io9Books & Comics

Watchmen Isn’t Being Written by Just White People, Thank Goodness

Watchmen’s first episode bowled much of the audience over simply because of the matter-of-fact way that it presented us with a brutal, frank depiction of the Tulsa race riot and the way that black Americans were viciously brutalized by their racist white counterparts. Watchmen’s depiction of the massacre was powerful, but it also raised questions about … Continued

Tech NewsNews

Suspect on ATV Leads Philly Police on Winding Chase After Double Shooting

A man riding an ATV and suspected by authorities of involvement in a fatal shooting led police on a chase through the streets of Philadelphia on Tuesday night, NBC Philadelphia reported. Police said that at around 7:45 p.m., two men (ages 25 and 26) on the 2000 block of North College Avenue were confronted by … Continued

io9Books & Comics

Watchmen‘s Internal Clock Is Finally Running on Time

As emotionally-charged and dense as Damon Lindelof’s Watchmen has been, there have been more than a few moments that made it easy to lose sight of the fact that the series is still very much a comic book adaptation. But this week’s episode—“She Was Killed By Space Junk”—is a triumphant tribute to the source material … Continued

ScienceBiology

Woman Found Dead With A Python Around Her Neck in House Full of 140 Snakes

In a residence purportedly housing 140 other snakes, an Indiana woman was found dead Wednesday evening with an 8-foot-long python hanging around her neck. According to a report from the Journal & Courier, police are currently investigating the death of Laura Hurst, 36, in Oxford, Indiana, though they have a hunch. “She appears to have … Continued

io9Books & Comics

Watchmen‘s Latest Twist Shouldn’t Be a Surprise to Anyone

The story taking place in Watchmen’s present is informed by that world’s past—one similar to ours where groups of white supremacists have terrorized black people across the world for centuries. At times, the show assumes you know this fact to be true but in others, like the opening moments of this week’s episode, Watchmen slows … Continued

Tech NewsNews

Gab and Twitter Served With Search Warrants Over Neo-Nazi Arrested on Child Porn Charges

Federal authorities served search warrants to social network and white supremacist haven Gab as well as Twitter in an investigation into a neo-Nazi arrested for child pornography in Boulder, Colorado. The Daily Beast first reported on the warrants in connection to 29-year-old Wesley Gilreath, who was arrested in August, drew the attention of federal authorities … Continued

Tech NewsNews

Netflix Sued Over Depiction of Controversial Police Interrogation Technique

The firm that officially licenses and teaches a controversial police interrogation method known as the “Reid technique” has filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix and filmmaker Ava DuVernay for the portrayal of the method in the film When They See Us about the Central Park Five. The Reid technique involves manipulative tactics that are meant … Continued

Tech NewsPrivacy and Security

Berkeley Becomes Fourth U.S. City to Ban Face Recognition in Unanimous Vote

Berkeley, California became the fourth U.S. city to pass a ban on all government use of facial recognition technology on Tuesday night following a unanimous yes vote by the City Council. Two other cities in the state, Oakland and San Francisco, have already passed their own bans on government use of facial recognition tech, while … Continued

EartherClimate Change

In Unprecedented Move, London Police Ban Extinction Rebellion Climate Protests Throughout Entire City

Protests by climate activist group Extinction Rebellion has continued to roil cities around the world, including London. And after shutting down parts of Central London, police banned the group from conducting protests anywhere in the city on Monday evening. The move comes after eight days of protests centered on Trafalgar Square resulted in more than … Continued

io9Television

HBO’s Watchmen Wants to Dig into the Heart of American Racism…by Making You Like Cops

The first 15 minutes or so of Damon Lindelof’s Watchmen are some of the most agonizing moments of television this year. They squarely focus on the brutalization of multiple black Americans during the infamous Tulsa race riots—a day when mobs of crazed white people descended upon, attacked, and murdered black Oklahomans because they felt empowered … Continued

io9Books & Comics

Dallas Cop Seen Wearing Punisher Logo During Altercation at Community Oversight Meeting

At the first public meeting of Dallas’s newly formed Community Police Oversight Board earlier this week, dozens of residents who came to share their concerns about law enforcement were surprised to learn the board had no intention of letting anyone from the community actually make a comment. And at least one officer wearing the symbol … Continued

Tech NewsPrivacy and Security

Report: U.S. to Sign Treaty Forcing Platforms Like Facebook to Share Encrypted Chats With UK Police

The U.S. and UK governments are expected to sign a treaty in October that will force social media platforms based in either of the countries to “disclose encrypted messages from suspected terrorists, paedophiles and other serious criminals” to police in the other, according to the Times of London. Police in either country have restricted ability … Continued

io9Books & Comics

N.K. Jemisin Discusses the Tough Questions Far Sector’s New Green Lantern Asks About Policing

Because Sojourner “Jo” Mullein—the Green Lantern at the center of writer N.K. Jemisin and artist Jamal Campbell’s upcoming series Far Sector—is stationed countless lightyears away from Earth on a strange planet where emotion no longer exists, her humanity is one of the things that most makes her stand out. Being able to feel is what … Continued

Tech NewsNews

Australian State to Use Smartphone Detection Cams to Catch and Fine Distracted Drivers

The government of New South Wales state in Australia is rolling out tech to automatically catch drivers who don’t put down their cell phones on the road, the Associated Press reported on Monday. According to the AP, New South Wales Roads Minister Andrew Constance described the program as the first of its kind in the … Continued

io9Books & Comics

Damon Lindelof Rooted Watchmen‘s Alternate History in America’s Racist Reality

The more we see and hear about Damon Lindelof’s upcoming Watchmen series, the more it becomes obvious that while the show is still set in the same world as Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ original comic, it really is its own distinct narrative that’s trying to use costumed vigilantes to explore a new set of ideas … Continued

Tech NewsPrivacy and Security

California Temporarily Bans Face Recognition Tech on Police Body Cams

California became the largest state to ban police from using body cameras with facial recognition software after lawmakers passed a three-year moratorium Thursday, Reuters reported. This landmark bill comes as legislators nationwide struggle to keep regulations apace with the fast-growing, and notoriously inaccurate, technology. The bill, AB-1215, bars state and local law enforcement from using … Continued

Tech NewsNews

DHS to Ramp Up Social Media Monitoring of People Entering the Country

The Department of Homeland Security is stepping up the government’s existing program of demanding people entering the country hand over the details of their presence on social media, CNN reported on Friday. While the State Department already mandates that almost all visa applicants inform U.S. officials of the names of any accounts they have maintained … Continued

io9

Hong Kong Protesters Urge Boycott of Disney’s Mulan Remake After Star’s Pro-Police Comments

Hong Kong is in the midst of political turmoil as anti-government protesters clash with police, and now Disney’s Mulan remake has become an unlikely flashpoint for debate. First, a recap of the situation: after the Hong Kong legislature introduced a controversial bill that would allow criminal suspects to potentially be extradited to mainland China, citizens … Continued

Tech NewsPrivacy and Security

Ohio AG Yanks Access to State Facial Recognition System for Over 4,500 Officers

The attorney general of Ohio, Andrew Yost, has suspended facial recognition database access for approximately 4,500 law enforcement personnel after the release of a Washington Post report in July indicating that federal agencies, including the FBI and Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), had obtained access to such systems in several states, per the Toledo Blade. … Continued

Tech NewsNews

Amazon’s Ring Is Teaching Cops How to Persuade Customers to Hand Over Surveillance Footage

Amazon’s home security subsidiary Ring wields tremendous power over the messaging used by its law enforcement partners about its products, including by pre-writing and approving police statements about Ring’s services. But according to a new report, Ring is also instructing cops on how to persuade customers to hang over surveillance footage even when they aren’t … Continued