Clayton Seymour, a Navy vet, was outraged to discover that his Freedom of Information Act request to the NSA to see his file was rejected because telling him what information they'd gathered in secret would expose their secret information-gathering techniques. Obama's 2009 Executive Order 13526 requires all government agencies to make all records public, other than in exceptional circumstances. The NSA has effectively crammed all of its information into an exceptional circumstance because to disclose anything would lead to disclosure of its methods. This is the basis on which it is rejecting all FOIA requests.
NSA's catch-22: we can't tell you anything, because everything we do is a secret
Olympics to allow Russian ice skater to compete despite positive drugs test
Though testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug, Russian ice skater Kamila Valieva will be permitted to compete this week in the Winter Olympics in Beijing. The decision to allow her to carry on isn't going down well, but how many divisions has the Court of Arbitration for Sport? The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) said it… READ THE REST
Which countries' diplomats pay parking tickets and which don't?
United Nations diplomats are legally allowed to ignore parking tickets. Some diplomats pay the fines, others don't. In his article "What parking tickets teach us about corruption," Tim Harford cites a study that shows a "strong correlation between unpaid tickets and more general perceptions of corruption." Fisman and Miguel studied parking violations between 1997 and… READ THE REST
Sleaze: the British media euphemism for British corruption
When corruption taints politics in other countries, British media is happy to call it was it is: corruption. But they have a special word for it when it happens in the U.K.—"sleaze." With the current government of the U.K. so baldly mired in slea—sorry, corruption— that it has begun to make international headlines, the very… READ THE REST
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We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. It's no secret that online hackers exist and are constantly lurking around for sensitive information at any opportunity they can. With every piece of your personal information and essential memories being stored online,… READ THE REST
Ditch the extra cup of coffee. This gadget can really boost your productivity
Whether gaming in your spare time or burying yourself in spreadsheets at your 9-to-5, efficiency matters. And while you may have the latest and greatest laptop or smartphone to work on, its small screen can totally kill your enjoyment, especially when you're hopping over to different apps or watching your favorite streaming content. If you're looking for a way… READ THE REST
Enjoy a pet without the mess with this robotic canine!
The world is full of reasons to love dogs. How could you not? They are cute, kind, thoughtful, and always trying to make friends. The world is also full of reasons to love technology. But is there a way to bring these two together? Is the world ready for robotic dogs? The answer is yes! Petoi just… READ THE REST
