The images offer a disturbingly accurate view of a person’s body underneath clothing, even allowing Transportation Security Administration officials to distinguish gender or see the sweat on a person’s back. Americans should not be required to expose their bodies in this manner in order to fly.
Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz • Arguing against the use of whole-body imaging as a part of airport security. The new method can detect far more than current metal detectors, including gender and significant amounts of detail. On the other hand, it also means you won’t have to take off your shoes. • source
It wasn’t in such a secure location after all. The National Archives lost a hard drive with a massive amount of information dating back to the Clinton administration – sensitive data, social security numbers, you name it. The one-terabyte drive holds enough sensitive info that someone should be sweating over it. But apparently nobody was; it was in a server room that allowed access to both people with clearance and (due to the fact that the door was always open because it got hot in there) support staff passing by. So, if you want to compromise our national security … become a janitor. source
A statewide referendum vote on the struggle to kill the massive budget crisis in California ended up with only tears, as none of the first five pieces of legislation got over 41% of the vote. source
However, the sixth piece of legislation did – unfortunately for state lawmakers, the legislation caps salaries of elected officials during years where the budget’s bad. Sucks for them. source
If we have the courage of our convictions, and we do, then we will and we must stand up against disastrous policies, regardless of the president’s popularity.
GOP head Michael Steele • Who is trying to make a return to the public eye after looking like a freaking idiot ever since he was elected GOP chair. In his speech, he said that the party needs to sharply attack Obama’s policies head-on, rather than pussyfoot around them. Did he succeed at making a return to the public eye? Twitter largely sez no, and that he sucks at public speaking to boot. • source
A jet firing will be performed in about a half-hour to increase Atlantis’ separation rate from the telescope, as the seven crew members bid farewell to Hubble for the final time.
A statement from NASA • On the now-completed repairs on the Hubble Telescope, the really expensive camera that they can’t get up there to fix all that often. Space shuttle Atlantis now goes home to the mothership. • source