drones

Will Bureaucracy Keep The U.S. Drone Industry Grounded?

Martin Kaste — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:43:52 +0000

Americans are suspicious of drones. Reports of the unmanned aerial vehicles' use in war zones have raised concerns about what they might do here at home. For instance, in Seattle earlier this year, a public outcry forced the police department to abandon plans for eye-in-the-sky UAV helicopters.

The backlash worries Paul Applewhite, an aerospace engineer with 10 years of experience at companies like McDonnell Douglas and Sikorsky.

Bill Limiting Drone Use Already Filed for Kentucky General Assembly's 2014 Session

Kenny Colston — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:53:36 +0000

A bill has already been pre-filed for the Kentucky General Assembly's 2014 session—and it deals with the use of drones in the state.

Republican state Rep. Diane St. Onge bill limits how unmanned aircraft can be used. It allows U.S. military personnel to use drones in Kentucky for practice purposes. And it also allows drones to be used by law enforcement agencies if they have a specific warrant to do so.

Opposing Obama's CIA Nomination, Mitch McConnell Says Rand Paul Deserves Answer on Drones

Phillip M. Bailey — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 18:19:37 +0000

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is praising his Kentucky colleague Rand Paul’s nearly 13-hour filibuster, and is now opposing President Obama's nominee to run the Central Intelligence Agency.

Paul held up the confirmation of John Brennan for CIA director using an old-school filibuster. He continually asked for the administration to promise they will not use armed unmanned aircrafts to kill American citizens on U.S. soil.

In a letter sent Monday, Attorney General Eric Holder told Paul the administration had "no intention" to use drones on suspected terrorists in the U.S., but could do so in "extraordinary circumstances."

As the filibuster gained national attention and bipartisan support, McConnell and a number of GOP senators joined Paul's effort last night.

Speaking on the Senate floor Thursday, McConnell says the White House has a responsibility to answer Paul’s questions before the nomination goes forward.

"The United States military no more has the right to kill a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil who is not a combatant with an armed unmanned aerial vehicle than it does with an M-16. The technology is beside the point. It simply doesn’t have that right and the administration should simply answer the question," he says.

Watch Rand Paul's Filibuster. All 13 Hours of It.

Joseph Lord — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 15:01:50 +0000

Ending early Thursday morning, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul filibustered the nomination of John Brennan for CIA director for nearly 13 hours.

Rand Paul Old-School Filibusters Nomination of CIA Director for 13 Hours

Phillip M. Bailey — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 20:48:29 +0000

Speaking on the Senate floor, Republican Rand Paul is actively filibustering the nomination of John Brennan as director of the CIA, citing concerns over President Obama's policy on drones and civil liberties.

Earlier this week, Kentucky's junior senator received a controversial response from Attorney General Eric Holder about the administration’s use of unmanned aircrafts.

Holder told Paul the president could theoretically authorize deadly force to be used against a citizen on U.S. soil without due process.

Since Wednesday morning, Paul has been delaying Brennan's nomination and pledged to talk until he couldn't anymore.

Paul says the White House is continuing the controversial policies of former President George W. Bush, which candidate Obama spoke out against in 2007.

"We had a president who ran for office saying your phone shouldn’t be tapped without a warrant. I happened to agree with candidate Obama. But what happened to candidate Obama who wanted to protect the right to privacy of your who doesn’t care much about your right not to be killed by a drone without any kind of judicial proceeding," he says.

Noise and Notes: Congressman John Yarmuth

Phillip M. Bailey — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 03:28:37 +0000

Congressman John Yarmuth is the lone Democrat in Kentucky’s federal delegation.

That makes Yarmuth the only liberal voice arguably in the region, and the lawmaker that the Obama administration confers with over potential federal appointments in the state.

Now in his fifth term in Congress, Yarmuth is the co-sponsor of a number of progressive bills, including campaign finance reforms and gun control measures.

But since 2010, he has been in the minority railing against the Republican-controlled House.

In terms of politics, Yarmuth has been the chief cheerleader for Ashley Judd, who is the rumored top-contender to run against Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell.

Rand Paul: Court Oversight in Drone Attacks Needed

Kenny Colston — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:57:56 +0000

Courts should decide whether the U.S. should use drone attacks on American citizens who are abroad and accused of committing crimes against the nation, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul said.

Paul told Kentucky Public Radio on Monday that he would prefer a judge or jury make those decisions, as they do with crimes committed inside the U.S.

"We still, even for bad people, give them a trial and a jury to make sure we get the guilty people and not kill an innocent person," he said.

Unmanned Drones To Be Tested In Indiana Airspace

Alyssa Extin, Indiana Public Media — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 19:51:28 +0000

Indiana is bringing unmanned drones to the state for testing, as a part of a plan to market the state’s defense operations more aggressively throughout the U.S.

Indiana’s National Center for Complex Operation, which was established at the beginning of this year,uses the state’s military bases to test military equipment and technology that before it is put into practice.

Paul Proposes Bill Against Domestic Drone Surveillance

Phillip M. Bailey — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 14:55:19 +0000

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., proposed legislation Tuesday that would forbid the federal government from using aerial drones to watch citizens without a warrant.

The bill is called the "Preserving Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act" and it is aimed at addressing growing privacy concerns over drone use in the country. Earlier this week, an unmanned Navy surveillance drone crashed into Chesapeake Bay and has raised several questions about its domestic usage.

Paul says the government should have restrictions to use drones on citizens, except to patrol national borders, when drones are needed to prevent "imminent danger to life," or when there are risks of a terrorist attack.

"Like other tools used to collect information in law enforcement, in order to use drones a warrant needs to be issued," he says. "Americans going about their everyday lives should not be treated like criminals or terrorists and have their rights infringed upon by military tactics."