For all of those employees who are receiving pink slips in the recession, the Texas legislature has moved toward guaranteeing them that they can bring their guns to their last day at work. The Texas Senate unanimously passed legislation to protect the right for workers to pack heat with your ham sandwiches at work.
Category: Politics
Lawyers have long complained that some police officers will give clearly false testimony to protect themselves, other officers, or just maintain the “thin blue line.” This week, we saw two detectives in Michigan indicted with a judge and prosecutor for false testimony. The latest such case out of New York involves New York City detective, Debra Eager, 41, who was indicted on three felony perjury charges after her testimony before a grand jury in 2007 drug case was contradicted by a videotape. Continue reading “New York City Detective Charged With Perjury — The Latest in a Series of Such False Testimony Cases Involving Police Officers”
The Afghan government gave the West another example how it is struggling to defeat the Taliban by joining it. The government has arrested the manager of a popular Afghan television network for refusing to censor images of women dancing in short skirts and plunging necklines. Fahim Khodamani of Emrose TV was arrested on the crime of broadcasting un-Islamic images.
Today, the Supreme Court will be taking up Hillary: The Movie — and its ultimate reviews could hold great significance for campaign financing. We have been following the case involving “Hillary: The Movie” since it first came out during the last presidential campaign. The legal dispute over the film was always more interesting than the film itself — whether this is a film or a 90-minute campaign ad. Now, the Supreme Court is set to review the film. Citizens United v. FEC (08-205) raises a fascinating question of what constitutes political advocacy and what constitutes a documentary. The Court will hopefully not produce another “I know politics when I see it” standard. I discussed the case on this segement of NPR’s Here and Now.
Continue reading “Now Playing At The Supremes: Hillary the Movie”
Two British High Court judges have released a very disturbing decision that finds that ormer detainee Binyam Mohamed was offered his freedom by the United States in exchange for his promise not to reveal his own torture at Guantanamo Bay. Equally disturbing is the statement from the English government that it cannot release proof of the torture because of objections from the United States government. If the Obama Administration is continuing this position, it is not only blocking prosecution of war crimes but the release of evidence of such war crimes to other nations. I discussed this and other developments on this segment of Rachel Maddow’s show.
Continue reading “Court: United States Offered to Release Detainee If He Would Not Reveal His Own Torture”
In an incredible act, the South African government has barred the Dalai Lama from an International Peace Conference — knuckling under to pressure from China. The very people that once fought efforts to silence Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu are now silencing a Noble Prize winner and international voice of peace because they do not want to insult China.
Continue reading “South Africa Bars Dalai Lama From International Peace Conference”
Eric Montanez faces a curious criminal charge in Orlando, Florida: feeding hungry people. The good people of Orlando, Florida have decided to join other cities in making it a crime to feed poor and hungry people caught up in this recession. Even at Yellowstone you are simply asked not to feed the bears, but in Orlando feeding the hungry will get you arrested. There was a guy in the New Testament that did such things and look where that got us.
Continue reading “Don’t Feed The Local Citylife: Man Arrested for Feeding Homeless in Orlando”
Like many ministers and politicians in the United States, Saudi Arabian clerics are up in arms over the immorality of television. They’re objections go beyond the usual smut described by Sen. Joe Lieberman and others. They want the new information minister to take all women and music banned from the television. They also want pictures banned of women in magazines.
Continue reading “Saudi Clerics Call For Women To Be Banned From Television and Newspapers”
Ok, there is the rule against perpetuities, but I cannot find a rule against petatuities. PETA President Ingrid Newkirk has released her will that includes giving her body to PETA for the suggested purpose of people eating her flesh and making leather goods from her skin.
The Israeli Military Advocate General Avichai Mandleblit is investigating accounts of religious extremists pushing soldiers to view the Gaza invasion as a “religious war” against gentiles. In the meantime, human rights groups are calling for the removal of military’s head chaplain, Rabbi (and Brigadier General) Avichai Rontzki, who told soldiers that it was “immoral” to show mercy to the enemy in the operation.
While Congress attempts to get back roughly $170 million in bonuses paid to executives at American International Group (AIG), AIG is suing the U.S. government (its largest shareholder) for $306 million in tax payments. Between bailouts, bonuses, and tax refunds, it is getting difficult to tell how has what amount of the public fisc.
Continue reading “After Using Federal Bailout Money To Award Massive Bonuses, AIG Is Now Using Public Funds to Sue the Government To Get Back $306 millions in Tax Payments Tied to Offshore Tax Havens”
The Corcoran State Prison in California has given the world a glimpse of Charles Manson at 74. As the founder and director of the Project for Older Prisoners (POPS), I want to reaffirm that he is not viewed as a good POPS candidate.
Continue reading “Charles Manson at 74: Still Not POPS Qualified”
The first names of AIG executives who received millions in bonuses have been released. Some executives are now suggesting that the company should pay for private security — which would presumably come from public funds. These executives include , labeled “Jackpot Jimmy by New York newspapers. He is James Haas, 47, an executive VP and the co-leader of North American marketing. Also named are Douglas Poling, 48, the unit’s general counsel, as well as a director, executive vice president and chief administrative officer, and Jonathan Liebergall, 43, a unit director and head of municipal finance.
Recently, the aunt of Gambian President Yahya Jammeh died and he reportedly blamed witchcraft. Now, Amnesty International reports the President’s personal guard and both police and army forces have abducted up to 1000 villagers to force them to drink a vile liquid from witch doctors brought in by the government. They were forced to drink potions that reportedly killed two and sickened many others.
The Vatican has refused to moderate or withdraw the controversial statement of Pope Benedict in a trip to Africa that condoms only “increase the problem” of AIDS. The anti-condom stance outraged Kevin De Cock, director of the World Health Organisation’s HIV/AIDS department, who noted that there is no evidence that condoms increase the rate of AIDs and that many studies show that it is an effective protection against the disease. People like De Cock have been struggling against a disinclination in Africa to wear condoms.