If the British Commonwealth were a substantive stakeholder in the Ukraine outcome, one might expect the Commonwealth’s former Banker and current leading advocate would be immediately contacted by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. [SOURCE] Alex Stubb from Finland and NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte from The Netherlands.  Oh, and “the Netherlands imported 146.461 million tons of […]

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All 122 Flock surveillance cameras operating in Henrico County will be shut down by the middle of October, making the county the latest jurisdiction in Virginia to cut ties with the license plate reading company.

“As a county, we have listened as our residents have shared legitimate concerns about Flock Safety, the proliferation of its cameras across the nation, and whether the data collected is sufficiently safeguarded to protect the privacy of individuals in our community,” the leaders of the county’s board of supervisors said in a news release.

“While we are confident that Henrico Police has used ALPR data appropriately for legitimate law enforcement purposes only, we cannot ignore the potential for misuse of system data by others. Ending this contract is the right thing to do for our residents and community.”

Henrico had signed a contract extension earlier this year that would have run into November of 2027 but decided to pull the plug within seven days instead. All information collected by the cameras is scheduled to be deleted within 30 days. County Manager John Vithoulkas told WRIC, “It was a balance between public safety and the fact that people feel like their rights are being infringed upon as they drive through these cameras.”

In neighboring Goochland County, the cameras went dark in August.

“I have decided to suspend the Goochland County Sheriff’s Office’s use of Flock ALPR cameras. This decision is not the result of any identified misuse of the system,” Sheriff Steven Creasey wrote. “ALPR technology is a valuable investigative tool that helps law enforcement locate stolen vehicles, missing or endangered persons, wanted individuals, and vehicles connected to criminal activity.”

Creasey added that he recognizes that citizens are concerned about privacy issues.

Deflock.org allows readers to zoom in on a map of Virginia and see where the cameras are still operating.

The town of Damascus has only three Flock cameras, but it will soon have zero. The town council voted 6-0 this week to end its contract with the company. Ahead of the vote, the city’s police chief said getting rid of the cameras would be a mistake. “This is one of the single greatest tools that we can have,” Kermit Turner told Cardinal News. “Anything can be abused. I feel very comfortable with my guys not abusing the system, because they know that if there is any kind of violation of our policy, because it’s scrutinized, they will be terminated. No questions asked.”

Statewide, more than 20 cities and counties have suspended the use of cameras or ended their relationship with Flock altogether. That includes Montgomery, Amherst, Bedford, Bland, Floyd, Giles, Halifax and Henry counties, as well as numerous cities. The city of Richmond, which has 99 fixed cameras, has not taken action to turn them off.

Flock cameras are in fixed locations and capture images of license plates as cars pass by. They do not capture identification about the driver or the car’s passengers. Law enforcement officials call the cameras an important crime fighting tool.

“I’m a progressive prosecutor, always have been, and I am telling you, this is a civil rights tool as much as public safety,” Norfolk commonwealth’s attorney Ramin Fatehi told WAVY last month. “If people don’t want to be stopped by the police and messed up with when they have not done anything wrong, they want Flock.”

A state law that took effect in 2025 required officials to delete all camera-captured data after 21 days. However, citizens have raised concerns about surveillance and data collection. Republican state Sen. Glen Sturtevant said he will introduce a bill in January that would eliminate cameras throughout the commonwealth.

“It’s high time that we get these things out of Virginia altogether,” he told WRC-TV. “I don’t want a better regulated surveillance network. I don’t want a surveillance network period.”

THE CENTER SQUARE—Nearly half of likely young voters, 43%, view Islamic Sharia law positively, according to a new poll. 

The demographic of likely voters between the ages of 18 and 24 hold a different view than the majority of voters polled of all ages, 57%, who hold a negative view. 

The poll was conducted by Rasmussen Reports and a nonprofit organization, Our Republic, on Sept. 20. The results were released just a few weeks ahead of the November 3 election. 

In response to the findings, outgoing U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said, “Sharia law is incompatible with our Constitution and has no place in America. But it’s on the rise.” That’s why he and U.S. Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, launched the Sharia Free America Caucus, he said. 

Roy has introduced several bills related to Sharia law and other Islamic-related issues, which have gone nowhere in Congress, The Center Square reported. Roy, an outspoken opponent of Sharia law, lost his primary [for Texas attorney general] in March.  

According to the poll, voters were asked, “Sharia is a system of Islamic religious principles and law, derived primarily from the Quran and the teachings and practices of Muhammad, that addresses matters including religious practice, personal conduct, family life, finance, and often civil and criminal law. Do you have a positive or negative opinion about sharia?”

According to the responses, 43% of likely voters between the ages of 18 and 24 hold a positive view. However, they are not alone. Significant percentages of voters under 40 hold positive views of Sharia Law. 

They include 39% of voters (between 25 and 29); 36% of voters (between 30 and 35); 22% of voters (between 35 and 39) polled.

When it comes to whether they would support a law requiring public schools to teach students “about the benefits of sharia law,” 76% said they wouldn’t. 

When asked “if a majority of people in an American town, city, or state were to want sharia law, would you support a proposal that would allow sharia to become the legal code for all citizens in that town, city, or state?” The majority, 83%, responded no. Only 7 percent said they would support it; 10% said they weren’t sure.

When asked, “What poses a greater threat to America’s future: sharia law or America’s alliance with Israel?” the majority, 43%, said Sharia law; 25% said the U.S.-Israel alliance.

Notably, a plurality of Democrats polled said that the U.S. alliance with Israel poses a greater threat than Sharia law. 

When asked, “Which religious ideology poses a greater threat to America’s future: sharia law or traditional Christianity?” 55% said Sharia law. A small minority, 13%, said traditional Christianity. 

The poll was conducted among 1,026 likely voters and has a margin of error of 3%. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC, it says.

The findings were released after Sharia law remains a key issue in the largest Republican-led state: Texas. Texas leaders have prioritized combatting Sharia law in the next legislative session and the majority of Republican primary voters voted to ensure it is banned. 

Gov. Greg Abbott has taken a series of actions, including directing the Texas Rangers to launch a criminal investigation into Islamic organizations in Texas, including an alleged Sharia tribunal, and state and federal investigations are ongoing, The Center Square reported. 

Most recently, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that a Sharia law divorce in Pakistan was not valid in Texas. 

Originally published by The Center Square

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin appears on CNN to reject the false premise established by Narrative Engineer Jake Tapper.  Unfortunately for the constantly furrowed brow host, the facts of the events do not align with the attempted narrative. The result ends with a conversation about the delicate sensibilities of the illegal alien with a long felony […]

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