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Bereaved son billed $800 for late city ambulance that failed to save his father

“The bill for $780.85 stems from Ford’s call to DC Fire & EMS (DCFEMS) on New Year’s Eve when his father, 71-year-old Durand Ford Sr., began having problems breathing. Records show the younger Ford called 911 at 1:25 a.m. that night. But while the fire department dispatched a vehicle to his house nine minutes later, no ambulances were available. DCFEMS officials called for assistance from Prince George County, more than seven miles away, 22 minutes later. A medical unit from Prince George County arrived at Ford’s home at 1:58 a.m., by which point the elder Ford had died.” Continue reading →

LAPD takes aim at wave of Asian ‘maternity tourists’

“Something is happening in the suburbs of Los Angeles. Nearby, a string of so-called ‘maternity hotels,’ where Asian women — often Chinese and Taiwanese — come to give birth to babies who will automatically acquire a US passport — has recently drawn the attention of authorities. There is nothing illegal about foreign women giving birth in the United States. But federal officials are investigating possible related crimes, while local officials say planning regulations may have been violated.” Continue reading →

LAPD takes aim at wave of Asian ‘maternity tourists’

How California’s Online Education Pilot Will End College As We Know It

“Today, the largest university system in the world, the California State University system, announced a pilot for $150 lower-division online courses at one of its campuses — a move that spells the end of higher education as we know it. Lower-division courses are the financial backbone of many part-time faculty and departments (especially the humanities). As someone who has taught large courses at a University of California, I can assure readers that my job could have easily been automated. Most of college–the expansive campuses and large lecture halls–will crumble into ghost towns as budget-strapped schools herd students online.” Continue reading →

Maryland county school board to own all students’ work with copyright policy

“A county school board in Maryland has proposed a copyright policy that would allow it to take ownership of all work produced by students and faculty — even work created off campus during personal time. A Prince George’s County Board of Education proposal obtained by WTOP says that ‘any works’ created by students or employees ‘are properties of the Board of Education even if created on the employee’s or student’s time and with the use of their materials.'” Continue reading →

Idaho lawmaker’s bill forces students to pass ‘Atlas Shrugged’ test to graduate

“The chairman of the Idaho Senate’s Education Committee says that he introduced a bill to require all students to read Ayn Rand’s ‘Atlas Shrugged’ because the book ‘made my son a Republican.’ State Sen. John Goedde (R) introduced the bill in committee on Tuesday to mandate that each student pass a test on the novel before they are able to graduate from high school, according to The Spokesman-Review.” Continue reading →

Amish leader sentenced to 15 years for beard-cutting ‘hate crimes’

“The leader of an Amish cult — who allegedly ordered followers to forcibly cut the beards and hair of those who criticized his leadership — was sentenced to 15 years in prison. The 67-year-old Samuel Mullet Sr. was convicted not just of assault but of hate crimes, as prosecutors said the victims’ right to religious expression was violated. The sentence sat between what the government asked for — life in prison — and what the defense sought, which was at most two years. Fifteen others implicated in the crimes were sentenced to between one and seven years in prison.” Continue reading →

Seattle Mayor Orders Police to Dismantle Its Drone Program After Protests

“In an amazing victory for privacy advocates and drone activists, yesterday, Seattle’s mayor ordered the city’s police agency to cease trying use surveillance drones and dismantle its drone program. The police will return the two drones they previously purchased with a Department of Homeland Security grant to the manufacturer. In May of last year, we urged concerned citizens to take their complaints to their local governments, given Congress has been slow to act on any privacy legislation. The events of Seattle proves this strategy can work and should serve as a blueprint for local activism across the country.” Continue reading →