Tag: new york

Letitia James Demands Big Tech Curb Election “Misinformation”

New York Attorney General Letitia James has been actively campaigning for stricter controls on AI and social media platforms, invoking concerns about “misinformation.”

James has a history of social media censorship demands that have faced allegations of First Amendment violations.

ABC News reports that James has contacted key players in the AI industry, such as Google, Meta, and OpenAI, through a letter, urging them to implement mechanisms that could restrict what she defines as misleading and deceptive speech related to elections.

“While misinformation has been a concern in past elections, with the rise of gen AI, barriers that prevent bad actors from creating deceptive or misleading content have weakened dramatically,” said the letter, sent to social media and AI companies, including Google, Meta, and OpenAI.

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Nassau County Criminalizes Masks To Counter Far-Left Mask-Wearing Activists 

Nassau County Republicans passed the “Mask Transparency Act” on Monday, making it a misdemeanor for anyone 16 and older to wear a face mask in public spaces except for health and religious reasons. This move aims to curb criminals or violent protesters who exploit mask-wearing to conceal their identities. 

Nassau County Legislator Mazi Pilip proposed the Mask Transparency Act after one of her constituents was attacked by a mask-wearing protester.

“Having them covering their faces, thinking they can do whatever they want. This is absolutely unacceptable,” Pilip told NBC New York.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman shared a similar view… 

“Unless someone has a medical condition or a religious imperative, people should not be allowed to cover their face in a manner that hides their identity when in public.” 

Violators of the bill could be slapped with a fine of up to $1,000 and even jail time. The bill had unanimous support from all 12 Republican legislators in Nassau County. 

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Bronx prosecutor abruptly resigns after getting caught allegedly trying to meet young boy by predator hunters

A Bronx prosecutor abruptly resigned after he was caught on video allegedly attempting to meet a young boy he communicated with online, according to a clip produced by internet vigilantes who expose wannabe child predators.

William C.C. Kemp-Neal, 30, quit his post in the Bronx District Attorney’s office four days after the group Dads Against Predators posted footage of him filmed in the parking lot of the Target on East Sandford Boulevard in Mount Vernon.

In the clip taken July 8 at around 8:30 p.m., the video vigilantes approach a man identified as Kemp-Neal, asking if he’s Marcus. Almost immediately, Kemp-Neal — who graduated from Fordham Law in 2021 — runs.

Kemp-Neal made $84,990 as an ADA, and handled mostly assault, harassment, and child endangerment cases.

The men give chase, while yelling out, “Excuse me everybody, this man right here came to meet a 13-year-old boy.”

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Customs Officers Need a Warrant to Search Your Cellphone at JFK

Judge Nina Morrison of the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York (Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and Long Island) has ruled that police, including officers of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), need a warrant to search your cellphone at JFK International Airport, even when you are entering or leaving the US.

This ruling is certainly a positive development. It’s a break with a line of judicial decisions that have made US borders and international airports a Fourth Amendment-free zone, even for US citizens. It’s likely to influence other judges and other courts, even though — as a ruling from a District Court rather than an appellate court — it doesn’t set a precedent that’s binding even on other judges in the same Federal judicial district.

But there are important issues that weren’t addressed in this case, and important things you need to know to exercise your rights at JFK or other airports — even if judges in future cases in the same or other judicial districts are persuaded by the ruling in this case.

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As Migrant and Crime Crisis Rage New York Set to Ban Mini Shampoo and Soap Bottles in Large Hotels

New York state is set to ban small toiletry bottles in hotels, sparking debate about government involvement in business operations, according to a new report from Fox Business.

This new rule, aimed at reducing waste, is raising eyebrows in the hospitality industry and beyond.

Starting in 2025, hotels with over 50 rooms can’t offer toiletry bottles smaller than 12 ounces.

By 2026, all New York hotels must comply.

The law comes with teeth: fines start at $250 and can climb to $500 for repeat offenders.

Many see this as government overreach.

The hospitality industry is already moving away from mini bottles on its own.

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“It’s a wrong policy”: Questions arise after Buffalo Outer Harbor takes down kites

Questions are being raised about kite rules after a man was surrounded by five park police officers at Buffalo Outer Harbor State Park on Sunday.

“A park ranger came and said you need to take those down. And we were nice to him and said no sir it’s a special day, it doesn’t come around in Buffalo that often where you have a perfect sunny day and 10 mph winds” said Jim Emanuele, who was flying about 10 kites with a friend in the park.

After refusing to take down the kites, the situation escalated.

“I’ve been here before and they told me to take it down. That’s why I don’t come here often” said Emanuele.

As it turns out, kite flying is not allowed in Buffalo State Park without a permit.

“It’s a wrong policy, why you can’t fly kites here right here on the outer harbor. People enjoy, there’s no risk, there’s no powerlines there’s no airport around here so what is the reason that you cannot fly kites here”

Channel Two reached out to New York State Parks for an answer. In a statement released to us, they said quote:

“large kites such as the ones in question can pose a safety risk to park patrons or result in property damage, which is why state park regulations require permits to fly such kites. In this case, no permit was requested or granted.”

Jim says that for him and many other kite flyers, permits are not ideal because you just never know when a perfect kite day will be – but despite the unpredictability, the rule still stands. 

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New York City mayor defends migrant debit card program as cost efficient and fraud resistant

A pilot program to distribute preloaded debit cards to migrants for food and baby supplies is just that: a pilot and trial run, New York City officials said Tuesday amid backlash to that effort.

“We can take a look at it after six weeks and see what’s working and what’s not,” Deputy Mayor Anne Williams-Isom said at a wide-ranging news conference.

The prepaid cards are intended to be used for groceries, diapers, baby formula and other necessities at local businesses. They’ve invited the condemnation by right-wing news media as simply another benefit for people who entered the country illegally and for the hefty contract involved in the rollout.

“There is no free money. These are not ATM cards. You can’t take cash out,” Deputy Mayor Fabien Levy said at the news conference.

Mayor Eric Adams and top aides also stressed that safeguards are in place to prevent fraud. They said the program saves the city money and prevents food waste.

The program launched Monday with 10 families and the pilot will expand to 115 families. Families of four getting $350 each week on their cards.

The mayor was additionally asked Tuesday if the debit cards send a “mixed message” to migrants crossing the southern border who may have been told both that the city has no room for them and that the government provides shelter and food and other services.

“It sends a mixed message when it’s distorted,” Adams said.

The mayor himself had been set to visit the border beginning Saturday but abruptly nixed the trip.

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New York Dispensary Launches ‘Illegal Cannabis Buyback’ Program, Enticing Consumers To Transition To Legal Market With Discounts

A New York marijuana dispensary is taking steps to help eradicate illicit cannabis businesses that have proliferated in the state by offering discounts and benefits to people who transition to the legal market.

Housing Works, the parent company of the state’s first legal adult-use dispensary Housing Works Cannabis Co, announced the “illegal cannabis buyback” program on Thursday. As regulators continue their push to shut down unlicensed operators, the company is providing consumers with incentives to transition to the legal market.

From July 1 to September 1, any person who provides proof of membership at an illicit operator will get a free membership at Housing Works Cannabis Co’s “co-conspirator program,” which includes 25 percent off their first purchase and a 10 percent discount on all their purchases for the next year. The membership normally costs $25.

“This buyback initiative is crucial not only for the health and safety of our customers, which is always our top priority, but also for the legal business operators and those who have fought hard for a place in New York’s legal cannabis market,” Sasha Nutgent, director of retail at Housing Works Cannabis Co, told Marijuana Moment.

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Another “vaccine passport” bill FAILS to pass in New York where medical legislation is disguised so the nanny-state can impose vaccine mandates later

New York is the city and state where legislation to remove medical rights and privacy masquerades as “options” so the medical-police-state can later impose vaccine mandates and perform gender mutilation surgery on kids without parental consent. The latest attempt to remove medical privacy in New York comes as lawmakers tried to make it so that anyone 19 and older must “opt out” of having their vaccination information automatically recorded and shared with health departments on their vaccine registry. Currently, only patients under 19 years of age have this data in registries, as required by healthcare providers.

A civil rights attorney, Sujata Gibson, who represents New York plaintiffs who challenge vaccine mandates, calls this new legislation a “Trojan Horse” that paves the way for broader mandates, saying “The only reason to know every single vaccine given to adults in New York is to know who did not get them.” That type of database would be the “central nervous system” she said, for what would surely amount to a “state-wide digital vaccine passport system.”

Vaccine registries can lead directly to vaccine mandates and medical-police-state tyranny

If you did not recognize it, Big Pharma’s main goal of the whole pandemic was to get as many people injected with cell-mutating mRNA “technology” as possible, then you got swept up by the vax cult frenzy, like 270 million other Americans. The mad, mad push is far from over, even though the “novel” virus still barely lingers, supposedly. In New York, right now, vaccine-cult legislators are trying to get everybody on a database, vaccinated or not, so they can plan better for the next “plandemic.”

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Trans-identified male felon awarded $350,000 by NYC after suing for being housed with male inmates on Rikers Island

Ali Miles, a biological male felon who identifies as a Muslim woman, has been awarded $350,000 in a settlement after suing New York City over officials’ decision to hold Miles in pre-trial detention on Rikers Island with male inmates. Miles spent one month in the facility before being transferred back to Arizona, where Miles was found guilty on numerous charges.

Miles, formerly known as Dylan Miles, alleged in the lawsuit that the inmate had informed the court that Miles was transgender, and that the refusal to house Miles with female inmates amounted to “gender identity discrimination.” As part of the settlement, the city maintained that Miles’ allegations were untrue, and did not accept any blame.

According to Reduxx, Miles was held on Rikers Island from June to July 2022 after being arrested in New York on an Arizona warrant. After being found guilty of two counts of aggravated harassment per domestic violence, a Class 5 felony, as well as disorderly conduct, harassment, threatening or intimidating, and false reporting to law enforcement, Miles was sentenced to 312 days in jail and three years of supervised probation. 

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