Alternative News

Southern California Cities Further Reject Red Light Cameras

"Embattled red light camera vendor Redflex Traffic Systems has lost another contract. The Escondido, California city council voted unanimously Wednesday to allow the Australian company's right to issue near $500 tickets expire on December 12, and ticketing will cease even sooner. Councilmen were swayed by the $89,000 cost per intersection to run cameras compared to $2400 to coordinate signal timing and $5000 per year to add protected left-hand turns. Escondido loses $177,000 a year on the program while Redflex and the county and state governments profit from it. That turned out to be too high a financial cost for other city officials who otherwise support photo ticketing." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSouthern California Cities Further Reject Red Light Cameras

NY’s SAFE Act Imperils Yet Another Victim

"David Lewis is a librarian who lives in Amherst, New York, and owns several pistols. He once swallowed some anti-anxiety medication -- allowing cops to grab his guns pursuant to the SAFE Act's cruel discrimination against people with 'mental-health issues.' Turns out cops had the wrong 'David Lewis.' ''I was extremely shocked and saddened and immediately just felt embarrassed knowing that someone had thought negatively of me and wrongly. I had absolutely no idea how this could have happened,' said Lewis...' He also 'hoped his health record would be confidential. 'It's not right. i always thought people could expect more privacy than that,' said Lewis.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNY’s SAFE Act Imperils Yet Another Victim

Papers Please: TSA-Style Checkpoints at UK Bus & Train Stations

"‘Airport-style’ security checkpoints are being rolled out at local bus and train stations up and down the UK after local pilot schemes conducted over the last two years were deemed a success by police. The checkpoints comprise metal detector arches, drug-sniffing dogs, police pat-downs and bag searches. The reason? To 'help people who use public transport feel safer.' Over the last couple of years more and more of these ‘security’ checkpoints have been quietly introduced at local bus and train stations across the UK under a number of pretexts that simply don’t bear scrutiny." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPapers Please: TSA-Style Checkpoints at UK Bus & Train Stations

UK’s former top drug official: Coke-head bankers caused financial crisis

"The former top drugs adviser to Britain’s parliament told UK newspaper The Telegraph on Sunday that risk-taking behaviors behind the financial crisis of 2008 were driven by excessive cocaine consumption by the world’s banking elite. Nutt was fired from his post as Britain’s top drugs adviser in 2009, after he criticized the government’s drug policies for inhibiting research into Schedule I substances like psilocybin, which Nutt has studies for its potential to alleviate symptoms of depression. At the time he’d said that consuming the unadulterated, pure form of the drug ecstasy is safer than riding a horse. Nutt was ordered to apologize for his statement on ecstasy." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUK’s former top drug official: Coke-head bankers caused financial crisis

5 GMO Myths Busted

"Every year, a greater and greater percentage of our food supply sources back to genetically modified ingredients. Monsanto, Dow, Bayer, DuPont and the other biotech giants have made GMOs into a multi-billion dollar industry and unsurprisingly have launched one of the largest pr campaigns in the history of the food industry to convince the public that their products are safe, healthy and beneficial. Let's examine five of the main claims of this PR campaign and see how they stack up to reality." Continue reading →

Continue Reading5 GMO Myths Busted

Gel used for buttocks enhancements blamed for 15 deaths in Venezuela

"A gel used in a popular form of plastic surgery in Venezuela has been blamed for at least 15 deaths in the past two years, Agence France-Presse reported on Monday. The procedure, which involves injecting the synthetic polymer beneath the skin, is intended to enhance the buttocks region by allowing the gel to spread through the tissue. Support groups said to AFP that more than 40,000 women have undergone the surgery, seemingly owing to what it called devotion to 'the cult of the body.' But, AFP reported, removing the gel is an experimental treatment that costs $6,000, compared to the $800 cost to get 500 milligrams of having it put in, despite the apparent health risks." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGel used for buttocks enhancements blamed for 15 deaths in Venezuela

Gun Confiscation Begins in California

"As reported by David Knight, California law enforcement is now confiscating legally purchased guns from registered gun owners who have been labeled 'Armed Prohibited Persons' (APPs.) Police shoved two M16s within inches of gun owner Joe Mendez’s face during a raid on his house to seize his legally-purchased firearms. Fourteen officers total were involved. Police even showed up later to lie to Mendez’s wife about the raid, saying that they were only taking a report after her car was involved in a 'hit and run.' All of the targeted APPs had purchased their firearms legally but the State of California declared afterwards that they were prohibited from gun ownership." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGun Confiscation Begins in California

Gun Confiscation Begins in California

"As reported by David Knight, California law enforcement is now confiscating legally purchased guns from registered gun owners who have been labeled 'Armed Prohibited Persons' (APPs.) Police shoved two M16s within inches of gun owner Joe Mendez’s face during a raid on his house to seize his legally-purchased firearms. Fourteen officers total were involved. Police even showed up later to lie to Mendez’s wife about the raid, saying that they were only taking a report after her car was involved in a 'hit and run.' All of the targeted APPs had purchased their firearms legally but the State of California declared afterwards that they were prohibited from gun ownership." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGun Confiscation Begins in California

Gun Confiscation Begins in California

"As reported by David Knight, California law enforcement is now confiscating legally purchased guns from registered gun owners who have been labeled 'Armed Prohibited Persons' (APPs.) Police shoved two M16s within inches of gun owner Joe Mendez’s face during a raid on his house to seize his legally-purchased firearms. Fourteen officers total were involved. Police even showed up later to lie to Mendez’s wife about the raid, saying that they were only taking a report after her car was involved in a 'hit and run.' All of the targeted APPs had purchased their firearms legally but the State of California declared afterwards that they were prohibited from gun ownership." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGun Confiscation Begins in California

Gun Confiscation Begins in California

"As reported by David Knight, California law enforcement is now confiscating legally purchased guns from registered gun owners who have been labeled 'Armed Prohibited Persons' (APPs.) Police shoved two M16s within inches of gun owner Joe Mendez’s face during a raid on his house to seize his legally-purchased firearms. Fourteen officers total were involved. Police even showed up later to lie to Mendez’s wife about the raid, saying that they were only taking a report after her car was involved in a 'hit and run.' All of the targeted APPs had purchased their firearms legally but the State of California declared afterwards that they were prohibited from gun ownership." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGun Confiscation Begins in California