Topic: United States

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How well do you know the world of spying? Take our CIA and NSA quiz.

The history of US espionage can be as fascinating and mysterious as any spy novel. Think you’re a regular John Le Carré when it comes to this stuff? See if D.C. Decoder can stump you.

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For Nokia, Lumia sales are a bright spot in an otherwise bumpy quarter

The Lumia line is selling well in Europe and Asia. But Nokia sales in the US have been anemic.
Zimmerman won't get his gun back yet, per Justice Department. What's up?

The US Justice Department wants the George Zimmerman gun and other physical evidence in the Trayvon Martin shooting to be held intact, pending its civil rights probe. That might signal stepped-up activity by the feds, but analysts see reason to doubt they will ultimately file charges.
Italy eyes ex-CIA spook's extradition, complicating US ties

Panamanian authorities detained Robert Seldon Lady on request from Italy, which convicted him for the 2003 'rendition' kidnapping of a cleric in Milan.
Modern Parenthood Heat wave and kids: A revisit to the lessons of kids forgotten in cars

Heat waves, like the current scorcher, are reminders for parents: Stories of kids forgotten in hot cars are rare, but parents would still do well to take precautions to remind themselves of that quiet, sleeping baby in the backward-facing car seat.
Global News Blog Good Reads: From raising champions, to Norway’s slow TV, to making real friends

This week's round-up of Good Reads includes a profile of Olympian Missy Franklin, American sitcoms in Kyrgyzstan, a strange TV phenomenon in Norway, a 'slow friend' backlash to Facebook, and productive early risers.
Tomato woes and fixes

Most of the troubles stem from water and fertilizing issues. But beware the hornworm.
Are US and UK 'turning a blind eye' as Ethiopia uproots natives?

California think tank issues double-barreled report alleging Washington, London are willfully ignoring gross violations.
Africa Monitor Mandela and Africa in the American imagination

What Americans see in Africa often reveals more about our state of mind than it does about the realities on the continent.
How well do you know the world of spying? Take our CIA and NSA quiz.

The history of US espionage can be as fascinating and mysterious as any spy novel. Think you’re a regular John Le Carré when it comes to this stuff? See if D.C. Decoder can stump you.
Panama arrests former CIA station chief sought by Italy in rendition case

Robert Lady was the CIA station chief in Milan when wanted Egyptian cleric Nasr was pulled from the streets there and sent back to Egypt where his lawyer says he was tortured.
Top Picks: National Geographic's 'Inside the American Mob,' a café soundtrack for your computer, and more

Leon Fleisher's birthday is celebrated with a 23-CD box set, Chicago restaurant Hot Doug's gets its own book, and more.
June 2013 was world's fifth-hottest June on record, says NOAA

June 2013 broke monthly records over much of northern Canada, western Russia, southern Japan, the Philippines, part of southwestern China, and central southern Africa.
Jimmy Carter: Unchecked campaign contributions are 'legal bribery'

'It's accepted fact,' Carter said during a speech in Atlanta. 'It's legal bribery of candidates. And that repayment may be in the form of an ambassadorship...'
Palestinians: Israel must agree on borders

Kerry has been shuttling for months in search of a formula to allow resumption of talks for the first time since 2008. Israeli settlements remain at the heart of the deadlock.
Should Congress restore key part of Voting Rights Act? House hears both sides.

A House subcommittee hosted an exchange of views Thursday about the meaning of and potential fallout from the US Supreme Court’s decision last month that struck down a portion of the Voting Rights Act.
Detroit bankruptcy: Governor authorizes filing, declaring 'no viable alternative' (+video)

The Detroit bankruptcy filing, which follows a decades-long decline in city finances that led to $18 billion in debt, sets the stage for a showdown with 43 public sector unions facing a drastic cut in pensions.
In California's Mountain fire, lessons of Yarnell tragedy are everywhere

The Mountain fire in California is burning 'some of the more treacherous terrain in the US,' and the memory of last month's Yarnell Hill fire is leading to an abundance of caution.
Feds target 'stand your ground' laws, but what can they do?

Neither Congress nor the executive branch can force states to change their laws, and courts have been skeptical about attempts to strike down stand your ground legislation. At least one juror has said this law was a key factor in the George Zimmerman verdict.
Decoder Wire Wendy Davis goes to Washington: Did Texas abortion fight create a new star?

Wendy Davis gained national fame for her staunch opposition of a Texas abortion bill. Now, she's coming to D.C. to raise money and sounding like someone who might run for governor.
Internet companies call for greater transparency from secret court

Internet companies including Apple, Google, and Yahoo called on the government to create greater transparency around secret court information requests
FISA 101: 10 key dates in the evolution of NSA surveillance

When news of the PRISM data collection and surveillance program broke in early June 2013, it shook up the cyber security debate, and called into question just how much information the US government is authorized to collect. But government data collection isn’t something that just sprang up out of nowhere – it just sprang into national attention after former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden leaked government documents about the secret government agency. Here’s a brief list of post-9/11 legislation and surveillance programs to add a historical perspective to the current government surveillance debate.
Did West ignore rape charges related to Ethiopia land grab?

USAID officials are accused of ignoring reports of profound human rights abuses by Ethiopia, a strategic ally in the Horn of Africa. They deny it.
Snowden leaks give new life to lawsuits challenging NSA surveillance programs

Documents Edward Snowden leaked about sweeping NSA surveillance programs have emboldened privacy advocates and government watchdog groups to file a new round of lawsuits challenging the programs' constitutionality.
Bradley Manning trial: 'Aiding the enemy' charges stand, but hard to prove

The judge in the military trial of Bradley Manning ruled Thursday she would not dismiss the 'aiding the enemy' charges. But prosecutors so far have proved neither intent nor harm, observers say.
Nelson Mandela: 10 quotes on his birthday

To celebrate the 95th birthday of Nelson Mandela, here are 10 of his more memorable quotes.