police state

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On NYC's Labor Day Weekend, a 'Sci-Fi Inspired Scenario'

NYPD says it will deploy surveillance drones to check on too-large holiday gatherings

(Newser) - Americans across the nation are gearing up for their final summer weekend, but for residents of New York City, there may be what the AP calls "an uninvited guest looming over their festivities." The NYPD announced Thursday it will deploy surveillance drones throughout Labor Day weekend to check...

Egypt Resurrects the Police State

Revives secret police, gives military more power

(Newser) - Ending Egypt's brutal police state was a major reason behind the country's 2011 revolution, but as violence on the streets continues, the country now seems to be returning back to that very era. The interim government has just revived two policies emblematic of the widely hated pre-Morsi regime:...

China Rips Missing Artist as Disrespectful 'Maverick'

'We will not bend to mavericks,' warns state newspaper

(Newser) - The future doesn't look good for world renowned Chinese artist and dissident Ai Weiwei. He hasn't been seen since cops grabbed him over the weekend at Beijing airport. Now China's state-run newspaper is attacking him as a "maverick" who "doesn't respect" China's laws. Officials from the US, Britain,...

White Philly Cop Busted Down to Desk for Cornrows

Hair didn't look 'professional,' though several black officers wear cornrows

(Newser) - A white Philadelphia police officer with cornrows was ordered by a black superior to cut his hair and was temporarily busted down to desk duty because of the braids, reports the Philadelphia Daily News. Thomas Strain was ordered to cut his hair to look more "professional," even though...

US Firms Complicit as China Fortifies Police State

'Bush would do what they are doing here in a heartbeat if he could,' expert says

(Newser) - Free Tibet protests 3 months ago allowed China to road-test a new security network before the summer Olympics, Naomi Klein writes in Rolling Stone. Under the so-called “Golden Shield,” China is now installing closed-circuit cameras nationwide linked to facial recognition and other biometric software—technology from big-name US...

Wall Street Funds Chinese Spy Upgrade

Hedge funds offer $150M helping hand to Beijing Big Brother

(Newser) - Wall Street money is fueling the high-tech upgrade of China's police state, the New York Times reports. US hedge funds have poured $150 million into Chinese surveillance companies that are developing the latest in government spookware, from face-recognition technology to behavior-recognition software that can spot a disturbance before it begins.

6 Stories