News
FBI Has Collected 21.7 Million DNA Profiles of Americans
According to FBI statistics seen by The Intercept, the bureau has accumulated 21.7 million DNA profiles, which is roughly 7% of the US population. The FBI, like China, has been collecting DNA samples from millions of Americans, creating a vast database that might lead to a dystopian situation with terrifying ramifications.
In the United States, rights and privacy are on the edge of extinction. According to FBI data seen by The Intercept, the FBI has gathered 21.7 million DNA profiles, which corresponds to around 7% of the population. They are acting in the name of law enforcement, but the information and data might readily be utilised against those who are no longer in the government’s good graces.
The police presence is expanding in preparation for the Labour Day weekend.
DNA data is not just employed in criminal cases; it also exposes a lot about a person’s background, lifestyle, and healthcare needs. All of this has the potential to be utilised to manipulate the people.
“According to its budget request for fiscal year 2024, the FBI intends to nearly double its current $56.7 million budget for dealing with its DNA catalogue with an additional $53.1 million.” ‘The requested resources will allow the FBI to handle the rapidly expanding amount of DNA samples acquired by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security,’ the increase request states,” according to the investigative media organisation.
“In an April 2023 statement to Congress to explain the budget request, FBI Director Christopher Wray cited several factors that had significantly expanded the FBI’s DNA processing requirements.” “He said the FBI collected around 90,000 samples per month — ‘over 10 times the historical sample volume’ — and expected that number to rise to about 120,000 per month, totaling about 1.5 million new DNA samples per year,” The Intercept said.
The vast majority of Americans are unaware of the FBI’s massive DNA database. The collection of DNA data is a major source of concern for civil liberties groups.
“When we’re talking about rapid expansion like this, it’s getting us ever closer to a universal DNA database,” Vera Eidelman, an American Civil Liberties Union staff attorney who specialises in genetic privacy, told The Intercept in an interview. “I believe the implications for civil liberties are significant here.”
“When surveillance technology becomes cheaper, easier, and faster to use,” she argued, “it tends to get used more — often in troubling ways.”
“A universal database would simply undermine our concepts of autonomy, freedom, and the presumption of innocence.” It would imply that the government can track us at any time using our personal information, according to Eidelman. “Our DNA is personal and sensitive: it can reveal our proclivity for serious health problems, family members, and ancestry.”
“The rapid growth of the FBI’s sample load is largely due to a Trump-era rule change mandating the collection of DNA from migrants arrested or detained by immigration authorities,” The Intercept reported.
The FBI’s hurry to gather DNA began in 1990. The Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, was in place by 1998 and covered the whole country.
“If you look back to when CODIS was established, it was originally for violent or sexual offenders,” Anna Lewis, a Harvard researcher specialising in the ethical aspects of genomics research, told The Intercept in an interview. “The ACLU warned that this would be a slippery slope, and we’ve seen exactly that.”
“Just by breathing, you’re discarding DNA in a way that can be traced back to you,” she explained.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a contract in May for laboratory services to assist with “autonomously collected eDNA testing,” which is environmental DNA testing based on samples that are no longer gathered manually. Every American should be concerned about this.
The police can now demand DNA samples from anyone who has committed a felony. If you are arrested for a felony in 28 states, your DNA can be extracted before you are even convicted.
According to The Intercept, authorities even offer plea bargains, downgrading felony charges to misdemeanour offences in return for DNA samples.
“It changed massively,” Lewis remarked. “You only have to be a person of interest in order to end up in these databases.”
“Until recently, the United States’ DNA database outperformed even authoritarian China, which launched an ambitious DNA collection programme in 2017.” According to the BBC, the United States had roughly 4% of its population’s DNA that year, while China had about 3%.
According to a 2020 research quoted by the New York Times, China has since revealed a goal to gather between 5 and 10% of its male population’s DNA,” The Intercept stated.
DNA processing has progressed significantly. A DNA profile may purportedly be thrown up in one to two hours after a simple swab of someone’s inner cheek without the assistance of a lab or a human.
News
Trudeau Rocks to Taylor Swift While Montreal Burns
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has come under fire yet again after a video surfaced on X, showing him dancing at a Taylor Swift performance while anti-Nato protestors ransacked downtown Montreal.
Trudeau attended Taylor Swift’s concert in Toronto on Friday night. Before Taylor Swift approached the stage, X shared a viral video of him dancing and singing along to the song “You Don’t Own Me.”
The image of Trudeau dancing amid violent protests in Montreal generated widespread indignation online. Some social media users even compared Trudeau to the ancient Roman dictator Nero, known for “fiddling while Rome burned.”
Don Stewart, a Member of Parliament (MP) representing part of Toronto, called out the prime minister in a post on X.
Lawless protestors run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest.
The Prime Minister dances.
This is the Canada built by the Liberal government.
Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved. pic.twitter.com/PVJvR6gtmf
— Don Stewart (@donstewartmp) November 23, 2024
“Lawless protesters run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest. The Prime Minister dances,” Stewart wrote. “This is the Canada built by the Liberal government.”
“Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved,” the MP added.
On Saturday, the day after Taylor Swift’s concert, Trudeau condemned the anti-NATO protests, calling them “appalling.”
Anti-NATO activists set off smoke bombs and marched through Montreal’s streets waving Palestinian flags. According to the Montreal Gazette, rioters set fire to automobiles and battled with police.
Pro-Palestinian protests
Protesters also tossed tiny explosives and metal objects at officers. At one point, the mob torched an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Police used tear gas and batons to disperse the gathering, and three persons were arrested for attacking officers and impeding police operations.
Masked protesters were seen burning flares and bashing storefront windows in videos and photographs shared on social media. Pro-Palestinian protests have been taking place across Canada since the Israel-Gaza conflict began late last year.
Critics have lambasted Trudeau for doing nothing to stop the violent pro-Palestinian marches, with some claiming he has fueled anti-Israel sentiment in Canada.
On Friday, Trudeau stated that Canada would respect the orders of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant for Mr Netanyahu, even if it meant arresting the Israeli prime leader on Canadian soil.
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News
Calgary Zoo Admits Human Error in Death of Baby Gorilla
The Calgary Zoo has admitted in a public statement that a zookeeper’s negligence caused the death of a 2-year-old baby gorilla. Eyare, a newborn gorilla, died last week after being slammed in the head by a hydraulic door.
The accident occurred when a zoo worker attempted to separate Eyare from the rest of the gorilla tribe for a solitary training session.
The gorilla died from significant head injuries, according to the zoo’s statement.
“This tragedy has struck us all in the deepest way imaginable,” Colleen Baird, director of animal care at the Calgary Zoo, said during a news conference. “Eyare’s brief but meaningful existence gave so much joy to our community, and all will sorely miss her. We will do everything possible to prevent repeat accidents.”
According to Baird, the staff member involved was immediately removed from the workplace and will be reassigned to another area of the zoo. The Calgary Zoo stated that it would take preventive steps, such as specialist personnel training and animal behavioral training, to avoid a similar incident.
Calgary Zoo Questioned
It is not the first time an animal at the zoo has died from negligence at the Calgary Zoo. A capybara was accidentally crushed by a hydraulic door similar to the one that killed Eyare in 2019.
An otter died in 2016 after being entangled in an “unauthorized” pair of jeans that a zookeeper had dropped in its enclosure. In 2013, a penguin died in “a freak accident” after swallowing a stick.
Animal Justice, a Canadian group that promotes animal welfare, has called for an independent investigation of animal safety and oversight at the Alberta facility.
“The Calgary Zoo appears to have a higher rate of animal deaths compared to other zoos, and in light of Eyare’s death there should be a systematic review of the zoo’s operations and practices, conducted transparently by the government or another outside party,” according to Camille Labchuk, the executive director of Animal Justice.
The Calgary Zoo refuted that it has more animal deaths than other zoos, emphasizing that it adheres to operating requirements and has maintained accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ independent Accreditation Commission since 1978.
“We love and care for more than 4,000 animals representing over 100 species that call our zoo home,” stated a Calgary Zoo representative.
“Human error-related deaths in animals are quite infrequent. We have lost two animals in the last ten years: a North American river otter in 2016 and ‘Eyare’ this week.
While rare, even one human-caused death is too many. These unfortunate instances have served as vital learning experiences, prompting us to examine and tighten protocols to provide the greatest level of care.”
Baird said at the news conference that using hydraulic doors is “common practice with accredited zoos,” adding that the facility will consider switching to alternate doors to improve safety.
The Calgary Zoo, which established the Wilder Institute in 2021, caters to nearly 4,000 creatures, including six more western lowland gorillas.
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News
Canada’s Lotto Max Jackpot Climbs to $80M
Lotto Max in Canada has reached $80 million for only the second time in Canadian lottery history. Friday’s draw sought a winner for a $75 million pool, but the top reward remained unclaimed as of Saturday, increasing the jackpot.
Only once did the jackpot reach $80 million in September, when it broke the previous record. Before that, the prize was $75 million, a record.
The Lotto Max prize maximum was boosted earlier this year, enabling for jackpots of more than $70 million. The cap is now at $80 million.
While a greater fee may encourage more people to play, the odds of winning the lottery remain extremely low.
According to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, the odds for a $5 ticket are around one in 33,294,800.
While there was no jackpot winner in Friday’s draw, someone did match six of the seven winning numbers, plus a bonus, earning them a payout of more than $320,000.
Lotto Max History
Lotto Max is one of three national lottery games in Canada, overseen by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation. The game was introduced on September 19, 2009, and its inaugural draw occurred on September 25, 2009. It replaced Lotto Super 7.
The odds of winning the Lotto Max are 1 in 33,294,800. This is correct to a point but misleading.
Let’s have a look at the rules:
- Players choose 7 numbers out of 50
- Numbers cannot be repeated
- Numbers are automatically sorted into ascending order
- Each play buys 3 lines
- Each play costs $5
Seeing that players choose 7 out of 50 non-repeating numbers, the equation for the total number of possible combinations (this is different from permutations where the order in which the numbers appear is significant) when playing the Lotto Max is 50! / (7! x 43!)
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