Officer Matt Marin shot and killed Brian Claunch, a one-armed, one-legged man in a wheelchair who turned out to only have a pen in his hand. Nevertheless, Police Department spokeswoman Jodi Silva insisted that “fearing for his partner’s safety and his own safety, [Marin] discharged his weapon.”
In Texas, it appears even the deer are rock-solid Republicans. A Texas couple were upset with the repeatedly damaging of their Obama sign until they captured the culprit — a red-state deer. The good news is that it cleared Tennessee Republican Leader Gerald McCormick from any suspicion.
Continue reading “Romney The Red-State Reindeer?”
The YouTube clip below shows a rare “fire devil” in Australia. The 100-foot phenomenon was captured by filmmaker Chris Tangey near Alice Springs, Australia.
Respectfully Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty (rafflaw)-Guest Blogger
In light of the ever-increasing influence on National and local politics by churches and clergy, I was interested in the recent news that over 1,000 churches will be challenging the IRS by telling their parishioners who they want them to vote for in the upcoming national elections. The event is dubbed “Pulpit Freedom Sunday” by its organizers and it is designed to challenge the IRS on its prohibition of churches from intertwining politics and religion, as a requirement of maintaining their tax-free status. Continue reading “Pastors Take on the IRS”
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
The film “Innocence of Muslims” and the violence in Libya, Egypt, and Yemen, are at the heart of a debate as to whether the film falls within the category of “freedom of speech.” In an Op-ed in the LA Times, Sarah Chayes writes that it’s not “free speech protected under the U.S. Constitution.” In USA Today, Anthea Butler calls for the arrest of the filmmaker and writes that the film denigrates religion and “is not about expressing a personal opinion about Islam.”
Continue reading “Is “Innocence of Muslims” Protected Speech?”
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
The Daily Mail has published an amazing photograph (click to enlarge) of a two-headed pelican. You don’t see those every day. The Daily Mail even cites the Massachusetts Audubon Society that “animals with abnormalities like that usually do not live very long in the wild.”
What’s even more amazing is, not only does the pelican have two heads, it has four wings.
H/T: Jerry Coyne.
Thirty minutes ago, our blog passed the 13,000,000 view mark. The fact that we passed 12 million recently shows how fast the blog continues to grow. Congratulations everyone.
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
In the rural Iranian town of Shahmirzad, Muslim cleric Hojatoleslam Ali Beheshti encountered two girls on his way to the local mosque for noon prayers. The cleric confronted the two girls and admonished one of them to cover herself more completely. “She responded by telling me to cover my eyes, which was very insulting to me,” Beheshti said.
Continue reading “Iran Cleric Learns The Benefit Of Covering Up”
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
Click to enlarge.
Solution below the fold.
Good luck.
By Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Three wounded patrons of the now infamous midnight showing of the latest Batman flick, The Dark Knight Rises, have filed suit against owners of the Aurora 16 movie theater. The negligence suit claims, that despite knowing about the large crowds sure to attend the blockbuster movie premier, movie-house proprietors failed to provide security personnel or door alarm systems that could have prevented the shooter, James Holmes, from unleashing his mayhem.
Continue reading “Three Victims Sue Theater At Center of Aurora Colorado Shootings”
I am still in Utah for a speech and I have spoken to many people here about the current presidential campaign. Many locals here have expressed dismay over the missteps of the Romney campaign. However, David Twede, 47, a scientist and managing editor of the online magazine MormonThink.com, says that his criticism of Mitt Romney has led to his being called to account — and possible excommunication — from the Church of Latter Day Saints. The fifth-generation Mormon says that Church elders demanded names of other Mormons with which he was working on the site. He says he was told “Cease and desist, Brother Twede.” The controversy has now been reported on the Washington Post, Huffington Post and a number of other sites – though primarily as a political story. From a legal standpoint, the case raises a classic conflict between free speech and free exercise that we have discussed in other areas.
Wayne Watson, 59, has won a major damage award in a “popcorn lung” case where a jury gave awarded $7.2 million for being injured by inhaling fumes from microwave popcorn on a daily basis. We previously discussed this new theory of causation and harm. In this case, manufacturer Gilster-Mary Lee as well as King Soopers supermarket chain and its parent, Kroger Co., were held accountable for the harm suffered by Watson who ate microwave popcorn every day.
Continue reading ““Popcorn Lung” Case Generates $7.2 Million Verdict Against Manufacturer and Store Chain”
There is an interesting case out of Michigan concerning medical marijuana — and the basic requirements of drafting a medical marijuana law. We previously discussed the case of Joseph Casias. The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled (in the opinion below) that Wal-Mart was allowed to allegedly fire an employee for using medical marijuana. That would seem a curious ruling given state law protecting people in the use of medical marijuana. However, the court found that the drafting of a key line left workers without protection for termination.
Cindy Lee Garcia, the actress in the anti-Muslim film “Innocence of Muslims,’ has failed in her attempt to get Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Luis Lavin to order YouTube to remove the film. Garcia insists that she was not told of the real nature of the film and said that she has lived in fear since the protests erupted over the trailer of the film.
Continue reading “California Judge Refuses To Order YouTube To Remove “Innocence of Muslims””