Over the weekend, the Israeli Maariv newspaper ran a story that spread like wildfire on news sites and blogosphere: a Rabbinical court sentencing a dog to be stoned to death as the reincarnated spirit of a disgruntled lawyer. As they say in the business, it was a fact too good to check. It turns out to be false and Maariv has issued an apology, but not until the story ran on sites from BBC to Drudge. For some who thought the story did not smell right, they were right.
Continue reading “The Curious Incident of the Dog That Was Not Stoned . . .”
Category: Media
Today, I have the honor of representing ten members of the United States House of Representatives in challenging the constitutional basis for the Libyan War — and the underlying claims made by President Obama. These members include Democrats and Republicans from across the political spectrum. They share a belief that Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution expressly requires the authorization of Congress before a president can commit the nation to war. The lawsuit will be heard in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. We filed this afternoon and held a press conference with the members in front of the courthouse. A copy of the complaint (which will be heard by Judge Reggie Walton) is below.
Continue reading “Members of Congress Challenge Libyan War in Federal Court”
After the disclosure that heroic Amina Arraf, a Syrian lesbian blogger, was actually a guy from Georgia, many believed it could not get weirder on the blogosphere. Then Bill Graber came forward to admit that, like Tom MacMaster, he is also a guy masquerading as a lesbian blogger. With the search for an actual lesbian on the blogosphere, I want to put to rest a growing rumor that I am actually an Iranian lesbian masquerading as a middle-aged professor. It may indeed that all of the actual lesbians are pretending that they are middle-aged men as middle-aged men pretend they are lesbians. However, I am not an Iranian lesbian. That should do it.
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
I’m sure most Americans are aware that former Alaska governor Sarah Palin has been on a bus tour along the east coast of the United States. What is the purpose of her tour?
Only Palin knows for sure. She did, however, provide people with her reason for taking this tour of historical places on her Sarah PAC website.
It’s interesting when (for the 100th time) reporters shout out, “Why are you traveling to historical sites? What are you trying to accomplish?” I repeat my answer, “It’s so important for Americans to learn about our past so we can clearly see our way forward in challenging times; so, we’re bringing attention to our great nation’s foundation.” When that answer isn’t what the reporters want to hear, we’ve asked them if they’ve ever visited these sites like the National Archives, Gettysburg, etc. When they confirm that they haven’t, it’s good to say, “Well, there you go. You’ll learn a lot about America today.” (They usually don’t want to hear that either!)
Continue reading “The Bells Are Ringing: Sarah Palin and the Revised Story of Paul Revere’s Ride”
This weekend, Baltasar Garzón, the Spanish judge who ordered the arrest of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, received the ALBA/Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism in New York. My roughly two-hour interview with Garzón before his receiving the award proved quite newsworthy with Garzón discussing subjects ranging from the charges that he is facing in Spain to current issues of human rights violations by the United States to the threats to assassinate him. Most notably, Garzón criticized the Obama Administration for rolling back on the Nuremberg principles and violating international obligations to prosecute individuals for torture and war crimes.
Continue reading “Baltasar Garzón Receives Human Rights Award and Criticizes Obama Administration For Violations of International Law”
I just saw this video, which is a gem. The reporter is doing a story on how the Olathe Kansas HS coach hit the amazing blindfolded halfcourt shot. However, if you look at the original tape below, the reporter did one better.
Continue reading “Reporter Sinks Ultimate Story on Blind Halfcourt Shot”
For civil libertarians, there are few heroes who can match Baltasar Garzón, the Spanish judge who ordered the arrest of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in 1998 and later worked to identify human rights violations committed during the Spanish Civil War and the Franco dictatorship. He will be the first recipient of ALBA/Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism. I will have the honor of serving as the interviewer of Judge Garzón at the award luncheon on Saturday, May 14th, and to explore his views of contemporary civil liberties issues as well as his famous career.
Continue reading “Baltasar Garzón To Receive Human Rights Award and Speak in New York”
One would hardly relish the position of Jim Andrews, owner of Felony Franks on the Near West Side of Chicago. Andrews is suing after city officials refused to allow him to hang his sign as offensive. He has named not just the city by 2nd Ward Alderman Bob Fioretti (2nd) for what he claims is a denial of his free speech. He may have a point.
Continue reading “Felony Franks Sues City Over Misdemeanor Message”
We have seen the continued political attacks from the some on the right on journalists in American politics. They are an easy target by politicians who try to get followers not to listen to independent journalists. However, the annual World Press Freedom Review shows reporters continue to serve their critical function in the world under intense threats and coercion. Last year, 102 journalists were killed.
Continue reading “Report: 102 Journalists Killed In 2010”
Keith Cowing is a blogger on Space Ref, a science blog, and was surprised recently to receive a call from the White House. White House staffer Rick Weiss reportedly called to warn him that his inclusion of the seal of Executive Office of the President of the United States violated federal law because it could be viewed as a product endorsement. A review of the blog entry demonstrates the claim to be preposterous in my view and I am unsure why the White House is spending such much time searching for seal misuses rather than . . . let’s see . . . war crimes.
Continue reading “HEY LOOK, THE WHITE HOUSE SEAL IS NOW ON THE TURLEY BLOG!”
There is an alarming report the FBI had a senior ABC news journalist as a confidential informant in the 1990s — a report who was actually given a confidential source designation with other snitches. The reporter appears to have passed along confidential information to the FBI including the identification of a confidential source. The reporter is identified only as informant number NY290000-SI-DT and the description as “a senior official employed by ABC News for over 15 years.”
Continue reading “Who Was The FBI Mole At ABC?”
Sen. Lindsey Graham appeared to confirm this week one of the greatest fears for civil libertarians in the aftermath of the burning of the Qu’ran (Koran) by Rev. Terry Jones. With Muslims murdering innocent people as a protest to the book burning, Senator Graham has called for Congress to go hold people accountable for such acts. The message is clear and predictable: if someone’s exercise of free speech has caused problems, limit the free speech.
Continue reading “Graham: “Free speech is a great idea, but we’re in a war.””
Dr. Wendy Walsh has added to the increasing claims against atheists from their taking over the country in league with Islamic radicals (Gingrich) or destroying the world (various political and religious leaders). Dr. Walsh has told the nation on CNN that “studies” show atheists always die first in survival situations.
Continue reading “Dr. Walsh on CNN: Atheists Die First”
CNN’s Nancy Grace has long been an embarrassment for many lawyers as a type of legal Glenn Beck. As noted in this column and prior blogs, Grace (who often refers to her work as a prosecutor) was repeatedly sanctioned for abuses and was viewed as something of a scandal in Alabama. Even in the face of lawsuits, CNN has kept her snarling, abusive show for the same reason Fox has kept Beck — in a blind pursuit of ratings without consideration for decent or journalistic values. This clip, however, shows that Grace not only can attack guests and savage constitutional rights — she feels equally competent to attack meteorologists over weather and science.
Continue reading “Nancy Grace Attacks The Weather”
I was a bit astonished this morning in watching CNN to see a story on the rescue of U.S. pilots after their F-15E Eagle crashed in Libya. The story did not mention what would appear the most newsworthy aspect of the story: the allegation that our helicopter mowed down Libyans who ran out to help the pilots.
Continue reading “Report: Libyans Rush To Help Pilots After Crash . . . U.S. Helicopters Shoot Libyans”