The Iranian government has arrested the chief of Kahrizak jail as news accounts have documented numerous cases of the torture and killing of protesters arrested in the recent post-presidential protests. These deaths include the alleged killing of seven lawyers.
Continue reading “Iran Arrests Chief of Notorious Jail As Accounts of the Torture and Killing of Protesters Mount”
Category: Politics
The continuing decline of basic comfort and civility in air travel has been a source of continued complaint on this blog and other sites. Many have complained about how they book a flight with a major airline only to be shoved on to some small puddle jumper run by an unknown carrier. Then there are the horror stories of being held for hours on planes on the tarmac. A new story involving Continental Airlines Flight 2816 combines all of these problems into a nightmare where passengers were left on a plane with malfunctioning toilets overnight after being diverted from their intended airport. They were held overnight because the flight crew was over their limit for flying and the security staff at the airport had gone home for the night.
Continue reading “Flight 2816: Continental Takes Passengers For a Ride”
There is an extremely disturbing story out of Iran this morning that seven lawyers in Tabriz and Mashhad have been killed. These brave attorneys were reportedly representing Iranian detainees in the post-presidential protests.
Continue reading “Seven Lawyers Representing Detainees in Iran Reportedly Killed”
After weeks of criticism for its appropriation of almost $200 million to buy new luxury jets for members to fly around the world on thinly disguised vacations, Congress has finally reacted to the objections of this blog and others: it has more than doubled the amount to $550 million to buy eight jets.
Continue reading “Air Congress: Members Increase the Appropriation for New Planes to Over Half a Billion Dollars”
There is an interesting entanglement case filed in Atlanta, Georgia where Rabbi Shalom Lewis has challenged Georgia’s Kosher Food Labeling Act (OCGA Sec. 26-2-330 ff.) on the ground that it codifies the definition of kosher by the orthodox rabbis.
Continue reading “Kosher Complaint: Conservative Rabbi Challenges Georgia’s Definition of Kosher”
First there was the Death Star menacing humanity. Now, there is “the Death Panel.” Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin called President Barack Obama’s health plan “downright evil” on her Facebook page and warned American of Obama’s “death panel” that will hold the power of life or death over average Americans. Indeed, the Obama Death Panel appears to have their sights on little Trig. Presumably, the chair will be Palpatine (aka Darth Sidious), the Dark Lord of the Sith.
Retired State Supreme Court Justice Ronald H. Tills, 74, has been sentenced today to 18 months in prison for transporting prostitutes across state lines. Tills reportedly was arrested as part of a probe into the weekends jaunts of the Royal Order of Jesters. Other “jesters” sentenced with Tills were John Trowbridge, 62, a former Lockport Police captain, and Michael Stebick, 61, Tills’ former law clerk.
Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed by a vote of 68-31. I discussed the confirmation on this segment of Rachel Maddow. Notably, Senator Mel Martinez (R, Fl) was one of nine Republicans to vote in favor despite a campaign against Sotomayor. Today, he announced that he would not run for reelection. Sen. Kit Bond (R., Mo.) is also on his way out after this term.
John Quincy Adams is tweeting. The Massachusetts Historical Society has begun posting daily tweets from Adams’ diary that he began 200 years ago when he went to Russia as the first U.S. Minister. As a line-a-day diary it is perfect for Twitter.
Continue reading “NFW! John Quincy Adams is Tweeting Me”
There is an incredible story out of Pakistan concerning the plight of what are called “eunuchs” in that country. The term is used broadly to refer to transsexuals, transvestites, or hermaphrodites. These marginalized individuals are forced to live in colonies and become prostitutes in a country that shuns and abuses them.
Continue reading “Pakistani Eunuchs Fight For Recognition and Rights”
The government of Tulare California narrowly averted a health emergency this week when it finally tracked down and shutdown Daniela Earnest, aka “the lemonade girl.” Earnest, 8, was running an illegal lemonade stand to raise money “for Disneyland” (probably street slang for heroin).
The Washington Post weighed in on the expanding controversy over the alleged misconduct of the Office of D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickles and his staff in the litigation over the mass arrests during the World Bank/IMF protests of 2002. The Post is calling for the Court, rather than the City Council, to investigate the case.
Continue reading “Washington Post Raises Need for Judicial Investigation into Destruction of Evidence and Misconduct by District’s Office of the Attorney General”
Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson of Louisiana was convicted Wednesday on 11 of the 16 corruption charges against him in Alexandria federal court. The conviction follows years of litigation and controversy – including an unconstitutional raid on a congressional office by the Bush Administration.
Continue reading “Former Rep. William Jefferson Convicted on 11 out of 16 Counts”
Despite the recent outcry over the massive increase in travel by members, these thinly disguised publicly paid vacations have not only continued but the House of Representatives has now approved nearly $200 million for the Air Force to buy elite Gulfstream jets to add comfort to their travels. Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been singled out for much criticism in the increase of such vacations, but appears so unconcerned that the Democrats are pushing through an expansion of the fleet for the members to enjoy at public expense.
Isabella Kern, 4, was playing in the sprinkler in a playground in Queens when she ran barefooted on to the black rubber matting. She almost immediately suffered severe burns that required a week in the hospital. Her family’s lawsuit against the city should be an obvious matter of negligence — it is obviously foreseeable for kids will run from the sprinkler area on to the matting. However, the city is now suing the parents and alleging that they were negligent.
Continue reading “Four-Year-Old Girl Burns Feet in City Park With Improper Matting So City Sues Her Parents”