Nebraska Bill Would Limit ALPR Data, Help Block National License Plate Tracking Program

LINCOLN, Neb. (Jan. 8, 2018) – A bill filed in the Nebraska legislature would put limitations on the storage and sharing of information collected by Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) by law enforcement in the state, and place significant roadblocks in the way of a federal program using states to help track the location of…

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Mississippi Bill Would Legalize Industrial Hemp; Foundation to Nullify Federal Prohibition

JACKSON, Miss. (Jan. 8, 2018) – A bill introduced in the Mississippi House would legalize the production and processing of industrial hemp for commercial purposes, setting the foundation to nullify federal prohibition in practice. Rep, Joel Bomgar (R-Madison) introduced House Bill 390 (HB390) on Jan. 5. Under the proposed law, industrial hemp would be treated as an agricultural…

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Missouri Bill Would Ban Some Mercury Vaccines; Rejects Federal Narrative

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Jan 8, 2018) – A bill introduced in the Missouri Senate would ban vaccines containing mercury above a specified amount and push back against federal narratives on vaccinations. Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal (D-University City) prefiled Senate Bill 741 (SB741) on Dec. 1. Under the proposed law, “beginning August 28, 2019, no vaccine containing more than…

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Conservatives Were Wrong about Ending Stop-and-Frisk

“I and others argued that crime would rise. Instead, it fell. We were wrong. Major crime in New York City has continued to decline almost across the board in the four years of the de Blasio administration, to the lowest rates since New York City began keeping extensive records on crime in the early 1960s. Crime is literally off the charts — the low end of the charts. To compare today’s crime rate to even that of ten years ago is to observe a breathtaking decline.”

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How an Illegal Shipping Container Reshaped the World Economy

“Today, very few know what regulatory and lobbying problems the containers had to face before becoming a standard in the transportation of goods. An innovation full of controversy 60 years ago, and considered illegal by many, with a regulator deciding on its viability, seems nowadays as something natural that we cannot imagine life without.”

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Thousands of Americans’ Electronics Illegally Searched at Border

“Over 30,000 people had their electronic devices searched without probable cause or a warrant by Customs and Border Protection in 2017. This is a 50% increase from 2016. Most of the searches took place at airports when travelers were leaving the country. Imagine the helplessness of having your phone taken by an Agent, and searched without your consent. No suspicion of any crime. No probable cause. Just some thug using brute force to violate your privacy. In these settings, travelers are powerless. You just want to get home or continue to your destination, but the American police state shakes you down. Hundreds of traveler complaints about such oppression have now surfaced thanks to a Freedom of Information Request.”

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Renewal of FISA Section 702 with ‘abouts’ collection slated for Thursday

“The powers in question allow the government to target foreigners overseas, collecting their communications. But Americans’ communications — even those in the U.S. — can be snared if they are part of conversations that the targets are having. The bill allows ‘abouts’ collection, which is when the government scoops up communications that mention a target, even if he or she isn’t the sender or receiver.”

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Pakistan ditches dollar for yuan in trade with China after Trump tweet

“A day after the U.S. leader slammed Islamabad for harboring terrorists in a New Year’s Day tweet, Pakistan’s central bank announced that it will be replacing the dollar with the yuan for bilateral trade and investment with Beijing. With a steady stream of Chinese capital under its belt, Pakistan may no longer be receptive to American threats, the most recent of which involves Washington cutting off security assistance.”

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