The French marines stationed at the Laperrine military barracks wanted to give the public a realistic example of a hostage rescue operation. One soldier, however, used life rounds and shot 16 people including children. The incident is under investigation, but officials have stated that it may have been an accident.
Continue reading “French Give Public a Realistic Demonstration of a Hostage Rescue: Shooting 16 Bystanders”
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The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that the Pleasant Glade Assembly of God cannot be held liable for injuries to a 17-year-old girl from an exorcism performed on her by the church members. Laura Schubert was cut and bruised and suffered lasting psychological trauma but the Texas Supreme Court said that it is all part of free exercise of religion.
The cherished institution of marriage in the United States is about to be saved. Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID), fresh from his bathroom arrest, and Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), fresh from his call-girl scandal, have co-sponsored S. J. RES. 43, dubbed the Marriage Protection Amendment, to bar same-sex marriage. They have joined their colleagues to amend the United States Constitution to state that marriage “shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman.” Now, that is a wide constitutional stance.
Continue reading “Senators Craig and Vitter Team Up to Save Marriage”
An inspector general report has found that the Bush Justice Department barred applicants on the basis of their political views. It is further proof of the open politicalization of the Justice Department by the Bush Administration, including selections for the honors program — long treated as completely apolitical.
Continue reading “Bush Administration Officials Bar Lawyer Applicants on the Basis of Political Beliefs”
California took a major step forward in reversing the steady rollback of student speech rights this year by passing a law protecting the rights of student free speech and prohibiting the firing or suspension of employees for exercising their free speech rights on newspapers and organizations. That is when the sponsor, State Sen. Leland Yee, received a letter from Happy Chastain, senior legislative director for state government relations in the UC president’s office — stating that the school would not comply with the law.
Continue reading “Happy Unto Yee: University of California States Intent to Violate Free Press Law”
In a critical step toward impeachment, the United States Judicial Conference voted unanimously to forward charges against U.S. District Judge Thomas Porteous to the House of Representatives for impeachment. He is accused of perjury, accepting gifts from lawyers and violating other criminal and ethical standards. Unless he resigns, he would be the first federal judge impeached in 19 years.
Continue reading “Judge Thomas Porteous Moves Closer to Impeachment”
For the Bush Administration, Curveball (the super secret source on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction) seemed God-sent. He supplied intelligence that the President used to launch a preemptive invasion of Iraq. It turns out that Rafid Ahmed Alwan learned how to super-size such stories from the best: Burger King (where he was viewed as a congenital liar by the minimum wage staff).
Before 9-11, the rationale for expanded oil drilling was sustainable energy for an expanding economy. Then, after 9-11, it became an anti-terrorism measure. Most recently, Cheney rose the alarm that we had to start drilling because the Chinese are coming. He insisted that Chinese were drilling under contracts with Cuba 60 miles of the Florida coast. He has now admitted that that is false and his office explained that his source was George Will. I thought that was the Vice President and the President’s reigning energy expert. Yet, he gets his industry intelligence from columnists?
Continue reading “Cheney Admits that His Warning of Chinese Oil Drilling Was Wrong”
A Springfield, Missouri woman was convicted under state truancy laws for her son’s truancy and sentenced to two days in jail and two years probation. Notably, Kathleen Casteel was home schooling her son — one of five. This is only the latest such criminalization of poor parental skills. Indeed, legislators have recently called for criminal charges against parents who miss parent-teacher conferences.
Continue reading “Court Rules Mother Must Take More Time with Kids: So It Sentences Her to Jail”
Political activists may have to contend with an interesting little crowd control device known as the “crap cannon” or the “brown note.” The infrasound device makes people defecate on themselves. It is not actually the type of movement that MoveOn.com activists were expecting.
Continue reading “Welcome to the Democratic Convention: But Bring a Change of Clothes”
Just a few months ago, the Administration admitted to lying to federal courts about the existence of classified material and also destroying material evidence in federal cases. Now, Lt. Commander William Kueber has disclosed that interrogators were told to destroy their notes from interrogations for legal reasons.
Continue reading “U.S. Interrogators Told to Destroy Notes to “Minimize Certain Legal Issues””
It could be a sequel to her role in Jean-Luc Godard’s film Contempt. Actress Brigitte Bardot has contempt for Muslims, homosexuals, immigrants and many others. It is quite a list and few people would frankly care much about what the aging starlet thinks about such subjects. However, in France, it appears to be a crime. Bardot was convicted this week of provoking discrimination and racial hatred for writing that Muslims are destroying France. It is another example of the assault against free speech in Western countries. The punishment of such views is even more outrageous than the views themselves.
Continue reading “Brigitte Bardot Convicted of Hate Speech and Discrimination”
It may be one of the most unexpected verdicts of the year. Geoffrey Fieger and law partner Ven Johnson were acquitted on all charges after an 18 day trial on illegal campaign contributions. The jury deliberated for four days to reach the verdict. It is a major loss for the Justice Department given what seemed an over-whelming case with cooperating witnesses and massive effort. It was also a trial marred by accusations of strong-arm tactics by FBI agent, Jeffrey Rees, which may have poisoned the well for some jurors.
Continue reading “Geogrey Fieger Found Not Guilty in Michigan”
It was hard to imagine anything more disturbing than the story that was posted a couple weeks ago about Rand, a 17-year-old girl, was killed by her father (and her brothers) for simply falling in love with a young British soldier. While still a virgin, her father Abdel-Qader Ali, 46, still strangled her after she confided her feeling of Paul to a friend. Now her mother, Leila, who went public with the murder and divorced the father, has been gunned down while trying to flee to Jordon.
Continue reading “Mother of Iraqi Honor Killing Victim is Herself Killed After Divorcing the Murderer”
Police in Fullerton now believe that the arrest of Sunny Hills High School teacher Gregory Abbott, 31, was a set up — perhaps by his estranged wife and an associate.
Continue reading “California High School Teacher Framed in Drug and Gun Arrest”