Photographers, Instagrammers: Stop Being So D*mn Selfish and Disrespectful
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Trump turned my Republican Party into a racist, nationalist movement
Trump turned my Republican Party into a racist, nationalist movement
Mmmhmmm but it didn’t happen overnight. Look inside tot party of Lincoln to see how this could have happened, Jennifer.
Why run for N.H. Legislature? It’s not for $100, fame or a license plate
Experts say the accessibility of New Hampshire’s Legislature is a big draw for those looking to test the political waters, but with low pay and huge membership come drawbacks for those with grander political aspirations.
University of New Hampshire Associate Professor of Political Science Dante Scala says, unlike other states, those elected to the Legislature in the Granite State have an uphill battle being recognized, making it tough to parlay a House seat into a lobbyist position or a higher-ranking elected position, whether it be governor or a congressional seat.
…Legislators here are among the lowest paid in the country, with the meager salary producing a body whose makeup is far different from states like Massachusetts, whose lawmakers often are career politicians.
…“They really run because they can. Unlike in states with professional legislatures, the barriers to entry are very low in New Hampshire,” Scala noted.
Experts say the low pay and many members also benefit those with political aspirations because potential candidates don’t need to have established a name for themselves before running or have a huge war chest to mount a campaign.
“You just need to have time on your hands,” Scala said.
…“At the end of the day whether you are far on the Republican side, far on the Democrat side, or smack dab in the middle, you are nothing more than a volunteer with a glorified title,” he said.
Scala said some might enter the Legislature with grand aspirations and find their support is largely local.
“They think their status means a lot outside of Concord, and it isn’t necessarily so,” Scala noted.
…”At least the members aren’t on the take,” Pantelakos said.
hmmm
Body found of music fan missing since police raid on French techno festival | World news | The Guardian
Steve Canico went missing on the night of 21-22 June after officers moved in to disperse techno music fans attending a free concert in the western city of Nantes as part of France’s national music celebration day.
More than a dozen concertgoers fell into the nearby Loire River during the ensuing clashes, prompting accusations of excessive force by police trying to shut down the party.
…Footage posted on social media showed scenes of chaos as officers carrying batons and firing teargas moved in on revellers by the river. Local authorities said 14 people were pulled from the water after the clashes.
Canico’s friends, who said he did not know how to swim, feared he had been swept away in the confusion.
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‘Surreal’ feeling for Philly man cleared of murder after spending half his life behind bars
The key witness in Miller’s trial — the only substantial evidence linking him to the killing of a man in a parking lot outside 30th Street Station in 1996 — had insisted for two decades that his initial statement to police was a lie.
…The key witness in Miller’s trial — the only substantial evidence linking him to the killing of a man in a parking lot outside 30th Street Station in 1996 — had insisted for two decades that his initial statement to police was a lie.
The witness, David Williams, who faced robbery charges when he spoke to investigators, recanted his statement at Miller’s preliminary hearing in 1997 and denied it again at trial a year later. A jury had voted to convict Miller anyway.
Then, in 2002, Williams did something even more unusual: He wrote a letter to Miller’s mother, apologizing for his false assertion that had helped secure her son a life sentence — and confessing that he was the one who had pulled the trigger, saying he had acted in self-defense.
‘Surreal’ feeling for Philly man cleared of murder after spending half his life behind bars
Wild!
Federal prosecutors say they can’t find files on investigation into Rocky Flats nuclear arms plant
The U.S. Department of Justice has lost track of more than 60 boxes of documents from a 27-year-old criminal investigation into safety and environmental violations at a former nuclear weapons plant in Colorado, officials said Tuesday.
…Seven groups representing environmentalists, former nuclear workers, nearby residents and public health advocates filed a motion in federal court in January asking that the files be made public. The groups say the documents could show whether the government did enough to clean up the site before turning part of it into a wildlife refuge and opening it to hikers and bicyclists.
Government attorneys are fighting the request.
Jeezus…
Weare officer ‘in good spirits’ after being shot; suspect found dead, officials say
After the shooting, officers left the home, while Clough-Garvin stayed inside it. He was the only person in the home at that time, MacDonald said.
Clough-Garvin was found dead about 8:30 a.m. in the home, MacDonald said.
Weare officer ‘in good spirits’ after being shot; suspect found dead, officials say
Hold up…. Forget the officer’s arm…. They shot into a house, ostensibly shot and killed a man, did not check on his condition, and then just left his dead body in there for hours? What… The … Fuck…?
“Irresponsible” doesn’t begin to cover it. Officer shooting or no, every single officer involved should be relieved of their badges and prohibited from getting employment in any other law enforcement department in the future.
Ohio Police Officers In Stormy Daniels Arrest Face Disciplinary Action : NPR
Columbus Division of Police interim Chief Tom Quinlan did not identify the officers, other than saying that they worked for the “now-disbanded Vice Section.” They are facing departmental charges, he said.
Quinlan omitted any details about the officers’ actions that prompted the charges, saying only, “I made this decision because these officers violated our rules of conduct.”
Ohio Police Officers In Stormy Daniels Arrest Face Disciplinary Action : NPR
Police HR concerns are a joke. They work for the public, the public should have access to disciplinary reports. Anything less than full transparency is collusion and the covering up potential criminal activity.
How you know Tulsi Gabbard really got under Kamala Harris’ skin – CNNPolitics
“I’m deeply concerned about this record. There are too many examples to cite but [Harris] put over 1,500 people in jail for marijuana violations and then laughed about it when she was asked if she ever smoked marijuana.
“She blocked evidence — she blocked evidence that would have freed an innocent man from death row until the courts forced her to do so. She kept people in prison beyond their sentences to use them as cheap labor for the state of California.” – Tulsi Gabbard
First of all, if you are running for president and you hear the words, “This is going to sound immodest” come out of your mouth, it may be best to recalibrate what you are going to say.
Second, what Harris is actually saying is, basically, this: The dork took a shot at the most popular kid in school. Big whoop.
That is not a good look. For any candidate. Ever.
…Harris started her answer on Gabbard with was the she-is-so-beneath-me-I-can’t-even-bring-myself-to-take-her-seriously riff. Which, for a candidate as naturally gifted and experienced as Harris, is a clear mistake. And a mistake that appeared born of the simple fact that Gabbard pissed her off and, in the immediate aftermath of the debate, she was still fuming.
…Harris’ inability to keep her cool is something to keep an eye on. This isn’t the only time she’s going to be challenged on her record in the coming months.
How you know Tulsi Gabbard really got under Kamala Harris’ skin – CNNPolitics
So Harris doesn’t think the input of anyone who isn’t a top tier candidate can be valid? Oooof. The voters of New Hampshire will not be charmed. …Especially since she is hyping her top tier status, finishing out of the top 5 in New Hampshire will tank her top tier campaign before it starts. Good luck with that attitude and refusing to discuss your record, Prosecutor!
What to do if you think your TSA screening crosses a line | Condé Nast Traveller India | International | Experiences
Both Liz and White have documented claims of their complaints to the TSA. Only White says she received a response. “He was very kind. He was very patient,” she says of the investigator who called her after reviewing video footage of the screening. “But he also told me he wouldn’t be able to tell me what happens either way. So [the complaint] just kind of went into the ether.”
GRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
FBI, TSA use of facial recognition tech needs cleaning up, say lawmakers
At a Tuesday hearing on facial recognition by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, lawmakers questioned how government agencies like the FBI and the Transportation Security Administration have been using the technology. The FBI faced heavy criticism for failing to meet the Government Accountability Office’s recommendations on accuracy, transparency and privacy issues.
“They still haven’t fixed the five things they were supposed to do when they started,” Rep. Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio and the ranking member of the oversight committee, said at the hearing. “But we’re supposed to believe ‘don’t worry, everything’s just fine.'”
Those five recommendations about the use of facial recognition systems include publishing privacy documents, conducting privacy impact assessments, improving sample sizes in accuracy tests, testing accuracy of partners, and conducting annual reviews of accuracy.
…The TSA uses facial recognition at airports, saying the technology speeds the check-in process, but critics have said the tech is being utilized without proper vetting or regulatory safeguards
…Researchers have pointed out that facial recognition tech can be flawed and can show race and gender bias, and civil rights advocates have argued that facial recognition threatens privacy and free speech.
FBI, TSA use of facial recognition tech needs cleaning up, say lawmakers – CNET
hmmm
‘We failed’; Philly DA’s Office apologizes to man imprisoned 28 years for a wrongful murder conviction
Back in court for the first time since a judge freed him two weeks ago from a life sentence, Chester Hollman III finally heard the words he has waited 28 years to hear: All charges against him in a 1991 murder case were dropped.
…Hollman, an armored-car driver with no criminal record, was found guilty by a jury in 1993 of murder and related charges of robbery, conspiracy, and possession of an instrument of crime. Lynne M. Abraham was district attorney at the time. Reached for comment Tuesday, Abraham said she had “no recollection of the case” and declined to comment.
…But during an emotional hearing Tuesday at the Stout Center for Criminal Justice, Hollman heard so much more, as a prosecutor apologized for the failings of the criminal justice system and the judge criticized a “lack of integrity” in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office during Hollman’s murder trial and years of appeals.
…Hollman said he grew up wanting to be a police officer and initially thought police would clear him. He said he struggled to hold onto the hope he would one day be exonerated. He choked up when he told the court about the unwavering support of his family, especially his mother, who died while he was in prison.
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A Lawmaker Wants To End ‘Social Media Addiction’ By Killing Features That Enable Mindless Scrolling
The bill by freshman Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. – the Social Media Addiction Reduction Technology (SMART) Act – would make it illegal for social media companies such as Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat to use infinite scroll, autoplay video or techniques like Snapchat’s “streaks,” which reward a user with badges for repeated use.
…It proposes regulatory measures that would force users to actively choose to engage for prolonged periods rather than being mindlessly sucked into the void.
The bill would require platforms to implement “natural stopping points,” or places where a video or post stops and the users are prompted to click or select another piece of content, rather than it appearing or playing automatically.
…Too much of the ‘innovation’ in this space is designed not to create better products, but to capture more attention by using psychological tricks that make it difficult to look away. This legislation will put an end to that and encourage true innovation by tech companies.”
…”Studies have shown that tech companies utilize computer design techniques embraced by casinos, like the idea of “stickiness” – which give “just enough positive feedback to want to return to the game but deny users enough pleasure so that they don’t get satiated.”
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Comments From The Peanut Gallery 