Questions

App That Tracks ICE Raids Sues U. S., Saying Officials Pressured Apple to Remove It

The developer of ICEBlock, which notifies users of ICE agent sightings, said Attorney General Pam Bondi censored his free speech.

For six months, Apple distributed an app called ICEBlock that allowed users to alert people when they saw Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. But after the Trump administration complained that the app endangered officers, Apple removed it.

On Monday, the app’s developer, Joshua Aaron, sued top Trump administration officials, accusing them of pressuring Apple to stifle his free speech and his right to create, distribute and promote ICEBlock.

The suit, which was filed in the U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia, claimed that Attorney General Pam Bondi abused the government’s power when the Justice Department contacted Apple and demanded it remove the app, which she said she had done in a statement to Fox News in October. She said that Apple removed the app after her request.

The legal action could reveal more about Apple’s decision making and compliance with edicts from the Trump administration. According to Apple’s own public reports, it has removed apps at the request of authoritarian governments like China and Russia, but not from the U. S. government.

A friend of mine recently locked herself out of her home.

The problem was not straight forward, because she was going on vacation, she had ordered a taxis, and she had a plane to catch.

The situation arose when she had taken some of her luggage outside, the door then closed, leaving her keys, and the rest of her luggage, inside her home.

Fortunately she lives in an apartment, and one of her neighbours let her in.

Have you ever been in a similar predicament, and if so how did you resolve the situation?

A KEI car, pronounced like “kay”, is a vehicle category in Japan for autos that are at most ~11 feet (340 cm) long, ~4.9 feet (150 cm) wide, and ~6.6 feet (200 cm) tall.

Due to their small size, KEI cars don’t meet current US safety standards, and changes to the vehicles and the regulations would be needed. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told CNBC that KEI cars are “probably not” for anyone who wants to drive on a freeway, but “if there’s a market for those vehicles, I want to give our manufacturers the opportunity to build those cars.”

[picture and news item courtesy of Morning Brew]

Would you buy a KEI car?

Please vote in the poll.

I'm single, and in the past I've been to all the usual places to meet a partner, night clubs etc.

I've also used my employment and hobbies to find a partner without success.

How did you meet your partner, or what are you doing now to find a partner?