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☆ Sorry everyone, but Clarence Thomas can take undisclosed money from whomever he wants and there is little to be done about it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But Supreme Court experts told Insider there is no chance the conservative justice will be removed. The Supreme Court has little regulatory oversight and few routes for disciplining its judges. Judiciary ethics experts told Insider the bombshell ProPublica report left them "shocked" and "disturbed." Federal law requires government employees, including Supreme Court justices, to report most real estate transactions worth more than a thousand dollars. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas attends the ceremonial swearing-in ceremony for Amy Coney Barrett to be the U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice on the South Lawn of the White House October 26, 2020.

☆ Grand National: Animal rights group threatens iconic horse race
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —It’s watched by more than 500 million people from 140 different countries, but the Grand National remains one of the most controversial horse races in the world. However, animal rights groups claim the race represents the “broken relationship” between humans and nature due to the potential dangers the horses face. “This April we are launching the biggest campaign to protect animals and the climate this country has ever seen,” Animal Rising added. “Already over 500 people are signed up for training to take peaceful action this summer.”The Grand National race is part of a three day festival at Aintree Racecourse every year. Animal Rising says the report won’t stop them from finishing their mission of raising awareness of what they claim are unethical practices.

☆ NYPD's robot dogs are back after backlash. NYC Mayor Eric Adams says 'we cannot be afraid' of the technology.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The NYPD's robotic dogs are "out of the pound" again, mayor Eric Adams announced earlier this week. Adams announced during a press conference earlier this week that the city spent $750,000 on two robotic canines the NYPD calls "Digidogs. " He said the dogs can "save lives" in situations where "you can't have police officers going inside because it's dangerous." The announcement comes just two years after the NYPD halted an experiment with the robotic dogs. In addition to the robot dogs, the NYPD will begin testing the StarChase pilot, a device that shoots a GPS-tracker to a stolen car, and the K5 ASR, an outdoor security robot, Adams said during the press conference.

CNN —Dueling decisions in two federal district courts last week are likely to set up a showdown at the Supreme Court over the fate of the abortion pill mifepristone. When the Supreme Court upheld the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act in 2007, dubious scientific arguments became even more central to anti-abortion advocacy. In Gonzales v. Carhart, the court held that in circumstances of scientific uncertainty, legislators would have more latitude to regulate abortion. Implausible scientific claims are now visible on social media, in lawsuits and in congressional hearings. (By taking this position, abortion opponents can still defend bans with no or few exceptions by claiming that abortion is never necessary.)

☆ Biden Administration Weighs Action Against Russian Cybersecurity Firm
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( John D. Mckinnon | Dustin Volz | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab has denied that it works with Russia or any government to facilitate cyber espionage. WASHINGTON—President Biden’s Commerce Department is weighing an enforcement action under its online-security rules against Kaspersky Lab, a Russian cybersecurity company that has long faced accusations of posing a threat to the U.S., according to people familiar with the matter. The action—if it materializes—could become a test case for the Commerce Department’s growing role in policing threats online, according to some of the people, who said the U.S. might deploy the same online-security rules against Chinese-controlled technologies, possibly including TikTok.

☆ Inside Nike: Sources share claims of sexism, cheating, abuse at the world's wokest brand
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Joshua Hunt | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +51 min

The conservative blowback came as no surprise to Parker, who told Nike's board of directors to expect some short-term backlash. In late 2014, the BBC sent a film crew to Portland to interview several former Oregon Project employees. "He would be at the side of the track calling out runners' splits but wouldn't call Kara's out," Adam Goucher told me. When people asked why she left the Oregon Project, she said it was a "personal decision." "I don't think it has anything to do with who the CEO is," Goucher told me.

☆ London's police force steps up crackdown on rogue officers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Last month, an independent review found the Metropolitan Police to be institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic, and unable to police itself. The review called for urgent reform of Britain's biggest force known as the Met. The Met's new chief Mark Rowley, who took over last September, has vowed to rid the force of unsuitable individuals among its more than 43,000 officers and staff. Further reviews are ongoing to assess the vetting of serving officers and all staff are being checked against the Police National Computer (PNC), which records convictions. Reporting by Farouq Suleiman and Sachin Ravikumar Editing by Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/2] Cook County commissioner and mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson campaigns a day ahead of the runoff election in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. April 3, 2023. REUTERS/Jim VondruskaCHICAGO, April 4 (Reuters) - Brandon Johnson was elected Chicago mayor on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press, defeating Paul Vallas in a runoff between two Democrats to take over a city grappling with crime, an issue that dominated the race. Johnson, a 47-year-old Cook County Commissioner, becomes the 57th mayor of the third-largest U.S. city, after incumbent Lori Lightfoot was eliminated from the race in February. Vallas called for more police officers, while Johnson suggested more mental health support and opportunities for young people. Johnson, a former Chicago teacher and union organizer, says he will promote 200 new detectives from the existing pool of police officers.

☆ After immigrant deaths at border, calls to end U.S-Canada asylum pact grow louder
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Molly Cone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The deaths come less than two weeks after the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) pact was amended, allowing refugee claimants to seek asylum in the first safe country they arrive in. Protesters presented a petition to Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, whose ministry is responsible for border patrol and policing in Canada. Critics say this policy separates families and pushes immigrants to try to cross the border via deadly informal routes. Total of eight people from two families died last week trying to enter the United States from Canada by boat across the St. Lawrence River near Akwesasne, Quebec. Canada and United States have maintained that STCA has is the best way to manage the world's longest land border.

☆ Chicago to elect new mayor as crime emerges as key issue
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

CHICAGO, April 4 (Reuters) - Crime is the central issue in Tuesday's mayoral runoff in Chicago, where voters are choosing between two candidates with contrasting approaches to public safety. Former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas calls for more cops; Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson calls for more mental health support and opportunities for young people. Johnson, a former Chicago teacher and union organizer, says he will promote 200 new detectives from the existing pool of police officers. A poll last week by Emerson College Polling, WGN-TV and The Hill showed Vallas leading Johnson by 5 points, with 13% undecided. Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; Editing by Donna Bryson and Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Exclusive: Biden would veto Republican bill blocking Washington, D.C., police reform
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 30 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will veto a Republican-backed bill to overturn police reforms in Washington, D.C., if it passes in Congress, a White House official said on Thursday. Some Republicans say the Washington, D.C., law is hostile towards the police. Biden took heat from within his own party for signing a Republican-led bill last week that blocked a D.C. law lowering penalties for some crimes. Congressional oversight of Washington, D.C., is written into the U.S. Constitution, and the city's 700,000 residents do not have voting representation in Congress. Tensions often flare between Republican lawmakers and the heavily Democratic city, including over policing, criminal code and voting reforms just this year.

☆ Trump Indictment Places Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg in Spotlight
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Corinne Ramey | James Fanelli | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg ’s pursuit of criminal charges against former President Donald Trump could provide a case for the history books while also testing one of New York City’s top prosecutors, a newcomer to political office who built his career in state and federal law enforcement. Mr. Bragg, 49 years old, took office in January of last year, becoming the first Black district attorney in Manhattan after winning the nomination in a crowded Democratic field and then triumphing in his first run for public office. He campaigned by touting his lengthy record in law enforcement, which includes stints with the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York and the New York attorney general, as well as sharing his personal experiences living with crime and aggressive policing while growing up in Harlem during the 1980s crack epidemic.

☆ Exclusive: Biden would veto Republican bill blocking Washington, D.C., police reform -official
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

☆ Inquiry into Canada's worst mass shooting calls for police reforms, gun regulation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Ismail Shakil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

OTTAWA, March 30 (Reuters) - Officials reviewing Canada's worst mass shooting called for police reforms, stricter gun safety regulations and better public communication on Thursday after an investigation found many shortcomings in authorities' response to the incident in 2020. The commission recommended increasing transparency and accountability for RCMP oversight, improving critical incident response capabilities, and focusing more on everyday policing practices. It is influenced by the United States discourse centred on a right to bear arms which does not exist in our constitutional and legal structure," the commission said. Canada has stricter gun laws than the United States, but Canadians can own firearms with a license. The commission recommended that federal and regional governments should adopt "legislation affirming that gun ownership is a conditional privilege."

☆ Seattle, feds ask for end to court-ordered supervision of city's police
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Tyler Clifford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The 2011 review found that in encounters that required force, police used excessive force 20% of the time. When officers used their batons, more than half the time it was unnecessary or excessive. Among the changes made by Seattle were the creation of a Community Police Commission, which is charged with police oversight. The city also established a team to investigate all incidents involving "serious uses of force," Clarke said. Since new policies and training were implemented, the force has reduced the use of serious force by 60%.

☆ Josh Hawley splits Senate GOP over 'duplicative' idea to create a new office tracking US aid to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Senate rejected a bill from Josh Hawley to establish a new office to oversee Ukraine aid. Many Republicans said they were confident in the Biden administration's aid tracking efforts. "We already have a very extensive operation to oversee spending in Ukraine," said Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah. Hawley's bill did win over at least one Republican who's a vocal supporter of aiding Ukraine: Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. The underlying AUMF repeal bill, which is backed by a large bipartisan majority of senators and has been endorsed by the White House, is expected to pass the Senate on Wednesday.

☆ Israel's Netanyahu buys time, but is still in a fix
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Angus Mcdowall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

It shows the dilemma facing Israel's longest-serving prime minister, who managed a comeback last year, brushing aside an ongoing corruption scandal and the political obituaries written after his last coalition collapsed in 2020. Announcing the delay of the judicial law on television, Netanyahu cited the wisdom of Solomon to say he would extend a hand for dialogue. With polls showing his coalition would lose any new election, Netanyahu can meanwhile count on little goodwill from old foes and former allies still sore from previous encounters. Netanyahu describes the cases as politically motivated, denies wrongdoing and says they are not linked to his judicial reforms. His coalition partners include hard-right supporters of Jewish settlers, who have dismayed Israel's foreign allies with harsh statements about Palestinians.

☆ Trump Probe Places Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg in Spotlight
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Corinne Ramey | James Fanelli | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg ’s pursuit of potential criminal charges against former President Donald Trump could provide a case for the history books while also testing one of New York City’s top prosecutors, a newcomer to political office who built his career in state and federal law enforcement. Mr. Bragg, 49 years old, took office in January of last year, becoming the first Black district attorney in Manhattan after winning the nomination in a crowded Democratic field and then triumphing in his first run for public office. He campaigned by touting his lengthy record in law enforcement, which includes stints with the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York and the New York attorney general, as well as sharing his personal experiences living with crime and aggressive policing while growing up in Harlem during the 1980s crack epidemic.

☆ UK PM Sunak to unveil measures to crack down on anti-social behaviour
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, March 26 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will unveil new measures on Monday to crack down on antisocial behaviour by focusing on policing in several areas of England and Wales, as he works to win over voters in the run-up to an election expected next year. He will say the new measures, including "hotspot" policing and a ban on nitrous oxide or laughing gas, underscores his zero-tolerance approach to anti-social behaviour which will see offenders receiving swift and visible punishments. "Anti-social behaviour undermines the basic right of people to feel safe in the place they call home," Sunak said in a statement. "The public have rightly had enough - which is why I am determined to restore people's confidence that those responsible will be quickly and visibly punished." Reporting by Elizabeth Piper; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pope extends sexual abuse law to include lay leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] People reach out to touch Pope Francis' hand during his meeting with the faithful of parishes from Rho at the Vatican, March 25, 2023. REUTERS/Yara NardiVATICAN CITY, March 25 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Saturday updated rules on dealing with sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church, expanding their scope to include lay Catholic leaders and spelling out that both minors and adults can be victims. BishopAccountability.org, a not-for-profit organisation looking to document the abuses within the Roman Catholic Church, said the revision was "a big disappointment" and fell short of the "extensive revamping" the policy against the abuses would have required. The updated provisions have been unveiled a month after the Roman Catholic religious order of Jesuits said that accusations of sexual, psychological and spiritual abuse against one of its most prominent members were highly credible. Rupnik has not spoken publicly of the accusations, which have rattled the worldwide order, of which the pope is a member.

March 23 (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers at a congressional hearing on Thursday accused TikTok of serving harmful content and inflicting "emotional distress" on young users, grilling the Chinese-owned app's CEO on the company's outsized influence on teens. Like other social media platforms, TikTok has long faced scrutiny over its policing of content on the app. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein 1 2Rep. Frank Pallone, a Democrat from New Jersey, said content on TikTok "exacerbated feelings of emotional stress" in children. Pew Research Center said 67% of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 use TikTok, and 16% of all teens say they use the app almost constantly. Reporting by Sheila Dang in Dallas and Rami Ayyub in Washington; Editing by Mark Porter and Lincoln Feast.

☆ Spooked dealmakers scurry back into their foxholes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Jeffrey Goldfarb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

NEW YORK, March 23 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Jonathan Kanter, a lawyer by training, has become something of a magician. Pay closer attention, however, and Kanter is methodically rewriting a decades-old regulatory playbook. Last year, these breakup charges reached their highest level in a decade, at an average 4.5% of deal prices. The Department of Agriculture partnered with the DOJ on the case, another feature of Kanter’s plan of attack. As legal weaknesses emerge, dealmakers should be in position to better structure transactions and defend themselves at trial.

☆ Vinícius Jr. is being racially abused during LaLiga matches. Why is nobody being punished?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

It has been updated to reflect the persistent racist abuse that Vinicius Jr. was subjected to during Real Madrid’s 1-0 defeat by Valencia on May 21, 2023. ‘Racist campaign against Vinícius’Incidents of players being racially abused by fans have tarred numerous LaLiga matches this season. On May 21, Vinícius was again subjected to racist abuse from the stands, this time during Real’s match against Valencia at the Mestalla stadium. Most cases of racist abuse which LaLiga has referred to local prosecutors have involved Vinícius. The local prosecutor in Mallorca said it is investigating a number of cases of racist abuse at matches.

☆ AI Tech Like ChaptGPT, Bing, Bard Is a Bigger Threat Than Social Media
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Nowadays, the promise of social media as a unifying force for good has all but collapsed, and Zuckerberg is slashing thousands of jobs after his company's rocky pivot to the metaverse. Much like social media in 2012, the AI industry is standing on the precipice of immense change. And as Altman and his cohort charge ahead, AI could fundamentally reshape our economy and lives even more than social media. If social media helped expose the worst impulses of humanity on a mass scale, generative AI could be a turbocharger that accelerates the spread of our faults. Social media amplified society's issues, as Wooldridge puts it.

☆ New York Smells Like a Declining City
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Jason De Sena Trennert | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

New YorkI came to Manhattan in 1990 because I was young and ambitious. To my good fortune, a humming economy and effective policing techniques based on the broken-windows theory made it relatively easy for me to start a family and a business here. Today, however, it feels as if the conditions that made New York a destination for businesses and families in the 1990s are no more.

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