Barton Gellman

NEWS: The Trump administration charged James Comey and Letitia James using a prosecutor it installed by bypassing Senate confirmation. A federal judge threw out the charges. We filed an amicus brief urging the Fourth Circuit to uphold the dismissal. statesunited.org/press-release-…

For more on the how the SAVE Act would upend most methods of voter registration -- like registering by mail, voter registration drives, automatic voter registration, and online voter registration, see this analysis by @WendyRWeiser and @AndrewGarber15 /4 brennancenter.org/our-work/analy…

"Georgia Republican Party official voted illegally nine times, judge rules" - Republicans finally managed to find some election fraud in Georgia: electionlawblog.org/?p=154895

The president wants to limit the right to vote. Donald Trump is demanding that Congress pass the SAVE Act, an aggressive voter restriction bill. Stay informed about the push to undermine our elections by subscribing to The Briefing, our free weekly newsletter: bit.ly/3Yrz5jM

This from @AGomezFCC

Trump's DOJ this month quietly backed Alexander Smirnov's bid to withdraw his guilty plea & wipe out his sentence. Smirnov had admitted lying to the @FBI about Burisma's owner arranging to pay $5m in bribes to both Joe & Hunter Biden. 👀@DavidCornDC find link.motherjones.com/public/44694709

Password rotation or Forced changes lead to "password hedging," where users just add a number or change one letter (e.g., Summer1! becomes Summer2!). It is biologically impossible for most people to memorize a high volume of complex, random strings every few months, leading to "sticky note" security risks. When security is a hassle, users find dangerous shortcuts, like reusing the same "strong" password across every site they own. The most important fact is that NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology), the global authority on cybersecurity standards, officially retired this method In its Digital Identity Guidelines (SP 800-63B), NIST now explicitly states that organizations "SHALL NOT require" periodic password changes. They’ve shifted the focus to Length over Complexity. They recommend allowing passphrases of up to 64 characters and only requiring a change if there is actual evidence of a compromise.

@CameronCorduroy I had a $600,000 over 5 years NSF Physics grant terminated last year because our grant mentioned "polarization" which was included in the banned terms list. We were discussing the polarization of light. We never got the grant reinstated.

🚨This week the Senate is debating the SAVE Act. *Get the facts* w/ these @BrennanCenter resources from my colleagues. First up: More than 21 million Americans lack ready access to the documents this bill would require. 1/ brennancenter.org/our-work/analy…

With over a million people behind bars, U.S. prisons are broken institutions that dehumanize everyone who enters — including correctional officers. Our latest report highlights innovative correctional practices from across the country that can benefit people behind bars and prison staff. brennancenter.org/our-work/resea…

First time a major platform has rolled back encryption. The justification: few people were opting in to end-to-end encrypted messaging; that's BS; E2EE wasn't set as the default - everyone knows that the default is what most people "choose". #privacy platformer.news/instagram-encr…

We were told NIH funding cuts were about eliminating DEI. But the data now shows grants are down across nearly every field of medicine: cancer, diabetes, mental health, brain disorders. With the greatest cuts hitting Alzheimer’s research, down more than 50%.

SCOOP: DOJ has waived policy requiring newly hired prosecutors to have least a year (more often 3 years) experience practicing law. As DOJ struggles to replace mass departures w/ qualified applicants, this move allows hiring straight out of law school. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/do…

This is why I've been telling people for years who want to chat with me over WhatsApp that I prefer Signal. The commitment to privacy just isn't there with Meta -- it's always at risk of changing with the political winds (or other influences).

dear apple, the iPod needs to come back. not for nostalgia. for the parents who want their kids to love music and audiobooks without a browser, social media, and the whole internet attached to it

Very exciting to start getting reviews about #PROPHECY! This one is from @KirkusReviews ! #bookrecommendation Pre-orders are essential for the future of books. If you haven't already, please pre-order the #book here: UK: amazon.co.uk/Prophecy-Predi… US: penguinrandomhouse.com/books/759692/p…

Cannot say this enough times. The model Bezos is pursuing is one that the industry tried--and tried and tried--years ago. It failed. Many of the places that moved on we now call "profitable."

"The accusation that there is rampant cheating in our election is dramatic, alarming, and oft-repeated. It is also totally false." The GOP's "SAVE America Act" is not about saving election integrity. @SenAngusKing on the voter fraud fraud: lnk.thebulwark.com/3N8P5pw

As I told @AliVelshi recently, the administration is turning us into a "show your papers" country. I carry around a copy of my passport these days. But millions of Americans don't have ready access to their papers. The SAVE Act would block them from voting.youtu.be/l2dkZMMkbR8?si…