Yvette C. Hammett

Yvette C. Hammett is a journalist who spent much of her career in newsrooms, including The Tampa Tribune, The Mobile Register, and The Stuart News, covering issues from courtroom to environmental battles, a busy cop beat, and international news.

Are parental leave policies unfair? Trial will decide.

The question of whether fathers deserve as much parental leave as mothers when a new child comes into the home is in the hands of a Washington, D.C. district judge.

By Yvette C. Hammett

/ 23 Sep 2020

CARES act fraud not easy to define

While Congress is working to root out CARES Act fraud connected to billions in business loans awarded during the COVID-19 crisis, small business owners are concerned about whether they followed the rules or will face the feds’ wrath if they didn’t.

By Yvette C. Hammett

/ 21 Sep 2020

The word 'Fraud' written in red marker, viewed under a magnifying glass.

Whistleblowers cash in, thanks to decade-old law

Prior to the Dodd-Frank Act, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission was hard-pressed to get corporate whistleblowers to come forward. But just last week, the SEC awarded $2.5 million to whistleblowers who aided in an investigation.

By Yvette C. Hammett

/ 18 Sep 2020

Man wearing a suit and holding a whistle attached to a red lanyard.

High profile whistleblower cases, according to the National Whistleblower Center

High profile whistleblower cases

By Yvette C. Hammett

/ 18 Sep 2020

Your risk of being a crime victim likely not as high as you think

What are the chances you will get robbed this year, or assaulted, or otherwise be a crime victim? Many overestimate the risk.

By Yvette C. Hammett

/ 17 Sep 2020

Predictive policing is predictably controversial

As the debate over data-driven predictive policing continues to heat up, not every department is ready to back away from its use.

By Yvette C. Hammett

/ 16 Sep 2020

Police car with flashing lights at night.

Artificial intelligence can infringe on real-life civil liberties

Many people don’t realize is that there are gaps in artificial intelligence regulations, some of which allow infringement on civil rights. That can include housing and employment opportunities.

By Yvette C. Hammett

/ 16 Sep 2020

Icons representing artificial intelligence displayed on a screen.

Civil liberties at risk as crisis managers turn to tech solutions

When a crisis rears its head and government and the tech community invent ways to handle it, lots of personal data is collected and stored. What happens to that data once an emergency passes? What happens to the technologies used to collect it? What civil liberties are at risk?

By Yvette C. Hammett

/ 11 Sep 2020

Hand holding a sign that reads 'NSA is watching you'.

War crimes investigations aided by artificial intelligence

Proving war crimes can be a long, tedious process, involving people spending many hours scouring thousands of images from war-torn countries like Yemen. Human rights groups across the globe are working to incorporate artificial intelligence into the process to speed up the time it takes to present e

By Yvette C. Hammett

/ 8 Sep 2020

People taking shelter in a bombed-out building.

Police surveillance cameras have time limits, Massachusetts court says

Can police mount surveillance cameras on phone and utility poles outside your house and watch your every move? Not in Massachusetts, at least not for extended periods.

By Yvette C. Hammett

/ 8 Sep 2020

Police reconsider facial recognition, other tech

The U.S. may see a decline in the use of certain technologies used by law enforcement, including facial recognition, as calls for reimagining policing continue to grow.

By Yvette C. Hammett

/ 4 Sep 2020

Software analyzing faces of pedestrians at a crowded street corner.

Fourth Amendment case raises larger questions

The sentiment on the streets on the need for police reforms appears to be seeping into the halls of justice. That includes questions about Fourth Amendment rights prohibiting illegal search and seizure.

By Yvette C. Hammett

/ 3 Sep 2020

United States District Court criminal complaint form.