Veterans suing Pentagon for exposing private info
WASHINGTON— A veterans organization is suing the Pentagon for exposing private details about troops’ military service on “a truly massive scale” due to lax security on one of its websites.
The lawsuit filed by Vietnam Veterans of America charges that a Defense Department website “is currently ex posing private details about the military service of millions of veterans to anybody at all, anonymously, for any purpose.”
The shoddy security measures allow virtually anyone to access sensitive data about veterans’ records by typing in a name and date of birth, which are easily available on the internet.
This gives “easy access to information about essentially all veterans or service members in the system” and thus violates the Federal Privacy Act, alleges the suit, which was filed last week in federal court in New York.
White House tax plan
WASHINGTON— White House tax negotiators and congressional leaders are still planning to release a document in September out lining agreedupon principles that will serve as a framework for a tax bill, according to a White House official.
The document is expected to expand on a two-page press release last month from the socalled Big Six involved in tax discussions, said the official.
It was unclear after that press release was issued if there would be additional details forthcoming before tax writers started drafting legislative text.
Taylor Swift trial
DENVER— A judge on Friday threw out a Denver radio host’s case against Taylor Swift in a trial that delved into their dueling lawsuits over whether he groped her during a backstage meet-and-greet and whether she and her team ruined his career.
U.S. District Judge William Martinez determined that the pop star could not be held liable because David Mueller failed to prove that she personally set out to have him fired after the 2013 photo op before a concert.
Mr. Mueller denies groping Ms. Swift and sued the singer, her mother, Andrea Swift, and their radio handler, Frank Bell, seeking up to $3 million as compensation for his ruined career.