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US

Capitol security review recommends sweeping changes after riot

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House lawmakers on Monday will be briefed on a new security review that recommends widespread changes at the U.S. Capitol following the January 6 insurrection. The final report calls for the hiring of more than 1,000 Capitol Police officers, a dedicated quick reaction force and the installation of retractable fencing around the complex, according to a draft obtained by CBS News.

The study was led by former Hurricane Katrina Commander and retired Lieutenant General Russel Honore and a task force composed of other former senior military officials.  

The 15-page document seeks to streamline the chain of command after significant delays in deploying the National Guard during the riot. 

It proposes giving the U.S. Capitol Police authority to request support from the National Guard and outside law enforcement without preapproval from the Capitol Police Board in “extraordinary emergency circumstances”. 

The board, which oversees the department, is made up of the House and Senate sergeants at arms, the Architect of the Capitol and the Capitol Police chief. Former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund told lawmakers in a Senate hearing last month that he requested the National Guard two days before the riot but his request was denied by the House Sergeant at Arms. Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton testified at a separate hearing that he was never contacted about the request.


Trump supporters storm Capitol in Washington, D.C.

58 photos

Another recommendation calls for Department of Defense directives to be amended to allow the head of the D.C. National Guard to retain emergency authority to quell large-scale civil disturbances. Commanding General William Walker told a joint Senate panel last week he had guardsmen sitting on buses while he waited for clearance from the Pentagon to deploy them to the Capitol on January 6.

“At that point, seconds mattered, minutes mattered, and I needed to be ready to get them there as quick as possible,” Walker testified. 

The report also cites internal communication problems among Capitol Police rank-and-file who were on the ground during the attack.

“Without earpieces, many officers were also unable to hear or understand radio communications due to overwhelming noise from the crowd,” the report states. “Every officer must be equipped with earpieces as part of his or her uniform and directed to wear them. This should not be optional.”

Members of the National Guard are seen walking near the US Capitol Building on Capitol Hill on March 3, 2021, in Washington, D.C.

ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images


The task force recommends officers wear body cameras and suggests increasing the K9 division and restoring the horse-mounted police unit. 

The group also proposes enhanced security for Congressional members when they travel to their home districts.

Asked by CBS News if she supports the findings, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi acknowledged supplemental funding will be required. 

“We will be presenting to the fuller body and at some point have decisions made about what is feasible,” she said. “It’s going to take more money to protect the Capitol in a way that enables people to come here.” 

Pelosi commissioned the Honore review, which primarily focuses on security on the House side of the Capitol. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and other House Republicans have criticized the selection of the retired general to lead the probe, citing his past statements suggesting Capitol Police officers were complicit in the insurrection.    

“While there may be some worthy recommendations forthcoming, General Honore’s notorious partisan bias calls into question the rationality of appointing him to lead this important security review,” McCarthy said in a statement. 

Honore and other members of the January 6 task force will brief members from both parties in three separate sessions Monday.


Trump appointee arrested on Capitol riot char…

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US

Newsom calls for Californians to ‘double down’ on wearing masks, state recommends double masking

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Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday called for Californians who use cloth masks to consider double masking in some cases for better protection against COVID-19. He called for people to “double down” on mask-wearing, saying that governors in Texas and several other states who this week said they would end mask mandates were giving “bad information.””We will not be walking down their path,” Newsom said. “We’re mindful of your health and our future.”The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, on Monday said that a steep decline in COVID-19 cases appeared to be leveling off and she was “really worried” about states rolling back pandemic public health measures too quickly given the number of cases still occurring and new variants circulating. California broadly mandates face coverings “in all public and workplace settings where there is a high risk of exposure.”Updated mask guidance released by the California Department of Public Health on Thursday recommends double masking with a close-fitting cloth mask on top of a surgical mask as “an effective way to improve fit and filtration.””Good fit and filtration improve protection for others if you are infected and protection for you if you are exposed to an infected person,” the guidance said. CDPH does not recommend layering more than two masks, two medical masks, or a medical mask on top of a KN95 or an N95. The guidance also outlines cases when wearing a mask is “especially important.” Those situations include: Indoors with people from outside your household.When in “close quarters” with people where social distancing is not possible like on a crowded bus or in line at a crowded airport terminal.Somewhere with people who are especially at risk for severe COVID-19 illness. That includes people who are older or with medical conditions.It’s also important to wear an effective mask when caring for someone who has COVID-19 or is suspected of being infected, according to the guidance. The state also recommends better masking for when someone from outside your household comes into your home like a friend or repair person, or if you work outside but live with someone who is older or with a medical condition.

STOCKTON, Calif. —

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday called for Californians who use cloth masks to consider double masking in some cases for better protection against COVID-19.

He called for people to “double down” on mask-wearing, saying that governors in Texas and several other states who this week said they would end mask mandates were giving “bad information.”

“We will not be walking down their path,” Newsom said. “We’re mindful of your health and our future.”

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, on Monday said that a steep decline in COVID-19 cases appeared to be leveling off and she was “really worried” about states rolling back pandemic public health measures too quickly given the number of cases still occurring and new variants circulating.

California broadly mandates face coverings “in all public and workplace settings where there is a high risk of exposure.”

Updated mask guidance released by the California Department of Public Health on Thursday recommends double masking with a close-fitting cloth mask on top of a surgical mask as “an effective way to improve fit and filtration.”

“Good fit and filtration improve protection for others if you are infected and protection for you if you are exposed to an infected person,” the guidance said.

CDPH does not recommend layering more than two masks, two medical masks, or a medical mask on top of a KN95 or an N95.

The guidance also outlines cases when wearing a mask is “especially important.” Those situations include:

  • Indoors with people from outside your household.
  • When in “close quarters” with people where social distancing is not possible like on a crowded bus or in line at a crowded airport terminal.
  • Somewhere with people who are especially at risk for severe COVID-19 illness. That includes people who are older or with medical conditions.

It’s also important to wear an effective mask when caring for someone who has COVID-19 or is suspected of being infected, according to the guidance.

The state also recommends better masking for when someone from outside your household comes into your home like a friend or repair person, or if you work outside but live with someone who is older or with a medical condition.

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Technology

Security researcher recommends against LastPass after detailing 7 trackers

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A security researcher is recommending against LastPass password manager after detailing seven trackers found in the Android app, The Register reports. Although there is no suggestion that the trackers, which were analyzed by researcher Mike Kuketz, are transferring a user’s actual passwords or usernames, Kuketz says their presence is bad practice for a security-critical app handling such sensitive information.

Responding to the report, a spokesperson from LastPass says the company gathers limited data “about how LastPass is used” to help it “improve and optimize the product.” Importantly, LastPass tells The Register that “no sensitive personally identifiable user data or vault activity could be passed through these trackers,” and users can opt out of the analytics in the Privacy section of the Advanced Settings menu.

LastPass’s trackers include four from Google which handle analytics and crash reporting, as well as one from a company called Segment, which reportedly gathers data for marketing teams. Kuketz analyzed the data being transmitted and found it included information about the smartphone’s make and model, as well as information about whether a user has biometric security enabled. Even if the data transmitted isn’t personally identifiable, just integrating this third-party code in the first place introduces the potential for security vulnerabilities, according to Kuketz.

“If you actually use LastPass, I recommend changing the password manager,” wrote Kuketz (via machine translation). “There are solutions that do not permanently send data to third parties and record user behavior.”

LastPass isn’t the only password manager to include trackers like this, but it appears to have more than many popular competitors. Free alternative Bitwarden has just two according to Exodus Privacy, while RoboForm and Dashlane have four, and 1Password has none.

The report comes on the heels of LastPass’s announcement to severely limit functionality in its free tier. While free users are currently able to store an unlimited number of passwords across devices without limitation, soon they’ll have to pick one category of devices to view and manage their passwords on — “Mobile” or “Computer” — unless they want to pay for the service. The changes will come into effect on March 16th.

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Science

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy recommends that hikers leave long expeditions for 2022 due to Covid-19

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The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), the organization responsible for managing and protecting the famous trail, is advising all long-distance hikers wanting to try their hand at completing the full trail or multi-day hikes to wait until 2022.

“We’re really basing our guidance on the best information we have,” President and CEO Sandra Marra told CNN. “The guidance is based on science, on the states and the federal outline as to how we can proceed until everyone is fully vaccinated.”

Marra said that the ATC is looking at guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and a pandemic task force that they have been working with for over a year.

Since the Appalachian Trail is internationally known, Marra said, one of the main issues is that it’s virtually impossible, if you don’t live in the area, to keep from contributing to the spread of Covid-19.

“If you’re planning a long-distance hike you’re going to have to travel somehow to get to the trailhead,” Marra said. “Once you start hiking, again with long-distance hiking in particular, you’re going to be more exposed to people because you are traveling further, and all of our sections of trail right now are very busy because we are still encouraging people to go out on day hikes locally.”

She said that most of the towns that include trailheads are more vulnerable because of their rural locations and if hikers go into the town to get supplies, that in itself can put a hiker or the community at risk.

On top of all of that, most of the overnight shelters on the 2,200-mile trail remain closed and hikers may have to carry extra equipment to accommodate any overnight stays on the trail, which some may not realize can add extra difficulty. If the difficulty turns into an injury or distress, local first responders can be put at risk.

There are measures for those who want to continue

Marra said the organization knows it can’t stop anyone from doing a long-distance hike, so there are several measures in place for those wanting to hit the trail in 2021, which currently includes more than 2,600 registered guests.

— The ATC encourages everyone to register so that if health changes occur, such as another shutdown in a particular state or section, they know who to contact;

— Hikers need to carry a mask and hand sanitizer so that they can keep themselves and others safe;
— Since most shelters are closed, hikers need to plan to tent alone or bring a hammock for overnight stays;

— Hikers need to be experienced and know how to handle themselves on the trail

But, again, the ATC strongly recommends against it.

“We all have to work together and we have to make sacrifices until this vaccine rolls out,” Marra said. “This is just a postponement of something you want to do — we all have a responsibility to make sacrifices for the greater good.”

Marra said that the organization is going to continue to monitor the CDC guidelines and the Covid-19 situation in order to keep hikers safe and informed.

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