South Korea’s parliament voted yesterday to approve chemical castration as punishment for convicted child sex offenders. This was a reaction to a 2008 case when a 58-year-old man raped and assaulted an 8-year-old girl.
Continue reading “South Korean Parliament Approves Chemical Castration for Sex Offenders”
Now, this is a road danger that few Driver’s Ed class prepare you for. A woman in Fruita, Colorado crashed into a canal. Police ruled out alcohol. The cause? Vampires.
Continue reading “Vampires! Colorado Woman Crashes in an Encounter With the Undead”
The European Union has called for an investigation into the death of Khaled Said, 28, at the hands of Egyptian police, who pulled him out of an Internet cafe.
This x-ray would not normally attract much attention but for the subject: Marilyn Monroe. This week, three x-rays of Monroe’s chest and pelvis were sold in auction for $45,000.
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The Oklahoma State University was shocked recently to learn that a university employee was able to use a university credit card to buy tens of thousands of dollars of lingerie, sex toys and other personal items. Cynthia Low, 44, allegedly used the taxpayer-funded card to buy an impressive amount of such items before being caught.
Continue reading “Oklahoma State University Fires Employee For Spending On Extracurricular Items”
Professors around the world are collectively known as high school geeks who couldn’t dance (even if we could find someone willing to dance with us). Now, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has announced the third annual “Dance Your Ph.D” where scientists do interpretive dances based on their fields of study.
Continue reading “Polka or Perish: Scientists Line Up To Dance Their Degrees”
First there was the confrontation with a manager over an ice cream cone and taxes. Now, Jim Campbell, the President and CEO of General Electric’s Appliance and Lighting Division, passed out during a speech by Biden.
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In another 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled against Christian law students at Hastings Law School in Christian Legal Society v. Martinez. Justice Ginsburg ruled that Christian students must adhere to non-discrimination policies if they are to accept funding or benefits from the school.
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In a 5-4 decision, the United States Supreme Court has effectively struck down Chicago’s gun law and extended its earlier ruling on the Second Amendment to all states as a fundamental right. It is the decision that some of us anticipated as consistent with past rulings on fundamental rights. The impact will be considerable as all states will now have to respect the individual right of gun ownership under the Second Amendment.
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Today the Senate will begin one of the longest running Kabuki shows in history. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan goes to the Senate Judiciary Committee for her confirmation hearings — a process long ridiculed for its ritualized and exaggerated content. The big question is whether Kagan will abandon her previously stated position that nominees should have to answer substantive questions on their views — a rejection of the so-called “Ginsburg Rule.” I will be commenting on the confirmation process at noon on MSNBC and later on Countdown.
Continue reading “Show Time: Kagan Hearings Begin Today”
A driver in Los Angeles hit and killed Tyrone Jones, 38, and (according to the victim’s family) did donuts to try to shake him off the window.
Continue reading “L.A. Driver Hits Disabled Man and Then Does Donuts To Shake Him Off Windshield”
Mexican country singer Sergio Vega, known as “El Shaka,” performed “narcocorridos” — songs that celebrated the lives of drug lords. Singing narcocorridos can anger rival drug gangs and result in such killings.
Continue reading “Reports Of My Death Have Been Greatly Corroborated: Mexican Singer Killed After Denying Death Rumor”
A federal jury has given the Boy Scouts a major victory: ruling that Philadelphia cannot evict the organization under a non-discrimination law. I have written about this case previously, including a column on the tension between non-discrimination laws and free association.
Continue reading “Philadelphia Jury Rules City Cannot Evict Boy Scout Chapter”
Creationists have lost a major battle after a federal court in Texas upheld a decision by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to deny the Institute for Creation Research Graduate School a certificate of authority to offer master’s degrees in science. We have previously discussed this new “science” degree.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D., IL) is calling for yet another czar in an already czar-heavy administration. This appointee might feel a bit insecure and self-conscious around the Afghanistan Czar, Border Czar, and Car Czar. He would be the Carp Czar tasked with tackling the influx of Asian carp in Lake Michigan. The greatest challenge will be to keep from confusing the Carp Czar and the Tarp Czar (Herb Allison).
Continue reading “Carp Czar: Durbin Asks Obama For A New Position To Take On the Asian Carp”