Land Of The Flea

The Michael Hastings Wreck: Video Evidence Only Deepens The Mystery

"The day after the crash, I found myself in the homicide squad room in South Los Angeles. The Hastings topic came up, and one of the detectives said, 'Stanley got him. Took his time, but got him. That wasn’t an accident.' (Meaning General Stanley McChrystal.) On cue, a sign showed up the next day on the now-singed Hasting’s Palm: 'This was not an accident.' By nightfall, someone had replaced it with another message: 'Go to sleep people. This was an accident.' Hastings’s death was national news briefly, but it was soon pushed aside by subjects deemed more pressing to the mainstream media." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Michael Hastings Wreck: Video Evidence Only Deepens The Mystery

Michael Hastings Cremated, Family Never Requested; Wife Hires Private Investigator

"Hastings' friend and confidant SSgt. Joe Biggs disclosed a macabre twist in the award-winning journalist's death in a suspicious single-car accident. According to SSgt. Biggs, 'Michael Hastings' body was returned to Vermont in an urn.' He further alleged, 'Family members did not want Michael's body cremated.' This revelation provides another wrinkle in the Los Angeles Police Department's (LAPD) handling of a case they labeled 'no foul play' only hours after the writer's death." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMichael Hastings Cremated, Family Never Requested; Wife Hires Private Investigator

Caregiver Bloomberg Now Wants New Yorkers To Use The Stairs

"Bloomberg recently signed an Executive Order (which probably created an exhilarating rush) that: '...requires that agencies assess opportunities to promote the use of stairways, and that agencies train design and construction personnel in the use of the City’s Active Design Guidelines.' [...] 'Additionally, the Bloomberg Administration plans two items of legislation to promote access to stairways in all new construction and buildings undergoing major renovations in New York City. The first bill requires that building owners give occupants access to at least one, clearly identified stairway in the building; and post signs that prompt stair use near elevators.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCaregiver Bloomberg Now Wants New Yorkers To Use The Stairs

Pennsylvania Court Upholds Seatbelt Roadblocks

"Motorists traveling along a highway in Pennsylvania can be stopped at roadblocks specifically set up just to issue seatbelt citations. A three-judge panel of the superior court on Friday endorsed the practice of using federal grants to set up seatbelt checkpoints statewide on high-volume roadways. Even though failure to wear a seatbelt cannot justify a traffic stop under Pennsylvania law, the court asserted that the seatbelt roadblock was lawful because it met the state supreme court criteria for holding a drunk-driving checkpoint." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPennsylvania Court Upholds Seatbelt Roadblocks

Congressional Picks for DHS Head Include Backers of Mass Surveillance

"Lawmakers on the House Homeland Security Committee are suggesting individuals who have supported programs similar to National Security Agency digital surveillance initiatives. Among the people ranking Democrat Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Tenn., would prefer, according to minority committee aides, is Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif., a committee member who supported the divisive Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, known as CISPA. The measure, which the House approved by a 288-127 vote in April, would allow the intelligence community to monitor the metadata of private emails for threat signatures or indicators of malicious software." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCongressional Picks for DHS Head Include Backers of Mass Surveillance

Millions of U.S. license plates tracked and stored – and it’s not just government agencies

"'License plate readers are the most pervasive method of location tracking that nobody has heard of,' said Catherine Crump, ACLU lawyer and lead author of the report. 'They collect data on millions of Americans, the overwhelming number of whom are entirely innocent of any wrongdoing.' Crump said that the creeping growth of licence plate scanners echoed the debate over the National Security Agency. 'It raises the same question as the NSA controversy: do we want to live in a world where the government makes a record of everything we do – because that’s what’s being created by the growth of databases linked to license plate readers.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMillions of U.S. license plates tracked and stored – and it’s not just government agencies

Unitarian Church, Gun Groups Join EFF to Sue NSA Over Illegal Surveillance

"'People who hold controversial views – whether it's about gun ownership policies, drug legalization, or immigration – often must express views as a group in order to act and advocate effectively,' said Cohn. 'But fear of individual exposure when participating in political debates over high-stakes issues can dissuade people from taking part. That's why the Supreme Court ruled in 1958 that membership lists of groups have strong First Amendment protection. Telephone records, especially complete records collected over many years, are even more invasive than membership lists, since they show casual or repeated inquiries as well as full membership.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUnitarian Church, Gun Groups Join EFF to Sue NSA Over Illegal Surveillance

Colorado town considers licensing bounty hunters to shoot down drones

"A six-page petition circulated by a resident says that the threat of surveillance from drones — regardless of who is piloting them — is a threat to 'traditional American ideas of Liberty and Freedom'. According to the proposed ordinance, which will be considered by the town council at its next meeting on Aug. 6, prospective bounty hunters can get a one-year drone-hunting license for $25. Proposed bounties will be $25 for those turning in the wings or fuselage of downed aircraft and $100 for mostly intact vehicles. To collect the bounty, the wreckage must have 'markings, and configuration … consistent with those used by the United States federal government.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingColorado town considers licensing bounty hunters to shoot down drones

Second Drone Crash In One Week On Highway In Florida, Carrying Self-Destruct Charge

"The latest crash came Wednesday morning around 8:25 when the drone crashed alongside US 98 in the Silver Flag area on the east side of the base. Eye witnesses say the QF 4 drone crashed while taking off, exploded and sent up a large black cloud. Base and local police and safety officials have closed Highway 98 and are anticipating that it will remain closed for up to 24 hours. According to WJHG, the closure is being done because of a small self-destruct charge carried on board the drone. The status of this device is unknown. It is powered by a short-life battery which will be fully depleted in 24 hours." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSecond Drone Crash In One Week On Highway In Florida, Carrying Self-Destruct Charge

Aide to man with Down syndrome killed by police in theater had warned police, report says

"Moments before off-duty Frederick County sheriff’s deputies tried to force a young man with Down syndrome out of a movie theater — a move that eventually led to his death —Robert Ethan Saylor’s 18-year-old aide warned them that he would 'freak out' if they touched him. 'Next thing I know, there are I think three or four cops holding Ethan, trying to put him in handcuffs,' the aide told authorities, according to documents from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Department obtained Monday by the Associated Press. 'I heard Ethan screaming, saying ‘ouch,’ ‘don’t touch me,’ ‘get off’ and crying. Next thing I hear is nothing.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAide to man with Down syndrome killed by police in theater had warned police, report says