NYPD Monitored Muslim Students

The New York Police Department monitored Muslim students at colleges and universities all over the Northeast.

The police recorded whether or not the Muslim students belonged to Muslim student associations (identified as "MSAs"), how many times the students prayed each day, and where they traveled off campus.  The police were most concerned with travel to conferences involving Muslim scholars who may have anti-Western views, as well as outdoor activities that could be interpreted as "terrorist training".  The NYPD built their secret programs with help from the CIA, and monitored Muslim students from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania colleges and universities without informing the institutions.

While police reports revealed no wrongdoing, students who discovered their names in the police reports are worried that this will affect their employment opportunities, security clearances for research opportunities, and any possible air travel.  Whether or not the NYPD overstepped the boundaries of authority is being investigated.

Oldest Human Rights Commission in Minnesota Dismissed

The Human Rights Commission of Golden Valley, Minnesota was established in 1965, making it the first appointed commission in the state to address human rights issues.  Since then, 49 human rights commissions have been established in other cities and counties in Minnesota...but just this Thursday, two days before Christmas, the Golden Valley City Council has fired its Human Rights Commission.  

The Human Rights Commission asked the Golden Valley City Council if it could form a task force to investigate the use of unnecessary force used by police officers.  Since 2008, there had been two reported incidents of police brutality in Golden Valley.  The City Council was against the proposed task force, claiming that the methods of data collection that would be used to gather information from the police force would ruin peoples' reputations and violate the Data Practices Act.

Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will be seeking more information. 

"Cops Ready for War"

Minnesotans have been hearing a lot about the economic boom in North Dakota, but terrorism--not so much.  In the meantime, Fargo police have received funds from federal grants to turn local police departments into "small army-like forces".   This means military uniforms, shields, more powerful firearms, and tanks.  To fight against whom?