CLibertyC

Do US drone kills need an oversight board? How would it work?

"Should the US establish some sort of secret court to conduct judicial oversight of drone strikes used to kill terror suspects? Committee Chairman Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) of California said that the time has come to shine a light on the drone program and any other method of targeted killing used in the war against terrorism. She and other senators, she said, were considering legislation establishing a secret court to oversee the targeted killing process, similar to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance court, which now looks at national security wiretap applications within the US." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDo US drone kills need an oversight board? How would it work?

UK deploys toy-sized spy drones in Afghanistan

"British troops in Afghanistan are now using 10-centimeter-long 16-gram spy helicopters to survey Taliban firing spots. The UK Defense Ministry plans to buy 160 of the drones under a contract worth more than $31 million. The remote-controlled PD-100 PRS aircraft, dubbed the Black Hornet, is produced by Norwegian designer Prox Dynamics. Each drone is equipped with a tiny tillable camera, a GPS coordinate receiver and an onboard autopilot system complete with gyros, accelerometers and pressure sensors, which keeps it stable in flight against winds as strong as 10 knots, according to reviews." Continue reading →

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School districts pay dearly for bonds

"Napa is one of at least 1,350 school districts and government agencies across the nation that have turned to a controversial form of borrowing called capital appreciation bonds to finance major projects, a California Watch analysis shows. Relying on these bonds has allowed districts to borrow billions of dollars while postponing payments, in some cases for decades. This form of borrowing has created billions of dollars in debt for taxpayers and hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for financial advisers and underwriters. Voters are usually unaware of the bonds' high interest. At least one state, Michigan, has banned their use." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSchool districts pay dearly for bonds

Growing number of educators boycott standardized tests

"Since 2002, standardized tests have taken on more significance as federal mandates, beginning with the No Child Left Behind law, pushed schools to give annual tests and report the results publicly. The Obama administration has upped tests' importance by rewarding states whose schools tie student test scores to teacher evaluations. But the decision by a group of Seattle teachers to boycott a standardized test this winter could spill out to other cities as a decade of frustration over testing simmers. Since then, teachers at two more Seattle schools have said they'll sit out the test, with the approval of leading academics and both major U.S. teachers unions." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGrowing number of educators boycott standardized tests

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 →

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

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 →

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

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 →

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

America’s Baby Bust

"For more than three decades, Chinese women have been subjected to their country's brutal one-child policy. Those who try to have more children have been subjected to fines and forced abortions. Their houses have been razed and their husbands fired from their jobs. As a result, Chinese women have a fertility rate of 1.54. Here in America, white, college-educated women—a good proxy for the middle class—have a fertility rate of 1.6. America has its very own one-child policy. And we have chosen it for ourselves. Forget the fiscal cliff, the sequestration cliff and the entitlement cliff. Those are all just symptoms. What America really faces is a demographic cliff." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAmerica’s Baby Bust

The government has your baby’s DNA

"Newborn babies in the United States are routinely screened for a panel of genetic diseases. Since the testing is mandated by the government, it's often done without the parents' consent. In many states, such as Florida, where Isabel was born, babies' DNA is stored indefinitely. Many parents don't realize their baby's DNA is being stored in a government lab, but sometimes when they find out, as the Browns did, they take action. Parents in Texas, and Minnesota have filed lawsuits, and these parents' concerns are sparking a new debate about whether it's appropriate for a baby's genetic blueprint to be in the government's possession." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe government has your baby’s DNA

Massachusetts bans vehicles at 4 p.m.; offenders face fine up to $500, 1 year in jail

"Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has declared a state of emergency for blizzard that could bring near 3 feet of snow. Patrick signed an executive order banning all vehicles from roadways starting at 4 p.m. today. Ban applies to all roadways, including highways and secondary roads. Any one caught driving after 4 p.m. faces up to one year in jail and $500 fine." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMassachusetts bans vehicles at 4 p.m.; offenders face fine up to $500, 1 year in jail