Topic: Federal Bureau of Investigation

Terror suspect Zazi pleads guilty, cooperates with government

Terror suspect Najibullah Zazi, arrested in September in New York explosives plot, pleaded guilty Monday and is apparently cooperating with federal officials.

IRS: a frequent target of antigovernment violence

Thursday's attack, in which Joseph Stack flew his plane into IRS offices in Austin, Texas, is just the latest in a string of attacks against the Internal Revenue Service. There are an average of 918 threats against employees a year, says a government agency.

Austin plane crash targeted IRS, officials say

The remains of the plane's pilot – believed to be Joseph Andrew Stack – have been recovered. Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo calls the attack "a criminal act by a lone individual."

Who is Joe Stack?

Joseph Andrew Stack, the software engineer being linked to Thursday's plane crash in Austin, left behind an anti-IRS, antigovernment Web manifesto.

Mortgage fraud: Bloomberg, nonprofit try to raise awareness

New York Mayor Bloomberg and NeighborWorks rolled out a ‘Loan Modification Scam Alert’ on Thursday. The goal: to prevent yet more homeowners from falling victim to mortgage fraud.

In US budget's fine print, a treasure-trove of information

Want to know how much the White House will spend to screen mail? How about maintain its lawn? Crack open the budget Appendix for Washington’s spending secrets.

Small plane crashes into Austin office building – was it intentional?

Witnesses say the single-engine plane appeared to accelerate before crashing into the seven-story building, where IRS employees, among others, worked.

White House to security critics: We are tough, just like Bush

As Republicans continue their unrelenting criticism of the Obama administration's national security measures, the White House points out similarities to the Bush era. But that raises Democrats' hackles.

At Super Bowl, The Who's Townshend dogged by child-porn arrest

Child-advocacy groups in Florida are protesting Sunday's Super Bowl, saying the NFL was wrong to invite rocker Pete Townshend of The Who to perform at halftime. They cite his 2003 arrest for accessing child porn online. He urges critics to 'look at bit further' at his case.

Homegrown terrorism a growing concern for US intelligence

Homegrown terrorism is a growing threat, US intelligence chief Dennis Blair said this week. But the number of American Muslims engaged in extremist activity remain small and still largely focused overseas.

'Lady Al Qaeda': Pakistan reacts to Aafia Siddiqui conviction in US court

A New York court's conviction of Pakistani neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui for the attempted murder of US soldiers in Afghanistan has stirred anti-American anger in Pakistan.

Holder letter: why we read Christmas Day bomber his rights

In a letter to Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, Attorney General Eric Holder defended his decision to treat the Christmas Day bomber as a criminal defendant, not an enemy combatant.

James O'Keefe and Landrieu-gate: Whither right-wing muckraking?

The conservative investigative journalist who broke the ACORN story, James O'Keefe, was arrested Monday, allegedly for tampering with Sen. Mary Landrieu's phones. It could set back the movement he championed.

Four charged in incident at Mary Landrieu’s office. Watergate 2?

James O’Keefe and three others are accused of attempted phone tampering in an office for Sen. Mary Landrieu. Liberals are likening the incident to the Watergate break-in.

Why the 'China virus' hack at US energy companies is worrisome

When three big US oil companies learned they were penetrated by hackers, cyber-security experts found that valuable bid data on energy deposits was compromised. The trail pointed to China.

US oil industry hit by cyberattacks: Was China involved?

MONITOR EXCLUSIVE: Breaches show how sophisticated industrial espionage is becoming. The big question: Who’s behind them?

2010 Census: what you need to know

The 2010 US Census starts soon. At stake are billions of federal dollars – and maybe your representative's job.

FBI sting nets 22 executives charged with paying bribes abroad

The FBI undercover operation was the largest-ever effort to enforce the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The 22 executives ran companies that supplied militaries and law-enforcement agencies.

FBI got 2,000 phone records with fake terrorism emergencies: report

The FBI illegally collected 2,000 phone records between 2002 and 2006 invoking nonexistent terrorism emergencies, according to a report in The Washington Post.

The Lacuna

Five tips to avoid Haiti relief scams

The aftermath of natural disasters often bring out the scammers and con artists. Here are five tips to avoid Haiti relief scams and make sure your donations make a difference.

FBI arrests two possible accomplices to Zazi terror plot

After months of watching two men who went to high school with accused terrorist Najibullah Zazi, the FBI arrested both men Friday in New York.

John Brennan: We failed on Christmas Day terrorist intelligence

In a review of the Christmas Day terrorist attempt, White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan says that what should have been clear intelligence warnings fell through the cracks.

How the US terrorist watchlists do (and don't) work

The Christmas Day attack suspect was on a terrorist watchlist but still managed to board a US-bound flight. The reason lies in the three-tier system of US watchlists.

Passenger yells 'kill all the Jews,' but air rage is declining

Two unruly passengers caused security emergencies Wednesday, putting the US on edge after the failed Christmas Day terror attempt. But reports of air rage are actually going down.