Bizarre, Congress, Criminal law, Media, Politics, Society

Freeze, U.S. Congress! Rep. King Criticized For Video Of Raid Posted On YouTube

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, is embroiled in another controversy. King has previously been criticized for anti-Muslim statements and his express support for the IRA, despite its listing as a terrorist organization. Now, King has triggered an investigation after he went along with U.S. Marshals on a raid of a home and gleefully filmed the arrest of a citizen, including what appears footage inside the person’s home. It is the perfect merging of entertainment, politics, and crime. In the land of the blind, the one-cameraed man is King.

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Academia, Politics, Society, Torts

Leaving Pryde Behind: Virginia Tech Invokes State Cap To Reduce $8 Million Negligence Award To $200,000

I have previously written about my view of the clear negligence committed by Virginia Tech University in the 2007 campus massacre as well as the gross unfairness created by a state cap on damages for the families of dead students and faculty. I have also criticized the university’s litigation posture and steadfast denial of such negligence. Now a jury has added its collective voice to this criticism — finding Virginia Tech not only negligent but awarding the families of two Virginia Tech students $4 million each in a duty-to-warn case. However, due to the state’s imposition of a cap, these awards are likely to be reduced to a mere $100,000 each for their dead children. For parents like Erin Peterson and Julia Pryde, the cap must be a terrible insult as the calculation of what the state believes their child is worth in the face of lethal negligence by the school.

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Academia, Science

Frogetaboutit: New Species of Frog Discovered in the Big Apple

A new species of leopard frog has been discovered in one of the most wild and exotic places on earth . . . New York City. Having just returned from a weekend in New York with the kids, we explored our favorite spots in this unique ecosystem from the feeding hole known as Carnegie Deli to the herding areas of Times Square. We did not, however, spot this little guy despite trips to Central Park. That is probably because it turns out that this little guy prefers Staten Island to Manhattan.

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Academia, International, Science

Meet The Red Deer Cave People: A New Hominid Species Found In China

Scientists have released pictures of a fossil that may be a previously unknown type of human that existed only between 11,500 and 14,500 years ago. The “Red Deer Cave People” may represent a new hominid species. [Creationist Warning: Many people, and some presidential candidates, believe that the Earth is only 5,000 – 6,000 years old. Thus, according to Biblically based science, this is story is a bunch of Satan-inspired or secular-inspired hooey].

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Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Politics, Society

Federal Court Asked To Resume Hearings On Alleged Government Destruction Of Evidence In World Bank Case

Given the recent reports on our latest filings in the World Bank case (Chang v. United States), below are the two most recent filings asking for a resumption of hearings on the alleged destruction of evidence by the government.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Courts, Politics, Society, Torts

Arizona Passes “Wrongful Birth” Bill

The Arizona Senate has overwhelmingly passed the so-called “wrongful birth” bill — a piece of legislation that not only strips citizens of core torts protections but is based on a legal mythology of abusive litigation. The law would prevent lawsuits against doctors who withhold information on health problems of a fetus — even withholding the information intentionally.

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Bizarre, International, Politics, Religion

The Opening Legislative Prayer — Brazilian-Style

This is a video from this week in the Brazilian Congress. This is reported to be a congresswoman who has an extraordinary voice. As much as I loved the performance, it is worth noting that this is a religious song where members express their faith — a practice that raised concerns with those in Brazil who believe strongly in the separation of church and state.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Free Speech, Politics, Religion

Former Gay Porn Star Secures Right To Pursue Florida Teaching Certificate

We have been following a trend toward firing or disciplining public employees for their activities in their private lives, including statements made on Facebook or associations with unpopular groups. One group of employees are teachers and school employees who previously worked in the pornography industry (here and here). Shawn Loftis, 36, faced the same barrier to teaching due to his work as a gay porn actor as well as the director and owner of his own company, World of Men. After a campaign against him and a decision to bar him from teaching, Loftis secured a ruling that he could in fact return to teaching last Friday. He holds a master’s degree in public administration.

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Academia, Bizarre, International

English Soldier’s Long Lost Diary Supports Claim Of Hitler Child

It is not quite Boys From Brazil, but the discovery of a long-forgotten diary of an English soldier has led to a rekindling of the theory that Adolf Hitler fathered a child . . . and the little Führer was French. The diary adds support to claims that Jean-Marie Loret was the son of Hitler — conceived when Hitler lived in France as a corporal in World War I.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, International, Politics, Religion, Society

Sixteen Year Old Moroccan Girl Commits Suicide After Being Forced To Marry Older Man Who Raped Her

We have yet another tragedy in the Arab world where a 16 year old Moroccan girl committed suicide in Morocco after being forced to marry her rapist — a man ten years her senior. The girl’s parents filed charges against the man but the court ruled that rather than punishing the man, he should marry his rape victim.

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Bizarre, Criminal law

Indiana Father Arrested After Beating Coach Into Unconsciousness For Making Daughter Run Laps

In the last week, we have had one dad who blinded a goalie with a laser in a girl’s hockey game and another dad who bit off part of the ear of an opposing coaches ear after his son lost a basketball game. Now comes Shelly S. Miller, 37, who is charged with felony battery after allegedly punching an assistant basketball coach at St. Stanislaus School to the point of his losing consciousness.

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Bizarre, Environment, Politics

Rep. Steans: Time To Sell National Parks

This week, it was announced that budget cuts would now include canceling the Mars missions. However, Rep. Cliff Steans (R-FL) wants to go further. In a recent speech, Steans called for the selling off of national park lands. We have previously seen states sell off park lands, government buildings and other property — even as we burned hundreds of billions in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

What Would Jesus Tyson Do? Sixth Grade Basketball Coach Allegedly Attacks Opposing Coach and Bites Off Part Of His Ear After Losing Catholic Youth Finals

An assistant basketball coach at a basketball game of sixth graders is accused of biting off part of another coach’s ear at a Catholic Youth Organization game in Springfield, Massachusetts. Timothy Lee Forbes is reportedly the father of one of the players on his team that lost the game at Holy Name School in the Catholic Youth Organization final. He is charged with first punching the opposing coach and then going Mike Tyson on his ear. Jesus

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