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Drive Drunk or Asleep, Wherever You Want!

“Whether you believe in the futuristic, high-speed flying capsules of science fiction or a less glamorous evolution of cruise control, one thing’s for sure: A major shift to autonomous driving technology is just around the corner. Google’s fleet of self-driving Priuses is picking up speed, driver-assistance technology is rapidly being developed and many autonomous devices already are standard in dozens of existing car models. But are we really ready to take our hands off the wheel?” Continue reading →

New Oculus Rift cover shooter is so realistic, players warned not to lean on virtual objects

“Groundbreaking virtual reality headset Oculus Rift has been in the hands of software developers for just a few months, and already it’s been used to create some incrediblesimulations and gaming experiences. But a new first-person-shooter demo may offer the most immersive experience yet, letting players duck, fire around virtual crates, and rotate their guns in their hands. ‘Please be careful when playing this demo,’ Lipowitz warned players on the Oculus developer forums, ‘lots of people try to support themselves on the crates when they try to stand up or when leaning up against a column, but find there is nothing there.'” Continue reading →

Tons of radioactive water pouring out of crippled Fukushima nuclear plant

“Highly radioactive water from Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant is pouring out at a rate of 300 tons a day, officials said on Wednesday, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered the government to step in and help in the clean-up. Tepco only recently admitted water had leaked at all. The leak from the plant 220 km (130 miles) northeast of Tokyo is enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool in a week. The water is spilling into the Pacific Ocean, but it was not immediately clear how much of a threat it poses. As early as January this year, Tepco found fish contaminated with high levels of radiation inside a port at the plant.” Continue reading →

Scientists propose developing more potent mutant bird flu for research

“Scientists proposed developing a more potent strain of the deadly H7N9 bird flu on Wednesday to examine how mutant forms might spread among humans, a topic that has stoked global alarm in the past. US health authorities said any new H7N9 experiments that seek US funding would undergo a new, strict safety review, after concerns over such research on another bird flu, H5N1, in December 2011 raised fears that terrorists could unleash a virulent lab-grown strain and cause mass deaths.” Continue reading →

Feds arrest Dr. Farid Fata, accused of fraud & deliberately prolonging chemo for cancer patients

“U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade says he’s charged with healthcare fraud for his role in a scheme to submit false claims to Medicare for treatments that were medically unnecessary. McQuade says the fraud scheme involves $35 million. Federal officials are alleging an even worse crime than cheating Medicare — in their criminal complaint against Fata, FBI agents say ‘Dr. Fata directed the administration of unnecessary chemotherapy to patients in remission.’ The feds say he also deliberately misdiagnosed patients ‘as having cancer to justify unnecessary cancer treatment.'” Continue reading →

Louisiana prison official: Raped 14-year-old inmate was no ‘Little Miss Muffin’

“Louisiana prison officials and attorneys are trying to evade culpability in the rape of a 14-year-old juvenile inmate by claiming that the girl had a consensual relationship with the guard who molested her. Lawyers for the parish filed papers in court that said, ‘Vickers could not have engaged in sexual relations within the walls of the detention center with [the victim] without cooperation from her. Vickers did not use force, violence or intimidation when engaging in sexual relations.’ Vickers, 49, was arrested in 2011 and charged with four counts of juvenile molestation and sexual malfeasance in office based on his conduct with Mary Doe and other girls.” Continue reading →

Wisconsin lawmaker & state official threatened with arrest for observing protest

“A Wisconsin lawmaker and a state official were both threatened with arrest for observing a progressive ‘Solidarity Sing Along’ protest at the state Capitol. State Rep. Sondy Pope and executive secretary Tia Nelson of the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands told Isthmus they were threatened with arrest by a Capitol Police officer. The officer told the two women that anyone who stood to watch the protest rather than moving along was subject to arrest. In July, a judge ruled that groups of more than 20 people could not gather in the Wisconsin Capitol without a permit. Police have issued more than 100 citations to protesters so far.” Continue reading →

NYPD agrees to purge database of people stopped by police

“The New York City Police Department has agreed to purge a database of names and addresses of people stopped by police under the NYPD’s controversial stop-and-frisk program but later cleared of criminal wrongdoing. The department will cease collecting the information as part of a settlement ending a lawsuit filed in 2010 in state court by the New York Civil Liberties Union, which announced the agreement on Wednesday. The settlement applies to people issued a summons or arrested after a police stop but whose cases were dismissed or ended with a fine for a noncriminal violation.” Continue reading →