A new Authorization to Use Military Force, supposedly aimed at restricting presidential power, could expand it in a terrifying way.
Month: May 2018
Two-Man Police Department Acquires $1 Million In Military Gear | Techdirt
An ultra-safe Michigan town of 6,800 has claimed more than $1 million in military equipment through the Defense Department’s 1033 program. The program allows law enforcement agencies to obtain anything from file cabinets to mine-resistant assault vehicles for next to nothing provided the agencies can show a need for the equipment. Most can “show” a “need,” since it’s pretty easy to type something up about existential terrorist/drug threats. Boilerplate can be adjusted as needed, but for the most part, requests are granted and oversight — either at the federal and local level — is almost nonexistent.This has come to a head in Thetford Township, the fourth-safest municipality in Michigan, and home to more than $1 million in military gear and two (2) police officers.
Source: Two-Man Police Department Acquires $1 Million In Military Gear | Techdirt
“We’re Gonna Take Everyone” — Border Patrol Targets Prominent Humanitarian Group as Criminal Organization
The prosecution of No More Deaths volunteers, who leave water in the desert for migrants, reveals the group is being targeted by the Border Patrol.
Suburban Express Sued By Illinois Attorney General For Behaving Like Suburban Express | Techdirt
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, seeks a restraining order against the company to stop it from publishing customers’ financial information, halt harassment and prevent the company from forcing riders to accept unfair contract terms. If the company does not change its practices, Madigan said, the attorney general wants the company out of business.The company’s actions, Madigan said, constitute “flagrant and numerous violations” of Illinois’ civil rights and consumer protection laws.“My lawsuit alleges that Suburban Express has long been engaged in illegal discrimination and harassment of college students in Illinois, particularly University of Illinois students and their families,” Madigan said at a morning news conference at the Thompson Center to announce the lawsuit.
Source: Suburban Express Sued By Illinois Attorney General For Behaving Like Suburban Express | Techdirt