Kansas City Star – by Tony Rizzo

She was just another face in the crowd.

But when Luz Maria Amezcua-Valencia applied for a Kansas driver’s license, it was her face, and the Kansas Department of Revenue’s facial recognition software, that did her in.

That software sorted through a database of millions of other photographs. It found a similar one previously submitted for a Kansas identification card issued under a different name.

After analysts determined that the photographs showed the same person, investigators dug into the case. The result: a multiple-count federal identity fraud indictment against Amezcua-Valencia, who was arrested Tuesday in Texas.   Continue reading “Kansas Revenue Department’s facial recognition software helps investigators catch scores of criminals”

hostageKDVR Fox 31 Denver – by Matt Farley

DENVER — A man who took a woman hostage at a Denver 7-Eleven Monday morning was shot by an officer, police said.

The incident started when police got a call about a suspicious person inside the store at West Colfax Avenue and Perry Street shortly before 9 a.m.   Continue reading “Police shoot barricaded suspect who used woman as human shield”

Fox News – by William La Jeunesse, Laura Prabucki

A federal judge who endorsed “suspicion-less” searches of laptops, cameras and cell phones at the border has set up a possible Supreme Court showdown challenging what critics call “Constitution-free zones” and the Obama administration’s dragnet approach to national security.

A decision by Judge Edward Korman upholding the federal government’s right to search travelers’ electronic devices at or near the border conflicts with a similar ruling in California. That ruling requires a “reasonable suspicion” of criminal activity before agents can confiscate and examine personal photos, laptops and files. Korman’s ruling does not.   Continue reading “Judge reaffirms ‘Constitution-free zones’ near border, teeing up high court fight”

21st Century Wire

Puzzles and games for enthusiasts is nothing new, and dates back hundreds of years. I modern times, however, corporations and spy agencies have deployed riddles into the public sphere as ‘hiring filters’ to snag promising talent. Advert s in newspapers, magazines and online, messages on billboards – all these have been used by Silicon Valley tech firms, CIA, GCHQ and MI5.

Is Cicada 3301 such a tool?   Continue reading “Spook Recruitment Games: What is ‘Cicada 3301′?”

Ex-cop accused in fatal theater shooting over textingNew York Post

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — An argument over texting in a Florida movie theater Monday triggered a retired Tampa police captain to fatally shoot a man sitting in front of him, as about 25 horrified moviegoers looked on, sheriff’s officials said.

“Somebody throws popcorn. I’m not sure who threw the popcorn,” said Charles Cummings, who, as a birthday treat, was about to watch the movie “Lone Survivor” at The Grove 16 Theater.   Continue reading “Ex-cop accused in fatal theater shooting over texting”

Ben's GuideDa Tech Guy on DaRadio Blog

Ever wonder how many .gov websites are geared toward children?  Lemme tell ya, there are quite a few.

Ben’s Guide, brought to you by the Superintendent of Documents in the U.S. Government Printing Office, provides pretty comprehensive listings, by both subject and agency.  If you click over and give a scroll, you’ll get an idea of the wide range.

Some of the sites are not a surprise–like the DEA wanting to make sure our children know drugs are bad, m’kay?   Continue reading “Dot Gov Sites for Children: We Make Propaganda Fun!”

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif smiles as he speaks to the media at the International Conference Centre of Geneva in Geneva November 24, 2013 file photo. REUTERS/Carolyn Kaster/PoolReuters

(Reuters) – Iran would receive the first $550 million installment of a total of $4.2 billion in previously blocked overseas funds on or about February 1, a senior U.S. official said on Sunday.

Under a November 24 nuclear agreement, six major powers agreed to give Iran access to $4.2 billion in revenues blocked overseas if it carries out the deal, which offers sanctions relief in exchange for steps to curb the Iranian nuclear program.   Continue reading “Iran to get first $550 million of blocked $4.2 billion on February 1”

black sabbathHuffington Post – by Aaron Brophy

Few bands throughout history have better represented the fight between good and evil than heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath.

The group even had an album and song titled “Heaven And Hell” during one of the periods when the late Ronnie James Dio had replaced Ozzy Osbourne as the band’s lead singer. That song’s main refrain of “Oh, it’s on and on and on/ It goes on and on and on, Heaven and Hell” pointedly captured that sense of an eternal struggle.   Continue reading “Black Sabbath’s Eternal Struggle Between Good and Evil”

FILE - This Aug. 1, 2013, file photo shows Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., flanked by Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin of Ill., left, and Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., speaking on Capitol Hill in Washington. Top congressional negotiators released on Jan. 13, 2014, a bipartisan $1.1 trillion spending bill that would pay for the operations of government through October and finally put to rest the bitter budget battles of last year. The 1,582-page bill was released after weeks of negotiations between House Appropriations Committee Chairman Harold Rogers, R-Ky., and Senate counterpart Mikulski, who kept a tight lid on the details. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)Yahoo News – by ANDREW TAYLOR

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top congressional negotiators Monday night released a bipartisan $1.1 trillion spending bill that would pay for the operations of government through October and finally put to rest the bitter budget battles of last year.

The massive measure fleshes out the details of the budget deal that Congress passed last month. That pact gave relatively modest, but much-sought relief to the Pentagon and domestic agencies after deep budget cuts last year.   Continue reading “Huge Spending Bill Would Bury Budget Battles”

Photographer Chris Du Plessis and Mtombi the Cheetah reviewing the photosDaily Mail – by Ted Thornhill

This picture captures the incredible moment a photographer lies in the grass beside a cheetah at an African game reserve.

The predator is the picture of spotty elegance as she poses with the photographer and peers down the camera.

The beautiful beast has her ears pricked ready to stalk some prey – but luckily seems to have no appetite for the man beside her.   Continue reading “Amazing moment a cheetah lies down next to a photographer and even lets him stroke her head”

Before It’s News – by Josey Wales

The American people have started to wake up. Watching everything from weekly police shootings of innocent people across the nation, to ATF running another Fast and Furious program right here on American soil.

Recently a string of ATF operations around the country have been exposed for their rogue tactics exploiting the mentally handicapped, turning out armed felons onto America’s streets. While the ATF was setting up storefront sting operations in at least six American cities nation wide, they recruited mentally disabled people to bring in business to their stores.   Continue reading “Manufactured Crisis: Fast and Furious Quietly Expanded To 6 American Cities”

WND

In 2008, President Obama said he would “bankrupt” coal plant owners and force energy prices across the U.S. to “skyrocket” as part of his plan to combat global warming – and now a new EPA rule on power plant emissions promises to do just that, slashing as much as 40 percent of the nation’s power supply and possibly even doubling Americans’ energy bills.

“So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can; it’s just that it will bankrupt them, because they’re going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that’s being emitted” Obama told the San Francisco Chronicle editorial board in January 2008.   Continue reading “Obama plot: Black out ‘40% of U.S. power supply’”

Before It’s News – by Lyn Leahz

Over the years, the United Nations has gradually purchased most of our precious National parks in the United States of America, and now they are working on buying all major U.S. cities. But why? What is the bigger picture? What is coming to America?

As the Obama ‘Regime’ childishly uses our National Parks and Monuments as weapons against it’s own veterans, citizens, and especially to threaten the Tea Party, and it’s values (The Constitution),  few people are aware of the fact that we the people, United States citizens, do not control our own treasured landmarks. Continue reading “Why Has the United Nations Purchased Most National Parks and Targeting Major Cities in the USA?”

Suspected Mexican drug trafficker Vicente Zambada-NieblaBusiness Insider – by Michael Insider

An investigation by El Universal found that between the years 2000 and 2012, the U.S. government had an arrangement with Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel that allowed the organization to smuggle billions of dollars of drugs while Sinaloa provided information on rival cartels.

Sinaloa, led by Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, supplies 80% of the drugs entering the Chicago area and has a presence in cities across the U.S.   Continue reading “CONFIRMED: The DEA Struck A Deal With Mexico’s Most Notorious Drug Cartel”

Activist Post – by Jeff Roberts

The single most articulate and passionate advocate of citizen action to remedy the nuclear and environmental crises, Dr Helen Caldicott, has devoted the last forty two years to an international campaign to educate the public about the medical hazards of the nuclear age and the necessary changes in human behaviour needed to stop environmental destruction.   Continue reading “Take 10 Minutes To Inform Yourself On The Fukushima Crisis”

filephoto manuel ramos jay cicinelli kelly thomas trialKTLA News – by Melissa Pamer

In a quickly reached verdict, jurors found two former Fullerton police officers accused in the 2011 beating death of a 37-year-old homeless man not guilty on all charges on Monday.

Former Officer Manuel Ramos and ex-Corporal Jay Cicinelli were accused of causing the death of Kelly Thomas in a violent struggle in the Orange County college town, prompting angry protests and closely watched criminal proceedings.   Continue reading “Ex-Officers Found Not Guilty in Kelly Thomas’ Beating Death”

IRSSovereign Man – by Simon Black

In the 3rd century AD, Emperor Caracalla famously remarked of Rome’s tax policy:

“For as long as we have this,” pointing to his sword, “we shall not run out of money.” (Of course, Rome did run out of money. )

At the time, Roman taxation was so extractive that it drove people into poverty and desperation. Yet the government continued to forcibly plunder wealth at the point of a sword.   Continue reading “Check out the IRS’s stunning admission of its own mafia tactics”

Zero Hedge – by Tyler Durden

Money well-spent, we are sure some would suggest; but when the National Institute of Health spends $224,863 to test 95 “custom-fitted” condoms so every hard-working American man can choose the one that fits ‘just right’, we suggest the government is stretching the tax dollar a little too far. As NY Post reports, the study was prompted by concern that despite the wide-scale promotion of latex condoms to help prevent the spread of HIV, their use remains “disappointingly low,” because, the government says, one-third to one-half of men complain of poor-fitting prophylactics and are less likely to use them… apparently. Of course, we assume, when questioned, all said the condom was ‘too small’.   Continue reading “Government Spent $224,863 On “Custom-Fit” Condoms”