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Texas prosecutor, wife gunned down two months after assistant DA killed

“The top law enforcement officer in one Texas county and his wife were found shot to death in their home on Saturday. Kaufman County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Justin Lewis confirmed to KTVT that Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and Cynthia McLelland had been killed. An assault rifle had been used to shoot the district attorney multiple times, KTVT reported. His wife was only shot once. Their home reportedly showed no signs of forced entry. Authorities are investigating if the case is related to the January slaying of Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse, according to Kaufman Police Department Chief Chris Aulbaugh.” Continue reading →

West Virginia sheriff fatally gunned down outside courthouse

“A West Virginia sheriff was shot and killed outside a courthouse in downtown Williamson on Wednesday. According to WCHS-TV, Mingo County Sheriff Eugene Crum had been shot and killed at around 12:04 p.m. A suspected shooter was also shot before being taken into custody. The condition of the suspect was not immediately known. Officials told WSAZ that Crum had been on his lunch break when he was gunned down. The Mingo County Courthouse was evacuated, but no other injuries were reported. Crum was known for his Operation Zero Tolerance program targeting illegal drug trafficking.” Continue reading →

Mexican vigilantes seize town, arrest police

“Hundreds of armed vigilantes have taken control of a town on a major highway in the Pacific coast state of Guerrero, arresting local police officers and searching homes after a vigilante leader was killed. Members of the area’s self-described ‘community police’ say more than 1,500 members of the force were stopping traffic Wednesday at improvised checkpoints in the town of Tierra Colorado, which sits on the highway connecting Mexico City to Acapulco. They arrested 12 police and the former director of public security in the town after a leader of the state’s vigilante movement was slain on Monday.” Continue reading →

Court orders NYPD to pay $360,000 for raid that destroyed Occupy Wall Street library

“Around 1 a.m. on Nov. 15, 2011, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg ordered the NYPD to evict protestors — some of whom had camped there for almost two months — from Zuccotti Park in New York City’s Financial District. The police threw away 5,554 books from the Occupy library and destroyed media equipment in addition to removing tents, tarps, and belongings. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York decided that the NYPD’s actions violated the protestors’ rights under the First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendments.” Continue reading →

Network of satellite guardians in space keep an eye out for natural disasters

“Almost unknown to the public, a constellation of satellite guardians is flying overhead, and all it takes is a phone call for them to intervene when a country is hit by a storm, earthquake, tsunami or flood. Their cooperation comes under an agreement called the International Charter Space and Major Disasters. When catastrophe strikes, an ‘authorised user’ of the Charter simply phones a number at the European Space Agency (ESA), where space technicians are on round-the-clock duty. One of the 41 authorised users of the Charter is the United Nations, which can activate it on behalf of member states.” Continue reading →

CISPA cybersecurity bill coming back with ‘significant improvements’

“The lawmakers said they would insert a more narrow definition of national security in the bill. The amendments would also seek to clarify that Internet firms could only use data about threats for cybersecurity purposes, not for marketing or other commercial uses, and would give more oversight to privacy officers at federal agencies. Greg Nojeim of the Center for Democracy and Technology said the changes failed to address one key concern — that information could be accessed by the top-secret National Security Agency, a branch of the military.” Continue reading →

HBO executive: Rampant piracy of ‘Game of Thrones’ is a ‘compliment’

“Contrary to popular thinking, the rampant piracy of ‘Game of Thrones’ has not harmed the network that airs it, HBO programming president Michael Lombardo told Entertainment Weekly on Sunday, just hours before the show’s season three premiere. ‘I probably shouldn’t be saying this, but [piracy] is a compliment of sorts,’ Lombardo reportedly said. ‘The demand is there. And it certainly didn’t negatively impact the DVD sales. [Piracy is] something that comes along with having a wildly successful show on a subscription network.’ The show’s creator, George R. R. Martin, said as much earlier in March.” Continue reading →

Boston Dynamics’ Terminator-like ‘PETMAN’ robot tests chemical suits

“Defense contractor Boston Dynamics has new video of its Terminator-like ‘PETMAN’ robot standing, walking, posing and… wearing a chemical protection suit, for some reason. The project is funded in part by the Defense Department’s Chemical and Biological Defense program, CNet reported Monday. Despite the apparent usefulness in testing chemical suits in potentially hazardous conditions, it’s likely not the PETMAN’s only objective. All seeming motility aside, this thing is downright creepy to watch in action.” Continue reading →