YouHaveDownloaded has gathered the data from public BitTorrent trackers in a manner that is similar to the way that anti-piracy companies from tracking down people sharing illegal torrent files.

TorrentFreak carefully checked all the IP addresses of the RIAA and they found 6 unique addresses where copyrighted material has been shared. This includes the “Watch The Throne” album by Jay-Z and Kanye West, the first five seasons of Dexter, an episode of Law and Order SVU, and pirated copies of an MP3 tagger and audio converter software.

The RIAA is known for suing individual file sharing users and the Department of Homeland Security has taken down torrent sharing websites and hip hop music websites that has unreleased songs. Over 900 unique IP addresses at the Homeland Security have downloaded copyrighted files. That is just nuts.

[TorrentFreak]

US District Court Judge Paul Crotty has ruled that the 1st Amendment does not prevent the government from seizing web domains. The issue was raised by the ICE’s shuttering of a sports streaming website called Rojadirecta.com. The owners of Rojadirecta claimed that because the site contained some legal content, seizing the website counted as a suppression of free speech. The judge disagreed, stating that “the main purpose of the Rojadirecta websites […] is to catalogue links to the copyrighted athletic events – any argument to the contrary is clearly disingenuous.” [Gizmodo]

A lot of the domains that were seized by the government have been relocated to other domains that the government cannot take down. The government has the ability to take down .com, .net, and .org domain names.

[Wired]

[AP]

Napolitano is now ordering the Customs and Border Protection to launch a new initiative that would focus on increasing existing resources for preventing illegal border crossing such as drones, human patrol, thermal-imaging devices, and remote video surveillance.

Thus far SBInet had costed $1 billion for the 53 miles it stretched across the Arizona border. The new plan could enhance security across the remaining 323 miles of the Arizona border with a cost of less than $750 million.

“I am pleased to hear that Secretary Napolitano finally allowed the SBInet contract to expire,” stated Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. “A complete and thorough investigation should be conducted related to this waste.” In 2006, there were about 10,000 Border Patrol agents. Now there are roughly 20,500.

The shut-downs are temporary and there has not been a determination of guilt. The orders to take down these websites can be challenged, but it is an expensive process. The crackdown of these websites coincide with the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA).

[TheHill.com]

Torrent-Finder.com does not link to any torrents directly. It returns searches in embedded iframes from other websites. Other websites that have been taken down include hip-hop website RapGodFathers.com, OnSmash.com, and DaJaz1.com.

The Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA) was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders as of November 18, 2010. The Act was introduced on September 20, 2010 and is currently pending a Senate vote, a House Vote, and signing by President Obama.

[TorrentFreak.com]

The passenger was taken to the University of Michigan hospital where he was treated for the burns. After that he was taken to a prison in Milan, Michigan. The device that Umar used involved pentaerythritol (PETN). A syringe was also recovered by the FBI from the flight which was also being used with the device. Umar was believed to be trained by Al-Qaeda terrorists in Yemen. Umar was previously an engineering student at University College in London.

Immediately after this incident took place, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Acting Administrator Gale Rossides sent out a memo about extra precautions to take:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Transportation Security Administration
Aviation Security Directive
Subject: Security Directive
Number: SD 1544-09-06
Date: December 25, 2009
EXPIRATION: 0200Z on December 30, 2009
This Security Directive (SD) must be implemented immediately. The measures contained in this SD are in addition to all other SDs currently in effect for your operations.
INFORMATION: On December 25, 2009, a terrorist attack was attempted against a flight traveling to the United States. TSA has identified security measures to be implemented by airports, aircraft operators, and foreign air carriers to mitigate potential threats to flights.
APPLICABILITY: THIS SD APPLIES TO AIRCRAFT OPERATORS THAT CARRY OUT A SECURITY PROGRAM REGULATED UNDER 49 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR)1544.101(a).
ACTIONS REQUIRED: If you conduct scheduled and/or public charter flight operations under a Full Program under 49 CFR 1544.101(a) departing from any foreign location to the United States (including its territories and possessions), you must immediately implement all measures in this SD for each such flight.

1. BOARDING GATE

1. The aircraft operator or authorized air carrier representative must ensure all passengers are screened at the boarding gate during the boarding process using the following procedures. These procedures are in addition to the screening of all passengers at the screening checkpoint.
1. Perform thorough pat-down of all passengers at boarding gate prior to boarding, concentrating on upper legs and torso.
2. Physically inspect 100 percent of all passenger accessible property at the boarding gate prior to boarding, with focus on syringes being transported along with powders and/or liquids.
3. Ensure the liquids, aerosols, and gels restrictions are strictly adhered to in accordance with SD 1544-06-02E.
2. During the boarding process, the air carrier may exempt passengers who are Heads of State or Heads of Government from the measures outlined in Section I.A. of this SD, including the following who are traveling with the Head of State or Head of Government:

1. Spouse and children, or
2. One other individual (chosen by the Head of State or Head of Government)
3. For the purposes of Section I.B., the following definitions apply:
1. Head of State: An individual serving as the chief public representative of a monarchic or republican nation-state, federation, commonwealth, or any other political state (for example, King, Queen, and President).
2. Head of Government: The chief officer of the executive branch of a government presiding over a cabinet (for example, Prime Minister, Premier, President, and Monarch).

2. IN FLIGHT

1. During flight, the aircraft operator must ensure that the following procedures are followed:
1. Passengers must remain in seats beginning 1 hour prior to arrival at destination.
2. Passenger access to carry-on baggage is prohibited beginning 1 hour prior to arrival at destination.
3. Disable aircraft-integrated passenger communications systems and services (phone, internet access services, live television programming, global positioning systems) prior to boarding and during all phases of flight.
4. While over U.S. airspace, flight crew may not make any announcement to passengers concerning flight path or position over cities or landmarks.
5. Passengers may not have any blankets, pillows, or personal belongings on the lap beginning 1 hour prior to arrival at destination.

AIRCRAFT OPERATOR ACKNOWLEDGMENT: The aircraft operator must immediately provide written confirmation to its assigned PSI indicating receipt of this SD.
AIRCRAFT OPERATOR dissemination required: The aircraft operator must immediately pass the information and directives set forth in this SD to all stations affected, and provide written confirmation to its PSI, indicating that all stations affected have acknowledged receipt of the information and directives set forth in this SD. The aircraft operator must disseminate this information to its senior management personnel, ground security coordinators, and supervisory security personnel at all affected locations. All aircraft operator personnel implementing this SD must be briefed by the aircraft operator on its content and the restrictions governing dissemination. No other dissemination may be made without prior approval of the Assistant Secretary for the Transportation Security Administration. Unauthorized dissemination of this document or information contained herein is prohibited by 49 CFR Part 1520 (see 69 Fed. Reg. 28066 (May 18, 2004).
APPROVAL OF ALTERNATIVE MEASURES: With respect to the provisions of this SD, as stated in 49 CFR 1544.305(d), the aircraft operator may submit in writing to its PSI proposed alternative measures and the basis for submitting the alternative measures for approval by the Assistant Administrator for Transportation Sector Network Management. The aircraft operator must immediately notify its PSI whenever any procedure in this SD cannot be carried out by a government authority charged with performing security procedures.
FOR TSA ACTION ONLY: The TSA must issue this SD immediately to the corporate security element of all affected U.S. aircraft operators.
FOR STATE DEPARTMENT: Retransmittal to appropriate foreign posts is authorized. Post must refer to STATE 162917, 201826Z Sep 01, Subject: FAA Security Directives and Information Circulars: Definitions and Handling, for specific guidance and dissemination.

Gale Rossides
Acting Administrator

News Corporation (NYSE:NWS) subsidiary, MySpace.com has partnered with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and FEMA to provide information regarding hurricanes through the social network. This is especially important right now as many of those in New Orleans are evacuating in anticipation of being struck by Hurricane Gustav.

There is a widget available for all MySpace users that links their profile pages to federal information about how to find dislocated hurrican victims and how to help any victims. There is also ways to track of any other upcoming hurricanes.

“Tragedy often inspires people to do great things and this has happened here,” added Nigam. “It’s powerful and it’s using the power of the Web 2.0 media world to its fullest.”

The AFP has additional details.