Activist Post – by Kevin Samson

Most people who are at least aware of The Internet of Things are inclined to believe that it is purely about connecting smart gadgets and appliances to a localized home network. However, The Internet of Things itself is just one component of a much larger move toward full-scale smart cities where all infrastructure is embedded with sensors that can track and manage all people and all movements.   Continue reading “Colorado Set To Become First In U.S. To Use “Smart Pavement” To Monitor Drivers In Real-Time”

North Jersey

Officer Roger Then, of the Paterson Police Department, has been arrested by FBI agents in connection with the beating of a suicidal hospital patient while the unnamed victim was in a wheelchair and in a hospital bed, according to court documents.

Then, 29, is the fourth Paterson police officer arrested by the FBI in the past two months, part of an ongoing federal probe that also has resulted in the arrests of three other city cops and the suspensions of two others.   Continue reading “Fourth Paterson cop arrested by FBI, this time over beating of suicidal hospital patient”

MassPrivateI

FBI: Fewer police officers killed on duty last year than 2016

According to an article in Officer.com fewer police officers were killed last year than in 2016.

“The FBI reports that 93 law enforcement officers were killed on duty last year, 46 criminally and 47 accidentally. The total is down from 118 in 2016.”   Continue reading “Out of control policing; ‘It’s open season on Americans by US police forces’”

LA Times – by Jim Bovard

“I need a witness!” exclaimed the security screener at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Because I had forgotten to remove my belt before going through a scanner, he explained, I must undergo an “enhanced patdown.” I told him that if he jammed his hand into my groin, I’d file a formal complaint. So he summoned his supervisor to keep an eye on the proceedings.

I thought of this exchange last week when the New York Times revealed that the Transportation Security Administration has created a secret watchlist for troublesome passengers. The TSA justified the list by saying that its screeners were assaulted 34 times last year, but did not release any details about the alleged assaults.

Continue reading “After pointlessly groping countless Americans, the TSA is keeping a secret watchlist of those who fight back”

SacBee – by Tony Bizjak

California’s dramatic new license plate is hitting the streets — a digital display board that allows changeable messages controlled by the driver or remotely by fleet managers.

The new plates use the same computer technology as Kindle eBook readers, along with a wireless communication system.

They come with their own computer chips and battery.   Continue reading “California debuts ‘digital’ license plates. Here’s what they’ll cost you.”

CBS Denver – by Shaun Boyd

DENVER (CBS4) – Denver police shut down a lemonade stand put on by a group of brothers over a permitting issue.

When Jennifer Knowles helped her sons set up their first lemonade stand over the weekend, she thought it would be a lesson in entrepreneurship and charity.   Continue reading “Child’s Lemonade Stand Shut Down For Lack Of Permit”

New York Post – by Tina Moore

An NYPD officer wants $5 million for emotional anguish after two cops pulled over his car and arrested him without cause, according to Manhattan court documents.

The incident occurred in March 2017, while Officer Karim Powell was off-duty and in his own vehicle, says the notice of claim, which is the step before a formal lawsuit.   Continue reading “NYPD officer: Fellow cops arrested me without cause”

CBS

RANCHO CUCAMONGA (CBSLA) — Members of a motorcycle club were outraged after one of its own was run off the road by a California Highway Patrol officer, and the biker’s family said it plans to take legal action.

Cellphone video taken Sunday shows a group of bikers stopped at a Rancho Cucamonga intersection when a person on a motorcycle passes in front of them flanked by a CHP cruiser.   Continue reading “Caught On Camera: CHP Officer Knocks Motorcycle Rider Over With Cruiser During Memorial Ride, Family Says It Will Sue”

The Marshal Project – by Daniel Zwerdling

Police records in Bentonville, Arkansas show that James Bates called 911 on Sunday morning just before Thanksgiving 2015, and reported chilling news: he’d just opened his back door and found one of his buddies floating face down in the hot tub, dead. When police showed up, Bates said he had no idea how it happened.

He also said they could search his home, according to police. And they found his house and yard were equipped with smart gadgets that might have served as digital eyes and ears. Continue reading “Your Home is Your…Snitch?”

Fox 5 News

POLK COUNTY, Ga. – An attorney for a jail inmate said surveillance video supports his legal claim of unnecessary force deployed by a Polk County Sheriff’s supervisor.

The prisoner is Brandon Coffman. He is shown in the video seated alongside a second inmate. Both are in restraint chairs.   Continue reading “Inmate claims excessive force, jail supervisor resigns”

Reason – by Christian Britschgi

Improperly stacked wood. A cracked driveway. Chipped paint on a porch.

These are the kinds of offenses the government of Doraville, Georgia, is using to fine residents and threaten them with jail, all in an explicit attempt to balance the budget of the 8,000-person Atlanta suburb. Now people hit by some of those fines are suing the city in federal court, arguing that its direct financial interest in convicting people tried by its municipal court violates the 14th Amendment’s due process guarantee.   Continue reading “Atlanta Suburb Brags About Fines for Chipped Paint and Incorrectly Stacked Wood”

WCNC

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A building at South Mecklenburg High School was evacuated Wednesday due to an “air quality incident” after several students complained of teary eyes and burning throats.

According to Charlotte Fire, Building D on the school’s campus was evacuated around 1 p.m. Wednesday.   Continue reading “Building at South Meck HS evacuated due to ‘air quality’ incident caused by clogged toilet”

Fox 4 KC

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — A senior at Truman High School will not be allowed to walk in his graduation because of a prank he pulled.

Kylan Scheele, 18, admits to posting an ad on Craigslist on Friday that listed Truman High School for sale; he said it was meant to be a joke.   Continue reading “School deems Craigslist prank a threat; student now facing punishment”

MassPrivateI

Two days ago NPR revealed that the Orlando Police Department is using Amazon’s facial recognition to identify people’s faces.

Earlier this year, the ACLU sent an FOI request to the police department asking for more information about Amazon Rekognition.   Continue reading “Amazon’s plan to help police identify citizen’s in real-time and predict crimes”

Fox 31

LAKE WORTH, Fla. — Residents of a Florida city who received alerts about a power outage were also warned to look out for zombies. That’s right — zombies.

The Palm Beach Post reports that Lake Worth residents received the message during a power outage Sunday.

The alert warned that more than 7,000 customers lost power “due to extreme zombie activity.”   Continue reading “Florida city warns residents of zombies, power outage”

RT

The US has revoked the Chinese navy’s invitation to participate in the RIMPAC 2018 naval drills, citing Beijing’s militarization of disputed islands in the South China Sea. The two countries vie for influence in the region.

As an initial response to China’s continued militarization of the South China Sea we have disinvited the PLA Navy from the 2018 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise,” US Department of Defense spokesman Marine Lieutenant-Colonel Christopher Logan said in a statement on Wednesday.   Continue reading “US ‘disinvites’ China from Pacific Rim 2018 naval exercises over ‘militarization’”

Mises Wire – by Mike Maharrey

A recent announcement by a local transit authority in Virginia sheds light on how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are building a massive, intrusive surveillance network built on America’s transportation system.

The Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) recently announced plans to install more than 100 live surveillance cameras at stops along a rapid transit line. According to a WTVR report, GRTC plans to install approximately four cameras at 26 Pulse stops along Broad Street. The system will be live 24 hours a day and directly connected to the city’s 911 facility.
Continue reading “How the Feds Use Transportation Funds to Spy on You”