Andrea Noble

Apple gets more time to address order to unlock iPhone: reports

Tech giant Apple will reportedly get a three more days to respond to an order requiring the company to aid the FBI in hacking an iPhone belonging to one of the shooters who carried out a terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California. Published February 19, 2016

Tech companies back Apple in battle with FBI

Tech companies including Google and WhatsApp are backing Apple CEO Tim Cook in his opposition of a court order that requires the company to help the FBI bypass encryption security features on an iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino attackers. Published February 18, 2016

Apple hack order potential tipping point in privacy vs. security battle

A seminal showdown in the long-running fight over government access to private communication is brewing over the judicial order to compel tech giant Apple to help the FBI hack the cellphone of one of the San Bernardino jihadis. Published February 17, 2016

Chicago coalition seeks special prosecutor in Laquan McDonald shooting

A coalition of Chicago community leaders and civil rights attorneys are calling for the appointment of a special prosecutor to take over the investigation into the fatal police shooting of a black teenager, saying they have no confidence in Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez's ability to fairly handle the case. Published February 16, 2016

U.S. border agents prepare for the pope’s trip to Mexico

A second visit to the U.S. isn't part of Pope Francis' itinerary during his trip Wednesday to the Mexican border town of Juarez, but that doesn't mean U.S. law enforcement agencies along the Texas border aren't prepared for an impromptu visit. Published February 15, 2016

‘Red-blooded American’ pleads guilty to hate crime for threatening mosques

A Florida man pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime charge that stemmed from threats he made to firebomb two mosques in the aftermath of the Paris terror attacks. Published February 12, 2016

Order blocking release of Fast and Furious records sent back to lower court on appeal

A federal appeals court on Friday overturned a ruling that kept under wraps a limited number of documents related to a lawsuit Congress brought against the Justice Department as it probed the botched Fast and Furious gunrunning operation. Published February 12, 2016

Sheriff’s association asks public to wear blue for slain officers

Following a string of fatal attacks on law enforcement officers this week, the National Sheriffs' Association is encouraging first responders and supporters to wear blue on Friday in a sign of solidarity. Published February 11, 2016

Jeh Johnson: Local law enforcement should train for active-shooter situations

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson emphasized across the board active-shooter training by local law enforcement as one of the best ways to limit damage inflicted in an attack carried out by a self-radicalized terrorist, noting the difficulty of predicting the next U.S. city that might be targeted. Published February 11, 2016

Justice Dept. wants $38M to help feds combat data encryption

The Justice Department is seeking $38 million in its proposed 2017 budget to help the FBI's development of a workaround to data encryption -- a need the FBI director highlighted with the disclosure that investigators have been unable to access information on the cellphone of one of the San Bernardino attackers. Published February 10, 2016

Justice Department critical of Ferguson lawmakers’ changes to agreement

The Justice Department has brought a civil rights lawsuit against the city of Ferguson, Missouri, after lawmakers there revised a negotiated deal meant to overhaul the city's police department and court system, according to court documents filed in the case Wednesday. Published February 10, 2016

Appeals judges question disclosure of cellphone tracking in Maryland case

Maryland appeals court judges were skeptical of whether a lower court judge knew he was authorizing police to deploy a secret cellphone tracking system to help find a shooting suspect when police asked him to sign off on an order typically used to obtain less specific phone location data. Published February 9, 2016

Justice Department’s Ferguson police reforms could cripple city financially

Ferguson City Council members are set to vote Tuesday on an agreement with the Justice Department to overhaul the police and court systems -- a plan that threatens to absorb one-fourth of the Missouri city's budget and to overwhelm even its ability to raise taxes. Published February 8, 2016

Homeland Security, FBI employee data dumped in hack

A hacker claiming to have downloaded information about thousands of FBI and Department of Homeland Security employees through a Justice Department computer followed through with a threat to publicly release the information online Monday. Published February 8, 2016

LeSean McCoy reportedly involved in assault on cops in Philadelphia nightclub

An NFL player and his posse reportedly injured two off-duty Philadelphia cops during a fight over a bottle of champagne at a Philadelphia nightclub this weekend. Published February 8, 2016

Police use of cellphone tracking faces test in court

A case with the potential to redefine how police use secret cellphone tracking systems heads to an appeals court this week, where Maryland prosecutors will challenge a ruling that found the use of such a device to hone in on the location of a shooting suspect was a breach of his Fourth Amendment rights. Published February 7, 2016