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sputnik--2019-03-22--Whos a Good Boy Golden Retriever Pets Owner
| 2019-03-22T00:00:00 |
sputnik
|
Who’s a Good Boy? Golden Retriever Pets Owner
|
While one golden retriever is embraced by its owner, the other pets the Japanese man's hair in a unique show of warmth. Everybody seems to be having a good time.
| null |
https://sputniknews.com/videoclub/201903221073444078-golden-retriever-video/
|
2019-03-22 05:30:00+00:00
| 1,553,247,000 | 1,567,545,276 |
human interest
|
animal
|
533,849 |
sputnik--2019-05-13--How Do You Do Little Girl Pets Giant Python
| 2019-05-13T00:00:00 |
sputnik
|
How Do You Do? Little Girl Pets Giant Python
|
This little girl was recorded in an astonishing video while playing with a python, a non-venomous snake — albeit a very big and heavy one. The enormous reticulated python, which could easily swallow her whole, was filmed slithering inside a Surrey home in the United Kingdom.
| null |
https://sputniknews.com/videoclub/201905131074958201-uk-python-girl/
|
2019-05-13 17:00:00+00:00
| 1,557,781,200 | 1,567,540,797 |
human interest
|
animal
|
539,480 |
sputnik--2019-07-31--Orange Pets Good Golden Retriever and Kitty Love to Chill Like Bros
| 2019-07-31T00:00:00 |
sputnik
|
Orange Pets Good: Golden Retriever and Kitty Love to Chill Like Bros
|
However, there are many examples of complete mutual understanding between cats and dogs. They can even become genuine friends, playing together, sleep together, and even missing each other when they're apart. Often these couples grew up together. In this video, a golden retriever really loves his cute little kitten friend.
| null |
https://sputniknews.com/videoclub/201907311076407270-cat-friendly-golden-retriever/
|
2019-07-31 04:30:00+00:00
| 1,564,561,800 | 1,567,535,270 |
human interest
|
animal
|
559,996 |
tass--2019-01-18--This week in photos Djokovic teases Peppa Pig Putin pets puppy Trump serves hamburgers
| 2019-01-18T00:00:00 |
tass
|
This week in photos: Djokovic teases Peppa Pig, Putin pets puppy, Trump serves hamburgers
|
Novak Djokovic teases Peppa Pig, Vladimir Putin pets a puppy, Donald Trump serves fast food in White House and other photographs of the week. The world in pictures in a photo gallery by TASS In other media
| null |
http://tass.com/society/1040650
|
2019-01-18 15:15:43+00:00
| 1,547,842,543 | 1,567,551,852 |
human interest
|
animal
|
594,339 |
thedailybeast--2019-06-26--Why Do the Kardashians Pets Keep Mysteriously Disappearing
| 2019-06-26T00:00:00 |
thedailybeast
|
Why Do the Kardashians’ Pets Keep Mysteriously Disappearing?
|
Kim Kardashian West is many things—a reality TV icon, multimillionaire entrepreneur, prison reform activist, aspiring lawyer—but animal lover is nowhere on the list. A recent episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians showed the mother of four dealing with the inconvenience of the death of her daughter North’s beloved hamster. The hamster, complete with a pink castle cage, was a gift from Aunt Khloé, who’d failed to impress her niece with the special day of limousine rides and ice cream she planned. The only thing that would make North happy was a tiny rodent, much to her mother’s chagrin. Disaster soon struck when one of Kim’s assistants delivered the grim news that the hamster, named Blacktail, hadn’t moved in a while. “It’s, like, stiff,” the assistant said monotonously, urging his boss to check on Blacktail. With the swish of a sleek black ponytail, Kim stood up from the kitchen table, sighing, “I don’t have time for a dead hamster.” She spent the rest of the episode fluctuating between anger toward her sister for getting North a pet without permission and emotional distress over how to teach her daughter about the circle of life. Kim decided instead to take the classic lie-to-your-children-to-protect-them route and find an identical replacement. North’s pet was a fancy bear hamster (which I learned today is the actual name of a hamster breed and not something made up by a child), dubbed the “unicorn of hamsters” by Khloé because of its rare pedigree. They found a match, successfully hoodwinked a 6-year-old, and learned they’ve been spelling “hamster” wrong their whole lives. (Hint: there is no ‘p’.) Given the family’s track record with pets, it is not all that surprising that poor Blacktail met an early end. There have been numerous articles over the years outlining the lengthy list of Kardashian-Jenner pets, including several who mysteriously disappeared after a few Instagram posts or cameos on the show. Back in 2016, Kim herself even made a post on her now-nonexistent app, a sort of “where are they now” piece detailing the fates of all of the family’s pets—or at least the ones she could remember. She was careful to clarify that she remembered “almost” all of them, meaning there have been so many that some have been forgotten. Perhaps she was going for transparency, but she mostly just succeeded at raising eyebrows over just how many pets they have seemingly abandoned. (The Kardashian team did not respond to requests for comment.) Based on Kim’s list, Keeping Up with the Kardashians clips, and years of Snapchat stories and Instagram posts, I was able to determine that since Kardashian clan hurtled into the spotlight just over a decade ago, they have owned approximately 40 pets. The extensive menagerie has included nearly two dozen dogs, a couple of cats, chickens, a peacock, and maybe a pig. According to a KUWTK deleted scene, Wilbur the teacup pig was a gift from Kris to her favorite and youngest daughter, Kylie. It is unclear if she kept Wilbur, but he did go on to be a Vine star when the hilarious clip of the makeup mogul mistaking him for a chicken went viral. The Wilbur anecdote is one of the more harmless of the unsolved pet mysteries, since it was never officially confirmed whether or not he became a permanent part of the family. In addition to Blacktail, at least three other family pets have died. Kim’s white Persian kitten Mercy, a gift from Kanye West, died unexpectedly in 2012 of something Kim vaguely described as a “cancer-like virus.” Dolce the Chihuahua, one of the OG Kar-Jenner pets, was killed by a coyote. He is now immortalized in the form of a beige Kylie Cosmetics lip kit bearing his name. Some of the dogs that are still alive became casualties of break-ups, lost in “custody” disputes or given away after the relationships went south. And then there are the ones who vanished with no explanation: bunnies who haven’t been featured on Instagram in years, a dog who seemed to exist solely as a prop in sponsored ads for the Wag dog-walking app. It should be noted that Kylie Jenner seems to be the only devoted pet parent of the bunch, recently confirming on Twitter that she still owns all of her pets and sharing videos of them playing with her 1-year-old daughter Stormi. Disposing of pets as if they are material goods, like Kourtney giving away her pricey Bengal kitten when she gave birth to Reign or Kendall presumably parting with her Great Dane puppy because it pooped too much, is not entirely off-brand for a family as wealthy as the Kardashians. It should not have come as a surprise to Kris that Kendall, the world’s highest-paid supermodel, did not want to pick up giant dog turds. And the KUWTK producers were really underestimating their viewers when they expected us to believe that Kris, all-powerful momager that she may be, donned rubber cleaning gloves and scrubbed the black-and-white tile floor of her laundry room when Kendall wouldn’t do it. Not everyone has to be a pet person. So, given their pristine houses full of expensive white furniture and their jet-setting schedules of modelling gigs, meetings with the president, and vacations with baby daddies, why do the Kardashian-Jenners keep trying to convince the world that they are?
| null |
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thedailybeast/articles/~3/T7RLnRyMIe0/why-do-the-kardashians-pets-keep-mysteriously-disappearing
|
2019-06-26 06:54:04+00:00
| 1,561,546,444 | 1,567,537,955 |
human interest
|
animal
|
623,596 |
thedailymirror--2019-01-22--Chris Packham says pets can be as good as any partner - but his girlfriend disagrees
| 2019-01-22T00:00:00 |
thedailymirror
|
Chris Packham says pets can be as good as any partner - but his girlfriend disagrees
|
Author Jilly Cooper is famous for writing about raunchy romantic relationships – but she now prefers her pet to any lover. Jilly, 81, was married to beloved husband Leo for 52 years until he died in 2013, and says she doesn’t need to wed again because she has her greyhound, Bluebell. She said this week: “Instead of getting married again, one ought to get a dog. I talk to Bluebell all the time.” Another couple who are head over heels for their animals are Chris Packham, 57, and his partner of 11 years Charlotte Corney, 42. The Springwatch presenter, who has Asperger’s, is more comfortable with animals than people and is devoted to his poodle, Scratchy. He was devastated in 2016, when Scratchy’s brother, Itchy, died. Charlotte is equally passionate about animals, particularly the tigers she cares for at her zoo on the Isle of Wight, and her two pet giant rabbits, Otto and Abella. So we asked the nature-loving couple – can a pet really be as good as a partner? Charlotte is well aware that Scratchy, my 14-year-old poodle, is the epicentre of my universe. I’m wholly and totally devoted to him – he is the apple of my eye and singularly the most important organism to me on planet Earth, with no ambiguity about it at all. My love for him is immeasurable, and vice versa. I’ve just had to drop him off at his dog carers and he’s never happy when I leave him. He is with me all of the time at the moment. He’s about to have a cataract operation, which is going to be transformational. That’s been difficult, him not being able to see. But I am strangely excited about his operation – it will be successful and it will change his life. When Charlotte came along into the Chris-Itchy-Scratchy domain, she had to find her way into that trinity of two dogs and a man. But Charlotte loves Scratchy as well – greatly – and has accepted him. In terms of our relationship, it’s totally unconditional. When I get home he’s always pleased to see me and I am 100% pleased to see him. He is also totally dependent on me, whereas Charlotte isn’t. His health and well-being are something that I’m responsible for, which adds a different dimension to our relationship. Charlotte is independent. When you have a pet you have to take on the responsibility of looking after their health and well-being. I am totally devoted to him, but I need to be. He offers something that Charlotte can’t. It’s that simple feeling of when I’m watching him bounding around in the woods, seeing him so happy and trying to imagine how he’s perceiving the world. It brings me so much joy. In many ways, the relationship I have with him is less complex but I think it’s more powerful. I wake up in the morning and I like to know that he’s there beside me. I love lying in bed just listening to him breathing and snoring – that closeness. I need that. I fret about him a lot when I’m away. People like me, with neurological differences, we find it easier to form deep-rooted bonds with animals like that because we are not as good at understanding humans and our relationships with them. It’s something I’ve got better at over time – well, Charlotte might say otherwise. This morning I sent her a long email at 2.30am about Scratchy and then she probably thinks, “My God, it’s 2.30 in the morning and he’s emailing me about the damn dog”. But one of the reasons Charlotte and I entertain a human relationship is because I know that she understands. She, to some extent, has that relationship with her big cats. So I am fortunate that Charlotte understands the gravity and depth of my relationship with Scratch.' There are many benefits of a human partner over a pet. In my case, giant rabbits Otto and Abella. Partners don’t tend to vomit all over the bed, they don’t track mud into the house – well, most of the time – and you don’t have to worry about healthcare bills. You don’t need to be responsible for your partner’s fitness – Chris doesn’t need to be taken for walks. The rabbits can’t cook me dinner, which Chris sometimes does, and they can’t do my laundry. A big headache for us is going out for dinner with Scratchy. There’s still not much tolerance for having animals in restaurants, so romantic meals out are scarce. One of my favourite things over Christmas was spending time in London, just Chris and I, enjoying eating out and going to bars. It is very rare for us to be without our animals. While animals can communicate with us in many ways, they can’t talk back. Chris would probably argue he doesn’t need that much conversation, but he absolutely does need it. You can’t engage your pets in any problem-solving or have sophisticated dialogue to work out any logistical problems. Above all, pets have such a shorter lifespan that we ultimately have to go through the heartache of losing them. But I cherish all the animals I’ve had. I completely know the position Scratchy holds in Chris’s life. There’s no competition there. Chris and I have found a way to make our lives revolve around our animals, but also each other. We wouldn’t have it any other way.' The Wildheart Trust is raising money to bring two circus lions to the UK. To donate, visit justgiving.com/campaign/kumbaandvigo, or send a cheque to: The Wildheart Trust, Kumba and Vigo, Isle of Wight Zoo, Yaverland Rd, Yaverland, Sandown, PO36 8QB.
|
Rhian Lubin
|
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/chris-packham-says-pets-can-13893707
|
2019-01-22 23:17:03+00:00
| 1,548,217,023 | 1,567,551,386 |
human interest
|
animal
|
632,041 |
thedailymirror--2019-04-24--Universal Studios is opening an adorable new Secret Life of Pets ride
| 2019-04-24T00:00:00 |
thedailymirror
|
Universal Studios is opening an adorable new Secret Life of Pets ride
|
Universal Studios Hollywood is opening a brand new ride sure to be a hit with cat and dog lovers alike! The Los Angeles theme park has unveiled plans for new attraction 'The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash', themed around its hit film which reveals just what your pets do when you're not at home. The park promises that it will be a 'fully immersive experience' where guests will take on the roles of stray puppies, as they join the likes of Max, Snowball, Gidget, Chloe and Duke on an epic adventure to find their 'forever homes'. The ride itself will be set in New York City, and will see riders zipping along a track aboard little vehicles through the Big Apple, towards an important Pet Adoption event. Of course it's not all smooth sailing - expect plenty of surprises and challenges as you make your way through the attraction. The news comes ahead of the release of The Secret Life of Pets 2 this summer, although the new ride won't open to the public until 2020. (Universal Studios has yet to confirm the exact dates). Karen Irwin, President and COO, Universal Studios Hollywood, said: "We are thrilled to be able to bring another exciting Illumination movie-based ride to our guests. "'The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!' will capture the essence of the popular film and invite our guests to live vicariously through some of their favourite characters as they embark on a one-of-a-kind experience only available at Universal Studios Hollywood." It's not the only new exciting addition coming to the theme park, although it definitely is the more gentler of the two. That's because Universal Studios Hollywood is soon set to welcome brand new immersive attraction Jurassic World - The Ride , expected to be unveiled in summer 2019. Instead of fluffy cats and dogs, here it will be predators from Velociraptors to Dilophosaurus that guests will need to look out for (although there are some docile creatures such as the Stegosaurus and Parasaurolophus around too). Oh, and the only exit is a treacherous waterfall...
|
Julie Delahaye
|
https://www.mirror.co.uk/travel/usa-canada/universal-studios-opening-adorable-new-14565377
|
2019-04-24 15:13:11+00:00
| 1,556,133,191 | 1,567,541,928 |
human interest
|
animal
|
639,370 |
thedailymirror--2019-11-01--Inside horrific dog meat farm where 5,000 family pets butchered
| 2019-11-01T00:00:00 |
thedailymirror
|
Inside horrific dog meat farm where 5,000 family pets butchered
|
An animal welfare charity has shut down what appeared to be a dog meat farm that butchered family pets. Pictures show how dogs would be held in holding pens before being butchered with some even turned into bar snacks. The Cambodian slaughterhouse was processing between 2,000 and 5,000 dogs a year, according to animal welfare charity Four Paws. Dr Katherine Polak, a veterinarian at Four Paws, first heard about the slaughterhouse from local restaurants who used it as a supplier. The first thing she saw at the rural property in the Takeo province, just outside of Phnom Penh, was a dying tree with caged dogs underneath. She told Yahoo News : “The tree was apparently in full bloom about a year ago, but it’s just been dying from all the blood and urine and faeces. “There’s a smell, there’s a stench to it, it’s really heartbreaking.” “The farmer would hit them over the head and then put their back legs into the cage,” she said. “So the other dogs would watching this, waiting for their turn. “And then he stabs them in the throat, allows them to bleed out a bit and then he puts them in a pot of boiling water.” Selling dogs for meat often attracts a social stigma in south east Asia and Dr Polak has heard stories of the farmers being beaten to death by villagers in neighbouring Vietnam. The farmer at the Takeo province facility contacted Four Paws, pleading them to help him get out of the trade. On October 27, Four Paws and Animal Rescue Cambodia entered the property and seized the surviving 10 dogs. These included two animals the farmer had kept since they were puppies as good luck charms. The damaged canines had been confined to cages. Working to shut down the farm, Four Paws purchased a rice paddy for the farmer as an alternative income source and he has now pledged never to enter the dog meat trade again. While the trade is largely conducted underground and numbers hard to estimate, Dr Polak believes annual dog slaughter numbers amount to five million in Vietnam, three million in Cambodia and one million in Indonesia.
|
[email protected] (Tom Davidson)
|
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/inside-horrific-dog-meat-farm-20787746
|
Fri, 1 Nov 2019 11:40:43 +0000
| 1,572,611,122 | 1,572,611,122 |
human interest
|
animal
|
643,099 |
thedailyrecord--2019-01-21--Calls for outright ban on electric shock collars for pets in Scotland
| 2019-01-21T00:00:00 |
thedailyrecord
|
Calls for outright ban on electric shock collars for pets in Scotland
|
The Scottish Government is facing calls to bring in an outright ban on electric shock collars for pets. Scottish Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham announced last year she would take steps to effectively and "promptly ban" the use of the collars in Scotland and guidance was issued on their use. However, the government later clarified that use of the devices, which campaigners argue is painful and cruel for animals, is not prohibited. Conservative MSP Maurice Golden said: "Over 20,000 people signed my petition to ban these harmful devices which cause so much harm to dogs. "That is why it is hugely disappointing that the Government have completely failed to deliver on their promise to ban these harmful devices. "This is an issue that cannot be kicked into the long grass, the Government must act urgently and outline plans that will see electric shock collars for dogs banned once and for all." Golden hosted a drop-in event at the Scottish Parliament last week for MSPs to pledge their support for an outright ban. The UK Government announced plans in August to ban electronic shock collars for pets and the devices are banned in Wales. Rachel Casey, of the Dogs Trust, said: "We are disappointed that despite previously committing to effectively ban the use of electronic and other aversive training devices, a year later the Scottish Government has only issued guidance about their use. "This means that Scotland's pets are not protected from the negative impacts of using these cruel devices." She said changes could be made to a dog's behaviour through positive reinforcement without the need to use the collars. Lindsay Fyffe-Jardine, of Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, said: "We strongly believe that an outright ban on the use of shock collars is the only outcome that will ensure dogs are protected from the fear and misery these collars bring."
|
Laura Paterson
|
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/calls-outright-ban-electric-shock-13887359
|
2019-01-21 14:11:45+00:00
| 1,548,097,905 | 1,567,551,531 |
human interest
|
animal
|
646,790 |
thedailyrecord--2019-04-01--Irvines Pets at Home launch interactive workshop to keep kids entertained during Easter break
| 2019-04-01T00:00:00 |
thedailyrecord
|
Irvine's Pets at Home launch interactive workshop to keep kids entertained during Easter break
|
The Easter holidays are here and if you are looking for something to do with the kids, why not pop along to Pets at Home in Irvine? The store is running free, interactive ‘My Pet Pals’ workshops, held in store until April 14. The workshops will focus on caring for small furries, such as guinea pigs, gerbils and rabbits, teaching children the responsibilities of owning them but also how rewarding these pets can be and how to care for them. Children will also learn how to interact with them safely too. Taking place every day in stores across Scotland at 11.30am, the workshops are aimed at children between the ages of five to 11 and will be hosted by Pets at Home pet care advisors. A Pets at Home manager said: “The My Pet Pals workshops demonstrate how rewarding pets can be and how to care for them, making sure parents and kids understand pet welfare and responsible pet ownership. It’s a great way of learning how to keep small furries happy and healthy during a fun and hands-on experience!” The workshops will cover the five key welfare needs for each - shelter, food and water, good health, appropriate company and the right living environment. Each workshop lasts 30 minutes and is free to attend.
|
Irvine Herald
|
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/irvines-pets-home-launch-interactive-14219933
|
2019-04-01 15:46:50+00:00
| 1,554,148,010 | 1,567,544,484 |
human interest
|
animal
|
647,259 |
thedailyrecord--2019-04-08--Glasgow dog owners hit with urgent warning as more sick attempts to kill pets discovered
| 2019-04-08T00:00:00 |
thedailyrecord
|
Glasgow dog owners hit with urgent warning as more sick attempts to kill pets discovered
|
Dog owners in Glasgow have been warned to be on the look out after a spate of deliberate attempts to harm their pets. The Scottish SPCA have today revealed that three dogs seemingly ingested poison in Alexandra Park. It comes less than two weeks after dog biscuits were found laced with nails in Anderson in a sickening attempt to harm the animals. And just over a week ago , in another separate incident, we told how dog owner Ross Logan warned others to steer clear of Knightswood Golf Course after his dog ate some food coated in antifreeze. In the latest incident, the Scottish SPCA were alerted by a dog walker who had to seek urgent treatment for the animals in his care after finding food smelling strongly of household cleaner. Inspector Stacey Erwin said: "The person who called found foodstuff, which appeared to be cheese and chicken, smelling very strongly of cleaning products, which could have been antifreeze. "The dogs were immediately taken for the necessary emergency treatment. "Thankfully, they have since been discharged. "This is the second attempt to deliberately harm or kill an animal in Glasgow within days of each other. "This is a criminal offence and Police Scotland have been made aware." The charity are urging the public to be extra vigilant and to report anything suspicious to Police Scotland via 101.
|
Jack Aitchison
|
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/glasgow-dog-owners-hit-urgent-14252884
|
2019-04-08 12:35:49+00:00
| 1,554,741,349 | 1,567,543,596 |
human interest
|
animal
|
653,902 |
thedailyrecord--2019-11-21--Cannibal cat horror as woman jailed for abandoning desperate pets which ate each other
| 2019-11-21T00:00:00 |
thedailyrecord
|
Cannibal cat horror as woman jailed for abandoning desperate pets which ate each other
|
A callous woman whose abandoned, dying cat was forced to eat two other cats to survive has been jailed for 20 weeks. Elizabeth Mary O'Sullivan, 52, selfishly left behind her three pet cats at her old property when she moved home in March. JPs heard when local authority housing officers attended on May 16 they came across the remains of two black and white cats and found another one barely alive. Shocked RPSCA inspectors attended the property in Moseley, Birmingham and were shocked to find the dismembered remains of the two animals on the lounge floor. Another collapsed cat was in a critical condition having only survived without food and water for several weeks by eating the remains of the others and drinking from the toilet. RPSCA Inspector Jonathan Radcliffe took the cat for emergency veterinary treatment where the decision was made to put him to sleep to end his suffering. O'Sullivan was traced to a nearby address 10 days later and was arrested by police but she failed to appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court on two occasions. She was tried and found guilty in her absence last Friday of causing unnecessary suffering to three cats contrary to the Animal Welfare Act 2006. O'Sullivan was arrested two days later and brought before JPs for sentencing on Monday. Magistrates described the case as "appalling" as they banned her from keeping animals for life and ordered her to pay a £150 victim surcharge. Inspector Radcliffe said: "The flat was filthy and the remains of two dismembered cats were on the living room floor. "There was also a cat which was barely alive collapsed nearby. "It appears this cat had survived for weeks without food and water by eating the remains of the other two pets as they had died from starvation and dehydration. "There was no food and water in the flat - but the toilet seat had been left up so the cats may have been able to drink from this, however, as they became weaker they would have been unable to access this water. "It is incomprehensible to think the suffering these pets must have endured and how terrified they must have been for such a long period of time before dying of starvation. "It must have been awful for the remaining cat to watch as the others died in front of him and then he was forced to eat their remains in a desperate attempt to survive. "Sadly this cat was too ill to recover from his ordeal."
|
[email protected] (Ed Chatterton)
|
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/cannibal-cat-horror-woman-jailed-20931257
|
Thu, 21 Nov 2019 21:36:56 +0000
| 1,574,390,216 | 1,574,382,419 |
human interest
|
animal
|
696,496 |
theguardianuk--2019-04-08--Hundreds of activists and pets march in Cuba against animal abuse
| 2019-04-08T00:00:00 |
theguardianuk
|
Hundreds of activists and pets march in Cuba against animal abuse
|
Hundreds of Cubans have marched through Havana calling for an end to animal cruelty, in what organizers believe was the first independent march authorized by the one-party state. Accompanied by their pets, the activists carried placards calling for an animal protection law and chanted “down with animal abuse” as they walked through the central district of Vedado on Sunday to the surprise of curious onlookers. That the communist government authorized ordinary citizens to stage the march could point to an expanding tolerance for Cubans to express their views and even make demands, albeit still within limits, analysts and participants said. Authorities still crack down on opposition attempts to hold demonstrations and detain dissidents who they say are subversives in the pay of the United States, however. It was ironic that the first authorized independent march would be in support of animal and not human rights, but it could be a pilot test for greater freedoms, some march participants said. “This could be the new Cuba,” said organizer Beatriz Batista, a 21-year-old communications student who received a permit for the march from the municipal authority of her Havana borough. Others were more skeptical. “This enables the government to say ‘look how permissive we are’. But is it really?” said dissident artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, who was briefly detained last week over a piece he plans to show on the sidelines of the upcoming Havana Biennial. Previous marches have been largely restricted to those organized by the government to celebrate Cuba’s 1959 leftist revolution or criticize its cold war foe, the United States, religious processions and an annual march by gay rights activists under the umbrella of a government organization. While physical public spaces in Cuba remain tightly controlled, a recent expansion of internet access in what was long one of the western hemisphere’s least connected countries has allowed citizens to mobilize more in the virtual realm. Sunday’s event was publicized on social media and independent online media. “Social media has really brought about miracles,” Batista said. The government appears to have become more tolerant of and even responsive to online activity since Miguel Díaz-Canel replaced Raúl Castro as president last April. In December, the government postponed the full implementation of a decree clamping down on the arts after an online campaign protesting against the law, and rowed back on regulations governing the private sector after entrepreneurs and experts complained. Some participants said they hoped Sunday’s march signaled that people would now be able to take to the streets as well as the web. “Let’s hope this opens the door for more people to be able to hold such initiatives,” said Cuban artist Abu Tamayo.
|
Reuters in Havana
|
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/08/cuba-animal-rights-protest-pets-communist-government
|
2019-04-08 16:50:49+00:00
| 1,554,756,649 | 1,567,543,613 |
human interest
|
animal
|
703,286 |
theguardianuk--2019-06-25--Should pets ever be kept in classrooms
| 2019-06-25T00:00:00 |
theguardianuk
|
Should pets ever be kept in classrooms?
|
Watching duck eggs hatch in a classroom was a “wow” experience that brought the topic to life, says Sarah Holmes, teacher in Derby High School’s primary department. “It was a fantastic opportunity for the children to learn about the life cycle, see the ducklings grow and learn to swim. They also learned to take responsibility for looking after them.” Classrooms across the UK house a wide range of school pets: hamsters, fish, guinea pigs and even tortoises. But though they teach children about nature it is not always a happy story, animal charities say, and it might be teaching children the wrong lessons. In some schools, animals are left alone for long periods, over-handled and farmed out to different homes at weekends. Some die because the school cannot afford vets’ fees, the charities say. They are calling on schools to find other ways of teaching about nature and taking responsibility, perhaps by creating their own wildlife areas instead. The eggs at Derby High came from a company that provided detailed instructions on how to care for the ducklings and took them back to rear, but the service costs money not all schools can afford. Classrooms can be noisy and frightening places for some animals, the RSPCA and the charity Peta (People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals) say. Peta says it hears complaints that animals have died after being forgotten during school holidays, or through accidents in pupils’ homes. “Many teachers who keep classroom pets do so with good intentions. But a classroom simply isn’t a suitable home for an animal, and there are many factors that kind teachers need to consider before bringing one into theirs,” says Elisa Allen, the charity’s director. “The sleep-wake cycles of nocturnal animals, such as mice and hamsters, are disrupted by bright classroom lights and by pupils who disturb sleeping animals by taking them out of their cages and handling them,” she says. The Potteries Guinea Pig Rescue, based in Stoke-on-Trent, has taken in a number of guinea pigs from schools in North Staffordshire that have found themselves unable to care for the animals. “We have taken in many pairs of guinea pigs from schools that were originally classroom pets,” says Helen Chadwick, its founder and rescue manager. “The school thought it was a good idea until the animal experienced health issues and they had to pay for vet treatment. Any pet in school sets an example that caring for animals is part-time. To promote responsible pet ownership we want to see all pets treated as part of the family unit, with their needs catered for 24 hours a day. “It’s vital in an age still so contaminated with animal neglect and cruelty that our generation set an example to children,” she says. “I can’t imagine many things worse than being limited to a cage stuck in a noisy classroom all day.” At Derby High, Holmes says it’s important for children to learn how to care for animals. “Actually seeing the ducklings hatch brings nature to life and makes the topic much more meaningful and purposeful. They absolutely loved having them in class and would check on them regularly making sure they had plenty of food and water.” However, Debs Howe, a former biology teacher who runs Eggucation, an ethical egg hatching company, says that, done responsibly, looking after animals can be an experience children don’t forget. “It inspires them to learn more about the natural world. For children who may have issues accessing the curriculum, often due to autism or emotional or behavioural issues, the hatching of chicks has an incredible effect. “It’s also a fantastic way for children from inner-city schools, who may never have seen farm animals or the countryside, to experience animals and nature and learn how to care for them.” Despite concerns, many schools continue to use animals to teach children about nature and as therapy. The guinea pig Snowball even won praise from Ofsted inspectors at Upton primary, near Halifax, West Yorkshire. Their report said: “Opportunities to look after Snowball, the school pet, inspire pupils to consider their actions and help them understand the importance of being calm and caring.” However, the RSPCA says: “We would discourage educational establishments from attempting to keep and look after animals themselves. We believe that children can be taught about animals without keeping pets in the classroom. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for pets intended to live at a school to require rehoming.” Some schools have solved the problem by using dogs belonging to staff members, parents or friends of the school. Kings Hill primary, in West Malling, Kent, for example, has two dogs – Charlie a therapy dog and Duke, a reading dog. “Children who struggle find it easier to read to Duke, our American cocker spaniel, because he doesn’t correct them and they then start to enjoy the story and are reading for pleasure,” says Georgette Williams, the head of inclusion. “It is our most successful intervention.”
|
Rachel Fraser
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https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/jun/25/should-pets-ever-be-kept-in-classrooms
|
2019-06-25 06:00:47+00:00
| 1,561,456,847 | 1,567,538,209 |
human interest
|
animal
|
707,791 |
theguardianuk--2019-08-13--Dogfishing beware the man who poses with pets on a dating app
| 2019-08-13T00:00:00 |
theguardianuk
|
Dogfishing: beware the man who poses with pets on a dating app
|
Appearance: You are just so cute and adorable! Aren’t you? Yes you are. Yes you ARE! Thanks … I did actually brush my hair today. Not you. Oh. Who’s cute and adorable then? All the dogs on Tinder – and the other dating apps that are available. I thought that Tinder was mainly for humans who date other humans, but I suppose the world moves fast these days … No, you’re right. The dogs themselves aren’t looking for love – at least, no more than usual. They just appear in people’s profile pictures. Ah, I see. I suppose it’s only fair to warn your dates in advance. On the contrary; having a dog is a great way to start a flirty conversation. “Rub my ears”, “lick my face” etc? Well … maybe it gets to that stage eventually. Some research suggests that women are especially likely to find men attractive if they have a dog, perhaps because they see it as evidence of a kind, warm and trustworthy personality. Only a nice guy would willingly share his home with an animal that eats its own sick. Something like that. And men have cottoned on. One study found that about a quarter of men knowingly put their pet in their dating profile as bait. Well, if milady desires it … And a few men have found that borrowing someone else’s dog works just as well. This is “dogfishing”. What? Do you mean to say that some men will exaggerate in order to get laid? I’m afraid so. The Washington Post reports the case of a man in Sydney who lends his dog to his friends for dating purposes. The cad! There’s also a woman who discovered that the dog in her date’s picture wasn’t his, although he wouldn’t admit it face-to-face. “He said something along the lines of: ‘It would’ve been too awkward to bring up’,” she said. Why on earth would people lie about this? Have you tried actually owning a dog? They are noisy, they chew your furniture, they cost a fortune to feed, you have to walk them every day and pick up their faeces, they shed fur everywhere, they bite people, they make your home smell … No, no, I mean, what’s the point of telling a lie that will inevitably be discovered if things go well? I suppose if they can postpone the moment of discovery beyond the having sex stage and into the getting bored of each other stage. I’m shocked and appalled. How can I ever trust a man with a dog again? You could make him produce vets bills, I suppose. Do say: “Scratch my tummy while I roll around on my back.” Don’t say: “Strap a leash around my neck and make me eat from a bowl on the floor.”
|
Guardian Staff
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https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2019/aug/13/gone-dogfishing-men-boost-dating-chances-borrowing-cute-puppy
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2019-08-13 12:46:28+00:00
| 1,565,714,788 | 1,567,534,289 |
human interest
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animal
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712,143 |
theguardianuk--2019-10-13--Are pets really good for us – or just hairy health hazards?
| 2019-10-13T00:00:00 |
theguardianuk
|
Are pets really good for us – or just hairy health hazards?
|
My childhood dog was called Biff. Biff was a handful. He was a loud, cocky shetland sheepdog who oozed bravado and bravery. Yet, underneath it all, he struggled with the dog version of impostor syndrome. Biff was a bag of masked insecurity. He was like the kid in school who says he has seen all the scary movies, but refuses to go to any sleepovers where scary movies are played; the kid who has “a girlfriend at another school”. It was that fragile side I especially loved about Biff during my teenage years. We shared an insecurity that neither of us had the cognitive skills to put into words. This was a friendship – one that lasted as he grew older, grumpier and more infirm. He was an exceptionally licky dog, and loved nothing more than slurping his tongue over our jeans, shoes, socks and coats. Officially, this behaviour was something we attempted to quash – but, every few nights, I would tiptoe into the kitchen and allow him to lick my naked hands and wrists to his heart’s content. For me, the sensation was tickly and calming, and never once disgusting, even though those around me told me it was not a good idea, mainly because it was highly likely that, on any given day, Biff had stuck his snout into some poor fox’s rotting cadaver. I didn’t care. I washed my hands like a surgeon afterwards, obviously. But it was what Biff wanted. I haven’t had a dog since Biff (I’m nearly 40), and my family and I are deciding whether it’s time to get our own dog. This feels like a very big decision. Part of the reason we want a dog is that we want to walk more. We want to be healthier. We want to be happier. But questions flutter anxiously in the pit of my stomach. Will having a pet really make us happier? Will we be healthier? Does having a pet always make us better people? The good news, at face value, is this: if you are looking for proof that having a pet improves your general health, the evidence abounds. For instance, there is plenty about how a bout of pet-stroking can lower your heart rate (and the pet’s), easing your body into a less stressed condition. This seems to apply across the spectrum, from dogs and cats to snakes and goats. And there’s more. There’s evidence from Germany and Australia (sample size: 10,000) that pet-owners make fewer visits to the doctor and, from China, that pet-owners sleep more soundly than those who aren’t. Just last week, the American Heart Association reported that the survival prospects for people who have had heart attacks and strokes are better in dog-owners than in those who are not. There are other bonuses to having pets, especially cats and dogs. Scientists suspect that by roaming the wild and bringing novel bacteria back into our houses, some pets may introduce our immune systems to pathogens we would not otherwise meet, allowing pet-owners (and particularly children) a chance to increase their resistance, while potentially reducing the chances of allergies in later life. A 2015 study investigating the fungal and bacterial communities of 1,200 homes in the US, for instance, found that the presence of dogs and cats led to more variety in 56 and 24 classes of bacterial species respectively. This may explain another study suggesting that exposure to dogs early in a baby’s life may make them 13% less likely to develop asthma. You could also argue that pet ownership helps us to feel better about ourselves. A loving owner can give an animal a far better life than it otherwise would have had: always-friendly faces, constant compassion, cuddles and hands to lick late at night – not just to help pathogenic resistance but just because it makes both parties happier, warmer and more contented residents of planet Earth. That was what Biff and I had. Two species, both with equal rights to the same shared, loving home. Connection. This stuff is hard to measure, but research has shown that dogs and cats see a spike in their levels of the “love molecule” oxytocin when interacting with their owners. If they feel so much affection for us, we must be doing something right. So far so good: it really does seem there’s some truth to the claim that pets are good for us. But closer inspection reveals some problematic and murkier truths. As many academics have pointed out, other factors contribute to our general health – income, for instance, which is inherently linked to pet ownership because pets cost money. Bluntly, the truth behind some of these studies may simply be that those with more money can, on the whole, afford the luxuries of good health and pet ownership. One large-scale study in California involving 5,200 families failed to find a relationship between owning a pet and overall health after correcting for income and the affluency of the local neighbourhood. Other studies have had similar results. And some even suggest pets are bad for us. One study of 21,000 people in Finland, for instance, suggested that pet owners are more, not less, likely to have higher blood pressure and cholesterol levels. If you really want to go there, there are some pretty alarming downsides to pet ownership. In England, for instance, between 6,000 and 7,000 people are admitted to hospital for dog bites each year. Tripping over pets is another potential danger – each year, this sends an estimated 87,000 people to hospitals in the US, particularly elderly people. And what of the parasites that pets bring into the house – the fleas, ticks and mites? And the potentially fatal diseases they can transmit to humans, from pathogens such as salmonella (from reptiles) and capnocytophaga that can be passed to humans in cat and dog saliva? For many people, the answer to whether pets are good for us is clearly no – although, to be fair, you are far more likely to be exposed to disease or violence by another human than by a dog, cat or pygmy hedgehog. There are emotional downsides, too. One of the often forgotten aspects of pet ownership is having to care for animals into their old age, sometimes dealing with diseases that last months or years. Assuming you are a responsible pet owner, who takes this as seriously as you would caring for a human family member, this is a heavy emotional burden. A 2017 study involving 238 human participants found that pet owners with chronically ill pets had higher levels of stress and anxiety, coupled with a lower quality of life. And after death? My guess is that a family grieving for their recently dead cat is not going to appear in an advert for Pets at Home any time soon. But there is probably no more damning indictment of the idea that pets always make us happier than the fact that so many of us get an animal, only to give them up weeks, months or years later. This is especially true for “designer” and “handbag” dogs: in the past seven years, the number of chihuahuas in RSPCA rescue centres has risen by 700%; dachshunds are up 600% and pomeranians up 440%. You need only scour dogsofinstagram for a few moments to see how often certain dog breeds are viewed as lifestyle accessories rather than living, breathing animals with greater needs than colour-coordinated doggy pop-socks and collar. If we were able to put all these pros and cons into a melting pot and come up with a definitive answer to the question of whether or not pets are good for us, what would the answer be? The answer would be … complicated. Because humans and our circumstances are so universally mixed up and complex. The simple truth is that having a pet has good and bad sides, and it may not be for everyone. Which means we have a duty to think carefully before acquiring one. We need to imagine the good times we might have with a pet and to consider the bad times, too: the insecurity, the grumpiness in old age, the infirmity. I think I have talked my way out of having a dog. If so, that’s OK. Loving animals doesn’t mean you have to have one. Ask not what a pet can do for you, but what you can do for a pet.
|
Jules Howard
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https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/oct/13/are-pets-really-good-for-us-or-just-hairy-health-hazards
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Sun, 13 Oct 2019 14:00:09 GMT
| 1,570,989,609 | 1,571,006,776 |
human interest
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animal
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747,066 |
theindependent--2019-02-13--Cat killer hunted by police after pets aposmutilatedapos with cigarette lighter
| 2019-02-13T00:00:00 |
theindependent
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Cat killer hunted by police after pets 'mutilated' with cigarette lighter
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A cat killer is alleged to have been targeting pets in a Devon town, with five found “mutilated” on the same street over 18 months. Four cats have died following apparent attacks in Roundham Round, Paignton, since summer 2017. A fifth was left badly injured. The RSPCA has launched an investigation into the “really distressing incidents,” which it said “would've caused these poor cats to suffer”. One of the cats, named Taiyou, appeared to have had his genitals burned with a cigarette lighter in attack in November, reported Devon Live. He died last month of complications from the injuries, which police believe were inflicted in a "deliberate act". "I first noticed when the owners brought them in that he had burnt, singed whiskers," said vet Chris Bamford, who examined Taiyou. He told the BBC: "That's quite a common abusive injury that we see in cats and from that I then did a full examination and then once I lifted up the tail it was pretty nasty." Taiyou’s owners, Yvonne and Phil Harrison, said their other cat Ziggy was also attacked in summer 2017 and again in March 2018, when he died of his injuries. Ms Harrison said it was “heatbreaking” to see her pets “mutilated”. “Somebody would have used their love of people and being so sociable to be able to capture them and do something that horrific to them,” she added. Another cat which lived in Roundham Round suffered crushed vertebra, which a vet said could not have been caused by a car, early last year. A fourth suffered devastating internal injuries just before Christmas. An RSPCA spokeswoman told The Independent: “These are really distressing incidents which are deeply upsetting for the owners and would've caused these poor cats to suffer. “We are concerned about these reports and would urge anyone with information to get in contact with us on our inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018." The suspected attacks have also been reported to Devon and Cornwall Police. Feline Network, a Paignton-based cat rescue charity, has launched an online appeal to fund a reward. More than £1,250 has been raised so far to pay for information which leads to a conviction. In September, the Metropolitan Police closed a three-year investigation into hundreds of reported cat killings after determining the culprit was likely to have been foxes. The force launched the probe in 2015 in response to fears about the so-called Croydon cat killer, who was said to have been targeting pets in the south London borough and beyond. The hunt made headlines around the world before Scotland Yard concluded the animals had probably been run over by vehicles and mutilated by scavenging foxes. But South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty, a shelter which had been involved in the police probe, disputed the Met’s findings and vowed to continue investigating cat deaths. We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. At The Independent, no one tells us what to write. That’s why, in an era of political lies and Brexit bias, more readers are turning to an independent source. Please support us and enjoy extra exclusives, events, ebooks – all with no ads. The Brexit deal for you. Subscribe now.
|
Chris Baynes
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http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/devon-cat-killer-paignton-roundham-road-croydon-rspca-a8777536.html
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2019-02-13 15:31:00+00:00
| 1,550,089,860 | 1,567,548,652 |
human interest
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animal
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753,812 |
theindependent--2019-04-02--aposDog Suicide Bridgeapos Why do so many pets keep leaping into a Scottish gorge
| 2019-04-02T00:00:00 |
theindependent
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'Dog Suicide Bridge': Why do so many pets keep leaping into a Scottish gorge?
|
“I was sure she was dead,” Lottie Mackinnon says quietly. Mackinnon is sitting huddled in the corner of a cafe with her two children, sipping hot chocolate as she describes the day three years ago when she was walking with her border collie Bonnie on Overtoun Bridge in Dumbarton, Scotland. “Something overcame Bonnie as soon as we approached the bridge,” Mackinnon says. “At first she froze, but then she became possessed by a strange energy and ran and jumped right off the parapet.” A bewitched dog lured to leap off a bridge by a malevolent force? It sounds like a preposterous scene straight from an old Twilight Zone episode. But Mackinnon’s dog is one of hundreds that Scots insist have suddenly been compelled to throw themselves off the gothic stone structure since the 1950s. Many have ended up dead on the jagged rocks in the deep valley bed below. Residents of Dumbarton, which is northwest of Glasgow, began calling Overtoun, a century-old bridge that stretches across a 50ft gorge, the “dog suicide bridge”. Mackinnon, who grew up in the neighbouring village of Milton, winced at the memory of scurrying down the gorge through the trees and the bushes in a desperate hunt for Bonnie. When she approached the dog, Bonnie started to whimper and eventually tried to stand up. “It was a miracle that she survived,” she says. In a land rife with superstitions, myths and monsters – Scotland is the land of the Loch Ness legend, after all – the bridge has been at the centre of an enduring mystery. Why do so many dogs jump? Local researchers estimate more than 300 have sailed off the bridge; tabloid reports say it’s 600. At least 50 dogs are said to have died. Some say there are rational explanations involving the terrain and the scents of mammals in the gorge that may drive the dogs into a frenzy. Other explanations take on a more paranormal tone. The bridge’s location, hushed, lush and sometimes still, fits the description of what the pagan Celts called a “thin place”, a mesmerising spot where heaven and earth overlap. “People in Dumbarton are very superstitious,” says Alastair Dutton, a local taxi driver. “We grew up playing in the Overtoun grounds, and we believe in ghosts here because we’ve all seen or felt spirits up here.” The leaps inspired an episode of the American TV series The Unexplained Files. An entire book is dedicated to exploring the phenomenon. But despite all this attention, the mystery lives on. From a distance, it seems as if the ornate Victorian bridge, built in 1895, is a mere extension of the driveway of an adjoining 19th-century manor built in Dumbarton by a wealthy industrialist, James White. Closer still, one can make out the bridge’s three archways spanning a small river, the Overtoun Burn. Standing in the middle, on the bridge’s blackened granite parapets, it is easy to forget the space beneath falls away into the deep gorge. In the manor nearby, the current tenant, Bob Hill, says he and his wife had seen several dogs suddenly dive off the bridge since they moved into the property, now called Overtoun House, more than 17 years ago. But Hill, a pastor from Texas who runs a local centre for women in crisis, has an earthbound explanation: the smell of small animals scurrying around in the gorge below the bridge drives the dogs into a frenzy, then they break free of leashes – if they’re on any – and jump. “The dogs catch the scent of mink, pine martens or some other mammal, and then they will jump up on the wall of the bridge,” Hill says. “And because it’s tapered, they will just topple over.” Still, he allowed, the Overtoun grounds are “more spiritual than other parts”. “Scotland is kind of a place where there is a lot of the supernatural, and it is very common in people’s lives,” he adds. Paul Owens, a teacher of religion and philosophy in Glasgow, grew up in a town close to the bridge and recently published a book about the mystery. When it comes to an explanation for the leaping dogs, he is firmly in the supernatural camp. “After 11 years of research, I’m convinced it’s a ghost that is behind all of this,” he declares, while sitting outside a pub on a drizzly day in Glasgow. Owens’ theory is popular among some local residents, who grew up hearing stories about the “White Lady of Overtoun”, also known as the grieving widow of John White, James’ son. “The lady lived alone in grief for more than 30 years after her husband died in 1908,” says Marion Murray, a Dumbarton resident. “Her ghost has been lurking around here ever since. She’s been sighted in windows and walking around the grounds.” In 2010, animal behaviourist David Sands investigated the phenomenon and ruled out the possibility that the animals were deliberately killing themselves. His experiments at the bridge found that dogs – especially long-nosed breeds – were drawn to the scent of mammals below. Sands theorised that the dogs’ limited perspective, their ignorance that the path changes from level ground to a bridge spanning a deep gorge and the smells wafting through the air probably enticed the dogs to jump. But even he acknowledged that the bridge has a “strange feeling”. Some residents found his theory plausible, but many here still take the position that the leaps are inexplicable. They question why the phenomenon does not occur at the same rate at other bridges in Britain where mammals roam below. Despite the macabre reputation, the Overtoun grounds remain a popular dog-walking area, and many of the animals are off leash. “Many people don’t believe in the story until they see it for themselves, and even then they don’t think it will happen to them,” says Hill. One day, Emma Dunlop, who says she had heard “the horror stories”, took her labrador retriever Ginger for a walk to Overtoun anyway. She did not let him out of her station wagon until he was on a leash. “He’s never tried to jump,” she says, “but sometimes he freezes or hesitates when he gets on the bridge, so I’m always careful.” Ginger jumped from the car, raced around his owner and headed straight towards Overtoun Bridge, crossing it without any hesitation. But then Ginger froze, looking back intently at something on the bridge, which appeared empty to human eyes. “Aye, there she is – there’s the White Lady,” Dunlop says with a laugh. We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. At The Independent, no one tells us what to write. That’s why, in an era of political lies and Brexit bias, more readers are turning to an independent source. Subscribe from just 15p a day for extra exclusives, events and ebooks – all with no ads.
|
Ceylan Yeginsu
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https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/dog-suicide-bridge-scotland-dumbarton-scottish-gorge-a8849146.html
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2019-04-02 11:09:15+00:00
| 1,554,217,755 | 1,567,544,310 |
human interest
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animal
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776,647 |
theindependent--2019-11-21--Woman who abandoned starving cat to eat other pets jailed
| 2019-11-21T00:00:00 |
theindependent
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Woman who abandoned starving cat to eat other pets jailed
|
A woman has been jailed after two of her pet cats starved to death and a third was forced to eat their remains. Housing officers found one feline in critical condition and another two dead when they visited Elizabeth Mary O’Sullivan’s Birmingham flat in May, according to the RSCPA. Inspector Jonathan Radcliffe and took the living cat to a vet, who put it down. The owner had left her flat in Moseley two or three months beforehand, Birmingham Magistrates’ Court was told. O’Sullivan was found guilty in her absence of one animal welfare offence. Mr Radcliffe said: “It appears this cat had survived for weeks without food and water by eating the remains of the other two pets as they had died from starvation and dehydration.” He said the flat contained no food or water. “The toilet seat had been left up so the cats may have been able to drink from this,” he said. “However, as they became weaker, they would have been unable to access this water. “It is incomprehensible to think the suffering these pets must have endured and how terrified they must have been.” O’Sullivan has been given 20 weeks in jail and a lifetime ban on keeping all animals, the RSPCA said.
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Zoe Tidman
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https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/starving-cat-eat-birmingham-rspca-elizabeth-mary-osullivan-moseley-a9212606.html
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Thu, 21 Nov 2019 16:54:14 GMT
| 1,574,373,254 | 1,574,382,846 |
human interest
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animal
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777,577 |
theindependent--2019-12-02--How therapy pets can be a powerful way to help children in need
| 2019-12-02T00:00:00 |
theindependent
|
How therapy pets can be a powerful way to help children in need
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Pets, especially dogs and cats, can have amazing therapeutic benefits for children and young people with complex emotional and behavioural needs. Ben*, a shy child who couldn’t bear the gaze of another human, whether child or adult, was smiling for the first time anyone knew. The little boy, barely 10 years old, had experienced such severe trauma in his family background that it had left an indelible mark on his nascent personality. But, now, he was slowly but most certainly and surprisingly coming out of his shell as he reached forward again to caress the tufty mane of Lola, a five-year-old alpaca. His eyes sparkled as Lola bobbed her head towards his arms looking for more affection. Ben gazed lovingly at Lola and told her she was a ‘good girl’. Weeks later he started to trust his surroundings more and even started to speak to people, other children and adults too. He opened up and started healing, and learning to live life on life’s terms. Ben is a young resident at one of Calcot Services for Children’s (www.csfc.co.uk) residential care homes called The Lodge. The homes, based in Berkshire and Hampshire, provide 52 weeks a year care and accommodation for looked-after children who have emotional, social and behavioural difficulties. Young people admitted to the homes can vary in age between five years and 18 years, and all have complex emotional and behavioural requirements. Each of the homes uses pet therapy to help the children heal emotionally, and emerge into the world more confidently with a greater degree of trust in others. Ben’s remarkable transformation is one example of the healing power of animals and how exposure in a care environment to their innocence and patient kindness can transform young lives scarred by trauma, or made unbearable by emotional or behavioural difficulties. Children on the autism spectrum who find it difficult, if not impossible, to navigate their challenging emotional worlds, find pet therapy particularly beneficial. The simple act of stroking an animal can have calming effects and even help to regulate blood pressure. Young Ben’s remarkable emotional journey was assisted by the resident alpacas which he helped to care for and love. Rachel Redgwell, managing director at Calcot Services for Children, explains: “The alpacas were an amazing tool to support self-regulation and an aura of calm when Ben needed it most. Many a moment of sadness, frustration, anger and deep thought was spent in the alpaca field with Ben often spending long periods of time sitting and laying with his dear friends. Living alongside the alpacas taught Ben that there were alternative ways to cope with and manage big feelings. The bond between Ben and the alpacas was clear to see and indeed the most difficult part of Ben’s transition onto a long-term placement was to process and prepare for the end of living alongside the alpacas.” Dogs, alpacas and chickens are animals that are deployed particularly in therapeutic environments to help children and young people. The feelings of acceptance and comfort that an animal can bring are what carers describe as close to “miraculous”. Rachel adds: “For young people experiencing a period of crisis, often including some level of rejection or trauma, it was important for us to have a way in which they could have positive experiences of relationships in an enjoyable and non-threatening way. For some young people, it is appreciated that developing relationships and attachments with other humans is much too difficult, too painful and too complex.” Children on the autism spectrum suffering sensory overload or full-blown meltdowns can benefit from pet or animal-assisted therapy. Esteemed child psychologist Brian Levinson observed how the presence of a dog helped to strengthen an autistic child’s connection with their environment. Levinson found that when he brought his dog Jingles along to sessions with his patients, they were much more responsive and made efforts to initiate conversations. Children with autism who have dogs as pets are also often able to form strong social bonds with the animals which can help when it comes to socialising with peers and adults. Another organisation, the charity Parent and Child Together North East (www.pactne.co.uk), a supported housing project for vulnerable families, based in a semi-rural location on the edge of Darlington, County Durham also deploys animals in therapeutic ways. The families who live there are vulnerable for a variety of different reasons, including challenging home lives. The charity provides comfortable family homes and support includes parenting training, counselling, advice and guidance, and recreational and occupational activities. They live in well-equipped wooden cabins and enjoy plenty of space and fresh air as well as the company of goats, alpacas, chickens and a dog. Mick Sutcliffe, operations manager of the project, says the families all enjoy the company of the various animals but it’s the dog (a rather portly schnauzer called Schubert) who has the most therapeutic impact on the families. “Everyone knows him, plays with him, talks to him ... and feeds him,” he says. Denzel, a bichon frise, was brought into Pondview as a therapeutic pet, the first pet for Calcot Services for Children. Before Denzil was allowed to live at the home, its managers had to submit evidence to their insurance company that proved the children could look after him; this included a stint of charity dog walking. Denzel has been living at Pondview for almost five years and is an amazing attribute to the home. The five-year old dog has seen a number of children move in and later move on from the home upon their own progression, he has provided so much comfort and love to all children placed at Pondview. An example of Denzel’s love and therapeutic input into others’ lives has been particularly evidenced with one child; we will call her ‘Mary’. Mary was someone who moved to live at Pondview not wanting to engage with adults and was very ‘closed off’. Mary was instantly drawn to Denzel and they would spend a great deal of their time together. Mary had said that she could talk to Denzel and he would understand and not ‘judge’ her. There were many times when they would spend quiet time together, the adults would seek both out and find them together. There was a time when Mary would open up to adults and become upset and at times distressed. Denzel would go straight to her to provide comfort, knowing that she was upset. There were also times when Mary only wanted to be with Denzel and this was respected as a great form of therapy and calming time for her. The bond between the two has grown and developed and Mary refers to Denzel as ‘her dog’. They adore one another and recently Mary moved on from Pondview and was given a cushion with his puppy picture on it; this sits on her bed in her new home as a comforting cushion for her. Mary will continue to see Denzel and he will be taken for visits to maintain their loving relationship and ensure Mary still has him in her life. Whether a dog, goat or alpaca, the unconditional love and companionship of an animal can bring enormous therapeutic benefits. The remarkable journeys of the children and young people in the care of organisations that are investing the time and other resources in mining this rich therapeutic seam are surely testament to that. *Names have been changed to protect identities. Marie Carter is the Editor of Pets Magazine (www.petsmag.co.uk), a digital magazine for pet-owners. Follow Pets Magazine on Twitter: www.twitter.com/pets_mag Follow Pets Magazine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/petsmag.co.uk
|
Marie Carter
|
https://www.independent.co.uk/health_and_wellbeing/therapy-pets-children-animal-health-dog-llama-a9204116.html
|
Mon, 02 Dec 2019 15:15:55 GMT
| 1,575,317,755 | 1,575,333,261 |
human interest
|
animal
|
781,403 |
theindependent--2019-12-29--New Year's Eve: How to keep pets calm during midnight fireworks
| 2019-12-29T00:00:00 |
theindependent
|
New Year's Eve: How to keep pets calm during midnight fireworks
|
Firework displays are being held across the world on New Year’s Eve, but while most people love dazzling pyrotechnics, most domestic pets do not. The RSPCA estimates that almost half of all household dogs in the UK exhibit signs of fear when they hear fireworks. This may be due to the fact that dogs can hear four times the distance of a human and are able to pick up higher pitched sounds at a frequency range of 67-45,000 Hz. “It is natural for dogs to be afraid of loud noises,” according to renowned dog behaviourist César Millán. “The sounds trigger their nervous systems, and they can become anxious or afraid.” He said that bright flashes and vivid smells can make fireworks even more overwhelming for the creatures. As a result several animal charities and pet owners have been urging others to keep their pets as calm when the clock strikes 12 on New Year’s Eve and they have issued guidance on how you keep your pet feels as calm and soothed as possible when the fireworks go off. Here’s what they suggest for various pets: If you know that your dog is likely to feel anxious when the fireworks start, there are some preparatory measures you can take to help ease the stress later on. Animal welfare charity Dogs Trust has advised people to walk their dogs before it becomes dark so they won’t need the toilet when the fireworks begin. It also suggests making sure your house and garden is secure, as your dog may try to run away if it is feeling particularly unsettled. Providing your dog with a “safe hiding place” in an area of your home where they feel especially comfortable could also help to ease their suffering. When the dog is in this area, make sure closed the curtains and turned on the TV or radio in order to lessen the sounds emitted by the fireworks. While the fireworks are going off, it is important not to leave your dog alone, as they may become frightened without your company. Stay with them until the fireworks end and perhaps keep it occupied by playing games. Fireworks can cause cats to become quite skittish, and as such it is essential to think about their safety. The Blue Cross animal charity recommends keeping your cat indoors during the fireworks. “Before fireworks season begins, get your pet microchipped and, if they already are, check your contact details are up to date,” the organisation says. “This is really important as it gives you the best chance of being reunited with your cat if they become spooked and get lost amid the bangs and crashes.” As with dogs, you can make your cat feel more at ease during the fireworks by putting on the TV or radio to muffle the sound and closing the curtains. In order to make sure your cat stays indoors, the charity advises blocking off your cat flaps. Your cat may want to roam the house or stay put in a safe space. While horses may be used to loud noises as they spend so much time outdoors, they can still become scared by fireworks. According to the British Horse Society, if you are planning on setting of fireworks, whether in a large display or in your back garden, you should inform local horse owners in advance and "and reconsider setting off fireworks if horses are located close by". "If there is a local fireworks display to be held near your horses, ask if it can either be moved to a more suitable location, or held as far from the horses as possible," the society states. If you own a horse, you can make your horse feel safe by letting it stay in an environment it’s familiar with, whether that’s in the field or in the stable. If it remains outdoors, you must check the fencing around the enclosure for any signs of gapping. If it stays indoors, then you should check the horse’s surroundings for anything that may cause it harm, such as metal nails or string. Ensure that yourself or someone experienced stays with your horse if you know that fireworks are being set off to try and keep them calm,” the British Horse Society says. The organisation also recommends playing music on a radio to keep the horse calm if they’re in the stable. This will prove most effective if the horse has listened to music on a radio before. Small animals such as rabbits or guinea pigs that are being kept in a cage or pen outside will need to either be moved to an indoor location or have their outdoor enclosures soundproofed. Veterinary charity the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals advises partly covering outdoor hutches and cages with blankets. This will slightly muffle the sound of the fireworks, while still providing the animals with some space to peek outside their cage if they wish. It may be advisable to move the hutch or cage to a garage or shed. A lot of bedding for the animal so they feel safe and snug, is also recommended.
|
Sabrina Barr
|
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/new-years-eve-fireworks-dog-cat-pet-calm-how-to-owner-a8704991.html
|
Sun, 29 Dec 2019 12:30:00 GMT
| 1,577,640,600 | 1,577,623,778 |
human interest
|
animal
|
791,152 |
theirishtimes--2019-12-16--Dogs Trust pauses adoptions of rescue pets until after Christmas
| 2019-12-16T00:00:00 |
theirishtimes
|
Dogs Trust pauses adoptions of rescue pets until after Christmas
|
The largest dog welfare charity in Ireland has paused canine adoptions until next year in order to discourage well-meaning but ill-prepared people from getting a rescue pet this Christmas. The Dogs Trust, which coined the phrase “a dog is for life, not just for Christmas” more than 40 years ago, has suspended its dog re-homing service from today until January 4th. It is also bringing the curtain down on its weekly Puppy Cam until the same date, stressing that Christmas was a bad time to take on a dog, especially a puppy. The charity highlighted the importance of dogs being provided with basic training and positive socialisation experiences in the first few months to set them up for the best start in life. It said many people, even those with the best of intentions, were simply unable to provide this at a busy time like Christmas. Since the beginning of the year, Dogs Trust has received 2,135 calls and emails from the public seeking to surrender dogs, with 667 of these in the first three months of the year. January continues to have the highest number of surrenders, with 189 calls and 47 emails received by the charity in the first month of this year. The main reason people gave when looking to give up a dog was that they did not have enough time to look after it. While rehoming has been suspended, the charity’s centre in Finglas will remain open to the public over Christmas so dogs looking for homes can be visited and the rehoming process can begin with a view to adoptions in the New Year. “Each year we are saddened and worried by the number of people looking to relinquish their dog, especially in the first few months after Christmas,” Dogs Trust executive director Becky Bristow said. Ms Bristow expressed the hope that by spreading the message that it would remind people that “a dog is a long-term commitment and will encourage people to wait and consider adding a dog to their family in the New Year instead, when the festivities have died down”.
| null |
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/dogs-trust-pauses-adoptions-of-rescue-pets-until-after-christmas-1.4116229
|
Mon, 16 Dec 2019 00:11:00 +0000
| 1,576,473,060 | 1,576,455,915 |
human interest
|
animal
|
795,735 |
themanchestereveningnews--2019-02-19--Farmer urges dog owners to keep their pets on a lead after a sheep was left with these horrific inju
| 2019-02-19T00:00:00 |
themanchestereveningnews
|
Farmer urges dog owners to keep their pets on a lead after a sheep was left with these horrific injuries
|
These images show the horrific injuries inflicted on a sheep following a dog attack. The poor creature was discovered by farm staff at Higher Knoll Farm, in Rivington, Bolton, early this morning. It is believed the Swaledale sheep was attacked late last night or in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The three-year-old ewe was in lamb and the babies have also died. Farmer Megan Needham shared the images on her Facebook page and urged dog owners to keep their pets on a lead when walking in the Rivington area. She said the farm has lost ten sheep since the start of January due to dog attacks and said it has become a regular occurence. Megan, 27, told the M.E.N: "A lot of people come at the weekends, not just locally but from surrounding areas. They have no respect or no knowledge. They don't understand. Even little dogs, they can kill a sheep because they chase it and they die of shock. "My dad went out to feed them and found her. It has happened late last night or first thing this morning as the blood was not clotted. "She was badly injured. We had to put her to sleep." Megan added: "Please be respectful. If your dog hasn't got a good recall on it always have it on a lead. "If you are walking through a field footpath put it on a lead, you may not know if there is a sheep there and unfortunately it is the dog's instinct. "It is just common sense, but unfortunately these days there is a lot of disobedient dogs. "We have reported it to police. They have given us signs to put up, but as far as patrolling they haven't got the resources to do anything about that. "The owners do not report it to us. They just get the dog and go off. It is very frustrating and upsetting." She said the deaths affect the farm business financially, with a male sheep costing £400 recently having to be put down after a similar attack. Lancashire Constabulary confirmed they are investigating following the latest attack. A spokeswoman said: "We were called just after 12pm today to an address on Rivington Lane. "A Swaledale ewe has been badly hurt by a dog and has had to be put to sleep. We are investigating." Any witnesses or anyone with further information can contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111.
|
Alexandra Rucki
|
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/sheep-attack-rivington-dog-farm-15853588
|
2019-02-19 17:14:05+00:00
| 1,550,614,445 | 1,567,548,033 |
human interest
|
animal
|
820,215 |
thepoke--2019-01-24--People are sharing the nicknames they give their pets and its todays loveliest thread
| 2019-01-24T00:00:00 |
thepoke
|
People are sharing the nicknames they give their pets and it’s today’s loveliest thread
|
It turns out that the name people give their pets isn’t actually, you know, the name they called their pet. We know this because people have been taking to Twitter to share their pets’ names – and what they really call them. Not only are they very funny, it might also be today’s loveliest thread. Here are the best.
|
John Plunkett
|
https://www.thepoke.co.uk/2019/01/24/people-sharing-nicknames-give-pets-todays-loveliest-thread/
|
2019-01-24 09:33:44+00:00
| 1,548,340,424 | 1,567,551,023 |
human interest
|
animal
|
925,245 |
thesun--2019-01-11--Cat owners are harnessing their pets for a daily stroll and giving surprised passers-by paws for tho
| 2019-01-11T00:00:00 |
thesun
|
Cat owners are harnessing their pets for a daily stroll and giving surprised passers-by paws for thought
|
IT is the hot new catwalk fashion – walking actual cats. More and more owners are harnessing their pets for a daily stroll and giving surprised passers-by paws for thought. The move is inspired by flat-dwellers wanting their indoor cats to enjoy time outdoors, and by cat owners who want to exercise their animals without letting them run riot attacking wildlife. Cat walkies have also been championed by US writer David Grimm, who has declared: “Today’s indoor cat is a tiger robbed of his dominion – a Lamborghini left idling in the garage.” Here, Amy Jones meets five devoted owners who explain why they’ve chosen to take the lead . . . SARAH DUFFY, 39, from South West London, reckons 20-month-old Ragdoll cat Pippin is more like a puppy. Media worker Sarah says: “I TAKE him everywhere with me on the lead – even to Kent when I’m visiting my boyfriend. People sometimes stop to pet him and then gasp when they realise he’s a cat not a dog. I think they find it amusing but I don’t mind. Pippin just loves the attention. Getting him was the best thing I’ve ever done. I had actually wanted to get a dog initially but realised it wasn’t practical because I live in a first-floor flat and was working long hours at the time. Cats are stereotyped as being cold sometimes but Pippin is nothing like that. He follows me everywhere and loves to play. We even play fetch whenever I take him out to the park and he loves it. I’ll throw a ball and he’ll run and get it and bring it back to me, just as a dog would.” AMY McLEAN, 26, lives in Hampstead, North London, with four-year-old cat Lady Medora Byron. Writer Amy says: "I USED to walk Medora as a kitten but only now and again – then when she was nine months old she went missing for three days. When she finally returned home I decided it would be better for her to go out for her walks on a lead. They’re definitely the favourite part of her day. Whenever I get her harness out she meows with excitement. She loves all the different sights and smells. She even likes dogs. She’ll try and follow them around which they usually aren’t too keen on. I’d had lots of people come up to me and say they wish their cats would walk on a lead. It’s definitely a conversation starter. If anyone is thinking about walking their cat, I’d say to start them young so they can get used to the harness. And understand that the cat walks you!" MAT OMBLER walks his one-eyed rescue cat Kenny, two, around the block every day. Media professional Mat, 26, from Hull, says: "WHEN I first got Kenny, I let him out in the garden and he was soon disappearing. That’s fine for a normal cat but I wasn’t happy with him roaming on his own because of his impaired vision. So I decided to try walking him on the lead – and he loved it. I’ve been very affectionate with him since he was a kitten, so he tends to follow me on the lead very obediently. He follows me around when I’m home, so that works quite well with walking him outside. We do get strange looks, which I understand given that I’ve got a one-eyed cat on a lead. Whenever I see a dog, I pick Kenny up. But because of his poor vision he doesn’t often notice them, so he stays relatively calm." JOSIE PARISH, 27, of Bristol, has two Maine Coon cats, Audrey Lily, one, and King Louie, nine months. Police dispatcher Josie says: "I SADLY lost a few cats while growing up due to them being run over, so I wanted to protect these two. This means keeping them as indoor cats – but of course it’s in their nature to go outside so we started walking them on a harness as a compromise. My partner James and I take them into the woods, and they love sniffing around and splashing in the stream. We get a few odd looks and comments, but overall people tend to think it’s cute or funny. We keep them on a short lead so I can grab them easily if there are any dogs around. Maine Coons are big, strong cats, so it’s sort of like having dogs anyway. They’re too big for a cat carrier, so if we need to take them along to anywhere we walk them or put them in a backpack." NICK HARDING, 49, lives in Ashtead, Surrey, with wife Stephanie, 39, and their two-year-old cat Barry. Author Nick says: "IF you told me ten years ago that one day I would walk a cat on a lead in a park, I’d have laughed in your face. I hated cats. But then I met my wife and she made us buy one. Barry is a two-year-old pedigree Bengal and is free to wander outside, but he still likes getting his cat harness on and going for a stroll. Because he’s not that smart, he doesn’t walk to heel and tends to dart off after birds – particularly pigeons which he hates. For this reason I use a retractable lead. The kids down the park with their status dogs snigger at us. But they’re just jealous. As cats are so choosy about where they do their business, I walk him knowing I won’t have to trudge after him with pockets full of warm filled plastic bags. "
|
pbarden
|
https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/8168253/cat-owners-are-walking-their-pets/
|
2019-01-11 01:21:19+00:00
| 1,547,187,679 | 1,567,552,930 |
human interest
|
animal
|
927,054 |
thesun--2019-01-15--Brace yourself and your pets for the big freeze with cosy but not costly outfits plus bargain 95
| 2019-01-15T00:00:00 |
thesun
|
Brace yourself and your pets for the big freeze with cosy but not costly outfits — plus bargain £9.50 breaks with The Sun
|
THE big Brrr-itish freeze expected today is bad news for humans and canines alike – but keeping cosy does not have to be costly. We asked our Sun Savers to share their top tips on staying toasty . . . Sumaira B Rashid, from Hounslow, West London, says: “I raided the January sales for bargains that will work now and next winter. New Look have got a great sale. My daughter’s coat was just £9, down from £35.” My tip: Don’t forget to check the supermarkets, too. Get a burgundy hooded padded coat for £12, down from £25. That’s a £13 saving. Samara Twigger, from Clevedon, Somerset, says: “Charity Shops are great for bargain winter gear. I’ve even found ones that sell jumpers for a pound, along with scarves as well.” My tip: I’m obsessed with Oxfam online where you can pick up pre-loved cashmere jumpers from top stores such as John Lewis for around £16. Pascal Middlemiss, from Wisbech, Cambs, says: “Rather than forking out on a heavier coat, try wearing two extra layers under a jacket.” My tip: Layering up is a great idea but don’t forget your pets. Canada Pooch does cosy coats for dogs for £30 but I’ve found a much cheaper version at B&M, where they’re just £5.99. Maxine Kirk, from Pocklington, East Yorks, says: “Definitely try browsing Facebook groups or eBay for bargains. Buying new coats is expensive, especially for kids. “People buy them and hardly wear them and then sell them. I have bought all-weather coats for my kids and then sold them for only a few quid or given them away to family or friends in need — people are usually happy to do so with essentials such as coats.” My tip: Facebook market-place is a great place to shop but I find bargains by searching “bundle” on eBay. I found three coats for girls aged three to four starting at £1.50. TREAT yourself to a takeaway with TopCashback offering new customers £15 cashback at Pizza Hut. POT your plants in this Gold Tone Planter from studio.co.uk, instead of this Spun Metal Standing Planter from westelm.co.uk. GO healthy with Weight Watchers ready meals on offer in Asda. Was £2.50, now £2. TUCK into a Balti Chicken Naanster on offer in Sainsbury’s. Was £2, now £1.50. Join thousands of readers taking part in the new Sun Savers Raffle. Every Sun Savers code you enter will earn you a ticket for our £15k monthly Raffle. And for every ten tickets you collect in a calendar month, you get a GOLDEN TICKET for our £80k Raffle, which takes place every three months. There is no limit to how many tickets you can collect. So the more you enter, the better your chances. To take part go to sunsavers.co.uk or open the Sun Savers app. Then opt in to each month’s Raffle by clicking “Yes!” when prompted and start collecting the Sun Savers codes printed daily in the paper. Every time you scan or enter a code into Sun Savers, you get a Raffle ticket in the £15k Raffle. Not yet a Sun Savers member? Just go to sunsavers.co.uk or find “Sun Savers” in the app store to get started. YOU can get FREE cash with super Sun Savers just for buying your favourite paper. Our brilliant new rewards club will pay back our most loyal readers. Just pick up the paper each day to collect your Sun Savers codes and we will GIVE YOU £5 when you have collected 28. This isn’t a one-off and there is no limit to how much cash you can save. For every 28 codes you enter, we will give you a fiver. So over the course of a year, that could add up to £65. We are keeping it super-simple. You don’t have to enter codes from consecutive days, so don’t worry if you forget a day or two. Download our easy Sun Savers app and quickly scan your code using your smartphone. Or go online and enter your code at sunsavers.co.uk. To get you on your way, join today and we will put a bonus £1 in your Sun Savers wallet tomorrow. And the good news doesn’t stop with free cash. With Sun Savers, we give you the best hacks, deals and tips to save money every single day. TO JOIN: Don’t worry, folks — joining takes just 30 seconds, in three steps.
|
Vicky Lytaki
|
https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/8202508/brace-yourself-and-your-pets-for-the-big-freeze-with-cosy-but-not-costly-outfits-plus-bargain-9-50-breaks-with-the-sun/
|
2019-01-15 19:35:37+00:00
| 1,547,598,937 | 1,567,552,391 |
human interest
|
animal
|
946,126 |
thesun--2019-03-19--Take care of your pets for less by following our five cash-saving tips plus win a FREE 10 Just Ea
| 2019-03-19T00:00:00 |
thesun
|
Take care of your pets for less by following our five cash-saving tips — plus win a FREE £10 Just Eat voucher
|
DOG owners fork out on average £240 a month on their furry friends – but often pay over the odds. There are canny canine economies to be made, though. Here are just some . . . PUT a ring on it with a personalised sterling silver engraved message band from wowcher.co.uk for only £16, instead of £42.01 BE a dab hand with a Real Techniques powder brush from Boots - far cheaper than Cult Beauty’s Hourglass one. JULIE HORTON, from Manchester, says: “If you run out of shoe polish, use Vaseline – it gives a lovely shine.” SPICE up lunchtime with Indian on-the-go snack Jake & Nayns’ Naanster from Sainsbury’s, Co-op, Spar and Londis for £1.50. RRP £2. LOOKING for a special gift to celebrate an occasion? Grab a bottle of Tesco’s award-winning Finest Premier Cru Champagne for £17, was £20. MEGAN O’DOWD, from Leeds, says: “I use my Savers fivers towards paying to get my hair done every eight weeks.” TREAT yourself to a takeaway – by winning one of 5,000 Just Eat vouchers worth £10 each. Just Eat connects you with loads of top takeaways near you. Available by app and online, find everything from pizza and chips to famous brands like KFC, Burger King, Subway and Domino’s. And here’s your chance to get £10 off your next delivery. To enter, download the Sun Savers app or sign up at sunsavers.co.uk. Collect FIVE Sun Savers codes from those printed daily in the paper until Sunday, March 24. You can find today’s code on Page 20. Once you have entered your five codes on the Sun Savers app or website, you will be prompted to enter the competition. Or head to the Just Eat page in the “Offers” section and click “Enter”. Make sure you enter before midnight on Sunday, March 24, when the competition closes. Our Sun Savers rewards club lets readers take advantage of FREE cash, treats and prizes. That’s right – you can get FREE cash just for picking up the paper. For every 28 Sun Savers codes you collect, we will give you a fiver to spend however you like. Codes are printed in the paper every day. Find your code then enter it on Sun Savers. Enter 28 codes and we will stick £5 in your Sun Savers wallet. Join Sun Savers today and start pocketing from your paper. JOIN thousands of readers taking part in the new Sun Savers Raffle. Every Sun Savers code you enter will earn you a ticket for our £15k monthly Raffle. And for every ten tickets you collect in a calendar month, you get a GOLDEN TICKET for our £80k Raffle, which takes place every three months, with the first one at the end of June. There is no limit to how many tickets you can collect. So the more you enter, the better your chances. To take part go to sunsavers.co.uk or open the Sun Savers app. Then opt in to each month’s Raffle by clicking “Yes!” when prompted and start collecting the Sun Savers codes printed daily in the paper. Every time you scan or enter a code into Sun Savers, you get a Raffle ticket in the £15k Raffle. Not yet a Sun Savers member? Just go to sunsavers.co.uk or find “Sun Savers” in the app store to get started. YOU can get FREE cash with super Sun Savers just for buying your favourite paper. Our brilliant new rewards club will pay back our most loyal readers. Just pick up the paper each day to collect your Sun Savers codes and we will GIVE YOU £5 when you have collected 28. This isn’t a one-off and there is no limit to how much cash you can save. For every 28 codes you enter, we will give you a fiver. So over the course of a year, that could add up to £65. We are keeping it super-simple. You don’t have to enter codes from consecutive days, so don’t worry if you forget a day or two. Download our easy Sun Savers app and quickly scan your code using your smartphone. Or go online and enter your code at sunsavers.co.uk. To get you on your way, join today and we will put a bonus £1 in your Sun Savers wallet tomorrow. And the good news doesn’t stop with free cash. With Sun Savers, we give you the best hacks, deals and tips to save money every single day. TO JOIN: Don’t worry, folks — joining takes just 30 seconds, in three steps.
|
Vicky Lytaki
|
https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/8666872/care-for-pets-cost-saving-tips/
|
2019-03-19 00:08:02+00:00
| 1,552,968,482 | 1,567,545,655 |
human interest
|
animal
|
952,300 |
thesun--2019-04-06--Treat your pets this Easter but make sure you know how to do so safely
| 2019-04-06T00:00:00 |
thesun
|
Treat your pets this Easter… but make sure you know how to do so safely
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EASTER is a wonderful time of year and the break gives us a chance to spend quality time with our pets. We all love to celebrate with a chocolate egg and you can include your cat or dog in the fun by getting them sweets they can safely enjoy. Easter treats for humans can be dangerous for pets as they contain ingredients that can be poisonous. But, to kick off our new Paws & Claws column, we’re giving you a chance to win animal-friendly treats in our competition, below left. If you are looking to buy, there are tasty and safe options. Forthglade.com has some that contain carob — a dog-friendly alternative to chocolate. Grain-free mini handbaked love treats with carob and strawberry cost £2.99 for a 150g pouch. And for a more savoury Easter treat, tails.com has launched lamb biscuits. These are are hand-baked with peas and mint and cost £2.60 per 100g pack. It is important to be aware of the potential dangers to pets from the sweets and plants we enjoy. The Veterinary Poisons Information Service dealt with 12,000 calls last year from worried owners and nearly ten per cent were linked to Easter treats. Chocolate, sweets, plant bulbs and flowers can all cause harm and last year 48 dogs and 32 cats died after ingesting something dangerous. Of the calls from dog owners, six per cent were about chocolate, three per cent about sweets with the sweetener xylitol, which can be deadly to dogs, and 2.9 per cent about dried fruit in hot cross buns. For cats, lilies were hazardous with 4.1 per cent of callers concerned about the flower. If owners are worried their animal has eaten something dangerous they should visit a vet or call the 24-hour Animal PoisonLine on 01202 50 9000. Vet Korina Stephens from Nutravet, which manufactures health products for pets, said: “Chocolate contains a stimulant called theobromine that pets can’t cope with, so even the smallest amount is not recommend “Hot cross buns contain raisins, or sultanas that are toxic to cats and dogs. Flowers may look innocent but can be toxic. If lilies are ingested they can even cause kidney failure.” Nicola Bates, lead researcher from The Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS), said: “We know the risks of chocolate but owners should be mindful of things in the garden or on walks, that are dangerous.” VET Sean McCormack is on a mission to improve the health of the nation’s pets and has tips to help your animal become fighting fit again. He is head vet at tails.com which provides tailor-made nutritional food for pets. This week, he helps fitness manager Martin Trickett, 30, whose American Akita, Kaida, six, gets ear infections and itchy rashes on its stomach and legs. Martin, from Burnley, Lancs, has been treating Kaida with antibiotics and steroid creams for four years. Sean says: “This sounds like a reaction to inhaled allergens. It’s the equivalent to hay fever in humans – except dogs don’t usually sneeze, or get a runny nose. "Instead they get itchy skin, ears and paws, that become more inflamed or infected when they scratch or chew them. “Dietary supplements like essential fatty acids can help maintain the natural skin barrier. A balanced diet tailored with ingredients to support skin conditions is preferable to adding oils directly into your dog’s diet. "They’re highly calorific and can also upset your dog’s digestion. Steroids and anti-inflammatory drugs fight the itch and antibiotics treat infections. But neither addresses the cause. "I’d recommend a blood test to identify exactly what your dog is allergic to. Depending on the results, your vet may encourage you to consider immunotherapy, which can teach a dog’s immune system to stop overreacting.”
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Lauren Burns
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/8807364/easter-pets-chocolate-hot-cross-buns-not-safe/
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2019-04-06 22:15:19+00:00
| 1,554,603,319 | 1,567,543,767 |
human interest
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animal
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958,713 |
thesun--2019-05-01--Callous poachers are killing orangutan mothers so they can sell their babies as 17000 caged pets f
| 2019-05-01T00:00:00 |
thesun
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Callous poachers are killing orangutan mothers so they can sell their babies as £17,000 caged pets for the rich
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ORANGUTANS are being slaughtered in the wild just so their babies can be sold off as pets to the rich on the black market. The jungle animals - often just a few months old - are then kept in cages as sick "status symbols" in their homeland of Indonesia. And despite the fact it is illegal to keep an orangutan as a pet in the country no-one has ever been prosecuted as campaigners say most keepers are "people of power." Footage has now emerged of one ape called Bom Bom who was being kept in a cramped cage by the wife of an Indonesian police officer. The woman is seen breaking down in tears as her "baby" is taken away by wildlife officers to start a new life in its natural habitat. Dr Ian Singleton, of the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme, works at a rehabilitation centre for animals which have been freed from captivity. He told the BBC: "A mother orangutan will carry an infant around for almost 24 hours a day for several years so there's no way she is going to voluntarily hand over that infant or allow any one to take it unless she's killed. "She's always going to defend that infant with her life and unfortunately that's what usually happens. "All the orangutans that are here...their mothers (were) almost certainly killed." The orangutan is still the most traded primate in the world with an estimated 4,000 trapped and sold off every year - fetching up to £17,000 each. The UN now estimates 6,000 great apes - including gorillas and chimps - are captured annually for the pet market. Up to 7o per cent are orangutans. However, the number of killed orangutans during their capture is higher as orangutans are protected only by their mothers, while other infant primates are protected by entire groups. Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan have been identified as the main hubs for the import of orangutans, but Europe and Middle East are also big markets. In March, we reported how a Russian tourist was caught trying to smuggle an orangutan out of Bali - hidden in his luggage. He was arrested at an airport after quarantine officers found the two-year-old male ape sleeping in a rattan basket inside his suitcase. Behind the dreadful statistics are several tragic stories, reveals Save the Orangutan. It states: "Illegal wildlife trade often results in pet orangutans living under unnatural and extreme conditions. "Some orangutans are sold to breeding centres in Egypt and Thailand, and others are sold to private and public zoos for entertaining exhibitions for tourists. "The vast majority of traded orangutans fall victim to cruelty and abuse, as their owners try to make them perform before crowds or behave like a pet."
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jon lockett
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8976726/poachers-orangutan-babies-pets-rich/
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2019-05-01 09:14:14+00:00
| 1,556,716,454 | 1,567,541,524 |
human interest
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animal
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962,459 |
thesun--2019-05-28--Secret Life of Pets 2 Hilarious pics show your pets REAL secret lives as long-awaited kids film
| 2019-05-28T00:00:00 |
thesun
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Secret Life of Pets 2 – Hilarious pics show your pets’ REAL secret lives as long-awaited kids’ film is released
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AS many humans get set for the release of The Secret Life of Pets 2 it would seem our furry friends are now ready to reveal what they actually get up to. Well, as long as you can believe these hilarious photos which reveal what our four-legged best companions get up to when we’re not around. We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.
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Jon Rogers
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9168829/secret-life-of-pets-hilarious-photos-dogs/
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2019-05-28 12:20:32+00:00
| 1,559,060,432 | 1,567,539,993 |
human interest
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animal
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964,142 |
thesun--2019-06-01--Hilarious snaps show mischievous pets caught in the act and some have been VERY naughty indeed
| 2019-06-01T00:00:00 |
thesun
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Hilarious snaps show mischievous pets caught in the act – and some have been VERY naughty indeed
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THESE hilarious pet snaps show mischievous pets caught in the act - and they’ll definitely have you feline good. Cats are renowned for getting themselves into tight situations but they always manage to style it out purrfectly. Unlike dogs, our moggie mates are most definitely not man’s best friend, preferring to go out alone, which often leads to them ending up in situations where we can only ask if they’re kitten us? But dogs are often given the woof end of the stick and blamed for things not necessarily their fault. We’ve compiled a list of our favourite snaps which you’ll need to see right meow.
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Danny De Vaal
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9194087/hilarious-snaps-show-mischievous-pets-caught-in-the-act-and-some-have-been-very-naughty-indeed/
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2019-06-01 11:00:51+00:00
| 1,559,401,251 | 1,567,539,450 |
human interest
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animal
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964,690 |
thesun--2019-06-02--Put sun cream on your cats vets urge amid fears 27C heatwave will leave pets badly burned
| 2019-06-02T00:00:00 |
thesun
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Put sun cream on your cats, vets urge amid fears 27C heatwave will leave pets badly burned
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VETS have issued an urgent warning to British pet owners on the hottest day of the year so far: put suncream on your cats. The bizarre advice comes as temperatures topped 27C in some places, causing animal experts to advise slathering factor 30 on pets' ears. As the nation basked in the heatwave, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) said light-coloured pets and those with fine fur were at the highest risk of being burned. The highest temperature, 27.6C, was clocked in Heathrow in west London. But the Met Office says it could get even hotter with the potential for thunder in some areas. Which, when temperatures are so hot, is why the BVA said dog owners needed to be wary. Breeds with flat faces including pugs and bulldogs are especially prone to breathing difficulties and heatstroke in the searing heat. One survey said nearly two-thirds of vets reported having to treat animals for heat-related problems last summer. Daniella Dos Santos, junior vice-president of the BVA, told The Times: "Even the start and end of a summer day can prove uncomfortable for pets if they are kept in direct sunlight." The hottest recorded June temperature ever clocked in the UK was 35.6C in 1957 and again in 1976. But the average temperature this month is expected to be between 16C and 20C. We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.
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Daniel Hall
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9206031/suncream-cats-dogs-heatwave-burns/
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2019-06-02 17:40:00+00:00
| 1,559,511,600 | 1,567,539,353 |
human interest
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animal
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969,547 |
thesun--2019-06-29--Lonely people are turning to pets for friendship and unconditional love study reveals
| 2019-06-29T00:00:00 |
thesun
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Lonely people are turning to pets for friendship and unconditional love, study reveals
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LONELY people are turning to pets for friendship and unconditional love. A survey carried out for us reveals that 88 per cent of owners admitted they bought a four-legged friend because they were lonely – with three quarters saying affection from their pet made them their perfect pal. One in ten said they classed their pet as a substitute baby. Having a dog, cat or other animal as part of the family also increased the level of happiness within the household. Owning a pet has health benefits too, with medical evidence suggesting that animals reduce stress and blood pressure and lower cholesterol. Other reasons for owning a pet include partners wanting an animal, to keep fit and exercise more, and to teach children about responsibility. Our poll, by insurance firm The Pet Health Club, also revealed owners spend around seven and a half hours a day with their furry friends. During this time, eight per cent of owners share their worries with their animals, with five per cent depending on their animal for support. And 78 per cent of owners said they would rather splash out on treats for their pet than for themselves. Pet Vet Sean McCormack says: “It’s no surprise how much love we get from pets, or that this drives us to get a pet in the first place. "In an age when people are spending more time online rather than out meeting people, we’re getting more isolated in our daily lives. And pets are filling the gap. “While having a dog or cat isn’t the same as a loving human relationship, they are brilliant for our mental health and emotional well being. “I’ll admit I’ve often confided in my dogs in the past, sharing a worry or two, and it helped me feel better. "There are countless studies proving that a four-legged friend can help with health problems ranging from depression to cardiac disease. “Our relationships with our pets are truly remarkable, and they make such a difference to our lives. MEET Ziggy the French bulldog who celebrated her first birthday on Bring Your Dog To Work Day last Friday. Owner Rachel Picton brought her in to Sheila Bird interior design firm in Manchester. Studio manager Rachel, 27, said: “Ziggy brings a bit more fun into our working day and she loves spending time with everybody. “She’s like our office guard dog – barking at the doorbell and then giving welcome kisses to visitors. “As we’re a design company with lots of drawings around, Ziggy loves to shred them – so we have to keep a close eye on her!” SEAN McCORMACK is on a mission to help the nation’s pets, he is head vet at tails.com which provides tailor-made nutritional food for pets Jo Rose, from Sutton Coldfield, West Mids, has an eight-month-old chihuahua called Luna who gets plenty of exercise but every time she is left alone rips the wallpaper and chews the walls. Jo says: “How can I stop her? I don’t want to use a crate.” Sean says: "This can be one of the most frustrating parts of puppy ownership. Luna is just exploring the world by chewing, as puppies do. You can manage this by redirecting her behaviour into a sort you can tolerate. "The best way is to use “occupier” toys that she finds more appealing than the wallpaper or walls. Kong dog toys filled with soft treats or some of her dry food frozen inside may refocus her chewing behaviour. "Rotate them to keep their novelty value. It might be worth cordoning off an area with a playpen initially if you don’t want to crate-train her. "Sometimes dogs chew on walls or doors if they’re developing separation anxiety. If so, you’ll need to build up her independence from you so she is more content when left alone. " Leo Ridley, 32, from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs, has a Staffie called Maggie who barely drinks but when she does, she gulps it down and is then often sick afterwards. Sean says: "Maggie may just be overloading her stomach due to thirst after exercising and throwing the water back up as she has drunk too much. "It might be a good idea to let her stomach settle following exercise. Then give her a large bowl of water or offer her a little at a time, spaced apart every ten to 20 minutes. "Worms can also cause a sensitive stomach, making Maggie more prone to vomiting, so get her wormed regularly. "Other causes could be a problem with her oesophagus that carries food and water to her stomach, or her stomach itself, or she may have swallowed an object. Get a vet to examine her to ensure everything is ok."
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Phoenix Cronin
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/9401916/pets-dogs-friendship-love-study/
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2019-06-29 22:00:11+00:00
| 1,561,860,011 | 1,567,537,582 |
human interest
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animal
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976,437 |
thesun--2019-08-10--Watching TV is the real secret life your pets lead while youre at work
| 2019-08-10T00:00:00 |
thesun
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Watching TV is the real secret life your pets lead while you’re at work
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OUR dogs live the life of Riley – spoilt rotten with access to heating, radio and telly while their owners are out of the house. Paws & Claws asked 1,000 British and Irish dog owners what they do with their pets during the day when they are out at work. We discovered that although the average dog is left home alone for six hours a day, owners treat them to little luxuries to make up for it. More than two-thirds of dog owners (69 per cent) feel guilty about leaving their pet “home alone” for more than five hours at a time. One in ten feel guilty leaving their dog at home on its own for just an hour at a time. Our survey found that 65 per cent of owners leave the heating on to make sure their dog is comfortable in the house. And 53 per cent say they leave a light on for their pets while they are out of the house at night. Forty-eight per cent leave the radio on to give their pooch some company while a dedicated one in four (25 per cent) leave the television on so their pampered pup has some stimulating entertainment. Bizarrely, 15 per cent of owners also believe their dog has a favourite telly show. Mark Hackett of supersaveroil.com, which conducted the survey on our behalf, said: “It’s lovely to see how much people care about their animals. “I expect there are some cases where the animals are actually receiving more luxuries than the owners themselves — especially when it comes to the heating, as this is something people can be notoriously stingy about. “I love the notion that dogs might have favourite TV shows. “Some of these pets are absolutely living their best lives.” Dennis Allison is 78 years old and lives in Redcar, North Yorks. After his border collie sadly died, Dennis writes: “I’m not as active as I once was, so I don’t think another collie is a good idea. But I do want a pet. I’m thinking of a cat.” Sean says: “Sorry to hear you’ve lost your lovely dog. Collies are fantastic and intelligent but sometimes hard work to keep occupied, especially when they are young. “A good rehoming centre might be able to match you with a lovely older dog with more suitable energy levels than a puppy. “Older cats are also a good choice, as they often find it hard to get homes once they end up in shelters or rescue centres through no fault of their own.” Sophie Thatcher, who is six and from Clacton-on-Sea in Essex, adores her gerbil Gerry. She says: “Gerry is a little piglet that chews through everything. I give him lots of snacks and seeds but whenever he’s out of his cage, he chews the sofa and the carpet. I got him at Christmas and he’s always chewed. Mum wants to get rid of him.” Sean says: “Here’s the bad news: Rodents chew and gerbils are no exception. It’s part of their natural behaviour. “They’re also highly social animals, so keeping one on its own isn’t great and may lead to frustration, which might mean Gerry chews more than normal. “The best way to keep gerbils is in single-sex pairs, in a glass tank that has as large a space as possible, with lots of deep bedding and tunnels to burrow through. For some great ideas, look up ‘gerbilariums’ online. “If you do let Gerry out, ‘free-range’ isn’t the safest option for him or for your furniture. So maybe think about a safe penned-off area with solid sides and plenty of toys and tunnels for him to explore.”
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Sean Gallen
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/9693849/watching-tv-secret-life-your-pets/
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2019-08-10 21:45:49+00:00
| 1,565,487,949 | 1,567,534,458 |
human interest
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animal
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978,884 |
thesun--2019-09-05--Hilarious pics show pets looking exactly like their owners
| 2019-09-05T00:00:00 |
thesun
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Hilarious pics show pets looking exactly like their owners
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THESE hilarious pictures show pets next to their owners and the resemblance is uncanny. From uncontrollable frizzy hair to the same shades of hair colour, we reveal the funniest pet doppelgangers in this selection of amusing pictures.
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Nika Shakhnazarova
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9871084/hilarious-pics-funny-gallery-pets-owners-lookalike/
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2019-09-05 15:59:04+00:00
| 1,567,713,544 | 1,569,331,253 |
human interest
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animal
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982,893 |
thesun--2019-10-13--Pets at Home is selling stockings, mince pies and Xmas dinner for your pets this Christmas
| 2019-10-13T00:00:00 |
thesun
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Pets at Home is selling stockings, mince pies and Xmas dinner for your pets this Christmas
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PETS at Home has a new selection of Christmas toys and food for pets so your furry friend doesn’t miss out on the festive fun. The pet store chain is selling raw hide Christmas dinners for dogs as well as sprouts toys for cats. There are also adorable Christmas tarts for your canine and "pawsecco" (which doesn't contain alcohol) to treat the feline in your life. The Pets at Home range is available in stores now and you can also order products online – just keep in mind delivery costs of £2.95 for orders under £39 - it's free for orders above this. Alternatively, you can click and collect for free to your nearest store. If you’d rather shop in person, there’s around 370 Pets at Homes in the UK and you can find your closest one by on its website. We’ve rounded up our favourite festive finds so you know what to expect when you're getting your pet ready for the big day. It’s still worth shopping around to find the best deal in case you can find the same item, or similar, cheaper elsewhere. What more could your good boy or girl want this Christmas than their very own stocking? Each one comes with seven presents including “chocolate” drops, biscuit treats, rawhide chews and biscuit bones. The cheapest stocking we found elsewhere is being sold on the Yorkshire Trading Co. for £2.99. Your dog can feast on its own Christmas dinner with this rawhide chew set. The rawhide is made to look just like a turkey roast, complete with fake potatoes and veg. Pets at Home says the rawhide helps control plaque and tartar build up as well as giving your dog hours of chew time. We could only find another dog Christmas dinner similar to this being sold brand new on eBay for £8.74, of course you will have to pay postage and packing which varies by seller. Now your dog can enjoy mince pies too with these pet-friendly Christmas tarts. They come in a pack of two, which means each one costs just £1.50. Completely edible, the tarts are decorated with a cute holly on top to get your pet in the festive spirit. Sainsbury's will be selling mince pies for dogs for £2.50 but we don't know when these will be in stores just yet. Have you ever seen a cuter brussels sprout? This costume is machine washable so there's no need to worry about a mucky pup getting it dirty. The £10 price tag is for small dogs and the costume comes in four sizes, with anything bigger costing £12. We couldn't find another dog brussels sprout costume being sold by UK retailers. Let's not forget about the cats - they also get their own stocking this Christmas. Their version comes with four different treats and toys. This includes vanilla flavour drops, catnip flavoured drops, a Santa wand toy and a pack of three balls. If you want a stocking with just treats, Dreamies sell a cat stocking for just £3 - but you won't get the toys you do in the Pets at Home version. Sprouts aren't just for eating and now you can buy your moggy their own Brussels ball set. It comes with two married sprouts, affectionately known as Mr and Mrs Sprout, that have been infused with catnip. Then there's also a green jingly ball and a ball of twine to keep your cat amused. We couldn't find cat sprout toys being sold elsewhere in UK shops. There's no reason your cat can't raise a glass with you with this bottle of "Pawsecco". It's made to imitate rose wine and contains a blend of elderflower, nettle, ginseng, lime flower and carrot. Pets at Home says it's non-alcoholic, non-carbonated and grape-free. We did find a cheaper Pawsecco being sold on Fetch though for £2.69 but there is a £2.99 delivery fee on orders under £29 - it's free above this. If your cat loves a good scratch, then they'll love this reindeer scratch board. At the very least, it'll keep their little claws away from the sofa this Christmas. The board measures 7.5cm by 20cm by 54cm. We couldn't find another scratch board with a reindeer theme being sold in the UK. Looking for ways to keep your dog warm? B&M is selling thermal dog blankets, crate mats and beds to combat the cold temperature. If you can't quite face Christmas just yet, Pets at Home is doing a range of Halloween costumes for dogs with prices starting from £2. Pets at Home is also selling a thundervest to help dogs calm during thunderstorms. We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Money team? Email us at [email protected]
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Levi Winchester
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/10100897/pets-at-home-christmas-dog-cat-toys-costumes/
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Sun, 13 Oct 2019 08:39:43 +0000
| 1,570,970,383 | 1,570,970,884 |
human interest
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animal
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993,919 |
thesun--2019-12-29--The RSPCA is calling on Sun Readers to offer homes to 10,000 desperate pets in need
| 2019-12-29T00:00:00 |
thesun
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The RSPCA is calling on Sun Readers to offer homes to 10,000 desperate pets in need
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THE RSPCA has urged Sun on Sunday readers this New Year to give abandoned pets loving homes. Last December the animal charity fielded more than 61,000 calls to its cruelty helplines — up 5,000 on the previous year. It expects December 2019 to be even busier and this winter it aims to home 10,000 pets. By adopting a homeless pet, you will not only save an animal’s life, you will help put out of business the cruel illegal breeders supplying pedigree cats and dogs for sale. In addition, many of those who adopt find it one of the most rewarding things they ever do, because of the joy their pet brings. This month has been one of the busiest ever for the RSPCA — rescuing animals in need including a terrified German Shepherd cross found in a locked empty stable in Warwickshire. Its howls were heard by dog walkers who alerted RSPCA inspectors. They used boltcutters to open a padlock and rescue the dog. The charity was also called to a hospital in Luton after someone saw a cardboard box with a note reading: “Need a home. Merry Xmas. Please help.” In the box were two shivering adult female cats and three ten-week-old kittens — all of which the RSPCA is now looking to rehome. Dermot Murphy, Chief Inspectorate Officer at the RSPCA, said: “We urge anyone considering getting a pet to think carefully whether they have the time, care, patience and resources to care for that animal for life — and if you feel you do, please consider giving a rescue pet a second chance.” Although circumstances change, so owners cannot cope with pets, the RSPCA says there is no excuse for abandoning an animal. Dermot said: “There are other options. Dumping a pet is a cruel act which leaves it vulnerable and scared. Pets can be collected, or dropped off, so they are at least safe.” Big-hearted Carol Stonley and husband Andrew, both 55, from Derbyshire, have just celebrated Christmas with rescue dog Judy, a Lakeland terrier. They took on the eight-year-old last Christmas from the RSPCA’s Abbey Street Animal Rehoming Centre in Derby, after their first rescue dog passed away. They fell for Judy despite the fact she has lost her sight and is advancing in years. Carol said: “We wanted to give another unwanted dog a forever home and Judy has been such a joy to us. “The RSPCA staff helped us find a dog that suited our lifestyle and it’s a good feeling to support this charity. I’d recommend anyone who has time for a cat or dog to also adopt. It is so rewarding.” But many RSPCA animals are still looking for homes — and that’s where YOU can help. Ben, a five-year-old lurcher dog arrived at the charity’s Cornwall kennels 629 days ago. A spokesman said: “He would make a lovely companion for someone.” Even if you cannot adopt a pet, there are other ways you can help. The RSPCA’s cash appeal Stock The Sleigh, helps the animals the charity takes in over the festive season and every penny makes a difference. Dermot said: “Just £25 could help us keep answering the phone calls every day of the year as well as providing safe beds and food for animals in need.” To read about the RSPCA and how you can help, see rspca.org.uk/giftofkindness JOSH LEE, 26, from Brighton, doesn’t get on with his grandmother’s year-old ragdoll cat Bella. Vet Sean McCormack is here to help: Q: WHEN I try to play with Bella she scratches me. Is there anything I can do to break the ice? A: She may have been taught to play with humans in the wrong way. It is a common mistake to encourage kittens to “hunt” our fingers. That is fine and amusing when they are tiny but makes them more likely to scratch and bite later when they are in play mode. You say it happens when you try to play with her, which makes me think it is misdirected play rather than fear-based aggression. Try fishing-rod toys and lures on strings rather than your hands. And make sure everyone else in the family does the same. When she is super-excited, perhaps let her burn off that energy chasing a laser pointer. When she is calm and content, use gentle stroking and talking to build up a new association of what is appropriate human contact. Over time, hopefully she will learn that humans are for gentle interaction. JANE CLARKE, 31, from Nottingham, has a three-year-old rescue dog called Beth who hates going to the vet. Sean's response: Q: MY German Shepherd cross gets herself into a terrible state going to the vet and has to be sedated or given a general anaesthetic. What can I do? A: Ask your vet if you can bring her in, on occasion, for some pleasant visits – being weighed, getting treats and attention from the reception and nurse team. In this way, gradually build up to being examined by the vet – all at her own pace, using plenty of reward-based training. Most practices are more than happy to help with this approach, as they don’t want any pets to be stressed by a visit. By building her experience of the clinic as a place where she isn’t always restrained or has unpleasant things happen, she may learn to be a bit more relaxed there. • Do you need the Pet Vet’s help? Email [email protected] and you and your pet could feature in The Sun on Sunday. • GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL [email protected]
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The Sun
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/10632437/paws-and-claws-adopt/
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Sun, 29 Dec 2019 00:20:22 +0000
| 1,577,596,822 | 1,577,579,130 |
human interest
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animal
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1,008,046 |
thetelegraph--2019-06-02--Asian social media craze fuels cruel trade in otters for pets and cafes
| 2019-06-02T00:00:00 |
thetelegraph
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Asian social media craze fuels cruel trade in otters for pets and cafes
|
A social media craze in Japan and Indonesia that promotes keeping otters in cafes or as exotic domestic pets has created a cruel trafficking trade, driving the semi-aquatic creatures to the brink of extinction, say animal rights activists. A new undercover investigation by World Animal Protection has revealed that baby wild otters are being illegally poached from their natural habitat, confined in terrible conditions and irresponsibly bred across Japan, Thailand and Indonesia to meet a growing public demand. The desire to domesticate otters, which normally live in large family groups in waterways, has been fuelled by social media influencers who post funny videos and pictures of the cute, gregarious creatures to Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. Takechiyo, one of Instagram’s most famous otters, has nearly 300,000 followers entertained by its antics with a Japanese family who live in an apartment block in the Minato district of Tokyo. The species’ popularity has created a surge of otter cafes in Japan, where people can come to stroke and play with them. In Indonesia, otter communities have sprung up where owners go on excursions together with their pets.
|
Nicola Smith
|
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/06/02/asian-social-media-craze-fuels-cruel-trade-otters-pets-cafes/
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2019-06-02 05:00:00+00:00
| 1,559,466,000 | 1,567,539,342 |
human interest
|
animal
|
1,045,709 |
trueactivist--2019-03-12--Highschool Track Team Has Awesome Idea Of Running With Homeless Dogs And Both Humans and Pets Had An
| 2019-03-12T00:00:00 |
trueactivist
|
Highschool Track Team Has Awesome Idea Of Running With Homeless Dogs And Both Humans and Pets Had An Awesome Time
|
Going for a jog with your dog takes training and exercising to a whole new level, while make you forget the aches and pains your body might be feeling after a couple of miles along the way. It makes the jog way more fun and entertaining seeing their antics and excitement exploring every new street with the new sights and sounds they’re experiencing for the very first time. The cross-country team of St. Joseph High School, along with the Santa Barbara County Animal Shelter teamed up and gave these adoptable dogs a wonderful day of fun and excitement. This team of runners had an awesome idea of inviting these pups during their morning exercise routine. Not only was it fun for the students, but the dogs seemed to have an awesome time too! Before they started their morning miles-long run, each runner was paired with a dog from the shelter to accompany them. Seeing a big group of students all running alongside these adorable dogs also warmed the hearts of all the people that came across them that morning. “I am not sure who was more excited and having the most fun, the dogs or the kids,” team coach Luis Escobar wrote on his Facebook, “Either way, it was a great time and I am sure we will do it again sometime soon.” What are your thoughts? Please comment below and share this good news!
|
True Activist
|
http://www.trueactivist.com/highschool-track-team-has-awesome-idea-of-running-with-homeless-dogs-and-both-humans-and-pets-had-an-awesome-time-t1/
|
2019-03-12 07:09:54+00:00
| 1,552,388,994 | 1,567,546,538 |
human interest
|
animal
|
378,519 |
newyorkpost--2019-07-06--Queens police officers rescue kitten from car grill
| 2019-07-06T00:00:00 |
newyorkpost
|
Queens police officers rescue kitten from car grill
|
Queens cops really got up in this cat’s “grill.” Officers from Far Rockaway’s 101st Precinct had their hands full early Saturday with a particularly feisty fella who squirmed his way into a place he didn’t belong. “Sector Adam to the rescue when a kitten got stuck in the grill of a car. Purr-fect ending to an adverse situation!” The NYPD’s 101st precinct tweeted Saturday. The adorable orangy tabby showed its spirit when it appeared to claw at a cop who helped save it from the vehicle. Despite it’s cat-itude, the pint-sized passenger was let go.
|
Isabella Simonetti
|
https://nypost.com/2019/07/06/queens-police-officers-rescue-kitten-from-car-grill/
|
2019-07-06 22:17:41+00:00
| 1,562,465,861 | 1,567,536,676 |
human interest
|
animal
|
378,589 |
newyorkpost--2019-07-07--Train operator rescues kitten that fell on subway tracks in Manhattan
| 2019-07-07T00:00:00 |
newyorkpost
|
Train operator rescues kitten that fell on subway tracks in Manhattan
|
A train operator rescued a kitten that tumbled onto the subway tracks in Manhattan on Sunday, cops said. The yellow kitten slipped away from its owner, a 14-year-old boy, on the platform of the Canal Street station at about 5:30 p.m. and fell on the tracks for the uptown R train, authorities told the Post. “We went down there and a boy’s cat was on the track,” an officer said at the scene. “A worker rescued the cat and the boy was reunited with it — he was happy.” For a short time, northbound R trains ran on the express line until the feline was safely recovered. The 14-year-old boy was not identified on Sunday.
|
Elizabeth Rosner, Ruth Weissmann
|
https://nypost.com/2019/07/07/train-operator-rescues-kitten-that-fell-on-subway-tracks-in-manhattan/
|
2019-07-07 23:35:17+00:00
| 1,562,556,917 | 1,567,536,588 |
human interest
|
animal
|
526,359 |
sputnik--2019-02-22--Clever Kitten Lends a Paw After Owner Gets Locked Out
| 2019-02-22T00:00:00 |
sputnik
|
Clever Kitten Lends a Paw After Owner Gets Locked Out
|
Accidentally locked out of the house by her sister, Twitter user Gabby Tropea thought all hopes of getting inside were lost — that is, until she saw her kitten Boko at the back door. After convincing the cat to come over to the window, Tropea is seen tapping on the window to get Boko to begin playing with the pole blocking the sliding door. Seconds later, the crafty kitten knocks the pole out of the way and gives the helpless human an opportunity to get inside.
| null |
https://sputniknews.com/videoclub/201902221072639108-clever-cat-lends-paw-lock/
|
2019-02-22 00:00:00+00:00
| 1,550,811,600 | 1,567,547,703 |
human interest
|
animal
|
526,835 |
sputnik--2019-02-26--Meer-cat Munchkin Kitten Demonstrates Peculiar Posture
| 2019-02-26T00:00:00 |
sputnik
|
Meer-cat? Munchkin Kitten Demonstrates Peculiar Posture
|
Oscar, a munchkin-Persian mix, is causing netizens to reexamine how they view cats, thanks to a recent video from Viral Paws. One half of the popular Instagram @thetwolittlemunchkins, Oscar is seen within the clip raising back on his hind legs to get a better view of whatever piques his interest. While it's not unusual for a feline to rest solely on its hind legs for a couple seconds, this munchkin kitten appears to be going for gold in holding the pose!
| null |
https://sputniknews.com/videoclub/201902271072771439-munchkin-kitten-stands-hind-legs/
|
2019-02-26 22:00:00+00:00
| 1,551,236,400 | 1,567,547,312 |
human interest
|
animal
|
536,659 |
sputnik--2019-06-27--Catdog Cool Kitten Loves Feeling The Wind in Her Fur
| 2019-06-27T00:00:00 |
sputnik
|
Catdog? Cool Kitten Loves Feeling The Wind in Her Fur
|
Socks, the black and white cat seen in the video, enjoys sticking her head out of the window during car rides and even lets out a few brief meows as the breeze rushes through her fur, Socks’ owner tells Viral Hog. Definitely makes those veterinarian visits a little easier!
| null |
https://sputniknews.com/videoclub/201906271076073542-cool-kitten-loves-wind-fur/
|
2019-06-27 19:11:43+00:00
| 1,561,677,103 | 1,567,537,922 |
human interest
|
animal
|
550,455 |
sputnik--2019-11-22--The Best Toy: Kitten Likes to Play With Dog's Tail
| 2019-11-22T00:00:00 |
sputnik
|
The Best Toy: Kitten Likes to Play With Dog's Tail
|
This little kitten apparently enjoys playing with its new toy – and it just happens to be a dog's tail. The funny video shows the kitty repeatedly attack the dog's wagging tail, with the tiny baby cat both riding and biting it.
| null |
https://sputniknews.com/videoclub/201911221077376194-the-best-toy-kitten-likes-to-play-with-dogs-tail/
|
Fri, 22 Nov 2019 14:00:00 +0300
| 1,574,449,200 | 1,574,426,839 |
human interest
|
animal
|
552,174 |
sputnik--2019-12-08--Big vs Smol: Huge Golden Retriever and Tiny Kitten Are Best Buddies
| 2019-12-08T00:00:00 |
sputnik
|
Big vs Smol: Huge Golden Retriever and Tiny Kitten Are Best Buddies
|
Just look at this golden retriever, it’s so happy to see its little pal! The red-furred kitten looks so small and defenceless, but the big doggo is there to protect the kid. Now the cat can explore this big scary and world without any fear.
| null |
https://sputniknews.com/videoclub/201912081077509598-big-vs-smol-huge-golden-retriever-and-tiny-kitten-are-best-buddies/
|
Sun, 08 Dec 2019 07:30:00 +0300
| 1,575,808,200 | 1,575,809,267 |
human interest
|
animal
|
553,223 |
sputnik--2019-12-16--Adorable Persian Kitten Purring as It Enjoys Head Scratches
| 2019-12-16T00:00:00 |
sputnik
|
Adorable Persian Kitten Purring as It Enjoys Head Scratches
|
The purring kitten from the video is quite literally following its human and asking for more portions of head-scratching and love. We can see the baby Persian closing his eyes while falling on the human's hand again and again. In addition, the sweet kitten makes cute noises, meowing and yawning.
| null |
https://sputniknews.com/videoclub/201912161077585400-adorable-persian-kitten-purring-as-it-enjoys-head-scratches/
|
Mon, 16 Dec 2019 05:55:50 +0300
| 1,576,493,750 | 1,576,499,981 |
human interest
|
animal
|
554,076 |
sputnik--2019-12-23--Dream a Little Dream of Me: Sneaky Kitten Finds Warm Place to Sleep
| 2019-12-23T00:00:00 |
sputnik
|
Dream a Little Dream of Me: Sneaky Kitten Finds Warm Place to Sleep
|
A little kitten has been captured on video while sneaking around looking for a warm, comfortable place to sleep – on a dog. The rather large (compared to a tiny kitten) white dog has shown amazing patience, as it just continued to nap, not even noticing the feline. The adorable duo has become very popular on Instagram, showing "friendship goals".
| null |
https://sputniknews.com/videoclub/201912231077738694-sneaky-kitten-finds-warm-place-to-sleep/
|
Mon, 23 Dec 2019 19:00:00 +0300
| 1,577,145,600 | 1,577,148,183 |
human interest
|
animal
|
2,220 |
abcnews--2019-11-13--Spotlight on Texas' '10-day rule' in life support cases
| 2019-11-13T00:00:00 |
abcnews
|
Spotlight on Texas' '10-day rule' in life support cases
|
A Texas law that gives families 10 days to find a new hospital if they disagree with doctors who decide to take a patient off life support is once again under the spotlight after a judge halted a Fort Worth hospital's plan to remove a 9-month-old girl from a ventilator against her family's wishes. Doctors at Cook Children's Medical Center planned to stop treatment Sunday for Tinslee Lewis after invoking the state's "10-day rule." The hospital said Tinslee was born prematurely with a rare heart defect and suffers from chronic lung disease and severe chronic high blood pressure. She has been hospitalized since birth and has been on a ventilator since July. Not only is her condition fatal, the hospital said, but doctors believe she's suffering. But on Sunday, a judge granted Tinslee's family a temporary restraining order that gives them until Nov. 22 to find a facility that will take her, said Kimberlyn Schwartz, a spokeswoman for anti-abortion group Texas Right to Life, which began helping the family over the weekend. Cook Children's says it has reached out to nearly 20 facilities around the country and none felt the hospital's assessment was incorrect. Tinslee's mother, Trinity Lewis, said her daughter likes to cuddle and is "a fighter." Here's a look at Texas law in such cases: WHAT THE LAW SAYS IN TEXAS: Texas law stipulates if doctors believe life-sustaining treatment should be stopped but the family does not, the disagreement can be taken to the hospital's ethics committee. If the committee agrees with the doctor, the "10-day rule" can be employed. If the hospital or family can't find a willing provider in that time, and unless a court grants an extension, treatment can be withdrawn. Typically, the family would first talk to experts including a palliative care specialist and an ethics consultant, according to Dr. Robert L. Fine, clinical director of the Office of Clinical Ethics and Palliative Care at Baylor Scott & White Health in Texas. Trevor Bibler, a professor at the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said "usually these types of impasses are able to be broken" through time and mediation. The 1999 Texas law shields doctors who follow the procedure from lawsuits. WHAT THE LAW SAYS IN OTHER STATES Texas is one of only a handful of states with such a law. Virginia and California have similar ones. In most states, the law is not as detailed on the matter, said Thaddeus Mason Pope, a professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota. "The Texas law is very, very clear: You are absolutely allowed to do this," he said. He said the same process basically occurs in other states that don't have specific legislation and that hospital staff would just assess the legal risk of getting sued before proceeding. HOW TEXAS' LAW CAME ABOUT The goal of the law was to give families and doctors a say but keep the debates out of the courtroom. "I think it's important for families to know that they're being heard and to be given an opportunity to understand where the doctors and the hospital are coming from as well," said Tom Mayo, a law professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Lawmakers, attorneys, doctors and anti-abortion groups were among those participating in a task force that helped craft the law. Among those was Texas Alliance for Life, a group that opposes abortion except to save the mother's life and also opposes euthanasia. Joe Pojman, the group's executive director, says they "strongly support" the law's dispute resolution process. He says the law balances the family's autonomy with doctors' rights not to give interventions that cause harm or suffering. The law doesn't stipulate who should be on a hospital's ethics committee, but at a large hospital it would likely include dozens of people from different backgrounds including doctors, nurses, lawyers and chaplains. "We operate by consensus and we talk it out," Fine said. WHAT THE GROUPS REPRESENTING THE FAMILY SAYS Schwartz says her group believes "there shouldn't be a countdown placed on patients' lives." In the 20 years that the law's been on the books, her group has helped more than 400 families, she said. It often takes "way longer" than 10 days to find a facility that will accept a patient, she said. "Don't give the family just 10 days to navigate that complicated process. That's almost impossible for an average family to do," Schwartz said. "Morally, these decisions should be left with patients and families," she said, adding that quality of life shouldn't be the only consideration. OTHER CASES THAT HAVE GAINED ATTENTION: Last year, a 9-year-old girl in Texas at the center of a three-week court battle with Cook Children's Medical Center to keep her on life support died after an appeals court allowed her parents more time to find a facility to maintain her life support. Doctors had declared Payton Summons brain-dead and beyond hope of recovery after her heart went into cardiac arrest.
| null |
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/spotlight-texas-10-day-rule-life-support-cases-66962164
|
Wed, 13 Nov 2019 00:05:37 -0500
| 1,573,621,537 | 1,573,646,769 |
crime, law and justice
|
law
|
2,223 |
abcnews--2019-11-13--The Latest: Georgia executes man for ‘94 store clerk killing
| 2019-11-13T00:00:00 |
abcnews
|
The Latest: Georgia executes man for ‘94 store clerk killing
|
The Latest on a Georgia death penalty case (all times local): Georgia has executed a man convicted of the 1994 killing of a convenience store clerk. Officials say 52-year-old Ray Jefferson Cromartie was pronounced dead at 10:59 p.m. Wednesday after an injection of pentobarbital at the state prison in Jackson. Cromartie, when asked if he had any last words, declined to make a statement. Then, when asked if he wanted a prayer said on his behalf, Cromartie said ‘yes’ and a chaplain said one for him. Once the drugs began flowing, the inmate took some deep breaths, exhaling deeply before he went still. Cromartie had been convicted and sentenced to die for the April 1994 slaying of Richard Slysz at a convenience store in Thomasville, near the Georgia-Florida line. A Georgia Supreme Court summary of the case says Cromartie and another man went into a convenience store on April 10, 1994, and Cromartie fatally shot Slysz and then grabbed two cases of beer before leaving the store. The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a request to stop the planned execution of a Georgia inmate convicted of killing a convenience store clerk 25 years ago. The nation’s high court, without explanation Wednesday night, denied the request for a stay of execution put forward by lawyers for inmate Ray Jefferson Cromartie. Cromartie was convicted of malice murder and sentenced to death for the April 1994 slaying of Thomasville convenience store clerk Richard Slysz. Cromartie was initially scheduled to receive a lethal injection starting after 7 p.m. at a state prison in Jackson. The nation’s high court issued its decision hours after that time had passed. Earlier Wednesday, a federal appeals court also had refused to intervene. A Georgia inmate set to be executed for a killing 25 years ago has an 11th-hour appeal pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. The nation’s high court had no immediate response to the request for a stay of the scheduled Wednesday night execution of inmate Ray Jefferson Cromartie. Cromartie was convicted of malice murder and sentenced to death for the April 1994 slaying of Thomasville convenience store clerk Richard Slysz. Barring court intervention, Cromartie was scheduled to receive a lethal injection after 7 p.m. at a state prison in Jackson. That hour passed with no immediate Supreme Court response to his appeal. A federal appeals court is denying an effort to block a Georgia execution. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday rejected the move to block the planned execution of Ray Jefferson Cromartie, a lethal injection set for after 7 p.m. The three-judge panel says a lower court judge did not err in rejecting defense lawyers’ efforts to seek DNA testing. Cromartie was convicted of malice murder and sentenced to death for April 1994’s slaying of Thomasville convenience store clerk Richard Slysz. Cromartie’s half-brother this week claimed he overhead co-defendant Corey Clark say that Clark, not Cromartie, shot the clerk. The lower court judge had ruled previously that that statement didn’t provide “new reliable evidence” of Cromartie’s innocence. Lawyers for Cromartie are still asking the U.S. Supreme Court to step in and stop the planned execution. A federal judge is denying the most recent appeal of a Georgia man scheduled to be executed Wednesday evening at the state prison in Jackson. U.S. District Judge Mark Treadwell, in an order late Tuesday, rejected new claims of innocence from Ray Jefferson Cromartie. Cromartie was convicted of malice murder and sentenced to death for April 1994’s slaying of Thomasville convenience store clerk Richard Slysz. Treadwell says a new claim from Cromartie’s half-brother claiming he overhead co-defendant Corey Clark say that Clark, not Cromartie, shot the clerk doesn’t provide “new reliable evidence” of Cromartie’s innocence. The judge also says Cromartie’s lawyers should have offered the evidence before now. Lawyers for Cromartie are moving to ask the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn the judge’s ruling. Georgia prison officials are preparing to execute a man convicted in the killing of a convenience store clerk. Ray Jefferson Cromartie is scheduled to die Wednesday evening at the state prison in Jackson. He was convicted of malice murder and sentenced to death for April 1994's slaying of Richard Slysz at a Thomasville convenience store. The state says Cromartie, accompanied by another man, shot Slysz. Authorities say Cromartie also shot and gravely injured another clerk days earlier. Cromartie says he didn't shoot either clerk. His lawyers still seek DNA testing on evidence from the shootings, but courts have so far rejected them. The execution was delayed last month after a trial court judge was found to have filed an execution order while Cromartie had a Supreme Court appeal pending.
| null |
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/latest-judge-denies-claim-georgia-execution-case-66970795
|
Wed, 13 Nov 2019 23:31:29 -0500
| 1,573,705,889 | 1,573,733,199 |
crime, law and justice
|
law
|
2,343 |
abcnews--2019-11-18--Lawsuits by Michael Jackson accusers likely to be restored
| 2019-11-18T00:00:00 |
abcnews
|
Lawsuits by Michael Jackson accusers likely to be restored
|
A California appeals court appeared strongly inclined Monday to give new life to lawsuits filed by two men who accuse Michael Jackson of repeatedly molesting them when they were boys. Three judges from the 2nd District Court of Appeal said in a tentative ruling that lawsuits from James Safechuck and Wade Robson against two corporate entities that Jackson owned should be reconsidered by the trial court that dismissed them in 2017. Robson, 37, and Safechuck, 41, who became known to a broad audience when they aired their accusations earlier this year in the Emmy-winning HBO documentary "Leaving Neverland," sat together in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom during Monday’s brief hearing. Outside, their attorney Vince Finaldi said the decision was the right one, and they are pleased. “All they’ve ever wanted is their day in court,” Finaldi said. The suits filed in 2013 that were dismissed because statutes of limitations had expired can be revived because of new state law signed last month by Gov. Gavin Newsom that gives those who say they were sexually abused until age 40, up from age 26, to file lawsuits. It also gives victims of all ages a three-year window to sue, starting Jan. 1. The Associated Press does not typically name victims of sexual abuse, but Robson and Safechuck have repeatedly come forward and approved of the use of their names and faces. The tentative decision does not revive the actual Jackson estate as a defendant. A 2015 decision throwing out that part of the lawsuit will stand. The remaining defendants are the two corporate entities, MJJ Productions, Inc., and MJJ Ventures, Inc. Attorneys for Jackson’s estate accepted that the cases must be returned to the trial court under the new legislation, but emphasized that the ruling is unrelated to the allegations they have long denounced as demonstrably false. “This new law extends the time for genuine victims of abuse to file legal claims,” Jackson estate attorney Howard L. Weitzman said in a statement. “The appellate court’s tentative ruling is not on the merits of Robson and Safechuck’s allegations and the court in no way said that these cases will go to trial. Neither does it reverse the 2015 rulings dismissing Robson and Safechuck’s claims against the estate, which are final and no longer subject to any appeals. We are confident that the claims against Michael Jackson’s corporate entities will, once again, be dismissed as has happened before.” Robson testified in Jackson’s 2005 criminal trial, in which the singer was acquitted, that Jackson had never molested or mistreated him, and Safechuck once said the same to authorities investigation Jackson, who died in 2009. The men and their attorneys have said that stress and trauma that persisted into adulthood finally led them to accept that they had been sexually abused and go public. Jackson’s estate is suing HBO over “Leaving Neverland,” in which Robson and Safechuck gave director Dan Reed graphic accounts of what they said were hundreds of instances of sexual abuse by Jackson over several years. A federal judge has ruled that case should be handled in private arbitration.
| null |
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/life-lawsuits-michael-jackson-accusers-67117015
|
Mon, 18 Nov 2019 18:38:03 -0500
| 1,574,120,283 | 1,574,121,964 |
crime, law and justice
|
law
|
2,694 |
abcnews--2019-11-30--Correction: Marijuana-Michigan-Illinois story
| 2019-11-30T00:00:00 |
abcnews
|
Correction: Marijuana-Michigan-Illinois story
|
In a story Nov. 28 about Michigan and Illinois beginning legal marijuana sales, The Associated Press reported erroneously the name of an Illinois company licensed to grow marijuana. It is Revolution Global, not Revolution Enterprises. A corrected version of the story is below: With Michigan and Illinois officially joining states that broadly allow marijuana sales, companies rush to renovate, expand and hire ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — James Daly is eager to make marijuana history on Sunday, when he plans to open the doors to Arbors Wellness, beckon the lengthy line outside and legally start selling recreational pot for the first time in the Midwest. “We’ve worked very hard to be prepared,” said Daly, who owns the medical dispensary that, for now, is among just six shops in Michigan — mostly in Ann Arbor — also approved to start selling for adult use in December. The business is doubling staff and has fielded calls from potential customers across the state along with neighboring Ohio and Indiana. “The end of prohibition is historic,” he said. “We wanted to rip the Band-Aid off.” Both Michigan and Illinois, which allows sales starting on Jan. 1, are officially joining nine other states that broadly allow marijuana sales. Companies are rushing to complete renovations at dispensaries, expand their growing facilities, and get staff hired and trained. The Midwestern states’ launch into the potentially lucrative recreational market comes at a turbulent time for the industry, which has been rocked by layoffs, the vaping health scare and investor disappointment with Canada’s marijuana program. In both states, a limited number of businesses have received state licenses letting them sell recreational products initially. But those same retailers must keep enough product on hand to supply people certified as patients under medical marijuana laws. The conditions are “almost a guarantee” that Illinois and Michigan customers will experience long lines, product shortages and potentially high prices in the early stages, said Adam Orens, co-founder of the Marijuana Policy Group. “They’ve got to get through the growing pains to get a system implemented,” he said. Taking marijuana from a small cutting to dried flower ready to be sold or transformed into edible gummies or oils takes months. In Michigan, where voters legalized recreational pot just over a year ago, regulators who began accepting license applications Nov. 1 are aiding the transition by letting medical growers, processors and dispensaries transfer up to half their products to the recreational side under certain conditions. But marijuana is unlikely to be more broadly available until more businesses become licensed and additional communities authorize sales. More than 1,400 of Michigan’s nearly 1,800 cities, townships and villages are not allowing recreational businesses. Even Detroit, home to the most medical dispensaries in the state, has delayed recreational sales until at least Jan. 31. “This is brand new for a lot of municipalities. I think it’s important that they are doing their due diligence and taking an approach that honors the will of their people,” said Andrew Brisbo, executive director of the Marijuana Regulatory Agency, which has awarded 18 licenses and approved 78 pre-qualification applications. He said he expects adult sales to occur in “some consistent form” at a greater number of Michigan locations by the end of March. In Illinois, seven months will have separated Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signing of legislation permitting people 21 and older to buy and possess marijuana and the start of sales in January. The first round of applications is limited to existing medical marijuana retailers, and about 30 are newly licensed to sell recreational products. More could be approved before January. Most of the state’s licensed cultivation companies are expanding their space to meet higher demand for marijuana products. But that work takes time, too. Mark de Souza, CEO of the state’s largest marijuana producer Revolution Global, said he has heard from dispensary operators “panicked” that they could have empty shelves within months of adult sales beginning. But he believes the overall structure Illinois’ law created will become the industry’s “gold standard.” “You’re going to ensure everything from compliance to truth in labeling to taxes to consumer safety,” he said. “We don’t think any short-term supply issues are going to be harmful.” Still, retailers are considering appointment-based systems rather than lining up customers in winter weather. Others have retrofitted their dispensaries to let medical patients in one door and recreational customers in another, hoping to limit confusion if their product supplies run low. Amy Manganelli, chief operating officer at Mapleglen Care Center in the western Illinois city of Rockford, said she is anticipating long lines and taking steps to prepare employees. “We can’t open January 1 and have somebody futzing with the scanner,” she said. “That won’t make the people in line, standing outside in winter, very happy.” State law lets local governments bar recreational dispensaries, and at least two of Illinois’ existing medical dispensaries are in communities that decided to prevent expanded sales. Chicago set up seven districts with a limited number of dispensaries allowed in each, and business owners only learned at a lottery event in mid-November where they could operate within the city. Illinois lawmakers said they expected a slow start. Their long-term goals, though, hinge on parts of the law intended to ensure people of color can open and work for marijuana businesses despite historic inequities in enforcement of state and federal drug laws. The law includes a scoring bonus during the license-award process for social equity applicants — people living in communities most affected by enforcement of marijuana laws, or individuals arrested for or convicted of marijuana offenses that would be legal under the new law. A low-interest loan program for these applicants also was created as part of the law. Michigan has cut marijuana licensing fees for prospective business owners living in 41 cities whose residents were disproportionately impacted by drug enforcement. Toi Hutchinson, a former Illinois state senator who oversees the work of all seven state agencies that interact with cannabis businesses, said she is confident that regulators are hitting their deadlines. And she said they will be prepared for other significant milestones in 2020, including the first round of applicants seeking 75 additional licenses to sell recreational products. January will bring “hiccups,” Hutchison acknowledged. But she said Illinois must stay focused on broader goals including making sure people of color get opportunities in the marijuana industry. “If we’re really serious about equity, this is a long game,” said Hutchinson, who co-sponsored the marijuana legalization proposal. “This isn’t just about January 1.”
| null |
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/correction-marijuana-michigan-illinois-story-67408239
|
Sat, 30 Nov 2019 17:00:09 -0500
| 1,575,151,209 | 1,575,158,773 |
crime, law and justice
|
law
|
2,700 |
abcnews--2019-11-30--Lawsuit wave expected as New Jersey eases sex abuse limits
| 2019-11-30T00:00:00 |
abcnews
|
Lawsuit wave expected as New Jersey eases sex abuse limits
|
The loosening of limits on sexual abuse claims in New Jersey is expected to create a tectonic shift in the way those lawsuits are brought, giving hope to victims who have long suffered in silence and exposing a broader spectrum of institutions to potential liability. A law passed last spring goes into effect Sunday and allows child victims to sue until they turn 55, or within seven years of their first realization that the abuse caused them harm. The limit was two years before the new law. Adult victims also have seven years from the discovery of the abuse, and victims who were previously barred by the statute of limitations have a two-year window to file claims. That’s welcome news for people like Dennis Bachman, a 40-year-old construction worker from Westville, in southern New Jersey, who plans to file a lawsuit alleging a female counselor sexually abused him at a home for juveniles in Salem County. He said last week it took him a long time to recognize he had been abused, in part because of a misguided societal view that says damage done to boys abused by women "isn't the same" as other kinds of abuse. "Maybe (it'll) give me a chance to make things right," Bachman said. "I caused so much damage in my life in so many different ways. I figured maybe this would give me a chance to settle some things.” New Jersey’s push for expanding the statute of limitations gained momentum from last year’s release of a grand jury report in Pennsylvania that catalogued the experiences of thousands of victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and the church’s cover-up of the scandal. Many states have overhauled their criminal and civil statutes of limitations in the last 10 or 15 years, but just a handful including California, Delaware, Hawaii and Minnesota have created so-called lookback windows for lawsuits. New York enacted a bill earlier this year that creates a window similar to the one in New Jersey. The Roman Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts have both already been inundated with sexual abuse lawsuits that were filed when similar laws were passed in other states. The church opposed the law change in New Jersey, saying it wanted to push back the date it became effective. But those two organizations are far from the only defendants. Attorneys Jay Mascolo and Jason Amala represent about 40 defendants who are set to file lawsuits in New Jersey. They said their clients mostly allege abuse at the hands of people associated with the Catholic church and the Boy Scouts, but that about a quarter of the suits involve other institutions. Attorney Robert Fuggi said a key component of the law is that it removes an earlier provision that held a person acting in loco parentis, or “in place of a parent,” could only be liable if the abuse occurred “within the household.” That will make it easier to take legal action against public schools, Fuggi said. It could help revive a suit brought by one of his clients who claimed her high school’s assistant band director repeatedly sexually assaulted her in 2004. A state appeals court dismissed that case, ruling the “household” provision didn’t apply to public schools. “I think you’re going to see substantially more claims against public schools than ever before,” said Fuggi, who said he has prepared several lawsuits alleging sexual abuse at a restaurant, casino, church, high school and hospital. The new law has prompted some criticism that the two-year window exposes institutions to retroactive claims that could sink organizations whose current employees are not implicated and whose work could be upended by hefty damages. Alida Kass, the president and chief counsel of the New Jersey Civil Justice Institute, which advocates against lawsuit abuse, opposed the legislation because it lacked amendments to target only predators and institutions that were complicit in the alleged crimes. "There is at least a measure of justice in holding an organization to account, even years later, for their willful misdeeds," she said. “(But) we are not talking about charities that didn’t to do background checks when no one was doing background checks, or that failed to have as-yet unheard of protocols, or missed the warning signs that we now take for granted."
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https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/lawsuit-wave-expected-jersey-eases-sex-abuse-limits-67405760
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Sat, 30 Nov 2019 11:59:24 -0500
| 1,575,133,164 | 1,575,137,147 |
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abcnews--2019-11-30--Michigan, Illinois set to usher in recreational pot sales
| 2019-11-30T00:00:00 |
abcnews
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Michigan, Illinois set to usher in recreational pot sales
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James Daly is eager to make marijuana history on Sunday, when he plans to open the doors to Arbors Wellness, beckon the lengthy line outside and legally start selling recreational pot for the first time in the Midwest. “We’ve worked very hard to be prepared,” said Daly, who owns the medical dispensary that, for now, is among just six shops in Michigan — mostly in Ann Arbor — also approved to start selling for adult use in December. The business is doubling staff and has fielded calls from potential customers across the state along with neighboring Ohio and Indiana. “The end of prohibition is historic,” he said. “We wanted to rip the Band-Aid off.” Both Michigan and Illinois, which allows sales starting on Jan. 1, are officially joining nine other states that broadly allow marijuana sales. Companies are rushing to complete renovations at dispensaries, expand their growing facilities, and get staff hired and trained. The Midwestern states’ launch into the potentially lucrative recreational market comes at a turbulent time for the industry, which has been rocked by layoffs, the vaping health scare and investor disappointment with Canada’s marijuana program. In both states, a limited number of businesses have received state licenses letting them sell recreational products initially. But those same retailers must keep enough product on hand to supply people certified as patients under medical marijuana laws. The conditions are “almost a guarantee” that Illinois and Michigan customers will experience long lines, product shortages and potentially high prices in the early stages, said Adam Orens, co-founder of the Marijuana Policy Group. “They’ve got to get through the growing pains to get a system implemented,” he said. Taking marijuana from a small cutting to dried flower ready to be sold or transformed into edible gummies or oils takes months. In Michigan, where voters legalized recreational pot just over a year ago, regulators who began accepting license applications Nov. 1 are aiding the transition by letting medical growers, processors and dispensaries transfer up to half their products to the recreational side under certain conditions. But marijuana is unlikely to be more broadly available until more businesses become licensed and additional communities authorize sales. More than 1,400 of Michigan’s nearly 1,800 cities, townships and villages are not allowing recreational businesses. Even Detroit, home to the most medical dispensaries in the state, has delayed recreational sales until at least Jan. 31. “This is brand new for a lot of municipalities. I think it’s important that they are doing their due diligence and taking an approach that honors the will of their people,” said Andrew Brisbo, executive director of the Marijuana Regulatory Agency, which has awarded 18 licenses and approved 78 pre-qualification applications. He said he expects adult sales to occur in “some consistent form” at a greater number of Michigan locations by the end of March. In Illinois, seven months will have separated Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signing of legislation permitting people 21 and older to buy and possess marijuana and the start of sales in January. The first round of applications is limited to existing medical marijuana retailers, and about 30 are newly licensed to sell recreational products. More could be approved before January. Most of the state’s licensed cultivation companies are expanding their space to meet higher demand for marijuana products. But that work takes time, too. Mark de Souza, CEO of the state’s largest marijuana producer Revolution Enterprises, said he has heard from dispensary operators “panicked” that they could have empty shelves within months of adult sales beginning. But he believes the overall structure Illinois’ law created will become the industry’s “gold standard.” “You’re going to ensure everything from compliance to truth in labeling to taxes to consumer safety,” he said. “We don’t think any short-term supply issues are going to be harmful.” Still, retailers are considering appointment-based systems rather than lining up customers in winter weather. Others have retrofitted their dispensaries to let medical patients in one door and recreational customers in another, hoping to limit confusion if their product supplies run low. Amy Manganelli, chief operating officer at Mapleglen Care Center in the western Illinois city of Rockford, said she is anticipating long lines and taking steps to prepare employees. “We can’t open January 1 and have somebody futzing with the scanner,” she said. “That won’t make the people in line, standing outside in winter, very happy.” State law lets local governments bar recreational dispensaries, and at least two of Illinois’ existing medical dispensaries are in communities that decided to prevent expanded sales. Chicago set up seven districts with a limited number of dispensaries allowed in each, and business owners only learned at a lottery event in mid-November where they could operate within the city. Illinois lawmakers said they expected a slow start. Their long-term goals, though, hinge on parts of the law intended to ensure people of color can open and work for marijuana businesses despite historic inequities in enforcement of state and federal drug laws. The law includes a scoring bonus during the license-award process for social equity applicants — people living in communities most affected by enforcement of marijuana laws, or individuals arrested for or convicted of marijuana offenses that would be legal under the new law. A low-interest loan program for these applicants also was created as part of the law. Michigan has cut marijuana licensing fees for prospective business owners living in 41 cities whose residents were disproportionately impacted by drug enforcement. Toi Hutchinson, a former Illinois state senator who oversees the work of all seven state agencies that interact with cannabis businesses, said she is confident that regulators are hitting their deadlines. And she said they will be prepared for other significant milestones in 2020, including the first round of applicants seeking 75 additional licenses to sell recreational products. January will bring “hiccups,” Hutchison acknowledged. But she said Illinois must stay focused on broader goals including making sure people of color get opportunities in the marijuana industry. “If we’re really serious about equity, this is a long game,” said Hutchinson, who co-sponsored the marijuana legalization proposal. “This isn’t just about January 1.”
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https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/michigan-illinois-set-usher-recreational-pot-sales-67403867
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Sat, 30 Nov 2019 09:40:25 -0500
| 1,575,124,825 | 1,575,137,147 |
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abcnews--2019-12-02--Clergy sex abuse lawsuits take advantage of new NJ law
| 2019-12-02T00:00:00 |
abcnews
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Clergy sex abuse lawsuits take advantage of new NJ law
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Lawsuits alleging sexual abuse by Roman Catholic clergy are taking center stage in New Jersey as the state’s relaxation of statute of limitations rules takes effect. A new law allows child victims to sue until they turn 55, or within seven years of their first realization the abuse caused them harm. The previous limit was two years. Victims previously barred by the statute of limitations have a two-year window to file claims. Two sisters from Pennsylvania are suing the Archdiocese of Newark and the Diocese of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. They allege clergy in Newark knew a priest had sexually abused children before he moved to Harrisburg and abused them and their sisters for years. A separate lawsuit accuses defrocked former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the former Archbishop of the Newark diocese.
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https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/clergy-sex-abuse-lawsuits-advantage-nj-law-67439902
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Mon, 02 Dec 2019 11:30:59 -0500
| 1,575,304,259 | 1,575,308,811 |
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abcnews--2019-12-02--Key points from new wave of Catholic abuse lawsuits
| 2019-12-02T00:00:00 |
abcnews
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Key points from new wave of Catholic abuse lawsuits
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Key takeaways from Associated Press reporting showing that new laws in 15 states could clear the way for a deluge of lawsuits against the Roman Catholic Church: — Many of the dozen-plus lawyers and clergy abuse watchdog groups interviewed by the AP expect at least 5,000 new cases, resulting in potential payouts that could surpass the $4 billion paid out since the clergy sex abuse first came to light in the 1980s. — The legal onslaught will play out in some of the nation’s most populous Catholic strongholds. This summer, New York state opened its one-year window allowing sex abuse claims no matter how old, and already hundreds of lawsuits have been filed. A two-year window in New Jersey opens this week, then a three-year window in California opens in the new year that allows triple damages if the church tried to cover up the abuse. — Some lawyers believe payouts by juries will be bigger than ever because of a recent national reawakening over sex abuse, fueled by the #MeToo movement, the public shaming of accused celebrities and last year’s Pennsylvania grand jury report that found 300 priests abused more than 1,000 children in that state. Since then, attorneys general in nearly 20 states have launched investigations of their own. — The church is hoping victims turn to compensation funds set up by dioceses offering faster, but typically much lower payments than if they took their claims to court. To soften the financial hit, more dioceses are likely to file for bankruptcy, too. Less than a month after New York’s window took effect, the upstate Diocese of Rochester filed for bankruptcy, the 20th U.S. diocese or religious order to do so.
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https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/key-points-wave-catholic-abuse-lawsuits-67429224
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Mon, 02 Dec 2019 09:54:25 -0500
| 1,575,298,465 | 1,575,308,811 |
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abcnews--2019-12-07--Florida man faces prison for defying 'red flag' gun law
| 2019-12-07T00:00:00 |
abcnews
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Florida man faces prison for defying 'red flag' gun law
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A Florida man faces up to five years in prison for refusing to surrender his weapons to authorities under the state's “red flag" law. It took a Broward County jury less than an hour to find 33-year-old Jerron Smith guilty last week, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported on Friday. Smith was the first in Florida to be charged with defying the law, which went into effect following last year's Parkland high school shooting. Smith refused to surrender his weapons to law enforcement officials in March 2018 following an incident in which Smith was accused of shooting at a car during an argument, authorities said. He is awaiting trial on an attempted murder charge in connection with that incident. Under the state's "red flag" law, authorities with backing from a judge can seek to remove weapons from people who pose a danger to themselves and others. Florida is one of 15 states with such laws. Smith's attorney unsuccessfully argued that he did not fully understand the new law. A sentencing date has not been set.
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https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/florida-man-faces-prison-defying-red-flag-gun-67570200
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Sat, 07 Dec 2019 17:40:25 -0500
| 1,575,758,425 | 1,575,763,561 |
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abcnews--2019-12-19--Ex-model sues Weinstein, renewing allegations of abuse at 16
| 2019-12-19T00:00:00 |
abcnews
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Ex-model sues Weinstein, renewing allegations of abuse at 16
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NEW YORK -- A former model who accused Harvey Weinstein last year of sexually abusing her when she was 16 years old filed a new lawsuit against him Thursday, saying she didn't want to be included in a proposed global settlement that would split $25 million among various accusers. Kaja Sokola, who previously made the allegations in an class-action lawsuit that identified her as Jane Doe, said the proposed settlement was not “fair or just." She said it lacked accountability for Weinstein and his alleged enablers and provided insufficient compensation for his accusers. Sokola is suing Weinstein under New York's Child Victims Act, which gives people a one-year window to sue over sexually abuse they say they endured as children, sometimes decades ago. Her lawyers say it is the first lawsuit filed against Weinstein under the law. Sokola alleges Weinstein assaulted her at his Manhattan apartment in 2002, just days after they’d met at an event involving her modeling agency. She says Weinstein promised to take her to lunch to discuss her career, but instead took her to his empty SoHo apartment and “aggressively and threateningly” demanded sex. In the lawsuit, Sokola alleges that Weinstein instructed her to take off her clothes, boasted about having “made” the careers of a pair of Oscar-winning actresses, and intimated she’d never work as an actress unless she gave in to his demands. “Terrified and struggling to hold back tears, Sokola said she did not want to do anything further and resisted his demands," the lawsuit states. “Sokola had no intention or understanding when she agreed to a business lunch that she would be put in this position." Sokola says Weinstein's demeanor “became intense, as if he was hunting prey,” and that he made her touch his penis while he touched her genitals and grabbed at her breasts. The lawsuit also alleges Weinstein's brother and various movie studio executives were aware of his behavior and failed to stop him. Messages seeking comment were left with lawyers for Robert Weinstein and a representative for Disney, which bought their Miramax film studio in 1993. The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, which Sokola has done. Dozens of women have accused Harvey Weinstein of wrongdoing. He is scheduled to stand trial Jan. 6 on charges he raped a woman in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013 and performed a forcible sex act on a different woman in 2006. He has pleaded not guilty and maintains that any sexual activity was consensual. Sokola's lawsuit includes only part of the allegations she detailed as Jane Doe in October 2018. In that court filing, she also accused Weinstein of subjecting her to years of harassment and emotional abuse and said he blocked her from a successful acting career as payback for refusing his advances. Sokola, now a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist in her native Poland, says in the lawsuit filed Thursday that she felt angry at Weinstein during the encounter and ashamed that he was causing her to unwillingly engage in sex acts. “Weinstein made clear that refusing his sexual demands would mean giving up the opportunity to make it in Hollywood," the lawsuit says. “As Harvey Weinstein finally let Sokola leave, he told her that she needed to work on her stubbornness."
| null |
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/model-sues-weinstein-renewing-allegations-abuse-16-67835073
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Thu, 19 Dec 2019 18:21:03 -0500
| 1,576,797,663 | 1,576,814,697 |
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abcnews--2019-12-20--Nurses defend Ohio doctor charged in deaths at hospital
| 2019-12-20T00:00:00 |
abcnews
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Nurses defend Ohio doctor charged in deaths at hospital
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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ten former colleagues of an Ohio hospital doctor who pleaded not guilty to murder in 25 patients' deaths are coming to his defense in a new lawsuit. The action was brought Thursday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court by nine nurses and a pharmacist once employed by Mount Carmel Health System in Columbus, NBC News reported. In it, the former employees argue that the hospital wrongfully terminated and defamed Dr. William Husel. Mount Carmel fired Husel a year ago after it found he ordered potentially fatal doses of pain medication for dozens of patients. The lawsuit says hospital executives were ignorant about the appropriate standards of care and that the pain medicine was needed to help patients in intensive care in their last minutes of life. "This preposterous (but headline-grabbing) false narrative of an evil rogue doctor and his complicit staff ultimately destroyed the lives and livelihoods of dozens of dedicated nurses and pharmacists, and convinced the public, the Franklin County prosecutor, and the State Attorney General that something terrible had been going on," the lawsuit said. “But nothing could be further from the truth.” His current lawyers shy away from publicly discussing Husel's motivations, but his previous attorney in the criminal case said the doctor was providing comfort care to dying patients, not trying to kill them. Mount Carmel Health System said in a statement that the "claim has no merit" and that it “thoroughly investigated these events and stand by our decisions.” The suit comes as 25 Mount Carmel nurses and three pharmacists are facing discipline for their roles in administering the medication. Hearings begin in February before the Ohio Board of Nursing and in April before the Ohio Board of Pharmacy. The 10 former employees say they were not betrayed or coerced by Husel, but that hospital executives "panicked" over how the public and government regulators might react to the level of medication he ordered. The group contends the dosages were “high but appropriate,” as allowed by the hospital's “flexible and discretion-permitting policies.”
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https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/nurses-defend-ohio-doctor-charged-deaths-hospital-67856597
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Fri, 20 Dec 2019 16:54:17 -0500
| 1,576,878,857 | 1,576,886,758 |
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abcnews--2019-12-30--Uber, Postmates sue to challenge California's new labor law
| 2019-12-30T00:00:00 |
abcnews
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Uber, Postmates sue to challenge California's new labor law
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Ride-share company Uber and on-demand meal delivery service Postmates sued Monday to block a broad new California law aimed at giving wage and benefit protections to people who work as independent contractors. The lawsuit filed in U.S. court in Los Angeles argues that the law set to take effect Wednesday violates federal and state constitutional guarantees of equal protection and due process. Uber said it will try to link the lawsuit to another legal challenge filed in mid-December by associations representing freelance writers and photographers. The California Trucking Association filed the first challenge to the law in November on behalf of independent truckers. The law creates the nation's strictest test by which workers must be considered employees and it could set a precedent for other states. The latest challenge includes two independent workers who wrote about their concerns with the new law. “This has thrown my life and the lives of more than a hundred=thousand drivers into uncertainty,” ride-share driver Lydia Olson's wrote in a Facebook post cited by Uber. Postmates driver Miguel Perez called on-demand work “a blessing” in a letter distributed by Uber. He said he used to drive a truck for 14 hours at a time, often overnight. “Sometimes, when I was behind the wheel, with an endless shift stretching out ahead of me like the open road, I daydreamed about a different kind of job -- a job where I could choose when, where and how much I worked and still make enough money to feed my family," he wrote. The lawsuit contends that the law exempts some industries but includes ride-share and delivery companies without a rational basis for distinguishing between them. It alleges that the law also infringes on workers' rights to choose how they make a living and could void their existing contracts. Democratic Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez of San Diego countered that she wrote the law to extend employee rights to more than a million California workers who lack benefits, including a minimum wage, mileage reimbursements, paid sick leave, medical coverage and disability pay for on-the-job injuries. She noted that Uber had previously sought an exemption when lawmakers were crafting the law, then said it would defend its existing labor model from legal challenges. It joined Lyft and DoorDash in a vow to each spend $30 million to overturn the law at the ballot box in 2020 if they don’t win concessions from lawmakers next year. “The one clear thing we know about Uber is they will do anything to try to exempt themselves from state regulations that make us all safer and their driver employees self-sufficient,” Gonzalez said in a statement. "In the meantime, Uber chief executives will continue to become billionaires while too many of their drivers are forced to sleep in their cars.” The new law was a response to a legal ruling last year by the California Supreme Court regarding workers at the delivery company Dynamex.
| null |
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/uber-postmates-sue-challenge-californias-labor-law-67993090
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Mon, 30 Dec 2019 22:29:39 -0500
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activistpost--2019-01-04--After Years Of Refusal Utah Will Now Implement The REAL ID Act
| 2019-01-04T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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After Years Of Refusal, Utah Will Now Implement The REAL ID Act
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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (Jan. 3, 2018) – After nearly eight years of refusing to implement the REAL ID Act of 2005, Utah has flip-flopped and will now participate in the unconstitutional national ID program. In 2010, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed a bill into law prohibiting the state from implementing or participating in the Real ID Act. At the time, the legislature found that the enactment of the Real ID Act: By signing the bill into law, Herbert approved these findings. But judging by his recent actions and those by other elected officials in Utah, something must have changed over the last eight years. What was unconstitutional and unacceptable suddenly became A-OK! On Dec. 6, Herbert tossed aside his promise to preserve and protect the Constitution and signed a bill (SB3002) repealing the 2010 ban on implementing Real ID. The new law also sets up a process to make the state’s driver’s licenses federally compliant. Sen. Wayne Harper (R-Taylorsville) and Rep. Eric Hutchings (R-Kearnes) also ignored their oaths of office and sponsored the legislation. The Senate passed SB3002 by a 25-0 vote. The House approved the bill 47-23. Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 and Pres. G.W. Bush signed it into law. The act essentially mandates a national ID system that states must implement. Constitutionally, the federal government lacks any authority to create a national ID. But the feds won’t let something like constitutional limitations stop them from doing what they want. Congress simply ignored its delegated powers and implemented national ID standards anyway. But things didn’t go smoothly after the passage of REAL ID. States rebelled for several reasons, including privacy concerns and the fact that Congress didn’t provide any funding for the mandates it expects states to implement. Many states simply chose not to act. Several others, such as Utah, passed laws expressly prohibiting compliance with the national ID standards. Under the law, all states were supposed to be in compliance by 2009. But the federal government found coercing unwilling states wasn’t as easy as anticipated. Instead of forcing the issue, the feds issued waiver after waiver.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/01/after-years-of-refusal-utah-will-now-implement-the-real-id-act.html
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2019-01-04 16:16:53+00:00
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activistpost--2019-01-09--French Government Moves to Impose a Police State in Response to Gilets Jaunes
| 2019-01-09T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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French Government Moves to Impose a Police State in Response to Gilets Jaunes
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Marking up the Arc de Triomphe, smashing the face of the Marianne statue, a symbol of the French state, and trashing private property along the Champs-Elysees will be considered minor incidents if the Yellow Vests pull off their next move—an organized run on the banks. According to activist Tahz San, the aim of the latest protest is to “scare this (French) state completely legally and without any violence, yet more effectively than ever expected.” The Associated Press reports Gilets Jaunes activists “hope the move will force the government to listen to their demands, notably their call for more direct democracy through the implementation of popular votes that allow citizens to propose new laws.” Instead of listening to the demands of a majority of the French people—polls show around 80% support for the movement—the state will roll out the military and pass a draconian law criminalizing organized protest. Moreover, the French state will ban activists—described as “known troublemakers”—from participating in demonstrations. In order to make identifying and singling out these activists more easy, the government will also outlaw face masks. The protesters will face tougher penalties for taking part in undeclared demonstrations, covering their faces, and would be required to pay for the damage they cause, Philippe said on France’s TF1 television. More than 80,000 police officers will be mobilized nationwide for an expected fresh round of protests next Saturday, he said. Budget Minister Gerald Darmanin urged the state to exercise “ultra-severity” against French citizens opposed to being fleeced and ignored. For a former French minister, the only appropriate response by the state is murder. Luc Ferry has called for police to shoot and kill protesters attacking police. Violence and murder are a reflexive response by the state when its authority is challenged and other tactics—for instance, demonizing protesters as either right or left extremists—fail to put an end to protests. Nothing short of a police state will work to discourage further protests. The French government has plenty of experience along these lines, having declared a state of emergency on numerous occasions, most recently in 2015 after a series of terrorist attacks in Paris. France first implemented an état d’urgence in 1955 during the Algerian war. The law resulted in house arrests, censorship, searches, curfew, restrictions on public gatherings, and forbidding people from entering a defined area. Shutting down protests, arresting activists, and even murdering them will not put an end to the Gilets Jaunes movement. The French elite apparently suffer from amnesia. In the 1700s, the average French citizen spent half his or her wages on bread, thus leading to deadly bread riots and eventually the fall of the Bastille. The French ruling class, the monarchy, faced the guillotine in response to its neglect and parasitical behavior. Kurt Nimmo is the editor of Another Day in the Empire, where this article first appeared. He is the former lead editor and writer of Infowars.com. Donate to ADE Here.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/01/french-government-moves-to-impose-a-police-state-in-response-to-gilets-jaunes.html
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2019-01-09 17:38:45+00:00
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activistpost--2019-01-11--Chinese Authorities Go After Citizens For Using VPNs Skirting Online Censorship
| 2019-01-11T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Chinese Authorities Go After Citizens For Using VPNs, Skirting Online Censorship
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Two Chinese internet users are currently facing punishment for doing what an estimated 1-3% of people living in mainland China do every day: access the global internet. Among other methods, many internet users in China depend on Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to skirt or circumvent China’s “Great Firewall”, the robust filtering system that blocks sensitive information and overseas websites from China’s domestic network. While VPN use is permitted in certain contexts — mainly for government agencies and large private companies — China’s vigorous internet control regime has in recent years put significant resources towards preventing internet users from using these and other similar tools. In June 2017, the government enacted a Cybersecurity Law that codified a growing set of rules on internet use and content, strengthening internet operator responsibilities and duties, and demanding real-name registration of individual internet users. The legislation also addressed VPNs. It directly compelled Apple to take down VPN apps from its China app store, and it appears to have triggered multiple arrests of individuals selling unlicensed VPNs. The new law does not explicitly address or criminalize the individual use of such technologies. And while it sends a clear signal about what types of technology off limits, many Chinese netizens continue to believe that using circumvention tools will not bring them trouble. But two new “administrative punishment” cases may change this. In December, a Shaoguan resident was fined RMB 1000 (roughly USD $163) for setting up and using a VPN to access the internet. The Guangdong Public Security Enforcement Information Platform posted a report detailing his punishment. Zhu Yunfeng, 30, was using Lantern Pro, a mobile app and circumvention tool that connects users to a decentralized network of nodes that can relay user traffic to any website, regardless of censorship barriers. Unable to justify Zhu’s punishment under the new cybersecurity law, public security officials instead cited Articles 6 and 14 of the 1996 “Rules for Provisional Regulations of the Administration of International Networking of Computer Information in the People’s Republic of China”. Article 6 stipulates that when connecting to an international network from within China, all computer devices must use infrastructure provided by state-licensed telecoms. Any individual or organization that is not state-licensed is forbidden from offering or building alternative information channels to access the international network. Although Lantern is a globally recognized circumvention tool, it does not have a state-issued license in China. On January 4, a similar case unfolded in Chongqing, where Huang Chengcheng was summoned by police on the same charges as Zhu. But authorities have not disclosed the details of his case. Both cases indicate that today, the very act of circumventing the internet through an unregistered channel is considered illegal. Many netizens questioned why some people are authorized to circumvent the GFW, while others can be punished for doing the same. On Twitter, @tangyongtao1 asked why state-run media are allowed to circumvent the Great Firewall, pointing to Global Times’ editor-in chief Hu Xijin. Does the regulation not apply to government officials? A Guangdong netizen was fined RMB 1000 yuan by the Shaoguan public security authority for illegal accessing the international network. Netizens were asking if circumventing the network to get access to Twitter is illegal, why Global Times’ Hu Xijin can hold an account on Twitter and interact with Chinese and foreign netizens on Twitter. Should he be punished as well? How about Xinhu, People’s Daily and CCTV? They all have Twitter accounts? — why some people enjoy privileges that are protected like national secrecy? It is well known that Hu Xijin publishes his tweets using a mobile-based circumvention app, rather than via state-owned telecoms’ network as written in the regulation. Prominent tech blogger William Long sought to hold Hu to the same standards as netizens in Guangdong and Chongqing: The news may serve as a wake up call to Chinese netizens. On Weibo, in a news thread about the administrative decision, netizens expressed their frustration about the incident: Some pointed out that the interpretation of the regulation was mistaken:
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/01/chinese-authorities-go-after-citizens-for-using-vpns-skirting-online-censorship.html
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2019-01-11 17:12:28+00:00
| 1,547,244,748 | 1,567,552,859 |
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activistpost--2019-01-14--Ocasio-Cortez Green New Deal Astonishes Vast for Geoengineering No Oversight
| 2019-01-14T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Ocasio-Cortez’ Green New Deal Astonishes: Vast $$ for Geoengineering, No Oversight
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Bestselling Third Wave Feminist, author and journalist, Naomi Wolf has spent most of her professional life as a darling of the Liberal establishment but she is its rare denizen who is more committed to the truth than to the approval of her peers. Wolf’s latest venture is called the Daily Clout, which makes tabled legislation easier to understand for the average citizen. In this video, she breaks down the Green New Deal, promoted by Freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and so far supported by Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker an Beto O’Rourke. Wolf gives us an excellent analysis of the Green New Deal, which she suspects might be a dialectical setup where “You get the same old power elites owning everything,” complaining that some of its ideas are gifts to “private sector hyper-elite stakeholders, without any kind of oversight from the people of the nation.” Reading the language of the 11-page Googledocs document, entitled, “DRAFT TEXT FOR PROPOSED ADDENDUM TO HOUSE RULES FOR 116TH CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES”, she tells us, “This is not legislation…this is not delivering a bill to you or a new law. It is delivering a new form of power…It sets the stage for draft legislation to be written by people who weren’t elected to do it.” In other words, the committee of appointees that this proposal forms will entirely circumvent the will of the American people. The language of this proposal seeks to take over the entire economy and a specific statement, “To draw down greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and oceans,” refers to patented, experimental, carbon sequestration geoengineering technologies owned by venture capitalists in Silicon Valley. Wolf has been reporting on “SCoPEx”, the Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment and she says the proposal’s language represents a gigantic allocation of the nation’s resources to these new, experimental technologies that are owned by non-transparent Silicon Valley companies like Intellectual Ventures. She adds that this language: “To promote economic and environmental justice and equality,” indicates that, “It’s not just about saving the planet, it folds in very intensive proposals and programs in the name of economic equality. I like economic equality. I think our country needs more of it…but it hands over the resources, the allocations, the execution of ending those income disparities to this committee of these 15 people, who are not elected by you for this committee. “What worries me about this, as an American,” Wolf says, “is that we have that language. It’s called the Constitution of the United States. It guarantees equality for all. So, Paragraph 6 basically re-writes the Constitution…I’m a feminist and I’m anti-racist but…it worries me that these 15 people are deciding what is ‘racial justice’, what is ‘gender justice’, what is ‘regional justice’, what is ‘economic justice’, what is ‘social justice’ – that’s not what we elected them for and that’s not the way our government is supposed to work.” Wolf says she wants some kind of Green New Deal “yesterday” but at the outset, she sees a great deal of problems with this proposal. What it looks like to me is that some Silicon Valley geoengineering firms want Ocasio-Cortez to tax the American people at up to 70% to pay them to spray us with chemtrails and to re-write the Constitution. No, thanks! This article was sourced from ForbiddenKnowledgeTV.net
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/01/ocasio-cortez-green-new-deal-astonishes-vast-for-geoengineering-no-oversight.html
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2019-01-14 18:36:13+00:00
| 1,547,508,973 | 1,567,552,476 |
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activistpost--2019-01-28--Im Not Going to Enforce That Sheriffs Disobey New Anti-Gun Laws Refuse to Disarm Citizens
| 2019-01-28T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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“I’m Not Going to Enforce That” — Sheriffs Disobey New Anti-Gun Laws; Refuse to Disarm Citizens
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Klickitat County, WA — In reaction to the tragic shootings throughout 2018, Washington state has passed and is planning to pass a slew of new anti-gun bills that will make them one of the most regulated states in the country. But these bills are being met by resistance from an unlikely group. A handful of sheriffs is standing up to the “unconstitutional” nature of the bills and is promising disobedience. Sheriff Bob Songer is one of these sheriffs who is outspoken about his resistance. During an interview with The Guardian, published over the weekend, Songer told the newspaper that the anti-gun legislation passed last November “is unconstitutional on several grounds. I’ve taken the position that as an elected official, I am not going to enforce that law.” Songer—like every single sheriff and law enforcement officer in the country—swore an oath to uphold the Constitution, and now he’s overtly honoring it by protecting the Second Amendment. Songer also cited ongoing litigation by the National Rife Association gun industry lobby and others which aims to demonstrate the laws violate both the second amendment and the state’s constitution. He also said that if other agencies attempted to seize weapons from county residents under the auspices of the new laws, he would consider preventively “standing in their doorway”. In November, the state’s voters handily passed an initiative, I-1639, which mostly targeted semi-automatic rifles. As of 1 January, purchasers of these weapons must now be over 21, undergo an enhanced background check, must have completed a safety course, and need to wait 9 days to take possession of their weapon. Also, gun owners who fail to store their weapons safely risk felony “community endangerment” charges. Feeling the wind at their backs after the ballot, gun campaigners and liberal legislators have now gone even further in the new legislative session. Bills introduced in the last week to Washington’s Democrat-dominated legislature look to further restrict firearms. Some laws would ban high capacity magazines and plastic guns made with 3D printers. Others would mandate training for concealed carry permits, and remove guns and ammo during and after domestic violence incidents. The sheriff of Ferry County agrees with Songer and is also promising not to enforce the laws. Sheriff Ray Maycumber told The Guardian that he will resist the legislation as well. Police officers standing up for the gun rights of the citizens they serve is rare, but it has happened before. In Connecticut in 2014, legislators passed into law highly restrictive gun control, gun bans, and bans on high capacity magazines. The laws were so overreaching and unconstitutional that hundreds of law enforcement officers came together to resist it. At the time, 250 law enforcement officers in Connecticut signed an open letter stating that they will not enforce the new anti-gun and magazine laws, which they considered to be a violation of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Also, some entire towns—law enforcement officials and politicians alike—have moved to become “sanctuary cities” for gun rights in the wake of the recent anti-gun legislation sweeping the country. As TFTP reported last year, in Effingham County, IL, the town board voted in April to order its employees not to enforce any laws that would “unconstitutionally restrict the Second Amendment” to the U.S. Constitution. Effingham County State’s Attorney Bryan Kibler said the measure is meant to act as a warning shot to tell the state legislature that the county does not want unnecessary gun control measures, or for the sale of firearms to be jeopardized. The resolution states: The Right of the People to Keep and Bear Arms is guaranteed as an Individual Right under the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and under the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and; the Right of the People to Keep and Bear Arms for defense of Life, Liberty, and Property is regarded as an Inalienable Right by the People of Effingham County, Illinois, and the People of Effingham County, Illinois, derive economic benefit from all safe forms of firearms recreation, hunting, and shooting conducted within Effingham County using all types of firearms allowable under the United States Constitution. As TFTP has reported, some sheriffs have even gone so far as to encourage citizens to arm themselves, noting that a well armed society is a safer society. “In light of recent events that have occurred in the United States and around the world I want to encourage citizens of Ulster County who are licensed to carry a firearm to PLEASE DO SO,” urged Sheriff Paul Van Blarcum of New York’s Ulster County in a Facebook post, after the Paris massacre in 2015. “I think it’s important to remind everybody with the way things are, you’ve got people coming in with long rifles just slaughtering people,” Van Blarcum told the Daily Freeman newspaper. He is hoping that next time an incident of that kind occurs, “there is an armed citizen around” to respond. Detroit Police Chief James Craig, agreed, and explaining that police cannot be everywhere all the time, he noted that “if you’re a terrorist, or a car-jacker, you want unarmed citizens.” Indeed, as we have long contended here at the Free Thought Project, the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. Sheriffs who continue to acknowledge this and stand up for the rights of citizens to protect themselves, deserve to be recognized. Please share this story in hopes that other law enforcement officers across the country may take similar stances—as true change comes when good people disobey bad laws. Matt Agorist is an honorably discharged veteran of the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA. This prior experience gives him unique insight into the world of government corruption and the American police state. Agorist has been an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world. Agorist is also the Editor at Large at the Free Thought Project, where this article first appeared. Follow @MattAgorist on Twitter, Steemit, and now on Minds.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/01/im-not-going-to-enforce-that-sheriffs-disobey-new-anti-gun-laws-refuse-to-disarm-citizens.html
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2019-01-28 17:03:55+00:00
| 1,548,713,035 | 1,567,550,470 |
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law
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activistpost--2019-02-03--Russian Anti-Fake News Bill Rushed Through Parliament Despite Vocal Opposition
| 2019-02-03T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Russian “Anti-Fake News” Bill Rushed Through Parliament Despite Vocal Opposition
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The Russian State Duma is considering multiple bills of law that would further stifle free speech in Russia’s already heavily restricted internet environment. One targets expressions of “willful disregard” towards the state. Another targets disinformation. All of them echo increasingly global concerns among governments about the political implications of disinformation — and unbridled criticism — on the internet. And all have been heavily criticized by Russian civil society groups, experts, users and even the government’s own ministers. Yet these bills promoting possible further crackdown on free speech still trudge on through the legislative system. The first bill, a “sovereign internet” initiative, which is yet to reach the floor of the lower chamber of Russia’s bicameral parliament, seeks to establish state-regulated internet exchange points that would allow for increased monitoring and control over internet traffic moving into and out of the country. One of the two bills co-authored by the controversial senator Andrey Klishas — who walked out of his own initiative’s committee hearing and refused to present it personally on the Duma’s floor — suggests new restrictions on “knowingly and maliciously disseminating false information of public importance.” Under this law, individuals, officials or organizations accused of spreading fake news “disguised as genuine public announcements” which are found to promote public disorder or other serious disturbances could be fined for up to a million rubles (slightly above USD $15,000), unless they remove the violating content in a day’s time. The bill also provides measures through which Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media watchdog, will order ISPs to block websites hosting the offending content. The bill passed its first reading in late January with flying colours, receiving 336 votes in its favor and only 44 against, thanks to the 2016 landslide which guaranteed the ruling United Russia party an absolute voting majority. The “anti-fake news” bill will be reviewed again by the Duma in February, conditioned on the revision of some of its most contentious points. The bill pushed through by “Putin’s party” was met with a rare response of significant opposition, even among the normally acquiescent branches of Russia’s highly centralized and executive-biased power structure. The attorney general’s office, among others, criticized the bill’s vague definitions as potentially damaging to citizens’ civil rights. The second bill, which came up for review alongside the fake news-busting proposal, is seen as being even more controversial. It seeks to punish “vulgar expressions of wilful disregard” towards “the state, its symbols and organs of its power” with fines of up to 5,000 rubles (around USD $76) and detention for up to 15 days. The bill also passed in the first reading on the same day, despite vocal criticism from both government members (Deputy Communications Minister Alexey Volin said that “calmly accepting criticism” was an obligation for state officials, adding that they weren’t “made of sugar”) and opposition parties. A video clip from the Duma’s floor made the rounds on social media with a Liberal Democratic Party of Russia member berating his colleagues for having thin skins: Many Russian journalists felt the bill was directly aimed at them. Sergey Smirnov, the editor-in-chief of Mediazona, an independent crowd-funded online news outlet focused on the abuses inside Russia’s justice system, wrote on his Telegram channel: One of the bill’s authors Dmitry Vyatkin explained that criticism of individual officials wouldn’t be considered disrespectful towards the authorities under the new law. As for the fake news bill, he said the law could only be activated in cases where there was clear intent to endanger people’s lives or health or driving them to the streets en masse. Vyatkin also noted that the law wouldn’t affect journalistic investigations and reports. Obviously, it will affect journalistic investigations and reports, there can be no doubt about that. That’s why they’re voting for this bill. On top of that, if Komsomolskaya Pravda or Lifenews [pro-Kremlin tabloids] publish fake news that lead to murders, no one will bear any responsibility. And when they want to put the pressure on the BBC, they’ll find ten different absurd reasons. The BBC is currently being investigated by Roskomnadzor for supposedly violating Russian media laws — in a move that’s been openly described as a retaliation for a similar investigation of the Russian state-owned channel RT by officials in the UK. Smirnov’s quote also refers to of an infamous case where members of a murderous neo-Nazi gang were inspired by distorted or severely misreported news in the media to attack and kill ethnic minorities, human rights activists and journalists. Both bills are noteworthy in the global context, as their authors each have explicitly invoked “anti-fake news” laws and proposals in Western countries as inspiration. Andrey Klishas, the senator who co-authored both, cited Germany as an example in both cases, especially the German “Network Enforcement Act” or NetzDG — a law targeting online hate speech that drew criticism from human rights groups for its heavy-handed approach and vague definitions. Ironically, many of the recent “anti-fake news” bills and initiatives in Europe have been triggered by the fear of Russian disinformation. In recent years, repressive governments around the world, including Russia, Myanmar and Egypt, have used “fake news” as a pretext for clamping down on free speech. Top image caption and credit: Despite heated debates, two controversial pro-censorship bills were approved by the Russian parliament // duma.gov.ru under CC4.0 This article was sourced from Global Voices.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/02/russian-anti-fake-news-bill-rushed-through-parliament-despite-vocal-opposition.html
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2019-02-03 16:15:45+00:00
| 1,549,228,545 | 1,567,549,737 |
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law
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activistpost--2019-02-05--Signed By the Governor New Mexico Electronic Communications Privacy Act
| 2019-02-05T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Signed By the Governor: New Mexico Electronic Communications Privacy Act
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Yesterday, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a bill into law that limits the warrantless use of stingray devices to track people’s location and sweep up electronic communications, and more broadly protects the privacy of electronic data. The new law will also hinder the federal surveillance state. Sen. Peter Wirth (D) filed Senate Bill 199 (SB199) on Jan. 8. Titled the “Electronic Communications Privacy Act,” the new law will help block the use of cell site simulators, known as “stingrays.” These devices essentially spoof cell phone towers, tricking any device within range into connecting to the stingray instead of the tower, allowing law enforcement to sweep up communications content, as well as locate and track the person in possession of a specific phone or other electronic device. The bill requires police to obtain a warrant or wiretap order before deploying a stingray device, unless they have the explicit permission of the owner or authorized possessor of the device, or if the device is lost or stolen. SB199 includes an exception to the warrant requirement for emergency situations. Even then, police must apply for a warrant within 3 days and destroy any information obtained if the court denies the application. On Jan. 24, the Senate passed SB199 by a 41-0 vote. On Jan. 30, the House concurred with a vote of 68-0. With the governor’s signature, the law will go into effect 90 days after adjournment of the legislature. SB199 also bars law enforcement agencies from compelling a service provider or any person other than the owner of the device without a warrant or wiretap order. This includes actual communication content such as phone conversations, text messages and email, location information and other metadata such as IP addresses pertaining to a person or device participating in the communication. A service provider may still share information voluntarily under the law. Law enforcement will have to destroy such information within 90 days unless it gets the consent of the owner or a court order. Provisions in SB199 will severely limit sharing of any legally obtained data. The legislation provides a legal remedy for anybody whose data is obtained in violation of the law. A similar bill unanimously passed in both houses of the New Mexico legislature in 2017, but Gov. Susana Martinez vetoed the bill, saying she didn’t want to “burden law enforcement officials.” Martinez was term-limited out of office and Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham replaced her in 2019. The federal government funds the vast majority of state and local stingray programs, attaching one important condition. The feds require agencies acquiring the technology to sign non-disclosure agreements. This throws a giant shroud over the program, even preventing judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys from getting information about the use of stingrays in court. The feds actually instruct prosecutors to withdraw evidence if judges or legislators press for information. As the Baltimore Sun reported in April 2015, a Baltimore detective refused to answer questions on the stand during a trial, citing a federal non-disclosure agreement. “Does this document instruct you to withhold evidence from the state’s attorney and Circuit Court, even upon court order to produce?” he asked. As privacysos.org put it, “The FBI would rather police officers and prosecutors let ‘criminals’ go than face a possible scenario where a defendant brings a Fourth Amendment challenge to warrantless stingray spying.” The experience of a Pinellas County, Florida, man further highlights the shroud of secrecy around the use of stingray devices, along with the potential for abuse of power inherent in America’s law enforcement community. The feds sell the technology in the name of “anti-terrorism” efforts. With non-disclosure agreements in place, most police departments refuse to release any information on the use of stingrays. But information obtained from the Tacoma Police Department revealed that it uses the technology primarily for routine criminal investigations. Some privacy advocates argue that stingray use can never happen within the parameters of the Fourth Amendment because the technology necessarily connects to every electronic device within range, not just the one held by the target. And the information collected by these devices undoubtedly ends up in federal databases. The feds can share and tap into vast amounts of information gathered at the state and local level through fusion centers and a system known as the “information sharing environment” or ISE. In other words, stingrays create the potential for the federal government to track the movement of millions of Americans with no warrant, no probable cause, and without the people even knowing it. Fusion centers were sold as a tool to combat terrorism, but that is not how they are being used. The ACLU pointed to a bipartisan congressional report to demonstrate the true nature of government fusion centers: “They haven’t contributed anything meaningful to counterterrorism efforts. Instead, they have largely served as police surveillance and information sharing nodes for law enforcement efforts targeting the frequent subjects of police attention: Black and brown people, immigrants, dissidents, and the poor.” Fusion centers operate within the broader ISE. According to its website, the ISE “provides analysts, operators, and investigators with information needed to enhance national security. These analysts, operators, and investigators…have mission needs to collaborate and share information with each other and with private sector partners and our foreign allies.” In other words, ISE serves as a conduit for the sharing of information gathered without a warrant. Known ISE partners include the Office of Director of National Intelligence which oversees 17 federal agencies and organizations, including the NSA. ISE utilizes these partnerships to collect and share data on the millions of unwitting people they track. The federal government encourages and funds stingrays at the state and local level across the U.S., thereby undoubtedly gaining access to a massive data pool on Americans without having to expend the resources to collect the information itself. By placing restrictions on stingray use, state and local governments limit the data available that the feds can access. In a nutshell, without state and local cooperation, the feds have a much more difficult time gathering information. Passage of SB199 strikes a major blow to the surveillance state and is a win for privacy. By allowing defendants to suppress information obtained in violation of the law, SB199 will hinder one practical effect of NSA spying in New Mexico. Reuters revealed the extent of such NSA data sharing with state and local law enforcement in an August 2013 article. According to documents obtained by the news agency, the NSA passes information to police through a formerly secret DEA unit known Special Operations Divisions and the cases “rarely involve national security issues.” Almost all of the information involves regular criminal investigations, not terror-related investigations. In other words, not only does the NSA collect and store this data, using it to build profiles, the agency encourages state and local law enforcement to violate the Fourth Amendment by making use of this information in their day-to-day investigations. This is “the most threatening situation to our constitutional republic since the Civil War,” Binney said. Michael Maharrey [send him email] is the Communications Director for the Tenth Amendment Center, where this article first appeared. He proudly resides in the original home of the Principles of ’98 – Kentucky. See his blog archive here and his article archive here. He is the author of the book, Our Last Hope: Rediscovering the Lost Path to Liberty. You can visit his personal website at MichaelMaharrey.com and like him on Facebook HERE.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/02/signed-by-the-governor-new-mexico-electronic-communications-privacy-act.html
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2019-02-05 19:06:24+00:00
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activistpost--2019-02-07--Alabama Police Will Not Allow Poor Drivers To Leave The State
| 2019-02-07T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Alabama Police Will Not Allow Poor Drivers To Leave The State
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If you are too poor to pay a traffic ticket or a fine in Alabama the police will not let you leave the state. You read that right, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency will issue poor people “hardship drivers licenses” but you cannot leave. The mass media is falling all over themselves praising the new law, saying “this rule could help tens of thousands of people, over 20,000 alone had their licenses suspended just an for inability to pay for fines and fees that were assets to them,” said Dev Wakeley. “They will be able to drive to work to school to medical appointments, to civic appointments or civic organization events as well as you know to go out and vote or if they need to do household chores or things of that nature,” says Captain Jon Archer of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. (Source) Captain Archer confirms that poor people will not be allowed to leave Alabama. Hardship drivers licenses exist in every state and are mostly used for minors and DUI offenders; they are not used to punish the poor. An article in Alabama Today claims police have begun accepting applications to restore limited driving privileges to thousands of motorists who simply are too poor to pay their ticket. According to Senate Bill 55 the police will only give poor people a hardship drivers license if they do not pose a risk to public safety. Welcome to American policing where one’s inability to pay a ticket or a fine is now a risk to “public safety.” Before Alabamians are allowed to drive again, Big Brother wants to know things like where you work and go to church. They also want to know the EXACT routes you will take to get there.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/02/alabama-police-will-not-allow-poor-drivers-to-leave-the-state.html
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2019-02-07 16:50:21+00:00
| 1,549,576,221 | 1,567,549,269 |
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law
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activistpost--2019-03-13--Kentucky Governor Signs Constitutional Carry Bill into Law
| 2019-03-13T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Kentucky Governor Signs “Constitutional Carry” Bill into Law
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Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin has signed a bill into law making it legal for state residents to carry firearms concealed without a license and also fostering an environment more hostile to federal gun control. A coalition of 11 Republicans sponsored Senate Bill 150 (SB150). Under the new law, it is now legal to carry a firearm concealed in Kentucky without a license. The state will continue to issue concealed carry licenses for those who wish to carry concealed in states that offer CCDW reciprocity. SB150 passed the Senate by a 29-8 vote and cleared the House 60-37. With Gov. Bevin’s signature, the law will go into effect 90 after the conclusion of the legislative session. Several “poison pill” amendments were proposed in the House to effectively kill the bill. Grassroots pressure was instrumental in holding legislators’ feet to the fire and moving the bill forward. Activist T.J. Roberts called the grassroots pressure “fundamental.” Politicians do not support your fundamental liberty. The grassroots must put pressure on politicians to act in support of liberty. Multiple politicians wanted to kill this bill. Once they realized they would lose their job if they did kill the bill or poison it with anti-gun amendments, they fell in line. Roberts said grassroots leaders are already looking at ways to build on the momentum. While permitless carry bills do not directly affect federal gun control, the widespread passage of permitless conceal carry laws in states subtly undermines federal efforts to regulate guns. As we’ve seen with marijuana and industrial hemp, a federal regulation becomes ineffective when states ignore it and pass laws encouraging the prohibited activity anyway. The federal government lacks the enforcement power necessary to maintain its ban, and people will willingly take on the small risk of federal sanctions if they know the state will not interfere. This increases when the state actively encourages “the market.” Less restrictive state gun laws will likely have a similar impact on federal gun laws. It will make it that much more difficult for the feds to enforce any future federal gun control, and increase the likelihood that states with few limits will simply refuse to cooperate with federal enforcement efforts. State actions such as the passage of SB150 lower barriers for those wanting to the option of defending themselves with firearms and encourages a “gun-friendly” environment that makes federal efforts to limit firearms that much more difficult. Michael Maharrey [send him email] is the Communications Director for the Tenth Amendment Center, where this article first appeared. He proudly resides in the original home of the Principles of ’98 – Kentucky. See his blog archive here and his article archive here. He is the author of the book, Our Last Hope: Rediscovering the Lost Path to Liberty. You can visit his personal website at MichaelMaharrey.com and like him on Facebook HERE
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/03/kentucky-governor-signs-constitutional-carry-bill-into-law.html
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2019-03-13 16:09:31+00:00
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activistpost--2019-03-20--Signed by the Governor Arkansas Law to End Civil Asset Forfeiture
| 2019-03-20T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Signed by the Governor: Arkansas Law to End Civil Asset Forfeiture
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On Monday, Governor Asa Hutchinson signed a bill that reforms Arkansas’ asset forfeiture laws to prohibit the state from taking a person’s property without a criminal conviction in most situations. Current law already takes a step toward shutting a loophole that would allow state and local police to circumvent the more stringent state asset forfeiture process by passing cases off to the feds. Sen Bart Hester (R-Cave Springs) introduced Senate Bill 308 (SB308) on Feb. 12. The new law specifically ends civil asset forfeiture in most Arkansas cases and replaces it with a criminal procedure. Under the law, prosecutors cannot proceed with forfeiture without a criminal conviction in all but a handful of cases. The Institute for Justice gave Arkansas asset forfeiture laws a D- grade, calling them “awful.” The House passed SB308 by a 93-0 vote. The Senate previously approved the measure 35-0. With Gov. Hutchinson’s signature, the new law will go into effect 90 days after the legislature adjourns. While some people believe the Supreme Court “ended asset forfeiture,” the recent opinion in Timbs v. Indiana ended nothing. Without further action, civil asset forfeiture remains. Additionally, as law professor Ilya Somin noted, the Court left an important issue unresolved. What exactly counts as an “excessive” in the civil forfeiture context? Going forward, opponents of civil asset forfeiture could wait and see how lower federal courts will address this “over the next few years,” or they can do what a number of states have already taken steps to do, end the practice on a state level, and opt out of the federal equitable sharing program as well. While the current asset forfeiture process in Arkansas desperately needs reforming, the state has already taken a step toward withdrawing from a federal program that allows state and local police to circumvent the state process. This will become key if SB308 becomes law. This is particularly important in light of a policy directive issued in July 2017 by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions for the Department of Justice (DOJ). A federal program known as “Equitable Sharing” allows prosecutors to bypass more stringent state asset forfeiture laws by passing cases off to the federal government through a process known as adoption. The DOJ directive reiterates full support for the equitable sharing program, directs federal law enforcement agencies to aggressively utilize it, and sets the stage to expand it in the future. Law enforcement agencies can circumvent more strict state forfeiture laws by claiming cases are federal in nature. Under these arrangements, state officials simply hand cases over to a federal agency, participate in the case, and then receive up to 80 percent of the proceeds. However, when states merely withdraw from participation, the federal directive loses its impact. Until recently, California faced this situation. The state has some of the strongest state-level restrictions on civil asset forfeiture in the country, but state and local police were circumventing the state process by passing cases to the feds. According to a report by the Institute for Justice, Policing for Profit, California ranked as the worst offender of all states in the country between 2000 and 2013. In other words, California law enforcement was passing off a lot of cases to the feds and collecting the loot. The state closed the loophole in 2016. Arkansas law prohibits the transfer of property to the feds without judicial approval. (1) No state or local law enforcement agency may transfer any property seized by the state or local agency to any federal entity for forfeiture under federal law unless the circuit court having jurisdiction over the property enters an order, upon petition by the prosecuting attorney, authorizing the property to be transferred to the federal entity. (2) The transfer shall not be approved unless it reasonably appears that the activity giving rise to the investigation or seizure involves more than one (1) state or the nature of the investigation or seizure would be better pursued under federal law. As the Tenth Amendment Center previously reported the federal government inserted itself into the asset forfeiture debate in California. The feds clearly want the policy to continue. We can only guess. But perhaps the feds recognize paying state and local police agencies directly in cash for handling their enforcement would reveal their weakness. After all, the federal government would find it nearly impossible to prosecute its unconstitutional “War on Drugs” without state and local assistance. Asset forfeiture “equitable sharing” provides a pipeline the feds use to incentivize state and local police to serve as de facto arms of the federal government by funneling billions of dollars into their budgets. While current law does limit law enforcement’s ability to transfer forfeiture cases to the federal government by requiring a judicial order, it still leaves a loophole open to circumvent the requirement for a criminal conviction. There is no guarantee judges won’t rubber-stamp prosecutors’ requests. Arkansas should effectively withdraw from the federal equitable sharing program altogether. We can suggest the following language for a bill in the next legislative session: A local, county or state law enforcement agency shall not refer, transfer or otherwise relinquish possession of property seized under state law to a federal agency by way of adoption of the seized property or other means by the federal agency for the purpose of the property’s forfeiture under the federal Controlled Substances Act, Public Law 91 513-Oct. 27, 1970, under the federal Controlled Substances Act or other federal law. In a case in which the aggregate net equity value of the property and currency seized has a value of $50,000 or less, excluding the value of contraband, a local, county or state law enforcement agency or participant in a joint task force or other multijurisdictional collaboration with the federal government (agency) shall transfer responsibility for the seized property to the state prosecuting authority for forfeiture under state law. If the federal government prohibits the transfer of seized property and currency to the state prosecuting authority as required by paragraph (1) and instead requires the property be transferred to the federal government for forfeiture under federal law, the agency is prohibited from accepting payment of any kind or distribution of forfeiture proceeds from the federal government. This article was sourced from the Tenth Amendment Center.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/03/signed-by-the-governor-arkansas-law-to-end-civil-asset-forfeiture.html
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2019-03-20 15:15:33+00:00
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activistpost--2019-03-20--Signed by the Governor Oklahoma Law Prohibits Denial of Firearms Ownership Based on Medical Marijua
| 2019-03-20T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Signed by the Governor: Oklahoma Law Prohibits Denial of Firearms Ownership Based on Medical Marijuana Use
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Last Thursday, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill into law that formalizes and expands the state’s medical marijuana program, further nullifying federal cannabis prohibition in effect. Last summer, Oklahoma voters approved a measure legalizing medical marijuana in the state. A coalition of three Republicans introduced House Bill 2612 (HB2612) on Feb. 4 to create a regulatory structure and establish important patient protections for the state medicinal cannabis program. The Oklahoma House passed HB2612 by a 93-5 vote. The Senate approved the measure 43-5. With Gov. Stitt’s signature, the bill will take effect 90 days after the legislature adjourns. The new law creates the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority and establishes a registry for qualified patients and their caregivers. It also creates a revolving fund to handle fees, taxes and fines related to the medical marijuana program. The expanded patient protections written into HB2612 are significant. Under the law, “a medical marijuana patient or caregiver licensee shall not be denied the right to own, purchase or possess a firearm, ammunition, or firearm accessories based solely on his or her status as a medical marijuana patient or caregiver licensee.” It also prohibits the state from denying a medical marijuana patient access to public assistance programs, including Medicaid, SNAP and WIC. As Suzanne Sherman noted, the federal government has long claimed the power to restrict the right to keep and bear arms of medical marijuana patients: If you purchase a firearm from an FFL, you will be presented with the Firearms Transaction Record form 4473, which you must, under penalty of perjury, answer fully and truthfully. You may see it for yourself HERE. Question 11(c) asks prospective gun purchasers if they are unlawfully using any controlled substances. You think, “Hey, I can answer ‘no,’ as marijuana is now legal in my state. Immediately following the inquiry is the following admonition (in bold letters): “Warning: The use or possession of marijuana remains unlawful under Federal law, regardless of whether it has been legalized or decriminalized for medicinal or recreational purposes in the state where you reside.” Not surprisingly, in 2016, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of appeals ruled that this restriction does not violate the Second Amendment. Most states have adopted this federal ban on owning firearms for medical marijuana users, or simply help in its enforcement. For instance, police in Hawaii sent letters to medical marijuana patients who owned guns telling them they had 30 days to surrender their weapons. While passage of HB2612 does not overturn the federal Gun Control Act of 1968, it does remove the state and local enforcement arm of that unconstitutional act as it applies to medical marijuana users in Oklahoma. While medical marijuana has become widely accepted across the U.S., the federal government still claims it is illegal. As we’ve seen with immigration sanctuary cities, when state and local enforcement ends, the federal government has an extremely difficult time enforcing their acts. Under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) passed in 1970, the federal government maintains complete prohibition of marijuana. Of course, the federal government lacks any constitutional authority to ban or regulate marijuana within the borders of a state, despite the opinion of the politically connected lawyers on the Supreme Court. If you doubt this, ask yourself why it took a constitutional amendment to institute federal alcohol prohibition. Oklahoma’s medical marijuana program removes a layer of laws prohibiting the possession and use of marijuana, and passage of HB2612 expand that, but federal prohibition remains in place. FBI statistics show that law enforcement makes approximately 99 of 100 marijuana arrests under state, not federal law. By curtailing state prohibition, Kentucky could sweep part of the basis for 99 percent of marijuana arrests. Furthermore, figures indicate it would take 40 percent of the DEA’s yearly annual budget just to investigate and raid all of the dispensaries in Los Angeles – a single city in a single state. That doesn’t include the cost of prosecution either. The lesson? The feds lack the resources to enforce marijuana prohibition without state assistance. The Sooner State joins a growing number of states simply ignoring federal prohibition, and nullifying it in practice. Colorado, Washington state, Oregon and Alaska were the first states to legalize recreational cannabis, and California, Nevada, Maine and Massachusetts joined them after ballot initiatives in favor of legalization passed in November 2016. In 2018, Michigan voters approved recreational marijuana and Vermont became the first state to fully legalize marijuana through a legislative act. With 33 states and the District of Columbia allowing cannabis for medical use, the feds find themselves in a position where they simply can’t enforce prohibition anymore. “The lesson here is pretty straightforward. When enough people say, ‘No!’ to the federal government, and enough states pass laws backing those people up, there’s not much the feds can do to shove their so-called laws, regulations or mandates down our throats,” Tenth Amendment Center founder and executive director Michael Boldin said. This article was sourced from The Tenth Amendment Center.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/03/signed-by-the-governor-oklahoma-law-prohibits-denial-of-firearms-ownership-based-on-medical-marijuana-use.html
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2019-03-20 17:03:58+00:00
| 1,553,115,838 | 1,567,545,446 |
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law
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4,377 |
activistpost--2019-04-03--Signed as Law Utah Bans Warrantless Access to Information in the Cloud
| 2019-04-03T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Signed as Law: Utah Bans Warrantless Access to Information in the Cloud
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Last week, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed a bill into law that requires police to get a warrant before accessing data stored in the “cloud.” The new law will not only increase privacy protections in Utah; it will also hinder the federal surveillance state. Rep. Craig Hall (R-West Valley City) sponsored House Bill 57 (HB57). The new law prohibits law enforcement agencies from accessing electronic information or data transmitted to a “remote computing service” without a warrant based on probable cause in most situations. In effect, it will prohibit police from warrantlessly accessing information uploaded into the “cloud.” The House passed HB57 by a 71-0 vote. The Senate approved the measure 23-0. With Herbert’s signature, the new law will go into effect May 14. HB57 does provide some exceptions to the warrant requirement that will allow law enforcement agencies to obtain location information in the event of an emergency involving an imminent risk to an individual of death, serious physical injury, sexual abuse, live-streamed sexual exploitation, kidnapping, or human trafficking; or if a remote computing service inadvertently discovers information that appears to pertain to the commission of a felony, or of a misdemeanor involving physical violence, sexual abuse, or dishonesty. It also allows police to access stored or transmitted data from an electronic device, or electronic information or data transmitted by the owner of the electronic information or data to a remote computing service under a judicially recognized exception to the warrant requirement, or in connection with a report forwarded by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2258A. The new statute specifically excludes information obtained in violation of the law from judicial proceedings. HB57 expands existing laws already on the books in Utah requiring police to get a warrant before accessing location information, stored data, and transmitted data from an electronic device. The current laws effectively ban the warrantless use of “stingrays.” These devices essentially spoof cell phone towers, tricking any device within range into connecting to the stingray instead of the tower, allowing law enforcement to sweep up communications content, as well as locate and track the person in possession of a specific phone or other electronic device. Current law also requires police to get a warrant before accessing electronic data from third-party providers. Enactment of HB57 will further limit the ability of law enforcement agencies to warrantlessly gather electronic information and data. It has become standard practice for law enforcement agencies to upload warrantless surveillance data gathered at the state level to federal fusion centers operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other federal agencies. Fusion centers serve as clearinghouses for all kinds of information shared between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies—including data gathered by surveillance cameras, drones, intercepted cellphone and email communications, social network spying, as well as ALPRs and other invasive modes of surveillance. The DHS funds and ultimately runs 79 fusion centers across the U.S. The DHS describes homeland security intelligence/information fusion as the ”…process of managing the flow of information to support the rapid identification of emerging terrorism-related threats requiring intervention by government and private-sector authorities.” Fusion centers were sold as a tool to combat terrorism, but that is not how they are being used. The ACLU pointed to a bipartisan congressional report to demonstrate the true nature of government fusion centers: “They haven’t contributed anything meaningful to counterterrorism efforts. Instead, they have largely served as police surveillance and information sharing nodes for law enforcement efforts targeting the frequent subjects of police attention: Black and brown people, immigrants, dissidents, and the poor.” Fusion centers operate within a broader federal system known as the “information sharing environment” or ISE. According to its website, the ISE “provides analysts, operators, and investigators with information needed to enhance national security. These analysts, operators, and investigators…have mission needs to collaborate and share information with each other and with private sector partners and our foreign allies.” In other words, ISE serves as a conduit for the sharing of information gathered without a warrant. Known ISE partners include the Office of Director of National Intelligence which oversees 17 federal agencies and organizations, including the NSA. ISE utilizes these partnerships to collect and share data on the millions of unwitting people they track. When states limit the data and information law enforcement agencies can collect, it minimizes the amount of information and data that can end up in this federal information-sharing pipeline. Legislation such as HB57 practically hinders the operation and growth of the federal surveillance state. Simply put if the data is never gathered in the first place, it can’t be shared. In a nutshell, without state and local cooperation, the feds have a much more difficult time gathering information. Enactment of HB57 would strike another blow to the surveillance state and would be a win for privacy. Michael Maharrey [send him email] is the Communications Director for the Tenth Amendment Center, where this article first appeared. He proudly resides in the original home of the Principles of ’98 – Kentucky. See his blog archive here and his article archive here. He is the author of the book, Our Last Hope: Rediscovering the Lost Path to Liberty. You can visit his personal website at MichaelMaharrey.com and like him on Facebook HERE
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/04/signed-as-law-utah-bans-warrantless-access-to-information-in-the-cloud.html
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2019-04-03 00:51:22+00:00
| 1,554,267,082 | 1,567,544,112 |
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law
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4,378 |
activistpost--2019-04-03--State Passes Bill To Seize Guns Based on Entirely Unchallenged Accusations With NO Due Process
| 2019-04-03T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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State Passes Bill To Seize Guns Based on Entirely “Unchallenged” Accusations, With NO Due Process
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In February of 2018, after the tragic shooting in Parkland, FL, President Donald Trump took to national television to betray his oath to the Constitution and his supporters and famously said, “take the guns first, go through due process second.” While this was largely ignored by his base and downplayed in the media, since then—that’s exactly what’s been happening. As politicians and anti-gun rights activists continuously chant, “we don’t want to take your guns,” behind the scenes — in only the year — politicians have been working overtime to limit your right to bear arms. In just the first six months after the shooting in Parkland and the president’s statement, the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence recorded a whopping 55 new gun control measures in 26 states. That number is now far greater as states pass “red flag” gun laws to literally do what Trump advocated for in Feb. 2018. They are taking the guns first and seeking due process second. Colorado just became the 15th state to pass such a law and if it is signed by the governor—which it will be—Colorado citizens will be subject to laws which allow their guns to be seized without them having any say in it whatsoever. Citizens who are targeted by the law will be deemed guilty first and only after their guns are taken, will they have a chance to defend themselves in court. This is the de facto removal of due process. As Reuters reports, under the legislation, a family member or law enforcement officer could petition a judge to seize firearms from a person they think is a threat to themselves or others. The judge could then hold a hearing without the targeted person being present and grant a temporary order for 14 days. Under the fifth and fourteenth amendments, due process clauses are in place to act as a safeguard from arbitrary denial of life, liberty, or property by the government outside the sanction of law. In spite of what officials and the media claim, when a person is stripped of their constitutional rights, albeit temporarily, without being given the chance to make their own case based on what can be entirely arbitrary accusations, this is the removal of due process. This is exactly what is happening in Colorado. This new law is so egregious that even the National Rifle Association (NRA) is speaking out, despite their silence in the face of other “red flag” laws. “Unchallenged statements made by a petitioner before a judge … would be sufficient for law enforcement to enter that person’s home and confiscate their private property,” the NRA said in a statement. What’s more, the overwhelming majority of elected sheriffs in the state—50 out of 62—have been outspoken against this measure. According to Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams, this law also puts cops in danger because they’d be showing up unannounced to steal people’s guns despite no crime having been committed. Despite the resistance from law enforcement, the bill’s head sponsor disagrees. “This bill will give law enforcement and families the tools that they need to stop tragedies from constantly happening and save lives,” House Rep. Tom Sullivan (D) said. Sullivan ran for state representative after he tragically lost his son in the Aurora mass shooting in 2012. While his son’s death is certainly tragic, laws like this one would likely not have prevented it. We’ve seen this play out before already. Earlier this year, a tragedy unfolded in California as a deranged gunman, Kevin Douglas Limbaugh, walked up on an innocent woman, officer Natalie Corona, pulled out his guns and began shooting her repeatedly until she died. Limbaugh then fired several more shots at others before turning the gun on himself and taking his own life. Had more people been nearby, Limbaugh would’ve likely carried out a mass shooting. Limbaugh’s case is important to bring up due to the fact that he was subject to California’s “red flag” laws in 2018. Limbaugh was given a high-risk assessment that ordered him to turn in his registered weapons to police, the only one being a Bushmaster AR-15. On November 9, Limbaugh turned in the weapon. Despite being banned from possessing a weapon, he still obtained one illegally and used it to commit murder. What’s more, there were already laws on the books that should’ve stopped Nikolas Cruz from ever getting a gun as well. But none of them worked. Citing Cruz as the reason for advocating the erosion of the 2nd Amendment, the anti-gun activists are claiming he should’ve had his guns taken which would have prevented the tragedy. Sadly, however, they are ignoring the fact that he was accused of multiple felonies by multiple people—and should’ve never been able to purchase a gun in the first place—but law enforcement failed to act on any of it. The reactionary nature of disarming Americans because deranged psychopaths kill people is dangerous and only serves to keep the guns out of the hands of law abiding citizens as the above two cases illustrate. Moreover, deranged psychopaths don’t even need guns to cause mass death. According to a 2015 study, even if all guns were removed from America, in a ten-year period, 355 people still would’ve been murdered in mass killings. From 2006 to 2015, 140 people were murdered by arsonists in mass fires, 104 were stabbed in mass stabbings, and 92 people were beaten to death in mass killings. To reiterate, these are deaths in which four or more people were killed. “People sufficiently enraged to commit such crimes may also be motivated to find other ways,” criminologist James Alan Fox of Northeastern University points out. Now, Colorado citizens will be able to disarm their neighbors over a feud or send a SWAT team to an ex-husband’s home to take his guns over an argument—and all of it will be legal—due process and innocence be damned. Matt Agorist is an honorably discharged veteran of the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA. This prior experience gives him unique insight into the world of government corruption and the American police state. Agorist has been an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world. Agorist is also the Editor at Large at the Free Thought Project, where this article first appeared. Follow @MattAgorist on Twitter, Steemit, and now on Minds.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/04/state-passes-bill-to-seize-guns-based-on-entirely-unchallenged-accusations-with-no-due-process.html
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2019-04-03 15:09:13+00:00
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activistpost--2019-04-10--Oregons SB-978 Gun Control Bill Is So Hysterically Restrictive That PEPPER SPRAY Is a Felony
| 2019-04-10T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Oregon’s SB-978 Gun Control Bill Is So Hysterically Restrictive That PEPPER SPRAY Is a Felony
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A new gun control bill introduced in the Oregon State Legislature added 45 pages of draconian amendments the night before the vote. SB978 passed the Judiciary Committee yesterday and now heads to the Oregon Senate. It’s a good thing that some parts of this state have vowed to be 2A sanctuaries because Oregonians are going to need them. If the gun owners – and even pepper spray owners – in other parts of the state hope to defend themselves, they could be facing a vast new array of felony charges. The battle for the right to bear arms is rapidly spreading across the country. In February, the House of Representatives passed two sweeping national bills. New Mexico has passed 6 outrageous new laws that sheriffs are refusing to enforce, and sheriffs in Washington state are also rebelling. On the other stand, two states have introduced invasive laws requiring would-be gun owners to hand over access to years of personal social media. What’s in the unconstitutional bill, you ask? They want to raise the minimum age to buy a gun to 21 in certain cases. Residents will be required to keep their guns locked up at all times that they are not being carried. These rules will render guns all but useless in the event a person needs to access them to protect themselves and their family. A person who owns or possesses a firearm shall, at all times that the firearm is not carried by or under the control of the person or an authorized person, secure the firearm: “(A) With an engaged trigger lock or cable lock that meets or exceeds the minimum specifications established by the Oregon Health Authority under section 10 of this 2019 Act; “(B) In a locked container, equipped with a tamper-resistant lock, that meets or exceeds the minimum specifications established by the Oregon Health Authority under section 10 of this 2019 Act; or “(C) In a gun room. “(b) For purposes of paragraph (a) of this subsection, a firearm is not secured if a key, combination or other means of opening a lock or container is readily available to a person the owner or possessor has not authorized to carry or control the firearm. Failure to follow these rules is a Class C Felony. Also, don’t get excited about the phrase “gun room” because your bedroom doesn’t count. I know that the time I had to protect my daughter with a gun, if my firearm locked up, had on a trigger lock, and had to be loaded, it would have delayed my potential to do so to a horrific degree. If your gun/guns are stolen, you must report it. Failure to do so is a Class B felony per weapon. And if the thief hurts or kills someone with the stolen firearm, the owner is liable for two years. Any adult who transfers a firearm to a minor is responsible for any actions taken by that minor with the firearm. And if you want to take your kids shooting or hunting, they must be “directly supervised.” And if a young person gets a hold of a parent’s gun, the parent is liable for the young person’s action. If the gun isn’t secured as per the rules above, then the adult is charged with even more crimes. The next section deals with “ghost guns.” Pages 11-19 offer a lengthy list of rules, restrictions, requirements, and record-keeping for the transfer of antique guns, gun parts, and much more. If you have them, you’ll be a felon upon the passage of this bill. And as everyone knows, registration is only one step away from confiscation. Here’s an article by Selco, explaining how gun confiscation could go down. If this passes, gun owners who are not concealed-carry permit holders will have to jump through all sorts of hoops to transport a firearm in a vehicle, including locking it in a box in a “secure” area of the vehicle. The next section deals with CC permits and the related fees, increasing them in another effort to put an undue burden on law-abiding citizens. In this bill can find a massive list of restrictions regarding having a gun on the premises of or “near” public buildings. To me, this is the scariest part because it’s so incredibly arbitrary. In section 25, Local Authority to Regulate Firearms in Public Buildings,” airports, ports, hospitals, schools, colleges, universities probate courts, city halls, homes of officials, and other “public buildings” – and even their grounds – can restrict not only guns but also the following: Public places as defined in the bill need only to “post a sign, visible to the public, identifying all locations where the affirmative defense described in ORS 166.370 (3)(g) is limited or precluded.” And if you ignore the sign and get caught? You’re guilty of a Class C felony. Even if your gun is unloaded. Any person who intentionally possesses a loaded or unloaded firearm or any other instrument used as a dangerous weapon, while in or on a public building, shall upon conviction be guilty of a Class C felony. Go here to read the insanity in detail. Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford’s anti-gun foundation was delighted with the bill even before the super-secret amendments were added. In a statement, spokeswoman Robin Lloyd said: “Gun violence hurts hundreds of Oregon families each year. The proposed provisions in the bills heard today are the critical next steps that Oregon should take to save lives. For example, homemade, untraceable ghost guns pose serious threats to law enforcement and communities impacted by gun violence. A commitment from lawmakers to stem the flow of these firearms will ensure criminals aren’t able to easily get their hands on an undetectable weapon. Today’s hearings highlight a serious commitment by the legislature to reduce the epidemic of gun violence in Oregon. I applaud Attorney General Rosemblum [sic] and the Oregon legislature for prioritizing these lifesaving measures.” SB 978-1 includes commonsense efforts to reduce gun violence like requiring safe storage of firearms, holding gun owners accountable to make sure kids don’t get their hands on a gun, requiring gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms, and providing increased regulation of 3D-printed guns and unfinished frames or receivers, parts used to produce ghost guns. (source) If it passes, it will spread. Gun control laws are like a virus – if they pass in one place they’ll spread to other places. And there’s little reason to believe that in this era of anti-gun hysteria, the legislature will strike down this unconstitutional bill. Thankfully, 13 of 36 Oregon sheriffs have already vowed to make their counties Second Amendment sanctuaries. But heaven forbid an Oregonian gets caught driving out of their 2A sanctuary county with a usable firearm. Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging, gun-toting blogger who writes about current events, preparedness, frugality, voluntaryism, and the pursuit of liberty on her website, The Organic Prepper, where this article first appeared. She is widely republished across alternative media and she curates all the most important news links on her aggregate site, PreppersDailyNews.com. Daisy is the best-selling author of 4 books and lives in the mountains of Virginia with her two daughters and an ever-growing menagerie. You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/04/oregons-sb-978-gun-control-bill-is-so-hysterically-restrictive-that-pepper-spray-is-a-felony.html
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2019-04-10 15:16:33+00:00
| 1,554,923,793 | 1,567,543,260 |
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law
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4,447 |
activistpost--2019-04-10--South Dakota Sued Over New Laws Aimed at Preventing Another Standing Rock
| 2019-04-10T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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South Dakota Sued Over New Laws Aimed at Preventing Another Standing Rock
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Civil liberties organizations and activists are pushing back against new laws which criminalize protests and free speech related to pipeline projects. In late March, a coalition of Native activists, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the ACLU of South Dakota filed suit against the State of South Dakota in an effort to repeal recently passed state laws aimed at curbing “rioters” during the upcoming construction of the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline. South Dakota Senate Bill 189 and SB 190 have created controversy due to the potential to prevent peaceful and legal protest of environmental projects. Senate Bill 189, also known as the Riot Boosting Act, grants the state the authority to sue any individual or organization for what they call “riot-boosting,” or encouraging and/or participating in acts of force or violence. SB 190 sets up funding to pay for state, county, and local police to combat potential pipeline protesters. This means that any individual who is attending a protest or rally against the Keystone Pipeline (or other future pipeline) could become subject to civil or criminal penalties, whether they engage in violence or not. The plaintiffs in the suit argue that the language of the bill is vague and does not clearly define what type of conduct or speech is considered “riot-boosting” or encouraging a riot. The Washington Times reports that South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has stated that the legislation will help shut down protests of the Keystone XL Pipeline and prevent a battle between protesters and police as was seen during the construction of the Dakota Access pipeline in North Dakota in 2016. The Times notes that Noem believes protesters were funded by “out-of-state liberal donors, such as George Soros.” South Dakota State Sen. John Wiik said the introduction of the new laws “stems from what happened up at Cannonball, North Dakota.” Plaintiffs on the lawsuit include the NDN Collective, the Indigenous Environmental Network, the Sierra Club, Dakota Rural Action, Dallas Goldtooth of the Indigenous Environmental Network, and Nick Tilsen, President and CEO of the NDN Collective. “Gov. Kristi Noem’s legislation is yet another way to promote Big Oil interests and prevent dissent by making protesters subject to legal action,” says Kim Pate, Vice President of NDN Collective. The NDN Collective recently wrote that the broad language in SB 189 means that “anyone that contributes to a protest, whether through monetary donations, donations of supplies, or even through organizing a page on social media, can be held liable, and have civil and criminal penalties for supporting a protest that the state deems ‘violent‘.” Further, the law states that individuals or organizations can be held liable even if they are not on the ground in South Dakota. The NDN Collective also states that the law would allow TransCanada to redirect money seized from protesters and organization towards pipeline construction. The ACLU of South Dakota has also condemned the new laws, stating, “We’re prepared to stand on the front lines and defend your right to peacefully protest and express your opinions freely.”
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/04/south-dakota-sued-over-new-laws-aimed-at-preventing-another-standing-rock.html
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2019-04-10 16:37:42+00:00
| 1,554,928,662 | 1,567,543,260 |
crime, law and justice
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law
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4,668 |
activistpost--2019-05-15--New Utah Law Bans Warrantless Access to Information in the Cloud
| 2019-05-15T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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New Utah Law Bans Warrantless Access to Information in the Cloud
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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (May 15, 2019) – Yesterday, a law went into effect that requires police to get a warrant before accessing data stored in the “cloud.” The new law will not only increase privacy protections in Utah; it will also hinder the federal surveillance state. Rep. Craig Hall (R-West Valley City) sponsored House Bill 57 (HB57). The new law prohibits law enforcement agencies from accessing electronic information or data transmitted to a “remote computing service” without a warrant based on probable cause in most situations. In effect, it will prohibit police from warrantlessly accessing information uploaded into the “cloud.” The House passed HB57 by a 71-0 vote. The Senate approved the measure 23-0. The law went into effect on May 14. HB57 does provide some exceptions to the warrant requirement that will allow law enforcement agencies to obtain location information in the event of an emergency involving an imminent risk to an individual of death, serious physical injury, sexual abuse, live-streamed sexual exploitation, kidnapping, or human trafficking; or if a remote computing service inadvertently discovers information that appears to pertain to the commission of a felony, or of a misdemeanor involving physical violence, sexual abuse, or dishonesty. It also allows police to access stored or transmitted data from an electronic device, or electronic information or data transmitted by the owner of the electronic information or data to a remote computing service under a judicially recognized exception to the warrant requirement, or in connection with a report forwarded by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2258A. The new statute specifically excludes information obtained in violation of the law from judicial proceedings. HB57 expands existing laws already on the books in Utah requiring police to get a warrant before accessing location information, stored data, and transmitted data from an electronic device. The current laws effectively ban the warrantless use of “stingrays.” These devices essentially spoof cell phone towers, tricking any device within range into connecting to the stingray instead of the tower, allowing law enforcement to sweep up communications content, as well as locate and track the person in possession of a specific phone or other electronic device. Current law also requires police to get a warrant before accessing electronic data from third-party providers. Enactment of HB57 will further limit the ability of law enforcement agencies to warrantlessly gather electronic information and data. It has become standard practice for law enforcement agencies to upload warrantless surveillance data gathered at the state level to federal fusion centers operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other federal agencies. Fusion centers serve as clearinghouses for all kinds of information shared between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies—including data gathered by surveillance cameras, drones, intercepted cellphone and email communications, social network spying, as well as ALPRs and other invasive modes of surveillance. The DHS funds and ultimately runs 79 fusion centers across the U.S. The DHS describes homeland security intelligence/information fusion as the ”…process of managing the flow of information to support the rapid identification of emerging terrorism-related threats requiring intervention by government and private-sector authorities.” Fusion centers were sold as a tool to combat terrorism, but that is not how they are being used. The ACLU pointed to a bipartisan congressional report to demonstrate the true nature of government fusion centers: “They haven’t contributed anything meaningful to counterterrorism efforts. Instead, they have largely served as police surveillance and information sharing nodes for law enforcement efforts targeting the frequent subjects of police attention: Black and brown people, immigrants, dissidents, and the poor.” Fusion centers operate within a broader federal system known as the “information sharing environment” or ISE. According to its website, the ISE “provides analysts, operators, and investigators with information needed to enhance national security. These analysts, operators, and investigators…have mission needs to collaborate and share information with each other and with private sector partners and our foreign allies.” In other words, ISE serves as a conduit for the sharing of information gathered without a warrant. Known ISE partners include the Office of Director of National Intelligence which oversees 17 federal agencies and organizations, including the NSA. ISE utilizes these partnerships to collect and share data on the millions of unwitting people they track.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/05/new-utah-law-bans-warrantless-access-to-information-in-the-cloud.html
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2019-05-15 19:02:31+00:00
| 1,557,961,351 | 1,567,540,540 |
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activistpost--2019-05-30--Signed as Law Vermont Bill to Allow People to Expunge Some Marijuana Charges
| 2019-05-30T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Signed as Law: Vermont Bill to Allow People to Expunge Some Marijuana Charges
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MONTPELIER, Vt. (May 30, 2019) – Last week, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott signed a bill into law that will allow people with certain marijuana charges on their records to have them expunged. This law takes another small step toward nullifying federal cannabis prohibition in effect. A bipartisan coalition of four representatives sponsored House Bill 460 (H460). The new law broadly reforms the state’s criminal records expungement process for various crimes. It includes a provision that will allow individuals convicted of marijuana crimes before cannabis was legalized to apply for expungement. Under the law, an individual will be able to apply for expungement if “the person was convicted of an offense for which the underlying conduct is no longer prohibited by law or designated as a criminal offense.” With Gov. Scott’s signature, the law will go into effect Oct 1, 2019. Other aspects of the bill will take effect on July 1. The new law will not only help people with prior marijuana arrests and convictions on their record get a new start, but it will also further undermine federal marijuana prohibition. As marijuana becomes more accepted and more states simply ignore the feds, the federal government is less able to enforce its unconstitutional laws. In the past, we’ve seen some opposition to marijuana legalization bills because the new laws generally leave those previously charged and convicted unprotected. The passage of H460 demonstrates an important strategic point. Passing bills that take a step forward sets the stage, even if they aren’t perfect. Opening the door clears the way for additional steps. You can’t take the second step before you take the first. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) passed in 1970, the federal government maintains complete prohibition of marijuana. Of course, the federal government lacks any constitutional authority to ban or regulate cannabis within the borders of a state, despite the opinion of the politically connected lawyers on the Supreme Court. If you doubt this, ask yourself why it took a constitutional amendment to institute federal alcohol prohibition. In 2018, Vermont became the first state to legalize marijuana through a legislative act. Medical marijuana has been legal in the state since 2004. Legalization in Vermont removes a large layer of laws prohibiting the possession and use of marijuana, but federal prohibition remains in place. This is significant because FBI statistics show that law enforcement makes approximately 99 of 100 marijuana arrests under state, not federal law. When states stop enforcing marijuana laws, they sweep away most of the basis for 99 percent of marijuana arrests. Furthermore, figures indicate it would take 40 percent of the DEA’s yearly-budget just to investigate and raid all of the dispensaries in Los Angeles – a single city in a single state. That doesn’t include the cost of prosecution. The lesson? The feds lack the resources to enforce marijuana prohibition without state assistance. The new law further undermines prohibition make it that much more difficult for the federal government to enforce it in Vermont. Vermont joins a growing number of states simply ignoring federal prohibition, and nullifying it in practice. Colorado, Washington state, Oregon and Alaska were the first states to legalize recreational cannabis, and California, Nevada, Maine and Massachusetts joined them after ballot initiatives in favor of legalization passed in November 2016. Michigan passed a ballot measure legalizing cannabis for general use.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/05/signed-as-law-vermont-bill-to-allow-people-to-expunge-some-marijuana-charges.html
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2019-05-30 15:14:57+00:00
| 1,559,243,697 | 1,567,539,650 |
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activistpost--2019-06-25--Illinois Just Became The 11th US State To Legalize Recreational Marijuana
| 2019-06-25T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Illinois Just Became The 11th US State To Legalize Recreational Marijuana
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This week, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a bill that will legalize marijuana for recreational use throughout the state. Illinois will now be the 11th state in the US to legalize the substance for recreational use. The bill will allow residents of the state to purchase and possess up to one ounce of cannabis at a time. Non-residents will be limited to just 15 grams. “Change is hard, but an essential tenet of good governance is recognizing the need to change the laws that have failed. In the past 50 years, the war on cannabis has destroyed families, filled prisons with nonviolent offenders and disproportionately disrupted black and brown communities,” Pritzker said during a press conference before he signed the bill. “With this legislation, our state once again is a leader, putting forward the most equity-centric cannabis legalization in the nation,” he added. The bill also goes a step further to expunge the criminal records for anyone who was arrested for purchasing or possessing 30 grams or less. The new law will go into effect on January 1, 2020, and will allow adults over the age of 21 to purchase the plant from approved dispensaries. However, until then, possession will still be a crime in the state. The governor initially projected that taxation of cannabis industry could generate $800 million to $1 billion a year, but more recent estimations suggest that $500 million annually is a more realistic number, and it could take the state at least 5 years to get to that point. As with cannabis in most other legal US states, the sales will be taxed heavily. Consumers in Illinois can expect a tax of up to 34.75% on all of their purchases. The taxes will reportedly fluctuate depending on the potency of the product. Money raised by the new taxes would first be dedicated to expunging about 770,000 minor cannabis-related cases, according to USA Today. There were also provisions in the bill intending to prevent monopolization and corruption in the newly legal cannabis industry. For example, a conflict of interest provision bans state employees and their family members from being able to get a cannabis business license for at least two years. The industry will also bring many new jobs to the state as it has in other areas where cannabis has been legalized. A 2015 study, published in the journal, Scientific Reports, suggests that smoking cannabis is roughly 114 times safer than drinking alcohol. Ironically, out of all the drugs that were researched in the study, alcohol was actually the most dangerous, and it was the only legal drug on the list. A study published last year by researchers at the University of Michigan has shown that cannabis use among teens and college students is increasing while alcohol and tobacco use is declining. In fact, for the first time ever, the rate of daily cannabis use has now surpassed the rate of daily cigarette use. This is a great discovery considering the fact that cigarettes and alcohol kill tens of thousands a year while marijuana kills no one. Earlier this year, Truth Theory reported that The World Health Organization (WHO) has finally recognized cannabis as a medicine and has formally proposed that legislators take a “more rational” approach to drug laws.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/06/illinois-just-became-the-11th-us-state-to-legalize-recreational-marijuana.html
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2019-06-25 19:55:24+00:00
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activistpost--2019-06-28--Second in the Nation Somerville City Council Passes Facial Recognition Ban
| 2019-06-28T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Second in the Nation: Somerville City Council Passes Facial Recognition Ban
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SOMERVILLE, Mass. (June 27, 2019) – The Somerville city council voted Thursday to ban the use of facial recognition by police investigations and city departments. Following San Francisco, it’s now the second U.S. city to outlaw the technology. Somerville City Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen was the lead sponsor of the “Face Surveillance Full Ban Ordinance.” 9 of the 11 Somerville City Councilors sponsored the legislation, and it was approved by a 11-0 vote. The new law refers to facial recognition as the “functional equivalent of requiring every person to carry and display a personal photo identification card at all times.” It forbids any “department, agency, bureau, and/or subordinate division of the City of Somerville” from using facial recognition software in public spaces. In addition to a ban of active use by city departments, the ordinance outlaws use of data or evidence produced by facial recognition software systems in criminal investigations or legal proceedings. Last month, San Francisco became the first in the nation to ban facial recognition. ACLU of Northern California called the vote historic. “By passing this law, the city gave the community a seat at the table and acted decisively to protect its people from the growing danger of face recognition, a highly invasive technology that would have radically and massively expanded the government’s power to track and control people going about their daily lives. Supported by Bay Area voters, and a broad coalition of privacy, civil rights, and racial justice groups, this powerful measure will protect the safety and civil rights of all San Franciscans who deserve to live their lives without being targeted by dangerous high-tech surveillance. In the hands of the government, face surveillance would supercharge discriminatory policing, stifle civic engagement, and entangle people with ICE.” The Tenth Amendment Center joined with a broad coalition of organizations including ACLU of Northern California, Color of Change, Council on American-Islamic Relations San Francisco Bay Area, The Greenlining Institute, Freedom of the Press Foundation, Media Alliance and Oakland Privacy in supporting the ordinance. A similar measure will get a vote by the Berkeley City Council on July 9th and the Oakland City Council on July 16th. The California State Legislature is also considering a facial recognition ban on police body cams. A bill introduced in the Michigan State Senate would ban all government use of facial recognition. Local police have access to a mind-boggling array of surveillance equipment. As it now stands, many law enforcement agencies can obtain this high-tech, extremely intrusive technology without any approval or oversight. Police often operate highly intrusive surveillance technology in complete secrecy. The federal government facilitates local surveillance through grants and other funding sources for this spy-gear, meaning local governments can keep their purchase “off the books.” Members of the community, and even elected officials, often don’t know their police departments possess technology capable of sweeping up electronic data, phone calls and location information. In some cases, the feds even require law enforcement agencies to sign non-disclosure agreements, wrapping surveillance programs in an even darker shroud of secrecy. We know for a fact the FBI required the Baltimore Police Department to sign such an agreement when it obtained stingray technology. This policy of nondisclosure even extends to the courtroom, with the feds actually instructing prosecutors to withdraw evidence if judges or legislators press for information. As the Baltimore Sun reported, a Baltimore detective refused to answer questions about the department’s use of stingray devices on the stand during a trial, citing a federal nondisclosure agreement. As privacysos.org put it, “The FBI would rather police officers and prosecutors let ‘criminals’ go than face a possible scenario where a defendant brings a Fourth Amendment challenge to warrantless stingray spying.” Ordinances like the one introduced in San Francisco create a framework of oversight and transparency for surveillance programs. They also set the stage to limit surveillance by giving residents input into the process and allowing them to oppose and stop the purchase of spy-gear. Passage of local ordinances not only protects the privacy of people in that area. They also undermine the federal surveillance state. The federal government funds much of the surveillance technology acquired by state and local law enforcement. In return, federal agencies tap into the data swept up by these agencies through information sharing agreements and fusion centers. Information gathered by your local police department often ends up permanently stored in federal databases. These create the backbone of the federal surveillance state. The feds can share and tap into vast amounts of information gathered at the state and local level through fusion centers and a system known as the “information sharing environment” or ISE. In other words, stingrays create the potential for the federal government to track the movement of millions of Americans with no warrant, no probable cause, and without the people even knowing it. Fusion centers were sold as a tool to combat terrorism, but that is not how they are being used. The ACLU pointed to a bipartisan congressional report to demonstrate the true nature of government fusion centers: “They haven’t contributed anything meaningful to counterterrorism efforts. Instead, they have largely served as police surveillance and information sharing nodes for law enforcement efforts targeting the frequent subjects of police attention: Black and brown people, immigrants, dissidents, and the poor.” Fusion centers operate within the broader ISE. According to its website, the ISE “provides analysts, operators, and investigators with information needed to enhance national security. These analysts, operators, and investigators…have mission needs to collaborate and share information with each other and with private sector partners and our foreign allies.” In other words, ISE serves as a conduit for the sharing of information gathered without a warrant. Known ISE partners include the Office of Director of National Intelligence which oversees 17 federal agencies and organizations, including the NSA. ISE utilizes these partnerships to collect and share data on the millions of unwitting people they track. By facilitating local surveillance, the federal government undoubtedly gains access to a massive data pool on Americans without having to expend the resources to collect the information itself. By requiring approval and placing the acquisition of spy gear in the public spotlight, local governments can take the first step toward limiting the surveillance state at both the local and national level. In a nutshell, without state and local cooperation, the feds have a much more difficult time gathering information. This represents a major blow to the surveillance state and a win for privacy. Passage of an ordinance in one locality may not seem significant. But when multiplied over hundreds of cities and counties across the United States, this strategy could seriously undermine federal surveillance programs. If local police can’t collect and share the data, it cannot end up in federal databases. Michael Boldin [send him email] is the founder of the Tenth Amendment Center., where this article first appeared. He was raised in Milwaukee, WI, and currently resides in Los Angeles, CA. Follow him on Twitter – @michaelboldin and Facebook. Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Follow us on Minds, Twitter, Steemit, and SoMee. Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/06/second-in-the-nation-somerville-city-council-passes-facial-recognition-ban.html
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2019-06-28 17:36:40+00:00
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activistpost--2019-07-04--Trinidad Tobago Set to Decriminalize Marijuana Joining Other Caribbean Islands
| 2019-07-04T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Trinidad & Tobago Set to Decriminalize Marijuana, Joining Other Caribbean Islands
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In late 2018, Prime Minister Keith Rowley announced that the Trinidad and Tobago government would decriminalise marijuana as early as June 2019 — but with discussions continuing into July, the public is wondering what exactly this proposed law will entail and when it might come into effect. If the legislation is passed, Trinidad and Tobago will join only a handful of other Caribbean countries that have decriminalised cannabis in an effort to reduce drug trafficking, lighten the load on the judicial system, ensure religious inclusion and help boost local economies. The prime minister’s initial announcement came as a shock to many, as he had previously been adamant that marijuana law reform was not his priority. However, recent moves by regional territories like Jamaica and Antigua and Barbuda, as well as continual encouragement by the public and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), seem to have influenced his Cabinet’s stance on the issue. Many citizens regularly get arrested for marijuana possession in Trinidad and Tobago. While arrests don’t always result in incarceration, they do usually go hand-in-hand with a court appearance. Under the country’s existing legislation, possession of marijuana is subject to a fine of TT $25,000 (approximately $3,690 USD) and a five-year prison term, both of which can be increased to twice the amount based on the quantity of marijuana found, as well as whether or not the accused has any prior convictions. In fact, you can be charged with possession even if found in a private space — such as a home or car — unless you can prove it was there without your knowledge. Decriminalisation would mean that cannabis possession for personal use will not lead to penalties. The attorney general, Faris al-Rawi, has officially finished drafting legislation which he says contains specificities such as the amount allowed per person and details of production and distribution. Decriminalisation, however, is not legalisation. Even if the new legislation comes to pass, marijuana will still be illegal to consume in public spaces and the penalties for this will most likely remain high. In his first press conference about the issue, Prime Minister Rowley stressed that his government was only focusing on decriminalisation at the moment. One major reason for the new legislation is its anticipated effect on local law enforcement and the justice system. By making a distinction between marijuana consumption and drug trafficking, the new law would, at the very least, unclog the backup in the courts by not prosecuting cases of personal consumption — and ideally assist in reducing trafficking levels. Trinidad and Tobago continually feel the effects of drug trafficking on the islands and this distinction may allow law enforcement to focus more on drug traffickers and smugglers, with more time, money and resources allocated to snuffing out more nefarious criminal activity. In 2013, the country’s chief justice, Ivor Archie, said the law should treat drug trafficking and drug consumption differently: Similarly, Darius Figuera, a local criminologist, noted that decriminalisation would drastically alter the incidence of crimes related to marijuana, explaining that the rigidity of the existing laws have had little or no effect on marijuana demand for personal consumption: Many economists think that decriminalising cannabis could have a major effect on the economy. A recent CARICOM report echoed this sentiment. Among other things, the paper highlights how countries should go about decriminalisation (or legalisation) within a regulated framework, the benefits of cannabis as a medicinal drug and how it could help boost many slow-moving regional economies. Jamaica, for instance, is investing in the medical cannabis industry as part of its economic diversification and devoting more scientific research to the plant’s healing properties. Recent studies have suggested that the medical marijuana industry has the potential to be worth billions of dollars within the next few years. High demand and low supply — especially for medical use — means that countries seeking medical cannabis will likely turn to countries with thriving marijuana import and export potential. Jamaican cannabis farmers are able to export their product to countries like Canada and certain US states, where there is a high demand for medical marijuana. The other factor that makes it a high-demand product is that cannabis is able to grow more naturally in tropical climates like the Caribbean. While the Jamaican cannabis industry is still in its infancy, it has massive potential — leaving many Trinbagonians to wonder if they can also make their mark on a growing industry. The push for law reform on marijuana is not a new concept to regional governments. The Caribbean’s Rastafarian community has continually asked for reform so that they can practise their religion without fear of arrest: Rastafarians believe that marijuana is the “tree of life” mentioned in the Bible; its use is ritualised by members of the faith to assist in meditation as the doorway to spirituality. Rastafarians have had to grapple with the illegality of marijuana in Trinidad and Tobago for years. The group All Mansions Of Rastafari (AMOR) has put pressure on the government to not only decriminalise marijuana but to legalise it. St. Kitts and Nevis decriminalised cannabis with this issue in mind.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/07/trinidad-tobago-set-to-decriminalize-marijuana-joining-other-caribbean-islands.html
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2019-07-04 15:11:12+00:00
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activistpost--2019-07-19--Netizen Report In Nigeria and Russia Laws Against Online Insult Put Internet Activists on Thin I
| 2019-07-19T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Netizen Report: In Nigeria and Russia, Laws Against Online “Insult” Put Internet Activists on Thin Ice
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The Advox Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in technology and human rights around the world. This report covers news and events from July 6 – July 19, 2019. Rules against online “insult” have long been a feature of cybercrime and other internet-specific laws around the world. While they may be intended to reduce online harassment — which can have a stifling effect on free speech — such policies also can be abused by government authorities seeking to curb critical speech of a political nature. One recent example of this trend has been at issue in Nigeria, where seven students and alumni of the privately-owned Madonna University in the Niger Delta, Nigeria could face up to seven years in jail over social media posts denouncing poor conditions and mistreatment of students and staff at their university. Nigerians on social media are advocating for their exoneration, calling them the “Madonna 7.” One member of the group appears to have been targeted for running a WhatsApp group where people discussed concerns about the school administration, including allegations that administrators had locked up a staff member who had spoken critically about school policies. All were granted bail on July 3 and released from a detention facility where they had been held since March 2019 after being charged under Nigeria’s Cybercrime Act. They are accused of sending “false messages” through social media which caused “annoyance, inconvenience, danger, insult, injury, criminal intimidation” to Madonna University and its chief security officer, Titu Ugwu. Meanwhile in Russia, activist Igor Gorlanov was accused by police in Novokuznetsk of violating a March 2019 law against making “insulting statements” towards state authorities online on July 15. The activist had shared a link to a MediaZona article about Yuri Kartyzhev, a carpenter who had the dubious honour of becoming the first person sentenced under the new law after he called Vladimir Putin an “unbelievable f***wit” on VKontakte. On July 10 Pavel Chikov, a lawyer with the human rights organisation Agora, noted on his Telegram channel that, by his count, more than 20 court cases have been launched referencing the new law against insulting the authorities. On July 5, #ArrestAntiPakJournalists trended on Twitter with over 28,000 tweets shared within a few hours. The hashtag went viral soon after a Twitter account named @IK_Warriors posted a tweet calling for the arrest of journalists belonging to what they described as “the pro-Indian, anti-Pak media group.” The tweet, which called on others to join the campaign, was accompanied by a photo of a list of journalists to be targeted. The tweets mainly targeted journalists who criticize the government and the military. The @IK_Warriors Twitter account (IK refers to Prime Minister Imran Khan) bears a picture of Khan and the logo of the ruling party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf or PTI. “We are standing for the truth and right [sic]”, the bio of the @IK_Warriors account reads. A cricketer-turned-politician who has been in office for just under a year, Khan’s critics say he was hand-picked by the military. Responding to the #ArrestAntiPakJournalists hashtag, Mubashir Bukhari, executive editor of the Truth Tracker, told Global Voices: Mauritanian authorities restored access to the internet after disrupting it for 10 days following the disputed presidential elections of June 23 and resulting protests. The Ministry of the Interior reportedly ordered the shutdown for security reasons, although activists and human rights groups believe the real aim was to prevent the opposition from mobilizing protesters. A coalition of digital rights and free expression groups are calling on telecommunication company MTN to push back against government demands to disrupt internet access following a five-week shutdown in Sudan. The South Africa-based MTN, which is a leading internet provider in the country, implemented the block as military forces in Sudan violently repressed peaceful protesters, cutting off a critical channel for people to report abuses and access emergency medical services. An open letter signed by Access Now, African Freedom of Expression Exchange, Committee to Protect Journalists, NetBlocks, Paradigm Initiative and others says that by pulling the plug, the company contributed to human rights violations. The OpenPOWER Foundation, a non-profit consortium led by Google and IBM and established to improve interoperability of certain kinds of computing hardware, is working with the Chinese company Semptian, according to a report from The Intercept. Semptian has built multiple powerful technical surveillance tools that authorities in China, the Middle East and North Africa have used to vacuum up people’s private emails, texts and web browser histories. The partnership has enabled IBM and US chip manufacturer Xilinxon to collaborate with Semptian to build a microprocessor that enables computers to efficiently analyze immense amounts of data. A Semptian representative told a reporter posing as a customer that beyond China’s well-known digital dragnet, the firm has set up a mass surveillance system in an unnamed country within the MENA region.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/07/netizen-report-in-nigeria-and-russia-laws-against-online-insult-put-internet-activists-on-thin-ice.html
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2019-07-19 17:11:01+00:00
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activistpost--2019-07-22--Hawaii Decriminalizes Marijuana Possession Expunges Some Criminal Records
| 2019-07-22T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Hawaii Decriminalizes Marijuana Possession, Expunges Some Criminal Records
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Earlier this month, a bill to decriminalize marijuana possession and expunge the records of certain marijuana offenders became law without the governor’s signature. The new law takes another step toward nullifying federal cannabis prohibition in effect in the state. Twenty Democratic representatives sponsored House Bill 1383 (HB1383). The new law decriminalizes possession of three grams or less of marijuana making it similar to a traffic violation punishable by a fine of $130. The bill also creates a process allowing individuals convicted of possession of three grams of marijuana or less to have those convictions expunged from their criminal records. Finally, HB1383 establishes a marijuana evaluation task force to make recommendations on changing marijuana use penalties and outcomes in the state. The House passed HB1383 by a 35-16 vote. The Senate approved the measure 22-3. Gov. David Ige didn’t sign or veto the bill within his allotted timeframe and it became law on July 10 without his signature. It will go into effect Jan. 1, 2020. Enactment of HB1383 not only loosens marijuana laws and will help those with some prior marijuana convictions on their record get a new start; it will also further undermine federal marijuana prohibition. As marijuana becomes more accepted and more states simply ignore the feds, the federal government is less able to enforce its unconstitutional laws. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) passed in 1970, the federal government maintains complete prohibition of marijuana. Of course, the federal government lacks any constitutional authority to ban or regulate cannabis within the borders of a state, despite the opinion of the politically connected lawyers on the Supreme Court. If you doubt this, ask yourself why it took a constitutional amendment to institute federal alcohol prohibition. Decriminalization, along with Hawaii’s medical marijuana program, removed a layer of laws prohibiting the possession and use of cannabis in the state, but federal prohibition remains in place. This is significant because FBI statistics show that law enforcement makes approximately 99 of 100 marijuana arrests under state, not federal law. When states stop enforcing marijuana laws, they sweep away most of the basis for 99 percent of marijuana arrests. Furthermore, figures indicate it would take 40 percent of the DEA’s yearly-budget just to investigate and raid all of the dispensaries in Los Angeles – a single city in a single state. That doesn’t include the cost of prosecution. The lesson? The feds lack the resources to enforce marijuana prohibition without state assistance. HB1383 further undermines prohibition make it that much more difficult for the federal government to enforce it in Hawaii. Enactment of HB1383 ignores federal prohibition and continues the process of nullifying it in practice in Hawaii. Colorado, Washington state, Oregon and Alaska were the first states to legalize recreational cannabis, and California, Nevada, Maine and Massachusetts joined them after ballot initiatives in favor of legalization passed in November 2016. Michigan followed suit when voters legalized cannabis for general use in 2018. Vermont became the first state to legalize marijuana through a legislative act in 2018. Illinois followed suit this year.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/07/hawaii-decriminalizes-marijuana-possession-expunges-some-criminal-records.html
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2019-07-22 15:13:33+00:00
| 1,563,822,813 | 1,567,536,114 |
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law
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5,060 |
activistpost--2019-07-24--New Arkansas Law Ends Civil Asset Forfeiture
| 2019-07-24T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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New Arkansas Law Ends Civil Asset Forfeiture
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (July 24, 2019) – Today, a bill that reforms Arkansas’ asset forfeiture laws to prohibit the state from taking a person’s property without a criminal conviction in most situations went into effect. Arkansas has already taken a step to shut a loophole that would allow state and local police to circumvent the more stringent state asset forfeiture process by passing cases off to the feds. Sen Bart Hester (R-Cave Springs) sponsored Senate Bill 308 (SB308). The new law specifically ends civil asset forfeiture in most Arkansas cases and replaces it with a criminal procedure. Under the law, prosecutors cannot proceed with forfeiture without a criminal conviction in all but a handful of cases. The Institute for Justice gave Arkansas former forfeiture laws a D- grade, calling them “awful.” The House passed SB308 by a 93-0 vote. The Senate approved the measure 35-0. With Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s signature in March, the new law went into effect July 24. While some people believe the Supreme Court “ended asset forfeiture,” the recent opinion in Timbs v. Indiana ended nothing. Without further action, civil asset forfeiture remains. Additionally, as law professor Ilya Somin noted, the Court left an important issue unresolved. What exactly counts as an “excessive” in the civil forfeiture context? Going forward, opponents of civil asset forfeiture could wait and see how lower federal courts will address this “over the next few years,” or they can do what a number of states have already taken steps to do, end the practice on a state level, and opt out of the federal equitable sharing program as well. While the current asset forfeiture process in Arkansas desperately needed reforming, the state had already taken a step toward withdrawing from a federal program that allows state and local police to circumvent the state process. This is key now that SB308 has become law. And it’s particularly important in light of a policy directive issued in July 2017 by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions for the Department of Justice (DOJ). A federal program known as “Equitable Sharing” allows prosecutors to bypass more stringent state asset forfeiture laws by passing cases off to the federal government through a process known as adoption. The DOJ directive reiterates full support for the equitable sharing program, directs federal law enforcement agencies to aggressively utilize it, and sets the stage to expand it in the future. Law enforcement agencies can circumvent more strict state forfeiture laws by claiming cases are federal in nature. Under these arrangements, state officials simply hand cases over to a federal agency, participate in the case, and then receive up to 80 percent of the proceeds. However, when states merely withdraw from participation, the federal directive loses its impact. Until recently, California faced this situation. The state has some of the strongest state-level restrictions on civil asset forfeiture in the country, but state and local police were circumventing the state process by passing cases to the feds. According to a report by the Institute for Justice, Policing for Profit, California ranked as the worst offender of all states in the country between 2000 and 2013. In other words, California law enforcement was passing off a lot of cases to the feds and collecting the loot. The state closed the loophole in 2016. Arkansas law prohibits the transfer of property to the feds without judicial approval. (1) No state or local law enforcement agency may transfer any property seized by the state or local agency to any federal entity for forfeiture under federal law unless the circuit court having jurisdiction over the property enters an order, upon petition by the prosecuting attorney, authorizing the property to be transferred to the federal entity. (2) The transfer shall not be approved unless it reasonably appears that the activity giving rise to the investigation or seizure involves more than one (1) state or the nature of the investigation or seizure would be better pursued under federal law. As the Tenth Amendment Center previously reported the federal government inserted itself into the asset forfeiture debate in California. The feds clearly want the policy to continue. We can only guess. But perhaps the feds recognize paying state and local police agencies directly in cash for handling their enforcement would reveal their weakness. After all, the federal government would find it nearly impossible to prosecute its unconstitutional “War on Drugs” without state and local assistance. Asset forfeiture “equitable sharing” provides a pipeline the feds use to incentivize state and local police to serve as de facto arms of the federal government by funneling billions of dollars into their budgets.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/07/new-arkansas-law-ends-civil-asset-forfeiture.html
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2019-07-24 16:16:33+00:00
| 1,563,999,393 | 1,567,535,912 |
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law
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5,149 |
activistpost--2019-08-01--Now in Effect North Dakota Reforms Asset Forfeiture But Federal Loophole Remains
| 2019-08-01T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Now in Effect: North Dakota Reforms Asset Forfeiture, But Federal Loophole Remains
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BISMARCK, N.D. (Aug 1, 2019) – Today, a North Dakota law that reforms the state’s asset forfeiture process and prohibits the state from taking a person’s property without a criminal conviction in most situations went into effect. But the new law leaves a loophole in place allowing police to circumvent stricter state laws by passing cases off to the feds. A coalition of 12 Republicans, including Senate President Pro Tempore and Majority Caucus Leader David Hogue, introduced House Bill 1286 (HB1286) on Jan. 3. Under the new law, the state cannot proceed with asset forfeiture until the owner of the property has been convicted of or pled guilty to a criminal offense in most cases. HB1286 also raises the standard of proof necessary in forfeiture cases to “clear and convincing evidence.” On April 26, the House approved the final version of HB1286 by a 55-37 vote. The Senate passed the bill 42-5. With Gov. Doug Brugum’s signature in May, the law went into effect Aug. 1. HB1286 takes a step toward addressing the policing for profit motive inherent in the asset forfeiture process. In order for law enforcement agencies to access forfeiture proceeds, the city or county they operate in must create a forfeiture fund and establish an application process to accept and process applications from law enforcement agencies seeking an appropriation from the fund. The new law also includes extensive reporting requirements. According to the Institute for Justice, North Dakota has some of the worst asset forfeiture laws in the country. Law enforcement only needs to meet the lowest possible standard of proof—probable cause—to forfeit property. When property has been used for illegal activity without the owner’s knowledge, the burden falls upon owners to prove their innocence in order to recover their property. Police agencies can also keep up to 100 percent of forfeiture proceeds up to $200,000. While HB1286 implements significant reforms, including the requirement of a criminal conviction, a House committee stripped important language from the bill that will render the state reforms largely ineffective if additional steps aren’t taken. As originally introduced, HB1286 took a big step toward closing a loophole that allows state and local police to get around more strict state asset forfeiture laws in a vast majority of situations. This is particularly important in light of a policy directive issued in July 2017 by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions for the Department of Justice (DOJ). Those provisions were removed. A federal program known as “Equitable Sharing” allows prosecutors to bypass more stringent state asset forfeiture laws by passing cases off to the federal government through a process known as adoption. The DOJ directive reiterates full support for the equitable sharing program, directs federal law enforcement agencies to aggressively utilize it, and sets the stage to expand it in the future. Law enforcement agencies can circumvent more strict state forfeiture laws by claiming cases are federal in nature. Under these arrangements, state officials simply hand cases over to a federal agency, participate in the case, and then receive up to 80 percent of the proceeds. However, when states merely withdraw from participation, the federal directive loses its impact. Until recently, California faced this situation. The state has some of the strongest state-level restrictions on civil asset forfeiture in the country, but state and local police were circumventing the state process by passing cases to the feds. According to a report by the Institute for Justice, Policing for Profit, California ranked as the worst offender of all states in the country between 2000 and 2013. In other words, California law enforcement was passing off a lot of cases to the feds and collecting the loot. The state closed the loophole in 2016. The Judiciary committee stripped out the following language to close the loophole and withdraw North Dakota from the federal program from HB1286. Without this crucial provision, state and local police will be able to simply bypass the more restrictive state law and continue to cash in on asset forfeiture proceeds. In order for the reforms to have a significant practical effect, the North Dakota legislature needs to follow up and pass a law to close the loophole.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/08/now-in-effect-north-dakota-reforms-asset-forfeiture-but-federal-loophole-remains.html
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2019-08-01 17:57:56+00:00
| 1,564,696,676 | 1,567,535,081 |
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5,150 |
activistpost--2019-08-01--Now in Effect Washington Creates Streamlined Process to Expunge Some Marijuana Charges
| 2019-08-01T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Now in Effect: Washington Creates Streamlined Process to Expunge Some Marijuana Charges
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OLYMPIA, Wash. (Aug 1, 2019) – This week, a Washington state law that will make it easier for people with marijuana charges on their records to have them expunged, along with a law that will allow students to consume medical marijuana at school, went into effect. These new laws take another step toward nullifying federal cannabis prohibition in effect. A coalition of 12 Democrats introduced Senate Bill 5605 (SB5605) back in January. Under the new law, any person convicted of a misdemeanor marijuana offense, who was at least twenty-one years old at the time of the offense, can apply to the sentencing court for expungement of the applicant’s record of conviction. Under the new law, the court must vacate the applicant’s conviction record and may not consider any restrictions applicable to vacating other misdemeanor convictions under current state law. The House passed SB5605 by a 67-29 vote. The Senate gave final approval by a 30-15 vote. With Gov. Inslee’s signature in May, the law went into effect July 28. Washington voters legalized marijuana in 2012 and the legislature legalized cannabis for medical use in 1998. But up until now, the state did not make any provisions for individuals convicted of marijuana crimes prior to legalization. Enactment of SB5605 will allow those who were convicted of actions that were once illegal but now legal clear their records. The new law will not only help some people with prior marijuana arrests and convictions on their record get a new start, but it will also further undermine federal marijuana prohibition. As marijuana becomes more accepted and more states simply ignore the feds, the federal government is less able to enforce its unconstitutional laws. In the past, we’ve seen some opposition to marijuana legalization bills because the new laws generally leave those previously charged and convicted unprotected. The passage of SB5605 demonstrates an important strategic point. Passing bills that take a step forward sets the stage, even if they aren’t perfect. Opening the door clears the way for additional steps. You can’t take the second step before you take the first. In other news, Washington state students will now be able to consume medical marijuana on school grounds. A bipartisan coalition of two representatives and a senator sponsored House Bill 1095 (HB1095). Under the new law, school districts in the state must allow students with a medical marijuana card and parental permission to consume marijuana-infused products for medical purposes on school grounds, aboard a school bus, or while attending a school-sponsored event. Schools will be required to formulate policies accommodating such students. The House passed the final version of HB1095 by a 79-16 vote. The Senate approved the measure 41-4. It also went into effect on July 28. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) passed in 1970, the federal government maintains complete prohibition of marijuana. Of course, the federal government lacks any constitutional authority to ban or regulate cannabis within the borders of a state, despite the opinion of the politically connected lawyers on the Supreme Court. If you doubt this, ask yourself why it took a constitutional amendment to institute federal alcohol prohibition. When Washington legalized marijuana, the state removed a huge layer of laws prohibiting the possession and use of marijuana, but federal prohibition remains in place. This is significant because FBI statistics show that law enforcement makes approximately 99 of 100 marijuana arrests under state, not federal law. When states stop enforcing marijuana laws, they sweep away most of the basis for 99 percent of marijuana arrests. Furthermore, figures indicate it would take 40 percent of the DEA’s yearly-budget just to investigate and raid all of the dispensaries in Los Angeles – a single city in a single state. That doesn’t include the cost of prosecution. The lesson? The feds lack the resources to enforce marijuana prohibition without state assistance. These new laws further undermine prohibition make it that much more difficult for the federal government to enforce it in Washington state. Enactment of these two laws ignores federal prohibition and continues the process of nullifying it in practice in Washington state.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/08/now-in-effect-washington-creates-streamlined-process-to-expunge-some-marijuana-charges.html
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2019-08-01 15:32:07+00:00
| 1,564,687,927 | 1,567,535,081 |
crime, law and justice
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law
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5,237 |
activistpost--2019-08-09--Delaware Bill Expands Marijuana Decriminalization Despite Federal Prohibition
| 2019-08-09T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Delaware Bill Expands Marijuana Decriminalization Despite Federal Prohibition
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DOVER, Del. (Aug 8, 2019) – Last week, Delaware Governor John Carney signed a bill to decriminalize marijuana possession by minors in the state despite federal prohibition. Sen. Trey Paradee (D-Dover), sponsored Senate Bill 45 (SB45) along with 16 fellow Democrats. Delaware decriminalized the possession or consumption of a “personal-use quantity” of marijuana for adults 21 or over in 2015, making it a civil violation subject to a fine. But under that law, possession of a personal-use quantity of cannabis remains a criminal offense for people under the age of 21. Enactment of SB45 expands decriminalize of personal use consumption or possession of marijuana to include individuals under 21. The Senate passed SB45 by a 13-6 vote. The House approved the measure 34-7. With Gov. Carney’s signature on July 31, the new law went into immediate effect. Enactment of SB45 will not only loosen marijuana laws and keep minors from ending up with criminal records for the possession of a small amount of marijuana; it will also further undermine federal marijuana prohibition. As marijuana becomes more accepted and more states simply ignore the feds, the federal government is less able to enforce its unconstitutional laws. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) passed in 1970, the federal government maintains complete prohibition of marijuana. Of course, the federal government lacks any constitutional authority to ban or regulate cannabis within the borders of a state, despite the opinion of the politically connected lawyers on the Supreme Court. If you doubt this, ask yourself why it took a constitutional amendment to institute federal alcohol prohibition. Decriminalization, along with Delaware’s medical marijuana program, removed a layer of laws prohibiting the possession and use of cannabis in the state, but federal prohibition remains in place. This is significant because FBI statistics show that law enforcement makes approximately 99 of 100 marijuana arrests under state, not federal law. When states stop enforcing marijuana laws, they sweep away most of the basis for 99 percent of marijuana arrests. Furthermore, figures indicate it would take 40 percent of the DEA’s yearly-budget just to investigate and raid all of the dispensaries in Los Angeles – a single city in a single state. That doesn’t include the cost of prosecution. The lesson? The feds lack the resources to enforce marijuana prohibition without state assistance. SB45 further undermines prohibition and will make it that much more difficult for the federal government to enforce it in Delaware. Enactment of SB45 would further ignore federal prohibition and continue the process of nullifying it in practice in Delaware. Colorado, Washington state, Oregon and Alaska were the first states to legalize recreational cannabis, and California, Nevada, Maine and Massachusetts joined them after ballot initiatives in favor of legalization passed in November 2016. Michigan followed suit when voters legalized cannabis for general use in 2018. Vermont became the first state to legalize marijuana through a legislative act in 2018. Illinois followed suit this year. With 33 states including Delaware allowing cannabis for medical use, the feds find themselves in a position where they simply can’t enforce prohibition anymore.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/08/delaware-bill-expands-marijuana-decriminalization-despite-federal-prohibition.html
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2019-08-09 01:28:22+00:00
| 1,565,328,502 | 1,567,534,483 |
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law
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5,240 |
activistpost--2019-08-09--Ohio Lawmakers Accidentally Legalized Marijuana Top Cops Say
| 2019-08-09T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Ohio Lawmakers Accidentally Legalized Marijuana, Top Cops Say
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Top law enforcement officials in the state of Ohio are upset at lawmakers, accusing the politicians of accidentally legalizing cannabis throughout the state. As a result, prosecutors are now upset that they are no longer able to prosecute misdemeanor marijuana cases as they previously could, according to WBNS. And now, Ohio prosecutors are either holding off on pursuing charges against those in possession of the plant or throwing them out altogether. The controversy comes after the state decriminalized hemp last week. And while hemp and marijuana are both cannabis plants, the two are distinct because of the amount of THC—the psychoactive compound that intoxicates users—that they contain. By legal definition, hemp is cannabis that contains less than 0.3 percent of THC. If it contains any more of the compound, it becomes subject to criminal laws beyond the state’s stringent medical marijuana program. Jason Pappas, vice president of the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police, complained: Now we have to be able to distinguish the difference between hemp and marijuana. That is not possible for a human being to do, that has to be done through crime analysis. The hue and cry being raised by prohibitionist officials in the state appears to be a huge exaggeration and doesn’t amount to a free license for Ohioans to stock up on the buds. Yet, because of the new law, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has instructed prosecutors in a letter to hold off on marijuana criminal indictments until the cannabis can be tested. This has resulted in the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation labs buying and setting up new testing equipment while exploring the option of sending material to labs out of state until they get their hardware up and running in Ohio. Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein has announced that it has no plans to continue prosecuting marijuana misdemeanor cases. But he also doesn’t plan to drop any pending cases, either. Klein explained: We cannot prove those beyond a reasonable doubt because we cannot make the distinction whether it is hemp or whether it is marijuana … So, just from a practical standpoint, because we can no longer prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt, we’re no longer going to be prosecuting these cases because we do not have the resources to do so. Cannabis has been subject to prohibitionist laws since 1937, when the plant was largely demonized and associated with Mexican immigrants amid rising racist and nativist attitudes supported by federal and local authorities and media outlets. During the 1970s, marijuana was depicted by authorities as a drug serving no medicinal purpose that was simply abused by delinquents seeking to get high. A recent poll by the Pew Research Center found that 62 percent of U.S. residents, including 74 percent of millennials, favor an end to the prohibition of cannabis.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/08/ohio-lawmakers-accidentally-legalized-marijuana-top-cops-say.html
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2019-08-09 21:35:43+00:00
| 1,565,400,943 | 1,567,534,483 |
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law
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5,322 |
activistpost--2019-08-20--New Illinois Law Expands Medical Marijuana Program Despite Federal Prohibition
| 2019-08-20T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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New Illinois Law Expands Medical Marijuana Program Despite Federal Prohibition
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Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed two bills into law that expand the state’s medical-marijuana program despite federal prohibition. A coalition of six Democrats sponsored Senate Bill 455 (SB455). The legislation amends a 2018 law known as “Ashley’s Law” authorizing schools to allow guardians or other caregivers to administer cannabis-infused products students authorized to use medical marijuana. SB455 expands the law by requiring schools to allow school nurses or administrators to administer medical marijuana. Students will also be able to self-administer cannabis under the supervision of a school nurse. Additionally, the new law expands student access to medical marijuana to include before and after-school activities. The new law will go into effect Jan. 1, 2020. Senate Bill 2023 (SB2023) was originally a marijuana banking bill that would have prohibited state banks from denying certain services to marijuana businesses. During the legislative process, that language was scrapped and the bill was amended to expand and make permanent the state’s medical-marijuana pilot program. The program was slated to sunset next year. SB2023 adds 11 new conditions eligible for treatment with medicinal cannabis. The new law also allows qualifying veterans to access medical marijuana as part of an Opioid Alternative Pilot Program. Under the new law, advance practice registered nurses and physician assistants will now be able to recommend medical marijuana. Under the pilot program, only physicians could certify patients. The legislation overwhelmingly passed both houses of the Illinois assembly and went into immediate effect with Gov. Pritzker’s signature on Aug. 9. Earlier this year, Pritzker signed a bill into law legalizing marijuana for adult personal use as well. The legalization of marijuana in Illinois and the expansion of the state’s medical-marijuana program have moved forward despite federal marijuana prohibition. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) passed in 1970, the federal government maintains complete prohibition of marijuana. Of course, the federal government lacks any constitutional authority to ban or regulate cannabis within the borders of a state, despite the opinion of the politically connected lawyers on the Supreme Court. If you doubt this, ask yourself why it took a constitutional amendment to institute federal alcohol prohibition. The expansion of Illinois’ medical cannabis program and the legalization of marijuana for recreational use remove a significant layer of laws prohibiting the possession and use of marijuana in the state, but federal prohibition remains in effect. This is significant because FBI statistics show that law enforcement makes approximately 99 of 100 marijuana arrests under state, not federal law. When states stop enforcing marijuana laws, they sweep away most of the basis for 99 percent of marijuana arrests. Furthermore, figures indicate it would take 40 percent of the DEA’s yearly-budget just to investigate and raid all of the dispensaries in Los Angeles – a single city in a single state. That doesn’t include the cost of prosecution. The lesson? The feds lack the resources to enforce marijuana prohibition without state assistance. Enactment of SB455 and SB2023 further ignore federal prohibition and continue the process of nullifying it in practice in Illinois. Colorado, Washington state, Oregon and Alaska were the first states to legalize recreational cannabis, and California, Nevada, Maine and Massachusetts joined them after ballot initiatives in favor of legalization passed in November 2016. Michigan followed suit when voters legalized cannabis for general use in 2018. Vermont became the first state to legalize marijuana through a legislative act in 2018.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/08/new-illinois-law-expands-medical-marijuana-program-despite-federal-prohibition.html
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2019-08-20 21:10:16+00:00
| 1,566,349,816 | 1,567,533,924 |
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law
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activistpost--2019-08-23--Cities Unveil Unethical Homeless Reporting While LA Pushes Anti-Homeless Law
| 2019-08-23T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Cities Unveil Unethical Homeless Reporting, While LA Pushes Anti-Homeless Law
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The cities of San Francisco and Seattle are testing a new way to report homeless encampments or “tent cities” via dialing 311 or using an app. Meanwhile, LA lawmakers are pushing to ban homeless people from parks, schools, and other designated areas, LA Times reported. Residents of Seattle can now report homeless encampments quickly and remotely, providing citizens the ability to send a report directly to a corresponding city department with the “Find It, Fix It” app, Smart Cities Dive reported. The app enables citizens the ability to “alert the city to public problems with a message including a location and description. Users submit issues by category, such as illegal dumping, potholes, dead animals, and “other inquiries,” allowing residents to report encampments,” a city spokeswoman Cyndi Wilder told Smart Cities Dive in an email interview. There’s one problem conflating homelessness into those issues as the author writes for Smart Cities Dive, “people aren’t potholes.” Activist Post has previously reported that Nevada app developers, BitFocus Inc, were working with government to give homeless people a tap on the shoulder of Big Brother, tracking their every move in San Francisco using the ONE System, a scary and worrying prospect. “The idea is simple: Collect and sort information associated with the homeless to more effectively assess risk factors, determine those most in need, and get those people into available shelters and transitional housing. But the reality is more complicated. Five months after its introduction, ONE System has helped get only 70 people off the streets as it contends with the same challenges that have plagued past efforts—as well as new ones, including persuading the city’s most at-risk population to sign on to a program with echoes of Big Brother,” writes Bloomberg. According to Bloomberg, ONE System collects data from 15 city and state agencies. Then homeless persons are asked 17 questions that can help evaluate their individual situation, including their time spent on the street, health, and overall vulnerability. This information combined with a record of the places in the city that a person frequents is used to create a database that acts as a digital profile for caseworkers. The caseworkers helping homeless people get back on their feet would then use this data to aid them in assisting the homeless community to obtain help with their health and housing needs. Caseworkers then must persuade the homeless to join a monitoring system. Participants in ONE System must sign medical records privacy protection forms and other legal forms. Further, to get into a permanent housing program, app users need to pass a background check, which can take 45 days and requires an identification card, a hardship since most homeless people don’t have a phone or an ID card. Meanwhile, if you try to feed the homeless as a citizen you face fines and even jail time, as Activist Post has reported consistently on the increasingly worrying trend. App developers trying to offer the homeless a way to find free food worldwide, Chef90, were sued for their efforts to help homeless people. Chef90 allowed anyone to coordinate food drops and locations and was designed to allow small amounts of food, clothing, or blankets to be distributed to those in need. Example: Post Item = I have 4 apples View Items = Users with Chef-90 pick up the 4 apples and Distributes them to children in need on their way to work. Chef-90 uses GPS to find items close to users to easy distribute food or other items. Everyone can do a small part to help someone in need. “This app gives users the tools to achieve that goal,” the app description read according to APKPure (who keeps a downloadable copy of all apps on the Google Play Store.) The app Chef90 was available on both Google Play and Apple Stores named after the famous chef, 90-year-old Arnold Abbott, who sought to go above and beyond to feed the homeless. For his good deeds, Abbott found himself facing up to two months in jail and hundreds of dollars in fines after laws that restrict public feeding of the homeless went into effect in Fort Lauderdale in 2014, Reuters reported. However, like Abbott, developers of Chef90 quickly found themselves in legal trouble with cease and desist orders, and sued. The developers were then forced to take down the app from the Apple App Store and Google Play store, according to a developer who worked on the app and wishes to remain anonymous. Another problem is the laws being pushed in cities like Los Angeles that punish homelessness by barring the homeless from sleeping on public spaces. Los Angeles City Council’s homelessness and poverty committee has noticed the trend of criminalizing homelessness, and as result are working to change the law in order to align L.A.’s municipal code with a 2018 federal court ruling that limits how cities can enforce anti-camping and anti-loitering laws. In that case, Martin V. Boise, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a Boise law that outlawed sleeping in any public space. But the proposed changes made by the Los Angeles City Council’s homelessness and poverty committee aren’t designed to help those who need it and include outrageous bans on sitting, sleeping or lying in a number of designated public places. Which critics like Peggy Lee Kennedy, an advocate for the homeless from Venice argue are “inhumane,” as LAist reported. A federal court also ruled in the Boise case that “as long as there is no option of sleeping indoors, the government cannot criminalize indigent, homeless people for sleeping outdoors, on public property.” The court also opined that “even where shelter is unavailable, an ordinance prohibiting sitting, lying, or sleeping outside at particular times or in particular locations might well be constitutionally permissible.” In her opinion on that case, the Judge Marsha S. Berzon wrote: A list of proposed changes in LA are below: The reader should know that the previous law prohibited homeless from sitting or sleeping on any sidewalks at all. This new law is supposed to be a means to bridge the gap, but appears to actually designate ordinances to make legalese more clear for the public that homelessness will be punished.
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Aaron
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/08/cities-unveil-unethical-homeless-reporting-while-la-pushes-anti-homeless-law.html
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2019-08-23 14:13:25+00:00
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activistpost--2019-08-28--Now in Effect Oklahoma Law Prohibits Denial of Firearms Ownership Based on Medical Marijuana Use
| 2019-08-28T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Now in Effect: Oklahoma Law Prohibits Denial of Firearms Ownership Based on Medical Marijuana Use
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Today, an Oklahoma law that prohibits the denial of firearms ownership to patients using medical marijuana went into effect despite federal prohibition. Last summer, Oklahoma voters approved a measure legalizing medical marijuana in the state. A coalition of three Republicans introduced House Bill 2612 (HB2612) on Feb. 4 to create a regulatory structure and establish important patient protections for the state medicinal cannabis program. The Oklahoma House passed HB2612 by a 93-5 vote. The Senate approved the measure 43-5. With Gov. Kevin Stitt’s signature in March, the new law went into effect Aug. 28. The expanded patient protections written into HB2612 are significant. Under the law, “a medical marijuana patient or caregiver licensee shall not be denied the right to own, purchase or possess a firearm, ammunition, or firearm accessories based solely on his or her status as a medical marijuana patient or caregiver licensee.” It also prohibits the state from denying a medical marijuana patient access to public assistance programs, including Medicaid, SNAP and WIC. As Suzanne Sherman noted, the federal government has long claimed the power to restrict the right to keep and bear arms of medical marijuana patients: If you purchase a firearm from an FFL, you will be presented with the Firearms Transaction Record form 4473, which you must, under penalty of perjury, answer fully and truthfully. You may see it for yourself HERE. Question 11(c) asks prospective gun purchasers if they are unlawfully using any controlled substances. You think, “Hey, I can answer ‘no,’ as marijuana is now legal in my state. Immediately following the inquiry is the following admonition (in bold letters): “Warning: The use or possession of marijuana remains unlawful under Federal law, regardless of whether it has been legalized or decriminalized for medicinal or recreational purposes in the state where you reside.” Not surprisingly, in 2016, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of appeals ruled that this restriction does not violate the Second Amendment. Most states have formally adopted this federal ban on owning firearms for medical marijuana users, or simply help in its enforcement. For instance, police in Hawaii sent letters to medical marijuana patients who owned guns telling them they had 30 days to surrender their weapons. While passage of HB2612 does not overturn the federal Gun Control Act of 1968, it does remove the state and local enforcement arm of that unconstitutional act as it applies to medical marijuana users in Oklahoma. While medical marijuana has become widely accepted across the U.S., the federal government still claims it is illegal. As we’ve seen with immigration sanctuary cities, when state and local enforcement ends, the federal government has an extremely difficult time enforcing their acts. Under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) passed in 1970, the federal government maintains complete prohibition of marijuana. Of course, the federal government lacks any constitutional authority to ban or regulate marijuana within the borders of a state, despite the opinion of the politically connected lawyers on the Supreme Court. If you doubt this, ask yourself why it took a constitutional amendment to institute federal alcohol prohibition. Oklahoma’s medical marijuana program removes a layer of laws prohibiting the possession and use of marijuana, and the passage of HB2612 expands that, but federal prohibition remains in place. FBI statistics show that law enforcement makes approximately 99 of 100 marijuana arrests under state, not federal law. By curtailing state prohibition, Oklahoma sweeps part of the basis for 99 percent of marijuana arrests. Furthermore, figures indicate it would take 40 percent of the DEA’s yearly annual budget just to investigate and raid all of the dispensaries in Los Angeles – a single city in a single state. That doesn’t include the cost of prosecution either. The lesson? The feds lack the resources to enforce marijuana prohibition without state assistance.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/08/now-in-effect-oklahoma-law-prohibits-denial-of-firearms-ownership-based-on-medical-marijuana-use.html
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2019-08-28 15:53:30+00:00
| 1,567,022,010 | 1,567,543,602 |
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law
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activistpost--2019-09-05--US Government Blacklisting System is Unconstitutional Judge
| 2019-09-05T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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US Government Blacklisting System is Unconstitutional: Judge
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In an opinion issued late today in Alexandria, VA, US District Court Judge Anthony Trenga has upheld the complaint by 23 victims of US government blacklisting that the system pursuant to which the government has designated them as “suspected terrorists” on the basis of secret algorithms applied to secret datasets, without notice or an opportunity to contest any allegedly “derogatory” information, does not provide those who are stigmatized, and whose stigmatized status is broadcast to tens of thousands of law enforcement and other government agencies and private entities around the world, with the procedural due process required by the US Constitution. This decision is one of the most fundamental victories for the rule of law since 9/11. According to today’s opinion, it is undisputed that the DHS and FBI define anyone who has been arrested or charged with an offense related to terrorism as a “known” terrorist, even if they have been acquitted of that charge. In other words, the DHS and FBI think that what is “known” is what they believe, not what judges or juries have found the facts to be. That presumption that by definition their secret judgements are more reliable than judicial fact-finding pretty much sums up why this decision is correct, why it is so important, and why it should be upheld if, as seems a near certainty, the government appeals. None of the plaintiffs have even been arrested, much less convicted, for any criminal offense, terrorist or otherwise. The plaintiffs include, among others, several infants whom the government has apparently blacklisted as “suspected terrorists”. But even though the government will neither confirm nor deny that anyone is or is not, or has or has not been, included in the “Terrorist Screening Database” (TSDB), the court found that the plaintiffs have demonstrated sufficient basis for their belief that they have been blacklisted. The “No-Fly List” is only a subset of the TSDB, and not being allowed to fly is only a subset of the consequences of blacklisting detailed in the plaintiffs’ submissions to the court and the government’s admissions during discovery and depositions. The TSDB is used as the basis for a plethora of decisions, as the plaintiffs have experienced, from whether to have them arrested at gunpoint when they try to cross land borders to whether to interrogate them for hours about their religious beliefs, seize their electronic devices for copying and forensic analysis of the data stored on them, or deny them public or private-sector jobs. The government’s use of secret criteria, secret datasets, and guilt by association as the basis for secret decisions — communicated to tens of thousands of other decision-makers, but not to those who have been blacklisted — resembles the worst of McCarthyism, just with “terrorist sympathizer” or (literal) “fellow traveler” substituted for “Communist sympathizer” or (ideological) “fellow traveler”. Judge Trenga found that inclusion on the TSDB deprives those who are blacklisted of their liberty interest in freedom of movement, both internationally and domestically; that the government stigmatizes them by distributing the blacklist to many other entities; that the secret, standardless, and non-adversarial (i.e. one-sided) decision-making process is inherently likely to result in errors; and that all of this is unconstitutional: We congratulate the plaintiffs for risking retaliation to challenge the government’s supposedly anti-terrorist, and in practice anti-Muslim, witch-hunting program, and attorneys Gadeir Abbas, Lena Masri, and the rest of CAIR’s legal team for their legal leadership. Judge Trenga has ordered the parties to submit additional briefs over the next six weeks with respect to what he should order to be done to redress the violations of the plaintiffs’ Constitutional rights that he has found to have occurred and to be ongoing. We think the answer is clear: the way to provide procedural due process, when the government wants to restrict someone’s movements or other lawful activities, is for the government to apply to a judge for an injunction or restraining order. No new laws or procedures are needed. Courts have procedures for considering requests for orders restricting movement, and act on them every day in domestic violence and other cases. But the government has never tried to use existing laws to request a no-fly injunction or other restraining orders against a “suspected terrorist”, preferring to substitute the infallible clairvoyance of the pre-cogs in the Terrorist Screening Center for the fallibility of judges and juries using established adversarial fact-finding procedures. Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Follow us on Minds, Twitter, Steemit, and SoMee. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month. Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/09/us-government-blacklisting-system-is-unconstitutional-judge.html
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2019-09-05 15:15:44+00:00
| 1,567,710,944 | 1,569,331,162 |
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activistpost--2019-09-24--Hawaii Becomes 26th US State To Decriminalize Marijuana
| 2019-09-24T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Hawaii Becomes 26th US State To Decriminalize Marijuana
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Mid-2019, Hawaii became the 26th state to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana. After the bill became law, Hawaii Governor David Ige cautioned that decriminalizing the herb doesn’t mean the state is prepared to legalize recreational use of cannabis. Under the new law, people caught with marijuana will no longer face a misdemeanor charge that had been punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Now, people caught carrying 3 grams or less of marijuana can still be slapped with a citation carrying a $130 fine, but no jail time. Hawaii’s Democrat-controlled legislature approved the bill and sent it to Gov. Ige’s desk in May. The Governor neither signed it nor vetoed it. As a result, the bill became law and will go into effect on January 11, 2020. Before the bill was passed, Ige reportedly went “back and forth on decriminalization.” The governor said one thing he disliked about the bill is that it does not include a provision to help young people who want to get into substance abuse programs. Ige added that the new law does not mean Hawaii, which was the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 2000, is on the verge of legalizing recreational cannabis. Hawaii can benefit from not being at the head of the table, that we would be smart to engage and recognize what’s happening in other states, acknowledge the challenges and problems that it has raised and allow us to look at how we would implement it here in a much better controlled fashion. For the decriminalization of marijuana, Ige took a hands-off approach. But, around the same time, he vetoed two other marijuana bills passed by legislature. He struck own legislation that would have made it legal for people to transport medical cannabis from island to island, as well as a bill that would have created industrial hemp licensing program. What are your thoughts? Please comment below and share this news!
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/09/hawaii-becomes-26th-us-state-to-decriminalize-marijuana.html
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2019-09-24 18:52:01+00:00
| 1,569,365,521 | 1,570,222,304 |
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activistpost--2019-09-26--Reality Check Californias New Vaccine Law Puts Kids In Danger
| 2019-09-26T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Reality Check: California’s New Vaccine Law Puts Kids In Danger
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The new law in California which bans medical exemptions for vaccines puts thousands of children in harm’s way. The law prevents doctors from exempting children who could and have had life-threatening reactions to vaccines. This Reality Check is part of a full podcast episode which goes much more in depth on this issue. You can watch that episode here: youtu.be/wsjErIYVoIo Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Follow us on Minds, Twitter, Steemit, and SoMee. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month. Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/09/reality-check-californias-new-vaccine-law-puts-kids-in-danger.html
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2019-09-26 15:45:07+00:00
| 1,569,527,107 | 1,570,222,127 |
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law
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5,776 |
activistpost--2019-10-05--Chinese Citizens Will Be Required To Scan Their Faces To Use The Internet
| 2019-10-05T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Chinese Citizens Will Be Required To Scan Their Faces To Use The Internet
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The Chinese government continues its Orwellian practices with the announcement that citizens will have to use facial recognition technology to access the internet (which is already highly fire-walled.) This is all a part of China’s social credit system that will take effect on Dec. 1st. After the law is in effect, Chinese citizens who want to have the internet installed at their houses or on their smartphones will be required to undergo a facial recognition process by Chinese authority to prove their identities, according to the new regulation. This is significant because now the Chinese government will use the internet to rate citizens based on their daily behavior online. Since 2015, Chinese citizens have been required to show their ID cards while applying for a landline or the internet. This new law is put in place to verify that the ID belongs to the person applying for services. The new law was published on the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) website and distributed to all Chinese telecom carriers on Sept. 27th, which includes three demands be met, Epoch Times reports. First, all telecom carriers must use facial recognition to test whether an applicant who applies for internet connection is the owner of the ID that they use since Dec. 1. At the same time, the carriers must test that the ID is genuine and valid. Second, all telecom carriers must upgrade their service’s terms and conditions and notify all their customers that they are not allowed to transfer or resell their cell phone SIM card to another person by the end of November 2019. Third, telecom carriers should help their customers to check whether there are cell phone or landline numbers that don’t belong to them but registered under their names since Dec. 1. For unidentified numbers, the telecom carries must investigate and close the lines immediately. This comes on the heels of another Chinese pilot program which allows citizens to pay for subway/train travel using just their facial biometrics as Activist Post reported. This new system also compensates elderly Chinese in the city of Shenzhen, China, with a free ride — if they pay with their face — providing incentives for using facial recognition technology. China is planning to merge its 170+ million security cameras with artificial intelligence and facial recognition technology to create a mega-surveillance state. This compounds with China’s “social credit system” that ranks citizens based on their behavior, and rewards or punishes depending on those scores. According to the latest report of U.S.-based market research firm IDC, China had spent $10.6 billion on video surveillance equipment in 2018. The firm adds that China’s spending is believed to reach $20.1 billion in 2023. A massive 64.3 percent of China’s spending in 2018 was spent solely for surveillance cameras. A worrying figure for the future of China. IDC reported on Jan. 30th that it predicted China would have 2.76 billion surveillance cameras installed in 2022. Already, China’s cities, classrooms and even restrooms are inundated with facial recognition technology. Inside classrooms, facial recognition technology monitors students and reports their actions to the teachers and parents. While to access the basic need of using toilet paper in a public bathroom China requires citizens to scan their face just to wipe their butt. If that wasn’t bad enough, Chinese scientists have recently developed an artificial intelligence (AI) enabled 500 megapixel cloud camera that’s capable of panoramic capture of an entire stadium with the ability to target a single individual in an instant, Global Times reported. The upgrade to facial recognition technology is developed by Shanghai-based Fudan University and Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Changchun, capital of Northeast China’s Jilin Province. Fudan University and Changchun Institute of Optics aren’t the first researchers to advance facial recognition. There is also Shanghai-based YITU Technology which has evolved the facial recognition industry by being able to identify a person within a matter of seconds from a database of people, even if only their partial face is visible, CNBC reported.
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Aaron
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/10/chinese-citizens-will-be-required-to-scan-their-faces-to-use-the-internet.html
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2019-10-05 19:17:58+00:00
| 1,570,317,478 | 1,570,632,957 |
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law
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activistpost--2019-10-09--Signed as Law: California Bans Facial Recognition on Police Body Cameras
| 2019-10-09T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Signed as Law: California Bans Facial Recognition on Police Body Cameras
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Yesterday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law that bans police from using facial recognition and biometric scanners with body-worn cameras for the next three years. The law will not only help protect privacy in California, but it would also hinder one aspect of the federal surveillance state. Assm. Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) introduced Assembly Bill 1215 (AB1215) on Feb. 21. The new law prohibits a law enforcement agency or law enforcement official from installing, activating, or using any biometric surveillance system in connection with an officer camera or data collected by an officer camera. Before the final Senate vote, that chamber amended the bill twice to make the provisions temporary. With the initial amendment, the law would have been automatically repealed on Jan. 1, 2027. A second amendment whittled that backed to 2023. So in effect, AB1215 institutes a 3-year ban on facial recognition combined with body-worn cameras. On May 9, the Assembly approved the measure by a vote of 45-17. The Senate passed AB1215 by a 22-15 vote over heavy opposition from police around the state. On Sept. 12, the Assembly concurred with the Senate amendment by a 47-21 margin. Only three Republicans in both the Assembly and the Senate voted yes on AB1215. With Gov. Newsom’s signature, the new law goes into effect on Jan. 1. “Without my bill, face recognition technology can subject law-abiding citizens to perpetual police line-ups, as their every movement is tracked without consent. Its use, if left unchecked, undermines public trust in government institutions and unduly intrudes on one’s constitutional right to privacy. AB 1215 is an important civil rights measure that will prevent exploitation of vulnerable communities,” Ting wrote in a statement on his website. Passage of this bill takes an important step forward but much work remains. When the provisions of the law sunset in three years, things will return to the status quo – which will mean police using facial recognition on body-cam footage whenever they please with no restrictions or oversight. It’s imperative to continue pushing legislators to make these restrictions permanent. Powerful police lobbies opposed passage of the bill. According to USA Today, no law enforcement agency in California currently uses facial recognition with their body-worn cameras, but police opposed the measure because “a valuable tool could be lost.” Detective Lou Turriaga, director of the Los Angeles Police Protective League played the public safety card in opposing the bill. “Facial recognition could be a valuable tool for us, helping identify felons or even abducted children, “he said. “I understand trying to seek a balance between civil liberties and law enforcement, but a wholesale ban doesn’t help us protect anybody. Why remove that tool from law enforcement? It just doesn’t make sense.” A recent report revealed that the federal government has turned state drivers’ license photos into a giant facial recognition database, putting virtually every driver in America in a perpetual electronic police lineup. The revelations generated widespread outrage, but this story isn’t new. The federal government has been developing a massive, nationwide facial recognition system for years. The FBI rolled out a nationwide facial-recognition program in the fall of 2014, with the goal of building a giant biometric database with pictures provided by the states and corporate friends. In 2016, the Center on Privacy and Technology at Georgetown Law released “The Perpetual Lineup,” a massive report on law enforcement use of facial recognition technology in the U.S. You can read the complete report at perpetuallineup.org. The organization conducted a year-long investigation and collected more than 15,000 pages of documents through more than 100 public records requests. The report paints a disturbing picture of intense cooperation between the federal government, and state and local law enforcement to develop a massive facial recognition database. There are many technical and legal problems with facial recognition, including significant concerns about the accuracy of the technology, particularly when reading the facial features of minority populations. During a test run by the ACLU of Northern California, facial recognition misidentified 26 members of the California legislature as people in a database of arrest photos. With facial recognition technology, police and other government officials have the capability to track individuals in real-time. These systems allow law enforcement agents to use video cameras and continually scan everybody who walks by. According to the report, several major police departments have expressed an interest in this type of real-time tracking. Documents revealed agencies in at least five major cities, including Los Angeles, either claimed to run real-time face recognition off of street cameras, bought technology with the capability, or expressed written interest in buying it. In all likelihood, the federal government heavily involves itself in helping state and local agencies obtain this technology. The feds provide grant money to local law enforcement agencies for a vast array of surveillance gear, including ALPRs, stingray devices and drones. The federal government essentially encourages and funds a giant nationwide surveillance net and then taps into the information via fusion centers and the Information Sharing Environment (ISE).
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/10/signed-as-law-california-bans-facial-recognition-on-police-body-cameras.html
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Wed, 09 Oct 2019 18:09:24 +0000
| 1,570,658,964 | 1,570,659,477 |
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law
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activistpost--2019-10-12--California Adds 15 New Gun-related Laws Including a Much More Broadly Defined “Red Flag” Law
| 2019-10-12T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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California Adds 15 New Gun-related Laws Including a Much More Broadly Defined “Red Flag” Law
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California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 15 gun-related bills into law Friday, tightening the state’s already-stringent Second Amendment restrictions. One of the bills, which expands a so-called “red flag” law to allow co-workers, employers and educators to seek gun violence restraining orders against firearms owners they fear are a danger to themselves and others, was vetoed twice by Newsom’s predecessor, Jerry Brown. Newsom also signed a companion bill allowing the gun violence restraining orders to last one and five years, although the gun owners could petition to end those restrictions earlier. The bill also allows judges to issue search warrants at the same time as they grant the orders. The warrants can be used immediately if the gun owners are served with the relinquishment orders but fail to turn over the firearms or ammunition. “California has outperformed the rest of the nation, because of our gun safety laws, in reducing the gun murder rate substantially compared to the national reduction,” Newsom said as he signed the measures surrounded by state lawmakers. “No state does it as well or comprehensively as the state of California, and we still have a long way to go.” Between 1993 and 2017, the latest available, there was a 62 percent decline in the gun murder rate in California, nearly double the 34 percent nationally, Newsom said. Co-workers who want to request a gun violence restraining order will have to have “substantial and regular interactions” with gun owners, and co-workers and school employees will need to get approval from their employers or school administrators before seeking a restraining order. Those seeking the orders will be required to file sworn statements detailing their reasons for doing so. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) opposed the bill, saying it “poses a significant threat to civil liberties” because a restraining order can be sought before a gun owner has an opportunity to dispute the request. Additionally, those making a request under the new law may “lack the relationship or skills required to make an appropriate assessment,” the ACLU said. The bill’s author, Democratic Assemblyman Phil Ting of San Francisco, cited a recent study finding that gun restraining order laws may have helped prevent 21 mass shootings, though the University of California, Davis, researchers cautioned that “it is impossible to know whether violence would have occurred.” The National Rifle Association (NRA) and its state affiliate, the California Rifle and Pistol Association, opposed the new restrictions, according to the Los Angeles Times. The laws will take effect Jan. 1, 2020. The Democratic governor also signed a law that will limit Californians to purchasing one long rifle per month, according to The Sacramento Bee. This law expands the current legislation that applies to handguns, and it will prevent people under 21 from purchasing semi-automatic rifles and other similar firearms. The collective measures “tweak” the state’s current laws and “improve implementation,” according to Amanda Wilcox, spokeswoman for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Ting also has a companion bill that would allow gun owners starting next September who are the subjects of restraining order requests to file a form with the court saying they won’t contest the requests and are surrendering their firearms. Under current law, even those who agree to give up their guns must go through a court hearing, which Ting says wastes time and resources. Sean Walton is a researcher and journalist for The Daily Sheeple, where this article first appeared. Send tips to [email protected]
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/10/california-adds-15-new-gun-related-laws-including-a-much-more-broadly-defined-red-flag-law.html
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Sat, 12 Oct 2019 15:25:23 +0000
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activistpost--2019-11-22--In Russia, Individuals Can Now Be Branded “Foreign Agents”
| 2019-11-22T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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In Russia, Individuals Can Now Be Branded “Foreign Agents”
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Today, Russia’s State Duma passed the third and final reading of a new bill expanding the scope of the country’s controversial “foreign agent” law. The first iteration of the law appeared in 2012, and introduced the term “foreign agent” to refer to NGOs which receive foreign funding. It’s a loaded term in Russian, with strong associations with espionage. In November 2017, mass media organisations could be labelled “foreign agents” if they received funding from overseas; the move came soon after the state-funded news outlet RT was made to register as a “foreign agent” by the United States authorities. Since then, several organisations have been declared “foreign agents” by the Russian authorities, such as the Anti-Corruption Foundation of opposition politician Alexey Navalny in October 2019. The latest amendments expand the definition of “foreign agent” to individuals, at the discretion of the Ministry of Justice, which already maintains online lists of “foreign agent” media outlets and NGOs. They also oblige any media organisation recognised as a “foreign agent” to first establish a Russian legal entity in order to operate in the country, and require individuals to publicly state this status and submit to intense financial reporting requirements. The punishments for non-compliance are harsh, including prison sentences of up to two years and fines of up to five million rubles (around 80,000 USD). On November 18, 10 international NGOs signed an open letter denouncing the new bill as a serious threat to freedom of expression in Russia. How do the Russian authorities know a “foreign agent” when they see one? The text of the new amendments, added to the federal laws on information and telecommunications, do not suggest any consistent criteria. Foreign agents, it reads, are “individuals disseminating printed, audiovisual, or other messages and material (including by use of the internet) intended for a potentially unlimited circle of people, receiving money and (or) other property from foreign states, their institutions, international and foreign organisations, foreign citizens, stateless individuals and their agents, and (or) Russian legal entities who receive money and (or) other property from indicated sources.” State officials have stressed that the new law is nothing to worry about. On November 12, Andrei Klimov, chairman of the Federation Council’s commission for protecting state sovereignty and a staunch defender of the “foreign agent” laws, told the state news agency TASS that “the new law differs from the old one only in its detail,” and emphasised that somebody wouldn’t become a “foreign agent” simply for receiving an international payment. It would require “constant collaboration” with organisations already recognised as foreign agents, explained Klimov. “In my opinion, this will affect 20-30 people across Russia,” he said. In comments to the government’s official newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta in October, Klimov stressed that the law “would not affect people who write something to each other on social media,” and justified its implementation by reference to the case of Maria Butina, the Russian citizen deported from the US on charges of working as a “foreign agent” for Moscow. But on November 13, Leonid Levin, the chairman of the State Duma’s committee on information policy and communications, told TASS that journalists working for media outlets considered “foreign agents” could find themselves branded “foreign agents” too if their work covers “the socio-political situation.” Klimov also confirmed in the same article that political activity would be the qualifying factor. Many bloggers and journalists, particularly those in independent and opposition media, are wondering where the new law leaves them. Aleksandr Plyushchev, a popular blogger and talk show host at the radio station Ekho Moskvy, reflected on the chilling effect of the law on his Telegram channel: Concerning the law which was basically adopted today on citizens as foreign agents. It’s a very unusual feeling when the authorities of your home country draft and pass an entire law aimed explicitly at yourself. Well, not only at yourself, but yourself as part of a particular, and by no means small, group of people. We are all subject to various laws, but the prospect of your name and surname ending up on a special list is something quite different. It is unlikely that those who fell under personal sanctions in connection, say, with the Magnitsky Act or due to the Donbas feel quite the same; in those cases, a foreign state is acting against you, and here, it’s one’s own country. So now, we know how it is with silver, now let’s see what it’s like with acid. [a reference to a song by popular Russian band Akvarium] Mika Velikovskiy, a journalist working for independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, emphasised that the vagueness of the law posed a threat to ordinary Russians: Dmitry Kolezev, the blogger and editor-in-chief of Yekaterinburg-based independent news website Znak, lamented what he called a “nationalisation of intellectuals,” arguing that the law would make Russians warier of travelling abroad or communicating with foreigners, thus isolating Russia’s commentariat and journalists. Its repercussions would reach far more than 20 or 30 people, he warned: Will life for foreign agents become unbearable? Seemingly not. They will be obliged to label their publications as such (which is demeaning, of course) and file declarations about their income. In that sense, [Duma] deputies want bloggers and journalists to operate by the same rules as state officials and elected representatives. But in doing so, they forget that independent journalists and bloggers have not been granted any authority and do not receive a salary from the state, so it’s not fully understood on what basis the same transparency is demanded of them as from parliamentarians. However, we don’t know what other means of discrimination against “foreign agents” the authorities will come up with in future. Will they have to check in with the Ministry of Justice, will they be forbidden from holding state positions, or will they be forbidden from standing in elections? It could be anything. These laws come at a highly charged time in Russian society, following mass protests in Moscow and the institution of a “sovereign internet.” Accordingly, there are indications that new laws concerning freedom of expression are starting to irritate many Russians. A poll taken by the Levada Center in October 2019 and released on November 20 showed that the percentage of Russians who believe that freedom of speech is one of the most important of all rights for citizens rose from 34 per cent to 58 per cent over the last two years. Amid heated discussion about the law online, the meme “но иностранный агент все равно ты” (but still, you’re the one who’s the foreign agent) has resurfaced. It’s a popular retort in light of regular revelations about Russian officials’ luxury real estate in Europe. For example, Alexey Navalny’s latest investigative video, concerning the Montenegro property of Moscow’s general prosecutor Denis Popov, was entitled “the secret life of a foreign agent.” For now, the RuNet is waiting to see who will be first to be branded a “foreign agent,” and what is in store for the person who receives that unfortunate distinction. Top image: Andrei Klimov presents a copy of the new bill to reporters. Screengrab from Channel One’s November 8 YouTube video “В России до конца года могут принять закон о признании иностранными агентами физических лиц.” This article was sourced from GlobalVoices.org Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, Flote, Minds, Twitter, and Steemit. Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/11/in-russia-individuals-can-now-be-branded-foreign-agents.html
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Fri, 22 Nov 2019 01:44:02 +0000
| 1,574,405,042 | 1,574,424,402 |
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activistpost--2019-12-05--Project Guardian: Another Big Attack on the Constitution and Liberty
| 2019-12-05T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Project Guardian: Another Big Attack on the Constitution and Liberty
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Frustrated with a lack of new laws coming from Congress, the administration is taking a new path to increase federal violations of the 2nd Amendment – Project Guardian. • Remarks by President Trump on the Mass Shootings in Texas and Ohio Michael Boldin [send him email] is the founder of the Tenth Amendment Center, where this video first appeared. He was raised in Milwaukee, WI, and currently resides in Los Angeles, CA. Follow him on Twitter – @michaelboldin and Facebook. Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, Flote, Minds, Twitter, and Steemit. Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/12/project-guardian-another-big-attack-on-the-constitution-and-liberty.html
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Thu, 05 Dec 2019 01:49:12 +0000
| 1,575,528,552 | 1,575,547,606 |
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law
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activistpost--2019-12-12--Victory: San Diego to Suspend Face Recognition Program, Limits ICE Access To Criminal Justice Data
| 2019-12-12T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Victory: San Diego to Suspend Face Recognition Program, Limits ICE Access To Criminal Justice Data
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We just stopped one of the largest, longest running, and most controversial face recognition programs operated by local law enforcement in the United States. A face recognition system used by more than 30 agencies in San Diego County, California will be suspended on Jan. 1, 2020, according to a new agenda published by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), which manages the program. In October, EFF sent a letter to SANDAG demanding it suspend the program to comply with a new law that takes effect at the beginning of the year. Authored by Assemblymember Phil Ting, A.B.1215 creates a three-year moratorium on law enforcement use of face recognition connected with cameras carried by police officers. These cameras include body-worn cameras and handheld devices. EFF organizer Nathan Sheard testified in favor of the bill back in June, noting that “face surveillance will exacerbate historical biases born of and contributing to unfair police practices in Black and Latinx neighborhoods.” EFF participated in a sustained campaign to send it to the governor’s desk alongside the ACLU of California, Oakland Privacy, and a broad coalition of civil society and grassroots groups. Launched in 2012, San Diego’s program—the Tactical Identification System (TACIDS)—provided 1,309 specialized face-recognition tablets and phones to dozens of local, state, and federal agencies. Between 2016 and 2018, officers had conducted more than 65,500 scans with the devices. “To ensure compliance with AB 1215, operation of the TACIDS program will be suspended beginning January 1, 2020,” writes Pam Scanlon, head of SANDAG’s Automated Regional Justice Information System (ARJIS) in the agenda memo. “ARJIS will notify all law enforcement partners that TACIDS access will be suspended, which will include removal of the TACIDS Booking Photo interface and all user access to TACIDS systems.” The agenda also indicates SANDAG will not renew the contract with the face recognition vendor, FaceFirst, when it expires in March 2020. In the same agenda, SANDAG also reveals that in October it disabled all ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations accounts across the agency’s law enforcement databases and computer systems to comply with guidance from the California Department of Justice (CADOJ) on S.B. 54, the California Values Act. This law is designed to limit how local law enforcement may collaborate with immigration enforcement activities. EFF and immigrant rights groups successfully lobbied CADOJ to restrict ICE access to law enforcement databases, and EFF specifically called on SANDAG to address this issue after data revealed ICE was using the face recognition devices. The end of San Diego’s program marks a major victory in the nationwide battle against face surveillance. But it doesn’t stop here. Join our campaign to end face surveillance on the local level across the country. For more information on San Diego’s face recognition program, read our October 2019 report and letter. As EFF’s senior investigative researcher, Dave Maass is a muckraker/noisemaker, covering issues related to police surveillance, free speech, transparency, and government accountability. In addition to leading deep-dive investigations, Dave coordinates large-scale public records campaigns, advocates on state legislation, and compiles The Foilies, EFF’s annual tongue-in-cheek awards for outrageous responses to FOIA requests. He sometimes represents EFF in digital rights-themed cosplay at Dragon Con, and he edited EFF’s first science fiction collection, Pwning Tomorrow. He also researches virtual reality as part of the team that developed Spot the Surveillance, EFF’s first VR experience. Contact him with questions or information on police technology (e.g. automated license plate readers, biometric identification), prisoner rights, or public records laws. This article was sourced from EFF.org Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, Flote, Minds, Twitter, and Steemit. Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/12/victory-san-diego-to-suspend-face-recognition-program-limits-ice-access-to-criminal-justice-data.html
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Thu, 12 Dec 2019 17:11:54 +0000
| 1,576,188,714 | 1,576,195,607 |
crime, law and justice
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law
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6,279 |
activistpost--2019-12-16--San Diego Shuts Down Massive Facial Recognition System to Comply With New California Law
| 2019-12-16T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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San Diego Shuts Down Massive Facial Recognition System to Comply With New California Law
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In a major victory for privacy advocates, San Diego will shut down one of the largest facial recognition programs in the country. It’s doing so to comply with a new state law limiting the technology that was signed into law earlier this year. According to an agenda released by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), the facial recognition system used by more than 30 agencies will be suspended Jan. 1, 2020. The announcement came after the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) sent a letter demanding the shutdown of the massive program to comply with Assembly Bill 1215 (AB1215). Signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October, the new law prohibits a law enforcement agency or law enforcement official from installing, activating, or using any biometric surveillance system in connection with an officer camera or data collected by an officer camera. This includes body-worn and handheld devices. The San Diego facial recognition system was activated in 2012. According to EFF, the Tactical Identification System (TACIDS)—provided 1,309 specialized face-recognition tablets and phones to dozens of local, state, and federal agencies. Between 2016 and 2018, officers conducted more than 65,500 scans with the devices. EFF called it “one of the largest, longest-running, and most controversial face recognition programs operated by local law enforcement in the United States.” In a memo, the head of SANDAG’s Automated Regional Justice Information System (ARJIS) wrote, “ARJIS will notify all law enforcement partners that TACIDS access will be suspended, which will include removal of the TACIDS Booking Photo interface and all user access to TACIDS systems.” In addition, SANDAG will not renew a contract with its facial recognition vendor, FaceFirst, when it expires in March. EFF called this a major victory in the battle against invasive facial recognition technology. There is a growing movement to limit or ban the use of facial recognition technology and the local and state level. San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and Somerville, Mass. have all prohibited government use of facial recognition technology. Portland, Oregon, and Springfield, Massachusetts, are considering similar bans. The New York Assembly is considering a bill to ban facial recognition in schools and on police body cameras. A recent report revealed that the federal government has turned state drivers’ license photos into a giant facial recognition database, putting virtually every driver in America in a perpetual electronic police lineup. The revelations generated widespread outrage, but this story isn’t new. The federal government has been developing a massive, nationwide facial recognition system for years. The FBI rolled out a nationwide facial-recognition program in the fall of 2014, with the goal of building a giant biometric database with pictures provided by the states and corporate friends. In 2016, the Center on Privacy and Technology at Georgetown Law released “The Perpetual Lineup,” a massive report on law enforcement use of facial recognition technology in the U.S. You can read the complete report at perpetuallineup.org. The organization conducted a year-long investigation and collected more than 15,000 pages of documents through more than 100 public records requests. The report paints a disturbing picture of intense cooperation between the federal government, and state and local law enforcement to develop a massive facial recognition database. There are many technical and legal problems with facial recognition, including significant concerns about the accuracy of the technology, particularly when reading the facial features of minority populations. During a test run by the ACLU of Northern California, facial recognition misidentified 26 members of the California legislature as people in a database of arrest photos. With facial recognition technology, police and other government officials have the capability to track individuals in real-time. These systems allow law enforcement agents to use video cameras and continually scan everybody who walks by. According to the report, several major police departments have expressed an interest in this type of real-time tracking. Documents revealed agencies in at least five major cities, including Los Angeles, either claimed to run real-time face recognition off of street cameras, bought technology with the capability, or expressed written interest in buying it. In all likelihood, the federal government heavily involves itself in helping state and local agencies obtain this technology. The feds provide grant money to local law enforcement agencies for a vast array of surveillance gear, including ALPRs, stingray devices and drones. The federal government essentially encourages and funds a giant nationwide surveillance net and then taps into the information via fusion centers and the Information Sharing Environment (ISE). Fusion centers were sold as a tool to combat terrorism, but that is not how they are being used. The ACLU pointed to a bipartisan congressional report to demonstrate the true nature of government fusion centers: “They haven’t contributed anything meaningful to counterterrorism efforts. Instead, they have largely served as police surveillance and information sharing nodes for law enforcement efforts targeting the frequent subjects of police attention: Black and brown people, immigrants, dissidents, and the poor.” Fusion centers operate within the broader ISE. According to its website, the ISE “provides analysts, operators, and investigators with information needed to enhance national security. These analysts, operators, and investigators…have mission needs to collaborate and share information with each other and with private sector partners and our foreign allies.” In other words, ISE serves as a conduit for the sharing of information gathered without a warrant. Known ISE partners include the Office of Director of National Intelligence which oversees 17 federal agencies and organizations, including the NSA. ISE utilizes these partnerships to collect and share data on the millions of unwitting people they track. Reports that the Berkeley Police Department in cooperation with a federal fusion center deployed cameras equipped to surveil a “free speech” rally and Antifa counterprotests provided the first solid link between the federal government and local authorities in facial recognition surveillance. In a nutshell, without state and local cooperation, the feds have a much more difficult time gathering information. Passage of local ordinances banning facial recognition eliminates one avenue for gathering facial recognition data. Simply put, data that doesn’t exist cannot be entered into federal databases. Michael Maharrey [send him email] is the Communications Director for the Tenth Amendment Center, where this article first appeared. He proudly resides in the original home of the Principles of ’98 – Kentucky. See his blog archive here and his article archive here. He is the author of the book, Our Last Hope: Rediscovering the Lost Path to Liberty. You can visit his personal website at MichaelMaharrey.com and like him on Facebook HERE Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, Flote, Minds, Twitter, and Steemit. Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/12/san-diego-shuts-down-massive-facial-recognition-system-to-comply-with-new-california-law.html
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Mon, 16 Dec 2019 19:48:55 +0000
| 1,576,543,735 | 1,576,541,191 |
crime, law and justice
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law
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