Month: January 2015

Biometric Update – by Stephen Mayhew

Intel recently filed an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a new technology method of real-time facial detection using an image or video of the subject taken by a mobile device.

Intel Korea research engineer Wooju Ryu describes the face detection method in the U.S. Patent Application No. 20140341430, titled “Method and Device for Detecting Face, and Non-Transitory Computer-Readable Recording Medium for Executing the Method”.   Continue reading “Intel files patent for real-time facial recognition system”

Bloomberg – by Josh Rogin

President Barack Obama’s administration has been working behind the scenes for months to forge a new working relationship with Russia, despite the fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown little interest in repairing relations with Washington or halting his aggression in neighboring Ukraine.

This month, Obama’s National Security Council finished an extensive and comprehensive review of U.S policy toward Russia that included dozens of meetings and input from the State Department, Defense Department and several other agencies, according to three senior administration officials. At the end of the sometimes-contentious process, Obama made a decision to continue to look for ways to work with Russia on a host of bilateral and international issues while also offering Putin a way out of the stalemate over the crisis in Ukraine.   Continue reading “Inside Obama’s Secret Outreach to Russia”

The Intercept – by Jana Winter

The hackers who infiltrated Sony Pictures Entertainment’s computer servers have threatened to attack an American news media organization,according to an FBI bulletin obtained by The Intercept.

The threat against the unnamed news organization by the Guardians of Peace, the hacker group that has claimed credit for the Sony attack, “may extend to other such organizations in the near future,” according to a Joint Intelligence Bulletin of the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security obtained by The Intercept.   Continue reading “Sony Hackers Threaten U.S. News Media Organization”

USA Today – by Paul Davidson

The minimum wage will rise in 21 states in 2015, putting it above the federal pay floor in more than half the USA and highlighting the impact of a national movement to boost the earnings of low-paid workers.

The increases will lift the hourly wages of 2.4 million workers by up to $1 to an average of $8 and a high of $9.15, according to the Economic Policy Institute. The federal hourly minimum is $7.25.   Continue reading “Minimum wage to rise in 21 states this week”

LA Times – by SOUMYA KARLAMANGLA

Three days before Los Angeles lawmakers voted on a proposal to ban genetically modified crops, the world’s largest biotechnology trade group hired three top City Hall lobbyists to stop it.

The matter had sailed through a meeting weeks before with only one City Council member expressing doubt.  Continue reading “City Council panel backs away from GMO ban it previously supported”

Mail.com

CREVE COEUR, Mo. (AP) — Fifty-one years ago, Arthur Lampitt of Granite City, Illinois, smashed his 1963 Thunderbird into a truck. This week during surgery in suburban St. Louis, a 7-inch turn signal lever from that T-Bird was removed from his left arm.

Dr. Timothy Lang removed the lever Wednesday during a 45-minute operation. Lampitt, now 75, is recovering at home. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/1EOtGa6 ) reports that the accident broke Lampitt’s hip, drawing attention away from the arm, which healed.   Continue reading “51 years after wreck, 7-inch car part found in arm”

Breitbart – by ILDEFONSO ORTIZ

REYNOSA, Tamaulipas — Mexican investigators beat and tortured a prostitute in order to get her to confirm their version of events regarding the alleged execution of a group of cartel members in the town of Tlataya. The version that the Mexican government wanted was that the soldiers fought off an attack and killed the 22 gunmen.

The other version of the June 30 shooting, as told by a self-admitted prostitute and the mother of a female teenage gang member in the group, was that the cartel gunmen had surrendered and the military had executed 12 to 15 of them, the Associated Press reported.   Continue reading “Mexican Investigators Covered Up Execution of Cartel Gunmen by Soldiers”

Breitbart – by ADELLE NAZARIAN

For the first time in 12 years, violent crime in Los Angeles has climbed to a stunningly high rate, driven by an increase in reported aggravated assaults.

Crimes in the four categories that account for Los Angeles’s violence are robberies, homicides, rapes, and aggravated assaults.

According to the Los Angeles Times, while the percentage of robberies and homicides saw a slight increase, rape saw a 12.4 percent spike. Aggravated assaults shot up by 24.2 percent, compared with the rate of assaults in 2013. The Times posits that the increase correlates with a gross understatement of the city’s true level of crime. Continue reading “LAPD: Violent Crime at Highest Rates in 12 Years”

Breitbart – by ILDEFONSO ORTIZ

MCALLEN, Texas – A Mexican man who is in the U.S. illegally remains behind bars and stands accused of assaulting his girlfriend and kidnapping her baby.

Edinburg Police arrested  23-year-old Victor Soriano on the charge of kidnapping, and assault/family violence, information released by Edinburg Police to Breitbart Texasshows.

While a municipal judge set bond for Soriano, he remains behind bars on an immigration detainer.   Continue reading “Illegal Immigrant Accused of Choking Woman, Tying Her Up with Extension Cord and Kidnapping Baby”

Breitbart – by Warner Todd Huston

President Barack Obama’s approval rating has hit 48 percent as 2014 came to a close.

In fact, the Obama’s 23 quarter approval fell even below his late December rating, ending in the middle of October at 41.5 percent, among the lowest quarterly averages of his entire presidency thus far.

Just after the November election, where the Democrat Party suffered a historic defeat, Obama’s approval rating began to surge. Many of his signature polices were funded in the “CRomnibus”–including executive amnesty and Obamacare–which was passed with bipartisan support. The president also announced landmark changes to U.S./Cuba relations before heading to Hawaii for vacation.   Continue reading “As Year Ends, Obama Approval Rating Approaches 50%”

Yahoo News

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in a New Year’s speech Thursday that he is open to more talks or even a summit with his South Korean counterpart, a statement welcomed by Seoul, which in turn urged the North to take concrete steps toward normalization of relations.

Kim’s call for improving inter-Korea relations comes as Pyongyang is facing heightened criticism over its human rights record and souring ties with Washington over allegations it was involved in the massive hacking attack on Sony Pictures linked to “The Interview,” a dark comedy that portrayed an assassination attempt on Kim.   Continue reading “North Korean leader open to summit with South”

Bluegrass Pundit

Police militarization continues and actually increased in the aftermath of Ferguson.

Via The Washington Times:

The federal government shipped nearly 4,000 more assault rifles to local law enforcement agencies in the three months following the Ferguson riots, marking a huge surge in the amount of lethal firearms being doled out to police and sheriff’s offices.   Continue reading “Astronomical Increase: Feds ship 4,000 more assault rifles to local law enforcement in 3 months after Ferguson”

Vision – by Ben Maloney

A crackdown on Cuban dissidents caused a rift with the United States on Wednesday. It was the first major diplomatic commotion between the two countries since diplomatic ties were restored earlier in December last year.

According to the head of the officially banned Cuban Human Rights Commission, Elizardo Sanchez, the communist authorities arrested more than 30 dissidents on Tuesday in an attempt to stop them from attending an open mic session which was held for Cubans to speak out about their future.   Continue reading “Arrests of Cuban Activists Revives Tensions With U.S”

Wall Street Journal – by JAMES T. AREDDY

SHANGHAI—Family and friends rushed to hospitals Thursday looking for loved ones among the dozens of people who died in a New Year’s Eve stampede, with some asking whether city officials had provided adequate security on a night when thousands gathered to greet 2015.

Online video and photos of the event—an annual tradition in Shanghai—showed what appeared to be thousands of people in the glittery Bund district, along the banks of the Huangpu River. There were shouts and then screams as the crowd surged and people fell underfoot, smartphone screens flickering in their hands.   Continue reading “Shanghai Stampede Death Toll Rises to at Least 36; Accounts Differ on Cause”

iHLS

Israeli security experts have said before that the fence around the White House does not stop intruders.

Now, a homeland security panel says that a taller fence for the White House is the most important immediate step in ramping up protection for the president.   Continue reading “Homeland Security panel recommends taller fence for White House”

UNIAN

The United States is planning to deploy about 150 tanks and armored vehicles to Europe in 2015, with a third of them to be sent to Germany, the commander of the U.S, Army in Europe, Lieutenant General Frederick Ben Hodges has said, Ukrainian newspaper ZN.UA reports.

According to Lt. Gen. Hodges, the decision to increase the number of armored vehicles in Europe was made two years ago and has no relation to Ukrainian conflict.   Continue reading “US preparing deployment of 150 armored vehicles to Europe”