To facilitate passage of TPP, U.S. upgrades Malaysia in annual human trafficking report - sources

US: More Than 21 Million Affected by Government Data Breach | 09 July 2015 | Hackers stole Social Security numbers, health histories and other highly sensitive data from more than 21 million people, the Obama administration said Thursday, acknowledging that the breach of U.S. government computer systems was far more severe than previously disclosed. The scope of the data breach -- believed to be the biggest in U.S. history -- has grown dramatically since the government first disclosed earlier this year that hackers had gotten into the Office of Personnel Management's personnel database and stolen records for about 4.2 million people. Since then, the Obama administration has acknowledged a second, related breach of the systems housing private data that individuals submit during background investigations to obtain security clearances.

South Carolina governor signs bill to remove Confederate flag | 09 July 2015 | South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley signed legislation on Thursday to permanently remove the Confederate battle flag from the state capitol grounds, following an emotional debate spurred by the massacre of nine black churchgoers last month. Haley signed the bill into law in the State House Rotunda before an audience of legislators and dignitaries shortly after 4 p.m. EDT (2000 GMT), and her office said the flag would be taken down at 10 a.m. (1400 GMT) on Friday. The rebel banner will go to the "relic room" of South Carolina's military museum in Columbia, the state capital.

South Carolina House approves bill removing Confederate flag | 09 July 2015 | The South Carolina House has approved taking down the Confederate flag from the Capitol grounds, a stunning reversal in a state that was the first to leave the Union in 1860 and raised the flag again at its Statehouse more than 50 years ago to protest the civil rights movement. The House approved the Senate bill 93-27, and still has one more vote that appeared to be perfunctory since they had met two-thirds approval. The bill would then go to Republican Gov. Nikki Haley, who supports it.

Texas judge orders DHS to court | 08 July 2015 | A federal judge in Texas is threatening to hold top immigration enforcement officials in contempt of court. This is for not fixing problems with work permits mistakenly awarded under President Barack Obama's executive immigration action after the judge had put it on hold. The Justice Department had said about 2,000 individuals were sent three-year work authorizations after a judge in Brownsville temporarily blocked the immigration action on February 16.

To Help US Veterans Charity, George W. Bush Charged $100,000 | 08 July 2015 | Former President [sic] George W. Bush charged 100,000 to speak at a charity fundraiser for U.S. military veterans severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, and former First Lady Laura Bush collected 50,000 to appear a year earlier, officials of the Texas-based Helping a Hero charity confirmed to ABC News. The former President was also provided with a private jet to travel to Houston at a cost of 20,000, the officials said.

Jeb Bush: People Need to Work Longer Hours | 08 July 2015 | Today, Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush...uttered a phrase that may not go over too well with the constituency he seeks to reach. During an interview that was live-streamed on the app Periscope, Bush told New Hampshire's The Union Leaderthat to grow the economy, "people should work longer hours." Already the Democratic National Committee has pounced, releasing a statement that calls his remarks "easily one of the most out-of-touch comments we've heard so far this cycle," adding that Bush would not fight for the middle class as president.

Who really runs N.J. when Christie is away? | 09 July 2015 | Gov. Chris Christie, who has been out of state nearly half of his second term in office, is expected to be away from New Jersey more than ever now that he's launched his presidential campaign. By early July, Christie had spent more time out of state this year than he's spent in it. When his latest trip to Allen & Company's annual financial conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, this week ends, the governor will have spent 100 of the last 192 days traveling out of state campaigning or laying the groundwork for his White House bid. [The defective 'Shift' button on my keyboard would do a better job running the state, so I think it's a 'plus' that Christie isn't there much of the time.]

Trump vows to press Ford to cancel $2.5 billion Mexican plant that will 'take away thousands' of U.S. jobs | 16 June 2015 | Republican presidential candidate and billion-ire Donald Trump threatened [corpora-terrorists] Ford Motor Co. with punitive taxes if the Dearborn automaker proceeds with a new 2.5 billion Mexican plant that will "take away thousands" of U.S. jobs. In April, Ford said it would add 3,800 jobs in Mexico as part of a 2.5 billion investment -- on top of the 11,300 Ford already employs in Mexico. The investment will include a new engine plant and new transmission plant allowing for exports of engines to the United States and elsewhere. [This predatory capitalism -- exporting jobs for cheap labor in other countries, skipping taxes, and selling the products back in the US -- needs to STOP. Like or dislike Donald Trump (and his offensive comments), this topic is important; Trump and Bernie Sanders are the only candidates discussing the issue.]

Tom Selleck Accused of Stealing Public Water for his Hidden Hills Ranch | 08 July 2015 | Actor [sic] Tom Selleck has been accused of stealing public water for use on his spacious ranch in Hidden Hills, California. A truck registered to the "Magnum, P.I." actor was allegedly caught pumping water from a public hydrant in Thousand Oaks then transporting it back to his home, according to a lawsuit filed by the Calleguas Municipal Water District. The agency hired a private detective, who claims to have observed the actor's vehicle being filled with water.

Baltimore police commissioner fired after riot, killings | 08 July 2015 | Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts was fired on Wednesday following criticism of his handling of rioting over the death of a black man from an injury in police custody and a skyrocketing homicide rate. Mayor [corporate-owned] Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said the focus on Batts and the leadership of the 2,500-officer force had become a distraction in fighting resurgent crime and was hurting her goal of attracting families privatization to the city. Batts and other police commanders told officers to "hold the line" with rioters rather than confront people causing damage or threatening police.

Petition Seeks to Revoke Bill Cosby's Presidential Medal of Freedom | 09 July 2015 | Bill Cosby may lose one of his biggest honors after new details surfaced about his history of sexual misconduct raping women. A petition that asks for the star's Presidential Medal of Freedom to be removed is gaining steam. Filed on the White House's website, the "Revoke the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Bill Cosby" petition made its way online in the aftermath of the Associated Press's scathing report on the comedian. As previously detailed, the AP article unearthed documents from 2005, in which Cosby admits to obtaining Quaaludes for the purpose of giving them to the women to whom he was attracted.