As the United States continues to gush billions of dollars each week in Iraq and Afghanistan, states are selling off airports, parks, and other public areas to pay for basic services. This week, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will propose selling San Quentin Prison, the Los Angeles Coliseum and other state-owned properties.
Continue reading “Schwarzenegger To Call For Sale of San Quentin”
There has been a long controversy over the ability of the religious right to justify most any position of the GOP on the environment or civil liberties in terms of religious faith. However, the recent Republican effort to embrace and justify torture presented a bit of a problem for the faithful, particularly Christians who worship a man who was tortured to death on a cross. That presented no problem for Gary Bauer, a former Republican presidential candidate and leader of the religious right, who has announced that it would have been immoral for the Bush administration not to torture people.
Eden, Vermont is one of the main boy scout camps around the country for summer adventures. This summer, however, it will be closed due to the fact that it is located near an asbestos mine in a contaminated area.
Continue reading “Scouts Denied Asbestos Badge: Boy Scouts Shutdown Eden”
In a major ruling, the New York Court of Appeals has held that the police cannot use a GPS device on a suspect’s car without a warrant — ordering a new trial for Scott Weaver, 41, a burglary suspect. In the meantime, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals came to the opposite conclusion: finding no need for a warrant in the use of GPS devices against citizens for any reason by the police.
Police are reviewing a videotape showing an officer kick a suspect, Richard Rodriguez, 23, in the head despite the fact that the suspect was not resisting and was lying on the ground with his arms and legs spread. The officer then high fived a partner.
Continue reading “Video: California Cop Kicks Suspect in the Head and Then High Fives Partner”
Despite earlier indications that there would be a release of detainee photos, President Obama has ordered that the photos been withheld in defiance of a judicial ruling. I discussed the development on this segment of the Rachel Maddow Show.
Continue reading “Obama Reverses Decision and Refuses to Release Abuse Photos”
ABA Journal ran an interesting story on the crackdown on cheaters by Syracuse University Law School. The school will now limit law students to one potty visit during an exam: thereby guaranteeing the law students with larger bladders will reign supreme on law school curves.
Most criminals run to the actual border, but Jermaine Askia Cooper, 36, told police that he took them on a 90-mph chase in Indiana because he knew he was going away for a long time and wanted one last burrito. If Taco Bell does not make this a commercial, their marketing people are senseless.
Ok, he was not actually there, but Fox News may report this differently. President Barack Obama is so popular that people are now breaking into homes to steal his picture. Marla Anderson, 24, was arrested for breaking into an Ohio home and wrestling with its owner to steal the picture as her alleged getaway driver, Tamika Cornwell, was waiting outside.
Continue reading “Obama Spotted in Ohio Home Invasion: Two Women Arrested for Allegedly Breaking Into Home to Steal Picture of President Obama”
The Justice Department finally succeeded in securing convictions against Miami men accused of plotting to blow up the Sears Tower in Chicago. Five defendants were convicted and one was acquitted. The prior two trials ended in hung juries and this trial was a close call with the replacement of a clearly pro-defense juror in the middle of deliberations. The case was always long on rhetoric and short on evidence — resulting in the expenditure of between $5 to $10 million to convict the group in a highly controversial prosecution.
After 22 years on death row, Paul House has now been cleared of murder charges with Tennessee state prosecutors asking for all charges to be dropped against him. He had been sentenced to die in 1986 and his case is already being used by opponents of the death penalty as an example why states should move to life without parole as the ultimate punishment in this country.
Continue reading “Inmate Paul House Cleared of Murder After 22 Years on Death Row”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been struggling to explain contradictions between her public statements and the release of documents showing that, despite her earlier denials, she was told about the torture of subjects. She recently (and implausibly) insisted that, while she was told of the torture, she was not told that it was actually being used. Now, one of her own aides, Michael Sheehy, has directly contradicted her and said that she was directly told and had no objections to the torture of Abu Zubaydah.
Continue reading “Pelosi Aide: Speaker Was Told About Torture Being Used on Subjects”
Justice Antonin Scalia has once again earned himself the ire of law students. Not long ago, Scalia was clearly out-of-line in slapping down a law student for a perfectly reasonable question. Now, he is being quoted in telling students out of the top schools that, no matter how hard they work, they will probably never have a chance for a Supreme Court clerkship based entirely on their school. He basically threw the student a quarter and told her to call her mama and tell her that she was never going to be a Supreme Court clerk.
Continue reading “Supreme Monopoly: Justice Scalia Tells American Student That She Has Little Chance For Clerkship Because She Is At Wrong School”
Finally, some serious academic research. The American Association of Wine Economists have answered that long-standing and vexing question: can people tell the difference between pâte and dog food? The answer in AAWE Working Paper, No. 36, is entitled, “Can People Distinguish Pate from Dog Food?” is no.
Austin has joined various cities in installing cameras to catch speeders. They nailed 36 violators who just happen to be police officers running lights. The officers were not responding to a call. None of them were ticketed.
Continue reading “Austin Traffic Cameras Catch Dozens of Police Officers Running Red Lights”