We recently discussed the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Schuette v. BAMN that states, like Michigan, can prohibit any use of race in admissions in a “color-blind” state entrance system for colleges and universities. Now, a leading school in one of the states with such a color-blind rule is being accused of violating state law by one of its professors. Tim Groseclose, a political science professor at UCLA, has posted data that he was able to obtain from the school that he argues is proof of “cheating” by school officials who refuse to comply with the state law. The question is whether this will be the basis for a post-Schuette challenge in states like California.
It is now time for another addition of “Things That Tick Me Off” — my opportunity to vent frustrations and petty injuries to a captive audience. Today’s recipient is the Federal Aviation Administration. As some of you might have followed on Twitter, last night was an unmitigated nightmare as I returned from Chicago after a speech. It was bad enough to get a horoscope before a speech telling me to avoid speaking at all costs, but then the fire alarm was triggered at an FAA facility on Tuesday — forcing flights at both O’Hare and Midway to a grinding halt — it triggered a series of events that grew increasingly bizarre. Indeed, yesterday was clearly the result of my ignoring my horoscope and speaking despite the fateful warning. My frequent flyer Odysseus moment.
Continue reading “Things That Tick Me Off: The Federal Aviation Administration”
The Sao Paulo police are distributing a pamphlet for tourists coming to the country for the World Cup next month and presumably those who will be coming for the next Olympics. The police strongly encourage people not to “react, scream or argue” because that will only make robbers angry or nervous and push them to greater acts of violence. It is probably sound advice but the optics are not great for a country accused of rampant corruption and abuse in the police forces as well as runaway crime.
Continue reading “Brazilian Police: Please Don’t Scream When You Are Being Robbed”
If you are one of us who look at those barefoot shoes with skepticism, you are not alone. VIbram, the manufacturer of FiveFinger shoes, has settled a multi-year, class-action lawsuit brought by customers who challenged the company’s claims that barefoot running shoes could improve health. The company will pay some $3.75 million in partial refunds to people who purchased the shoes since March 2009. The settlement is not huge but the basis for the lawsuit is damaging to the company. The company has agreed to change its claims of health benefits from its odd looking footwear.
Continue reading “Manufacturer of Barefoot Shoes Settles Lawsuit Over Health Claims”
Many stories that we discuss raise concerns whether police officers and other public officials sometimes get advantages as criminal defendants. The case in Pennsylvania of former Scott Township police Chief James Romano has raised precisely those same concerns. Romano has agreed to a plea deal to admit that he had sex with an alleged victim and witness in a case that he was investigating. He reportedly told the witness not to admit to the sexual relationship and faces a charge of hindering prosecution. That is all pretty straightforward, but Romano has demanded that he not be actually sentenced for seven years to guarantee that he gets a pension. So far, it appears to be working.
US-based Belgian writer Misha Defonseca became an international celebrity after publishing her best seller novel, “Misha: A Memoire of the Holocaust Years” — the incredible story of how a Jewish girl was cared for by a pack of wolves after running off into the forest to escape an abusive household. In 2008, Defonseca admitted that the story was made up, her real name was Monique de Wael, and she was never Jewish. The case is Mt. Ivy Press v. Defonseca, 85 Mass. App. Ct. 241, *; 2014 Mass. App. LEXIS 42.
There is some very exciting news off of the coast of Haiti where archeologists believe that they have located the sunken wreck of the Santa Maria, the flagship of Christopher Columbus. American expedition leader Barry Clifford announced that they believe that it is in fact the ship that has been missing for five centuries.
I just finished speaking at the Seventh Circuit Conference in Chicago on a panel with former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, attorney Kenneth Feinberg, and Wall Street Journal reporter John Emshwiller on the federalization of crime. I had to share one humorous and ominous incident. I stayed with my Mom rather than use the room at the Blu Aqua Hotel and as I was heading to the taxi, my mother gave me my Chicago Tribune horoscope for today. It read: “Watch your words… you could talk too much.” Not exactly what you want to read heading into a public speech. (No I do not believe in horoscopes but I thought it was pretty funny nonetheless).
Continue reading “The Stars Are Not With You: The Perils of Being A Taurus With A Speech Today”
Saudi Arabia has given the world a new example of Sharia abuse. Sharia law continues to be used to target homosexuals, religious dissidents, women, and reporters. The latest sentence was handed down against Raif Badawi, who started the “Free Saudi Liberals” website. He has now been sentenced to 10 years in jail and 1,000 lashes.
Continue reading “Saudi Arabia Sentences Blogger To 10 Years In Prison and 1000 Lashes”
We have been discussing the horrific environmental record of the administration of Prime Minister Tony Abbott. This includes the decision to dump millions of tons of waste into the Great Barrier Reef. The move that led to international outcry including official condemnation from UNESCO. However, it is the campaign by Ben and Jerry’s that raised the ire of Abbott’s Environment Minister Andrew Powell. The company founders have been leading an effort to save the reef from the destructive policies of Abbott. Powell calls such a campaign only “propaganda” and wants Australians to stop eating the ice cream. It was a curious suggestion given the Abbott Administrations effort to ban environmental boycotts.
Continue reading “Australian Environmental Minister Calls For Boycott of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream”
There is a highly troubling report out of Washington that former Secret Service director Mark Sullivan pulled a special team of secret service agents called the Prowler Surveillance team to protect his assistant, Lisa Chopey, after she said that a neighbor was harassing her. Such an assignment is highly questionable in the use of public resources for such matters. If there was a criminal threat, it should have been handled by the local authorities since it was not related to the service.
Procter & Gamble has issued an apology after its new campaign for Ariel laundry detergent in Germany does not suggests a powerfully whitening soap as much as a white power soap. The Ariel powder boxes featured a soccer jersey with a prominent “88.” The problem is that neo-Nazis use “88” to get around laws criminalizing the use of such phrases as Heil Hitler.” “H” is the eighth letter in the alphabet. The company has apologized for “any false connotations” and changed the exterior of the product. The number 88 for the company represented the number of loads that you can wash with one package. For others, any promise to make your “whites the whitest” had a more disturbing historical meaning.
Submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty (rafflaw)-Weekend Contributor
I was going to write this last weekend on the actual 44th anniversary of a very sad event. For some reason, I had a hard time focusing on what I wanted to say, in light of the many emotions that were going through my head. I don’t want the anniversary to go by without writing about the personal significance that day in May had on my life, and I believe on the lives of many in my generation. The Pulitzer Prize winning photograph by John Filo, included above from Wikipedia, is one that I have never forgotten. Nor should anyone forget it. Continue reading “May 4th, 1970, The Day My Generation Lost Its Innocence”
Happy Mother’s Day to all of our mothers and to the mothers of our readers and commenters! I think it is no exaggeration to say that we could not have this blog without them and our blog mothers are widely viewed as the smartest, cleverest, and beautiful mothers in all of motherdom.
Continue reading “HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY”
By Mark Esposito, Weekend Contributor
Author’s Note: Grace Under Pressure is an ongoing series of posts honoring everyday people who courageously make positive differences in their own lives and consequently in the lives of others. It is my own personal affirmation that unexpected heroes live among us and that their service is quiet but unshakable proof that virtue really is its own reward – and ours, too.
They buried little eight-year-old Martin Cobb, Jr. here in Richmond (Va.) on Friday afternoon. Rev. Theodore L. Hughey, pastor of Abundant Life Church, praised the youngster for his courage and then went on to condemn the community and the bureaucrats who oversee it for letting crime fester and forgetting about the children who suffer from it. A handmade sign above the tiny coffin read “Pound for pound, year for year, few greater heroes … if any.”
And little Martin, as his neighbors in the Mosby Court public housing project knew him, was a hero. A small stature caused by an open heart surgery while he was just three-months-old hid a fighting spirit. Many neighbors thought he was only three or four years old. One of them, Harry Hunter, recalled that “He was so small, I used to carry him in my book bag.”
But no one “carried” Little Martin on Thursday evening a week ago when he died defending his sister from a sexual attack at the hands of an alleged 16-year-old sexual predator who, at his young age, had already been charged with viciously assaulting another young boy and has suffered mental health issues.
Continue reading “Grace Under Pressure: Little Martin Cobb, Jr. And The Courage of Change”