Big Tech Has Made Billions Off the 20-Year War on Terror
Edward Ongweso Jr.Sep 2021
A team of researchers have published a new report detailing how Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and Twitter have profited from the global campaign of violence. Read the full story here. On Thursday, researchers from advocacy and research groups Little Sis,
In Chicago, Controversy Mounts Over the Use of Gunshot Detection Sensors
Jim DaleyAug 2021
The city quietly renewed its multi-million dollar contract with ShotSpotter. But a growing body of evidence suggests the technology is ineffective and activists say it leads to deadly over-policing. Read the full story here. On a humid afternoon in late
Activists to U.S. Treasury: Use Federal Aid for Pandemic Relief, Not Debt
Shruti SinghAug 2021
Grassroots groups are imploring federal officials to make sure local governments get relief to those most in need, rather than banks. Read the full story here. Dozens of community organizations from across the U.S. want Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to issue rules
Cities Want to Use Federal Rescue Funds to Pay Off Bank Debt
David DayenAug 2021
Activists and local progressive officials don’t want to let them. Read the full story here. When Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) in March, he framed it as an effort to “giv[e] people in this
Should Chicago End Its Contract with ShotSpotter?
Aug 2021
Listen to the podcast episode here. ShotSpotter is a technology that’s meant to detect the sound of gunfire and deploy police to that location. But reports from Northwestern University’s MacArthur Justice Center and Vice found errors in the technology’s reporting.
Chicago Should Cancel ShotSpotter Contract After Report Shows Police Influence On Technology, Activists Say
Mauricio Peña and Justin LaurenceJul 2021
ShotSpotter is touted by police for its real-time gunshot detection technology, but recent reports have cast doubt on its reliability. Read the full story here. Gathered near the alley where police fatally shot 13-year-old Adam Toledo months ago, activists from
48 Advocacy Groups Call on the FTC to Ban Amazon Surveillance
Edward Ongweso Jr.Jul 2021
The open letter uses Amazon as a case study to argue that corporate surveillance technologies cause immense harm and fall under the FTC’s authority to ban. Read the full story here. On Thursday, a coalition of 48 civil rights and
Biden’s Last-Ditch Effort to Stop Evictions Frustrates Allies
Nancy Cook and Mackenzie HawkinsJul 2021
White House caught off-guard by resurgence of pandemicOcasio-Cortez criticizes ‘reckless’ White House for waitingRead the full story here. The day before a moratorium on evictions is set to expire, President Joe Biden faces criticism from some of his allies
Activists demand Chicago end ShotSpotter contract
Chris Mills RodrigoJul 2021
Read the full article here. Local activists staged a protest demanding that Chicago end its police contracts with the gunshot detection company ShotSpotter. “What do we want? Death to the contract! When do we want it? Now!” dozens of protesters
Activists call for city to end contract with ShotSpotter
Andy GrimmJul 2021
A study reported nearly 9 out of 10 alerts from the gunshot detection system were false alarms. Read the full story here. Activists on Thursday gathered at the Little Village alley where 13-year-old Adam Toledo was shot by a Chicago