Category: Politics

Poll: One-Third of Texans Believe Men Once Co-Existed With Dinosaurs and Over One-Third Believe That Man Was Created by God 10,000 Years Ago Without Evolution

A University of Texas and Texas Tribune poll has found that roughly one in three Texans believe that humans and dinosaurs walked the Earth at the same time and more than half reject the theory of evolution. According to the poll, 38 percent agreed with the statement “God created human beings pretty much in their present form about 10,000 years ago.”
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Justice Department Declines Punishment for Bush Officials for “Poor Judgment”

The Obama Administration continued the tradition of the “Friday night dump” by just releasing the Justice Department report on former Justice officials John Yoo, Jay Bybee and Steven Bradbury. The report is linked below. The Justice Department confirmed that the investigation originally found professional misconduct by Yoo and Bybee, but an unnamed high-ranking official at the Office of Professional Responsibility overruled the finding to avoid any professional action against them. I discussed the story on this segment of Countdown.

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Daily Mail: Israeli Agents Says Britain Knew of Use of British Passports in Dubai Hit

The Daily Mail has run with an explosive story after public protestations from British officials over the use of false British passports (and reportedly stolen identities) for the hit on Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai (here). The question now is whether Parliament has the courage to order an investigation in whether the British government not only acquiesced to the operation but then actively misled the public by pretending to be outraged.

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Interpol Publishes Pictures of Eleven Dubai Suspects While Britain and France Demand Answers From Israel

Interpol has posted wanted pictures of the eleven suspects in the assassination of Hamas member Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in the Dubai hotel on January 19, 2010. In what could be a serious problem for Israel, both Britain and France are demanding answers on the use of fake passports and stolen identities in the plot while Dubai continues its criminal investigation. This is occurring at the same time that Israel is resisting an international investigation into possible war crimes in its campaign in Gaza, here.

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Dios Mío: Leading Soccer Player To Be Punished for Blasphemy

Juventus‘ goalie, Gigi Buffon, is facing punishment for saying “Dio” or “God” after a critical play went poorly. You cannot use the Lord’s name in vain in Italy where officials have used replay tapes to determine if he said “Dio” or, as he now claims, “Zio” or “uncle.”

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Hello Dalai: Obama Meets With Tibetian Leader Over Chinese Objections

While Obama has been criticized for saying that Tibet is part of China (here), he showed a refreshing degree of independence from China by meeting with the Dalai Lama. In the past, China has been able to pressure leaders (including past presidents) to avoid such meetings). Recently, South Africa even barred the Dalai Lama from an international peace conference, here.

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Banning the Buck: South Carolina Representative Introduces Bill To Mandate Gold and Silver Coins As Official Legal Tender

South Carolina Rep. Mike Pitts (R.) wants to ban the buck. He has introduced legislation to require the use of gold and silver coins as the legal tender of the state as opposed to federal currency. For those passing through the state, you may want to wait before you exchange your dollars for bags of gold and silver coins.

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TV Personality Ray Gosling Arrested After Confessing To Killing Lover On Television

Television presenter Ray Gosling has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the BBC ran a segment where the 70-year-old confessed to smothering his lover who was suffering from AIDS. He starts the segment by saying that he wanted to reveal his secret: “I killed someone.”

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Gibbs Refuses to Answer Torture Question in Public

With Dick Cheney boasting on national television of his support for waterboarding and torture (here), the Obama White House is continuing its policy of ignoring the credible claims of war crimes to avoid the politically difficult decision to prosecute Bush, Cheney and others for the U.S. torture program. This was evident this week when White House spokesman Robert Gibbs refused to answer a basic question on the torture of a recently captured Taliban leader– offering only to discuss the matter off the record.

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Harrisburg Mayor in Showdown With Controller Over Gag Order

Harrisburg, Pa. Mayor Linda Thompson and Harrisburg City Controller Dan Miller are in a remarkable confrontation that could virtually shutdown the city. Thompson issued an order to city workers that bar them from speaking directly to the city controller’s office, city council members and the media. Miller responded by giving her an ultimatum: rescind the gag order or he will rescind his payroll signature stamp.

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Guns-O-Plenty: Virginia Passes 20 Gun Bills

The Virginia legislature passed a flurry of bills stripping away limitations on gun possession in the state. After intense lobbying from the National Rifle Association and over $1 million in NRA campaign contributions, the lawmakers passed 20 gun bills expanding possession and ownership rights in the state.

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Prosecutor Refuses to Charge Police Officer Who Allegedly Commits Hit-and-Run, Lies About Accident, and Then Defends His Actions As “Impaired By Alcohol”

Redondo Beach City Prosecutor Brenda Wells is receiving considerable heat over her decision not to charge Torrance Police Sgt. Michael Mastick, who was involved in an off-duty hit-and-run collision. He admitted that he fled the scene because “judgment was impaired by alcohol.” A novel defense to be sure but it seems to have worked.
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