Category: Local Interest,

Ring’s Neighborhood Watch Feature Is Bringing Out the Worst in Boston

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Boston,, Media and Culture,, Privacy,Leave a comment

“I’m all for technology and keeping your castle safe, but geez, can’t a guy just stop by to say hello anymore?”

…I am currently obsessed with—and horrified by—the Neighbors app, a niche but growing social network that’s become a dumping ground for videos captured by Ring cameras. Boston has embraced it with gusto, despite the fact that crime statistics show that we’ve never been safer. The app touts itself as a “new neighborhood watch,” that helps users harness “the power of your community” to keep you “safe and informed.” Police are so confident in Ring’s usefulness that many departments have even partnered with Amazon to promote the product in Massachusetts.

…Local users haven’t just been uploading videos of crimes in action—they’ve been using the app to post just about anything that seems mysterious or untoward. In other words, the app has become a cesspool of paranoia and aggression, where even looking suspicious is grounds for inclusion on the app’s ceaseless stream of updates.

…Delivery drivers and city workers …flagged as potential robbers and scammers. …Two guys dressed in business-casual attire strolling across a driveway—none of whom appears to commit any crimes—and deemed them worthy of inclusion on the app.

…Tensions that often simmer under the surface in Boston—specifically those around race and class—are laid bare in text on the app. People who are poor, non-white, or both are often unfairly labeled by Ring users as ‘dangerous.’

…“A lot of it is really gross., …people posting really just derogatory, heartless, cruel things about these folks who are obviously at a really low place in their lives, struggling with substance abuse and poverty.”

… There are countless examples of the benefits of the Neighbors app, including identifying hit-and-run drivers, helping to find lost pets, or, in one case, providing crucial evidence of a kidnapping underway in Las Vegas. Still, a review of the videos on Boston’s section of the Neighbors app reveals many doorstep moments aren’t even crimes at all. The unintended result, though, is a growing army of Bostonians who have engineered a vast network of private surveillance cameras and unwittingly volunteered their services to broadcast anyone who steps near their front door.

Ring’s Neighborhood Watch Feature Is Bringing Out the Worst in Boston

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Santa Cruz decriminalizes magic mushrooms and other natural psychedelics

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Drugs & Drink,, Local Interest,Leave a comment

The Santa Cruz City Council voted unanimously to approve a resolution that makes investigating and arresting people 21 and older for using or possessing psychoactive plants and fungi among the lowest priorities for law enforcement.

Tuesday’s resolution doesn’t necessarily make it legal to use or possess natural psychedelics, but it does mean that the city won’t be using resources to investigate or arrest people for doing so. People could still face penalties for the sale or cultivation of those substances.

Santa Cruz decriminalizes magic mushrooms and other natural psychedelics – CNN

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Andrew LaMar Hopkins: A Painter Resurrects Louisiana’s Vanished Creole Culture

On By peanutgallerynhIn Gulf Coast Region,, Media and Culture,, Race,Leave a comment

In 1830, the moment in time Mr. Hopkins is fond of using for many of his creations, free Creoles of color in New Orleans owned some $15 million of property in the city. Mostly French speaking, these artisans, shopkeepers and artists were in no small part responsible for the look of the French Quarter — its ironwork, decorative plaster, its architecture and fashionable shops. Like white Creoles, some owned slaves, and some later fought for the Confederacy. Despite many laws restricting their rights they played a significant role in civic life.

…Creole is a long-embattled term, perhaps best defined now as a person whose background and identity is traceable to colonial French Louisiana and/or its Franco-African culture. 

…The city of New Orleans historically demanded detailed inventories of the possessions of deceased citizens, and he studied these lists to ground his rooms, from their locally made armoires and Campeche chairs to neo-Classical French porcelain and wall clocks. The furniture is as important as the people, whether it appears in the cottage of the powerful voodoo queen Marie Laveau or in the salon of John James Audubon, the white Creole naturalist renowned for his “Birds of America.” 

A Painter Resurrects Louisiana’s Vanished Creole Culture – The New York Times

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How Virginia’s $3.7 billion rail plan fits Amtrak’s long-term vision

On By peanutgallerynhIn Environment,, Infrastructure and Transportation,, Local Interest,, Money, Class, and Poverty,Leave a comment

With new routes and faster and more efficient service, the number of Amtrak trains operating in Virginia is expected to double by 2030.

…The state exemplifies Amtrak’s growth strategy of focusing on adding short-haul trips that compete with car rides and flights in dense urban corridors, they say.

…In recent years, Amtrak has been beefing up short-distance service across the country, advancing its vision to connect major metropolitan areas in regions undergoing significant growth and where there is little to no rail service, while fulfilling Americans’ growing desire for cost-efficient and more environmentally friendly travel options.

…Virginia, one of 18 states that sponsors Amtrak service, has some of the best-performing routes, officials said. Combined ridership for the four routes connecting Richmond and other major cities to Washington and the Northeast grew to 971,415 in 2019, from 844,698 the previous year — a 15 percent increase. That’s well above the average 2.4 percent increase among all state-supported lines and the 2.5 percent growth of Amtrak’s entire network.

“In just the 10 years since 2009, ridership has more than doubled on our Virginia corridors,” Anderson told members of Congress at a Nov. 13 hearing. “What these and our other very successful state-supported corridors have in common is that they offer multiple daily frequencies with trip times that are competitive with driving and flying.”

…In 2011, Virginia became one of only a few states to create a dedicated funding source for rail projects. The Virginia Intercity Passenger Rail Operating and Capital Fund gets .005 percent of the state’s retail sales and use tax, which equals about $50 million to $60 million annually.

…Increasing train service in the state makes sense, both for reducing traffic congestion and from an economic standpoint, officials and transportation experts say. A recent state study of the I-95 corridor estimates it would cost $12.5 billion to build one additional travel lane in each direction for 50 miles in the corridor.

How Virginia’s $3.7 billion rail plan fits Amtrak’s long-term vision – The Washington Post

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Stunning video shows a subway car completely covered in graffiti

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Local Interest,, Media and Culture,Leave a comment

When an entire train covered in graffiti suddenly appeared out of nowhere the other day, The New York City Police Benevolent Association lost its shit.

The PBA posted a video on social media showing the train entering a station with a dire warning about impending social collapse.

…As of this writing, the PBA post has gotten close to 14,000 comments, the majority of which think the mural rules big time. …Others pointed out the hypocrisy of condemning a train covered in graffiti, but not one that’s been wrapped in advertising, as the shuttle between Times Square and Grand Central frequently is.

It’s reasonable to suspect that many of the sentiments expressed were colored by the generally negative reaction to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s decision to flood stations with 500 additional police officers who seem to think that arresting churro vendors and tackling people on the platforms makes the public safer. 

Stunning video shows a subway car completely covered in graffiti

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Rail or trail? Topsham-Augusta trail proposal could derail the potential future return of passenger train service to Augusta, rail advocates warn.

On By peanutgallerynhIn Environment,, Infrastructure and Transportation,, Local Interest,, Money, Class, and Poverty,Leave a comment

Advocates for restoring passenger train service to Augusta — and potentially beyond to Waterville and Bangor — fear the Merrymeeting Trail proposal could squash any hopes they have of rail service returning to that corridor. 

…Richard Rudolph and Jack Sutton, directors of the Maine Rail Group, said once the rail corridor is converted to a trail, rail service will never return, due to the difficulty of both restoring the rails and reclaiming the space from those who would be using it as a trail. 

…“There are plenty of places to walk or bike, there aren’t that many places to run a train,” he said. “Common sense will tell you if we lose that rail to a bike or walking trail, it’s not going to be returned.” 

Dale McCormick, a former city councilor, said she loves the Rail Trail and loves the Merrymeeting Trail proposal, but not if it prevents the future development of rail service in Augusta. 

McCormick said if gas prices increase again, rail travel would be more feasible because of its energy efficiency and more popular with passengers. There should be a way to do both the trail project and protect the future of rail, she said. 

Rail or trail? Topsham-Augusta trail proposal could derail the potential future return of passenger train service to Augusta, rail advocates warn. – Portland Press Herald

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Who will win New Hampshire? 5 top state Democrats dish on the state of play

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Granite State,Leave a comment

Levesque: The media is completely missing minority populations here, especially with all the talk of lack of diversity in New Hampshire and Iowa. The media could do a better job of seeking out opinions from more diverse populations in both states.

…Sullivan: At this point in 2016, Sanders was at 50 percent in the polls. He ended up winning with about 61 percent. Now he’s in the mid-20s. That’s a pretty significant loss of support, yet the media seems to think he is doing well. The media is also missing the potential that there may be no clear winner here. Any candidate who finishes with more than 15 percent of the vote picks up delegates under the party rules.

…Meyer: The supposition that Sanders and Warren have a stranglehold on the state is wrong. They certainly have an advantage by virtue of familiarity. But that also creates a much greater expectation for them to perform very well.

Who will win New Hampshire? 5 top state Democrats dish on the state of play – POLITICO

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Bennet die-hards drawn to awkward, unusual New Hampshire campaign

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Granite State,Leave a comment

In a campaign filled with stump speeches aimed at getting people fired up, Bennet is working to make government boring again. He has worked to position himself as the adult in the room. If he is elected, he wants people to not have to think about his administration for weeks at a time.

That’s endearing to some in New Hampshire, especially those who are more interested in getting Trump out of office than any one specific platform.

… Sometimes, he continued, candidates “have risen in New Hampshire simply because New Hampshire decides we’re not going to accept the conventional wisdom, and instead we’re going to pick a candidate we think can actually do whatever the mission is.”

…Carville sees Bennet as a soothing moderate who can not only beat Trump but also convince people wearing red “Make America Great Again” hats to take them off.

“I don’t just want to get rid of Trump, I want to get rid of Trumpism,” he said. “On election day, I want to see that army ragged, starving, freezing, retreating.”

Bennet die-hards drawn to awkward, unusual New Hampshire campaign – POLITICO

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Jay-Z, Roc Nation File Federal Lawsuit Against Mississippi Prison Officials for Violent Conditions, ‘Failure to Meet Basic Human Rights’

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Gulf Coast Region,Leave a comment

According to the lawsuit, which was filed by Jay-Z’s lawyer Alex Spiro, “these deaths are a direct result of Mississippi’s utter disregard for the people it has incarcerated and their constitutional rights.”

…“This unthinkable spate of deaths is the culmination of years of severe understaffing and neglect at Mississippi’s prisons,” Spiro said in a statement. “As Mississippi has incarcerated increasing numbers of people, it has dramatically reduced its funding of prisons. As a result, prison conditions fail to meet even the most basic human rights.”

Jay-Z, Roc Nation File Federal Lawsuit Against Mississippi Prison Officials for Violent Conditions, ‘Failure to Meet Basic Human Rights’

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Controversy over giant telescope roils astronomy conference in Hawaii

On By peanutgallerynhIn Environment,, Hawaii,, Media and Culture,, Money, Class, and Poverty,Leave a comment

Near the end of the conference, a session that was a late addition to the program gave the podium to two kia’i. They shared with astronomers not their reasons for opposing the telescope, but the daily rituals they are following on Maunakea and an invitation to visit their roadside outpost.

That was a deliberate choice. “This is different, perhaps, from what you thought this would be,” said Pua Case, a native Hawaiian who has been organizing against the TMT for a decade. “We’re not presenting our side to get another side, we’re not going to do that. You know why? Because we’re meeting you for the first time, most of you.”

Instead, she explained that they wanted to offer astronomers a glimpse into their world. “The way we create relationship is through ceremony, ritual, tradition, ancestral passing down of knowledge and protocol,” Case said. That’s also how the kia’i have arrived at their opposition of the project and how their daily prayers on the mountain continue their process of determining how to live with Maunakea. “We have no choice but to stand, so we’re letting you know that,” she said.

Controversy over giant telescope roils astronomy conference in Hawaii | Space

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Despite Election Security Fears, Iowa Caucuses Will Use New Smartphone App

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Local Interest,, Media and Culture,, Privacy,Leave a comment

The state party worked with the national party’s cybersecurity team, and with Harvard University’s Defending Digital Democracy project, but Price declined to answer directly whether any third party has investigated the app for vulnerabilities, as many cybersecurity experts recommend.

…Unlike many states in which local and state officials oversee the presidential primary election, in Iowa the state party is responsible for administering, staffing and funding the caucuses, relying primarily on trained but unpaid volunteers.

Cybersecurity experts interviewed by NPR said that the party’s decision to withhold the technical details of its app doesn’t do much to protect the system — and instead makes it hard to have complete confidence in it.

…A number of other potential vulnerabilities could also be introduced by using the technology, experts say.

If the app doesn’t work, either because a denial of service attack clogs the system or for any other reason, then there could be confusion at precincts across the state, and a potential delay on a winner being announced.

…Price did confirm that the app again would be downloaded onto the personal smartphones of the caucus precinct and party leaders, and not onto party-provided hardware.

That could make the system a more appealing attack target, according to Betsy Cooper, director of the Aspen Tech Policy Hub at the Aspen Institute, because peoples’ phones also may contain sensitive messages, emails and passwords.

…Jones, the University of Iowa cybersecurity specialist, says transmitting results from precincts to the state party through a smartphone app isn’t as insecure as the virtual caucus plan — but that it’s still insecure for the same reasons.

“The entire ecosystem of smartphones is extraordinarily poorly secured,” Jones said. “And resting security functions on that ecosystem is something I don’t trust at all.”

Despite Election Security Fears, Iowa Caucuses Will Use New Smartphone App : NPR

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