U.S. News/Police Violence
Human Rights Watch: Counter-terrorism surveillance technologies have a devastating impact on rights
"Such technologies, including biometric, surveillance and drone technology, have serious negative impacts on the enjoyment of human rights across the globe. The Special Rapporteur highlights the human rights risks inherent in the development, deployment and transfer of such technologies internationally. The impact on human rights across the globe is devastating, particularly the exercise of the rights to privacy, expression, association and political participation."
https://www.statewatch.org/media/3755/un-sr-ct-human-rights-new-tech-counter-terrorism-2-23.pdf
FBI Created "Pro-Life" Domestic Extremist Threat Tag After Supreme Court's Dobbs Ruling:
The FBI created a threat tag following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last year, but it later "shifted" to focus on pro-life individuals, an agent-turned-whistleblower told the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. FBI Special Agent Garret O’Boyle, from the Wichita Resident Agency in the Kansas City Field Office, also said the FBI made him divide one domestic terrorism case into "four different cases," in what he described as an effort by the bureau to be able to show Congress an influx of domestic terrorism cases.
Taliban Uses U.S. Biometric Technology To Hunt Down Afghans Who Assisted US Before Their Takeover:
Number of imprisoned veterans concerns former defense chiefs, want military service taken into account:
(Wonders how long before "veteran" police hires use this and PTSD?)
"Two former Iraq and Afghanistan War-era defense secretaries are recommending that the government consider new ways to ensure that military service is taken into account when courts prosecute former service members."
https://apnews.com/article/veterans-prison-war-crime-prosecute-iraq-afghanistan-adc47e597acbfc4162731ac3e23efa8c
Chinese lab leak most likely caused coronavirus pandemic, Energy Department says:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/26/us/politics/china-lab-leak-coronavirus-pandemic.html
FBI chief confirms agency’s belief COVID came from Chinese lab leak:
https://nypost.com/2023/02/28/fbis-christopher-wray-says-lab-leak-cause-for-covid-pandemic/
Jon Stewart Slams ‘Media Narrative Machine’ For Dismissing Lab Leak As ‘Conspiracy Theory’
The Covid Lab Leak is a Scandal of Media and Gov't Censorship:
http://ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2023/february/28/the-covid-lab-leak-is-a-scandal-of-media-and-government-censorship/
What I Have Endured: An Inside Look At Being Unpersoned In America (COVID investigator):
https://sarahwestall.com/what-i-have-endured-an-inside-look-at-being-unpersoned-in-america/
Florida Republican wants any blogger writing about Ron DeSantis to 'register with the state' or be fined:
https://www.businessinsider.com/ron-desantis-bloggers-register-florida-state-fine-2023-3
https://www.techdirt.com/2023/03/03/another-day-another-blatant-attack-on-the-1st-amendment-from-the-florida-gop/
Florida man fined $116 by police for putting up a beach umbrella goes to court:
https://www.wfla.com/news/pinellas-county/beach-battle-over-umbrellas-heads-to-court
https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/belleair-shore-umbrella-ban-court-battle/67-72da0869-01ca-4fd7-8c8e-162c1ca17e1f
American Corporations Plan Expansion Across China:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/from-mcdonalds-to-ralph-lauren-u-s-companies-are-planning-china-expansions-c1a33969
The CIA Played Key Role In Nelson Mandela's Arrest & Imprisonment:
https://time.com/6258292/nelson-mandela-cia-arrest/
Kancamagus Lodge in NH shredded 41 UK student passports:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-64791855
New Smyrna Beach enacts permanent youth curfew to 'curb juvenile crime'
https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/new-smyrna-beach-enacts-permanent-youth-curfew
Chick-fil-A location bans children under 16 from dining room:
https://fox8.com/news/pennsylvania-chick-fil-a-bans-unchaperoned-diners-under-16-after-unacceptable-behaviors/
Florida Republican's bill that would eliminate the Democratic Party:
State Department warns service members to avoid eating poppy seeds after many test positive for opioids
Immigrants claim ICE retribution for hunger strike over poor conditions:
Homeland Security Investigations, ICE and the Secret Service Conducted Illegal Stingray Surveillance of Cell Phones:
https://www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/2023-03/OIG-23-17-Feb23-Redacted.pdf
DHS to give law enforcement agencies $360M in preparedness grants:
“The law requires that at least 25% of the combined funds for the State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) and the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) be dedicated to Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Activities (LETPA). Last year, for the first time, we increased that minimum requirement to 30%, resulting in a $51.5 million increase from the prior year. This year, we are increasing the LETPA minimum requirement once again, to 35%. In total, LETPA funding will increase by $103 million -- from $257.5 million to $360.5 million -- over a two-year period. DHS has five new grant programs for law enforcement- HSGP: Operation Stonegarden, Port Security Grant Program, Transit Security Grant Program, Intercity Bus Security Grant Program and the Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program.
https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20230227/dhs-announces-2-billion-preparedness-grants
DHS Turns 20. Its Legacy Is Disastrous:
https://reason.com/2023/03/01/the-department-of-homeland-security-turns-20-its-legacy-is-disastrous/
San Diego International Airport uses Indentiv's "Velocity Vision" to turn CCTV cameras into surveillance network:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/san-diego-international-airport-expands-120000026.html
Minnesota Bill Would Ban Police Facial Recognition CCTV Cameras:
Police Face Recognition Led to Man's Arrest. It Was Dead Wrong:
https://www.wired.com/story/face-recognition-software-led-to-his-arrest-it-was-dead-wrong/
Montana bill regulating police facial recognition debated:
https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/bill-regulating-facial-recognition-technology-debated
ACLU testimony about facial recognition in NYC businesses:
New Hoodie Uses 12 Infrared LEDs to Blind Facial Recognition Cameras:
https://www.vice.com/en/article/dy7awa/this-hacker-hoodie-uses-surveillance-camera-parts-to-blind-surveillance-cameras
Q2 Stadium to use Amazon's Just Walk Out palm scanners to ID fan purchases:
https://www.kxan.com/sports-general/austin-fc/whats-new-at-q2-stadium-adds-walk-out-pay-technology-new-food-options/
Supreme Court Says Domestic Spying Is Too Secret To Be Challenged in Court:
https://reason.com/2023/02/27/scotus-says-domestic-spying-is-too-secret-to-be-challenged-in-court/
https://www.techdirt.com/2023/02/27/supreme-court-denies-cert-to-nsa-case-allows-state-secret-privilege-to-roll-on-unaltered/
Irony: The Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework allows Europeans to file complaints when they believe that the U.S. intelligence community has improperly accessed their personal data
https://www.lawfareblog.com/jurisdiction-new-data-protection-review-court
DISGUSTED: Biden administration Urges Congress to renew FISA Section 702
https://www.wsj.com/articles/expiring-spy-law-vital-to-combating-hackers-and-rivals-like-china-officials-say-e37d9d56
Biden Administration ‘Worried’ 2008 Warrantless Wiretap Spy Law Will Lapse:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/02/28/fisa-section-702-fbi-wiretap/
US Spy Agency Girds for Fight Over Warrantless Surveillance (FISA Section 702):
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/us-spy-agency-gets-ready-for-fight-over-warrantless-surveillance-program/ar-AA182sp8
How Social Networks Became a ‘Subsidiary’ of the FBI and CIA:
The FBI Desperately Wants to Let Trump Off the Hook:
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/03/fbi-trump-mar-a-lago-raid-prosecution/673251/
Little Rock’s real-time crime center uses private business and resident cameras to surveil people:
“The rollout plan, called Connect Little Rock, gives residents or business owners who already have doorbell cameras or other security cameras the option to share the footage captured by their cameras with police in one of two ways, neither of which would involve police regularly monitoring their footage, said Maj. Ty Tyrrell, head of the agency's Headquarters Division. The second option, which is geared toward businesses that are likely to have numerous cameras, is to directly integrate their cameras with the crime center at police headquarters on Markham Street.”
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/mar/04/little-rock-police-moving-into-second-phase-of/
https://www.littlerock.com/connect
West Virginia House Passes Bill to Increase Oversight of Fusion Center:
https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2023/03/west-virginia-house-passes-bill-to-increase-oversight-of-state-fusion-center-surveillance/
Coded Resistance: How Black Communities Fought Against Surveillance
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/02/coded-resistance-comic
Next step in surveillance AI: Finding out who your friends are
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-03-surveillance-ai-friends.html
Pasadena police to use Cellebrite's new "Lock Bypass" to break into cellphones:
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-03-03/pasadena-police-banking-on-phone-hacking-tool-to-solve-cold-case-murder
How police use digital forensics to break into cellphones:
http://patc.com/online/a/Portals/1101/1101H.pdf
Take the Quiz: Will predictive systems profile you as a criminal?
https://www.fairtrials.org/predictive-policing/
San Diego police to create massive ALPR Smart Streetlight surveillance network:
"The plan, if approved, would make San Diego the biggest city in the U.S. to use both cameras and license-plate readers as part of a single network, according to the Police Department. It would cost an estimated $4M to roll out both the license plate recognition system and cameras. The department plans to pay for the program with funds from the city’s general fund and grants."
San Diego Has Been Turned Into A Massive Chinese-Style Public Surveillance Network (2019)
https://massprivatei.blogspot.com/2019/03/san-diego-has-been-turned-into-massive.html
What Is SkyCop? The Controversial Camera That Caught Cops Beating Tyre Nichols:
https://www.vice.com/en/article/ake5np/what-is-skycop-tyre-nichols
Asylon wins million dollar contract to provide robot dogs to U.S. Space Force:
https://asylonrobotics.com/news/asylon-space-force-robot-dog-contract-award/
U.S. air force is using facial recognition drones:
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2360475-us-air-force-is-giving-military-drones-the-ability-to-recognise-faces/
BRINC unveils LEMUR 2 drone for law enforcement:
"Brinc has hired about 15 former Prime Air employees from Amazon."
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/brinc-announces-release-of-its-next-generation-lemur-2-drone-301760233.html
Drone startup Brinc prepares for take off with ex-Amazon engineers:
Police drones and the Supreme Court’s web cases:
Police Violence
Irony: Trump campaign hasn't paid some police departments for the overtime pay they earned after working his rallies
https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-stiffed-local-cops-who-worked-his-maga-rallies-now-its-coming-back-to-bite-him
DOJ opposes immunity for Trump in police suits over Capitol riot:
Black Woman Gets Justice After She Was Wrongfully Accused of Trying to Breach Airplane Cockpit While Heading to the Restroom:
https://newyorkbeacon.com/i-didnt-do-anything-wrong-black-woman-gets-justice-after-she-was-wrongfully-accused-of-trying-to-breach-american-airlines-cockpit-while-heading-to-the-restroom/
NYC will pay 300 BLM protesters $21,500 each after being beaten and arrested by NYPD in 2020:
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/crime/new-york-city-21500-2020-black-lives-matter-protesters
https://nypost.com/2023/03/02/protesters-behind-the-record-nypd-lawsuit-revealed/
Off-duty rookie NYPD cop involved in fatal shooting commits suicide:
https://nypost.com/2023/03/02/rookie-off-duty-nypd-cop-dies-by-suicide-sources/
Disgraced Ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio Still Costing Taxpayers Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars:
https://www.azfamily.com/2023/02/23/actions-former-sheriff-still-costing-maricopa-county-taxpayers-millions-legal-fees/
Woman Says Cops Broke Her Wrist for Recording During Traffic Stop:
https://reason.com/2023/03/01/ohio-woman-says-cops-broke-her-wrist-for-recording-during-traffic-stop/
Minneapolis police threatened to arrest YouTube journalist filming Laura Ingraham interview:
https://minnesotareformer.com/2023/02/24/mpd-officer-threatened-to-arrest-youtube-journalist-filming-laura-ingraham-interview/
Boston’s police oversight office has yet to uphold a single civilian complaint:
https://www.wgbh.org/news/politics/2023/03/01/bostons-police-oversight-office-has-yet-to-uphold-a-single-civilian-complaint
Man paralyzed after being shot by cop who used firearm instead of Taser has filed suit:
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/10/us/hollywood-florida-police-lawsuit-man-shot/index.html
LA is Locking Up More Mentally Ill People, Despite Diversion Efforts:
https://theappeal.org/los-angeles-county-locking-up-more-mentally-ill-people/
CA Supreme Court ruled police cannot stop and search innocent people without probable cause:
https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/documents/S268320.PDF
One man's fight to hold an LAPD officer accountable for a protest shooting:
https://news.yahoo.com/one-mans-fight-hold-lapd-130026281.html
Report: Los Angeles Sheriff's Department condemns police gangs
https://www.dailynews.com/2023/03/03/new-report-says-deputy-gangs-thrive-in-la-county-sheriffs-department/
https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/bos/commissionpublications/report/1138014_DeputyGangsSpecialCounselReporttoCOC3.2.2023.PDF.PDF
Georgia Police Department Kidnaps K-9, Steals Evidence, Sabotages Every Cruiser, Then Quits After Chief Fired For Stealing Drug Evidence:
“They locked the keys in the car. They turned the keys halfway on, the radios on and made the batteries go dead in all the cars. They broke into my office and stole the evidence room keys I have left to locate. They took the drug dog, unfortunately, from where I sit. That’s theft by conversion and that’s a felony. I would make a recommendation if it’s worth salvaging money-wise and what’s best for the community and hire new officers, or we just shut it down, but either way that’s a decision for the council,” Interim Police Chief James Herndon said.
https://www.walb.com/2023/02/28/homerville-police-dept-walks-out-after-interim-chief-is-named-where-town-stands-now/
https://www.yahoo.com/news/officers-command-staff-resign-south-165309958.html
Oversight report finds flaws in DOJ data collection of deaths in police custody:
https://thegrio.com/2023/02/28/oversight-report-doj-data-collection-deaths-in-police-custody-act/
https://thegrio.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/DCRA-report.pdf
Wisconsin Bill Allows DACA Recipients To Become Cops:
https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2023/02/28/bill-allows-daca-recipients-to-become-police-officers/
How do we stop police from killing Black Americans?
Appeals Court ruled 13K South Carolina elementary school kids charged with disorderly conduct or disturbing schools laws since 2016 is unconstitutional, dismissed AG's arguments
(Attorney General's arguments are shameful!)
"Not all referrals result in a student being charged or adjudicated delinquent. Referrals generally go first to the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice, which makes a recommendation to the local prosecutor’s office. If the prosecutor chooses to go forward, the case proceeds in family court. Even when charges are ultimately dismissed, however, they continue to appear on a student’s record with the Department of Juvenile Justice and the local prosecutor."
https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/opinions/212166.P.pdf
‘Look at me’: Judge Handcuffs Crying 13-Year-Old Girl Attending Father's Hearing
“Now, don’t go away,” Judge Roger Benitez told the girl twice. “Look at me. Look at me for just a second. You see where your dad is?” “Yes,” the girl replied. “How did you like the way those cuffs felt on you?” Benitez asked her. “I didn’t like it,” she responded.
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/courts/story/2023-02-28/san-diego-federal-judge-benitez-handcuff-girl
Conflict of Interest: Indiana State Police And Others Donate to Boone County Prosecutor's Office
https://www.reporter.net/news/local_news/prosecutors-office-finds-grants-to-save-tax-money-boost-service/article_928f58c8-b2f2-11ed-a9c4-c71bac4da290.html
Judge Rules trial over Sacramento police killing Darrell Richards can proceed:
https://www.courthousenews.com/new-trial-over-sacramento-police-shooting-death-will-proceed-federal-judge-rules/
White cop in court for stomping on innocent Black man's face for talking in a park:
https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/former-impd-sgt-eric-huxley-felony-charges-kick-man-in-face-jermaine-vaughn/531-6353ed52-6485-47f3-9cb8-afb1df6fba56
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/video-released-police-indiana-appears-show-sergeant-stomp-man-s-n1281587
Surveillance footage catches corrections officers kneeling on Black inmate's back for almost 6 minutes:
https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/2023/03/02/video-released-of-shelby-county-jail-officers-beating-inmate/69964005007/
If you’re tough on crime, you better celebrate setting Lamar Johnson free
"Ricky Kidd. Carrody Buchhorn. Keith Carnes. Floyd Bledsoe. Kevin Strickland. Lamonte McIntyre. Olin “Pete” Coones Jr. Missouri or Kansas threw all of them behind bars — many of them for a long, long time — for crimes they swore they didn’t commit. And all have been freed in the past few years alone after a variety of injustices came to light — perjury, official misconduct, bad forensic science — making it clear that the states got it wrong the first time."
https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/editorials/article272511687.html
DA Drops Felony Charge Against Cop Who Locked Handcuffed Woman in Patrol Car Parked on Train Tracks:
https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/charge-dropped-fort-lupton-officer-train-crash/
Virginia Passes Law to Turn Organized Retail Shoplifting To Become Felony:
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/virginia-passes-law-to-crack-down-on-organized-retail-theft/3285893/
What the Panic Over Shoplifting Reveals About American Crime Policy:
"Last year, legislators in California, Florida, Louisiana and North Carolina stiffened penalties for stealing from stores, adding language to target people who act in concert or rob multiple outlets. Under a law amended in Louisiana, for example, anyone caught stealing as part of a group could now face up to seven years in prison.“It’s like the ’90s all over again, except we have 30 years of evidence that all of that punitiveness doesn’t get us anything,” said Laura Bennett, director of the Center for Just Journalism."
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/02/27/shoplifting-retail-theft-lawmakers-response
MA POST Commission Suspends Former Rowley Cop Charged With Rape, 2 Other Officers:
Former Cop Fired After Sex Scandal Sues Tennessee Police Department:
Hospital calls cops on wheelchair bound stroke victim who arrests her and dies en-route to police station:
https://www.13abc.com/2023/02/27/graphic-i-am-going-die-body-camera-footage-released-womans-in-custody-death/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hospital-death_n_63ff1bcfe4b0ecabbaa25877
Man sues after police use “flash-bang” near his head during SWAT-style traffic-stop:
https://www.lamarledger.com/2023/02/27/ellis-athanas-lawsuit-chaffee-county-sheriff-buena-vista-salida-police/amp/
How traffic stops became so dangerous for Black drivers:
https://www.vox.com/culture/23614082/sarah-seo-traffic-police-tyre-nichols
Appeals Court: Man illegally arrested by police for holding a sign warning about a checkpoint ahead can sue:
https://www.courthousenews.com/man-whose-cops-ahead-warning-sign-got-him-arrested-can-sue-police/
https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/friend-v-stamford-second-circuit-opinion.pdf
Appeals court ruled cop who told a woman to stop faking it as she was vomiting and screaming for help can be sued by family:
https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2023/02/17/20-55622.pdf
Appeals court ruled Virginia cop who offered to buy a fellow officer lunch if he ticketed a woman cannot be sued:
https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/opinions/211779.P.pdf
Appeals court ruled innocent man accused of sexual assault can sue Michigan police for malicious prosecution:
https://www.opn.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/23a0095n-06.pdf
Free After 25 Years: Man Retried for 1994 Killing of NY Girl Found Not Guilty
Prosecutors to ask judge to clear innocent Black man wrongfully convicted in brutal rape and murder of woman:
https://www.foxla.com/news/la-man-maurice-hastings-factually-innocent
The Head of the Albany County Sheriff's Office Embezzled Civil Asset Forfeiture Funds:
https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/john-cox-albany-county-sheriff-employee-accused-17796703.php
Corrections officer accused of accepting bribes to smuggle drugs to inmates:
https://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/2023/03/former-corrections-officer-accused-of-accepting-bribes-to-smuggle-drugs-to-inmates-in-federal-private-prison-in-ohio.html
At Sing Sing, Prisoners’ Charges of Brutal Beatings Prompt DOJ Inquiry:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/23/nyregion/sing-sing-beatings-investigation.html
Understanding mass incarceration is the first step to reducing a swollen prison population:
Looking Back: Forensic Fraud in Child Abuse Cases
https://www.davisvanguard.org/2023/02/looking-back-forensic-fraud-in-child-abuse-cases-2/