Yearly Archives: 2013

Iowa law enforcement agent fired after reporting Republican governor’s car for speeding

"Hedlund’s problems at the department began on April 26, when he radioed dispatchers about a vehicle traveling 'a hard 90' miles per hour. Troopers, who clocked the car at 84 m.p.h., pulled over the SUV and discovered that it was a being driven my a fellow trooper, who was transporting Gov. Branstad. They waved the vehicle on, but shortly after, Hedlund filed a complaint with his supervisor, DCI Dir. Paulson. His superiors in turn filed a formal complaint against Hedlund and on April 30 and he was suspended from duty at the behest of Public Safety Commissioner K. Brian London." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIowa law enforcement agent fired after reporting Republican governor’s car for speeding

Iowa Judge Rescues Sioux City Speed Camera Program

"The state of Iowa wants speed cameras off its freeways, but a local magistrate has other ideas. Woodbury County District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Poulson intervened and ordered Redflex Traffic Systems of Australia to continue issuing tickets until further notice. An expedited hearing is scheduled for Friday to decide whether the ticketing will be allowed permanently. IDOT District Engineer Tony G. Lazarowicz ordered the city to remove the cameras from a construction zone on Interstate 29 after city staff rejected more polite requests during the year. City officials are terrified of losing the revenue generated by the 29,697 tickets Redflex was able to issue last year." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIowa Judge Rescues Sioux City Speed Camera Program

Former Tiffany & Co. exec pleads guilty to stealing $2.1 million in jewelry

"Ingrid Lederhaas-Okun, 46, a former vice president of product development, pleaded guilty to a count of interstate transportation of stolen property less than a month after she was arrested in connection with the theft. Under a plea agreement, Lederhaas-Okun has agreed to forfeit more than $2.11 million and pay $2.24 million in restitution. Prosecutors said she had been allowed to check out jewelry from Tiffany for reasons that included showing items to potential manufacturers for cost production estimates. Rather than bringing the jewelry back, Lederhaas-Okun allegedly would report the items missing or damaged, subsequently selling the items to a jewelry reseller." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFormer Tiffany & Co. exec pleads guilty to stealing $2.1 million in jewelry

Researcher’s paper banned for containing luxury car security codes

"A British-based computer scientist has been banned from publishing an academic paper revealing the secret codes used to start luxury cars including Porsches, Audis, Bentleys and Lamborghinis as it could lead to the theft of millions of vehicles. The high court imposed an injunction on the University of Birmingham’s Flavio Garcia, who has cracked the security system by discovering the unique algorithm that allows the car to verify the identity of the ignition key. They argued that 'the public have a right to see weaknesses in security on which they rely exposed'. Otherwise, the 'industry and criminals know security is weak but the public do not'. Continue reading →

Continue ReadingResearcher’s paper banned for containing luxury car security codes

29 arrested for singing anti-Walker lyrics in Wisconsin state capitol

"Dozens of protesters were arrested Thursday night for singing in Wisconsin capitol, in the second round of arrests triggered by a judge’s ruling that all groups over 20 people must obtain a permit before demonstrating. At least 29 people with 'Solidarity Sing-Along' were cuffed and taken away on Thursday night, according to local media. The arrests came a day after police took 24 singers into custody, making good on their oft’ repeated threats to enforce the permit rule. The group has maintained a daily presence in the capitol for over two years, singing well-known songs every afternoon featuring anti-Republican lyrics, according to The Associated Press." Continue reading →

Continue Reading29 arrested for singing anti-Walker lyrics in Wisconsin state capitol

Kokesh Charged With Openly Carrying Shotgun in D.C.

"Adam Kokesh, seen loading a gun in D.C.'s Freedom Plaza in a video posted to YouTube July 4, has been transferred from Fairfax County and charged in D.C. with openly carrying a shotgun in violation of D.C. laws, reports WTOP. The maximum penalty for those who have not previously been convicted of a felony is a fine of $5,000 and/or up to five years in prison. Those who have been convicted of a felony could face a fine of up to $10,000 and/or up to 10 years in prison. Kokesh had been arrested and charged with drug offenses in Fairfax County earlier in July." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingKokesh Charged With Openly Carrying Shotgun in D.C.

Glenn Greenwald and other NSA critics to testify before Congress

"Congress will hear testimony from critics of the National Security Agency’s surveillance practices for the first time since the whistleblower Edward Snowden’s explosive leaks were made public. Democrat congressman Alan Grayson, who is leading a bipartisan group of congressman organising the hearing, told the Guardian it would serve to counter the 'constant misleading information' from the intelligence community. The hearing, which will take place on Wednesday, comes amid evidence of a growing congressional rebellion [on] NSA data collection methods." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGlenn Greenwald and other NSA critics to testify before Congress

Halliburton pleads guilty to destroying Gulf spill evidence

"Halliburton Co has agreed to plead guilty to destroying evidence related to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Thursday. The government said Halliburton's guilty plea is the third by a company over the spill and requires the world's second-largest oilfield services company to pay a maximum $200,000 statutory fine. Halliburton also agreed to three years of probation and to continue cooperating with the criminal probe into the April 20, 2010, explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. Houston-based Halliburton also made a separate, voluntary $55 million payment to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHalliburton pleads guilty to destroying Gulf spill evidence

Attempted Child Porn Set-Ups of Liberty Movement Leaders Continue

"Someone just attempted to set-up Stewart Rhodes (founder of Oath Keepers) & Dan Johnson (founder of People Against the N.D.A.A) by sending child porn to Dan Johnson's email from a tormail.org anonymous email account, pretending to be Stewart. [Earlier,] someone claiming to be a whistle-blower emailed activist Luke Rudkowski saying he had some incriminating pictures of Bilderberg elites, which Luke was able to see with his 'view' function and determine were actually child porn without opening them. He was contacted by the hackers who bragged that they were going to do the same thing to other alternative media activist leaders." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAttempted Child Porn Set-Ups of Liberty Movement Leaders Continue

Chris Christie’s Attack on the Civil-Liberties Wing of the GOP

"Now it seems clear that Christie will adopt the neoconservative line on national security, embracing the most radical actions of both George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Speaking at the Aspen Institute on Thursday, Christie belittled the libertarian wing of his party for its take on NSA spying. 'As a former prosecutor who was appointed by President George W. Bush on Sept. 10, 2001, I just want us to be really cautious, because this strain of libertarianism that's going through both parties right now and making big headlines, I think, is a very dangerous thought,' he said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingChris Christie’s Attack on the Civil-Liberties Wing of the GOP