Bill Chappell

Federal Agents Accuse Two Of Plotting Deadly X-Ray Weapon

Bill Chappell — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:14:00 +0000

Two men in upstate New York have been arrested for planning to build a "radiation particle weapon" that could be mounted on a vehicle and used to target people, according to a report by the Albany Times-Union Wednesday.

Snowden Reportedly In 'Informal' Asylum Talks With Iceland

Bill Chappell — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:51:00 +0000

Edward Snowden, the man commonly called "the NSA leaker" for his role in publishing documents that exposed a secret U.S. surveillance program, would reportedly not receive special treatment from the United Nations if he applies for asylum. The AP says Snowden is in "informal talks" with Iceland about applying for asylum there.

Snowden's last known location was Hong Kong, where he was when revelations about the secret PRISM program first came out.

Tropical Storm Barry Heads Toward Mexico, Forecasters Say

Bill Chappell — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:18:00 +0000

The National Hurricane Center has issued coastal warnings in the Gulf of Mexico regarding Tropical Storm Barry. The second named storm of the 2013 hurricane season, Barry is currently in the southwest corner of the gulf; it is expected to make landfall in Mexico Thursday morning.

The center says an Air Force reconnaissance aircraft determined Wednesday that the storm, formerly called Tropical Depression Two, had strengthened.

Fed Leaves Interest Rates And Bond Purchase Plan Untouched

Bill Chappell — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:53:00 +0000

The Federal Reserve will continue its program of purchasing $85 billion in securities and will leave the target interest rate for federal funds untouched to support the U.S. economy, the U.S. central bank said in a policy update issued Wednesday afternoon.

Here's a summary of the state of the U.S. economy from the Fed, which concluded two days of meetings today:

"Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in May suggests that economic activity has been expanding at a moderate pace.

Google Files First-Amendment Request With FISA Court

Bill Chappell — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:13:00 +0000

Google has filed a legal motion asserting its "First Amendment right to publish aggregate information about FISA orders," asking the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to remove the gag order that keeps the company from issuing that information. Google and other big U.S.

Perk Backlash: Do Surprise Upgrades Make Us Uneasy?

Bill Chappell — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:34:00 +0000

Whether it's a free upgrade on a hotel room or skipping ahead in the check-in line, many businesses give preferential treatment to some customers, hoping to make them more loyal. The practice often works — but a new study suggests that when we get perks we didn't earn, negative feelings can result.

'Days Of Rambo Are Over': Pentagon Details Women's Move To Combat

Bill Chappell — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:22:00 +0000

Women in America's armed services will have new options for what units they can join in coming years, the Pentagon says. The military said in January that it will end its combat exclusion that set a minimum size for units in which women could be deployed; the limit kept many women away from front-line combat units. The shift means women could join elite forces such as the Army Rangers and Navy SEALs.

Depending on the job, women could begin training to join combat units in the next one to three years, according to several military officers who spoke at a Pentagon briefing Tuesday afternoon.

Obama Would Veto House's Farm Bill, White House Says

Bill Chappell — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:21:00 +0000

President Obama will be advised to veto a multi-year farm bill slated to be discussed in the House this week, the White House says. The administration issued a statement on the legislation Monday afternoon, criticizing it for cutting food programs for the poor.

At more than 575 pages, the bipartisan bill was introduced by Reps.

Woman Freed In Indiana Was A Convict On Death Row At 16

Bill Chappell — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:15:00 +0000

Paula Cooper, 43, left prison Monday morning, decades after she became America's youngest resident of death row at age 16. She had confessed to the 1985 murder of Bible studies teacher Ruth Pelke, 78, in Gary, Ind.

FTC Can Sue Firms In 'Pay For Delay' Drug Deals, Court Rules

Bill Chappell — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:59:00 +0000

When the maker of a brand-name drug pays a maker of generic drugs to not produce a lower-priced version of their product, the Federal Trade Commission can challenge the arrangement on antitrust grounds, the Supreme Court ruled Monday. The ruling may end the era of what regulators call "pay-for-delay" deals.

The justices voted 5-3 to allow a case to go forward in which the FTC is challenging one of many such deals.