Month: October 2017
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Federal judge releases DNA software source code that was used by New York City’s crime lab
A federal judge unsealed the source code for a software program that was used to compare DNA samples in New York City’s crime lab. In July 2016, Judge Valerie Caproni of the Southern District of New York determined in U.S. v. Johnson that the source code of the Forensic Statistical Tool, a genotyping software, “is ‘relevant ……
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U.S. Senate panel puts self-driving cars in fast lane
A U.S. Senate panel on Wednesday unanimously gave the green light to a bill aimed at speeding the use of self-driving cars without human controls, a measure that also bars states from imposing regulatory road blocks. The bill still must clear a Senate vote, but it appears on track to passage. This should rev up…
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Zoning regulations are problematic for tiny-house buyers
Tiny-house buyers have to cope not only with the challenges of living in a smaller space. There are also zoning regulations that make it difficult to find a spot for the homes. In densely populated areas and most other areas, zoning regulations typically don’t allow full-time living in temporary structures such as RVs or movable…
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Supreme Court adds 11 cases to 2017 docket
The US Supreme Court [official website] granted certiorari in 11 cases [order list, PDF] on Thursday. Dalmazzi v. United States [cert. petition, PDF] Cox v. United States [docket], and Ortiz v. United States[cert. petition, PDF] are three cases that will be consolidated and will be given one hour each for oral argument. These cases deal with whether active-duty military officers can serve on the Court…