Buzz Blog

An executive at a government contracting firm looking to do business with the National Security Agency is married to one of the NSA's most powerful officials.


Top of the Alty World

“Wife: NSA Official. Husband: Exec At Firm Seeming To Do Or Seek Business With NSA.”—BuzzFeed

The United States government is finding it hard to fight the ideology of ISIS through social media.—Mother Jones

While domestic violence in the NFL grabs headlines research shows a more disturbing culture of domestic violence among law enforcement.—The Atlantic

Fifty years after the Freedom Summer to Mississippi sisters are still fighting for voting rights for Black Americans.—ProPublica

Top of Alty Utah

A legislative committee punted on proposal to limit campaign contributions to candidates for office.—Utah Political Capitol

Political pundit George Will was in Salt Lake City talking immigration, education debt and more.—Utah Policy

Salt Lake City considers funding own lab to process rape kits among other initiatives.—Salt Lake City Weekly

More controversy has emerged in the Salt Lake County Sheriff's race over a Fraternal Order of Police endorsement.—Salt Lake City Weekly

Rantosphere

Democrat Shon Harris explains why he wants the GOP to win in November.

“Some of our best economic times in the post-war (post war meaning after World War II for our friends in Idaho) era have been when there is a tension between the executive and legislative branches of government. When the Democrats have someone in the White House, the Republicans have control of Congress. When the Republicans have the executive, and Democrats hold the national legislature. Things get done, people have to work together, and that dirty word “compromise” becomes a lot more standard than it is now.”—Utah Politico Hub

The Long View

Salt Lake City Weekly looks at the troubling implications of how private businesses can rent Salt Lake City Police for security—uniforms, cars and all.

“Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank says that if one of his officers is sued while working a part-time job during which they were acting as a police officer, he would back them up just as though they were on duty.

“You’re never essentially off duty,” Burbank says, adding that if an officer were forced to take police action on his day off at a part-time job, “I would dare say that’s my responsibility now, whether it’s injuries to themselves or others.”

Though lawsuits in this arena are rare in Salt Lake City, a federal suit was filed in September that names, among others, the city, Mayor Ralph Becker, a police officer and Burbank as defendants. The suit, filed by Jesse Fruhwirth—an activist, independent journalist and former City Weekly reporter—says that an off-duty police officer violated his First and Fourth Amendment rights when he was detained while filming the Tesoro oil refinery.

If the lawsuit sees a jury trial and rattles through the appeals process, the officer’s part-time job with Tesoro could end up costing Salt Lake City taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars—and in the case of attorney’s fees and a potential settlement, millions.”—Salt Lake City Weekly