According to aides who were present when Trump discussed the issue, but who choose to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, Trump said he was sick of Vance and wanted to fire him. “I wanted him to be my attack dog,” said Trump, “but he appears foolish on television. He dropped the college football trophy. He met with Pope Francis and the next day the pope died. Vance is toxic, and I don’t want him to come near me. He just doesn’t look as good on television as I thought he would.”   read more

Krol was nominated to be ambassador to Uzbekistan in July 2010 and assumed the post about a year later. While there, he has taken criticism from human rights groups in the country for deferring to the regime of Islam Karimov, under which there are frequent rights violations, including forced labor of its citizens, and little freedom of expression.   read more

He was acting assistant secretary (principal deputy assistant secretary) for the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. In that role, he worked in coordination with Defense Department officials on regional security issues. Among these were maritime security issues, such as pirates off the coast of Somalia, making him familiar with the region of Africa in which he is to serve.   read more

ADX inmates endure 23 hours a day and sometimes more in their tiny, private cells. The one hour they’re not in solitary confinement is instead spent outside—in an exercise cage often with no one else around. Many ADX inmates suffer from mental illness, but are denied treatment such as medicine and counseling, according to the report. In addition, the prison operates with virtually no public oversight. The media cannot visit prisoners in person nor talk to them by phone.   read more

41% of women reported experiencing “physically aggressive forms” of harassment, including “sexual touching (23%), following (20%), flashing (14%), and being forced to do something sexual (9%).” An even larger percentage (65%) said they have experienced at least one type of street harassment in their lifetimes.   read more

After Border Patrol agents found and confiscated bags of the drug hidden inside a bus, federal prosecutors threatened to fine Turimex $1,000 per ounce of recovered cocaine. Turimex balked, saying they didn’t know the drugs were on the bus and were thus protected by the Tariiff Act of 1930. However, the wording of the Tariff Act of 1930 only protects ship’s owners and masters.   read more

Dunford was tapped in 2012 to go back into the field as the commander of all U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. Because Gen. John Allen, the previous occupant of the job, was under investigation connected to the Gen. George Petraeus probe, Dunford’s nomination was fast-tracked and he took over the job in February 2013. Dunford served in Afghanistan until his nomination as commandant.   read more

In 2000, he went back to Cairo as deputy regional security officer. He was named regional security officer in Tokyo four years later. After his stint in Tokyo, Smith was named director of the Office of Physical Security Programs. His next post was as deputy assistant secretary and assistant director for countermeasures in October 2009 and he held that job until his nomination to lead the Office of Foreign Missions.   read more

“The typical occupant populations for these facilities are young, fit, Afghan soldiers and recruits who have the physical ability to make a hasty retreat during a developing situation,” Major General Michael Eyre, commander of the Army Corps’s Transatlantic Division, wrote in a memo. The structures include 83 barracks, four medical clinics and two fire stations.   read more

The recent recall and controversy surrounding General Motors is one prime example, bill supporters say. Some GM officials knew about their cars’ faulty ignition switches as early as 2001, and yet allowed them to be sold and driven for years after. At least 13 people may have died as a result of these decisions. So far, the worst that the federal government has thrown at GM for its negligence is $35 million in fines, with no managers or executives facing prosecution.   read more

Last year, the U.S. insurance industry produced $1 billion in policies covering hacker attacks. By the end of 2014, the figure is expected to reach $2 billion. Despite the clear risks that hackers pose, companies aren’t making the decision lightly to buy the new kind of insurance, which can cost $20,000-$25,000 per $1 million in coverage.   read more

American officials confirmed the incident took place before the July 4 holiday, prompting the removal of the male nurse from the forced-feeding area. The nurse may be in his forties, Latino, holding the rank of either lieutenant or captain. He was quoted as having announced, “I have come to the decision that I refuse to participate in this criminal act.”   read more

Debra Harrell of North Augusta was arrested after police learned she was regularly leaving her nine-year-old daughter at a nearby park for hours at a time while she worked at McDonald’s. The child was given a cell phone in case of emergencies and reportedly not harmed while alone in Summerfield.   read more

The Department of Justice trumpeted reaching a $7 billion deal with Citigroup to settle charges of “egregious misconduct” in its sale of mortgage-backed securities. But critics of the deal are crying foul. “The $7 billion settlement...is meaningless without disclosure of...how many hundreds of billions of dollars Citigroup made, how many tens of billions investors lost, how many billions in bonuses were pocketed, [and] which executives were involved,” said Dennis Kelleher.   read more

It’s not just the Pentagon and other high profile U.S. agencies that have to worry about Chinese hackers. Even the little guys in Washington are coming under attack. Lower profile agencies with no secret data, like those overseeing personnel and printing, have now been infiltrated. Hackers may have just been curious to know what these offices do. “Along the way you’re going to shake a lot of doorknobs,” said Shawn Henry. “If the door is unlocked, why not look in?”   read more

American spying overseas has proven so worrisome that one U.S. ally is considering ditching email and using typewriters to communicate classified information that can’t be intercepted electronically. Germany, whose government officials and citizens were angered last year upon learning the NSA had spied on them, is thinking seriously about embracing pre-computer technology. Some people are so concerned that they meet in person over coffee to keep conversations private.   read more

The tamarisk beetle has been both a blessing and a curse in the American Southwest. The agricultural industry and state water officials in Arizona have welcomed the insect because of its appetite for the tamarisk tree, a non-native species that critics say uses too much water, up to 200 gallons a day. But ecologists argue the beetles will only cause other problems, demonstrating the complicated efforts by man to correct his interference with nature.   read more