[VIDEO] CBS and NBC Fail to Cover IRS Data Breach, Feds Approving Drilling in the Arctic

In Monday evening’s edition of network bias by omission, CBS and NBC neglected to stories concerning a data breach of American taxpayers at the scandal-ridden IRS and the Obama administration finally giving approval for a major oil company to begin oil drilling in the Arctic off Alaska’s coast. Surprisingly, ABC’s World News Tonight picked up the pieces and provided their viewers with coverage of a full segment on the IRS breach and a brief on the future of drilling in the Arctic. 

On the subject of the IRS, anchor David Muir described the information as “a troubling new development in the case of computer hacking at the IRS” as “far more taxpayers’ documents could have been compromised than we first knew.” 

Speaking with Muir, senior Justice correspondent Pierre Thomas reported that “three times as many taxpayers [were] affected” as “[t]he number jump[ed] from 114,000 identified in May to roughly 334,000 possibly targeted.”

Thomas further explained in the time remaining how the information that the IRS has on Americans includes their salary, address, and date of birth to name a few that all could easily enable thieves to “assume your identity” and make hundreds of thousands of people victims of identity theft.

While Telemundo kept their viewers in the dark on this story, Univision’s Noticiero Univision had an 18-second news brief from co-anchor Jorge Ramos on the data breach and the growing number of Americans potentially affected.

Concerning the oil drilling, Muir dedicated a 14-second brief to the long-awaited decision by the Obama administration: 

Tonight, oil drilling set to begin again in the Arctic Ocean. The U.S. government giving Royal Dutch Shell the final permit to drill off Alaska’s northwest coast. The first drilling there in more two decades. Shell bringing in special equipment to comply with environmental regulations.

On the Spanish-language network front, Telemundo and Univision ignored it while the PBS NewsHour and FNC’s Special Report joined ABC in covering this development regarding the future of drilling in the Arctic.

Instead of mentioning either one of these stories, CBS Evening News fill-in anchor Charlie Rose promoted viral video of a dump truck driver in Saudi Arabia driving with the container up when it crashed into a highway sign.

Via: Newsbusters

Continue Reading.....

Feds Get Serious Over Computer Hacking: Charges Pending In OPM Baseball Team’s Data Breach

Federal investigators are recommending charges against at least one St. Louis Cardinals employee for allegedly intruding on a rival baseball team’s database, a report says.

 

The investigation accuses one or more Cardinals employees of accessing a Houston Astros database tracking player development, according to CNN.

 

It is also probing whether senior Cardinals management was aware of the spying.

Federal investigators are recommending charges against at least one St. Louis Cardinals employee for allegedly intruding on a rival baseball team’s database, a report says.

 

The investigation accuses one or more Cardinals employees of accessing a Houston Astros database tracking player development, according to CNN.

 

It is also probing whether senior Cardinals management was aware of the spying.

CNN said one or more Cardinals front-office staffers might have violated federal law by accessing the Astros’ database, known as Ground Control.

 

The potential breach came after former Cardinals employee Jeff Luhnow left to be Houston’s general manager.

 

The investigation accuses the Cardinals of then unfairly prying into the Astros’ database amid concerns Luhnow had taken the Cardinals’ proprietary information to his new employer.

 

Luhnow has told investigators the Astros generated their own database system independently of his previous work in St. Louis.

 

Friday’s report follows the Cardinals’ announcement earlier this week that it had fired Chris Correa, the team’s director of scouting.

 

Correa was one of the investigation’s targets, CNN reported.

 

Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak refused comment on his former employee’s release Thursday.

 

“I can confirm he was on administrative leave and was terminated yesterday,” he said Friday.

 

“I think, at this time, it’s just best to understand that it’s an open investigation and any other comments are not in anybody’s best interest,” Mozeliak added.

 

CNN said the FBI’s Houston office has completed its inquiry and is now awaiting action from the U.S. Attorney’s office.

 

The FBI’s Houston branch declined additional insight on its efforts.

 

“The FBI aggressively investigates all potential threats to public and private sector systems,” said FBI spokeswoman Shauna Dunlap.

 

“Once our investigations are complete, we pursue all appropriate avenues to hold accountable those who pose a threat in cyberspace,” she added.

Via: The Hill

Continue Reading.....