Barack Obama has indicated that the United States is considering military intervention in Libya. While this may be an effort to convince Gaddafi (Qadaffi) to leave, the very thought of another military campaign by the United States is alarming. We are continuing to gush billions in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan despite rising anti-American sentiments. In the meantime, our cities and states are near bankruptcy for lack of funds.
Author: jonathanturley
Here is a tip for other Hollywood actors. If you want to sue a studio over breach of contract, do not go to the roof of a building with a large machete and scream “I’m free at last.” As always, my thoughts go to his lawyer . . .
Continue reading “Lawyer’s Nightmare”
In an important case concerning personal autonomy, the Montana Supreme Court stayed an alarming order from Montana state judge for a woman to be forced to undergo an hysterectomy to save her life.
Continue reading “Montana Supreme Court Stays Order To Force Woman To Have Hysterectomy”
In yet another slap at civil liberties and civil libertarians, President Barack Obama signed an executive order Monday that will resume military tribunal proceedings at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Continue reading “Obama Orders Resumption of Military Tribunals”
Four years ago, I wrote a column on the controversy over boys and toy guns. In my column today in USA Today I return to the issue to discuss some recent research in the area.
Continue reading “The War on Toy Guns: Boy, Girls, and the Games They Play”
Heart Attack Grill, owned by Jon Basso, brags about some of the highest caloric, artery-clogging food. They even enlisted Blair River (a 572-pound obese man) as their spokesman. River, 29, has now died from pneumonia — a death connected to his obesity by critics.
Continue reading ““Heart Attack Grill” Spokesman Dies At 29″
Rep. Charles Rangel just recently was reprimanded by the House of Representatives. He has now moved on to the judicial branch where Judge Edward McLaughlin reprimanded him for his conduct in the bail hearing of one of the alleged members of the 137th Street gang, a high school student named Afrika Owes.
Continue reading “Rangel Reprimanded Over Conduct at Bail Hearing”
Dr. Richard B. Hoover, an astrobiologist with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, has released this picture of a fossil of a life form that came to Earth on a meteorite — as opposed to Sigourney Weaver’s stomach.
Continue reading “It Came From Outer Space: NASA Scientist Reveals Fossil From Meteorite”
Now this is a daring crime. A passenger on a flight on Air Antilles to Guadeloupe reportedly complained that he was having stomach issues and stayed in the bathroom for almost the entire flight. After the plane landed, a Brink’s security employee discovered that the $238,000 left with luggage in the hold had been taken.
Continue reading “Carry Out Luggage: Man Uses Plane Bathroom To Rob Brink’s of Almost $240,000”
Virgin Blue has fired a male flight attendant after a mother, Natalie Williamson, complained that her 17-month-old son, Riley, was put in an overhead compartment on a flight from Fij to Sydney. There is more, however, to this story than the headline.
Continue reading “Virgin Blue Fires Flight Attendant For Putting 17-Month-Old Son In Overhead Compartment”
We have seen how Sharia law has been used to justify child rape, stonings, and a wide array of abuses. Now the Interior Ministry of Saudi Arabia has issued a statement that protests for greater freedom and democratic reforms is also an offense against God.
Continue reading “Saudi Interior Ministry: Free Speech Is Offense Against God”
Folks at the National Rifle Association are celebrating what some are calling the “Palin effect” — a sharp rise in female membership in the NRA and gun ownership generally due to the rise of Sarah Palin. According to the article below, the Palin effect has encouraged new design and marketing efforts by gun manufacturers vis-a-vis women customers.
Continue reading “Sarah Palin: The Rosa Parks of Guns?”
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
From Change.gov (The Office of the President-Elect Barack Obama):
“Often the best source of information about waste, fraud, and abuse in government is an existing government employee committed to public integrity and willing to speak out. Such acts of courage and patriotism, which can sometimes save 
lives and often save taxpayer dollars, should be encouraged rather than stifled. We need to empower federal employees as watchdogs of wrongdoing and partners in performance. Barack Obama will strengthen whistleblower laws to protect federal workers who expose waste, fraud, and abuse of authority in government. Obama will ensure that federal agencies expedite the process for reviewing whistleblower claims and whistleblowers have full access to courts and due process.”
Is President Obama following through on his promise to protect whistleblowers? It doesn’t appear so. One has only to look at the case of Jeffrey Sterling to see that our President has definitely not been working to strengthen laws that would protect them. Sterling, an alleged whistleblower, was arrested in early January on charges that he leaked national defense information to the media and revealed the identity of a “human asset.”
Continue reading “Promises, Promises: Is the Obama DOJ Going after Whistleblowers?”
Here is today’s column in the Los Angeles Times (Sunday) on the recent remarks from Justice Clarence following criticism for his disclosure violations and alleged conflicts of interest.
Continue reading “Justice Thomas’ Dangerous Conceit”
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
Recently, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker was the recipient of an embarrassing prank call from a blogger Ian Murphy posing as Republican billionaire David Koch. Instead of waiting until the incident blew over, two Republican Wisconsin legislators have decided now’s the time to reintroduce legislation that would make the prank call illegal.
Sen. Mary Lazich, R-Waukesha, and Rep. Mark Honadel, R-Milwaukee, are reintroducing a bill that would: