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Oct 3, 2013

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California

Gov. Jerry Brown to sign bill giving immigrants driver's licenses

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gov. Jerry Brown is expected to sign a bill Thursday adding California to the growing list of states allowing immigrants in the country illegally to obtain driver licenses.

Immigrant advocates have long lobbied for the change in the nation's most populous state so immigrants can drive without fearing being pulled over for a ticket, which could wind up getting them deported.

“This is really a historic day for California,” said Marielena Hincapie, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center. “This is really simply about driving and ultimately about being able to engage in everyday activities that every American does.”

Over the last two decades, immigrant advocates have pushed to get licenses restored in California. The effort took on new significance in recent years as immigrants caught driving without a license began seeing their cars impounded and wound up being screened by federal immigration authorities for deportation.

Most states don't allow immigrants in the country illegally to obtain licenses. But a growing number, including Colorado and Oregon, have passed similar measures to issue marked licenses for driving purposes only.

http://www.dailynews.com/government-and-politics/20131002/gov-jerry-brown-to-sign-bill-giving-immigrants-drivers-licenses

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California

New California 'revenge porn' law may miss some victims

For many victims, California's new "revenge porn" law doesn't go far enough.

Revenge porn , also called cyber revenge, is the act of posting sexual photos of an ex-lover online for vengeance. The photos were typically exchanged consensually over the course of a relationship and meant only for the other person.

There are websites dedicated to posting and making money off of these types of shots, which are primarily of women.

The new California law, which was signed into law on Tuesday by Gov. Jerry Brown, is only the second revenge porn-specific piece of legislation in the United States. Under the law, people convicted of distributing sexual images of exes face six months of jail time and a $1,000 fine.

Critics say the law has some glaring loopholes. It only applies when the person accused of spreading the images online is also the photographer. It does not cover photos a person takes of themselves and shares with a lover, say during a sexting session.

Up to 80% of revenge porn victims had taken the photos of themselves, according to a recent survey by the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative. CCRI is a group founded by revenge porn victims and activists to push for legal reform in the United States. That means the vast majority of revenge porn cases would not qualify under this law.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/03/tech/web/revenge-porn-law-california/

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Arizona

Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio to be overseen by monitor, judge rules

For years to come, Sheriff Joe Arpaio can expect to have a federal judge looking over his shoulder, watching almost his every move and those of his deputies.

A federal judge Wednesday approved a plan to place an independent monitor inside the Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff's Office to ensure the department is not racial profiling.

Maricopa County deputies - once described by a Justice Department expert as conducting "the most egregious racial profiling in the United States" - will have every traffic stop monitored statistically and with video cameras, with strict orders to ignore suspects' race.

U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow's ruling caps a class-action anti-discrimination lawsuit against Arpaio and the sheriff's office. In May, Snow ruled that Arpaio's office was using unconstitutional racial profiling to target and detain Latinos suspected to have entered the U.S. illegally.

http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-joe-arpaio-discrimination-20131002,0,1946560.story

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Oct 2, 2013

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The Government Shutdown Explained (Like You're an Idiot)

So, it's happened. Congress could not agree on a budget and the U.S. federal government has shut down all non-essential services. Hundreds of thousands of government workers have been furloughed without knowing when they will return to work.

Oh my God! Oh my God! I saw this on "Doomsday Preppers." Total collapse! I knew I should have built that bomb shelter and started hoarding lentils.

Cool your jets. This is far from the apocalypse. The government has not ground to a complete halt. Services deemed essential like Medicare, mail delivery, tax collection and the military will continue to operate. Non-essential departments and employees, like national park rangers and NASA staff (who aren't currently in orbit) will be furloughed. Also, the National Zoo will be closed.

Someone is going to get a very angry tweet about this! If only I knew who to blame… and also how this happened.

Every year Congress has to agree on a budget to fund the government. The fiscal year ended on Sept. 30, but Congress was unable come to a consensus about how best to use federal funds. Without a budget – essentially a law passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate -- to pay employees and fund programs for the new fiscal year, the government effectively shut down at midnight on Oct. 1.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/government-shutdown-explained-idiot/story?id=20432756

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Georgia

New police program reduces crime in community

Gwinnett County police say a reduction in crime and an increase in trust are a direct result of the community policing initiative implemented to fight crime at area apartment complexes.

The department rolled out the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program -- a type of community policing that involves property managers and residents -- in April 2012.

"The program focuses on trying to reduce gangs, drugs, prostitution -- typical problems that occur in rental or apartment communities,” said officer Bert Garcia.

Police are working to improve two corridors that see more than their fair share of crime. Garcia said in early 2012, 98 percent of crime in central Gwinnett County was happening in and around apartment complexes along Satellite Boulevard and Sweetwater Road. Law enforcement needed to try something new.

Twenty-nine properties are now working with police on improved safety and security conditions. There is a full certification that comes after a three-phase program educating management and residents.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/new-police-program-reduces-crime-community/nbChQ/

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Florida

Jacksonville Airport shut down after destructive device is found, suspect arrested

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Authorities have a suspect in custody after finding two suspicious packages — including one they described as destructive — at the Jacksonville International Airport.

Zeljko Causevic was booked into the Jacksonville County Jail early Wednesday and is being held without bond on charges that include making a false report about planting a bomb or explosive.

Officials say 39-year-old Causevic will be in bond court at 1:30 p.m.

The airport was shut down for nearly five hours Tuesday evening after the packages were found.

http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20131002/jacksonville-airport-shut-down-after-destructive-device-is-found-suspect-arrested

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Oct 1, 2013

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Syria claims ‘terrorists' eat human hearts

UNITED NATIONS — Syria's foreign minister claimed Monday that his government is fighting a war against al-Qaida-linked militants who eat human hearts and dismember people while they are still alive, then send their limbs to family members.

Walid al-Moallem, addressing world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, also charged that the U.S., Britain and France had blocked the naming of the real perpetrators of chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

He claimed “terrorists” fighting the regime in the civil war are being supplied with chemical weapons, but he did not name specific nations accused of supplying them.

President Barack Obama told the U.N. last week that it was the President Bashar Assad's regime that was behind a chemical weapons attack in August that killed hundreds in the Damascus suburbs and brought threats of a U.S. strike.

Syria has committed to getting rid of its stockpiles of chemical weapons and the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Friday to oblige it to do so based on a plan made by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

Al-Moallem claimed that it is clear to all that offshoots of al-Qaida — “the most dangerous terrorist organization in the world” — is fighting in the Syrian civil war. But some countries refuse to recognize it, he said.

http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20130930/syria-claims-terrorists-eat-human-hearts

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California

More Oakland Neighborhoods Employing Private Security Amid Public Safety Concerns

Consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous cities in the nation, the City of Oakland has long been plagued with skyrocketing crime rates.

According to federal statistics, Oakland has one robbery for every 91 residents. The SF Gate reports that this translates to almost 12 robberies a day. And given the fact that the city has fell victim to 3,800 robberies to date in 2013—a 24% jump from last year at this time—this year is shaping up to be a lot worse, leading some community groups to resort to crowdsourcing initiatives in order to fund private security details for their neighborhoods.

The neighborhood of Rockridge is located in the Northern part of Oakland. Its collection of large homes nestled in the hills is known for being one of the wealthiest areas in the city.

Lower Rockridge, however, is middle-class neighborhood located just north of Highway 24. Its proximity to both several freeway onramps and a BART station positions it as a prime target for muggings and robberies.

“Enough is enough,” remarked campaign organizer Paul Liu in the CrowdTilt description. “The crime in lower Rockridge north and west of the Rockridge BART station is completely out of hand.”

Proceeds from the initiative will go towards hiring the VMA Security Group who will patrol from 11am to 11pm, Monday thru Friday starting November 1. The fundraising campaign has already amassed over $12,550 of its $20,513 goal within a week of its inception, securing VMA through February of next year. Over 131 individual sponsors have donated thus far at or above the minimum $82.05 contribution.

http://www.publicceo.com/2013/09/more-oakland-neighborhoods-employing-private-security-amid-public-safety-concerns/

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Colorado

Colorado parolees: Some fear new policies put public safety at risk

As Colorado struggles to lower one of the highest return-to-prison rates in the nation, parole officers are stuck balancing second chances against punishment for parolees who misbehave.

Documents obtained by The Denver Post reveal the state's parole division two years ago adopted new policies aimed at keeping troubled parolees out of prison and on the streets whenever possible.

But the shift has been plagued by inadequate training and a lack of resources, corrections officials now say. Law enforcement and parole officers question the new direction, fearing the public's safety is at risk.

Parolees are "getting so bold because of the direction the whole division is going in," said Ryan Burch, who supervises sex offenders out of the Englewood parole office. "We're losing the parolees' fear that prevents them from violating their parole."

Two years ago, Greeley police Chief Jerry Garner complained to corrections officials that his community faced a surge of dangerous parolees on the street.

"These people are dangerous to my citizens," Garner recently told The Post, noting his complaints went unheeded. "They are dangerous to my police officers."

http://www.denverpost.com/parole/ci_24168872/colorado-parolees-some-fear-new-policies-put-public

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California

Are Public Safety "Activists" Planning to Shame Drug Addicts and Needle Users?

Public safety "activists" in Santa Cruz recently began planning a protest against those they believe are creating hypodermic needle waste in outdoor and natural areas locally. One individual has suggested shaming clients outside of the county's needle exchange office, where drug users may obtain clean needles when they turn in used ones. In a Facebook discussion, Chris Brown said, "What about taking pictures of those going in and out and posting them to a web site in an effort to shame them? I admit it seems rather creepy and low but????"

They are members of the Facebook group "Needle Free Zone - Santa Cruz County," and those planning the protest include many well known names: Ken "Skindog" Collins, Valerie Abbott, Samantha Olden, Kim Gardner, Meriah Campbell, Janell Whiting, Ellie Chapman, Chris Brown (not to be confused with Santa Cruz Clean Team admin Chrissy Brown, who is also in the group but did not comment on the plans for a protest), and Lewis Roubal.

Some members of Needle Free Zone Santa Cruz County say they are still angry that in March, members of Take Back Santa Cruz "softened" down a protest march that went from from Harvey West to City Hall. The protest was originally to include a stop by the Homeless Services Center (HSC), which Samantha Olden said was supported by Ken "Skindog" Collins. (Collins has been the subject of controversy more recently after he was captured on video poking and yelling at a homeless person at a clean up event with the Clean Team in March of this year)

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/09/29/18744023.php

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Sept 30, 2013

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Government shutdown: What you need to know

Let's start with the obvious question: Will there be a government shutdown this week? Probably.

On that, Republicans and Democrats agree. It's everything else that has them bickering and blaming. And unless they strike a deal on a spending bill Monday, the government will begin shutting down at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.

After weeks of congressional back-and-forth, the ball is back in the Senate's court. It meets at 2 p.m. Monday to decide what to do next. The outcome, while likely, isn't a foregone conclusion. The deadline is midnight, and one day can be a long time on Capitol Hill. Here's a quick Q&A to get you caught up on what happened over the weekend and what to look forward to Monday.

Why would the government shut down?

Congress has one key duty laid out in the Constitution -- pass spending bills that fund the government. If it doesn't, most of the functions of the government -- from paying the military, to funding small business loans, to processing Social Security checks -- would grind to a slow-motion halt.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/30/politics/government-shutdown-up-to-speed/?hpt=hp_t1

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California

L.A. program helps homeless women vets

She once wore Army-issue green, then earned the rank of E-3 seaman in the U.S. Navy.

But when Serwa Scorza left the uniform, insignia and base behind for civilian life, she fell out of step and lost her footing. By the time she moved to Los Angeles, Scorza's marriage had dissolved and she struggled to balance work, school and single motherhood. Homelessness came next.

“For the longest time, I couldn't get stable,” Scorza, 36, said one recent day.

Then a male veteran told Scorza something she didn't know about herself: that she, too, was a veteran. As it turns out, servicewomen seldom may be afraid to seek services from the Veterans Administration when they need it.

“Many women, when we initially outreach to them, may not even identify themselves as veterans,” said Michelle Wilde, chief of community care at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.

http://www.dailynews.com/government-and-politics/20130929/la-program-helps-homeless-women-vets

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New York City

NYC cost per inmate almost equals Ivy League education; expenses tied to Rikers boost cost

NEW YORK — New York is indeed an expensive place, but experts say that alone doesn't explain a recent report that found the city's annual cost per inmate was $167,731 last year — nearly as much as it costs to pay for four years of tuition at an Ivy League university.

They say a big part of it is due to New York's most notorious lockup, Rikers Island, and the costs that go along with staffing, maintaining and securing a facility that is literally an island unto itself.

“Other cities don't have Rikers Island,” said Martin F. Horn, who in 2009 resigned as the city's correction commissioner, noting that hundreds of millions of dollars are spent a year to run the 400-acre island in the East River next to the runways of LaGuardia Airport that has 10 jail facilities, thousands of staff and its own power plant and bakery.

The city's Independent Budget Office annual figure of $167,731 — which equates to about $460 per day for the 12,287 average daily New York City inmates last year — was based on about $2 billion in total operating expenses for the Department of Correction, which included salaries and benefits for staff, judgments and claims as well as debt service for jail construction and repairs.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/nyc-cost-per-inmate-almost-equals-ivy-league-education-expenses-tied-to-rikers-boost-cost/2013/09/30/0732b29c-2996-11e3-b141-298f46539716_story.html

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Michigan

New Michigan State Police Flint post commander wants more community involvment from troopers

FLINT, MI – With more state troopers than ever patrolling and investigating crimes in Flint, the new leader of the Flint state police post is eager to see his team take a more active role in the community they serve.

"We've done a good job with the law enforcement part," said First Lt. Tom Deasy. "Now we need to reach out to the community. We need to reach out to people in non-traditional ways – not traffic stops and calls for service."

Deasy took over last week at the post, replacing First Lt. Matt Bolger, who took a state police promotion in Lansing.

Deasy declined to get specifics for that outreach but said going out to churches or community centers for forums and events are things that could happen in the near future.

"Community problems are community problems," he said. "If it's a community problem and don't have the support of the community, you can't solve them."

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2013/09/new_michigan_state_police_flin_1.html

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