Senators seek info on FBI cell tracking
WASHINGTON – Leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Wednesday they were seeking answers from the Obama administration about federal law enforcement’s use of surveillance technology that sweeps up basic cellphone data.
Among the tools singled out is Stingray, a device that pretends it is a cellphone tower and tricks cellphones into identifying some of their owners’ account information. Law enforcement authorities have said the technology, which allows police to obtain cellphone information without having to ask for help from service providers, is useful for catching criminals, though civil liberties advocates have raised privacy concerns.
Applications for U.S. jobless aid rise
WASHINGTON – More Americans sought unemployment benefits last week, but the number of applications continues to be at historically low levels that suggest solid economic growth will continue.
The Labor Department said Wednesday that applications for unemployment benefits climbed 17,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 298,000.
As fewer people have sought unemployment benefits, job growth steadily has accelerated and helped fuel the economy.
Employers added 321,000 jobs in November, bringing the total for the first 11 months of 2014 to 2.65 million new jobs. That already makes 2014 the best year for hiring since 1999.
98 unaccounted for in Italian shipwreck
BRINDISI, Italy – Stormy weather in the Adriatic Sea thwarted efforts Wednesday to tow a fire-ravaged ferry to Italy so authorities can investigate the blaze that killed at least 11 people and search the ship for more possible dead.
Ninety-eight people still were unaccounted for Wednesday.
Rocket strike ruins Afghan wedding
KABUL, Afghanistan – A rocket fired amid fighting between Taliban insurgents and Afghan soldiers killed at least 26 people at a nearby wedding party Thursday, authorities said, a grim end to a year that saw the end of the 13-year U.S.-led combat mission there.
The rocket struck a house in southern Helman province’s Sangin District, where Afghan security forces have been battling insurgents in the six months since U.S. forces withdrew from the area.
Police spokesman Fareed Ahmad Obaid said the rocket wounded at least 45 people. Bashir Ahmad Shakir, a provincial council member, said the death toll could be up to 30 killed with as many as 60 wounded.
Associated Press
