In yet another slap at civil libertarians and the rule of law, the Obama Administration has promoted the CIA officer responsible for one of the most embarrassing scandals of the Bush Administration: the kidnapping and abuse of Khaled el-Masri.
Continue reading “Obama Promotes CIA Officer Responsible For El-Masri Abuse”
When city officials called upon the public to name their new government center in Fort Wayne, the public responded overwhelmingly in selecting a former mayor. That would normally seem an ideal choice for officials . . . unless the former mayor’s name is Harry Baals (pronounced “Balls”). Officials said that they have decided not to let the voters pick after all to avoid a sign reading “the Harry Baals Government Center.”
Continue reading “No Baals in Fort Wayne: City Officials Refuse To Name Center After Former Mayor Harry Baals”
China is being accused of pulling the “Beauty of Xiaohe” over concerns that the remarkably well-preserved 4,000-year-old mummy because she is too Western looking. People who have seen the mummy have noted that she looks remarkably Caucasian — a problem for Chinese officials who have long denounced theories that that China’s Tarim Basin, in Xinjiang province, was actually settled by Europeans.
Continue reading “Whose Your Mummy? China Reportedly Pulls Mummy Due To European Features”
Sarah Palin has made a name for herself as a reality television star and grizzley Mom. Now she is trademarking that name as is her daughter Bristol Palin.
Continue reading “Coming Soon To Stores . . . Palin™: Palin Trademarks Herself”
Christina Aguilera has become the latest star to apparently blow the national anthem. In her case, she left out the “O’er the ramparts we watched” — a critical and noticeable line. However, the real question is why we have a national anthem that only a castrato with a photographic memory can sing.
Continue reading “O Say Can You Sing? Christina Aguilera Accused of Butchering National Anthem”
Submitted By Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw), Guest Blogger
I will be honest. I am not a big fan of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and as of late, I have had the same less than positive feelings about his wife, Virginia Thomas. According to a recent Think Progress article, Justice Thomas’ vote on the Citizens United case has allowed his wife’s “consultant” company to profit by educating its customers on the best political causes to invest, I mean, donate to .
Continue reading “Profit From Behind The Supreme Court Bench?”
Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Author’s note: Another in a series of obscure American history viginettes.
Bush’s multi-trillion dollar bailout was nothing new in American history; the money just flowed in a different direction. In America, where the banking monarchy has long memories and keeps ledger books going back centuries, it was just repayment of a debt incurred before the turn of the last century to a new generation of our financial princes.
Continue reading “J.P. Morgan And The Reverse Bailout That Saved The U.S.”
Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw), Guest Blogger
I have previously written about certain politicians wanting to reduce Disabled Veteran’s disability payments in order to reduce the nation’s debt. Now it seems that even the Military health care system called Tricare, is balking at providing the necessary, albeit expensive, cognitive rehabilitation therapy for brain injured military personnel. Once again, wounded vets are being taken advantage of by the very system that is designed to provide them with medical care.
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
EMTALA is an acronym for Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act passed in 1986 and signed into law by then-President Ronald Reagan. It requires hospitals and ambulance services to provide care to anyone needing emergency healthcare treatment regardless of citizenship, legal status or ability to pay. Since there are no provisions for reimbursement, it’s often cited as an example of an unfunded mandate. EMTALA applies only to “participating hospitals”, those who accept funds under the Medicare program, which for practical purposes, is all hospitals. EMTALA was enacted to prevent the practice of “patient dumping”, where, because of the inability to pay or insufficient insurance, hospitals would discharge emergency patients. Hospitals and physicians can incur a $50,000 fine for each violation.
EMTALA provides access to the health care system for everyone.
Ninth Circuit Chief Judge Alex Kozinski (left) has written an order (below) absolving a magistrate judge (believed to be Magistrate Judge Edward Chen) of ethical charges after he spoke out publicly against “institutionalized racism” and the criminalization of immigration laws.
Continue reading “Court: Judge Allowed To Speak Publicly Against Federal Law and “Institutionalized Racism””
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli announced this morning that he will file a Petition for Certiorari Before Judgment today requesting that the U.S. Supreme Court review the Commonwealth v. Sebelius decision without waiting for a ruling from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
I have received a significant number of emails after my earlier stated views on the national health care legislation were raised in the hearings this week before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Unfortunately, I am plowed under this week in litigation, but I wanted to offer a brief response to Harvard Law Professor and former Reagan Solicitor General Charles Fried who disagreed with my views on the danger to federalism.
Continue reading “Health Care and Federalism: A Response to Professor Charles Fried”
Dan Snyder is reportedly planning a defamation action against Washington’s City Paper for a scathing story about his controversial time as owner of the Washington Redskins. The case could prove an interesting battle over first amendment rights and defamation law.
Continue reading “Redskins Owner Threatens Newspaper With Libel Suit After Unflattering Article”
Here is my column in USA Today (which was posted yesterday but will run in print on Monday) on the charge that Judge Vinson is an activist after his striking down of the entire health care plan. While I did not view the opinion as particularly strong in its substantive analysis and did not like the rhetoric flourishes (as discussed with Lawrence O’Donnell this week), I find the charge of activism to be a bit forced over the issue of severability.
Continue reading “The Ford Pinto Act: Is The White House Claim of “Activism” Fair?”
Minot State University professor emeritus Eric Clausen has filed his second federal complaint alleging that he was retaliated against by the National Geographic Society after he complained that the contest discriminated against girls because virtually no girls have won the national title.