Category Archives: NSA

Politics National Security

In the debut episode Sunday of his new HBO show Last Week Tonight, Daily Show alum John Oliver grilled former National Security Agency chief Gen. Keith Alexander about the spy agencys controversial surveillance programs. Oliver won praise for being remarkably tough in the segment, especially for a comedian, but it isnt the first time Alexander sat down for a nationally-televised interview.

In December last year, Alexander granted unprecedented access to the CBS News program 60 Minutes, including an extensive interview with the top spook himself. The 60 Minutes segment on the NSA scored extraordinary access into a notoriously secretive organization but at perhaps too high a cost. The segment was panned for being remarkably easy on the agency, especially for a venerated investigative news program.

TIME wanted to see how tough-for-a-comedian stacked up against easy-for-a-venerated-news-program. So we did a completely unscientific, utterly subjective match up to help weigh the two interviews against one another. (Full disclosure: TIME is currently owned by Time Warner, the same parent company that owns HBO, though that will change in the coming months.)

Behold, the comedian-journalist throwdown of the century (or the week, or the day, anyway): John Oliver v. 60 Minutes.

1. On the reach of the NSAs programs.

Among the low points of 60 Minutes correspondent John Millers interview with Alexander was when Miller asks if the NSAs phone records collection constitutes spying on Americans and basically answers his own question. You dont hear the call? Miller says, offering Alexander his answer. You dont hear the call, Alexander repeats, to the surprise of no one. Miller didnt see the point in pressing the issue any further. And while Alexanders answers were not strictly untrue as a logistical matter, the NSAs collection of phone metadata, including call duration, timestamp, and phone numbers, is not trivial, which John Oliver proves with one piercing retort.

But thats not nothing. Thats significant information. Otherwise you wouldnt want it.

Point Oliver

2. On the status of NSA leaker Edward Snowden.

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NSA Throwdown: John Oliver v. 60 Minutes

New water records finally released to the Salt Lake Tribune appear to confirm that the National Security Agency's new data storage facility in Bluffdale, Utah may not be fully operational.

Reporter compelled Bluffdale to provide data on Utah Data Center's water usage.

The data shows that since July 2013, the facility used 6.2 million gallons of water in a month, the highest single month in over two years of data. For that, the NSA paid $28,596 monthly to the City of Bluffdale, the minimum bill amount.

Under the two entities water contract, that minimum bill jumped to $31,692 as of 2014. However, since July 2013, the monthly water usage fell, rose, and fell again in 2014, reaching a low point of 2.8 million gallons as of February 2014 (the most recent data point).

In October 2013, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Utah Data Center had experienced 10 [electrical] meltdowns in the past 13 months. The paper added that the Utah site continuously draws 65 megawatts of power, which could power a small city of at least 20,000. Bluffdale itself is a small city of 8,000 people, located just south of Salt Lake City. It is also the headquarters of the Apostolic United Brethren, a Mormon fundamentalist group.

The NSA did not respond to Ars repeated requests to find out whether the facility is operational.

The water is believed to be used to cool the massive data center the NSA has been building at the site. In order to accommodate the NSAs water needs, the Tribune reports:

Bluffdale built a $3 million water-delivery system for the center. To ensure it would be able to repay the bond, the city required minimum monthly paymentscalled take or payfrom the NSA. But the contract assumes the NSA will exceed those minimums, at which point Bluffdale begins charging the NSA at a rate that currently amounts to $2.05 per 1,000 gallons.

The version of the contract between the NSA and Bluffdale released by the city redacts the planned amounts of the minimum payments and the Utah Data Centers projected water usage. Its unclear how much more water the NSA could receive with the minimum payment.

When the originalwater records request was denied by the city, the rulingcited legal advice from David Sherman, the associate director for policy and records at the NSA.

Excerpt from:

New water records show NSA Utah Data Center likely behind schedule

NSA CT Announces Dick Bruso April's Guest Speaker

The National Speaker's Association Connecticut chapter has announced NSA member Dick Bruso will be the guest speaker at the organization's monthly meeting to be held April 29.

His clients include best selling authors and in-demand speakers, as well as successful entrepreneurs and business leaders. He is a contributing author, on the topic of branding, to NSA's popular books, "Paid To Speak and Speak More!" Dick is an active member of NSA and NSA/Colorado. He served as president of NSA/CO for 2005-2006 and prior to then was a member of the NSA National PR Advisory Task Force. Dick, also, served as the 2009-2010 chair of the NSA Writers & Publishers PEG, as the chair of the NSA Academy for Professional Speaking for 2011-2012 and as the co-chair of the 2012 Cavett Institute.

The subjects covered in this upcoming meeting are intended to benefit anyone who speaks for a living or does so to obtain clients for their business. Providing a platform for networking and education, the meeting is one of many held by the organization. Members and guests are welcome.

Holding seven to eight such meetings per year at the Shelton Public Library - Huntington Branch the NSA CT chapter offers free attendance to members and associates. Guests can attend at a rate of $35 per person. Registration is now open by visiting the link below and clicking on the "Register Now" link: https://nsact.org/meet-reg1.php?mi=bc2110eb65fbb3c5ccbe15c1429086a1&id=49$$AUTOLOGIN$$

Visitors can join any meeting by going to the website, and can also find out more through the organization's calendar. They can also find a speaker through the Member Directory or contact the organization directly.

The next meeting, featuring guest speaker and NSA member Dick Bruso, will take place April 29, from 6 to 9 p.m., at the Shelton Public Library - Huntington Branch, 41 Church Street, Shelton. To learn more about the NSA CT, go to http://nsact.org. About the National Speaker's Association Connecticut Chapter.

The National Speaker's Association Connecticut Chapter holds meetings seven to eight times a year covering various topics helpful to those who speak professionally. Special meetings such as Speaker 101 are intended to help anyone who wants to get into the speaking business. Meetings are free for members and associates.

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READER SUBMITTED: NSA CT April 2014 Meeting

NSA TARGETED OBAMA, CONGRESS, SUPREME COURT, THEIR SPOUSES, CHILDREN
Subscribe to WeAreChange; link is below: https://www.youtube.com/user/wearechange https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQwUUCSFj_0 list=PL427E9E5B238E01D9 The per...

By: KafkaWinstonWorld

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NSA TARGETED OBAMA, CONGRESS, SUPREME COURT, & THEIR SPOUSES, CHILDREN - Video

Book TV - 2014 San Antonio Book Festival: Panel on the NSA, Big Brother, and Democracy
From the San Antonio Book Festival in Texas, a panel on government surveillance and secrecy featuring Heidi Boghosian, author of "Spying on Democracy," and J...

By: BookTV

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Book TV - 2014 San Antonio Book Festival: Panel on the NSA, Big Brother, and Democracy - Video

CIA NSA DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPON ATTACK ON WHISTLE BLOWER
DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPON ATTACK CIA DoD (NSA:DARPA) OPERATIVES FOR FIVE HOURS NOW CAUSING SEVERE SUDDEN EXTREME AGGRESSION RAGE AND AGITATION CAUSING BLOOD PRESSURE TO SKYROCKET IN SECONDS...

By: Bryan Tew

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CIA & NSA DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPON ATTACK ON WHISTLE BLOWER - Video

Umfrage: NSA-Spionage und die Bundesregierung | Politik direkt - So ticken die Deutschen
Vor nicht allzu langer Zeit gab es schon einmal eine transatlantische Eiszeit. Kanzler Schrder hatte dem Prsidenten George W. Bush die Gefolgschaft in Sach. Howard Stern,Howard Stern show,...

By: HowardStern79

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Umfrage: NSA-Spionage und die Bundesregierung | Politik direkt - So ticken die Deutschen - Video

Hang with Rand: Email Privacy, NSA Spying, and Defending Our Civil Liberties
Government agents are listening to our phone calls, reading our emails, and checking our web histories. In this digital age, has our security come at the cos...

By: GenOpp

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Hang with Rand: Email Privacy, NSA Spying, and Defending Our Civil Liberties - Video

NSA Surveillance and What To Do About It - Bruce Schneier
This event was hosted by the Stanford Center for Internet and Society. https://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/events/nsa-surveillance-and-what-do-about-it-evening-tal...

By: Stanford Center for Internet Society

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NSA Surveillance and What To Do About It - Bruce Schneier - Video

NSA Wiretapping: A 4th Amendment Violation?: Blake Norvell at TEDxSMU
Blake C. Norvell is an attorney and mediator whose practice areas include litigation, transactional, and appeals. He is admitted to the State Bar of Californ...

By: TEDx Talks

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NSA Wiretapping: A 4th Amendment Violation?: Blake Norvell at TEDxSMU - Video