A 49-year-old man in Michigan has been arrested following a novel alleged crime: a man-on-parrot fight. Police say that the man was seen shaking and punching his pet parrot.
Continue reading “Polly Want a Crack? Michigan Man Arrested in Fight With Parrot”
Category: Society
Civil libertarians enjoyed a major victory yesterday against Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) with the ruling in the case of Maj. Margaret Witt — ordering her reinstatement despite the fact that she is a lesbian. This important victory, however, was tempered by the news that the Obama Administration is seeking to limit the earlier blockbuster ruling that found DADT unconstitutional. The Administration had the option of not seeking such a change (an option taken by Governor Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Brown in the Proposition 8 case) but decided to try to gut the national impact of the court’s order.
Continue reading “Judge Orders Lesbian Nurse Reinstated While Obama Administration Fights To Limit Earlier Ruling Finding DADT Unconstitutional”
It appears that, before the Queen asked the government to take over responsibility for the finances of her palace, she had asked for the government to use energy-saving grants for low income families to heat the palace.
Continue reading “We Are Not Amused: Queen Sought Low-Income Funds To Heat Palace”
With the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, I was asked in this cover story for the Civil War Magazine to explore the rivaling constitutional claims that were made at the start of that bloody conflict. As a military history buff, I have occasionally written for these history magazines but I found this assignment particularly intriguing.
Continue reading “Uncivil Action: Was Lincoln Wrong on Secession?”
A Florida Highway Patrol trooper was given only a one-week suspension without pay after he fired nine rounds at a vehicle that bumped his cruiser. In the incident caught on this videotape, Trooper Timothy E. Nichols was responding to a call about a man suspected of stealing two bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches from a Palm Harbor gas station. However, an investigation showed that (as indicated on the video) the driver was innocently backing up his SUV when the bumping of the cruiser occurred — triggering Nichols’ shower of bullets.
Continue reading “Florida Trooper Fires Nine Rounds in Retirement Center Area After His Car Is Innocently Bumped — But Is Given Only One Week Suspension”
The Washington Post is reporting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered to extend a freeze on new settlements in exchange for the release of convicted Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard. It is an astonishing offer, if true, since the settlements have long been a major barrier to peace negotiations but under this deal would be frozen in exchange for a spy’s release. It would seem to undermine the substantive arguments in favor of such settlements.
Continue reading “Report: Israel Offers To Extend Freeze on Settlements in Return for The Release of Convicted Spy Jonathan Pollard”
In Pennsylvania, Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala (shown here)has made a controversial decision not to charge a Kennedy Township police officer with leaving the scene of a crime after he allegedly drove drunk and hit a man — leaving him critically injured. Zappala announced that, because Frank Caliguiri eventually came back, he will not be charged with leaving the scene. What is astonishing is that this is not the only such case recently against an officer in this area.
Continue reading “Pennsylvania Police Officer Charged With DUI Accident While Not Be Charged With Leaving Scene of Accident”
It has become almost a mantra in contemporary news articles: a minister who preached against homosexuality accused of hidden homosexual relationships. In the case of Atlanta-based megachurch pastor Eddie Long (shown here in a past sermon), he is by last count accused in three lawsuits by young men who claim that they came to him for spiritual help and were used for his sexual pleasures.
Continue reading “Three Former Male Church Members Sue Megachurch Pastor Eddie Long For Sexual Harassment”
There has been a development in the story over the officials in Bell, California. As we previously discussed, city officials raked in obscene salaries until exposed by the media. Eight of the officials have now reportedly been arrested, including former Bell City Manager Robert Rizzo. Also reportedly arrested were Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia; Mayor Oscar Hernandez; Councilmembers Luis Artiga, Teresa Jacobo and George Mirabal; and former Councilmembers George Cole and Victor Bello.
Continue reading “For Whom The Bell Tolls: Eight City Officials Arrested in Pay Scandal”
Russian politicians appear to be adopting the methods of some Sharia courts in proposing that corrupt Russian officials be branded with the letter K (the Russian symbol for a bribe taker) on their left hands.
Continue reading “Russian Party Leaders Call For Branding Of Corrupt Officials”
A Kentucky man is claiming something akin to a “java defense.” Woody Will Smith, 33, claims that his ingestion of caffeine left him unable to control himself — leading to his killing his wife.
Continue reading “The Java Defense: Kentucky Man Alleges Caffeine Ingestion Led Him Kill Wife”
Daniel J. Daley, 84, is in critical condition after an Orlando police officer broke his neck in a confrontation on the street where the officer threw him to the ground. Witnesses say that the World War II veteran merely touched the officer during an argument over the towing of his car while the officer describes it as being “struck.”
Continue reading “Elderly Man’s Neck Broken in Confrontation With Orlando Police Officer Over Illegally Parked Car”
We just followed the debate in Delaware over whether the GOP candidate for governor is a failed witch or a witch wannabe. Now, new reports have raised the question whether her Democratic rival, Chris Coons, 47, is a failed bearded Marxist. You have to love this race.
Continue reading “Is Coons a Failed Bearded Marxist?”
There is an interesting case out of Miami where Valerie Jenkins, 56, has been charged with manslaughter after she allegedly handed her husband the gun with which he committed suicide. Robert Jenkins, 51, told her that he wanted to die and, when she threw him the gun, he proceeded to make good on the threat.
Continue reading “Florida Wife Charged With Manslaughter For Giving Husband Gun Used in Suicide”
This weekend WJLA-TV announced that it had fired veteran anchorman Doug McKelway for a verbal confrontation this summer with the station’s news director. McKelway is a longtime journalist in the Capitol and his termination raised questions about the limits on fair commentary for anchors in political coverage.
Continue reading “ABC News Anchor in Washington Fired Over Alleged Partisan Comments and Fight With News Director”