Category: Politics

Academia, Bizarre, Politics, Science, Society

Choose Life, Live Left? Study Finds That Liberals Outlive Conservatives

President_Barack_ObamaGeorge-W-Bush_jpegFor conservatives, it must sound like “better red than dead” all over again. A new study in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health suggests that liberals live longer than conservatives in the United States. The researchers looked at more than 32,000 adults and tracked them over 15 years. The result was surprising: conservatives seemed to be expiring faster than their counterparts on the left. However, conservatives claimed to be happier than their counterparts in life.

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Free Speech, International, Politics, Religion, Society

Islamic State Burns Thousands of Books Including Ancient Works In The Name of Islamic Purity

AQMI_Flag.svgThe_House_of_Leaves_-_Burning_4The Islamic State has continued its campaign of religious fascism in murdering thousands and “cleansing” areas for its view of the true Islamic faith. This process appears to include the burning of books in cities like Mosul, which once held a treasure trove of ancient texts including works dating back to 5000 BC. Some 2,000 books that range from children’s stories to poetry to historical texts were burned in front of residents who were told that such texts “promote infidelity and call for disobeying Allah. So they will be burned.”

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Politics, Religion, Society, Torts

No Eviction Before Conviction? Leader Rabbi Refuses To Vacate Home After Videotaping Scandal

Freundel-e1413317892667We have been following the bizarre case of the once leading national Orthodox rabbi and powerful local figure, Barry Freundel. Freundel (shown above from a YouTube clip), is now criminally charged with using a secret camera to film Jewish women engaged in the ritual bath known as a Mikva. There is now another front in the battles for Freudel’s future. He has refused to move out of a house owned by his former synagogue and will face proceedings in a jewish court or beth din.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Free Speech, International, Politics, Religion, Society

Erdoğan: I Don’t Want To Be A Sultan . . . I Want To Be A Queen

220px-Recep_Tayyip_Erdogan200px-disneyqueenheartsTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had become a perpetual gaff machine. He would be funny if he were not so menacing in his effort to roll back on civil liberties and break down the secular traditions of Turkey in favor of Islamification of the government. He is facing growing criticism internationally and last week responded to allegations that he was trying to establish himself as a new Sultan. No, Erdoğan insisted, he really just wants to be more like Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. As shown in other embarrassing moments recently, Erdoğan’s’s knowledge of history is even worst than his appreciation for human rights.

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Courts, Free Speech, International, Media, Politics, Society

Egypt Releases Journalist Peter Greste

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

Peter Greste
Peter Greste

We previously wrote HERE and HERE of the arrest, conviction, and sentencing to seven years Al Jazeera reporter Peter Greste for the dubious accusation of aiding the Muslim Brotherhood through their coverage of the “civil war” in Egypt. During sentencing, as we previously reported, the Court insisted that the reporters “took advantage of the noble profession of journalism … and turned it from a profession aimed at looking for the truth to a profession aimed at falsifying the truth.” It then added that “The devil guided them to use journalism and direct it toward activities against this nation.” That “devil” work was reporting on the crackdown on the supporters of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

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Constitutional Law, Courts, Free Speech, International, Media, Politics, Society

European Commission Considering Data Retention Law Targeting Telecoms And Internet Service Providers

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

european-commission-logoUnder the pre-text of combatting terrorism, the European Commission is mulling a proposed regulation that would require telecommunications companies and internet service providers to retain records of European Citizens’ communications. Courts struck down on constitutional privacy grounds a previous law.

The measure comes just after the deadly terrorist attacks stemming from the Charlie Hebdo rampage in Paris in early January. The situation does appear to a lesser degree reminiscent of the changes in government approaches to privacy in the wake of terrorist outrages in other nations such as those in the United States in 2001 and the railway attacks in Spain and the United Kingdom.

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Free Speech, International, Media, Politics, Society

Press Freedom On The Decline In Hong Kong

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

Flag_of_the_People's_Republic_of_ChinaAn unfortunate result of the “Occupy” movement in Hong Kong has made freedom of the press one of the casualties.

Unlike other large cities and China generally, Hong Kong reporters enjoy considerable latitude comparatively but there are indications that even this is suffering erosion. Reports are emerging from journalists and other news and civil rights NGOs that Chinese authorities are beginning to import their restrictions into the former British Colony, where formerly the national government had allowed some deference due to the long standing culture and western traditions of the “special administrative region.”

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Academia, Environment, Politics, Religion, Science, Society

New Poll Shows Huge Gap Between The Views of Scientists and The Public Over Basic Questions From Evolution to Genetically Modified Food

Huxley_-_Mans_Place_in_Nature-2-300x179As new study by the respected Pew Research Center shows a striking disconnect between the views of scientists and the public on basic scientific questions. In eight out of thirteen science-oriented issues, there was a 20 percentage point or more difference between the two groups on issues like genetically modified food, global warming, or evolution.

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Criminal law, International, Military, Politics, Society

White House Struggles To Distinguish Between The Islamic State and Taliban Prisoner Swaps

bergdahl150124201815-nr-dnt-harlow-sajida-al-rishawi-explainer-00001707-large-169The White House again seems to be struggling with barriers of both language and logic as many raise comparisons between the controversial Bergdahl swap and the effort this week of Jordan to swap a terrorist for one of its downed pilots with Islamic State. During a week where one of the five Taliban leaders released by the Administration has been found trying to communicate with the Taliban, the Jordanian swap has reignited the criticism of the swap for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, which violated federal law and released Taliban leaders with long and bloody records. The White House seems to be trying to argue that the Taliban are not terrorists in direct contradiction to its prior position that they are indeed terrorists. It shows the fluidity of these terms and how the government uses or withdraws designations as terrorists to suit its purposes. The familiarities between Islamic State (IS) and the Taliban appear to be something in the eye of beholder or, to quote a certain former president, “It depends on what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is.”

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Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Justice, Lawyering, Media, Politics, Society

Turley Testimony In Senate Confirmation Hearing Of Loretta Lynch

Loretta_LynchI will have the honor of appearing today as part of the confirmation hearings in the Senate Judiciary Committee for Loretta Lynch, nominee to serve as United States Attorney General. Below is my written testimony for the hearing today.

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Bizarre, Environment, International, Politics, Society

Mayor: Beijing Is Now “Unliveable” Due to Pollution

220px-beijing_smog_comparison_august_2005UnknownWe have been discussing for years how China has allowed pollution contaminate the soil, water, and air of its country to a shocking degree. That is no more apparent (literally) than the air in Beijing (here and here and here and here). Now the city is being called “unliveable.” That is nothing new except this is Beijing’s own mayor, Wang Anshun.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Media, Politics, Society

Alabama’s First Gay Legislator Declares That She Will “Out” Adulterous Colleagues Who Oppose Same-Sex Marriage

Todd_PatriciaAlabama’s first openly gay state legislator, State Rep. Patricia Todd has created a stir this week by declaring that she intends to publicly reveal the adulterous affairs of colleagues who oppose same-sex marriage on the basis of family values. The threat raises the prospect of potential tort liability and some interesting questions of privilege.

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Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Politics

Obama Administration Files Motion To Dismiss House Challenge

Congressional SealSeal_of_the_President_of_the_United_States.svgThe Obama Administration has filed its expected Motion to Dismiss in the challenge by the United States House of Representatives v. Burwell. As many of you know, I am lead counsel in the action. We posted our complaint earlier and I have posted the motion of the Administration below.

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Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, Free Speech, International, Justice, Lawyering, Military, Politics, Supreme Court

The CIA’s Whitewash Investigation of Itself

220px-John_Brennan_CIA_official_portrait

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

It is unfortunately not surprising that anything that the CIA does should be considered suspect.  When the CIA recently came under fire for allegedly spying on Senate computers, no one, except the Senators who were spied on were surprised.  Now that Director John Brennan has completed his internal “investigation” into the matter, the truth has come out.  John Brennan says he and the CIA did nothing wrong! Continue reading “The CIA’s Whitewash Investigation of Itself” →

Free Speech, International, Media, Politics, Religion, Society

Lebanese Government Declares Miss Lebanon Will Not Be Stripped Of Crown After Selfie With Miss Israel

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

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We previously reported HERE the bizarre and saddening controversy involving Miss Universe contestant Saly Greige representing Lebanon who was photographed in a selfie by Miss Israel Doron Matalon. The event caused a row that could have stripped Saly of her crown for violating Lebanese fraternization prohibitions with citizens of Israel.

Now, a Lebanese government official announced that no sanctions would be taken against the young hopeful.

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