I was a bit astonished this morning in watching CNN to see a story on the rescue of U.S. pilots after their F-15E Eagle crashed in Libya. The story did not mention what would appear the most newsworthy aspect of the story: the allegation that our helicopter mowed down Libyans who ran out to help the pilots.
Continue reading “Report: Libyans Rush To Help Pilots After Crash . . . U.S. Helicopters Shoot Libyans”
Category: Society
This is a fascinating video that I saw on Reddit. Russian troops are trying to trigger a controlled avalanche but it turns out a bit bigger than anticipated in North Ossetia, Russia.
Continue reading “Amazing Video of Avalanche Taking Out Artillery Fire Base”
In a significant victory for civil libertarians and a loss for the Obama Administration, the Second Circuit has reinstated a lawsuit based on the unlawful warrantless surveillance programs launched by former President George W. Bush. The Obama Administration has been aggressively fighting to kill this privacy lawsuit as it has dozens of other lawsuits seeking judicial review of the unlawful program. The case is Amnesty v. Blair.
Continue reading “Second Circuit Rejects Obama Administration’s Effort to Block Privacy Lawsuit”
Ok, this is a bit awkward. Clark County Deputy District Attorney David Schubert, 47, achieved an element of fame by prosecuting Paris Hilton for cocaine possession. He is now back in the news after being arrested for . . . you guessed it . . . buying crack cocaine.
Continue reading “Prosecutor of Paris Hilton Arrested For Buying Crack”
Wisconsin voters are experiencing a different judicial campaign in the bid of Justice David Prosser to remain on the state Supreme Court. The issue? Prosser calling Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson a “total bitch.” Prosser has gone public to say that he did in fact call Abrahamson the name, but he stressed that he meant it. He also promised to “destroy” her. The controversy has now pulled other justices into the fray on both sides.
Continue reading “Wisconsin Supreme Court Erupts Into Name Calling and Finger Pointing”
Civil libertarians have long objected to the continuation (and in some cases the expansion) of Bush policies in the national security areas by President Barack Obama. Obama has blocked the investigation and prosecution of Bush officials for torture, renewed the military tribunal system, extinguished dozens of public interest lawsuits against telecommunication companies and agencies as well as other controversial moves. Now, two former Bush officials are considered leading contenders to take over the FBI despite their involvement in some of the worst abuses during the Bush Administration. They are James Comey and Kenneth Wainstein. As discussed below, they are a case of the coronation of the one-eyed man as King of the land of the blind.
FDA advisory group called the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee has asked the Administration to bar the sale of menthol cigarettes as a danger to human health. The reason? They are too popular. I do not smoke and I do not like smoking. However, I find it increasingly bizarre to ban products because people like them too much. If the Administration wants to seek a prohibition of tobacco, there are good faith reasons to do so. However, most Americans continue to believe that adults have a right to choose to smoke. If tobacco is legal, I do not see why citizens should be barred from buying the type of tobacco that they prefer.
Continue reading “Too Popular To Sell? FDA Committee Calls For Ban on Menthol-Flavored Cigarettes”
There has long been an ironic relationship between states and tobacco. While insisting that they are raising taxes on tobacco to combat smoking, states have long been addicted to the revenue. Now, some states are lowering taxes to encourage more smoking to generate more revenue to deal with budget shortfalls.
Continue reading “Revenue Addiction: New Hampshire and Other States Move to Cut Tobacco Taxes to Increase Sales”
This fuel truck is not ground support for the C-130, but cargo as part of the Japanese relief effort at Yokota Airbase .
Continue reading “Now This Is Cargo Space . . .”
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
It’s 13-year old Rebecca Black’s video that has gone viral with 25,000,000 views.
At a time when the American people overwhelmingly oppose our continued military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, President Obama has responded by committing the United States to another war. Today, the U.S. attacked Libyan forces with over a hundred cruise missiles hitting the capitol and surrounding areas. With the two wars already draining the United States of billions a day, these cruise missile attacks alone will cost hundreds of millions in both the equipment and commitment of forces.
Continue reading “Missiles Away! Obama Commits U.S. To Third Military Campaign”
Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw) Guest Blogger
Over the past few weeks and months, we have read repeatedly about how politicians are upset that the government is doing nothing about jobs. We hear it from the Right and we hear it from the Left, but the unemployment rate is still around 9.0% with many out of work Americans no longer looking for work. With this background, I was incensed when I read about a Minnesota legislative proposal to bar citizens on public aid from having more than $20.00 cash in their pocket at any time! Continue reading “Is This The America That We Want?”
Two former high-ranking members of the Oakland County (Michigan) Democratic Party are facing election corruption charges in an alleged scheme to to trick Tea Party supporters to draw votes away from Republican candidates. Former Democratic Party Chairman Michael McGuinness and ex-operations director Jason Bauer were arraigned this week. The scheme described by prosecutors is quite bold . . . and reckless.
Pastor John Goodman is accused of having a rather curious view of attending his flock: fleecing before ministering. Members of the Houston Unity Baptist Church have accused Goodman of refusing to give them communion after they declined to hand over their tax refund to the church.
Continue reading “Pay and Pray: Pastor Accused of Withholding Communion After Parishioners Refuse To Hand Over Their Tax Refunds”
We have often discussed dram shop actions and liability for “over-serving” patrons at bars and other businesses. Royal Caribbean appears willing to go where few other businesses are now willing to venture. The cruise line has introduced a new one-price, all-you-can-drink cruise package. I wonder how much legal analysis occurred before this floating dram shop case was launched.
Continue reading “Swill and Swim: Royal Caribbean Offers “All-You-Can-Drink” Package”