Chicago Suburb Approves Two Year Ban on Drones
The Evanston City Council voted 5-4 for a two year ban on the use of airborne drones. The vote brought together an odd coalition of people: the anti-war groups were joined by the libertarians and the privacy advocates to pass the measure.
Alderman Jane Grover (7) "is hoping to find an ally at Northwestern University, most of which is within her ward. She said she has approached Northwestern’s Associated Student Government (ASG) and has urged student representatives to pass a similar or identical resolution. It is believed that such cooperation would be unprecedented."
Opponents of the ban claimed it would send a signal the town was not tech friendy. Grover said she might reconsider the ban if drones would "enhance" law enforcement efforts.
TSA Eliminates All Invasive, 'Gumby' X-Ray Machines
The Transportation Security Administration announced it has finished removing from all airports the X-ray technology that produced graphic and controversial images of passengers passing through security screening checkpoints.
In a letter released Thursday, TSA administrator John Pistole told the House Homeland Security committee that as of May 16, all US airports scanners equipped with the ability to produce the penetrating images will now only show a generic outline of a passenger to the operator. A colored box pops up if the full-body scanner detects a potentially forbidden item.
The TSA beat their deadline by two weeks for modifying the scanners. The technology was originally mandated to be removed by June 2012 under the Federal Aviation Administration's Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, but the deadline was extended to May 31, 2013.
The machines, which the TSA first deployed in 2008, provoked public outrage as the technology, better able than traditional X-rays to detect hidden contraband, also created images that appeared as if they were "virtual nudes." Critics called this an invasion of privacy and questioned whether the scanning devices truly lacked the ability to save the images, as the TSA claimed.
Police selling guns from buyback program
ST. CHARLES, Ill., May 31 (UPI) --
A police department in the Chicago suburbs said some of the guns obtained from a buyback program will be sold to a pair of licensed dealers.
St. Charles Police Chief James Lamkin said about 20 firearms obtained through a gun buyback program and seized by courts will be sold to the dealers, the Chicago Tribune reported Friday.
"There's value in these guns," Lamkin said. "They're not illegal guns. Quite honestly, it's a bottom line for us."
Most other area departments, including the Chicago Police Department and the Illinois State Police, destroy the guns obtained through buybacks.
"There are individuals who will say, why not simply destroy them?" St. Charles Mayor Raymond Rogina said. "But when that happens, there will be someone saying that's taxpayer dollars [at stake] and you're throwing it away."
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