The Israeli Military Advocate General Avichai Mandleblit is investigating accounts of religious extremists pushing soldiers to view the Gaza invasion as a “religious war” against gentiles. In the meantime, human rights groups are calling for the removal of military’s head chaplain, Rabbi (and Brigadier General) Avichai Rontzki, who told soldiers that it was “immoral” to show mercy to the enemy in the operation.
Month: March 2009
While Congress attempts to get back roughly $170 million in bonuses paid to executives at American International Group (AIG), AIG is suing the U.S. government (its largest shareholder) for $306 million in tax payments. Between bailouts, bonuses, and tax refunds, it is getting difficult to tell how has what amount of the public fisc.
Continue reading “After Using Federal Bailout Money To Award Massive Bonuses, AIG Is Now Using Public Funds to Sue the Government To Get Back $306 millions in Tax Payments Tied to Offshore Tax Havens”
Jade Puckett in Houston, Texas spent her wedding night in a wedding gown in a cell with twenty other women at the Harris County jail after she and her new husband were pulled over in a sobriety roadblock. Police say that Puckett became belligerent and was arrested. She is not contesting the charge (which was pleaded out as public intoxication), but she has filed a complaint over her abusive treatment by Harris County officers. That complaint appears to have considerable merit.
The Corcoran State Prison in California has given the world a glimpse of Charles Manson at 74. As the founder and director of the Project for Older Prisoners (POPS), I want to reaffirm that he is not viewed as a good POPS candidate.
Continue reading “Charles Manson at 74: Still Not POPS Qualified”
In Whitehead, Indiana, Michelle Owen, 24, was allegedly so focused on incriminating her ex-boyfriend for downloading child pornography that she forgot about picture showing her engaged in sex acts with a dog.
The first names of AIG executives who received millions in bonuses have been released. Some executives are now suggesting that the company should pay for private security — which would presumably come from public funds. These executives include , labeled “Jackpot Jimmy by New York newspapers. He is James Haas, 47, an executive VP and the co-leader of North American marketing. Also named are Douglas Poling, 48, the unit’s general counsel, as well as a director, executive vice president and chief administrative officer, and Jonathan Liebergall, 43, a unit director and head of municipal finance.
A mother has sued the Church of Scientology after her son, Kyle Brennan, 20, committed suicide. He was on antidrepressants, but his father Thomas Brennan allegedly took away the prescription drugs as part of his Scientology beliefs. After only one week with his father in Clearwater, Florida, Kyle committed suicide. His mother, Victoria Britton, has sued the sister of Scientology’s worldwide leader, David Miscavige.
Most law professors relish any reliance of a court on their academic writings. This may not be what Seton Hall Law Professor Robert Martin had in mind. Martin wrote about his experience as a juror in the New Jersey Law Journal after he and his co-jurors found a grocery store liable for $876,000. A New Jersey appellate court has now ruled that the publication is a sufficient reason to overturn the verdict based on his described conduct.
Continue reading “Publish and Perish: Law Professor’s Writing on His Jury Experience Leads to the Overturning of Verdicts”
Recently, the aunt of Gambian President Yahya Jammeh died and he reportedly blamed witchcraft. Now, Amnesty International reports the President’s personal guard and both police and army forces have abducted up to 1000 villagers to force them to drink a vile liquid from witch doctors brought in by the government. They were forced to drink potions that reportedly killed two and sickened many others.
Aleyda Uceta, 30, has been arrested after she allegedly punched and bite Principal Rudolph Moseley Jr. of Roger Williams Middle School in Providence, Rhode Island. Moseley had just informed her that her 11-year-old son would be suspended for refusing to go to a room for misbehaving children.
Continue reading “Parental Intervention: Mother Arrested After Biting Principal For Suspending Son”
The chain store Petland has been accused by The Humane Society of selling sick puppies and using a supplier that is little more than a puppy mill with horrible conditions, The Hunte Corp of Goodman, Mo.
The Vatican has refused to moderate or withdraw the controversial statement of Pope Benedict in a trip to Africa that condoms only “increase the problem” of AIDS. The anti-condom stance outraged Kevin De Cock, director of the World Health Organisation’s HIV/AIDS department, who noted that there is no evidence that condoms increase the rate of AIDs and that many studies show that it is an effective protection against the disease. People like De Cock have been struggling against a disinclination in Africa to wear condoms.
The Nebraska Court of Appeals has reversed the decision of a Civil Service commission tfire an overweight officer, Christopher D. Parent. Parent, 52, is a 25 year veteran who was fired after questions were raised about his fitness in a combat shooting exercise and his failure to maintain a “high level of physical, mental and emotional conditioning.”
Yesterday, Senate Banking committee Chairman Christopher Dodd took responsibility for inserting language into the federal stimulus bill that protected bonuses like the controversial AIG bonuses. A Treasury official has acknowledged that the Obama Administration pushed for the language. On Tuesday, Dodd denied have any role in inserting the language.
Continue reading “Senator Christopher Dodd Admits Responsibility For Inserting Language Protecting Bonuses”
President Barack Obama has proclaimed that the bonuses to AIG executives is “outrageous” but the “The buck stops with me.” The White House press corp again failed to ask the obvious question: what does that mean? When everyone is at fault, no one is generally accountable in the bizarre world that is Washington.
Continue reading “When Everyone is at Fault, No One is Accountable: Barack Obama Takes Blame for AIG Bonuses”