Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

AOC Calls Out NYPD's Use of 'Robotic Dog' Drones to Police Her District and People Are Applauding

AOC Calls Out NYPD's Use of 'Robotic Dog' Drones to Police Her District and People Are Applauding
FNTV - FreedomNewsTV/YouTube // Scott Heins/Getty Images

With billions of dollars in its coffers, the New York City police department enjoys one of the highest police budgets of any city in the United States.

Even after landmark uprisings against racist policing systems last year pressured drastic cuts to the police budget, the NYPD still receives the third highest funding of any agency in the city.


New Yorkers got a glimpse this week into how that money is being used when a video surfaced of Digidog, a 70 pound surveillance robot designed to send live footage to human officers in high-pressure situations.

The bot was tested in the Bronx earlier this week, investigating a home invasion.

NYPD Robo-Dog "Digidog" Deployed in NYCwww.youtube.com

While its defenders say the bot will help protect the city's police in dangerous situations, New Yorkers are largely condemning the bot as a dangerous trend toward further militarization of police in the Big Apple—former home of the racist stop-and-frisk policy that overwhelmingly targeted innocent people of color.

Among those criticizing the technology was Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), a strong proponent of reallocating greater portions of police resources into public goods like education and healthcare.

Ocasio-Cortez reiterated that support in her response to the Digidog test.


The Congresswoman called on her followers to ask themselves when they last saw subsidized state-of-the-art technology go towards resources for residents in underserved communities, instead of overwhelmingly toward the police who disproportionately surveil them.

Her opposition was met with widespread agreement.







Some said the robot reminded them of something out of the dystopian television series Black Mirror.



Despite the $75 thousand robot dog cop, the culprits involved in the home invasion were gone before authorities arrived, having stolen $2 thousand and a cell phone. The men held two people hostage before one of the hostages managed to escape and alert police. The second hostage, a 35 year old man, was gone as well.

While the bot is still in its testing phase, it's unclear how broad its usage would be if fully adopted by the NYPD.

More from People/alexandria-ocasio-cortez

Ted Cruz; Kelvin Sampson
Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images; Alex Slitz/Getty Images

Houston Fans Livid After Ted Cruz 'Curse' Strikes Again At NCAA Basketball Championship

In 2013, 2016 and 2021, Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz was labeled the most hated man in Congress—by members of his own party. In 2023, Florida Republican Representative Matt Gaetz replaced him as the "most hated."

In a 2016 CNN interview, South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said:

Keep ReadingShow less
Harriet Tubman
Library of Congress/Getty Images

National Parks Website Restores Harriet Tubman Photo To 'Underground Railroad' Page After Backlash

Following significant backlash, the National Park Service restored a previously-erased photo of Harriet Tubman from a webpage dedicated to the history of the Underground Railroad, in which she led 13 missions to rescue enslaved people.

A spokesperson said the changes were not authorized by the agency's leadership.

Keep ReadingShow less
screenshot from Fox News of Jackie DeAngelis and Tommy Tuberville
Fox News

Tuberville Now Claims 'Entire Men's Teams' Are 'Turning Trans' To Play Against Women

Alabama Republican Senator Tommy "Coach" Tuberville appeared on Fox News Sunday to again spread unhinged misinformation about transgender athletes.

Speaking with guest host Jackie DeAngelis, Tuberville stated:

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot from Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver/YouTube

John Oliver Epically Calls Out Awkward Truth Behind Former NCAA Swimmer's Anti-Trans Tirades

On Sunday's episode of Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, the outspoken host devoted the entire program to the attack on trans girls and women who play sports by the GOP.

Oliver began the program saying:

Keep ReadingShow less
man in front of computer code
Chris Yang on Unsplash

Conspiracy Theories That Seem Believable The More You Look Into Them

We tend to think of conspiracy theories as a phenomenon of the digital age. But the internet and mobile devices only allow them to be created and spread faster.

Conspiracy theories have likely been around as long as human civilization has. They are, at their root, just another form of rumors and gossip.

Keep ReadingShow less