- DARPA SUCCEEDS IN REFUELING DRONE IN THE AIR: The future drone may well take off one day and land five years later, thanks to mid-air refueling technology developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Read more.
- IS THE DRONE WAR ILLEGAL? ERIC POSNER SAYS 'PROBABLY': Some legal scholars think that the legality of the Obama administration's drone war in Pakistan hinges on whether or not the Pakistani government approves of the strikes. That government has never officially consented to the US drone strikes, but defenders of the program say the Pakistanis tacitly approve of them — and if they didn't, would shoot them out of the sky. Eric Posner thinks that is a dubious legal argument, at best. Read his thoughts.
- DETROIT POLICE CHIEF RESIGNS AMID ALLEGATIONS OF AFFAIR AND SPYING: Former Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee resigned amid allegations that he had an affair with a subordinate police officer and used a Detroit PD surveillance unit to spy on her at her home. Read more. (h/t @oakscott)
- FBI TRACKS DOWN AND INTERROGATES PHOTOGRAPHER AT HIS HOME: A photographer who takes pictures for the National Weather Service received an FBI visit at his home after taking a photograph of a storm near an oil refinery in Houston, Texas. Apparently someone at the refinery saw him take the photograph and called the police, who arrived after the photographer had left. The police reported the incident to the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), and must have identified the photographer from surveillance footage. An FBI agent subsequently went to the photographer's home and interrogated him about his personal history. Read more.
- RAY KELLY CALLS FOR GRAND JURY INVESTIGATION INTO NYPD SHOOTING OF 22 YEAR OLD UNARMED NATIONAL GUARDSMAN: An NYPD officer with a history of complaints against him for violations of people's rights shot dead a 22 year old National Guardsman at a traffic stop in Queens in what a witness described as an incident of "police road rage." Read more.
- BRITNEY SPEARS' CELL PHONE, INTERNET USE MONITORED AND RESTRICTED: Apparently the pop star's father and fiancee have been monitoring her cell phone and internet use for the past four years. Read more.
- IS YOUR BOSS SPYING ON YOUR SMARTPHONE?: A Fox Business interview with a technology consultant warns that your employer may be spying on you if you use work email on your personal smartphone. Watch.
- CONGRESS REMOVES PROTECTIONS FOR INTELLIGENCE PERSONNEL FROM WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION ACT: The House passed a whistleblower protection bill in the last week of September, but struck a provision that would have protected members of the intelligence community from retaliation for disclosures. The removal of protections for intelligence community officials is troubling, given how important whistleblowers are in government agencies that thrive on secrecy and resist independent oversight or transparency. Read more.