July 14, 2018 – Bridge Agents

Plan to ‘Modernize’ Endangered Species Act Called ‘Extinction Bills’

July 14, 2018 Bridge Agents

United States (Cronkite) – A group of Western lawmakers unveiled a package of bills Thursday to “modernize” the Endangered Species Act by allowing more local input and encouraging voluntary conservation efforts. “Everybody wants to have endangered species protected, but doing it in the right way, where everyone is included in the process,” said Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Prescott, who sponsored one of the nine bills. “Right now locals and private entities really have a prejudice against them.” Environmental advocates were quick criticize the legislation as “extinction bills” that would do more harm than good….

US: Government Has Planted Spy Phones With Suspects

July 14, 2018 Bridge Agents

(HRW) – United States law enforcement has used undercover distributions of phones to monitor suspects’ activities, raising rights concerns, Human Rights Watch said today. The Justice Department should disclose its policies regarding the tactic and whether it is currently being used. Human Rights Watch has identified two forms of this technique that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has used or, evidence suggests, has contemplated using. One involved the undercover sale of BlackBerry devices whose individual encryption keys the DEA possessed, enabling the agency to decode messages sent and received by…