Fascism

New Jersey Governor Imposes Red Light Camera Freeze

"Chris Christie has gone from red light camera proponent to active photo ticketing opponent in a matter of months. On Thursday, the state Department of Transportation (NJDOT) announced there will be no new red light cameras installed in the Garden State with the notice specifically mentioning it was the political decision of the 'Christie Administration.' Less than nine months ago, Christie had backed red light cameras. Data from the first year of camera use show a spike in the number of injury-causing and severe accidents. The results ran counter to the promise that photo ticketing reduces 'more dangerous' angle collisions." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNew Jersey Governor Imposes Red Light Camera Freeze

California: Audit Finds Nearly Non-Existent Yellow At Red Light Camera Intersection

"Red light camera opponents often charge municipalities exploit intersections that have dangerously short yellow times for the purpose of issuing tickets. An outside audit of the Sacramento, California red light camera program confirmed that tickets were issued at an intersection where the yellow warning period on occasion flashed by faster than the eye could see. The Redflex camera system reported seeing yellows as short as 0.056 seconds on July 11, 2012 at around 9:30am. The report also chided officials for not trimming trees when the limbs hide the cameras and legally required warning signs." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCalifornia: Audit Finds Nearly Non-Existent Yellow At Red Light Camera Intersection

Crooked Judges Want Your Kids for Cash

"In what has been coined in the media as the 'Kids for Cash Scandal,' Ciarvarella and Judge Conahan have since been exposed as having made deals with the developer of the for-profit juvenile detention facilities co-owned by Robert Powell of PA Child Care and another company, Western Pennsylvania Child Care. While both judges were sentenced in 2011 and are now serving time, it makes one wonder just how many similar judicial branches are insidiously entangled with for-profit juvenile detention facilities and just how many people working for the system saw red flags and remained silent. Just how deep does the rabbit hole go?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCrooked Judges Want Your Kids for Cash

Google CEO Schmidt calls for end to private drone use

"'It’s probable that robotics becomes a significant component of nation state warfare,' he said. 'I’m not going to pass judgment on whether armies should exist, but I would prefer to not spread and democratise the ability to fight war to every single human being. 'It’s got to be regulated. You just can’t imagine that British people would allow this sort of thing, and I can’t imagine American people would allow this sort of thing. It’s one thing for governments, who have some legitimacy in what they’re doing, but have other people doing it … It’s not going to happen.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGoogle CEO Schmidt calls for end to private drone use

Encryption and Privacy: Goodbye Copyright Laws

"Kim Dotcom really is his name these days. He had it legally changed. The federal government shut down his enormously profitable file-sharing business in 2011. It won’t shut down his latest version of file-sharing. His new company, Mega, offers 100% encryption. His company can’t crack it. The U.S. government can’t crack it — not at a price it can afford, anyway. So people can post movies, songs, or anything else on his site. You get 50 megabytes of free storage to start out. His lawyers can now say this: 'Our company will cooperate with the governments of the world. But, sorry, we have no idea what people are putting into their accounts.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEncryption and Privacy: Goodbye Copyright Laws

Encryption and Privacy: Goodbye Copyright Laws

"Kim Dotcom really is his name these days. He had it legally changed. The federal government shut down his enormously profitable file-sharing business in 2011. It won’t shut down his latest version of file-sharing. His new company, Mega, offers 100% encryption. His company can’t crack it. The U.S. government can’t crack it — not at a price it can afford, anyway. So people can post movies, songs, or anything else on his site. You get 50 megabytes of free storage to start out. His lawyers can now say this: 'Our company will cooperate with the governments of the world. But, sorry, we have no idea what people are putting into their accounts.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEncryption and Privacy: Goodbye Copyright Laws

Encryption and Privacy: Goodbye Copyright Laws

"Kim Dotcom really is his name these days. He had it legally changed. The federal government shut down his enormously profitable file-sharing business in 2011. It won’t shut down his latest version of file-sharing. His new company, Mega, offers 100% encryption. His company can’t crack it. The U.S. government can’t crack it — not at a price it can afford, anyway. So people can post movies, songs, or anything else on his site. You get 50 megabytes of free storage to start out. His lawyers can now say this: 'Our company will cooperate with the governments of the world. But, sorry, we have no idea what people are putting into their accounts.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEncryption and Privacy: Goodbye Copyright Laws

Supreme Court rules foreign citizens can’t sue in U.S. for rights violations

"The Supreme Court unanimously upheld a federal appeals court’s decision on Wednesday barring foreign citizens from suing corporations in American courts for human rights violations committed abroad. The Los Angeles Times reported that the 9-0 decision limits the scope of the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) of 1789 in rejecting a lawsuit brought against Royal Dutch Petroleum by a group of Nigerian citizens accusing the company of helping their country’s government in a series of human rights violations — including, murder, rape and torture — during the 1990s." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSupreme Court rules foreign citizens can’t sue in U.S. for rights violations

Privacy protections booted from CISPA cybersecurity bill in closed-door hearing

"A controversial data-sharing bill won the approval of a key congressional committee today without privacy amendments, raising concerns that the National Security Agency and other spy agencies will gain broad access to Americans' personal information. The House Intelligence committee, by a vote of 18 to 2, adopted the so-called CISPA bill after an unusual session closed to the public where panel members debated and voted on the proposed law in secret. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) said afterward she was disappointed her colleagues did not limit the NSA and other intelligence agencies from collecting sensitive data on Americans." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPrivacy protections booted from CISPA cybersecurity bill in closed-door hearing