Raymond Lawrence Roberson, 70, first threatened to blow up his van, threatened anyone who came near him, paraded around with a rifle, and then shutdown a highway after barricading himself in his van. When he emerged, he stripped naked and was tackled by police. The most amazing and redeeming aspect of this story is what the police did not do: they did not shoot him or use a taser. They simply subdued the man with the least possible force.
Continue reading “Oregon Police Do NOT Taser Naked Man”
We have two cases of lawyers encountering former clients in their homes in stories this week. In one case, Chicago retired attorney Carl Kuhn, 82, was allegedly killed by his former client Terry Bratcher, 43, and another man, Keith Allen, 21. In South Carolina, attorney and state senator R.C. Soles Jr. shot former client Thomas Kyle Blackburn, 22, in his home.
Continue reading “Client Calls: Former Client Shoots Lawyer in Chicago While Lawyer Shoots Former Client in North Carolina”
The ‘Lion of the Senate” is dead. Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy lost his battle with brain cancer on Tuesday and died at 77. With his death, the country lost one of the most tireless and passionate voices for the poor and powerless in our nation.
Holy Crystal Ice, Batman, those comic dealers could be meth dealers. Brothers Aaron and Alfonzo Castro are accused of running a large methamphetamine ring in the Denver area and laundering the cash through a high-end comic business, including first-edition Superman and Batman titles.
Continue reading “Meet Meth Man and Crank Boy: Police Break Up Alleged Meth and Comics Ring”
For months, many Democrats and civil libertarians have complained about the disconnect between what President Obama says and what he does as President. One area of the greatest criticism has been the effort of the Obama Administration to block public review of embarrassing pictures, White House logs, controversial memoranda, or disclosure of governmental actions — despite his promise to guarantee transparency in government. One such person who appears to have lost patience with the Administration is Chief U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska. Judge Preska has rejected efforts by the Obama Administration to withhold information on who received $2 trillion dollars in bailout funds. The Obama administration argued that the public has no right to know such information. Given today’s news that the federal debt level will be reach $9 trillion, many people would like to look a bit closer at what Congress and the White House has been doing with the public fisc.
Continue reading “Obama Administration Loses Bid to Keep Secret the Recipients of $2 Trillion in Stimulus Money”
With new reports on a soaring deficit and runaway spending and debt, this sign could not be more apropos. It is part of a website showing an array of humor-based pitches for change.
Continue reading “Sign of the Times”
It took almost 150 years, but Virginia has finally surrendered at the Battle for the Wilderness — without firing a shot. In a terrible blow to historians and preservationists, the Orange County Board of Supervisors caved into pressure from Walmart and business groups to allow the construction of a huge Walmart store next to the historic Wilderness battlefield where 145,000 Union and Confederate soldiers fought and close to 30,000 were killed or wounded. Despite international objections to the damage to this historic area, the pro-development board voted 4-1 to side put a big box store ahead of its own proud legacy.
The former Pennsylvania judges charged in the “kids for cash” corruption scandal — Luzerne County Judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan — have withdrawn their guilty pleas and demanded a trial. They took the step after Senior U.S. District Judge Edward M. Kosik refused to accept their plea agreement with prosecutors in light of their failure to take responsibility for their actions.
Continue reading “Judges in “Kids for Cash” Scandal Drop Pleas and Demand Trial”
The good people at Christwire have finally identified the threat to both this nation and its collective soul. It is not Al Qaeda or gay gym teachers. It is Stephen Colbert. Stephenson Billings who bills himself as an Investigative Journalist, Motivational Children’s Party Entertainer and Antique Soda Bottle Collector has written a widely circulated column that uncovers Colbert for what he is: an insidious and corrupting threat to all that we hold dear in this nation.
Continue reading “Stephen Colbert: The “Sexualized” Stalinesque Anti-Christ”
Rhode Island is the latest state government to discover that the public simply cannot afford a government — at least for twelve days. With hundreds of billions spent on Iraq and Afghanistan (with new calls for an increase in Afghanistan), it is understandably confusing for many citizens as states sell off government buildings and cities shutdown to avoid bankruptcy.
Continue reading “Rhode Island to Shutdown for Twelve Days”
The anonymous blogger who called model Liskula Cohen a “ho” and “skank” has been identified. According to reports, it was blogger Rosemary Port, who is now threatening a lawsuit of her own against Google.
Continue reading “Bitter Port: Formerly Anonymous Blogger Attacks Model and Announces Lawsuit Against Google”
Besides taking one of the most memorable mug shots, Kay Fotheringham, 52, is notable as the latest victim of the cat conspiracy. We have already seen how a cat framed a man by downloading porn on his computer (here). Now, a feline felon caused Fotheringham to wound a driver’s ed instructor and student in a perfect set-up of a biped.
Continue reading “Man v. Cat: Utah Man Arrested After Shooting Bystanders in Confrontation with Feline”
The Justice Department appears close to re-opening nearly a dozen prisoner abuse cases that were all but buried by the Bush Administration. The move comes after a recommendation of the Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility. The Obama Administration, however, is still blocking any investigation into war crimes and the torture program. I discussed the appointment of Mr. Durham in <a href="“>this segment of Countdown.
Continue reading “Report: Justice Department To Re-Open Nearly a Dozen Prisoner-Abuse Cases”
Mark Guard, 44, is a film maker and electricity thief. Arrested for stealing .003 pence of power, the police and prosecutors spent $8,200 prosecuting Guard before dropping the case and finally letting their Guard down.
Continue reading “A Pence of Power and a Paucity of Sense: London Police Drop Case Against Film Maker For Stealing .003 Pence in Electricity — After Spending $8,200”
The Dolphin did it. That is likely to be the defense of the Brookfield Zoo near Chicago, which is being sued for the 2008 fall of Allecyn Edwards. Edwards fell while walking near the exhibit of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins.
Continue reading “Flip and Fall: Chicago Woman Sues Zoo for Dolphin-Induced Fall”