NALGONDA: Following complaints about officers and staff being unavailable during working hours, Nalgonda collectorate will enforce a facial-recognition attendance system across all departments from September 1. According to District Collector B Chandrashekhar, this move is aimed at improving transparency and accountability. About 1,200 employees working in 45 departments within the collectorate will come under the new system, which applies to all personnel, from senior officials to security guards. Officials said the ‘Mee-Pramanam’ mobile application, developed by the Telangana Information Technology, Electronics and Communications (ITE&C) department, will be used to monitor attendance and ensure that employees remain available to the public during working hours. Using the free application, officers and staff must pre-register their personal details and facial features. They will have to mark their attendance daily within the office premises using their smartphones. The release of monthly salaries and other service bills will be linked to attendance recorded through the app. The app uses geo-fencing, liveness detection and Aadhaar-linked facial recognition to prevent proxy attendance, officials said. Its offline feature will enable attendance marking even in areas with poor network connectivity. Senior officials will also be able to monitor attendance through an integrated dashboard and web-based reporting system. The administration expects the system, particularly the linking of salary disbursement to attendance, to improve punctuality and ensure faster delivery of public services.
Aug 26, 2026 · via newindianexpress.com
Norwegian officials have said the country is planning to regulate the use of smart glasses and similar devices, and was considering a ban on features that enable facial recognition in public spaces. Smart glasses allow the wearer to shoot photos and videos, listen to music, take phone calls, translate signs in a foreign language, project text or maps into your field of view, or interact with an integrated AI assistant. "We can see that people's private lives and privacy are coming under pressure from new technology, and I therefore want to regulate smart glasses and similar devices more strictly than today," Digitalisation Minister Karianne Tung said in a statement. "This could, for example, mean banning features such as facial recognition of other people in public spaces," she said. She said she planned to appoint an expert group to advise the government on how to better protect consumers from the new technologies, and urged the public and private sectors to consider their own guidelines. "There is a clear trend that artificial intelligence is being combined with cameras and microphones that are built into things like glasses, earbuds, caps, and other items we use in everyday life. We must avoid this equipment being used to monitor other people in public spaces," Ms Tung said. Norwegian Consumer Council's head of digital policy, Finn Lutzow-Holm Myrstad, hailed the government's move, and urged retailers to stop the sale of smart glasses until there was legal clarity on the issue. Meta has reportedly developed a facial recognition feature ready to be integrated into its smart glasses. "Meta already has this technology ready to go, and it is only a matter of time before it is rolled out in the glasses," Mr Myrstad said. He warned that a ban on facial recognition features on such devices would
Aug 26, 2026 · via rte.ie
There are almost too many ways it could start. Emboldened ICE agents are sent en masse into another blue city. The White House sends federal agents to “observe” polling stations. Federalized national guards are deployed. In the face of what they see as a life-or-death threat to their neighbors — or to American democracy itself — local residents start to mobilize, as they have in so many cities before. As public social media accounts post details of protests, these are already being cross-referenced against bulk public datasets — bought, entirely legally, by federal agencies — to identify who is behind them. Connecting your TikTok account to a shop for a discount, or using X to log in to a delivery service just once, is enough: entirely legally, your anonymous social media account is tied to your real identity, and perhaps even your home address. From there, contact networks can be unmasked. This time, though, the federal government has made preparations. Under the guise of monitoring for foreign interference in US politics, the FBI has been operating hundreds of AI-powered personas, or “bot” accounts, based in different US cities. Having built up a posting history over the course of months, these AI agents easily earn the trust required to get inside the various Signal and Telegram groups used to mobilize resistance, gathering information about meet places, timings and unguarded statements. Usernames and other details are easily matched to real-world identities, including their full online histories, their Amazon purchases, their…everything. By the time anyone even takes to the streets, the government has the contents of their messages and coordination, and has preloaded facial recognition systems and geo-tagging tools to ping when certain individuals cross a police line, or enter somewhere off-limits. It is ready for mass arrests on all manner of charges:
Aug 25, 2026 · via transformernews.ai
Norway plans to introduce stricter rules for the use of smart glasses and similar devices, including considering a ban on facial recognition features for identifying people in public places. Smart glasses allow users to take photos and record videos, listen to music, make phone calls, translate text in foreign languages, view text and maps within their field of vision, or interact with an integrated artificial intelligence assistant. “We are seeing privacy and people’s personal integrity come under pressure from new technologies. That is why I want us to regulate smart glasses and similar devices more strictly than before,” Digitalisation Minister Karianne Tung said. “This could, for example, mean banning features such as facial recognition of other people in public places,” she added, according to AFP. Tung said she plans to establish an expert group to advise the government on how users can be better protected from new technologies. She also called on the public and private sectors to consider introducing their own rules for their use. “There is a clear trend toward combining artificial intelligence with cameras and microphones built into glasses, headphones, hats and other objects we use in everyday life. We must prevent this equipment from being used to monitor other people in public places,” Tung said. Finn Myrstad, head of digital policy at the Norwegian Consumer Council, welcomed the government’s initiative and called on retailers to stop selling smart glasses until the legal framework has been clarified. According to media reports, Meta has already developed facial recognition technology that could be integrated into its smart glasses. “Meta already has this technology, and it is only a matter of time before it is incorporated into the glasses,” Myrstad said. He warned that banning facial recognition features would not prevent users from secretly recording other people. “The potential for
Aug 25, 2026 · via bgnes.com
The KCATA Surveillance Files EXCLUSIVE: While Cutting Buses for the Poor, KCATA Signed a Secret Deal to Harvest Their Faces for a Private Company’s AI Officials described the program as dead before it began. A contract obtained by The Defender shows a signed, auto-renewing agreement giving a failing penny-stock company rights to riders’ faces, video, and voices, with no policy to protect the data and a clause keeping the deal quiet. Background image: a security camera aboard a bus, via Getty Images. On July 24, 2025, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) signed a three-year, auto-renewing contract with SafeSpace Global (OTC: SSGC) to deploy AI-powered facial recognition technology for the cameras on its buses. The agreement, obtained by The Kansas City Defender, authorized the company to generate facial recognition profiles of riders, capture video and audio, and use riders’ de-identified data to train its algorithms. The contract barred both parties from public announcements, and for a year it appeared nowhere in the public record while officials described the program as stalled. KCATA had no rider-specific policy governing the biometric data. The agency says the pilot never launched because state funding did not materialize, a claim that has not been independently verified, but the contract remained signed, binding, and self-renewing. SafeSpace is a penny stock with a $23.7 million deficit and a going-concern warning, led by a CEO whose prior company was charged with SEC accounting fraud. Every rider who steps onto a Kansas City bus does something ordinary. They tap a card, find a seat, and watch the city move past on the way to a shift, a clinic, a classroom. What almost none of them know is that their transit agency signed a contract that treated their faces as raw material. On July 24, 2025, the Kansas City
Aug 25, 2026 · via kansascitydefender.com
According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), about 350 U.S. airports have facial comparison scanners as an option for traveler identification. Travelers have raised privacy concerns about the technology, which the TSA previously quelled with a statement affirming it does not share the images with law enforcement. Travelers and TSA officers have also previously raised concerns about unclear signage at several airports indicating that a security checkpoint offers a biometric option. TSA's PreCheck Touchless ID program at airports is a traveler's choice meant to speed up verification. However, when one traveler said they tried to opt out of the facial scan associated with the program, the TSA officer told them that they would have to pay a fee. TSA Officer Asked A Traveler To Pay A Fee To Opt Out Of A Facial Scan The traveler shared the incident on Reddit’s r/tsa, saying it happened around 5 a.m. on August 25 at Orlando International Airport (MCO) in Florida. Even as they opted out of the procedure at Dulles International Airport (IAD) in Virginia with no issue, a TSA officer at Orlando Airport told them they'd have to pay a $50 fee. They at first took it as a joke but said the “TSA agent wasn't budging.” The traveler said that the officer eventually “stopped looking serious and smiled” and let them pass through security. They said the interaction left them feeling “really weird" and added that they filed a complaint with TSA. TSA states on its website that the procedure is optional. “TSA also has signage posted at the checkpoint indicating the technology is optional and travelers may decline having their photo taken,” the agency states. TSA adds that “Travelers under 18 are not photographed.” The agency affirms that opting out carries no consequences and that travelers will have their
Aug 25, 2026 · via thetravel.com
%PDF-1.4 %���� 1 0 obj <>/Metadata 2 0 R/Names 14 0 R/Outlines 15 0 R/Pages 3 0 R/StructTreeRoot 16 0 R/Type/Catalog/ViewerPreferences<>>> endobj 2 0 obj <>stream 10.1371/journal.pone.0356877 application/pdf An improved YOLO11 network integrated with sample generation for the intelligent detection of steel plate surface defects DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0356877 PLOS One, Volume. 21, Issue. 8, Luya Yang Min Zhang Yaxian Gao 2026-08-21T16:48:37+05:30 2026-08-21T16:48:44+05:30 2026-08-21T16:48:44+05:30 Adobe InDesign 15.1 (Windows) uuid:7cd5153f-7c2d-4419-93af-a18d906751b4 xmp.did:253a3229-8a74-6d4f-a0a5-4027e6d46946 xmp.id:849a96a2-2b80-5c4d-8c2b-024c6d0ae375 proof:pdf converted from application/x-indesign to application/pdf Adobe InDesign 15.1 (Windows) / 2026-08-21T16:48:37+05:30 xmp.iid:30143068-8846-c04c-898f-78b76539a48d xmp.did:c81cd1b6-d5fc-d445-b3e8-2e1b9b699fdd xmp.did:253a3229-8a74-6d4f-a0a5-4027e6d46946 default 2026-08-25 false 10.1371/journal.pone.0356877 www.plosone.org 10.1371/journal.pone.0356877 2026-08-25 false PStill version 1.84.42 www.plosone.org 10.1371/journal.pone.0356877 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0356877 True Adobe PDF Library 15.0 False endstream endobj 14 0 obj <> endobj 15 0 obj <> endobj 3 0 obj <> endobj 16 0 obj <> endobj 24 0 obj <>/A10<>/A11<>/A8<>/A9<>/Pa10<>/Pa11<>/Pa12<>/Pa13<>/Pa14<>/Pa15<>/Pa16<>/Pa18<>/Pa19<>/Pa2<>/Pa20<>/Pa23<>/Pa25<>/Pa26<>/Pa7<>>> endobj 25 0 obj <> endobj 26 0 obj <> endobj 27 0 obj <> endobj 29 0 obj <> endobj 30 0 obj <> endobj 31 0 obj <> endobj 32 0 obj <> endobj 33 0 obj <> endobj 159 0 obj <>205 0 R]/P 206 0 R/S/Link>> endobj 160 0 obj <>1920]/P 208 0 R/Pg 204 0 R/S/Link>> endobj 161 0 obj <>210 0 R]/P 208 0 R/S/Link>> endobj 162 0 obj <>1926]/P 212 0 R/Pg 204 0 R/S/Link>> endobj 163 0 obj <><>215 0 R 216 0 R]/P 212 0 R/S/Link>> endobj 164 0 obj <>1932]/P 218 0 R/Pg 204 0 R/S/Link>> endobj 165 0 obj <>220 0 R]/P 218 0 R/S/Link>> endobj 166 0 obj <>222 0 R]/P 218 0 R/S/Link>> endobj 167 0 obj <>1938]/P 224 0 R/Pg 204 0 R/S/Link>> endobj 168 0 obj <>1942]/P 226 0 R/Pg 204 0 R/S/Link>> endobj 169 0 obj <>228 0 R]/P 226 0 R/S/Link>> endobj 170 0 obj <>1949]/P 230 0 R/Pg 204 0 R/S/Link>> endobj
Aug 25, 2026 · via journals.plos.org
Smart Shooter backlog hits $51.6 million after surge in new orders The US accounted for 55% of the new Smart Shooter contracts, followed by the Asia-Pacific region with 20%, Europe with 15%, and Israel with 10%. Smart Shooter, an Israeli developer of fire control systems for small arms, reported a 27.3% increase in revenue in the first half of 2026, reaching approximately $16.3 million, compared with $12.8 million in the same period last year. Second-quarter revenue rose 29.3% to $9.7 million, up from $7.5 million in the second quarter of 2025. Based in Kibbutz Yagur and founded in 2011 by Michal Mor and Avshalom Erlich, Smart Shooter develops the SMASH fire control system. The system uses AI-based image processing to identify, lock onto and track ground and aerial targets, including drones, and is designed to release ammunition only when the system determines that there is a high probability of a hit. The company also reported a sharp increase in new orders. During the first half of 2026, Smart Shooter signed binding contracts worth approximately $43 million, a 133% increase from the same period in 2025. The United States accounted for 55% of the new contracts, followed by the Asia-Pacific region with 20%, Europe with 15%, and Israel with 10%. The increase in orders brought Smart Shooter's total backlog to $51.6 million at the end of the second quarter, up 88% from $27.4 million at the end of the second quarter of 2025. At least $34 million of the backlog is scheduled for delivery and revenue recognition during the second half of 2026. On the profitability side, the company reported adjusted EBITDA of approximately $660,000 for the first half of 2026, compared with $500,000 in the same period last year. Smart Shooter also recorded $790,000 in one-time expenses related to employee
Aug 25, 2026 · via calcalistech.com
Sponsored Content by Merck KGaAReviewed by Louis CastelAug 25 2026 In the pharmaceutical industry, artificial intelligence is currently transforming the landscape of drug discovery. As medicinal chemists face the challenge of investigating vast chemical spaces while balancing time, price, and success rates, generative AI is a valuable tool that enhances rather than replaces human expertise. This transformation is especially apparent in three key stages of drug discovery: hit identification, hit-to-lead optimization, and lead optimization. Image Credit: Stock-Asso/Shutterstock.com The promise and reality of generative AI in therapeutic discovery Generative AI represents a fundamental change in the approach to molecular design. At its foundation, it is an algorithm that produces novel content, in this case, new molecules, based on patterns recognized in training data. For medicinal chemists, this technology is a robust tool that can generate novel molecules based on desired characteristics, investigate larger chemical spaces that would be humanly impossible to navigate, and reveal insights from intricate datasets. The numbers highlight the untapped opportunities: while current technologies have enabled just 104 to 109 compounds to be explored in chemical space, there remains a massive unexplored territory that could be critical to drugging previously "undruggable" targets. This is where generative AI's computational power becomes invaluable, prompting increased investigation of chemical space that would otherwise require decades to explore. However, the reality is more nuanced than the hype suggests. Generative AI supports rather than replaces medicinal chemists. This technology faces considerable hurdles, especially in ensuring that generated molecules are both synthetically accessible and possess the right characteristics for pharmaceutical development. Without accurate guidance and context, AI can produce essentially "garbage" molecules, which are chemically valid but biologically irrelevant. The critical role of high-quality training data The success of any generative AI application in pharmaceutical discovery depends on the quality of its training data.
Aug 25, 2026 · via news-medical.net
Meta loses bid to end BIPA voiceprint suit as case moves forward A federal judge in California rejected Meta Platforms’ attempt to end a biometric privacy lawsuit over voice recordings collected through Facebook and Messenger, finding that evidence about Meta’s own voice processing technologies and its ability to connect audio files with user accounts creates a factual dispute over whether the recordings could be used to identify people. Illinois resident Natalie Delgado, who brought the lawsuit in 2023 under the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), filed a motion August 21 asking U.S. District Judge Susan Illston of the Northern District of California to certify an Illinois class. A hearing on class certification is scheduled for December 18. BIPA expressly protects “voiceprints” as biometric identifiers, along with fingerprints, retina or iris scans and scans of hand or face geometry. But the statute does not define what makes recorded speech a voiceprint rather than simply an audio recording. Meta argued that distinction should end Delgado’s case. According to the company, the audio files it received through Facebook and Messenger were merely voice recordings. To identify a speaker, Meta argued, a recording would first have to be processed into different data representing characteristics of the speaker’s voice, which it called an “Output Representation.” That representation would then have to be compared with data linking it to a known person. Meta said it had not created such representations from Delgado’s recordings and did not possess information linking the voices in her uploaded recordings to her identity. Illston concluded the evidence was not that simple. The central question under BIPA, she said, was not whether Meta had used Delgado’s voice recordings to identify her. Citing a 2024 Ninth Circuit ruling involving Meta’s facial recognition technology, she said the relevant issue is whether the biometric
Aug 25, 2026 · via biometricupdate.com
Amnesty: Argentina’s AI Surveillance is Social Control - Jurist News - 6 hours ago - 3 min read August 21, 2026 Amnesty International on Wednesday accused Argentina of building techno-authoritarian surveillance infrastructure without adequate legal safeguards, as the government’s newly created AI security unit expands state monitoring powers over citizens’ online communications and physical movements. In its latest report, the rights group stated that Argentina‘s Ministry of Security spent at least USD$1.2 million on surveillance technology between 2024 and 2025, which included social media monitoring tools, facial recognition software, and thermal-camera drones with automatic tracking and ability to transmit images in real time. Amnesty expressed concern for the surveillance of protesters, journalists, activists, human rights defenders, migrants, young people, and marginalized groups. They warn that this can create a “chilling effect,” in which people who believe they are being monitored may avoid speaking, protesting or organizing, even without being directly arrested or punished. This raises concerns about the impact of surveillance on the right to freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly, and freedom of association. In October 2025, Argentina bought a Clearview AI facial recognition license for USD$33,500. Clearview’s database contains more than 70 billion facial images scraped from the internet, and data protection authorities in France, Italy, Greece, and the Netherlands have already fined the company over its data practices. The Ministry, however, maintains that the Federal Police use facial recognition only in connection with active judicial investigations, and no evidence has surfaced that Clearview was used specifically to identify protesters. Argentina’s expansion of AI-driven surveillance has largely occurred through executive and ministerial measures. On July 26, 2024, then-Security Minister Patricia Bullrich signed Resolution 710/2024, creating the Artificial Intelligence Unit Applied to Security (UIAAS) inside the Ministry of Security’s Directorate of Cybercrime and Cyber Affairs. The resolution authorizes
Aug 25, 2026 · via genocidewatch.com
Key takeaways from this investigation - County prosecutors in Illinois fed sensitive personal and location information about local residents — including court dates and scheduled jail releases — to federal immigration agents. - The practice was widespread: Prosecutors’ offices in 1 out of every 6 counties in Illinois provided information to ICE. - Illinois’ TRUST Act prohibits local law enforcement agencies from providing information to federal immigration officials, but state’s attorneys disagreed about whether their offices are bound by the law. - The consequences were devastating for families: Some people who didn’t appear to otherwise be on ICE’s radar were deported after county prosecutors shared information about them with federal agents. This story was produced in partnership with WIRED. Rolando Perez Samayoa had come to the United States in 2023 seeking safety. Fleeing violence in Mexico, he’d first planned to make a life in Alabama but had been told that Illinois would protect immigrants like him. “There’s some kind of law there,” he said. “It’s supposed to be a sanctuary.” He was referring to the state’s 2017 TRUST Act, which was meant to keep local law enforcement out of federal deportation efforts. Samayoa made his way to southern Illinois and found work cleaning a factory. After a DUI arrest in Marion County last October, Samayoa said, he attended his hearings — a fact confirmed by court records. In late January, John Christeson, an assistant state’s attorney in the office prosecuting the case, emailed an agent with Homeland Security Investigations, a division of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, about Samayoa. The message included his date of birth, an upcoming court date, and where he lived: Centralia, Illinois. “Ok, we’ll take care of it, thank you,” the federal agent, Sergio Fulgencio, wrote back minutes later. Two days later, he wanted to know
Aug 25, 2026 · via injusticewatch.org
Mass Surveillance Safety Not Surveillance Manchester Townhall Join the #SafetyNotSurveillance coalition in Manchester as we explore how AI and ‘crime-predicting’ technologies are currently being used by Greater Manchester Police, the harms and risks of their continues roll out, and what action local communities and councils can take to invest in true, lasting community safety – not surveillance. - WHEN Thursday 24 September, 6-9pm BST - WHERE Central Hall (Collier Room), Oldham Street, Manchester M1 1JQ - SPEAKERS Sarah Lasoye (Open Rights Group) Dr Patrick Williams Kids of Colour Northern Police Monitoring Project Manchester Townhall on AI and ‘crime-predicting’ technologies In the last year, we’ve seen dramatic escalations in the use of AI tools across UK policing. In January, the Home Office announced its plans to invest £115 million into PoliceAI – accelerating the roll out of AI technologies across all 43 forces in England and Wales. These range from administrative tools, to flawed live facial recognition cameras and so called ‘crime-prediction’ and ‘risk-scoring’ systems that rely on algorithmic models. Just this month, we’ve seen GMP deploy facial recognition at Manchester Caribbean Carnival. We’ve seen police forces push ahead with these technologies, justifying their use with the paternalistic argument that the presumed benefits of embedding surveillance across public life, outweigh any consequent harms to the public. What we don’t want, is policing without fully-informed consent by the public, and particularly, racialised and marginalised communities whose views and voices are routinely sidelined. Refreshments and food will be provided 🥘 Manchester Townhall Register Now If you have questions, or would like support in order to fully access and participate this event, please email Sarah, our Pre-Crime Programme Manager.
Aug 25, 2026 · via openrightsgroup.org
Police used live facial recognition (LFR) technology during a recent operation at The Lexicon.
On Tuesday, August 18, Thames Valley Police deployed LFR vans to identify known suspects, deter criminal activity, and enhance public safety.
Thames Valley Police said: "The specialist LFR team will be working alongside our local officers to identify known suspects, deter crime and help keep our communities safer for everyone.
"Preventing crime is just as important as catching those who break the law."
Officers notified the public about the deployment in advance to maintain transparency.
Thames Valley Police said: "While this can mean some individuals choose to avoid us, the vans can help deter crime and keep the area safer."
Members of the public were encouraged to speak with officers to learn about the technology.
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Aug 25, 2026 · via bracknellnews.co.uk
Council weighs new rules for Flock camera data amid citywide surveillance concerns HUNTINGTON, W.Va (WCHS) — Implementing guardrails on the use of Flock cameras was on the agenda on Monday night at Huntington city council. This comes at a time where people citywide have voiced concerns over the systems. noting instances where the data could be easily accessed by anyone. "It is nothing more than mass surveillance. The data stored they can say seven days. I don’t believe a word of that,” Huntington resident, Trish Lilly said. Council members heard the first reading of an ordinance that would place rules and guidelines on how the data could be gathered from the flock cameras. Many people who live in Huntington continue to voice their opposition, making it clear they do not want flock in their community. "We're not doing facial recognition. This technology with flock cannot do facial recognition it does not track you as a person it takes a picture of the back of your car it's not used for traffic stops for rolling through red lights rolling through a stop sign. It’s not for traffic enforcement; that's against state law. It's not watching where you go to church can't see who your doctor is whether you go into the ER. It's not it's pointed a public street at an intersection,” Mayor Patrick Farrell said during Monday’s meeting. Councilmember Rumbaugh highlighted the importance of adding criminalization into the ordinance on the table. "What harm would there be to have the municipal criminalization back in place? Specifically, I would love to re-include and amend to have the language that you had before in your policy back in so that we have a little bit of teeth, a light adjustment a light penalty,” Tia Rumbaugh said during Monday’s meeting. The ordinance will
Aug 25, 2026 · via wchstv.com
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Aug 25, 2026 · via buzzfeed.com
Storms that once seemed exceptional are showing up more often, and the added-up destruction they cause is growing. A new study suggests one practical way to limit some of that damage may already be in place through tougher building standards that make homes less vulnerable to hurricane winds. Here's what to know Researchers from Kyoto University and Kobe University described in a press release how they created a large-scale way to detect wind damage from hurricanes by scanning drone and satellite imagery taken after storms for blue tarps. Those tarps are commonly used to cover damaged roofs. Using images collected after Hurricane Irma struck Florida in September 2017, they estimated both where wind damage occurred and how severe it was. That damage information was then linked to building-permit data for more than 1 million homes across eight counties in South Florida. To assess the impact of Florida's 2001 building code, the study compared homes constructed just before the new rules took effect with those built just after. The code required stronger roof-to-wall connections, thicker roof sheathing, and, in some areas, impact-resistant windows and doors. In the analysis, homes built under the newer code were about 22% less likely to sustain wind damage, and the damage they did experience was roughly 27% less severe. "This study provides large-scale evidence that stronger building codes are effective for reducing wind risk and adapting to climate change," commented co-author Kenji Takeuchi, in the release. More background When hurricanes damage homes, the losses generally come from flooding and wind. After Hurricane Ian in 2022, 44% of insurance claims were tied to flooding and 56% to wind damage. Even with that split, researchers have often devoted more attention to flooding because elevation data and hydrology models make flood risk easier to estimate. Tracking wind damage over
Aug 25, 2026 · via thecooldown.com
Who is watching Mid-Michigan? Inside the use of Flock license plate readers An investigation into how Lansing and Jackson police use automatic license plate readers, and the growing debate over oversight LANSING, Mich. — Automatic license plate readers have been surveilling Mid-Michigan roads for years, and a review of how the technology is used by the region’s two largest city police departments shows differences in policy, oversight and public trust. The cameras, made by Flock Safety, are mounted on utility poles, street lamps and traffic lights. They are subtle enough that most drivers would not give them a second glance, but they scan nearly every car that passes by. Flock cameras are in use in 50 Michigan counties. Customers include private businesses and law enforcement agencies, including the Lansing and Jackson police departments. Both departments say their goal is to solve crime faster. How the technology works The camera captures an image of a passing car. That image uploads to a searchable database. Officers can then search by plate, vehicle type, or an identifier like a cracked windshield. Lansing Police Chief Rob Backus said his officers use Flock data to find missing people, track down traffickers and catch thieves. “We’re always looking for what that next component of our investigations is going to be. So as we saw license plate readers start to be more advanced and more applicable to investigations, we definitely looked into that,” Backus said. “This is almost like a needle in a haystack,” Backus told News 10 Investigates. “We need to connect it to a person. We need to connect it to a location. That’s how we’re going to make progress in solving these crimes.” Jackson Police Chief Chris Simpson said the technology saves time during investigations. “Instead of relying or trying to comb through hours
Aug 24, 2026 · via wilx.com
NYC authorities have yet to nab ‘mole people’ in manhole next to Penn Station last week: ‘Reconnaissance, 9/11’ See more of our coverage in your search results. Add The New York Post on Google The NYPD on Monday said no busts have yet been made involving the “mole people’’ who climbed from a manhole just feet from the main entrance to Penn Station last week — terrifying the public. “I just immediately thought, reconnaissance, 9/11,” said an Arizona tourist named Mark to The Post in packed Herald Square in Manhattan. “If you’re an Iranian soldier, you need to cripple New York City? Under Penn Station? Under Madison Square Garden? Aren’t all the train lines crisscrossing here?” A trio of underground scofflaws was caught on video around 4:20 a.m. Aug. 18 wearing headlamps and overalls and pulling themselves out of a sanitation and drainage manhole about 150 feet from Penn Station — just a block from Madison Square Garden — then hurriedly walking away. A worker with nearby Penn 2 developer Vornado Realty Trust said he was aware that cops had been snooping around the tourist- and business-choked area collecting potential surveillance footage of the creepy nightcrawlers. “The more they told me about it, the more I wanted to get transferred to another area,” the man said. The disturbing incident was eerily similar to two “mole people” sightings in Brooklyn earlier in the year, which led to a handful of arrests involving people who cops believe were hunting for valuables. Police have collected surveillance footage that possibly captured the latest incident to try to ID the three people using facial recognition technology and track them down to figure out what they were up to, law-enforcement sources said. Cops only became aware of the incident Sunday after other video of the “mole
Aug 24, 2026 · via nypost.com
GEO donations coincide with expanding ICE detention and biometric monitoring contracts A subsidiary of GEO Group, whose ICE business spans detention, biometric monitoring and location intelligence, gave more than $1.4 million in July to a political committee supporting President Donald Trump. The payments by GEO Reentry Services came within days of GEO announcing two new ICE detention contracts expected to generate a combined $165 million in their first full year of operations. A Biometric Update review of ICE procurement records found that one of those agreements is substantially larger than GEO’s public description suggested. The government estimates the five-year requirement for GEO’s Rivers Facility in North Carolina at nearly $457.1 million and awarded it without full and open competition after receiving seven responses to earlier market research. Another wholly owned GEO subsidiary, BI Incorporated, operates ICE’s nationwide Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP) using electronic monitoring, biometric reporting and case management to supervise people on the agency’s non-detained docket. BI also holds one of ICE’s new skip-tracing contracts, allowing it to use government case information and commercial data to help locate people ICE is trying to find. The political spending was first reported by The Lever and subsequently by The New York Times after MAGA Inc. disclosed its July receipts to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). GEO Reentry gave MAGA Inc. $1 million on July 16, three days after GEO announced a five-year agreement for the 1,188-bed Big Horn Facility in Hudson, Colorado. It gave another $413,000 on July 31, two days after GEO announced its agreement for the 1,320-bed Rivers Facility in Winton, North Carolina. The July payments were not GEO Reentry’s first to MAGA Inc. FEC records and campaign finance disclosures show the subsidiary gave the committee $1 million in October 2025, another $1 million in March and another
Aug 24, 2026 · via biometricupdate.com