Factbox: Snowden latest accused by Obama administration of leaking

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government's decision to charge former government contractor Edward Snowden with espionage marks the seventh time the Obama administration had attempted to punish those believed responsible for leaking classified information.

The following is a list of the seven cases and details surrounding them.

EDWARD SNOWDEN

Snowden, 30, is a former technical employee for Booz Allen Hamilton who was contracted to work for the National Security Agency.

In news media interviews, he has revealed that he was responsible for disclosing documents that showed that the top-secret National Security Agency has access to vast amounts of internet data such as emails, chat rooms and video from large companies such as Facebook and Google, under a government program known as Prism.

Snowden said the government had worked through the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to gather so-called metadata - such as the time, duration and telephone numbers called - on all calls carried by service providers such as Verizon.

According to a criminal complaint filed by the Justice Department that was dated June 14 but came to light on Friday, Snowden was accused of theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information and willful communication of classified communications intelligence to an unauthorized person.

The latter two offenses fall under the U.S. Espionage Act and carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and fines.

FBI TRANSLATOR

Shamai Leibowitz was an FBI translator in 2009 when material that he heard while translating ended up on a blog. He reached an agreement with prosecutors before he was charged, and pleaded guilty in 2009 to one count of disclosing classified information. He was sentenced to 20 months in prison.

NSA WASTE

Former NSA official Thomas Drake was suspected in 2010 of revealing information about the agency's warrantless wiretapping program. He was indicted under the Espionage Act but said the only information he leaked was about waste in a NSA program, which he gave to the Baltimore Sun newspaper. The 10 felony counts were dropped when he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, and he received no prison time.

WIKILEAKS SOURCE

Bradley Manning, an Army private first class, is on trial in a Maryland military court, accused of passing more than 700,000 classified files to WikiLeaks in the biggest leak of secret documents in U.S. history. Manning, who pleaded guilty to 10 lesser charges in February, faces 21 additional counts including aiding the enemy and could get life in prison if convicted. The trial is expected to last through the summer.

NORTH KOREA INTEL

Stephen Kim, a U.S. State Department contract analyst, divulged to a Fox News reporter information on U.S. intelligence's assessment of how North Korea would respond to new sanctions. A grand jury indicted him in 2010 for disclosing defense information and making false statements, based in part on Fox News records the government seized without notice. He has pleaded not guilty and a trial date is possible in late 2013 or early 2014.

BOOK SOURCE

Former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling was charged in 2011 with illegally disclosing classified information about Iran to James Risen, a New York Times reporter, for his book "State of War." The case is pending, as the government has tried unsuccessfully to force Risen to testify about his sources.

INTERROGATION LEAK

Former CIA officer John Kiriakou was charged in 2012 with divulging to journalists secret information about the CIA's interrogation program, including the identity of a covert officer. In an agreement with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty to one count and was sentenced to two and a half years in prison. He started serving the sentence in February.

(Reporting By Steve Holland; Editing by Paul Simao)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/factbox-snowden-latest-accused-obama-administration-leaking-173602374.html

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A Space-Inspired Floating Playground That Puts Visitors Into Orbit

Tom?s Saraceno's M.O. as an artist is to make you float?either on top of millions of yards of plastic, or inside of hexagonal sky pods, or on top of an inflatable balloons. His latest Jules Verne-tinged installation, which opened today, is no different.

In Orbit, as the piece is called, took three years to design and build. The installation invites visitors to climb a rope ladder to reach a three-layered network of netting that hangs 60 feet above the courtyard of a museum in Germany. Up above the building, they're welcome to lounge, explore, or play withe a dozen gigantic PVC balls that litter the 75,000-square-foot canopy.

What's the point of this massive, floating installation (besides having fun)? Saraceno talks about his work in terms of particle physics and astronomy. He describes his inflatable landscapes like they're building-sized models of physical phenomena, including String theory, Planck scales, and space-time continuums. So given the name of this piece?In Orbit?it's easy to imagine it in terms of celestial bodies: dozens of tiny humans floating through deep space, interacting with inflatable planets as they go. [Images via Tom?s Saraceno and Design Boom]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/a-space-inspired-floating-playground-that-puts-visitors-530725319

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Meredith Melnick: HuffPost Workouts: First Run Of The Summer

Get Healthy Living Alerts:

Friday was the Summer solstice, although it's hard to imagine that fact escaped anyone's notice. And if you're as lazy on Friday mornings as I am, chances are this very day marks your first workout of summer.

Though extra precautions must be taken for this more strenuous season, summer workouts -- especially outdoors -- are a true pleasure: It's light later, the weather calls for little more than some running shorts and a tank top and everyone is in a better mood. That's a recipe for added energy and just the thing to get you moving.

Which means it's time for a summer playlist. The best thing to happen to my headphones this season has been the late spring arrival of Bleached's joyful garage pop album, dreamy tunes from Phoenix and Vampire Weekend's predictable but pleasing new record. For a short weekend run, this is what I'm queuing up:

A Tout A L'Heure -- Biblio
Entertainment -- Phoenix
Diamond -- Lightening Dust
East Coast Girl -- Cayucos
Dead Boy -- Bleached
Finger Back -- Vampire Weekend
Falling -- Haim
Wheel of Fortune -- The Virgins

Tell us in the comments -- what are you listening to this week?

?

Follow Meredith Melnick on Twitter: www.twitter.com/meredithcm

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/meredith-melnick/huffpost-workouts-summer-playlist_b_3480256.html

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Fewer abortions with hospital consolidations

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (AP) ? By joining with a much bigger Catholic health system, a prominent Orange County hospital hopes to enhance patients' access to a host of services ? except one.

Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, based in Newport Beach, started banning elective abortions this year after reaching an agreement to affiliate with St. Joseph Health, riling some doctors and women's advocates.

The controversy has fueled a feisty debate in local editorial pages and prompted a rally outside the hospital, making the Southern California suburbs the latest scene of a culture clash occurring across the country as Catholic and non-Catholic hospitals strike deals in a wave of health care industry mergers.

Women's health advocates say affiliations between non-Catholic and Catholic hospitals have squelched abortions in a number of locations, and full-blown mergers have also affected health services such as sterilization and contraception.

Hoag has a flagship 485-bed hospital with sweeping Pacific Ocean views and another hospital in nearby Irvine. It joined with Irvine-based St. Joseph Health, which has 14 acute care hospitals in California and Texas, after winning state approval to form a regional health care system called Covenant Health Network.

The economic downturn and health care overhaul have driven many nonprofit hospitals to form partnerships or merge entirely in recent years, and cultural conflicts related to religion, teaching style or other differences often need to be hashed out for the ventures to succeed, said Lisa Goldstein, associate managing director of the not-for-profit hospital ratings team at Moody's.

Dr. Richard Afable, Hoag's former president who now heads Covenant, said Hoag took a closer look at its abortion practices because it was joining with a Catholic health system where the procedure isn't allowed.

Afable said the hospital decided to cease performing elective abortions because it does so few of them anyway ? only about 100 a year. He said Hoag will continue to perform abortions when medically indicated and that most elective abortions are done in a doctor's office or could be better performed at a center with a higher volume of the procedures.

"We looked very closely at all the things we do that are generally not supported at Catholic hospitals," he said. "We are not limiting any physician from conducting their medical practice in any way they would like. If a physician wants to do an elective abortion, there are places and locations where they can conduct that."

Obstetrician Dr. Richard Agnew said he worries Hoag may start to weed out other services over time. He also said he doesn't feel his patients who choose abortion should be shuffled off to a Planned Parenthood or different hospital, noting most are women who wanted to get pregnant but are carrying a fetus with genetic abnormalities and need a hospital level of care.

"It's not like they're doing anything illegal," Agnew said. "It's bad enough for them to have to make a decision."

Hospitals steeped in different faith traditions have had to contend with public concern over mergers and affiliations in states including Connecticut, Kentucky and Washington. The debate has most often surfaced in mergers involving Catholic hospitals due to the church's directives on issues ranging from abortion and birth control to end-of-life decisions.

In suburban Philadelphia, two hospitals, Abington and Holy Redeemer, called off a proposed partnership after community members were upset the plan would have ended abortions at Abington.

Catholic facilities account for more than one fifth of the country's hospital admissions, according to the Catholic Health Association.

Most commonly, affiliation agreements have led non-Catholic hospitals to stop providing abortions, while mergers and acquisitions have also led some institutions to stop performing other services, such as tubal ligation, said Sheila Reynertson, advocacy coordinator for New York-based Merger Watch, which tracks the effects of mergers between religious and secular hospitals on reproductive and other health services.

Lori Vandermeir, president of the National Organization for Women's Orange County chapter, said she worries the spate of hospital mergers will affect women's access to abortion even when no laws have changed.

"They have the ability to reset abortion-access behind the scenes, without the legislature being involved," she said.

In St. Joseph's statement of common values, the health system states that "direct abortion and physician assisted suicide are not part of St. Joseph Health services."

Afable said there have been no other changes to procedures offered at either hospital, noting Hoag will continue to perform sterilizations and provide contraception. He said no changes would be made to women's health services at Hoag for at least a decade under the agreement.

Pro-abortion rights groups staged a rally outside the hospital Thursday, while anti-abortion advocates who welcomed Hoag's decision held a counterdemonstration. The controversy has also sparked a spirited debate in the editorial pages of local newspapers.

Tom Johnson, a local businessman, wrote in the Orange County Register that while he supports abortion rights he doesn't see a problem with hospitals limiting their offerings. He recalled that he had to travel to Los Angeles for a kidney transplant eight years ago because Hoag did not perform the procedure.

"I'm 100 percent in favor of a woman's right to choose. Not 50 percent, not 75 percent - 100 percent," Johnson wrote in a guest column in the newspaper. "But I also, at the same time, respect the right of Hoag Hospital to choose what services it will provide and what services it will not."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fewer-abortions-hospital-consolidations-195939165.html

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Kickstarter Says It Was Wrong About ?Above The Game' Campaign, Bans Future ?Seduction Guides'

Kickstarter just published a blog post offering its take on a controversial campaign to fund a book called Above the Game: A Guide To Getting Awesome With Women. The title of the post, "We were wrong," makes the company's position pretty clear. What was so bad about the campaign? Well, comedian Casey Malone had a pretty damning blog post about it ? Malone basically quoted the parts of the guide that have already been published on Reddit, with tips like:

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/gVXPNg724no/

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Alpinestars' Atem Might Be the Safest Motorcycle Jacket You Can Buy

Nearly all motorcycle jackets available today have bits and pieces that are CE certified but never before has an entire garment?not just the elbows, shoulder and back armor?been CE certified for rider safety, like Alpinestars' Atem jacket and suit. After a 12 month-long gestation period and a myriad of new testing processes, the Atem is about as high tech as any modern high performance motorcycle.

In contrast to other jackets, which only include CE armor in the shoulder, elbow and back, the entire Atem jacket was subjected to a series of tests that mimic crash-like conditions. The first of which is an abrasion test that simulates a slide along the pavement. A portion of the Atem's 1.3mm leather hide is weighted and then dropped several times from every conceivable direction onto a rotating belt with a 60 grit sandpaper-like surface. If the garment can survive for more than 4 seconds, it passes the test and is granted Level 1 certification. The Atem surpassed Level 2, which requires it to remain intact for more than seven seconds.

The second test, the impact cut test, simulates encountering a piece of debris, like glass, while sliding on the road. This time, a portion of the jacket is stretched and mounted onto a block with a rectangular hole. A blade-like "striker" is then dropped from a meter up, traveling at 9.2 feet per second for impact right above the hole. For Level 1 certification, the max penetration depth should be no more than 25mm. The Atem qualified for Level 2 status, which is set at no more than 15mm.

Next is the burst strength test that evaluates the rigidity and hardiness of the garment and seams when hit with extreme force, like in a crash. A circular sample is placed over a diaphragm that's clamped around the edges and is then inflated into a dome shape. The pressure required for Level 1 status is about 98 psi, and Level 2 is even higher at 112 psi. And yes, the Atem achieved Level 2 status in this test, too.

Sliding along the pavement at any speed can cause the jacket to move and shift in the opposite direction in which you're sliding, but the Atem comes with adjustable cuffs in the sleeve and ankles (for the suit version) that keep everything in place, decreasing the chances of road rash. The cone test applies about 6.6lbs of pressure into the sleeve for 60 seconds, and if it moves no more than 60mm, the garment attains Level 1 status.

Though they achieved nearly every Level 2 certification, the Atem suit and jacket are still only rated at Level 1, because Alpinestars felt it important not to compromise fit and comfort in non-impact areas, like the armpits. Nearly every technological detail from professional MotoGP and WSBK race suits have trickled down into the Atem suit and jacket. The Atem does, however, lack the airbag system found in the race replica version and the accordion panels in the back and knees that allow for greater mobility, which more or less account for the $1400 difference in price. The Atem suit retails for $1500, while the jacket goes for $700.

So is the Atem the safest suit or jacket you can buy? Every crash is unique and no two are alike, so protective gear can only do so much. But knowing that the entire jacket/suit?and not just the hard bits?will keep you safe in a crash is heartening nonetheless. [Alpinestars]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/alpinestars-atem-might-be-the-safest-motorcycle-jacket-511872107

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Facebook admits data breach exposed 6 million users

By Gerry Shih

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc has inadvertently exposed 6 million users' phone numbers and email addresses to unauthorized viewers over the past year, the world's largest social networking company disclosed late Friday.

Facebook blamed the data leaks, which began in 2012, on a technical glitch in its massive archive of contact information collected from its 1.1 billion users worldwide. As a result of the glitch, Facebook users who downloaded contact data for their list of friends obtained additional information that they were not supposed to have.

Facebook's security team was alerted to the bug last week and fixed it within 24 hours. But Facebook did not publicly acknowledge the bug until Friday afternoon, when it published an "important message" on its blog explaining the issue.

A Facebook spokesman said the delay was due to company procedure stipulating that regulators and affected users be notified before making a public announcement.

"We currently have no evidence that this bug has been exploited maliciously and we have not received complaints from users or seen anomalous behavior on the tool or site to suggest wrongdoing," Facebook said on its blog.

While the privacy breach was limited, "it's still something we're upset and embarrassed by, and we'll work doubly hard to make sure nothing like this happens again," it added.

The breach follows recent disclosures that several consumer Internet companies turned over troves of user data to a large-scale electronic surveillance program run by U.S. intelligence.

The companies include Facebook, Google Inc, Microsoft Corp, Apple Inc and Yahoo Inc.

The companies, led by Facebook, successfully negotiated with the U.S. government last week to reveal the approximate number of user information requests that each company had received, including secret national security orders.

(Reporting by Gerry Shih; Editing by Richard Chang)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/facebook-admits-long-data-breach-exposed-6-million-230546858.html

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