All posts tagged: Removal

Muslim women are suing jails and police over hijab removal at booking. And winning.

Muslim women are suing jails and police over hijab removal at booking. And winning.

Published by Sam Flores

(RNS) — More Muslim women across the United States are turning to the courts to challenge prison and police policies that force them to remove their hijabs for booking photos, arguing the practice violates their religious freedom and leaves them exposed to lasting harm. In the last two months, at least five such cases have been filed or settled. Attorneys say the lawsuits do not reflect a new problem so much as a new willingness to fight. A growing track record of successful cases from Minnesota to New York City has emboldened Muslim women to come forward about their experiences.  “A lot of Muslim women realized, ‘Oh, this is something I can complain about. I felt like it violated my rights. I knew it felt wrong, but I didn’t know that I could actually try to get these pictures destroyed,’” said Aya Beydoun, a staff attorney with the Council on American-Islamic Relations who has litigated several of these cases in recent years. And arrests at pro-Palestine protests have also brought more visibly Muslim women into …

Deporting soldiers? Why immigrant veterans fear removal from the US | Donald Trump News

Deporting soldiers? Why immigrant veterans fear removal from the US | Donald Trump News

Published by Sam Flores

Seeking citizenship from a warzone Hernandez has spent most of his life in the US. He was brought across the border by his mother as a baby. He now has three children, all US citizens. As of 2022, nearly 731,000 military veterans like Hernandez were immigrants. They comprise roughly 4.5 percent of the US’s veteran population. For decades, faced with declining enlistment numbers, the US military has depended on immigrants to serve alongside its US-born citizens. Most have citizenship, too — but an estimated 118,000 immigrant veterans do not. Hernandez is one of them. Like many other veterans struggling to reintegrate into society after their military service, Hernandez struggled to find his place in the civilian world. He was jailed on illegal gun charges shortly after returning from his deployment. When he was released a few weeks later, he found he had been evicted from his apartment, and all his possessions, including military memorabilia, had been confiscated. “I came out with nothing,” he told Al Jazeera. With few options left, he became involved in selling …

The Download: cyberscammers’ banking bypasses, and carbon removal troubles

The Download: cyberscammers’ banking bypasses, and carbon removal troubles

Published by skeptic

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Cyberscammers are bypassing banks’ security with illicit tools sold on Telegram  Inside a money-laundering center in Cambodia, an employee opens a banking app on his phone. It asks for a photo linked to the account, so he uploads a picture of a 30-something Asian man.  The app then requests a video “liveness” check. The scammer holds up a static image of a woman who doesn’t match the account. After 90 seconds, he’s in.  The exploit relies on illicit hacking services sold on Telegram that break “Know Your Customer” (KYC) facial scans. MIT Technology Review found 22 channels and groups advertising these services. This is what we discovered.  —Fiona Kelliher  Is carbon removal in trouble?  —Casey Crownhart  Last week, news emerged that Microsoft was pausing carbon removal purchases. It was a bombshell—Microsoft effectively is the carbon removal market, single-handedly purchasing around 80% of all contracted carbon removal.  The report sparked fear across the industry, raising questions about the future of carbon removal and the role of Big Tech. Read …

Is carbon removal in trouble?

Is carbon removal in trouble?

Published by skeptic

Whatever, exactly, is happening behind the scenes, many in the industry are nervous, says Wil Burns, Co-Director of the Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal at American University. People viewed the company as the foundational supporter of carbon removal, he adds. “This pause—whether it’s short term or whatever it is—the way it’s been rolled out is extremely irresponsible,” Burns says. The vast majority of firms looking to get carbon removal contracts are probably seeking Microsoft deals. So, while Microsoft has every right to change its plans, the company needs to be open with the industry now, he adds. “I don’t think you can hold yourself out as the paragon of fostering carbon removal and then treat a nascent industry that disrespectfully,” Burns says. Carbon removal companies were already in turmoil in the US, particularly because of recent policy shifts: Funding has been cut back, and recent changes at the Environmental Protection Agency were aimed at the government’s ability to target carbon pollution. Now, if the largest corporate backer is shifting plans or taking a significant pause, …

A data removal service helped me reclaim my privacy – see if you need one, too

A data removal service helped me reclaim my privacy – see if you need one, too

Published by skeptic

Kerry Wan/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways Personal data is widely collected and sold by data brokers, mostly without our knowledge. Manual takedowns are impractical, which is where data removal services come in.  These services can remove huge amounts of sensitive information from the internet. There’s an uncomfortable amount of our personal information floating around the internet, much of it collected by data brokers. Phone numbers, home addresses, and email addresses are just the tip of the iceberg that these companies collect, package, and sell.  Much of this information comes from social media platforms, apps, and online services that routinely gather user data, and then feeds into a sprawling ecosystem that profits off knowing everything about you. In some other cases, those details come from major breaches. Also: Your router may be vulnerable to Russian hackers, FBI warns: 5 steps to take now Don’t want it out there? Sure, it’s possible to remove this information yourself by contacting data brokers directly and requesting its removal. But the sheer number …

The best data removal services of 2026: Expert tested and reviewed

The best data removal services of 2026: Expert tested and reviewed

Published by skeptic

If you’ve ever looked yourself up online and found public records you did not expect, or you suddenly experience an influx of cold callers, but you aren’t sure of the source, you’re not alone. So much of our information is in the hands of data brokers. The problem of public records that may list your full name, home address, telephone number, and more is compounded by daily data breaches. Your data may be exposed online or, when in the hands of third parties, traded or sold without your explicit consent or permission.  While many data broker services and people search websites are legal, they still often violate your privacy. The problem, however, is that tracking down these companies and forcing them to delete your information — and not collect it again — is a time-consuming task that often fails unless you consistently send data removal demands. Manual removals only go so far and are usually time-consuming processes, but the best data removal services shoulder this task for you.  Also: I put 2025’s leading data-removal services …

Hegseth’s removal of top Army chaplain raises ‘troubling questions’ from Black denomination

Hegseth’s removal of top Army chaplain raises ‘troubling questions’ from Black denomination

Published by Sam Flores

(RNS) — The historically Black denomination that endorsed U.S. Army Maj. Gen. William Green Jr., who until last week served as the Army’s chief of chaplains, said it had “deep disappointment and serious concern” about his removal by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Green, who had served in the top military chaplaincy role since 2023, was the third Black Army chief of chaplains. He was dismissed on April 2, during the Christian observance of Holy Week between Palm Sunday and Easter and amid the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. “The removal of Major General William Green Jr. raises serious and troubling questions that deserve transparency and accountability,” said the Rev. Boise Kimber, president of the National Baptist Convention U.S.A. Inc., in a Wednesday (April 8) statement. “His decades of faithful service, moral leadership, and historic representation within the Army Chaplain Corps should not be overshadowed by actions that create the appearance of bias, ideological targeting, or radical political interference. Our nation must be careful not to allow partisan agendas to undermine institutions built on merit, sacrifice, and …

Margot Robbie’s rumoured buccal fat removal could cause ‘premature ageing’, warns surgeon

Margot Robbie’s rumoured buccal fat removal could cause ‘premature ageing’, warns surgeon

Published by Daniella Wilson

Margot Robbie is the latest celebrity to face speculation that she has undergone a buccal fat removal procedure after showing her slimmer facial appearance during a Paris Fashion Week appearance in March. The Wuthering Heights actress looked strikingly different with a new wavy bob and fringe, which showed her sculpted jawline and sharp cheekbones as she attended the Chanel Fall 2026 show, prompting speculation that she had undergone a cosmetic procedure to alter her facial appearance. To learn more about exactly what buccal fat removal is, and to get an expert opinion on Margot’s changing appearance, we caught up with Dr. Ramtin Kassir, a triple board-certified celebrity plastic surgeon based in New York, and his response may surprise you. © Corbis via Getty ImagesMargot Robbie’s face looked noticeably slimmer at Paris Fashion Week “From looking at recent photos, there is no clear evidence that Margot Robbie has undergone buccal fat removal. Her face still shows natural midface volume and a smooth transition under the cheekbone, which is not typically seen when the procedure has been …

Trump faces calls for removal over threats to wipe out Iran civilization

Trump faces calls for removal over threats to wipe out Iran civilization

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., speaks to the media outside the U.S. Capitol after the House of Representatives voted to pass President Donald Trump’s sweeping spending and tax bill, in Washington, July 3, 2025. Ken Cedeno | Reuters The reticence expressed by Democrats about removing President Donald Trump from office — even after he ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and attacked Iran without seeking congressional approval — quickly fell away after his latest threat to Iran. The president’s Tuesday morning Truth Social post, which threatened “a whole civilization will die tonight” and raised the specter of nuclear war, began a chorus of calls either for Trump’s impeachment or for his removal via the invocation of the 25th Amendment. On Tuesday evening, Trump and Iran announced a two-week ceasefire. “This is a threat of genocide and merits removal from office. The President’s mental faculties are collapsing and cannot be trusted,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., posted to X on Tuesday. “To every individual in the President’s chain of command: You have a duty to refuse illegal orders. …

Democrats, Marjorie Taylor Greene call for Trump’s removal from office following Iran threat

Democrats, Marjorie Taylor Greene call for Trump’s removal from office following Iran threat

Published by Sam Flores

70 Democrats in the House of Representatives support removing President Donald Trump from office over his recent threats to destroy Iran. That tally comes via Axios’ Andrew Solender after several days of social media brinksmanship from the commander-in-chief. Some congressional Democrats — such as frequent Trump target Rep. Ilhan Omar — were floating impeachment or removal under the Constitution’s 25th Amendment before Trump threatened to kill a “whole civilization.” The president had set a deadline for Iran, demanding that the country lift its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday night. Over the Easter weekend, Trump threatened an attack on critical infrastructure in the country. He reiterated those threats in a post to Truth Social on Tuesday morning. “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” he wrote. “Maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World.” The post drew immediate …