News You Can Use

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Is Your Refrigerator A National Security Risk? « CBS Denver

WASHINGTON (CBS4) – The federal government is worried some refrigerators and coffee pots could pose a national security risk, and it’s taking action.

Colorado’s U.S. Senator Cory Gardner among a bi-partisan group of senators who are sponsoring legislation to secure the so-called Internet of Things – everyday devices that are embedded with computer chips and sensors.

Gardner says those devices can be used as weapons of mass disruption.

“The federal government orders billions of dollars worth of Internet of Things devices each and every year,” says Gardner. “These are things that can be hacked into. You can try to control systems, instruments with them. You can certainly read what people are doing and maybe even eavesdrop on a conversation people are having.”

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McDonald's employee gives birth and tries to flush infant down toilet, DA says - LA Times

A McDonald’s cashier is facing an attempted murder charge after giving birth to a boy while at work and then trying to flush the newborn down a toilet inside the Redwood City restaurant, prosecutors said.

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News from The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate on Wednesday rejected a bipartisan push for a new war authorization against the Islamic State and other terrorist groups, electing to let the White House rely on a 16-year-old law passed after the Sept. 11 attacks as the legal basis to send U.S. troops into combat.

Senators voted 61-36 scuttle an amendment to the annual defense policy bill by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., that would have allowed war authorizations, created in the wake of al-Qaida's 9/11 strikes, to lapse after six months. Paul, a leader of the GOP's noninterventionist wing, said Congress would use the time to debate an updated war authority for operations in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and elsewhere before the old ones expired.

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Antifa activists say violence is necessary | TheHill

Anti-fascist activists, or “antifa,” increasingly mobilized in the wake of President Trump’s election, are unapologetic about what they describe as the necessary use of violence to combat authoritarianism.

While both experts on the movement and activists within it emphasize that not everyone who participates in anti-fascist activism engages in violence, they say the use of force is intrinsic to their political philosophy.

“The justification [of the use of violence] is that Nazi ideology at its very core is founded on violence and on wielding power by any means,” said Mike Isaacson, who is one of the founders of Smash Racism D.C., an antifa organization in Washington.

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3 Newark airport customs officers charged with 'rape table' assaults | NJ.com

The men attacked two fellow customs officers on top of what they referred to as a "rape table" in an office inside Terminal C at Newark Liberty International Airport, authorities said.

In one instance, authorities allege Papagni, Catota, and others held one victim down on the table, while Perez was grinding his genitals up and down the victim's body. In another, authorities said the three men held a second victim down on the table while rubbing up and down against his leg.

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Duke recruits men for program to fight 'toxic' masculinity

Duke University is now seeking applicants for its "Men's Project," a nine-week program that helps men examine how their masculinity exists "often in toxic ways."
The program, now in its second year, meets weekly at the university's Women's Center, an on-campus office for students interested in learning how to "resist patriarchal oppression."

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Approximately 5,000 bikes apparently abandoned at 'leave no trace' Burning Man - SFGate

Burning Man cyclists are taking flak after an Instagram photo showing a sea of dusty bicycles abandoned on the playa was widely shared on social media.
The haunting photo by Logan Mirto shows some of the estimated 5,000 bicycles left by Burners who couldn't be bothered to take their sand cruisers home. One commenter said that the image looked like "Amsterdam Central in a dust storm." Some speculated that a number of the bikes might have been stolen or borrowed before they were discarded.
The mass littering of two-wheelers was condemned by other, more conscientious Burners, who admonished their brethren and reminded them of the Burning Man credo "leave no trace."

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Kaspersky Lab Antivirus Software Is Ordered Off U.S. Government Computers - The New York Times

WASHINGTON — The federal government moved on Wednesday to wipe from its computer systems any software made by a prominent Russian cybersecurity firm, Kaspersky Lab, that is being investigated by the F.B.I. for possible links to Russian security services.

The concerns surrounding Kaspersky, whose software is sold throughout the United States, are longstanding. The F.B.I., aided by American spies, has for years been trying to determine whether Kaspersky’s senior executives are working with Russian military and intelligence, according to current and former American officials. The F.B.I. has also been investigating whether Kaspersky software, including its well-regarded antivirus programs, contain back doors that could allow Russian intelligence access into computers on which it is running. The company denies the allegations.

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ESPN Suspended Linda Cohn, Let Jemele Hill Slide - Outkick the Coverage

Another prominent employee who also requested anonymity stated, “If I’d said Obama got elected because he was black is there any way I’d still be employed here? No chance. But Jemele can say Trump got elected because of white racists and no one does anything? They protect the people they agree with politically. They give them better jobs, more money, everyone can see it.”

Another employee recently contacted Outkick and said, “I pretend I’m a Democrat so I can keep my job here. And there are others just like me. We’re like a secret society inside ESPN.”

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Feds Collect Record Taxes Through August; Still Run $673.7B Deficit

(CNSNews.com) - The federal government collected record total tax revenues through the first eleven months of fiscal 2017 (Oct. 1, 2016 through the end of August), according to the Monthly Treasury Statement.

Through August, the federal government collected approximately $2,966,172,000,000 in total tax revenues.

That was $8,450,680,000 more (in constant 2017 dollars) than the previous record of $2,957,721,320,000 in total tax revenues (in 2017 dollars) that the federal government collected in the first eleven months of fiscal 2016.

At the same time that the federal government was collecting a record $2,966,172,000,000 in tax revenues, it was spending $3,639,882,000,000—and, thus, running a deficit of $673,711,000,000.

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Cuomo assigns ‘gang prevention’ cops to 10 Long Island schools - NY Daily News

ALBANY — Calling schools “the breeding ground” for dangerous gangs like MS-13, Gov. Cuomo on Wednesday announced state police will be going into schools to combat the problem.

Cuomo during a Long Island appearance said “gang prevention officers” from the State Police will be posted in the 10 Suffolk County schools believed to have the highest incidents of gang-related activity.

Suffolk County has been ravaged murders and violence committed by the Central American-based gang. The situation even resulted in a visit recently by President Trump, who vowed to “destroy the vile cartel MS-13.”

[Joel]

Motel 6 Locations in Phoenix Were Sharing Guest Lists With ICE

A report yesterday noted that two Phoenix, Arizona Motel 6 locations had a habit of providing the names of their guests to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

The controversial guest-reporting method apparently led to at least 20 immigration-related arrests at the motels in question over the course of the past seven months. Quoted in the article is an unnamed front-desk clerk, who said:

We send a report every morning to ICE — all the names of everybody that comes in. Every morning at about 5 o’clock, we do the audit and we push a button and it sends it to ICE.

No employees were willing to speak on the record, however, and Motel 6’s corporate office–as well as their media department–ignored phone calls about the issue for “several weeks” before the story broke.

A local ICE spokesperson similarly demurred. Yasmeen Pitts O’Keefe, the agency’s Phoenix-area Public Affairs Officer, said, “I wouldn’t be able to confirm how we are getting our information. Those are investigative techniques that we wouldn’t be able to talk about.” O’Keefe then seemed to tip her hand, saying:

If hypothetically we were somewhere — if we did administratively arrest some folks — that happens all the time. We conduct targeted enforcement operations every day.

And, apparently the hints and suspicions were more or less right on the money. A report issued today confirms the guest-reporting activities of at least one Motel 6 location.

After the Phoenix New Times published the initial report yesterday, it ignited a massive backlash and firestorm online. Editorial cartoons were fierce and unforgiving. The ACLU got involved. Motel 6’s social media accounts drew unprecedented amounts of unchecked scorn. Pro-Trump commentators and conservatives celebrated giddily at the news that people’s names were being turned in to the feds.

After all that, Motel 6’s corporate office was prompted to respond–by confirming the report and disavowing the practice of turning guest information over to federal authorities. Via Twitter they wrote:

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The Silicon Valley Backlash is Heating Up - Bloomberg

Hi all, it’s Eric. Big tech is falling out of political favor. This week, BuzzFeed's Ben Smith convincingly argued that the tides are turning against Google, Facebook and Amazon. The article, “There's Blood in the Water in Silicon Valley,” is worth a read.  As Ben points out, Steve Bannon is leading the charge from the right, calling for Google and Facebook to be regulated like public utilities. Bernie Sanders is helping to push the anti-tech charge from the left. Populists on both wings want to kneecap big tech.

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Canada now investigates 'climate denial' | GOLDSTEIN | Columnists | Opinion | To

It’s like something out of George Orwell’s 1984.

Canada’s Competition Bureau, an arm’s length agency funded by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to the tune of almost $50 million annually, investigated three organizations accused of denying mainstream climate science for over a year, following a complaint from an environmental group.

* * *

It accused three groups, Friends of Science, the International Climate Science Coalition, and the Heartland Institute of making false and misleading claims about climate change, including that the sun is the main driver of climate change, not carbon dioxide, and that carbon dioxide is not a pollutant.

When it launched its complaint in December, 2015, Ecojustice told the National Observer it would press the Commissioner of Competition to refer the matter to the Attorney-General of Canada for “criminal charges against the denier groups”.

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Poll: Nearly 4 In 10 Americans Can’t Name Any First Amendment Rights « CBS Philly

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A recent poll conducted by the University of Pennsylvania finds that residents of the United States are poorly informed about basic constitutional provisions.

The newly released survey suggests Americans cannot name a single right protected by the First Amendment.

According to Penn’s Annenberg Public Policy Center released Tuesday, 37 percent could not name any of the five rights protected by First Amendment, and just about half (48 percent) could name freedom of speech.

[Joel]

Motel 6 Locations in Phoenix Were Sharing Guest Lists With ICE

A report yesterday noted that two Phoenix, Arizona Motel 6 locations had a habit of providing the names of their guests to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

The controversial guest-reporting method apparently led to at least 20 immigration-related arrests at the motels in question over the course of the past seven months. Quoted in the article is an unnamed front-desk clerk, who said:

We send a report every morning to ICE — all the names of everybody that comes in. Every morning at about 5 o’clock, we do the audit and we push a button and it sends it to ICE.

No employees were willing to speak on the record, however, and Motel 6’s corporate office–as well as their media department–ignored phone calls about the issue for “several weeks” before the story broke.

A local ICE spokesperson similarly demurred. Yasmeen Pitts O’Keefe, the agency’s Phoenix-area Public Affairs Officer, said, “I wouldn’t be able to confirm how we are getting our information. Those are investigative techniques that we wouldn’t be able to talk about.” O’Keefe then seemed to tip her hand, saying:

If hypothetically we were somewhere — if we did administratively arrest some folks — that happens all the time. We conduct targeted enforcement operations every day.

And, apparently the hints and suspicions were more or less right on the money. A report issued today confirms the guest-reporting activities of at least one Motel 6 location.

After the Phoenix New Times published the initial report yesterday, it ignited a massive backlash and firestorm online. Editorial cartoons were fierce and unforgiving. The ACLU got involved. Motel 6’s social media accounts drew unprecedented amounts of unchecked scorn. Pro-Trump commentators and conservatives celebrated giddily at the news that people’s names were being turned in to the feds.

After all that, Motel 6’s corporate office was prompted to respond–by confirming the report and disavowing the practice of turning guest information over to federal authorities. Via Twitter they wrote:

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In Amish Country, the Future Is Calling - The New York Times

The Amish have not given up on horse-drawn buggies. Their rigid abstinence from many kinds of technology has left parts of their lifestyle frozen since the 19th century: no cars, TVs or connections to electric utilities, for example.

But computers and cellphones are making their way into some Amish communities, pushing them — sometimes willingly, often not — into the 21st century.

Continue reading the main story
New technology has created fresh opportunities for prosperity among the Amish, just as it has for people in the rest of the world. A contractor can call a customer from a job site. A store owner’s software can make quick work of payroll and inventory tasks. A bakery can take credit cards.

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House goes to court to protect secrecy of records - POLITICO

An effort to fight a FOIA lawsuit for proposals on health care reform wins bipartisan backing.

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Town Leaders Seek to Make 'Selectwoman' the Official Title - NECN

There's a growing trend in language to be more inclusive by moving toward gender neutrality. A group of leaders in Brookline, Massachusetts, is bucking that trend in favor of female empowerment. 
Some people in the town, now the largest in the state, is looking to make the term "selectwomen" the norm. 
"Ever since the November election I've realized that titles and symbols really do matter," said Selectwoman Heather Hamilton. 
Brookline is now looking to explore the option of changing the board's name. 

[Joel]

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News from The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- More than 1 million Americans await a hearing to see whether they qualify for disability benefits from Social Security, with the average wait nearly two years - longer than some of them will live.

All have been denied benefits at least once, as most applications are initially rejected. But in a system where the outcome of a case often depends on who decides it, most people who complete the appeals process will eventually win benefits. The numbers come from data compiled by the Social Security Administration.

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New Segregation Signs Pop Up in Leftist Establishments | Trending

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A long, long time ago, Democrats had a lot of fun with signs. They posted them everywhere — on drinking fountains, in restaurants, in clothing stores, you name it. There was a sign for every scenario for telling people with dark skin color what to do and where to go. These Democrats, like Bull Connor, just loved their signs. Those signs made sure that "colored" people knew their place — which was far away from the white Democrats who hated them. Those same Democrats turned fire hoses and dogs on the black Republicans (like Martin Luther King Jr.) who dared confront them on their bigotry and hatred. Those black Republicans marched with white Christian abolitionists (also Republicans) to end the evil scourge of racism in this nation. Yet, over time, the Democrats have successfully whitewashed their involvement with their deeply racist past. They managed to blame it on Republicans (as usual) and Republicans haven't been smart enough to fight the myth, even though the majority of the opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was overwhelmingly Democrat. But that's old news.

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After single payer failed, Vermont embarks on a big health care experiment - The Washington Post

ENOSBURG FALLS, Vt. — Doug Greenwood lifted his shirt to let his doctor probe his belly, scarred from past surgeries, for tender spots. Searing abdominal pain had landed Greenwood in the emergency room a few weeks earlier, and he’d come for a follow-up visit to Cold Hollow Family Practice, a big red barnlike building perched on the edge of town.

After the appointment was over and his blood was drawn, Greenwood stayed for an entirely different exam: of his life. Anne-Marie Lajoie, a nurse care coordinator, began to map out Greenwood’s financial resources, responsibilities, transportation options, food resources and social supports on a sheet of paper. A different picture began to emerge of the 58-year-old male patient recovering from diverticulitis: Greenwood had moved back home, without a car or steady work, to care for his mother, who suffered from dementia. He slept in a fishing shanty in the yard, with a baby monitor to keep tabs on his mother.

[Sunain]

Nearly 2 million acres of land are burning across the US in one of the worst fire seasons we've ever seen

Almost 2 million acres of land — an area nearly the size of Rhode Island and Delaware combined — are currently aflame, according to the September 14 daily report by the National Interagency Fire Center. There are more than 100 active wildfires and at least 41 uncontained large blazes, battled by more than 25,000 responders, the National Guard, and half a battalion of active-duty soldiers.

It's been a horrible year here for air quality in Vancouver. The smog and smoke mixed with the abnormally hot and dry temperatures to make it the worst year that I've lived out here. It's been made worse with the smoke coming up from Washington and Oregon as its combining with the fire here.

I think that picture above says everything about the attitudes of people in North America currently.