Deadly ‘swatting’ hoaxes and the dangerous conditioning of cops

"Sometimes a rifle really is just a pellet gun. Sometimes a hostage situation is a prank. Sometimes a dispatcher gets it wrong. And sometimes a man 'reaching for his waistband' is just trying to pull up his pants. But these stories also show that what the police claim to have seen isn’t what happened."

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New Hampshire Bill Would Take Steps Toward Rejecting Federal Militarization of Local Police

CONCORD, N.H. (Jan. 5, 2018) – A bill introduced in the New Hampshire House would significantly limit the impact of federal programs that militarize local police. Rep. J.R. Hoell (R-Dunbarton) introduced House Bill 1431 (HB1431) on Jan. 3. The legislation would prohibit police from acquiring any military equipped, vehicle or military grade hardware that is…

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New York Bill Would Allow Customers to Opt Out of Smart Meters, Undermine Federal Program

ALBANY, N.Y. (Jan. 5, 2018) – A bill introduced in the New York Senate would allow customers to opt out of installing “smart meter” technology on their homes and businesses. Passage of this bill would allow New Yorkers to protect their own privacy, and it would take a step toward blocking a federal program in…

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Mississippi Bills Would Ban Almost All Abortion; Foundation to Nullify Roe v. Wade in Practice

JACKSON, Miss. (Jan. 5, 2018) – Two bills introduced in the Mississippi House would outlaw abortion in the state and impose criminal penalties on physicians who illegally perform them, nullifying the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade. Rep. Dan Eubanks (R-Walls) introduced House Bill 45 (HB45) on Jan. 2. Under the proposed law, “anyone who purposefully,…

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New Mexico Bill Would Give Voters Chance to Legalize Marijuana, Nullify Federal Prohibition

SANTA FE, N.M. (Jan. 5, 2018) – A bill pre-filed in the New Mexico Senate would give voters the opportunity to amend the state constitution and legalize marijuana, setting the foundation to nullify the unconstitutional federal prohibition on cannabis in practice. Senate Joint Resolution 4 (SJR4) is scheduled to be introduced on Jan. 16 by…

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Zuckerberg: Facebook looking into how it can use cryptocurrency

"Zuckerberg outlined two areas of technology that he wanted to research in 2018: encryption and cryptocurrencies. He said both technologies led to decentralised power, which Zuckerberg saw as a positive move. Zuckerberg wasn't explicit in his post about Facebook's plans regarding cryptocurrencies. He didn't say the company would add bitcoin as a payment option, for example. But it shows that one of the world's most powerful companies is looking closely at the technology."

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USAF General: Nobody’s Ready for the Killer Robot

"If you go back to Aquinas and to St. Augustine, they talk about things like 'right intention.' Does the person who is doing the killing have right intention? Is he even authorized to do it? Are we doing things to protect the innocent? Are we doing things to prevent unnecessary suffering? And with autonomy and artificial intelligence, I don't believe there's anybody even in the business who can actually demonstrate that we can trust that those systems are doing what they should be doing."

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Florida Bill Would Ban Warrantless Stingray Spying

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Jan 4, 2018) – A bill introduced in the Florida Senate would ban warrantless location tracking and the use of stingray devices to sweep up electronic communications in most situations. The new law will not only protect privacy in Florida, but will also hinder one aspect of the federal surveillance state. Sen. Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg) introduced…

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New Pot Policy from Jeff Sessions Will Have Little Practical Effect

Sessions hates marijuana. He wants to crush legal marijuana in the states. But he's nothing but an impotent dinasour. Without help from the states and people he can't do it - no matter how many mandates and policy changes he issues.

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Sessions rescinds Obama-era directive that eased federal marijuana enforcement

"In a memo sent to U.S. attorneys Thursday, Sessions noted that federal law prohibits the possession and sale of marijuana, and he undid four previous Obama administration memos that advised against bringing weed prosecutions in states where it was legal to use for recreational or medical purposes."

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