help, simply by fiddling with the Silk Road’s login page until it leaked its true location. ... the prosecution in Ulbricht’s case laid out an argument dismissing a series of privacy concerns Ulbricht’s lawyers had expressed in a motion submitted to a New York court last month. That earlier motion had accused the government of illegal searches in violation of the Fourth Amendment, including a warrantless search of the Silk Road server, and argued that those privacy violations could render inadmissible virtually all of the prosecution’s evidence. The defense motion also demanded that the government explain how it tracked down the Silk Road’s server, and reveal whether the NSA had participated in that hunt"
64279969
submission
cold fjord writes:
Blomberg reports, "General Motors Co. (GM), the largest U.S. automaker, will introduce a Cadillac model in two years that can travel on the highway without the driver holding the steering wheel or putting a foot on a pedal. The 2017 Cadillac model will feature “Super Cruise” technology that takes control of steering, acceleration and braking at highway speeds of 70 miles per hour or in stop-and-go congested traffic, Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra said yesterday in a speech at the Intelligent Transport System World Congress in Detroit. GM declined to release the name of the model that will carry the feature. Barra also said GM in two years will become the first automaker to equip a model with so-called vehicle-to-vehicle technology that enables the car to communicate with other autos with similar abilities to warn of traffic hazards and improve road safety. GM will make the V2V feature standard on its 2017 Cadillac CTS sedan, debuting in the second half of 2016, she said. The Super Cruise feature will be on a different Cadillac model and goes beyond similar technology available on some Mercedes-Benz models that operates only at low speeds. "
64259069
submission
cold fjord writes:
techgeek reports, "Spark New Zealand – the country’s largest internet service provider – suffered a massive outage lasting nearly thirty hours from last Friday. The outage saw its nearly 700,000 customer base having slow or no internet connectivity on their mobile phones or computers – all because some users on their network wanted to see nude pics of celebrities. According to local media, some users clicked on a link that claimed to contain images from the recent dump of nude photos of several high profile female celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence and Ariana Grande. However, the link lead them to a page telling them they had to download a piece of software to view them – which was malware. ... Spark told the New Zealand Herald that it was a denial of service attack linked to some of its customers downloading malware was the reason why its network went down, and has taken steps to remedy the problem." — NBC News reports both phishing and malware attacks associated with the stolen photographs.
64075215
submission
cold fjord writes:
News.com.au reports, "This morning, Prime Minister Tony Abbott labelled Russia’s escalating and “open” invasion into Ukraine as “war”. But he was not only person using fighting words. ... on Friday, Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threat was simple. “I want to remind you that Russia is one of the most powerful nuclear nations. This is a reality, not just words.” It’s the first time in more than 25 years that Moscow has raised the spectre of nuclear war. The difference this time is that its tanks are already pouring over its western borders. “A great war arrived at our doorstep, the likes of which Europe has not seen since World War II,” Ukraine’s Defence Minister Valeriy Geletey wrote ... warning of “tens of thousands of deaths”. Putin appears to agree. Italian newspaper La Repubblica reports Putin has told the outgoing European Commission President ... : “If I want, I take Kiev in two weeks.” " — CNN reports, "The British government source told CNN on Friday that Russia has moved 4,000 to 5,000 military personnel — a figure far higher than one U.S. official's earlier claim of 1,000 troops. The soldiers are aligned in "formed units" and fighting around Luhansk and Donetsk.... And they may soon have company: Some 20,000 troops are on border and "more may be on the way," ..." — Newsweek reports, "Russia Has Threatened Nuclear Attack, Says Ukraine Defence Minister"
63862479
submission
cold fjord writes:
The Washington Post reports, "Makers of surveillance systems are offering governments across the world the ability to track the movements of almost anybody who carries a cellphone, whether they are blocks away or on another continent. The technology works by exploiting an essential fact of all cellular networks: They must keep detailed, up-to-the-minute records on the locations of their customers to deliver calls and other services to them. Surveillance systems are secretly collecting these records to map people’s travels over days, weeks or longer ... It is unclear which governments have acquired these tracking systems, but one industry official ... said that dozens of countries have bought or leased such technology in recent years. This rapid spread underscores how the burgeoning, multibillion-dollar surveillance industry makes advanced spying technology available worldwide. “Any tin-pot dictator with enough money to buy the system could spy on people anywhere in the world,” said Eric King, deputy director of Privacy International, ... “This is a huge problem.” "
63721789
submission
cold fjord writes:
Foreign Policy reports, "The revelation that Germany spies on Turkey, a NATO member, should dispel any notion that spying on allies violates the unwritten rules of international espionage ... For nearly a year, the extent of NSA surveillance on German leaders ... has drawn stern rebuke from the German political and media establishment. ... Merkel went so far as to publicly oust the CIA station chief in Berlin. "Spying among friends is not at all acceptable," Merkel said ... However, Germany's sanctimony toward "friendly" espionage is now a huge embarrassment ... Over the weekend, Der Spiegel reported ... Germany's foreign intelligence collection agency, was spying on Turkey. It also reported ... calls made by Secretary of State John Kerry and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were accidentally recorded. ..... Turkey's Foreign Ministry said that if the allegations are true, they are "totally unacceptable." Turkey also summoned German Ambassador ... Pohl ... demanding an explanation. ... Lindsay Moran, a former CIA ... officer, doesn't believe that the German spying on American officials was an accident. "I find the notion that [Clinton and Kerry] were accidentally overheard preposterous," ... "It's a kind of delightful revelation given the fact that the Germans have been on their high horse." Christian Whiton, a former ... State Department senior advisor, added that the report on German spying is a perfect example of why rifts over intelligence among allies should be handled quietly and privately." — The Wall Street Journal reports, "Cem Özdemir, the head of the Green party and a leading German politician of Turkish descent, told Spiegel Online it would be "irresponsible" for German spies not to target Turkey given its location as a transit country for Islamic State militants from Europe." More at Spiegel Online and The Wall Street Journal.
63715729
submission
cold fjord writes:
Foreign Policy reports, "The revelation that Germany spies on Turkey, a NATO member, should dispel any notion that spying on allies violates the unwritten rules of international espionage ... For nearly a year, the extent of NSA surveillance on German leaders ... has drawn stern rebuke from the German political and media establishment. ... Merkel went so far as to publicly oust the CIA station chief in Berlin. "Spying among friends is not at all acceptable," Merkel said ... However, Germany's sanctimony toward "friendly" espionage is now a huge embarrassment ... Over the weekend, Der Spiegel reported ... Germany's foreign intelligence collection agency, was spying on Turkey. It also reported ... calls made by Secretary of State John Kerry and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were accidentally recorded. ..... Turkey's Foreign Ministry said that if the allegations are true, they are "totally unacceptable." Turkey also summoned German Ambassador ... Pohl ... demanding an explanation. ... Lindsay Moran, a former CIA ... officer, doesn't believe that the German spying on American officials was an accident. "I find the notion that [Clinton and Kerry] were accidentally overheard preposterous," ... "It's a kind of delightful revelation given the fact that the Germans have been on their high horse." Christian Whiton, a former ... State Department senior advisor, added that the report on German spying is a perfect example of why rifts over intelligence among allies should be handled quietly and privately." — The Wall Street Journal reports, "Cem Özdemir, the head of the Green party and a leading German politician of Turkish descent, told Spiegel Online it would be "irresponsible" for German spies not to target Turkey given its location as a transit country for Islamic State militants from Europe." More at Spiegel Online and The Wall Street Journal.
