Wisconsin Committee Passes Bill to Legalize Commercial Hemp Farming; Defy Federal Prohibition

MADISON, Wisc. (Oct. 25, 2017) – Last week, a Wisconsin Senate committee unanimously approved a bill that would legalize commercial industrial hemp production in the state, setting the foundation to end federal prohibition in effect. A bipartisan coalition of 12 senators introduced Senate Bill 119 (SB119) in March. Under the proposed law, industrial hemp would be…

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Don’t Call the Cops If You’re Autistic, Deaf, Mentally Ill, Disabled or Old

"Here’s another don’t to the add the growing list of things that could get you or a loved one tasered, shot or killed, especially if you are autistic, hearing impaired, mentally ill, elderly, suffer from dementia, disabled or have any other condition that might hinder your ability to understand, communicate or immediately comply with an order: don’t call the cops."

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Researchers: Government shouldn’t use AI if it can’t explain decisions

"Government institutions are already blindly following the direction the algorithms give. A report by ProPublica found that an algorithmic system for criminal sentencing was biased against black people—not by understanding the color of their skin but by using flawed data correlated with race. Teachers in Texas recently won a case where their job performance was being evaluated by an algorithm—a circuit court found that the unexplainable software violated the teachers’ 14th amendment rights to due process."

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Wrong Facebook translation gets man arrested for posting ‘good morning’

"Facebook has apologized after a Palestinian man was arrested by Israeli police for a post saying 'good morning' that its automatic-translation service erroneously translated as 'attack them' in Hebrew and 'hurt them' in English."

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New Measures Impose Interviews On Travelers Returning To The US

"If you’re traveling back to the US on or after Thursday, expect a broad range of new measures, including short interviews. According to Airlines for America, the new policies will affect 325,000 airline passengers on about 2,000 commercial flights arriving daily in the US. Those figures include flights on 180 airlines from 280 airports in 105 countries. That’s a whole lot of people on a significant number of flights, so be aware that you may experience more delays than usual. Lufthansa said that travelers could expect to encounter short interviews at check-in or at the gate, and passengers on Lufthansa’s Swiss should check-in at least 90 minutes before departure."

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TAC Activist Pushes Back Against Local Government Bullying Tactics

For Immediate Release Oct. 24, 2017 LEXINGTON, Ky. — The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky will represent Tenth Amendment Center national communications director Michael Maharrey in a lawsuit filed against him by the City of Lexington after he attempted to obtain documents relating to surveillance cameras owned and operated by the Lexington Police Department…

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Two wealthy Italian states vote for autonomy in shadow of Catalonia crisis

"In both regions, many people complain their taxes are wasted by the central government, accusing Rome of delivering low-quality public services and diverting money to the poor south widely seen by northerners as corrupt. Italy’s constitution does not allow regional fiscal autonomy, however, and Agriculture Minister Maurizio Martina said that while Rome was open to talks it would not give up tax proceeds from the rich regions."

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Donald Trump didn’t create presidential dictatorship — he inherited it

"Violating the Constitution is practically the job description for modern presidents. It was George W. Bush’s White House, not Trump, that asserted a 'commander-in-chief override' entitling presidents to ignore the law and the Bill of Rights. Congress utterly failed to thwart that outrageous claim. Presidents have amassed vast authority because they are judged on their rhetoric and purported goals, not on their constitutional fidelity."

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Future of Iran Deal In Hands of GOP Billionaire Iran Hawks

"Trump’s decision to decertify the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), appears to have fallen in line with the views espoused by several of his top donors. These funders believe that Iran poses an apocalyptic threat only addressable through military action, including the use of nuclear weapons."

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