Tag: police state

New Yorkers would have to flash COVID-19 passport to enter venues under new program

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday the rollout of a new pilot program in which New Yorkers would have to flash a sort of COVID-19 passport in order to enter sports arenas, theaters and other businesses as the state continues reopening efforts.

The plan is to test the “Excelsior Pass,” which will use secure technology to confirm if a person has gotten vaccinated or has had a recent negative COVID-19 exam result, during events at Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center, Cuomo said in a statement.

The pass was tested at Tuesday night’s New York Rangers game at Madison Square Garden.

Similar to an airline boarding pass, people will be able to print out their pass or save it on their phones using the Excelsior Pass’s “Wallet App.” Each pass will have a secure QR code, which venues will scan using a companion app to confirm a person’s health status.

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Quarantine hotel in Toronto accused of running out of FOOD & WATER as guests let loose on staff

Quarantined travelers formed an angry mob in the lobby of a Toronto hotel after it allegedly ran out of food and bottled water, leaving guests waiting hours to be fed during their mandatory stay.

Canada’s system of mandatory quarantine hotels for those entering the country from abroad are now in question, after a series of endless, chaotic setbacks including food shortages and even alleged sexual assaults.

Some of those experiencing the quarantines, which are mandatory for all incoming travelers for a minimum of three days and at a cost of up to Can$2,000, have documented the problems on social media.

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Family’s Farm Raided, Animals Killed — For Rehabilitating Them Without A Permit

A Michigan farm owner’s desire to help animals in need has landed her in jail and the animals she was helping, killed. Kei Ju Farm and Rescue owner Julie Hall did not pay the government for the proper permit before helping animals so officials arrested her and then killed her animals.

Because there is no animal rescue in Petoskey, for years Hall has been rescuing both wild and domestic animals and nursing them back to health. She has years of experience in the field and has a farm where she carries out the rehabilitation. She was well known in the community for providing this service.

“We have no more rehab centers up here. So this ole farm gal helps everyone,” Hall said.

Folks in her community say that Hall has saved countless animals over the years and has provided a much needed service in the absence of a Michigan Licensed Rehabilitation facility. However, a warrant was issued for her arrest last week because the government forces people like Hall to pay them first before rescuing animals.

Hall explained she has done this for years and she was known for providing her service. However, she says when an employee was caught stealing from her farm, that person became upset and lodged a false complaint with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in Petoskey.

After the complaint was lodged, Kei Ju Farm was raided by DNR agents who served her with an arrest warrant. The charge was for holding wild animals in captivity without permit.

“That Thursday, the DNR rolled in with four trucks. They knew exactly where all the animals were,” Hall said.

Unfortunately, the arrest warrant wasn’t the only thing these DNR agents brought. They also brought their guns and began killing all the animals Hall had been rehabilitating.

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Police Claimed Man Died in Crash But Video Shows They Beat Him to Death

The family of Ronald Greene as well as the public at large were all told a story about this 49-year-old Louisiana man’s last moments alive. According to officials, Greene died after his car crashed into a “tree/shrub” just outside Monroe on May 10, 2019. However, they have since learned everything they were told was a lie after body camera video surfaced and painted an entirely different picture. Greene’s death was not a result of the crash and the department engaged in a coverup.

According to police, Greene was targeted for a traffic stop for a unknown violation on that night. Before he could pull over, Greene wrecked his car. When we look at the photos of the car which were released by the family last year, it looks like a minor fender bender. Nevertheless, the Louisiana State Troopers claimed that Greene died in the wreck.

Troopers made no mention of the use of force — or even arresting Greene — in the State Police crash report obtained by the AP but they did state in their notes that he was not wearing a seat belt in the crash.

“We were told that he died in a high-speed chase of head injuries after crashing into a tree,” Greene’s mother, Mona Hardin, told the AP. “There was no major damage to the car.”

But this was not true. Greene was alive and well after the crash and records released this week by the Associated Press tell the truth of what happened that night.

According to the AP, the records are the first public acknowledgement by State Police that Greene was mistreated, and they confirm details provided last year by an attorney for Greene’s family who viewed graphic body camera footage of the May 2019 arrest and likened it the police killing of George Floyd. The video shows troopers choking and beating the man, repeatedly jolting him with stun guns and dragging him face-down across the pavement, the attorney told AP.

Though this is the first public record released, as noted above, the family and their attorneys were able to watch the body camera video in October. What they witnessed was utterly shocking and horrifying.

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Canadian Region Backtracks Mandating Solitary Isolation for COVID-Exposed Children

Public health authorities in Peel Region, Ontario, Canada, released guidelines for children whose classmate has received a positive COVID-19 test result. Children without symptoms were to be put in solitary isolation at home, separated from their family members if possible, reportedly under the threat of a steep fine. The policy has since been described by an expert as “cruel punishment”. Amid significant public backlash, the infographic, described by Peel’s chief health official as not reflective of their real intentions, was recalled.

Last week, the infographic originally published on the Peel Health website called for schoolchildren to self-isolate away from their family members if one of their classmates received a positive COVID-19 test result, even if the child does not have any symptoms. It called for the child to stay and eat in a separate room, use a separate bathroom, and observe ‘social distancing’ guidelines when leaving the room becomes necessary.

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Court officer kills himself inside NYC court bathroom

A court officer fatally shot himself in the bathroom of Manhattan’s family court Monday afternoon, sources told The Post.

The unnamed officer, who was believed to be in his 50s, shot himself in the head inside the building at 60 Lafayette Street just after 3:10 p.m., sources said.

Another court officer called 911 saying she believed he intentionally shot himself, sources said.

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AOC Blasts NYPD’s New “Robo-Surveillance Ground Drones” For Poor Neighborhoods

For a couple of decades, police forces across the country have been militarized. Stepping into a new decade, police forces, like NYPD, are seeking to deploy automation and artificial intelligence systems to combat crime. 

NYPD first received the robot dog, called “Digidog,” a couple of months ago. At the time, NYPD Technical Assistance Response Unit Inspector (TARU) Frank Digiacomo told ABC7 that the four-legged robotic dog “will save lives, protect people, and protect officers and that’s our goal.” 

Digidog is like any Boston Dynamics Spot robot – though this one is equipped with lights, two-way communication, and video cameras.

The latest video shows the 70-pound robot being tested in the Bronx. The department also deployed the robotic dog back in October to a Brooklyn shooting. 

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