EDGARTOWN, Mass., Aug 23 (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama has ordered a review of the distribution of military hardware to state and local police out of concern at how such equipment has been used during racial unrest in Ferguson, Missouri.
A senior Obama administration official said on Saturday the president has ordered a review of federal programs and funding that enable state and local law enforcement to purchase military equipment.
Images of police wielding military-style guns and armor have alarmed many Americans following violence that was triggered by the fatal shooting of an African-American teenager, Michael Brown, by a white police officer in Ferguson.
Obama wants to know whether the programs, begun after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, are appropriate and whether state and local law enforcement are given proper training, the official said.
The review will be led by White House staff including the Domestic Policy Council, the National Security Council, the Office of Management and Budget, and relevant U.S. agencies including the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice and Treasury, and it will be carried out in coordination with Congress.
Obama signaled that he would review the programs on Monday at a White House news conference when he said he wanted to make sure police were purchasing equipment that they actually need because there is “a big difference between our military and our local law enforcement and we don’t want those lines blurred.” (Reporting By Steve Holland; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)
Kim Kardashian selfies are practically a dime a dozen, unless you count her selfie book, which will cost you $19.95. The point is, the woman takes a lot of selfies. But every once in a while, the 33-year-old shares a rare, makeup-free photo with the world.
Today was one of those days.
Kardashian posted the selfie to Instagram on Aug. 23, writing, “No make up kinda weekend”:
British Woman Vows To Become First Female Jihadist To Kill American Or British Captive
Posted in: Today's ChiliIn the wake of journalist James Foley’s brutal beheading, a 22-year-old woman is vowing to copycat his execution and become the first female jihadist from the United Kingdom to kill a Western captive in Syria.
Khadijah Dare, originally from London, England, is married to a Swedish man and Islamic State fighter named Abu Bakr. The couple moved to Syria in 2012 and are currently living alongside the extremist militant group with their son, according to London’s Evening Standard.
Dare apparently writes under the Twitter name Muhajirah fi Sham (which means “immigrant in Syria”) to discuss her jihadist ambitions in Syria, though her account has recently been taken down. In a tweet, which has since been removed, Dare revealed her intentions, per The Independent:
“Any links 4 da execution of da journalist plz. Allahu Akbar. UK must b shaking up ha ha. I wna b da 1st UK woman 2 kill a UK or US terorrist!(sic)”.
British jihadist Khadijah Dare vows to become first female to behead western man in Syria: http://t.co/Fl2htgLhd2 pic.twitter.com/RNEufMqhwO
— Hemant Abhishek (@hemant10) August 22, 2014
The graphic video of Foley’s murder, released by the militant group this week, has refocused attention on foreign fighters streaming to join the Islamic State. The man in the propaganda clip speaks in a British accent and U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said it is likely he is a British citizen.
Before moving to Syria, Dare was reportedly a regular at the Lewisham Islamic Center in southeast London, having converted to Islam as a teenager, the same mosque linked to Woolwich killers Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale who were convicted of the 2013 murder of Drummer Lee Rigby, the Evening Standard reports.
Trying to distance itself from Dare, the center said in statement, as reported by The Guardian:
“It is rather unfortunate that time and time again, the media do not seem to understand that whether or not any individual who has ever prayed in the mosque has gone on to be involved in acts that are considered to be illegal, that this should in no way reflect on the mosque or on the message the mosque imparts.”
In response to being asked to condemn Dare’s tweet, the mosque described the requests as being “loaded with an islamophobic assumption that Muslims by default condone such brutality,” according to the newspaper.
Last July, Dare was featured in a documentary on the U.K.’s Channel 4 about British women joining Islamist militants in Syria. In the film, she referred to herself as “Maryam” and told cameras that she doesn’t consider herself a fighter, but would instead like to become a martyr.
One of the biggest challenges behind Google’s modular Project Ara phone platform has been getting processors to play nicely with the technology. How do you let someone swap out the very heart of their device as easily as they would a memory card? By…
Just about everyone works on a computer these days at the office, and if you were to take a look at any cafe out there in the streets, you would also notice that many people use a tablet or a notebook to get some stuff done, be it sending out an email or perhaps even working on a brand new proposal, or simply to chill out by viewing cat videos. One thing’s for sure – the keyboard is one particular peripheral that looks as though it is going to remain as a mainstay for many, many more years to come. Of course, when we talk about keyboards, notebooks already come with an attached keyboard for sure, so wireless keyboards more or less remain within the domain of desktops. Satechi intends to shake things up a bit in the wireless keyboard market with the Satechi BT Wireless Smart Keyboard.
Without the need for any kind of wires, the Satechi BT Wireless Smart Keyboard will be able to offer any Mac or PC user an organized, tangle-free workspace. It looks really sleek and is extremely thin (measuring just 0.7” in terms of thickness) where the keyboard itself will function over a Bluetooth connection – which means your desktop would have a free USB port for you to plug in any other devices. Unless you have a screen that is as large as that of a movie theater, you might want to think twice about testing out the 33 feet connection radius.
With so many models of wireless keyboards that are in the market right now, what makes the Satechi BT Wireless Smart Keyboard so different? First of all, it offers a comfortable typing experience and features whisper-quiet keys, which will help reduce distractions and create a more efficient workspace. Not only that, it is highly portable, which means you can tote it with you just about wherever you are. There are also multimedia keys that offer instant access to control video and audio content, where among them include play/pause, volume, forward/backtrack and more. An on/off switch and sleep function are also thrown into the mix to maximize battery life. The asking price? A relatively affordable $54.99.
Press Release
[ Satechi BT Wireless Smart Keyboard delivers a tangle-free working area copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Oh Britney, your talents know no limits.
As it turns out the pop icon can do a spot-on Woody Woodpecker impression. Spears shared a goofy Instagram video of her imitation of the cartoon bird on Aug. 22. “Sometimes I do impressions…” Spears wrote alongside the clip. The 32-year-old clearly knows how to entertain her son, who can be seen smiling in the background:
The mother of two has been showing her silly side on Instagram recently, as she posted a hilarious clip of herself participating in the viral Ice Bucket Challenge campaign to raise awareness for ALS.
We can totally see cartoon voice-overs in Spears’ future.
Jolted by images of protesters clashing with heavily armed police officers in Missouri, President Obama has ordered a comprehensive review of the government’s decade-old strategy of outfitting local police departments with military-grade body armor, mine-resistant trucks, silencers and automatic rifles, senior officials say.
States With The Most Big Spenders
Posted in: Today's ChiliConsumer spending habits reflect the financial health of the nation’s households, yet vary widely across the United States. In 2012, Americans spent $35,498 per capita, a 3.3% increase from the year before when Americans spent $34,356 on average.
“Orange Is the New Black” Season 3 may be far away, but we already know we’ll be seeing one familiar face when it returns.
Lori Petty made a small cameo last season on the Netflix series as Lolly, an inmate that befriended Piper on their way to the Chicago prison. Petty, who is best known as Kit from “A League of Their Own” and the title character of “Tank Girl,” only appeared in a few brief scenes of “OITNB,” but, according to Entertainment Weekly, she’s set to reprise her role for Season 3.
It’s unknown how Lolly will make her return, and if it means we’ll be heading back to Chicago or if she’ll show up in Litchfield. Either way, we’re just glad Piper has a friend that can give her words of wisdom when she ugly-cries.
“OITNB” Season 3 will also be welcoming a new face to the show with Mary Steenburgen, who has been perfectly cast as Pornstache’s mom.
HuffPost has reached out to Netflix for comment on Petty’s return. This post will be updated when and if it is received.
[via EW]
Extension cords can be an eyesore. But they’re a necessary eyesore if you want most of your appliances and electronics to keep functioning, especially if they’re located in parts of your home that are far from a wall outlet.
Cue the ElectroVine, which makes extension cords more bearable by dressing them up in green.
As you’ve probably already gathered, the ElectroVine is basically an extension cord that’s been made to look like ivy. Instead of unsightly orange cords snaking their way around your home, you’ll have these vines adorning countertops and lining the sides of desks and side tables instead.
The ElectroVine is currently up for funding on Kickstarter, where a minimum pledge of $35(USD) will get you a 6-foot cord.
[via Laughing Squid]
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