Steve Neavling

Lawmakers are trying to expand the surveillance powers of intelligence agencies to make spying more seamless when a terror suspect enters the U.S., the Associated Press reports.

The idea is to close the gap between NSA and FBI electronic surveillance, which occurs because of different legal standards between the two agencies.

That gap poses challenges in keeping surveillance uninterrupted as suspects enter the U.S.

The AP reports:

The chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., told The Associated Press that her committee is drafting a bill that would amend the law’s Section 702 provision, which authorizes targeting non-Americans outside the U.S., to allow uninterrupted spying on a suspect for “a limited period of time after the NSA learns the target has traveled to the United States, so the government may obtain a court order based on probable cause.”

 

The proposed changes will include testimony from top intelligence officials.

Steve Neavling

The FBI has released footage of the Navy Yard gunman stalking the corridors in search of victims.

The shooter, Aaron Alexis, 34, believed he was being controlled by low frequency radio waves, an FBI spokeswoman said, BBC reports.

“At this point I can confirm that there are multiple indicators that Alexis held a delusional belief that he was being controlled or influenced by extremely low frequency, or ELF, electromagnetic waves,” spokeswoman Valerie Parlave said.

Alexis, who killed 12 people and was shot fatally by police, appeared calm when he entered the complex in Washington D.C.

On his gun, Alexis had written, “Better off this way!”

Authorities don’t believe Alexis was looking for anyone in particular.

Steve Neavling

The stream of young Somali Americans joining terrorists in Somalia continues to flow despite an attempt by authorities to cut off money to support terrorism, the Associated Press reports.

The population is concentrated in Minnesota, where Somali Americans have been leaving to join al-Shabab in Somalia for six years. At least 22 young men have left Minnesota for Somalia in that period, the AP reported.

The Somali community is worried about reports that allege Somali Americans were involved in a deadly attack at a mall in Nairobi, the AP wrote.

“One thing I know is the fear is growing,” said Abdirizak Bihi, whose nephew was among at least six men from Minnesota who have died in Somalia, the AP wrote.

Steve Neavling

Bad news continues to follow ATF.

This time, the federal agency lost 420 million cigarettes, misused $162 million in profits from stings and conducted dozens of unauthorized investigations of illegal tobacco sales, the inspector general said, according to the Associated Press.

Investigators were unable to locate 2.1 million cartons because of shoddy documentation and poor oversight over the span of 20 tobacco stings, according to the AP.

The audit also found that the ATF gave a confidential informant $4.9 million from the sale of $15 million in cigarettes.

“ATF’s guidance regarding churning investigations lacked breadth and specificity, and managers at ATF headquarters as well as managers and special agents at ATF field offices often disregarded it,” Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz wrote in the 53-page audit.

OTHER STORIES OF INTEREST

• FBI Accused of Harassing Man Shot by Agent
• Justice Department: ATF Loses 420M Cigarettes
• Justice Department Tries to Get Jill Kelley Lawsuit Dropped
• Border Patrol Trucks Will Soon Have Dashboard Cams
• Border Patrol to Change Use-of-Force Policy Following Criticism

Steve Neavling

The FBI began the grueling process of investigating a bullet-riddled Nairobi mall where more than 60 people were killed by terrorists, the Associated Press reports.

Agents were working along bodies crushed by rubble as they began fingerprint, DNA and ballistic analysis to determine the identities of the terrorists.

The FBI believes Americans may have been involved.

Al-Shabab, a Somali Islamic extremist group, took credit for the attack.