Year: 2014

Uncategorized

Presence of Militia Groups Who Support Cliven Bundy Alarming Some Nevada Residents and Hurting Businesses

Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Weekend Contributor

It appears that the militia groups who arrived in Nevada to support Cliven Bundy with his standoff against the Bureau of Land Management have become a cause of concern for some residents, workers, and businesses in the area surrounding Bunkerville.

Horsford talks Bunkerville militia presence with Rachel Maddow

KLAS-TV/News NOW (Las Vegas) reported on April 29th that hotels in Mesquite had suffered financial losses of more than $100,000 due to concerns about armed militia groups patrolling in the area. News NOW learned that Mesquite police were investigating death threats made to hotel workers following a bomb threat earlier in April.

Continue reading “Presence of Militia Groups Who Support Cliven Bundy Alarming Some Nevada Residents and Hurting Businesses” →

Courts, Free Speech, International, Justice, Media, Politics

Egyptian Judge Wishes Three Reporters A Happy World Press Freedom Day Then Denies Them Bail

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

Flag of EgyptThree al-Jazeera reporters were in court for a hearing in Cairo, Egypt where a judge wished them a Happy World Press Freedom Day before denying them bail and remanding them for further proceedings beginning May 15th.

The defendants, al-Jazeera English’s Cairo Bureau Chief Mohamed Fahmy, Reporter Peter Greste, and Producer Baher Mohamed have been incarcerated since December and are accused of creating false news, slandering Egypt’s reputation, and aiding terrorists. Prosecutors have been attempting to show that al-Jazeera is aiding the banned organization the Muslim Brotherhood, which is considered an enemy of the state.

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Constitutional Law, Courts, Justice, Politics, Society

The Arizona Solar Tax and Who Benefits From It

300px-Solar_Plant_kl

Respectfully submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty (rafflaw) Weekend Contributor

When I think of places that would be ideally suited for taking advantage of solar power, Arizona is high on the list.  There are approximately 20,000 Arizona buildings utilizing solar collection technology to replace or supplement normal power sources. However, that number may soon decrease if a new “solar tax” is implemented.

“A new interpretation of state law in Arizona could force customers to pay property taxes on leased solar panels. In a state with an estimated 20,000 solar customers and 85 percent of new solar installations being leased systems, the implications of an extra charge are tremendous. The new tax could result in an additional $152 per year for a residential solar array and even more for larger installations, the Arizona Republic reported. What’s more, the tax would apply to both new and existing customers.” Think Progress

At first glance, I guess it should not surprise anyone that a new tax may be initiated.  However, when that tax is a tax on solar panels on commercial and residential buildings and includes solar panel arrays that are leased, it raised some eyes in Arizona.  Why would the State of Arizona decide on a tax on the collection of power of the sun?  The answer may surprise you. Continue reading “The Arizona Solar Tax and Who Benefits From It” →

Free Speech, International, Justice, Media

La Maison Des Journalistes: A French Refuge For Exiled Journalists

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

La Maison Des JournalistesIn honour of World Press Freedom Day, we bring to you la Maison des Journalistes (MDJ), a French non-profit organization that offers shelter and support to journalists forced to flee their home countries. The MDJ was founded in 2002, and has since housed more than 250 journalists from 54 different countries. Maison des journalists offers courageous journalists a temporary home and the help they need to rebuild their lives.

The first role of the organization is to recognize individual journalists and the sacrifices they have made in the name of press freedom and human rights. It works to ensure that they are not forgotten or left to their own devices upon arrival in a foreign country, whose language many of our residents do not speak. Men and women come to the Maison des Journalistes during a particularly difficult time in their lives and many are dealing with serious physical and psychological scars.

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Constitutional Law, International, Military, Politics

Increasing Support In Japan For Changing Pacifism Article In Constitution

By Darren Smith, weekend contributor

Flag of JapanJapanese voters are split over changing the country’s pacifist constitution, in order to allow Japan to ease limits on the military, according to a recent poll. About 50 percent of voters want Japan to be able to exercise its right to self-defense in case of an international conflict, while almost 90 percent of lower house lawmakers back the change.

The survey was made by the Asahi newspaper and a University of Tokyo research team. It showed that half of the voters want the revising of the constitution, up from 41 percent in 2009.

Japan’s prime-minister Shinzo Abe made clear he wants to change the constitution in order to give more power to the military. The constitution has never been changed since it was drafted by the United States Occupation forces in 1947, after the World War Two.

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Bizarre

Burglar Steals Everything Including The Kitchen Sink

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

Kitchen Sink
Is nothing sacred anymore?

Everything has been stolen — including the kitchen sink — from the kitchen of a model house in Kansas.

Police say thieves stripped the kitchen of the Clayton Homes unit in south Wichita, taking all the upscale appliances, the wooden cabinets from the walls and, of course, the sink.

General manager Kevin McCracken says the model unit was nearly ready for display when the theft occurred, sometime between 9 p.m. Sunday and 8 a.m. Monday.
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Free Speech, International, Media, Politics

May Third Is World Press Freedom Day

World Press Freedom Day
By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

In honor of the day first proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993 at the recommendation of UNESCO, and to garner attention to how press freedom fares twenty years later, Deutsche Welle has compiled a series highlighting the issues journalists and the public generally are facing.

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Animals, Criminal law

Indiana Police Officer Under Investigation For Abusing Of K-9 Dog

3626237_GA Hammond Police K-9 officer is on administrative leave this week after the YouTube video was posted by a citizen who saw him striking a K-9 dog and lifting the dog by the leash off the ground repeatedly. The officer lifts the German Shepard by the leash and appears to be striking the dog with another leash in the stomach area.

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Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Torts

“We Then Escorted Gonzalez To The Ground”: Two Florida Deputies Under Investigation After Videotape Shows Suspect Being Punched In The Face and Slammed Into The Pavement

bso-brutality2Two Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputies are under investigation after a videotape was discovered showing a deputy punching David Gonzalez in the face and then the deputies slamming him into the pavement. As shown by his mugshot, Gonzales was injured, including broken bones in his face. The officers have been identified as deputies Justin Lambert and Mike Manresa. They reportedly claimed that Gonzalez was drunk and resisting arrest but that is not what the videotape below indicates. The officers said that Gonzalez was abrasive and yelling at them and added “We then escorted Gonzalez to the ground.” That “escort” was preceded by a punch to the face before sending him face first into concrete.

Continue reading ““We Then Escorted Gonzalez To The Ground”: Two Florida Deputies Under Investigation After Videotape Shows Suspect Being Punched In The Face and Slammed Into The Pavement” →

Congress, Courts, Politics, Society

Congressman Calls Clarence Thomas An “Uncle Tom” While Few Denounce The Race-Based Attack

220px-Clarence_Thomas220px-Bennie_Thompson,_official_portrait,_111th_CongressI have been a long critic of many of Justice Clarence Thomas’ opinions which often reject basic individual rights while embracing police and national security powers. However, I believe that Thomas is often treated unfairly for being a black conservative on the Court. While others like Justices Alito, Scalia, and Roberts routinely vote along the same lines, Thomas’ race is commonly cited in commentary while that is not a factor in the other justices on the right of the Court. This unfairness was vividly shown by the comments of Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) that Thomas is an “Uncle Tom” and suggested that he was not an authenticate black person. He has refused to retract or apologize of the attack. In the meantime, Democrats are uniformly silent in the face of this uncivil and outrageous attack.

Continue reading “Congressman Calls Clarence Thomas An “Uncle Tom” While Few Denounce The Race-Based Attack” →

Animals, Criminal law, Torts

Syphoning Sid: Texas Family Files Complaint Against Veterinarian After Discovering That Family Dog Was Not Put Down But Allegedly Kept For Months To Supply Blood For Transfusions

article-2616929-1D79E98200000578-95_634x383There is a truly horrific story out of Fort Worth where a well-known veterinary clinic is under investigation for allegedly keeping a dog alive in disgusting conditions to be tapped for blood transfusions . . . months after the family paid to have the dog put down. Camp Bowie Animal Clinic is accused of leaving 5-year-old Leonberger Sida covered in feces as a type of blood factory.

Continue reading “Syphoning Sid: Texas Family Files Complaint Against Veterinarian After Discovering That Family Dog Was Not Put Down But Allegedly Kept For Months To Supply Blood For Transfusions” →

Criminal law, Society

California Man Dies In Pursuit Of Suspect Who Stabbed Mother In Parking Lot

E_HERO_0430_A.jpgThis story stood out on Reddit because the killing occurred near where I spent many of my summers with my Italian grandparents in Cherry Valley, California. Troy Cansler, 47, (left) is a husband and a father who refused to stand by and watch a woman be stabbed for her purse on Sunday. He gave chase after police say Vincent Alex DeLeon, 26, stabbed and robbed the woman who had a baby in a stroller. DeLeon then proceed, according to the charges, to stab this brave man to death.

Continue reading “California Man Dies In Pursuit Of Suspect Who Stabbed Mother In Parking Lot” →

Politics, Society

Obama Administration Moves Toward Tolls On Interstate Highways

220px-Atlanta_75.85I have previously written about the proliferation of toll roads in the United States as governments shift the cost of highways to citizens while spending wildly on foreign wars and losing billions of waste. Congress allows billions to literally disappear in places like Iraq and Afghanistan or give billions in aid to affluent countries like Israel, but it insists that American citizens already struggling financially should be forced to pay to use their federal roads. The change is a fundamental shift in our approach to highways which were viewed as the basic service supplied to taxpayers. However, the Administration has quickly open the door in the new transportation bill to end the long tradition of free federal highways. Of course, do not take too much cash on the highways, because it can be seized by police in the growing number of pretext stops called “policing for profits.”

Continue reading “Obama Administration Moves Toward Tolls On Interstate Highways” →