Phorto from knightscope.comRT

Autonomous “Robocop”-style robots, equipped with microphones, speakers, cameras, laser scanners and sensors, have started to guard Silicon Valley.

The security robots, called Knightscope K5 Autonomous Data Machines, were designed by a robotics company, Knightscope, located in Mountain View, California.

The robots are programmed to notice unusual behavior and alert controllers. It also has odor and heat detectors, and can monitor pollution in carpets as well. Last but not least: with cameras, the Robocops can remember up to 300 number plates a minute, monitoring traffic.   Continue reading “5-foot-tall ‘Robocops’ start patrolling Silicon Valley”

Common Dreams – by Anastasia Pantsios, EcoWatch

While some of his Democratic colleagues joined with Republicans in pushing the Keystone XL pipeline, Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz had something different in mind. Today they unveiled the American Opportunity Carbon Fee Act.

Whitehouse, chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety, has long been an advocate for climate action. His official website features a page called “Climate Change: Time to Wake Up” and he has made 80 speeches in the Senate on the topic, giving one per week. In late October, he announced that he would propose a carbon pollution fee, with details to be introduced in the next few weeks. Today he revealed those details.   Continue reading “Carbon Fee Bill Introduced in the Senate”

Sun Times – by Chad Merda

It’s no secret that the Secret Service has had some issues protecting the White House of late, and at a hearing Wednesday morning in front of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, had a rather unique solution.

“Would a … moat … water, six feet around, be kind of attractive and effective?” Cohen asked Joseph Clancy, the acting director of the Secret Service.   Continue reading “Secret Service: Moat around White House ‘may be’ effective”

Zero Hedge – by Tyler Durden

Just a week after Dr. Craig Spencer was declared ‘Ebola-free’, The Daily Mail reports a woman, who had arrived from Guinea 18 days ago (and was on the NYC Ebola monitoring list), dropped dead in a Brooklyn hair salon this afternoon. FDNY sent their Special Operations and Hazmat units but she was declared dead at the scene. Witnesses said she was bleeding from the “face, nose, mouth, everything.”   Continue reading “Brooklyn Woman On Ebola Monitoring List Drops Dead Bleeding From “Face, Mouth, Nose””

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (Reuters/Carolyn Kaster)RT

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says US Secretary of State John Kerry called on him to “pay no mind” to a statement by President Obama, in which Russia was included to a list of top global threats.

President Obama voiced the three most significant global threats at the UN General Assembly in September. Ebola topped his list, followed by “Russian aggression in Europe.” In third place was the threat represented by the Islamic State extremist group.   Continue reading “Kerry to Lavrov: Ignore Obama’s naming of Russia on top threats list”