More from the article ...

... Critics of Flock, however, argue the opposite is true, saying the company's influx of cameras raises significant privacy concerns and, rather than making communities safer, can leave sensitive data vulnerable to misuse and mass surveillance. ...

Flock Safety is among the country's largest providers of ALPRs, which scan and record vehicle information that can then be searched by a policing network. The company has cameras in every U.S. state except Alaska, and partners with over 6,000 law enforcement agencies and more than 5,000 private customers across the U.S. ...

When asked if Flock's technology is pushing the U.S. toward a dystopian "big brother" society, Langley responded, "No, I don't think so," adding, "I'm a father of three little kids, I live in Atlanta, I pay my taxes, like I'm a pretty normal person. I have the same types of anxieties of like, where's the world going? What are we setting up for?" ...

More from the article ...

... Ukrainian media outlet United24 reports that Germany supplied Magirus's Alpha Robotics Wolf R1, LUF 60, the LUF-CRV, and Magirus AirCore TAF60. These are designed to fight fires using high-pressure water streams to cool and extinguish them.

They're also specifically designed to operate in dangerous and difficult environments, helping Ukrainian emergency responders reach the heart of blazes and bring them under control more readily.

Pictured above, the Wolf R1 is described by Magirus as a "tactical response robot," combining firefighting with recovery capabilities.

Its camera systems allow firefighters to get an up-close look at what they're dealing with, without putting emergency workers at risk.

It also has a tactical robotic arm that allows it to perform some actions fully remotely. ...

... the board voted to add Trump's name to the building's facade ...

One report I read was that the name would be "etched" into the facade, so permanent.

@#46 ... How much of the stock market is tied to consumerism? ...

The stock market does not represent the economy.

And the economy does not represent the stack market.

While there may be some ties between the two, those ties are not as solid as many (most) think.

For example, ...

The economy is here and now.

The stock market tries to bet upon what the future might be, usually 6-12 months from the present.

@#24

Troll much?

@#2

Yeah, it seems that Pres Trump has never seen a vertical surface that he thought would look better after he pasted gold-gilding on it.

So, he seems to like gaudy?

@#1

I disagree with Police Chief Shanin's comment.

imo, his suggestion would be the most cowardly thing to do.

The community should attend the City Council meeting and express their views.

Stated differently, if no one besides the ~outside provocateurs~ show up at the City Council meeting, how might the City Council members be able to assess the views of the community they serve?

More from the cited article ...

... "These groups that are coming here are coming for one reason, and that's to provoke a reaction and generate attention," Shahin said in the video. "If nobody shows up to react, they have nothing.

"The most powerful thing that this community can do is to refuse to give them an audience." ...

@#1 ... "The through line between these races isn't ideology. It's impatience with this political system that feels disconnected from the urgency voters feel," said Lis Smith, a national Democratic strategist. "The demand for change is much broader than the demand for socialism." ...

I posted something similar a couple three weeks ago.

That Dem voters seemed to be more interested in change (a.k.a. throw the bums out) than they were in the espoused policies of the candidates they have been backing.

Sen Schumer, if I were he, I'd be very worried. But he still has a couple years to mend his ways ...

... the country was "too reliant" on foreign sources of drones. ...

I may not disagree.

But, are tariffs the way to solve that apparent problem?

... FDA Chief: 'America Has Safest Food Supply in the World' ...

So, the best food supply in the world apparently has issues with food sickening and killing people?

@#2 ... Curious they were deemed to be needed within the US, where Qatar 1 was allowed to fly before the recent security fracas. ...

So, why was there so much concern about providing a short-range missile defense system when Pres Trump was playing golf, yet Pres Trump was still allowed to fly around the US in Qatar 1, which seemed to have been grounded because of a lack of missile defense?

Am I missing something here?

Anyone?

@#20 ... Lewzer sure does know how to flush money down the drain. ...

$900 million to destroy the East Wing of the White House.

But not enough money to assure that the toilets can flush properly for our sailors?

Where are Pres Trump's priorities?

@#11 ... George McDermott: He is the Republican candidate running against Rep. Glenn Ivey in MD-04, but there is no evidence of pro-Israel group support for his campaign. ...

Will that save him from being a part of Pres Trump's GOP?

So, which might be worse at this point?

MAGA money, or AIPAC money?

@#3 ... When is Vance going to ask Russia to stop attacking Ukrainian schools and hospitals? ...

Good question.

@#2

Still pushing the Pres Putin talking points?

Meanwhile, and without evidence ...

@#64 ... The GOP gets a LOT of things wrong. Way too many. But Dems get things wrong too ...

The lame trolling "both sides do it" assertion. Provided, as usual, with no evidence.

More from the article ...

... Democrats remain mixed over what ideological direction the party should take. But across a series of closely watched primaries, they are sending a clearer message about the party's path forward: They want change.

In marquee Senate primaries in Michigan and Minnesota, progressive candidates defeated two members of Congress with significant backing from party leaders.

Wisconsin voters narrowly rejected a democratic socialist but still chose a 40-year-old county executive who is seeking to become the state's first Black governor.

And in Connecticut, voters ousted one of the longest-serving Democrats in Congress for a challenger who campaigned on generational change.

The results so far this month deliver no clear ideological mandate. Instead, they add to mounting evidence from this year's primaries of a Democratic appetite for turnover that is cutting across the party's traditional divisions.

"The through line between these races isn't ideology. It's impatience with this political system that feels disconnected from the urgency voters feel," said Lis Smith, a national Democratic strategist. "The demand for change is much broader than the demand for socialism." ...

@#13 ... Meanwhile, Pete Hegseth only cares about beards, praying to Jesus, DEI and Low T. ...

Exactly.

The Trump admin seems to be most concerned about "how things look" and not about the ability of those things to act.

An important hearing today regarding the Epstein files.

More from the article ...

... In June, Washington, D.C. District Judge Emmet Sullivan sided with journalist Katie Phang after she filed a lawsuit against Attorney General Todd Blanche accusing Donald Trump's administration of violating the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which the president signed into law last year, by failing to release all of the files in its possession or adequately explain why they were withheld.

Justice Department lawyers have repeatedly delayed or rebuffed the judge's orders, culminating in a frustrating Thursday court hearing in which an exasperated but reluctant Sullivan floated the possibility of contempt proceedings.

"I just don't want anyone to be blindsided if we have to go down that road," he said. "It's not a threat. It's a promise. I have a job to administer justice, and I take that very seriously." ...

@#11 ... She is leaving because Todd Blanche's memo that the executive privilege that shields White House advisors now extends to private citizens who advise the president. ...

Yeah, that was my first, and current, thought as well.

My current opinion ...

ICE, instead of providing additional weapons to hurt or kill Americans, perhaps ICE should focus more upon proper training of their agents.

And not try to bestow the "ICE agent" status on the most [unqualified?] people in the shortest time?

To wit ...

@#39 ... Yeah nothing new about it. Quite old in fact. You're digging back 60 years, while right wing fascists stormed the capitol to overthrow democracy 5 years ago and were praised as heroes by the fascist in the white house today. ...

My guess here is that MAGA seems to want to deflect away from the economy that Pres Trump has labeled as the "Golden Age."

So, the real question seems to be emerging ...

As consumers seem to be relying more and more upon debt to buy essentials, why does MAGA seem to want to avoid talking about the economy?