BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
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What it would take to convert a jet from Qatar into Air Force One to safely fly Trump
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump really wants to fly on an upgraded Air Force One — but making that happen could depend on whether he’s willing to cut corners with security. As government lawyers sort out the legal arrangement for accepting a luxury jet from the Qatari royal family, another crucial conversation is unfolding…
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Spotty attendance for measles at Norfolk elementary school
Measles continues to be an unwelcome visitor to schools in Norfolk County, causing kids to miss class as the school year enters the home stretch. Staff and students at Houghton Public School — a rural elementary school in southwestern Norfolk — were potentially exposed to measles on two separate occasions in May, with each exposure…
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Supreme Court allows DOGE team to access Social Security systems with data on millions of Americans
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court handed the Trump administration two victories Friday in cases involving the Department of Government Efficiency, including giving it access to Social Security systems containing personal data on millions of Americans. The justices also separately reined in orders seeking transparency at DOGE, the team once led by billionaire Elon Musk.…
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European privacy officials widen ban on Meta’s behavioral advertising to most of Europe
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — European officials widened a ban on Meta’s “behavioral advertising” practices to most of Europe on Wednesday, setting up a broader conflict between the continent’s privacy-conscious institutions and an American technology giant. Behavioral advertising, used by Meta’s Facebook and Instagram among many other tech companies, involves observing individual behavior such as browsing…
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Amazon used an algorithm to essentially raise prices on other sites, the FTC says
Amazon used a secret algorithm to essentially help raise prices on other online sites and also “destroyed” internal communications as the Federal Trade Commission undertook an antitrust investigation against it, according to newly unredacted portions of the agency’s lawsuit. The new excerpts unveiled Thursday allege executives at the e-commerce giant intentionally deleted communication by using a feature…
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911 call shows man suspected in plan to attack Colorado amusement park was found dead near a ride
DENVER (AP) — The body of a heavily armed man who authorities suspected was planning a “heinous” attack at a mountaintop amusement park in Colorado was discovered with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the bathroom at a building that houses a ride that drops 110-feet deep into caverns, according to a 911 call released Wednesday.…
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State is paying fired Tennessee vaccine chief $150K in lawsuit settlement
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The state of Tennessee has agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a federal lawsuit by its former vaccine leader over her firing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The agreement in the case brought by Michelle Fiscus includes provisions that limit what each of the parties can say about each other, according to…
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Privacy bill fails to address dangers of facial recognition technology: coalition
OTTAWA — A coalition pushing for better regulation of facial recognition and other biometric surveillance technologies says proposed federal privacy legislation is in “dire need of significant amendments.” In an open letter Wednesday to Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, the Right2YourFace Coalition warns the use of facial recognition technology threatens human rights, equity principles and fundamental freedoms, including…
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House Speaker Mike Johnson was once the dean of a Christian law school. It never opened its doors
WASHINGTON (AP) — Before House Speaker Mike Johnson was elected to public office, he was the dean of a small Baptist law school that didn’t exist. The establishment of the Judge Paul Pressler School of Law was supposed to be a capstone achievement for Louisiana College, which administrators boasted would “unashamedly embrace” a “biblical worldview.”…
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Ministers’ responses on Afghan monument contract ‘pathetic’: design team
OTTAWA — An architectural group that lost out on building a monument to Canada’s mission in Afghanistan is accusing two federal cabinet ministers of giving a “pathetic” explanation for how the contract was awarded. The design by Team Daoust was selected by a jury, but the government overruled that decision to award the contract to…
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Whistleblower says utility should repay $382 million in federal aid given to failed clean coal plant
ATLANTA (AP) — A former employee is suing to force a Mississippi utility to repay $382 million that the federal government gave to build a failed coal-fueled power plant. Kelli Williams, a former construction manager for Atlanta-based Southern Co., filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the company and its subsidiary Mississippi Power Co. in 2018. That…