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Daily Archives: May 23, 2022

The Surveillance State Is Primed for Criminalized Abortion

Wired – “A new report lays out existing US policing capabilities that can easily be repurposed to monitor pregnant people. In the three weeks since a draft opinion leaked from the United States Supreme Court promising to roll back the federal constitutional right to abortion in the United States, reproductive rights activists and privacy advocates have been working to understand the reality of how such a shift will impact Americans. And a new report from the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, published on Tuesday, lays out the ways in which police, prosecutors, and private litigants will be able to lean on existing data-access mechanisms and tracking tools to enforce state abortion bans. The research underscores what privacy advocates have been warning about for decades: A surveillance state built to track certain types of behavior can easily, and inevitably, be adapted to other ends…

…The research also points out that pro-choice states will need to reexamine local, inter-state, and federal data-sharing initiatives—including participation in “fusion centers” that allow multiple law enforcement groups to share information. These and other controversial policing initiatives to combat terrorism and track undocumented Americans could quickly be expanded to investigate pregnant people, reproductive healthcare workers, and others. A recent investigation by Georgetown Law’s Center on Privacy & Technology showed just how far the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has been able to expand its surveillance powers by partnering with local and state agencies and combining numerous data sources into what the researchers dubbed the “American Dragnet.”…

DOJ snapshot of Jan 6 investigation as of Friday, May 6, 2022

DOJ: “Friday, May 6, 2022, marked 16 months since the attack on the U.S. Capitol that disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress in the process of affirming the presidential election results. The government continues to investigate losses that resulted from the breach of the Capitol, including damage to the Capitol building and grounds,… Continue Reading

Capitol attack panel to hold six public hearings as it aims to show how Trump broke law

The Guardian UK – “Panel aims to publicly outline the potentially unlawful schemes that tried to keep the former president in office despite his defeat  The House select committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol is expected to stage six public hearings in June on how Donald Trump and some allies broke the… Continue Reading

The Future of Abortions in America – An access map

The Cut and New York have removed their paywall for articles about finding abortion care. Find abortion services near you. How to have a medication abortion. How to protect yourself when seeking an abortion. Don’t trust DIY abortion advice on Tiktok. How to get help for your abortion via mutual aid networks. The crisis pregnancy… Continue Reading

Understanding the Russo-Ukrainian War: A Guide From War on the Rocks

“We at War on the Rocks have curated this list of articles and podcasts to help you gain a deeper understanding of the history, drivers, background, and events of Russia’s massive assault on Ukraine. Whether you are a soldier or a student, a policymaker or a pundit, a teacher or a techie, this will be useful… Continue Reading

Pandemic creates new billionaire every 30 hours — now a million people could fall into extreme poverty at same rate in 2022

“As the cost of essential goods rises faster than it has in decades, billionaires in the food and energy sectors are increasing their fortunes by $1 billion every two days. For every new billionaire created during the pandemic — one every 30 hours — nearly a million people could be pushed into extreme poverty in… Continue Reading

How to prevent financial meltdowns, according to the Library of Mistakes

Quartz: “Down a narrow alley in Edinburgh, Scotland, there is a tiny library in an old, stone building. The single room houses about 4,000 books, most of them purchased second-hand, and all aiming to chronicle the history of business and finance. Its founder, Russell Napier, calls it the Library of Mistakes. “All of us make decisions… Continue Reading

Law Firm Success Tied to Leaders’ Communication Practices

ABA: “Law firm leaders today are like circus jugglers flipping balls into the air so fast you can hardly see them. Yet most leaders primarily focus on putting out fires to keep themselves afloat.  Issues of the moment include: Addressing the Great Resignation: what do employees want? Managing the return to office Implementing guidelines and… Continue Reading

8 Nonfiction Books About Censorship

Book Riot: “If there’s one thing to love about Book Riot, it’s that contributors and editors around here are excellent at covering censorship and book banning attempts. From historical topics like the history of Nazi book burning, to heartwarming attempts to rectify wrongs like the Brooklyn Library offering teens across the U.S. access to banned… Continue Reading