U.S. blasts Syria base with cruise missiles
The United States fired a barrage of cruise missiles into Syria Thursday night in retaliation for this week’s gruesome chemical weapons attack against civilians, U.S. officials said. It was the first direct American assault on the Syrian government and Donald Trump‘s most dramatic military order since becoming president. The surprise strike marked a striking reversal for Trump, who warned as a candidate against the U.S. getting pulled into the Syrian civil war, now in its seventh year. But the president appeared moved by the photos of children killed in the chemical attack, calling it a “disgrace to humanity” that crossed “a lot of lines.” About 60 U.S. Tomahawk missiles, fired from warships in the Mediterranean Sea, targeted an air base in retaliation for a chemical weapons attack that American officials believe Syrian government aircraft launched with a nerve agent, possibly sarin. The president did not announce the attacks in advance, though he and other national security officials ratcheted up their warnings to the Syrian government throughout the day Thursday. “I think what happened in Syria is one of the truly egregious crimes and shouldn’t have happened and it shouldn’t be allowed to happen,” Trump told reporters traveling on Air Force One to Florida, where he was holding a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The strike came as Trump was hosting Xi in meetings focused in part on another pressing U.S. security dilemma: North Korea’s nuclear program. Trump’s actions in Syria could signal to China that the new president isn’t afraid of unilateral military steps. even if key nations like China are standing in the way. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Robert Bentley impeachment hearing schedule released
Alabama lawmakers have announced a schedule for impeachment hearings against Gov. Robert Bentley. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Mike Jones told lawmakers that it was “time to put this in front of us.” The committee, after hearing arguments and testimony, will make a recommendation to the full House of Representatives over whether Bentley committed any impeachable offenses. The hearings will begin Monday and last through the week. Under the announced schedule, the committee would vote on April 14. The announcement came a day after the Alabama Ethics Commission found probable cause that Bentley violated state ethics and campaign finance law. Bentley has maintained he has done nothing illegal or to merit his removal from office. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Despite lingering questions, Luther Strange gets warm greeting in Senate
Republican U.S. Sen. Luther Strange is getting a warm reception in Washington despite lingering questions about his appointment in his home state of Alabama, according to a profile by USA Today. The national paper got the obvious out of the former Alabama Attorney General: he is supporting the Republican effort to repeal and replace Obamacare and he’s an advocate for Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation to the Supreme Court. Strange said his former duties as AG made him particularly passionate about Gorsuch. “I’ve got that hands-on experience with federal judges and how important it is to have judges like Neil Gorsuch, who will take a rule of law approach to the decision-making process,” he said. “I think he’s eminently qualified. My hope is that I’ll be able to vote to confirm him on the Supreme Court before we get to the Easter recess.” The junior senator also seems to be fitting in with his colleagues on both sides of the aisle. “They’ve made it very easy for me to fit in,” he said. “The welcome has been bipartisan across the board. I really appreciate that.” But he chuckled, “Give it some time.” Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, a Republican leader, joked that the 6-foot-9-inch lawmaker was “head and shoulders above the rest of us,” and Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine said he was “pleasantly impressed so far” adding that “any guy who is a former tenant of Mark Warner’s deserves great sympathy and affection.” But beyond the new-guy pleasantries, Strange has been able to lean on fellow Alabama U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby during his transition. “He’s been tremendous in sort of taking me under his wing and showing me the ropes,” Strange said. “I seek his advice at every turn. You’ll probably see me with him a lot. Whenever I can spend time with him I always learn something.” Strange said Shelby and his staff have also been gracious in putting up with the dust while Strange got situated. “We’re going to buy pizza for his office to thank them for putting up with all the mess they had out there in the hallways,’’ Strange said. “He’s been great. He’s really nice.’’
Senate GOP ‘goes nuclear,’ clearing way for Trump court pick
Republicans invoked the “nuclear option” in the Senate Thursday, unilaterally rewriting the chamber’s rules to allow President Donald Trump‘s nominee to ascend to the Supreme Court. Furious Democrats objected until the end, but their efforts to block Judge Neil Gorsuch failed as expected. Lawmakers of both parties bemoaned the long-term implications for the Senate, the court and the country. “We will sadly point to today as a turning point in the history of the Senate and the Supreme Court,” said Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. The maneuvering played out in an atmosphere of tension in the Senate chamber with most senators in their seats, a rare and theatrical occurrence. First Democrats mounted a filibuster in an effort to block Gorsuch by denying him the 60 votes needed to advance to a final vote. Then Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky raised a point of order, suggesting that Supreme Court nominees should not be subjected to a 60-vote threshold but instead a simple majority in the 100-member Senate. McConnell was overruled, but appealed the ruling. And on that he prevailed on a 52-48 party line vote. The 60-vote filibuster requirement on Supreme Court nominees was effectively gone, and with it the last vestige of bipartisanship on presidential nominees in an increasingly polarized Senate. A final confirmation vote on Gorsuch is expected Friday and he could then be sworn in in time to take his seat on the court later this month and hear the final cases of the term. The maneuvering played out with much hand-wringing from all sides about the future of the Senate, as well as unusually bitter accusations and counter-accusations as each side blamed the other. The rules change is known as the “nuclear option” because of its far-reaching implications. McConnell accused Democrats of forcing his hand by trying to filibuster a highly qualified nominee in Gorsuch, 49, a 10-year veteran of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver with a consistently conservative record. McConnell vowed that the rules change would block the Gorsuch filibuster, and all future ones, a change many lawmakers lamented could lead to an even more polarized Senate, court and country. “This will be the first, and last, partisan filibuster of a Supreme Court nominee,” McConnell declared. “This is the latest escalation in the left’s never-ending judicial war, the most audacious yet, and it cannot and will not stand.” Supreme Court filibusters have been nearly unheard of in the Senate, but the confrontation is playing out amid an explosive political atmosphere with liberal Democrats furious over the Trump presidency and Republicans desperate to get a win after months of chaos from Trump. Democrats also remain livid over McConnell’s decision last year to deny consideration to then-President Barack Obama‘s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Merrick Garland, who was ignored for the better part of a year by Senate Republicans after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. Instead, McConnell kept Scalia’s seat open, a calculation that is now paying off hugely for Republicans and Trump, who will be able to claim the biggest victory of his presidency to date if Gorsuch is confirmed as expected. “We believe that what Republicans did to Merrick Garland was worse than a filibuster,” Schumer said. “We didn’t hear two words in the long speech of Senator McConnell: Merrick Garland.” Emotions were running high ahead of the votes with raised voices on the floor where proceedings are normally sedate. All involved were keenly aware of the long-term implications of the proceedings, some of them hard to predict for the future of Trump’s presidency and the 2018 midterm elections, when Republicans will be defending their slim 52-48 Senate majority and 10 vulnerable Democrats in states Trump won will be up for re-election. Senators on both sides of the aisle lamented the trajectory they were on toward the Senate rules change, though they themselves were in position to prevent it from happening and failed to do so. Moderate Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said roughly 10 senators of both parties worked over the weekend to come up with a deal to stave off the so-called “nuclear option,” as the rules change is known, but couldn’t come to agreement. In 2005, a bipartisan deal headed off GOP plans to remove the filibuster barrier for lower-court nominees, but in 2013 Democrats took the step, leaving the filibuster in place only for Supreme Court justices. And now it too is gone. For now the filibuster barrier on legislation will remain, though many fear it could be the next to go. “I fear that someday we will regret what we are about to do. In fact, I am confident we will,” said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. “It is imperative we have a functioning Senate where the rights of the minority are protected regardless of which party is in power at the time.” Nonetheless, McCain voted with McConnell on the rules change, saying he felt he had no choice. Gorsuch now counts 55 supporters in the Senate: the 52 Republicans, along with three moderate Democrats from states that Trump won last November — Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Donnelly of Indiana. A fourth Senate Democrat, Michael Bennet from Gorsuch’s home state of Colorado, has said he will not join in the filibuster against Gorsuch but has not said how he will vote on confirmation. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Birmingham hosts global electric transportation conference
Electric transportation advocates from around the world met at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham March 28-30 to discuss the industry’s progress and ways they can collaborate to continue that growth. “Electric transportation is an emerging market that has a really broad scope – private, public, big and small businesses, from all different industries – all have an important role,” said Dan Bowermaster, program manager for electric transportation at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). “The technology is great, people are getting educated on the benefits, and what we are meeting about now is crucial to that growth because no one can solve this by themselves, but together,” Bowermaster said. The National Electric Transportation Infrastructure Working Council (IWC) meeting brought to Birmingham more than 110 people from eight industries and from countries as far as away as Taiwan and Australia. The IWC identifies and prioritizes electric transportation issues, works to resolve the issues, and develops consensus to report results and recommendations. Covering both on-road and off-road efforts, the IWC discusses the growth of the electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid industries and the electrification of mass transportation that spans truck stops, seaports, airports, rail yards, warehouse/distribution, mining and transit. “When we started this group 10 years ago we knew we all needed to get on the same page to advocate for certain things to get done,” said Bowermaster. “One big example of something that has come out of this partnership meeting is the universal charging connector for all electric vehicles. When they were first being developed, we understood the need for just one universal connector and we joined all our advocacy efforts to make it happen.” The meeting is held three times a year in various places around the United States. Alabama Power and its parent company, Southern Company, hosted the meeting. “Southern Company and Alabama Power have been leading in the research, development and technology space of electric transportation for almost 30 years,” said Randy Johnson, Electric Transportation director for Southern Company. “It is so great to bring this group from all over the world together because it is a great opportunity to talk about the strategy behind electric transportation, and the benefit of having a complete program to move it forward.” Representatives from electric utilities, vehicle manufacturing industries, component manufacturers, government agencies, infrastructure companies, code and standard organizations and universities were on site. Topics included high-power DC fast charger options and bus and truck charging connector standards. Attendees experienced the Southern hospitality they had always heard about from the IWC’s members from Southern states. “I would say about 90 percent of the meeting’s attendees have never been to Alabama, and they have just been blown away by all it has to offer, from our meeting venue at the Barber Motorsports Museum to the great Southern food,” said Cedric Daniels, Electric Transportation manager for Alabama Power. “We are so excited to have the opportunity to host people from all over the world and share with them the elements that really make Birmingham, and the state of Alabama, great.” “You can feel the energy in downtown Birmingham and that, combined with the Southern hospitality, is truly electric,” said Bowermaster. “I will definitely be back to experience more.” Republished with permission of Alabama NewsCenter.
Don’t shoot: University of Alabama using virtual reality, neuroscience to improve police training
University of Alabama researchers are using a novel approach to learn how police officers react to “shoot, don’t shoot” situations: measuring brain waves during virtual reality police training. For the past year, Drs. Rick Houser (counselor education), Dan Fonseca (engineering) and Ryan Cook (clinical mental health counseling) have used a mobile electroencephalogram, or EEG, amplifier to measure the brain activity of three law enforcement officers to determine which regions of the brain are active during simulations of potentially high-threat situations. Preliminary EEG findings, combined with an algorithm used to calculate the sources within the brain, show that one of the five brain waves, in this case the “beta” wave most often associated with thinking, has the highest activity in certain brain regions. “Preliminary analyses show that officers may activate more beta or thinking brain waves in the right temporal-parietal junction in making decisions associated with responding to high-threat situations,” Houser said. “The right temporal-parietal junction is associated with predicting intentions of others, consistent with a major theory in psychology – ‘Theory of Mind.’ “An officer who is able to understand the intentions of others may be more effective in making these high decisions and consequently lower the risk of shooting a community member, particularly those who are unarmed or an accidental shooting.” Finding the right words The researchers also measure the effectiveness of verbal commands used to de-escalate situations. They note the commands and the time as it relates to the EEG and rely on two seasoned officers to evaluate the responses and establish reliability. Per terms of the agreement between the researchers and the law enforcement agency, the researchers cannot reveal the identities of the officers participating in the study or the agency to which they’re attached. Data are collected at the law enforcement agency, which owns and uses the VR simulator in existing training procedures. Houser, Fonseca and Cook have additional data to analyze, but they hope to secure funding to continue the research at a larger scale, which would yield a larger sample size and eventually see them acquire the space and technology to conduct training sessions on campus. While that process unfolds, the findings can create a meaningful dialogue rooted in scientific data, Cook said. “There’s a disconnect between researchers and what happens in the real world,” Cook said. “One of the criticisms is that, too often, research doesn’t have applications, but this is the perfect example of research informing community practices, and what’s happening in the real world informing research. What more impactful way can we do that than to shape the way officers interact with members of their communities?” Studying the ‘MacGyvers’ Houser and Fonseca have collaborated on several projects, including the use of neuroscience to study the impact of low-current brain stimulation to promote students’ math performance in pre-calculus. Those studies sparked a question: How can neuroscience, understanding brain activity and identification of corresponding regions of the brain be used to help police officers and first responders in high-stress situations? “There are always officers and first-responders who will make decisions under duress that are not typical of most people – we call them ‘MacGyvers,’” Fonseca said. “We don’t know what it is or why, but how they handle that just isn’t typical of people in those fields. We want to encapsulate that knowledge in order to improve training of officers and positively affect the hiring process.” The conceptualization of focusing on officers and other first responders’ reaction to stress began roughly six months before the August 2014 high-profile shooting of an unarmed citizen – former Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson’s shooting of Mike Brown – sparked nationwide dialogue about police training, particularly in “shoot, don’t shoot” scenarios. And as similar cases in which the use of lethal force has continued to be questioned – both in social and news media — since 2014, protocols and training curricula have been influenced by a number of methods, including virtual reality, which has seen its research applications grow as believability and pricing of hardware and software have improved. Refining the procedures The trio received an internal grant in 2015 to purchase a mobile EEG unit, which includes a spandex cap with electrodes and the receiver fitted into a backpack to record data. Officers use a 9 mm pistol, which has a recoil action and a laser in place of live rounds. The simulator tracks each shot and incorporates the exact location of the shot and its outcome. The supervising officer tracks verbal commands of trainees and can alter each encounter relative to the scenario and protocol. Researchers collect the data and also interview officers after each session, which helps them refine their research procedures. “We talk a great deal about what we learn each time – what the officer was thinking and what they saw that led to the decision they made,” Houser said. “It’s very complex, and I have a much greater appreciation and understanding for the difficulty of the job.” Ultimately, the researchers would like to see the officers enhance their ability to understand and predict the intentions of others, based on “Theory of Mind.” Additionally, researchers hope to one day stimulate the different regions of the brain that are commonly active during these encounters through transcranial direct stimulation, which they’ve used in other studies. This story originally appeared on the University of Alabama website. Republished with permission of Alabama NewsCenter.
Martha Roby honors Wounded Warrior Project members at White House
Alabama 2nd District U.S. Rep. Martha Roby attended a special White House event honoring wounded service members and veterans at the White House on Thursday. During a special ceremony for the Wounded Warrior Project’s Soldier Ride — a four-day cycling opportunity meant to help those who have suffered war injuries overcome the physical and psychological burdens resulting from their service — Roby showed her support and appreciation for America’s wounded warriors. “For so many wounded warriors, the road to recovery can be long and difficult. Soldier Ride offers wounded service members and veterans a unique opportunity to help each other build confidence by participating in a challenging physical activity,” Roby said. “I appreciate the President and First Lady hosting this special event and for inviting me to attend so I could pay tribute to some of the men and women who have sacrificed for our country. I am proud to represent a state that truly honors the service and sacrifice of our military families and veterans, and I’m grateful for projects like the Soldier Ride that are making a difference.” Hosted by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, the event welcomed 50 Wounded Warriors to the White House to kick-start the annual Soldier Ride bicycling event Thursday. “You’ve earned our freedom with your sweat and your blood and your incredible sacrifice,” the president remarked at the event. “On behalf of the country, let me extend to all of the riders and your families the warmest possible welcome to the people’s house. I call it the people’s house. It’s the White House, but I call it the people’s house. You are all so amazing. You’ve risked all that you have, all that you possess, to keep our people safe and our democracy secure. We are going to keep it going for a long time folks. You’ve earned our freedom with your sweat and your blood. We salute you, we salute your service.”
Ethics panel to probe complaints against Devin Nunes
The Latest on the congressional inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 election (all times local): 10:20 a.m. The House Ethics Committee is investigating allegations that intelligence committee Chairman Devin Nunes may have made unauthorized disclosures of classified information. The full 10-member committee is investigating the allegations, a departure from the usual procedure of having a smaller subcommittee handle a probe, and an indication of the seriousness of the claims. The California Republican congressman says several left-wing activist groups have filed accusations against him with the office of congressional ethics. Nunes says the charges are false and politically motivated. But he says it’s in the best interest of the committee to have Republican Mike Conaway of Texas temporarily take charge of the committee’s investigation. ___ 10:15 a.m. Two ethics watchdog groups filed complaints about the chairman of the House intelligence committee, Republican Devin Nunes of California. Nunes says he’s temporarily stepping aside from the panel’s investigation of Russian meddling in the election because of the complaints. Democracy 21 and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington say Nunes disclosed classified information, which violates House ethics rules. The groups say Nunes publicly disclosed information he learned by viewing classified material. Two of the four people who signed the March 28 letter alleging ethics violations served as White House counsels in Republican and Democratic administrations. ___ 10:05 a.m. Speaker Paul Ryan says Texas Republican Mike Conaway will take over the House investigation into Russian meddling in last year’s election. Ryan says an ethics complaint filed against Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes of California by government watchdog groups would be a “distraction” and that Nunes should no longer lead the probe. Nunes has come under intense criticism for meeting secretly with White House officials to view intelligence regarding Trump associates. Ryan says he is confident that Conaway “will oversee a professional investigation into Russia’s actions and follow the facts wherever they lead.” ___ 9:49 a.m. The chairman of the House intelligence committee says he will temporarily step aside from the panel’s probe into Russian meddling in the election. In a statement on Thursday, Republican congressman Devin Nunes of California says that several left-wing activist groups have filed accusations against him with the office of congressional ethics. Nunes says the charges are false and politically motivated. But he says it’s in the best interest of the committee to have GOP congressman Mike Conaway of Texas temporarily take charge of the committee’s investigation. He says he will continue fulfilling other duties with the committee and wants to talk to the ethics committee as soon as possible to defend himself. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Analysis: For Donald Trump, the weight of world’s problems sink in
For Donald Trump, the reality of the world’s problems may be starting to sink in. Standing in the sunny White House Rose Garden, the president said Wednesday that the gruesome chemical weapons attack in Syria had changed his views on the quagmire of a conflict that he’d previously indicated he wanted to steer clear of. He mourned the deaths of the youngest victims — “innocent children, innocent babies” — and said brutality had “crossed a lot of lines for me.” “It is now my responsibility,” he declared. The president’s words were far from a declaration that he intends to act, and he notably avoided discussing what retaliatory options he would be willing to consider. Ultimately, his rhetoric may well land among the litany of harsh condemnations of Syrian President Bashar Assad by Barack Obama and other world leaders that did little to quell the six-year civil war. Yet Trump’s willingness to accept that he now bears some responsibility for a far-away conflict marked a significant moment for an “America First” president who has vowed to focus narrowly on U.S. interests. His comments also suggested a growing awareness that an American president — even an unconventional one like him — is looked to as defender of human rights and a barometer of when nations have violated international norms. The bloodshed in Syria is just one of the intractable international problems piling up around Trump. North Korea appears intent on building up its nuclear program, despite vague threats from his administration. The Islamic State group is still wreaking havoc in Iraq and Syria, while a Pentagon review of U.S. strategy sits on his desk. Trump conceded Wednesday that of all the world’s problems, the Middle East is one area he would rather avoid. His decision to at least rhetorically take a measure of responsibility was all the more striking given his frequent shoveling of blame for problems big and small onto anyone but himself. In public, he faults Obama for leaving him “a mess” and says his campaign opponent Hillary Clinton is behind the flood of revelations possibly linking his campaign to Russia. In private, he berates his staff for failing to fix the self-made crises that have battered the White House, including his pair of travel bans blocked by the courts and the failure to pass health care legislation. Trump initially took the same blame-shifting approach in addressing the deadly attack in Syria. In a short written statement Tuesday, he said the carnage was “a consequence of the past administration’s weakness and irresolution.” In 2013, Obama pulled back from planned airstrikes against Syria following a chemical weapons attack, despite having declared that the deployment of deadly gases would cross a “red line” for him. Obama’s decision was widely criticized in the U.S. and by Middle Eastern allies, and undermined later attempts to compel Assad to leave office. “The regrettable failure to take military action in 2013 to prevent Assad’s use of chemical weapons remains a blight on the Western world,” said Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Still, foreign policy officials within the Trump administration were irritated by the president’s eagerness to focus on his predecessor in his first reaction. Some wanted him to focus more on condemning Assad and highlighting U.S. resolve. Their objections did little to sway the president at the time. But just a day later, Trump appeared more willing to embrace the gravity of the situation and his new role in it. His posture may well have been impacted by the fact that his remarks in the Rose Garden came after meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah, whose country has borne the brunt of the refugee crisis spurred by the Syrian war. Jordan is among Washington’s most important partners in the region and is significantly dependent on the United States. Abdullah, who worked closely with Obama, enthusiastically embraced Trump’s condemnation of the chemical weapons attack. During a joint news conference, he said to Trump, “I believe under your leadership we will be able to unravel this very complicated situation.” Eliot Cohen, a Trump critic who served in the State Department under President George W. Bush, said that whether Trump intended to or not, he now has put himself in the same position as Obama, raising the stakes for action in Syria, perhaps without having thought out whether he plans to follow through. “The deep irony here is you may see a lot of the same failures that the Obama administration had except delivered with a different style,” Cohen said. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Pre-abortion sonogram bill delayed in Alabama Senate
A controversial piece of legislation was delayed in the Alabama Senate Health Committee on Wednesday
Ethics panel sends Robert Bentley’s case to prosecutors
A state ethics panel has ruled that there is probable cause Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley violated state ethics and campaign finance law in a sex-tinged scandal that has engulfed him for more than a year. The Alabama Ethics Commission voted Wednesday to refer the matter to the district attorney’s office for possible prosecution. The 74-year-old governor has struggled to shake off a scandal after recordings surfaced last year of him making suggestive remarks to a female aide before his divorce. Bentley has admitted making personal mistakes but denied doing anything illegal or that would merit his removal from office. The commission found probable cause that Bentley misused state resources and improperly accepting a campaign contribution and loan outside allowed fundraising windows. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Can hack but not shoot? FBI may ease entry for cyber agents
Aspiring federal agents who can hack a computer with ease but can’t shoot their way out of a paper bag could soon find the FBI to be more welcoming. In a series of recent speeches, FBI Director James Comey has hinted the bureau may adjust its hiring requirements to attract top-notch cyber recruits, the better to compete with private sector companies who can lure the sharpest technical minds with huge salary offers. He’s floated the idea of scrapping a requirement that agents who leave the FBI but want to return after two years must re-enroll in the bureau’s storied but arduous Quantico, Virginia, training academy. He’s also lamented, half-jokingly, that otherwise qualified applicants may be discouraged from applying because of a fondness for marijuana. “We will find people of integrity who are really smart, who know cyber — and can’t do a pushup. Or we’ll find people, maybe they can do a pushup, they’re smart and they can do cyber — but they want to smoke weed on the way to the interview,” the FBI director has said. The rethinking on recruitment comes as the FBI confronts increasingly complex cyber challenges, including crippling state-sponsored attacks, and as it’s racing to develop more sophisticated techniques for combating internet-based threats. Law enforcement has struggled to break into encrypted cellphones of criminal suspects and the Justice Department sued Apple last year after agents could not access a locked iPhone used by a mass shooter in San Bernardino, California. Though an unidentified third-party vendor ultimately came forward with a tool to open the phone, law enforcement officials remain concerned about electronic terrorism recruitment that occurs through encrypted channels and out of sight of investigators. Even crimes that investigators have tackled for decades, like child pornography, have grown more complicated as suspects trade images through hidden internet browsers that shield their locations and identities. The Justice Department has been developing ways through bulk hacking to uncover the users’ locations, though defendants have repeatedly — and with some success — challenged the use of that tactic. “The world’s not coming back. The old school stuff that I did 20, 30 years ago in the State Police and the FBI, all those crimes nowadays have a major cyber component to it,” said Robert Anderson, a retired FBI executive assistant director who oversaw cyber investigations. Comey has suggested the FBI may need to build its own university to groom cyber talent and questioned whether every member of a cyber squad actually needs to be a gun-carrying agent. “Our minds are open to all of these things because we are seeking a talent — talent in a pool that is increasingly small. So, you’re going to see us experiment with a number of different approaches to this,” Comey said last week at a gathering of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance. He’s floated different possible solutions, but he’s returned several times to the idea of waiving the requirement that people who want to return to the FBI after two years outside the bureau re-enroll in Quantico. “Our people leave, go to the private sector, discover it’s a soulless, empty way to live — and then they realize, ‘My life is empty, I need moral content in my work,’” Comey said, light-heartedly and to laughter, in a recent speech at the University of Texas at Austin. He added: “I gave the creds for the second time to a 42-year-old cyber agent, and I said, ‘So, how was Quantico?’ He said, ‘It was a nightmare, it was a nightmare.’ And so we’re trying to figure out, are there ways we should approach this differently to recognize the challenge we have in attracting talent?” Comey made headlines on the topic in 2014 when, in response to a question, he said that a prospective candidate who had previously smoked marijuana should go ahead and apply anyway. FBI rules disqualify applicants who have smoked marijuana within the last three years, and there’s been no sign that that policy will change. He was chastised soon at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing by then-Sen. Jeff Sessions, now the United States attorney general and Comey’s boss, about whether he understood that those comments could “be interpreted as one more example of leadership in America dismissing the seriousness of marijuana use.” Comey replied that he had tried to be “both serious and funny” and was merely remarking on the FBI’s challenges in developing a cyber workforce at a time when “more and more” young people were trying marijuana. He pronounced himself “absolutely dead-set against using marijuana” and noted that he had not said that he would change the FBI’s policy. Anderson said, “Anything new in the government is like getting your wisdom teeth pulled out. Anything new takes a while for the culture of the FBI to adjust to it.” But, he added, “If the strategic vision is to create a mecca for cyber, we’re going to have to change.” Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
