New law on crack cocaine could apply to old cases - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON – A year ago, a drug dealer caught with 50 grams of crack cocaine faced a mandatory 10 years in federal prison. Today, new rules cut that to as little as five years, and thousands of inmates not covered by the change are saying their sentences should be reduced, too.
'Please make this situation fair to all of us,' prisoner Shauna Barry-Scott wrote from West Virginia to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, which oversees federal sentencing guidelines. 'Treat us the same.'
The commission meets Wednesday in Washington to consider making the new crack sentencing guidelines retroactive, a step that could bring early release for as many as 1 in every 18 federal prisoners, or approximately 12,000 inmates."
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Child Brides - Pictures, More From National Geographic Magazine
Child Brides - Pictures, More From National Geographic Magazine: "Because the wedding was illegal and a secret, except to the invited guests, and because marriage rites in Rajasthan are often conducted late at night, it was well into the afternoon before the three girl brides in this dry farm settlement in the north of India began to prepare themselves for their sacred vows. They squatted side by side on the dirt, a crowd of village women holding sari cloth around them as a makeshift curtain, and poured soapy water from a metal pan over their heads. Two of the brides, the sisters Radha and Gora, were 15 and 13, old enough to understand what was happening. The third, their niece Rajani, was 5. She wore a pink T-shirt with a butterfly design on the shoulder. A grown-up helped her pull it off to bathe."
50 State Stereotypes In 2 Minutes (VIDEO)
50 State Stereotypes In 2 Minutes (VIDEO): "What would these United States be without our quirky differences? Not to mention the well-worn stereotypes those quirks have born. Oversimplified conceptions truly are American!
Author Paul Jury has some fun with that notion in the promo for his book below called '50 State Stereotypes In Two Minutes.' We think you'll enjoy Jury's descriptions of both the states you hate as well as the ones you love (if not, how about that delightful background music?).
Check out the transcript to find a specific state. We always appreciate an equal-opportunity offender"
Author Paul Jury has some fun with that notion in the promo for his book below called '50 State Stereotypes In Two Minutes.' We think you'll enjoy Jury's descriptions of both the states you hate as well as the ones you love (if not, how about that delightful background music?).
Check out the transcript to find a specific state. We always appreciate an equal-opportunity offender"
Sudan Conflict Displaces 35,000 Children
Sudan Conflict Displaces 35,000 Children: "LONDON -- A leading charity has warned that a new wave of violent conflict has displaced up to 35,000 children in Sudan's contested border region of Abyei.
Northern Sudanese tanks rolled into Abyei last weekend and forced residents to flee, igniting a conflict that many fear could escalate into civil war.
Both northern and Southern Sudan stake a claim to Abyei, a fertile grassland near several oil fields.
Save the Children's U.K. office says children who have been separated from their families since fighting broke out are at 'grave risk' of being targeted for sexual and physical abuse or recruited into the armed conflict.
Save the Children said Sunday it's 'desperately worried about those childr"
Northern Sudanese tanks rolled into Abyei last weekend and forced residents to flee, igniting a conflict that many fear could escalate into civil war.
Both northern and Southern Sudan stake a claim to Abyei, a fertile grassland near several oil fields.
Save the Children's U.K. office says children who have been separated from their families since fighting broke out are at 'grave risk' of being targeted for sexual and physical abuse or recruited into the armed conflict.
Save the Children said Sunday it's 'desperately worried about those childr"
Mutt that mauled 4-year-old to death was trained to kill by dead child's stepdad
Mutt that mauled 4-year-old to death was trained to kill by dead child's stepdad: "The malevolent mutt that fatally mauled a 4-year-old boy as his terrified brothers watched from beneath a bed was trained to kill by the dead child's stepdad, neighbors said Saturday.
Brooklyn residents who watched Damian Jones walk his powerful pets on the street were shocked but not surprised by the canine carnage that left little Jayelin Graham dead in a blood-spattered bedroom.
'Those dogs were vicious,' said building superintendent Kenny Risher, 50. 'They stink and they are nasty. The same dog ate their (pet) rabbit.'
Another neighbor, who tried desperately to help free the child from the brutal Cane Corso dubbed 'Machete,' said there was no chance of pulling the overmatched boy from the dog's death grip.
'He was trained to kill,' said the 29-year-old man. 'He had the boy by his throat. The dog was shaking him. He had no chance.'
But Jones, known as 'Animal' or 'Dread,' and his devastated fiancée Saquina (Honey) Jubeark insisted the death was a tragic accident.
'He was like a big Scooby-Doo,' said Jones, whose Facebook page says he's a fan of the television program 'When Animals Attack.'"
Brooklyn residents who watched Damian Jones walk his powerful pets on the street were shocked but not surprised by the canine carnage that left little Jayelin Graham dead in a blood-spattered bedroom.
'Those dogs were vicious,' said building superintendent Kenny Risher, 50. 'They stink and they are nasty. The same dog ate their (pet) rabbit.'
Another neighbor, who tried desperately to help free the child from the brutal Cane Corso dubbed 'Machete,' said there was no chance of pulling the overmatched boy from the dog's death grip.
'He was trained to kill,' said the 29-year-old man. 'He had the boy by his throat. The dog was shaking him. He had no chance.'
But Jones, known as 'Animal' or 'Dread,' and his devastated fiancée Saquina (Honey) Jubeark insisted the death was a tragic accident.
'He was like a big Scooby-Doo,' said Jones, whose Facebook page says he's a fan of the television program 'When Animals Attack.'"
85-year-old woman sexually assaulted, robbed on posh upper East Side Manhattan block
85-year-old woman sexually assaulted, robbed on posh upper East Side Manhattan block: "An 85-year-old woman was sexually assaulted in the doorway of an Upper East Side building Monday morning, police sources said.
The attack happened as the elderly victim was walking on E. 83rd St. and Madison Ave. around 6:30 a.m. The crime scene was less than a block from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The woman was forced into a doorway by the suspect, who stole a ring from her and forced her to perform oral sex on him, sources said.
The victim described the suspect as Hispanic, with tattoos on both arms. A more complete description wasn't immediately available.
Police have been searching the area, including nearby Central Park, for witnesses."
The attack happened as the elderly victim was walking on E. 83rd St. and Madison Ave. around 6:30 a.m. The crime scene was less than a block from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The woman was forced into a doorway by the suspect, who stole a ring from her and forced her to perform oral sex on him, sources said.
The victim described the suspect as Hispanic, with tattoos on both arms. A more complete description wasn't immediately available.
Police have been searching the area, including nearby Central Park, for witnesses."
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Taliban Executes New Tactic: High-Profile Inside Jobs
Taliban Executes New Tactic: High-Profile Inside Jobs: "KABUL, Afghanistan -- A car with the license plate of a high-ranking Afghan general approached the gates of the Defense Ministry in Kabul last month. A special 'A' pass also was on its windshield, so guards quickly waved it through.
Once inside, a man in an army uniform jumped from the car and stormed the ministry's main office building, an Afghan government official said. He gunned down two Afghan soldiers before being killed. The gunman also wounded an Afghan army officer, who died later at a hospital.
The April 18 attack – brazen and cleverly orchestrated by insurgents – is indicative of the high-profile yet small-scale attacks that are trademarks of the Taliban's spring campaign. Unable to match the firepower of the U.S.-led coalition and Afghan forces, insurgents conduct suicide bombings and assaults on government buildings, figuring these types of attacks will prove their resilience."
Once inside, a man in an army uniform jumped from the car and stormed the ministry's main office building, an Afghan government official said. He gunned down two Afghan soldiers before being killed. The gunman also wounded an Afghan army officer, who died later at a hospital.
The April 18 attack – brazen and cleverly orchestrated by insurgents – is indicative of the high-profile yet small-scale attacks that are trademarks of the Taliban's spring campaign. Unable to match the firepower of the U.S.-led coalition and Afghan forces, insurgents conduct suicide bombings and assaults on government buildings, figuring these types of attacks will prove their resilience."
Is This Dove Ad Racist?
Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com
Sarah Palin Motorcycle Ride & Bus Tour Kick-Off Stir 2012 Speculation
Sarah Palin Motorcycle Ride & Bus Tour Kick-Off Stir 2012 Speculation: "WASHINGTON -- Sarah Palin rumbled through Washington on the back of a Harley as she and her family began an East Coast tour Sunday that renewed speculation the former Alaska governor would join the still unsettled Republican presidential contest.
Wearing a black leather jacket and surrounded by a throng of cheering fans, Palin and family members jumped on bikes and joined thousands of other motorcyclists on the Memorial Day weekend ride from the Pentagon to the Vietnam Veterans' memorial. Palin didn't mention politics as she visited with participants, but she smiled broadly when many in the crowd urged her to run.
'How do you wear all this leather and stay cool?' she asked one woman as Palin took off a leather jacket and worked her way through a crush of fans, photographers and reporters."
Wearing a black leather jacket and surrounded by a throng of cheering fans, Palin and family members jumped on bikes and joined thousands of other motorcyclists on the Memorial Day weekend ride from the Pentagon to the Vietnam Veterans' memorial. Palin didn't mention politics as she visited with participants, but she smiled broadly when many in the crowd urged her to run.
'How do you wear all this leather and stay cool?' she asked one woman as Palin took off a leather jacket and worked her way through a crush of fans, photographers and reporters."
Soundbite Sunday
Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Republican Presidential Contest Suddenly Heats Up
Republican Presidential Contest Suddenly Heats Up: "WASHINGTON — The still unsettled race for the Republican nomination to challenge President Barack Obama in 2012 is getting more interesting.
After months of resisting calls to join the contest, Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Friday he would consider it. That could reshape the GOP field, adding a sitting governor who has never lost an election.
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin also sent a jolt through the party with the announcement of a campaign-style bus tour along the East Coast, the latest possible contender to stand up since Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels announced last weekend that he would not run.
And former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is heading to New Hampshire next week, further stirring speculation that he will jump into the still-gelling field."
After months of resisting calls to join the contest, Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Friday he would consider it. That could reshape the GOP field, adding a sitting governor who has never lost an election.
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin also sent a jolt through the party with the announcement of a campaign-style bus tour along the East Coast, the latest possible contender to stand up since Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels announced last weekend that he would not run.
And former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is heading to New Hampshire next week, further stirring speculation that he will jump into the still-gelling field."
Friday, May 27, 2011
Idol's White-Guy Problem: Scotty McCreery Wins American Idol: Why He Won - The Daily Beast
Scotty McCreery Wins American Idol: Why He Won - The Daily Beast: "First the good news. American Idol had two massive overriding goals in this tenth season: to keep the ratings from going into freefall post-Simon Cowell, and to produce a winner who could sell tons of records, something Idol has not done now for years.
The first of these Idol accomplished, and then some. The ratings this season have been at worst only slightly down from last year, and on some weeks, they have been up substantially; a feat almost without precedent for a TV show in its tenth year (that’s 80 years in Earth time), let alone one which has just lost its iconic star."
On the second goal—creating a mega-selling recording act—it is too soon to say, but there is certainly cause for cautious optimism about Idol’s just crowned champion Scotty McCreery. There is a case to be made that as an attractive young man with a solid voice working in the Idol-friendly country genre, Scotty might end up becoming Idol’s biggest record mover in a half decade, since the show last crowned a country champion, with Carrie Underwood. Only time will tell and many a slip occurs on the way to the Billboard charts, but having dominated the season as no Idol has since Underwood, the signs are positive.
Given these successes any objections fall into the category of “yes... but”s and can easily be classed minor quibbles. But minor though they may be, the stack of quibbles this season has accumulated can be piled fairly high. Taken together, they paint a picture of very different Idol emerging this season from the goliath America has come to regard with awe and terror. It is a show still with some great strengths and whose following is not going anywhere anytime soon. But after Season 10, the era when Idol was seen as a supernatural force seems to be at an end. The time of thinking of Idol as just a TV show among TV shows may have arrived.
For starters, we might very well mark Season 10 as the year Idol’s glass ceiling was cemented in place. It’s hard to say exactly how many clinical trials one would need to prove the theorem that good looking white males are the only category with any chance of win, but four lab tests seems ample. For the show’s first six years, its winners were as diverse a pool of gender and genres as one could have imagined; veering from Kelly Clarkson to Ruben Studdard, Fantasia to Carrie, Taylor and Jordin Sparks. And then, four white male champions, without interruption. At this point it seems safe to say, barring a force of nature appearing on the Idol stage, no one outside of this demographic need apply for the crown.
The first of these Idol accomplished, and then some. The ratings this season have been at worst only slightly down from last year, and on some weeks, they have been up substantially; a feat almost without precedent for a TV show in its tenth year (that’s 80 years in Earth time), let alone one which has just lost its iconic star."
On the second goal—creating a mega-selling recording act—it is too soon to say, but there is certainly cause for cautious optimism about Idol’s just crowned champion Scotty McCreery. There is a case to be made that as an attractive young man with a solid voice working in the Idol-friendly country genre, Scotty might end up becoming Idol’s biggest record mover in a half decade, since the show last crowned a country champion, with Carrie Underwood. Only time will tell and many a slip occurs on the way to the Billboard charts, but having dominated the season as no Idol has since Underwood, the signs are positive.
Given these successes any objections fall into the category of “yes... but”s and can easily be classed minor quibbles. But minor though they may be, the stack of quibbles this season has accumulated can be piled fairly high. Taken together, they paint a picture of very different Idol emerging this season from the goliath America has come to regard with awe and terror. It is a show still with some great strengths and whose following is not going anywhere anytime soon. But after Season 10, the era when Idol was seen as a supernatural force seems to be at an end. The time of thinking of Idol as just a TV show among TV shows may have arrived.
For starters, we might very well mark Season 10 as the year Idol’s glass ceiling was cemented in place. It’s hard to say exactly how many clinical trials one would need to prove the theorem that good looking white males are the only category with any chance of win, but four lab tests seems ample. For the show’s first six years, its winners were as diverse a pool of gender and genres as one could have imagined; veering from Kelly Clarkson to Ruben Studdard, Fantasia to Carrie, Taylor and Jordin Sparks. And then, four white male champions, without interruption. At this point it seems safe to say, barring a force of nature appearing on the Idol stage, no one outside of this demographic need apply for the crown.
Boosting ‘good’ cholesterol fails to prevent heart attacks in study - The Washington Post
Boosting ‘good’ cholesterol fails to prevent heart attacks in study - The Washington Post: "Boosting “good” HDL cholesterol did not protect against heart attacks and strokes in an eagerly awaited study that was abruptly stopped when the surprising outcome became clear, officials said Thursday.
The federally funded study of more than 3,400 U.S. adults at high risk for heart attacks and strokes was halted 18 months early after researchers realized that the HDL-boosting drug niacin failed to cut the risk — as was hoped and suggested by many earlier, smaller studies, officials said. In fact, there was a hint that niacin might increase the risk for one type of stroke."
The federally funded study of more than 3,400 U.S. adults at high risk for heart attacks and strokes was halted 18 months early after researchers realized that the HDL-boosting drug niacin failed to cut the risk — as was hoped and suggested by many earlier, smaller studies, officials said. In fact, there was a hint that niacin might increase the risk for one type of stroke."
North Korea says it’s freeing American detained since November following US envoy visit - The Washington Post
North Korea says it’s freeing American detained since November following US envoy visit - The Washington Post: "SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said Friday it will free an American detained for reportedly proselytizing after a visiting U.S. official expressed regret.
Eddie Jun was arrested in November and accused of committing a serious crime against North Korea, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency said. Pyongyang didn’t provide details about the alleged crime, but South Korean press reports say Jun, a Korean-American with business interests in North Korea, was accused of spreading Christianity."
Eddie Jun was arrested in November and accused of committing a serious crime against North Korea, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency said. Pyongyang didn’t provide details about the alleged crime, but South Korean press reports say Jun, a Korean-American with business interests in North Korea, was accused of spreading Christianity."
Ratko Mladic Arrested: World's Most Wanted Criminals (PHOTOS)
Ratko Mladic Arrested: World's Most Wanted Criminals (PHOTOS): "The arrest of Ratko Mladic, allegedly one of the world's most prominent war criminals, is being hailed as a turning point for his native Serbia. One of Europe's most wanted war crime fugitives, Mladic was on the run for more than 15 years after being indicted by the U.N. in 1995.
Of course, Mladic's arrest comes just weeks after the death of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, which means two of the world's most wanted men are now off the list.
So who's left on the list? Take a look below:"
Of course, Mladic's arrest comes just weeks after the death of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, which means two of the world's most wanted men are now off the list.
So who's left on the list? Take a look below:"
Decapitated Head Of St. Vitalis, Patron Saint Of Genital Disease, To Be Sold At Auction
Decapitated Head Of St. Vitalis, Patron Saint Of Genital Disease, To Be Sold At Auction: "The term 'VD' is slang for venereal disease, but, in this case, it can also stand for 'Vitalis' Dome,' as in St. Vitalis, the patron saint for genital diseases.
Soon, some lucky collector of rare artifacts may know the joy that only comes when you have the decapitated skull of a Catholic saint in your possession.
On May 29, the noggin of St. Vitalis of Assisi will be sold at auction in Duleek, Ireland. The macabre memento has a pre-auction value between $1,100 and $1,700.
The family selling the saintly skull are an Anglo-Irish family based in County Louth, the Belfast Telegraph reported."
Soon, some lucky collector of rare artifacts may know the joy that only comes when you have the decapitated skull of a Catholic saint in your possession.
On May 29, the noggin of St. Vitalis of Assisi will be sold at auction in Duleek, Ireland. The macabre memento has a pre-auction value between $1,100 and $1,700.
The family selling the saintly skull are an Anglo-Irish family based in County Louth, the Belfast Telegraph reported."
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Who Knew? - Yahoo! News
Who Knew? - Yahoo! News: "Bad luck -- or evil spell? Gems and tombs have been said to be cursed -- and so have more than a few sports teams. From King Tut to the Bambino, a review of some of the most famous supposed hexes."
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
AP source: Edwards could be indicted within days - Yahoo! News
AP source: Edwards could be indicted within days - Yahoo! News: "RALEIGH, North Carolina (AP) — Federal prosecutors have completed a wide-ranging investigation into John Edwards' political dealings and could indict the two-time Democratic presidential candidate within days, a person familiar with the matter said Wednesday.
Edwards could still strike a plea deal to avoid an indictment, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the case's sensitivity.
Federal investigators have been probing Edwards for two more than years. Their interest has spanned much of Edwards' political career, looking into issues such as whether he did anything improper during his time in the U.S. Senate. And it looked into a network of organizations connected to Edwards, including a nonprofit and political action committees.
Much of the investigation, however, focused on money that eventually went to keep mistress Rielle Hunter in hiding along with former campaign aide Andrew Young, who claimed paternity of Hunter's child in 2007 so that Edwards could continue his White House campaign without the affair tarnishing his reputation. Investigators have been looking at whether those funds should have been considered campaign donations since they arguably aided his presidential bid."
Edwards could still strike a plea deal to avoid an indictment, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the case's sensitivity.
Federal investigators have been probing Edwards for two more than years. Their interest has spanned much of Edwards' political career, looking into issues such as whether he did anything improper during his time in the U.S. Senate. And it looked into a network of organizations connected to Edwards, including a nonprofit and political action committees.
Much of the investigation, however, focused on money that eventually went to keep mistress Rielle Hunter in hiding along with former campaign aide Andrew Young, who claimed paternity of Hunter's child in 2007 so that Edwards could continue his White House campaign without the affair tarnishing his reputation. Investigators have been looking at whether those funds should have been considered campaign donations since they arguably aided his presidential bid."
Ben Ritz: Camping: Rapture Occured, but No One Worth Saving
Ben Ritz: Camping: Rapture Occured, but No One Worth Saving: "According to preacher Harold Camping, yesterday the Rapture occurred. During the Rapture, all good Christians ascended to Heaven to be with God while the wicked were damned to remain on Earth to experience the end of the world in October.
'This is absolute proof that I am correct,' said Camping. 'The rapture definitely took place, but there just wasn't a soul worth saving so it went unnoticed. The world will still end in October, as planned.'
When asked why he, as a good Christian, hadn't ascended at 6PM California time, Mr. Camping offered little explanation, simply saying, 'Why I am still here is irrelevant; all I can do now is take the 80 million dollar surplus my organization has collected from religious donors to the Cayman Islands where I intend to work tirelessly spreading the word of God before the End of Days in October.'
Despite numerous prayers placed to His office, God has yet to respond with any comment on the Rapture."
'This is absolute proof that I am correct,' said Camping. 'The rapture definitely took place, but there just wasn't a soul worth saving so it went unnoticed. The world will still end in October, as planned.'
When asked why he, as a good Christian, hadn't ascended at 6PM California time, Mr. Camping offered little explanation, simply saying, 'Why I am still here is irrelevant; all I can do now is take the 80 million dollar surplus my organization has collected from religious donors to the Cayman Islands where I intend to work tirelessly spreading the word of God before the End of Days in October.'
Despite numerous prayers placed to His office, God has yet to respond with any comment on the Rapture."
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Bibi’s balancing act - Yahoo! News
Bibi’s balancing act - Yahoo! News: "Prospects for new Israeli-Palestinian peace talks seemed more remote after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint meeting of Congress this morning.
Although the Israeli leader elicited thunderous applause and standing ovations from U.S. lawmakers at several points, the vision he laid out for an Israeli-Palestinian peace arrangement seems almost certain to be rejected by the Palestinians.
More notably, it lacked altogether a sense of urgency for restarting a peace process, which was a key takeaway of President Barack Obama's recent Middle East address.
'We seek a peace in which they [the Palestinians] will be neither Israel's subjects nor its citizens,' Netanyahu said at a special congressional joint session presided over by Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner. 'They should enjoy a national life of dignity as free, independent people living in their own state.'"
Although the Israeli leader elicited thunderous applause and standing ovations from U.S. lawmakers at several points, the vision he laid out for an Israeli-Palestinian peace arrangement seems almost certain to be rejected by the Palestinians.
More notably, it lacked altogether a sense of urgency for restarting a peace process, which was a key takeaway of President Barack Obama's recent Middle East address.
'We seek a peace in which they [the Palestinians] will be neither Israel's subjects nor its citizens,' Netanyahu said at a special congressional joint session presided over by Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner. 'They should enjoy a national life of dignity as free, independent people living in their own state.'"
NYC Teachers Counter 'Waiting For Superman' With Film Of Their Own
NYC Teachers Counter 'Waiting For Superman' With Film Of Their Own: "What did 'Waiting For 'Superman'' get wrong?
A grassroots group of parents and teachers pokes big holes in last year's blockbuster documentary about America's schools -- insisting that real reform will require more than brand-conscious initiatives such as increased testing standards and access to charter schools.
The result is a new documentary, wryly titled 'The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting For Superman.'
'It says ... we're mad as hell and we're not gonna take it anymore,' said Diane Ravitch, a New York University education historian and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education, during a speech after a recent screening. 'Teachers across this country are ... demoralized.'
After months of seething about what they view as the one-sidedness of Davis Guggenheim's film, hundreds of teachers gathered at Riverside Church in uptown Manhattan to vent their frustrations and anger."
A grassroots group of parents and teachers pokes big holes in last year's blockbuster documentary about America's schools -- insisting that real reform will require more than brand-conscious initiatives such as increased testing standards and access to charter schools.
The result is a new documentary, wryly titled 'The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting For Superman.'
'It says ... we're mad as hell and we're not gonna take it anymore,' said Diane Ravitch, a New York University education historian and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education, during a speech after a recent screening. 'Teachers across this country are ... demoralized.'
After months of seething about what they view as the one-sidedness of Davis Guggenheim's film, hundreds of teachers gathered at Riverside Church in uptown Manhattan to vent their frustrations and anger."
New York's Teacher Disciplinary Process Debated
New York's Teacher Disciplinary Process Debated: "NEW YORK -- A state Senate hearing in Albany on Monday explored ways to make the process for disciplining teachers suspected of incompetence or ethical errors less cumbersome and more consistent.
'I really haven’t met anyone who thinks it’s going swimmingly,' said state Sen. John Flanagan, who convened the hearing, according to GothamSchools. He said the process as it stands favors teachers, allowing them to resign quietly as hearings lag or as school districts choose not to formally press charges and risk spending thousands of dollars in litigation.
Monday's senate hearing focused on the state's 3020-a hearing, the process that requires districts to prove their case for terminating a tenured teacher. The 3020-a hearings, senators said, are too lengthy and expensive. As the Albany Times Union notes, such cases can cost the state up to $7 or $8 million per year. The arbitrators of these cases are now facing delays in payment because of the state's deficit."
'I really haven’t met anyone who thinks it’s going swimmingly,' said state Sen. John Flanagan, who convened the hearing, according to GothamSchools. He said the process as it stands favors teachers, allowing them to resign quietly as hearings lag or as school districts choose not to formally press charges and risk spending thousands of dollars in litigation.
Monday's senate hearing focused on the state's 3020-a hearing, the process that requires districts to prove their case for terminating a tenured teacher. The 3020-a hearings, senators said, are too lengthy and expensive. As the Albany Times Union notes, such cases can cost the state up to $7 or $8 million per year. The arbitrators of these cases are now facing delays in payment because of the state's deficit."
Michelle Rhee's Group Hired Lobbyist To Work On Controversial Ohio Teachers Bill
Michelle Rhee's Group Hired Lobbyist To Work On Controversial Ohio Teachers Bill: "WASHINGTON -- The nonprofit group set up by former Washington D.C. schools chancellor Michelle Rhee is facing criticism for hiring a lobbyist to work on controversial legislation in Ohio that partially restricted the collective bargaining rights of teachers.
Between January and April of 2011, StudentsFirst employed Robert Klaffky, the president of firm Van Meter, Ashbrook & Associates and a close adviser to Ohio Governor John Kasich (R) to help push various aspects of education policy.
In particular, the group, established by Rhee after she left the D.C. school system following then-Mayor Adrian Fenty's defeat, had Klaffky work on SB5, the infamous anti-collective bargaining bill passed into law but already facing the likelihood of referendum."
Between January and April of 2011, StudentsFirst employed Robert Klaffky, the president of firm Van Meter, Ashbrook & Associates and a close adviser to Ohio Governor John Kasich (R) to help push various aspects of education policy.
In particular, the group, established by Rhee after she left the D.C. school system following then-Mayor Adrian Fenty's defeat, had Klaffky work on SB5, the infamous anti-collective bargaining bill passed into law but already facing the likelihood of referendum."
Ted Turner Says Coal, Oil Industries Need 'A Good A** Kicking'
Ted Turner Says Coal, Oil Industries Need 'A Good A** Kicking': "ANAHEIM, C.A. -- Philanthropist and CNN founder Ted Turner has turned his sights to renewable energy -- and he had some fighting words for the wind industry at the kickoff to its annual convention on Monday.
Turbine manufacturers and clean energy utilities can't sit idly by while the coal industry touts its 'clean coal' plan and oil companies flood the airwaves, Turner said. He noted that he had 'nightmares' caused by clean coal advertisements.
Wind energy companies, which created a quarter of the nation's new electricity capacity last year, need to fight back, Turner said."
Turbine manufacturers and clean energy utilities can't sit idly by while the coal industry touts its 'clean coal' plan and oil companies flood the airwaves, Turner said. He noted that he had 'nightmares' caused by clean coal advertisements.
Wind energy companies, which created a quarter of the nation's new electricity capacity last year, need to fight back, Turner said."
Huge Profits for Health Insurers as Americans Put Off Care - NYTimes.com
Huge Profits for Health Insurers as Americans Put Off Care - NYTimes.com: "The UnitedHealth Group, one of the largest commercial insurers, told analysts that so far this year, insured hospital stays actually decreased in some instances. In reporting its earnings last week, Cigna, another insurer, talked about the “low level” of medical use.
Yet the companies continue to press for higher premiums, even though their reserve coffers are flush with profits and shareholders have been rewarded with new dividends. Many defend proposed double-digit increases in the rates they charge, citing a need for protection against any sudden uptick in demand once people have more money to spend on their health, as well as the rising price of care."
Yet the companies continue to press for higher premiums, even though their reserve coffers are flush with profits and shareholders have been rewarded with new dividends. Many defend proposed double-digit increases in the rates they charge, citing a need for protection against any sudden uptick in demand once people have more money to spend on their health, as well as the rising price of care."
The 9/11 Commission's Unfinished Business: What Did Iran Know? - The Daily Beast
The 9/11 Commission's Unfinished Business: What Did Iran Know? - The Daily Beast: "Former investigators on the 9/11 Commission, which uncovered tantalizing but inconclusive evidence of Tehran's ties to the plot, tell The Daily Beast they welcome the lawsuit, because they believe the U.S. government has done little to follow up on the commission's evidence of Iranian complicity.
The lawsuit, they say, may offer the best hope of getting to the truth about whether Iranian government officials had advance knowledge of the plot and worked with al Qaeda to make it easier for several of the hijackers to travel undetected in the year before the attacks.
The suit, brought in the United States District Court in Manhattan on behalf of the families of dozens of 9/11 victims, is promising testimony from three Iranian defectors, all of them identified as former members of Iran's central spy agency, who will implicate Iran and its terrorist proxies in Lebanon in the Sept. 11 attacks."
The lawsuit, they say, may offer the best hope of getting to the truth about whether Iranian government officials had advance knowledge of the plot and worked with al Qaeda to make it easier for several of the hijackers to travel undetected in the year before the attacks.
The suit, brought in the United States District Court in Manhattan on behalf of the families of dozens of 9/11 victims, is promising testimony from three Iranian defectors, all of them identified as former members of Iran's central spy agency, who will implicate Iran and its terrorist proxies in Lebanon in the Sept. 11 attacks."
Iraq Occupation Must End When SOFA Pact Expires - The Daily Beast
Iraq Occupation Must End When SOFA Pact Expires - The Daily Beast: "But the Pentagon, despite the obvious stress on our military, wants to stay in Iraq beyond the end of the year, when all U.S. military forces are scheduled to leave the country. This is an understandable impulse we should resist. Reversing our oft-stated commitment to leave Iraq would further damage America’s credibility in the region. To develop a beneficial long-term relationship with Iraq, the United States must first formally end its occupation.
Under the terms of the status of forces (or SOFA agreement) the U.S. and Iraq approved in 2008, the roughly 50,000 U.S. troops that remain and continue to train and back up Iraqi security forces will pack up in a few months. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, on a trip to Iraq last month, hinted publicly that the U.S. would be willing to extend those troops' stay if the Iraqis ask and soon."
Under the terms of the status of forces (or SOFA agreement) the U.S. and Iraq approved in 2008, the roughly 50,000 U.S. troops that remain and continue to train and back up Iraqi security forces will pack up in a few months. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, on a trip to Iraq last month, hinted publicly that the U.S. would be willing to extend those troops' stay if the Iraqis ask and soon."
Sudan on Verge of New Civil War: Test for International Community - The Daily Beast
Sudan on Verge of New Civil War: Test for International Community - The Daily Beast: "Sudan now faces the real prospect of a reignited civil war, just seven weeks from the scheduled formal declaration of independence by the Republic of South Sudan from the Arab and Islamist government of the North in Khartoum. Over two million people were killed before the last extended outbreak of civil war ended in 2005.
This past weekend’s slaughter was not a proxy war between warring tribes, but an outright military conflict with conventional forces. The Northern army now occupies Abyei. And no one can say that they didn’t see it coming.
The remote, oil-rich region of Abyei has long been the sticking point in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement negotiations. The local native Ngok Dinka tribe clearly identifies with the people of the South. But the North sees losing its oil resources as an economic calamity—and so they have done what many observers long expected: wait for international attention to focus elsewhere and then occupy the region by force before the official independence scheduled for July 9, 2011."
This past weekend’s slaughter was not a proxy war between warring tribes, but an outright military conflict with conventional forces. The Northern army now occupies Abyei. And no one can say that they didn’t see it coming.
The remote, oil-rich region of Abyei has long been the sticking point in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement negotiations. The local native Ngok Dinka tribe clearly identifies with the people of the South. But the North sees losing its oil resources as an economic calamity—and so they have done what many observers long expected: wait for international attention to focus elsewhere and then occupy the region by force before the official independence scheduled for July 9, 2011."
BBC News - Chrysler repays $7.6bn in government loans
BBC News - Chrysler repays $7.6bn in government loans: "The repayments include $5.9bn to the US and $1.7bn to Canada.
Plummeting sales forced Chrysler, alongside its Detroit rival General Motors, to turn for help during the global downturn.
US President Barack Obama called the repayment a 'significant milestone' for the US auto industry.
The carmaker was able to make the repayments with cheaper loans from institutional investors and banks, which, it said, would save hundreds of millions of dollars a year in interest payments.
However, the US government stills holds a stake in the company.
'Less than two years ago, we made a commitment to repay the US and Canadian taxpayers in full and today we made good on that promise,' said Chrysler chief executive Sergio Marchionne."
Plummeting sales forced Chrysler, alongside its Detroit rival General Motors, to turn for help during the global downturn.
US President Barack Obama called the repayment a 'significant milestone' for the US auto industry.
The carmaker was able to make the repayments with cheaper loans from institutional investors and banks, which, it said, would save hundreds of millions of dollars a year in interest payments.
However, the US government stills holds a stake in the company.
'Less than two years ago, we made a commitment to repay the US and Canadian taxpayers in full and today we made good on that promise,' said Chrysler chief executive Sergio Marchionne."
Casey Anthony's Legal Team Uses Surprise Defense, Claims Daughter Drowned
Casey Anthony's Legal Team Uses Surprise Defense, Claims Daughter Drowned: "Casey Anthony's defense opened with a stunning surprise Tuesday, claiming two-year-old Caylee drowned in the family's swimming pool in 2008.
In opening statements, prosecutors accused Anthony, 25, of killing her daughter, alleging she murdered the child by covering her mouth and nose with duct tape. Prosecutors said the young mom waited a month before telling her own mother that Caylee was missing.
Caylee's remains were found near the family's home in December 2008.
When the defense opened, Anthony's attorney, Jose Baez, stunned the courtroom with the unexpected explanation that Anthony didn't report that her daughter missing because Caylee allegedly drowned in the pool."
In opening statements, prosecutors accused Anthony, 25, of killing her daughter, alleging she murdered the child by covering her mouth and nose with duct tape. Prosecutors said the young mom waited a month before telling her own mother that Caylee was missing.
Caylee's remains were found near the family's home in December 2008.
When the defense opened, Anthony's attorney, Jose Baez, stunned the courtroom with the unexpected explanation that Anthony didn't report that her daughter missing because Caylee allegedly drowned in the pool."
Primary Care Shortage: Does More Doctors Mean Better Care?
Primary Care Shortage: Does More Doctors Mean Better Care?: "Patients living in areas with more primary care physicians have lower death rates and fewer preventable hospitalizations, new research suggests. But as the number of medical students pursuing internal medicine drops, a looming physician shortage could lead to a crisis in primary care.
'Simply put, medical students view internal medicine as working harder and getting paid less compared to other fields,' said Dr. Mark D. Schwartz of NYU's Langone Medical Center, who has studied the phenomenon. 'It's a very, very large concern.'"
'Simply put, medical students view internal medicine as working harder and getting paid less compared to other fields,' said Dr. Mark D. Schwartz of NYU's Langone Medical Center, who has studied the phenomenon. 'It's a very, very large concern.'"
Unintended Pregnancies Cost Taxpayers $11 Billion A Year: Report
Unintended Pregnancies Cost Taxpayers $11 Billion A Year: Report: "During a recent debate over a bill that would make it necessary for women to buy separate, abortion-only insurance policies to cover the expensive procedure, some Kansas lawmakers questioned whether it was realistic to expect women to prepare in advance for a rape or an unplanned pregnancy.
Rep. Pete Degraaf (R-Mulvane), in response, compared an accidental pregnancy to a flat tire.
'We do need to plan ahead, don't we, in life?' said Degraaf during the House debate. 'I have a spare tire on my car.'"
Rep. Pete Degraaf (R-Mulvane), in response, compared an accidental pregnancy to a flat tire.
'We do need to plan ahead, don't we, in life?' said Degraaf during the House debate. 'I have a spare tire on my car.'"
Pakistan media ridicules military after attack - Yahoo! News
Pakistan media ridicules military after attack - Yahoo! News: "ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistan's military was ridiculed and accused of complicity in the media on Tuesday after a small group of militants laid siege to a naval air base, holding out for 16 hours against about 100 commandos and rangers.
As few as six militants infiltrated the PNS Mehran naval base in Karachi, the headquarters of Pakistan's naval air wing, on Sunday night, killing 10 security forces and wounding 20."
As few as six militants infiltrated the PNS Mehran naval base in Karachi, the headquarters of Pakistan's naval air wing, on Sunday night, killing 10 security forces and wounding 20."
Frontline - WikiSecrets
Frontline - WikiSecrets: "This Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of Bradley Manning’s incarceration for espionage—but it took this week’s episode of Frontline to make us realize how little we knew about his actions or motives, or the very weird circumstances leading up to his arrest.
Manning was barely into his twenties, a deeply out-of-place Army intelligence analyst who’d fallen in with computer hackers and ended up passing 250,000 diplomatic cables and surveillance videos to WikiLeaks."
Manning was barely into his twenties, a deeply out-of-place Army intelligence analyst who’d fallen in with computer hackers and ended up passing 250,000 diplomatic cables and surveillance videos to WikiLeaks."
10 Countries With The Worst Income Inequality: OECD
10 Countries With The Worst Income Inequality: OECD: "Of all the effects of the economic crisis, perhaps one of the least visible, but most consequential has been the rising rate of income inequality around the world.
A recent report, released by the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and entitled 'Society at a Glance 2011 - OECD Social Indicators,' shows exactly where the gap between rich and poor has grown widest.
Based on a measurement known as the Gini coefficient, which rates countries from 0 to 1, where zero indicates perfect equality and one indicates all wealth goes to a single individual, the report finds growing rates of income inequality everywhere from Oceania to Scandinavia. Between the mid-1980s and late 2000s, the average Gini coefficient for OECD countries rose annually by an average of 0.3 percent, and now sits at 0.31."
A recent report, released by the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and entitled 'Society at a Glance 2011 - OECD Social Indicators,' shows exactly where the gap between rich and poor has grown widest.
Based on a measurement known as the Gini coefficient, which rates countries from 0 to 1, where zero indicates perfect equality and one indicates all wealth goes to a single individual, the report finds growing rates of income inequality everywhere from Oceania to Scandinavia. Between the mid-1980s and late 2000s, the average Gini coefficient for OECD countries rose annually by an average of 0.3 percent, and now sits at 0.31."
Moving Home: When College Grads Face Uncertain Futures
Moving Home: When College Grads Face Uncertain Futures: "LANSDALE, Pa. -- One midnight in April, Sabrina Malik pulls her red Chevy Blazer into her mother’s asphalt driveway, removes the keys from the ignition, and stops to take a deep breath.
Alone in the darkness, a sense of defeat courses through her body -- disappointment about her past and uncertainty about what lies ahead. This, she thinks to herself, is surely what failure feels like.
Six years ago, Malik fled this town for Syracuse University. Since graduating in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in art history, she has yet to find a decent job.
She hadn’t planned on moving back home and, at the age of 23, never expected to return to her mother’s house for an extended and open-ended period of time."
Alone in the darkness, a sense of defeat courses through her body -- disappointment about her past and uncertainty about what lies ahead. This, she thinks to herself, is surely what failure feels like.
Six years ago, Malik fled this town for Syracuse University. Since graduating in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in art history, she has yet to find a decent job.
She hadn’t planned on moving back home and, at the age of 23, never expected to return to her mother’s house for an extended and open-ended period of time."
Preacher says world will actually end in October
Preacher says world will actually end in October - Yahoo! News: "OAKLAND, Calif. – A California preacher who foretold of the world's end only to see the appointed day pass with no extraordinarily cataclysmic event has revised his apocalyptic prophecy, saying he was off by five months and the Earth actually will be obliterated on Oct. 21.
Harold Camping, who predicted that 200 million Christians would be taken to heaven Saturday before catastrophe struck the planet, apologized Monday evening for not having the dates 'worked out as accurately as I could have.'"
Harold Camping, who predicted that 200 million Christians would be taken to heaven Saturday before catastrophe struck the planet, apologized Monday evening for not having the dates 'worked out as accurately as I could have.'"
Monday, May 23, 2011
Loophole: Lottery Winner on Food Stamps
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Wis. Court OK's Life Sentence for 14-Year-Old
Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com
Massive Tornado Devastates Joplin, Missouri
Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com
'I Played By The Rules' -- 'The Rules Have Changed'
'I Played By The Rules' -- 'The Rules Have Changed': "On July 17, 2009, Terry Harris of Jonesville, S.C., lost her job as an executive assistant at a promotional products company. The company, she says, went belly up.
'My boss actually cried when I was let go,' she says. 'I have an excellent letter of recommendation from him.'
In other words, Harris says, 'It was purely an economic thing.' She lost her job through no fault of her own."
'My boss actually cried when I was let go,' she says. 'I have an excellent letter of recommendation from him.'
In other words, Harris says, 'It was purely an economic thing.' She lost her job through no fault of her own."
Natural gas from fracking is worse for climate than coal, says new study | Grist
Natural gas from fracking is worse for climate than coal, says new study | Grist: "Natural gas obtained through 'fracking' -- the increasingly common process of splitting open underground deposits with high pressure chemicals -- now has an even bigger strike against it than its potential to contaminate regional water supplies. Fracking, it turns out, yields more global warming per unit of energy than coal -- at least 20 percent more, and possibly up to twice as much."
Mullah Omar Alive And In Afghanistan: Taliban
Mullah Omar Alive And In Afghanistan: Taliban: "KABUL, Afghanistan -- The Taliban denied a report in the Afghan press that the insurgent group's leader had been killed in neighboring Pakistan, saying Monday that Mullah Mohammad Omar is alive and in Afghanistan.
'This is absolutely wrong. It's only propaganda and we completely deny these rumors,' Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told The Associated Press in a phone call. 'He is inside Afghanistan and he is busy directing military operations with his commanders.'"
'This is absolutely wrong. It's only propaganda and we completely deny these rumors,' Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told The Associated Press in a phone call. 'He is inside Afghanistan and he is busy directing military operations with his commanders.'"
Well, Rapture didn’t happen — now what? | The Salt Lake Tribune
Well, Rapture didn’t happen — now what? | The Salt Lake Tribune: "Now that the earthquakes, global chaos and Rapture haven’t materialized, disappointed believers face a new challenge: keep living.
Many likely will go through stages of grief from denial and recalibrations of the date to disillusionment and depression. Others will be locked in one stage or another."
Many likely will go through stages of grief from denial and recalibrations of the date to disillusionment and depression. Others will be locked in one stage or another."
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Prison Labor: Outsourcing's "Best Kept Secret" CIO.com
Prison Labor: Outsourcing's "Best Kept Secret" CIO.com: "CIO — When word spread earlier this month that an Indian IT services company planned to set up a 200-person business process outsourcing unit in an Andhra Pradesh jail , it wasn't long before the snark began flying. Are captive centers on the rebound? Imagine the low attrition rates! Inmates working for banks—what could possibly go wrong?
When Phil Fersht, founder of outsourcing analyst firm Horses for Sources, first heard about it, he says, 'I thought it was a joke.'
Meanwhile, in the U.S., prisoners have been handling a variety of business services for private corporations since 1999. In 2002, they began taking on call center work. Nearly 1,100 inmates locked up in eight federal prisons from Dublin, Calif. to Morgantown, West Va. man tier-one help desks, handle outbound business-to-business calls, and provide directory assistance for Federal Prison Industries (FPI)."
When Phil Fersht, founder of outsourcing analyst firm Horses for Sources, first heard about it, he says, 'I thought it was a joke.'
Meanwhile, in the U.S., prisoners have been handling a variety of business services for private corporations since 1999. In 2002, they began taking on call center work. Nearly 1,100 inmates locked up in eight federal prisons from Dublin, Calif. to Morgantown, West Va. man tier-one help desks, handle outbound business-to-business calls, and provide directory assistance for Federal Prison Industries (FPI)."
Saturday, May 21, 2011
32 Pictures You Need To See Before The World Ends: Pics, Videos, Links, News
32 Pictures You Need To See Before The World Ends: Pics, Videos, Links, News: "32 Pictures You Need To See Before The World Ends"
Apocalists: 9 Lists To Get You Through The End Of The World (PICTURES)
Apocalists: 9 Lists To Get You Through The End Of The World (PICTURES): "t's pretty well-documented at this point that the apocalypse may or may not be happening tomorrow, May 21, and the internet is aflutter in anticipation.
With all of the end of days how-to lists coming out, we figured we'd round up some of the best and share the knowledge. Because if there's one thing we want our readers to be, it's ready for the end of the world."
With all of the end of days how-to lists coming out, we figured we'd round up some of the best and share the knowledge. Because if there's one thing we want our readers to be, it's ready for the end of the world."
Scott Weiland: Raped As 12-Year Old Boy, Singer Reveals In Memoir
Scott Weiland: Raped As 12-Year Old Boy, Singer Reveals In Memoir: "Scott Weiland has lived a public life filled with ups and down, struggling with addiction and alternate musical successes and failures, but as he reveals in his new memoir, difficulties began far before he became a rockstar.
In excerpts from 'Not Dead & Not For Sale,' published in Spin, the Stone Temple Pilots grunge rocker details his struggle with heroin, his artistic compromises and, most harrowingly, the time he was raped at just 12 years old.
While growing up in Ohio, Weiland remembers a 'big muscular guy, a high school senior... [who] rode the bus with me every day to school... invited me to his house. The dude raped me. It was quick, not pleasant. I was too scared to tell anyone. 'Tell anyone,' he warned, 'and you'll never have another friend in this school. I'll ruin your **ckin' reputation.' Adds Weiland, 'This is a memory I suppressed until only a few years ago when, in rehab, it came flooding back. Therapy will do that to you.'"
In excerpts from 'Not Dead & Not For Sale,' published in Spin, the Stone Temple Pilots grunge rocker details his struggle with heroin, his artistic compromises and, most harrowingly, the time he was raped at just 12 years old.
While growing up in Ohio, Weiland remembers a 'big muscular guy, a high school senior... [who] rode the bus with me every day to school... invited me to his house. The dude raped me. It was quick, not pleasant. I was too scared to tell anyone. 'Tell anyone,' he warned, 'and you'll never have another friend in this school. I'll ruin your **ckin' reputation.' Adds Weiland, 'This is a memory I suppressed until only a few years ago when, in rehab, it came flooding back. Therapy will do that to you.'"
Obama Pardons 8 People
Obama Pardons 8 People: "ike the earlier pardons, the latest did not involve anyone well-known. The cases date back as far as 1975, when Randy Eugene Dyer of Burien, Wash., was sentenced to serve five years in prison in the conspiracy to import marijuana and two related crimes.
Another pardon recipient was Bobby Gerald Wilson of Summerton, S.C., sentenced in 1985 to 3 1/2 months in prison for aiding and abetting the possession and sale of illegal American alligator hides.
Others who received pardons:
_ Allen Edward Peratt Sr. of Sioux Falls, S.D., sentenced in 1990 to 2 1/2 years in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.
_Christine Marie Rossiter of Lincoln, Neb., sentenced in 1992 to three years of probation for conspiring to distribute less than 110 pounds of marijuana.
_ Patricia Ann Weinzatl of Prentice, Wis., sentenced in 2001 to three years of probation for structuring financial transactions to evade bank reporting requirements.
_ Michael Ray Neal of Palm Coast, Fla., sentenced in 1991 to six months in prison for unauthorized decryption of satellite cable programming."
_ Edwin Alan North of Wolcottville, Ind., sentenced to six months of probation for transferring a firearm without payment of tax.
_ Danny Alonzo Levitz of Angola, Ind., sentenced in 1980 to two years of probation for conspiracy.
The White House, as is typically the case with every administration, offered no elaboration for the president's pardons.
Another pardon recipient was Bobby Gerald Wilson of Summerton, S.C., sentenced in 1985 to 3 1/2 months in prison for aiding and abetting the possession and sale of illegal American alligator hides.
Others who received pardons:
_ Allen Edward Peratt Sr. of Sioux Falls, S.D., sentenced in 1990 to 2 1/2 years in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.
_Christine Marie Rossiter of Lincoln, Neb., sentenced in 1992 to three years of probation for conspiring to distribute less than 110 pounds of marijuana.
_ Patricia Ann Weinzatl of Prentice, Wis., sentenced in 2001 to three years of probation for structuring financial transactions to evade bank reporting requirements.
_ Michael Ray Neal of Palm Coast, Fla., sentenced in 1991 to six months in prison for unauthorized decryption of satellite cable programming."
_ Edwin Alan North of Wolcottville, Ind., sentenced to six months of probation for transferring a firearm without payment of tax.
_ Danny Alonzo Levitz of Angola, Ind., sentenced in 1980 to two years of probation for conspiracy.
The White House, as is typically the case with every administration, offered no elaboration for the president's pardons.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Masturbate-a-Thon and Other Fun Rapture Parties Across These United States of Sin - Miami Art - Cultist
Masturbate-a-Thon and Other Fun Rapture Parties Across These United States of Sin - Miami Art - Cultist: "The Rapture is looming. In fact, according to Harold Camping, an 89-year-old retired civil engineer from Oakland, CA, Judgment Day is supposed to go down tomorrow, which is a total bummer because May 21 is also the birthday of Mr. T. Poor Mr. T! We pity the fool.
But hold up: This isn't the first time the Rapture has been scheduled to occur, but some folks are still taking this mess seriously (perhaps its our proximity to the year 2012 or that recent rash of natural disasters). In response, most atheists are unleashing their inner cynics with oodles of Rapture parties that celebrate filthy, non-stop hedonism. Here's our round-up of the snarkiest fiestas del sin. Salute! And uh, hail Satan? (In case you're wondering, Miami has just one such party. We've listed it at the very end.)"
But hold up: This isn't the first time the Rapture has been scheduled to occur, but some folks are still taking this mess seriously (perhaps its our proximity to the year 2012 or that recent rash of natural disasters). In response, most atheists are unleashing their inner cynics with oodles of Rapture parties that celebrate filthy, non-stop hedonism. Here's our round-up of the snarkiest fiestas del sin. Salute! And uh, hail Satan? (In case you're wondering, Miami has just one such party. We've listed it at the very end.)"
’Gun control’ pusher disagrees with MLK, says right delayed is NOT right denied - St. Louis gun rights | Examiner.com
’Gun control’ pusher disagrees with MLK, says right delayed is NOT right denied - St. Louis gun rights | Examiner.com: "The Brady Campaign is very upset that the House Judiciary Committee voted (by a nearly two to one margin) last week against amending the offensively misnamed 'Patriot Act.' The proposed amendment, filed by Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL), would have even more egregiously defiled the concept of patriotism, in that the law would now authorize the trampling of the right to keep and bear arms without a conviction, an indictment, or even an arrest or formal charges:"
Face to face, Netanyahu rejects Obama on borders - Yahoo! News
Face to face, Netanyahu rejects Obama on borders - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON – In a blunt display of differences, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the idea of using his country's 1967 boundaries as the basis for a neighboring Palestinian state on Friday, declaring his objections face-to-face to President Barack Obama who had raised the idea just 24 hours earlier in an effort to revive stalled Mideast peace talks.
Though the two leaders, meeting in the Oval Office, found cordial and predictable agreement on the other central element that Obama outlined in his Mideast address Thursday — ironclad Israeli security alongside a Palestinian nation — progress on the bedrock issue of borders seemed as elusive as ever."
Though the two leaders, meeting in the Oval Office, found cordial and predictable agreement on the other central element that Obama outlined in his Mideast address Thursday — ironclad Israeli security alongside a Palestinian nation — progress on the bedrock issue of borders seemed as elusive as ever."
For one believer of the approaching Judgment Day, May 21 may come and go - Yahoo! News
For one believer of the approaching Judgment Day, May 21 may come and go - Yahoo! News: "Like others around the country following the May 21 prophecy, Gary Vollmer knows that the final Judgment Day is imminent. He’s also the most sensible and easy-going Doomsayer you’ll ever meet.
Dark-wooded siding lines Vollmer’s beautifully kept, two-story home, which is perched at the corner of a quiet neighborhood in Fairfax, Va. A front door note politely informs the FedEx man to take packages to the house’s small stone addition, just to the right by a busy intersection.
The house itself sits behind a kids play pen filled with plastic toys and a bulky, four-door SUV, with enough room for his the whole family, stickered with quotes from the Bible and the Family Radio website. The paint-job behind the quote looks like the large golden streaks of a water color sunset. It’s actually a landscape of an unnamed metropolitan being decimated by fire and brimstone.
“This,” says Gary, pointing to his SUV, “will get great mocking and scourging if I’m here on the 21st. You know what I’m saying? And the 22nd, the 23rd.”"
Dark-wooded siding lines Vollmer’s beautifully kept, two-story home, which is perched at the corner of a quiet neighborhood in Fairfax, Va. A front door note politely informs the FedEx man to take packages to the house’s small stone addition, just to the right by a busy intersection.
The house itself sits behind a kids play pen filled with plastic toys and a bulky, four-door SUV, with enough room for his the whole family, stickered with quotes from the Bible and the Family Radio website. The paint-job behind the quote looks like the large golden streaks of a water color sunset. It’s actually a landscape of an unnamed metropolitan being decimated by fire and brimstone.
“This,” says Gary, pointing to his SUV, “will get great mocking and scourging if I’m here on the 21st. You know what I’m saying? And the 22nd, the 23rd.”"
Making Things in America - NYTimes.com
Making Things in America - NYTimes.com: "Some years ago, one of my neighbors, an émigré Russian engineer, offered an observation about his adopted country. “America seems very rich,” he said, “but I never see anyone actually making anything.”"That was a bit unfair, but not completely — and as time went by it became increasingly accurate. By the middle years of the last decade, I used to joke that Americans made a living by selling each other houses, which they paid for with money borrowed from China. Manufacturing, once America’s greatest strength, seemed to be in terminal decline.
But that may be changing. Manufacturing is one of the bright spots of a generally disappointing recovery, and there are signs — preliminary, but hopeful, nonetheless — that a sustained comeback may be under way.
And there’s something else you should know: If right-wing critics of efforts to rescue the economy had gotten their way, this comeback wouldn’t be happening.
The story so far: In the 1990s, U.S. manufacturing employment was more or less steady. After 2000, however, it entered a steep decline. The 2001 recession hit industry hard, while the bubble-fueled expansion of the decade’s middle years — an expansion marked by a huge rise in the trade deficit — left manufacturing behind. By December 2007, there were 3.5 million fewer U.S. manufacturing workers than there had been in 2000; millions more jobs disappeared in the slump that followed.
But that may be changing. Manufacturing is one of the bright spots of a generally disappointing recovery, and there are signs — preliminary, but hopeful, nonetheless — that a sustained comeback may be under way.
And there’s something else you should know: If right-wing critics of efforts to rescue the economy had gotten their way, this comeback wouldn’t be happening.
The story so far: In the 1990s, U.S. manufacturing employment was more or less steady. After 2000, however, it entered a steep decline. The 2001 recession hit industry hard, while the bubble-fueled expansion of the decade’s middle years — an expansion marked by a huge rise in the trade deficit — left manufacturing behind. By December 2007, there were 3.5 million fewer U.S. manufacturing workers than there had been in 2000; millions more jobs disappeared in the slump that followed.
Hair Extensions; The New Black Market Trade
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Surprise! Half of US Pregnancies Are Accidents - 28 million American women are at risk of unintended pregnancy
Surprise! Half of US Pregnancies Are Accidents - 28 million American women are at risk of unintended pregnancy: "(NEWSER) – Nearly half of all US pregnancies are accidents, a new survey shows. The risk of unintended pregnancy is especially high for women unsatisfied with their contraceptive method, says the report, released by a think tank on reproductive issues. The problem isn't laziness or absent-mindedness, reports the Boston Globe—it's a complex combination of attitudes, habits, and other factors.
'The way I explain it to my patients is, Mother Nature wants the species to survive, so all of us are hard-wired for sex,' said one internist. 'And that's what you're up against. It's not about 'good person' or 'bad person.''"
'The way I explain it to my patients is, Mother Nature wants the species to survive, so all of us are hard-wired for sex,' said one internist. 'And that's what you're up against. It's not about 'good person' or 'bad person.''"
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Dumb as a Blog: Trying to remove a porn star's sexy tombstone is dumb on truTV.com
Dumb as a Blog: Trying to remove a porn star's sexy tombstone is dumb on truTV.com: "Cemetery officials in Hamburg, Germany are in an uproar over the tombstone of a deceased porn star who died from breast enhancement surgical complications.
They say the tombstone is 'too sexy'. I say they have never seen a porn then.
The gravestone is a beautiful angel in a floor length gown. What gives? I usually love to poke fun at porn stars but these prude cemetery killjoys have their butt plugs shoved in a little too far.
Something tells me they are unfairly looking for signs of sexuality around the burial site of the adult film actress based solely on her profession. Have you ever taken a look around graveyards and noticed the gigantic, erect, phallic monuments honoring men of power and prestige? How about cherubs? Those are naked children and we know how much church officials like that!
Also, Germany, aren't you a bunch of pervs anyway? I've seen some of your national exports and you people are some kinky, twisted mofos."
They say the tombstone is 'too sexy'. I say they have never seen a porn then.
The gravestone is a beautiful angel in a floor length gown. What gives? I usually love to poke fun at porn stars but these prude cemetery killjoys have their butt plugs shoved in a little too far.
Something tells me they are unfairly looking for signs of sexuality around the burial site of the adult film actress based solely on her profession. Have you ever taken a look around graveyards and noticed the gigantic, erect, phallic monuments honoring men of power and prestige? How about cherubs? Those are naked children and we know how much church officials like that!
Also, Germany, aren't you a bunch of pervs anyway? I've seen some of your national exports and you people are some kinky, twisted mofos."
Amazon e-books now outselling print books - CNN.com
Amazon e-books now outselling print books - CNN.com: "(CNN) -- As further proof of how digital media dominate today's entertainment, Amazon announced Thursday that its customers now buy more e-books for its Kindle device than all print books -- hardcover and paperback -- combined.
Given that people seem to spend more and more of their time peering at glowing electronic screens, this was probably bound to happen.
Still, the swiftness of this sea change -- three-and-a-half years after the Kindle hit the market -- appeared to catch even Amazon by surprise.
'Customers are now choosing Kindle books more often than print books. We had high hopes that this would happen eventually, but we never imagined it would happen this quickly -- we've been selling print books for 15 years and Kindle books for less than four years,' said Jeff Bezos, Amazon's CEO, in a statement."
Given that people seem to spend more and more of their time peering at glowing electronic screens, this was probably bound to happen.
Still, the swiftness of this sea change -- three-and-a-half years after the Kindle hit the market -- appeared to catch even Amazon by surprise.
'Customers are now choosing Kindle books more often than print books. We had high hopes that this would happen eventually, but we never imagined it would happen this quickly -- we've been selling print books for 15 years and Kindle books for less than four years,' said Jeff Bezos, Amazon's CEO, in a statement."
Texas governor says presidential chatter not distracting | Reuters
Texas governor says presidential chatter not distracting | Reuters: "Asked whether the attention is flattering, Perry told reporters in Austin: 'I've got a legislative session that is substantially more important to the people of the state of Texas and to me to get distracted by any talk, whether it's what you would call flattering or whether it's what I would call maybe not so flattering.' Texas' legislative session ends May 30.
Perry, speaking after a speech to the Austin Technology Council's CEO Summit, has been mentioned again recently as someone who should be encouraged to get into the Republican presidential race.
Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh spoke extensively Wednesday on his show about how Perry 'has the potential to light this up' -- and how he has great hair. Also this week, RealClearPolitics.com ran a story with the headline 'Rick Perry Presidential Push Quietly Gains Steam.'"
Perry, speaking after a speech to the Austin Technology Council's CEO Summit, has been mentioned again recently as someone who should be encouraged to get into the Republican presidential race.
Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh spoke extensively Wednesday on his show about how Perry 'has the potential to light this up' -- and how he has great hair. Also this week, RealClearPolitics.com ran a story with the headline 'Rick Perry Presidential Push Quietly Gains Steam.'"
Report: Deadliest U.S. mine disaster in decades due to safety failures - CNN.com
Report: Deadliest U.S. mine disaster in decades due to safety failures - CNN.com: "(CNN) -- A 'perfect storm was brewing' in West Virginia's Upper Big Branch coal mine in the weeks and days before a fireball tore through it on April 5, 2010, killing 29 miners and injuring one severely, according to a just-released report by the Governor's Independent Investigation Panel.
The report describes in vivid detail the conditions at Upper Big Branch before, during and after the deadliest U.S. mine disaster in 40 years, and concludes that the explosion was preventable and resulted from 'failures in safety systems' at the mine in southern West Virginia.
The findings are based on physical examinations of the mine, regulatory records, the mine's internal records and more than 300 interviews with current and former mine employees, family members of miners, as well as with state and federal mine regulators. Noticeably absent from the 120-page report: testimony from the top people in charge of the mine. They invoked their Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination and refused to cooperate with investigators."
The report describes in vivid detail the conditions at Upper Big Branch before, during and after the deadliest U.S. mine disaster in 40 years, and concludes that the explosion was preventable and resulted from 'failures in safety systems' at the mine in southern West Virginia.
The findings are based on physical examinations of the mine, regulatory records, the mine's internal records and more than 300 interviews with current and former mine employees, family members of miners, as well as with state and federal mine regulators. Noticeably absent from the 120-page report: testimony from the top people in charge of the mine. They invoked their Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination and refused to cooperate with investigators."
Ex-IMF chief granted bail amid sexual assault allegations - CNN.com
Ex-IMF chief granted bail amid sexual assault allegations - CNN.com: "New York (CNN) -- Former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was granted bail Thursday after being indicted on charges related to the alleged assault of a maid in his New York hotel Saturday.
'It's a great relief to the family to be able to have him with them,' defense attorney Bill Taylor said to reporters outside the courtroom. He said his client would spend Thursday night at the jail on Rikers Island before being released Friday. His next court appearance, an arraignment, is slated for June 6.
Supreme Court Judge Michael Obus granted the bail on the condition that Strauss-Kahn post $1 million in cash, that he also post a bond for $5 million, that he surrender his travel documents and that he submit to home detention.
The announcement came shortly after he was indicted on seven criminal charges. They are: two counts of criminal sexual act, two counts of sexual abuse, and one count each of attempt to commit rape, unlawful imprisonment and forcible touching."
'It's a great relief to the family to be able to have him with them,' defense attorney Bill Taylor said to reporters outside the courtroom. He said his client would spend Thursday night at the jail on Rikers Island before being released Friday. His next court appearance, an arraignment, is slated for June 6.
Supreme Court Judge Michael Obus granted the bail on the condition that Strauss-Kahn post $1 million in cash, that he also post a bond for $5 million, that he surrender his travel documents and that he submit to home detention.
The announcement came shortly after he was indicted on seven criminal charges. They are: two counts of criminal sexual act, two counts of sexual abuse, and one count each of attempt to commit rape, unlawful imprisonment and forcible touching."
Afghanistan War: Troop Morale Plummets, Report Says
Afghanistan War: Troop Morale Plummets, Report Says: "WASHINGTON -- As fighting and casualties in Afghanistan's war reached an all-time high, U.S. soldiers and Marines there reported plunging morale and the highest rates of mental health problems in five years.
The grim statistics in a new Army report released Thursday dramatize the psychological cost of a military campaign that U.S. commanders and officials say has reversed the momentum of the Taliban insurgency.
Military doctors said the findings from a battlefield survey taken last summer were no surprise given the dramatic increase in combat, which troops reported was at its most intense level since officials began doing mental health analyses in 2003."
The grim statistics in a new Army report released Thursday dramatize the psychological cost of a military campaign that U.S. commanders and officials say has reversed the momentum of the Taliban insurgency.
Military doctors said the findings from a battlefield survey taken last summer were no surprise given the dramatic increase in combat, which troops reported was at its most intense level since officials began doing mental health analyses in 2003."
Mexican authorities find 513 illegal immigrants in 2 tractor-trailers - CNN.com
Mexican authorities find 513 illegal immigrants in 2 tractor-trailers - CNN.com: "Mexico City (CNN) -- Mexican authorities said they found and detained more than 500 illegal immigrants from Central America and Asia who were crammed inside two tractor-trailers heading toward the United States on Tuesday.
X-ray equipment detected the immigrants at checkpoints in the southern state of Chiapas, the state attorney general's office said. The drivers of both trucks sped away after authorities ordered them to stop, but police apprehended them nearby.
Inside the tractor-trailers, they found 513 people from El Salvador, Ecuador, China, Japan, Guatemala, India, Nepal, Honduras and the Dominican Republic."
X-ray equipment detected the immigrants at checkpoints in the southern state of Chiapas, the state attorney general's office said. The drivers of both trucks sped away after authorities ordered them to stop, but police apprehended them nearby.
Inside the tractor-trailers, they found 513 people from El Salvador, Ecuador, China, Japan, Guatemala, India, Nepal, Honduras and the Dominican Republic."
Vikram Pandit's Take of Citigroup's Profits - NYTimes.com
Vikram Pandit's Take of Citigroup's Profits - NYTimes.com: "After spending years as one of Wall Street’s lowest paid chief executives, Vikram S. Pandit received a $23.2 million retention package that could catapult him to the top of the list.
Mr. Pandit earned a token annual salary of $1 as he steered Citigroup back into the black over the last two years. But on Wednesday, Citi’s board awarded him as much as $16.5 million in stock and options as well as a cash payment valued at more than $6.65 million as part of a special profit-sharing program for top executives."
Mr. Pandit earned a token annual salary of $1 as he steered Citigroup back into the black over the last two years. But on Wednesday, Citi’s board awarded him as much as $16.5 million in stock and options as well as a cash payment valued at more than $6.65 million as part of a special profit-sharing program for top executives."
Obama Middle East Speech: President Will Announce Billions In Economic Aid to Egypt, Tunisia
Obama Middle East Speech: President Will Announce Billions In Economic Aid to Egypt, Tunisia: "WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama will announce plans Thursday to funnel billions of dollars in economic aid to Egypt and Tunisia as part of a broader effort to inject democracy into the Middle East and North Africa.
Obama will unveil a massive package of economic measures, including up to $1 billion in debt relief and another $1 billion in loan guarantees, during a speech on U.S.-Middle East policy set for Thursday morning at the State Department. Other pieces of the package include a new trade partnership with the region and a fund for stimulating regional private sector investments."
Obama will unveil a massive package of economic measures, including up to $1 billion in debt relief and another $1 billion in loan guarantees, during a speech on U.S.-Middle East policy set for Thursday morning at the State Department. Other pieces of the package include a new trade partnership with the region and a fund for stimulating regional private sector investments."
6 Completely Legal Ways The Cops Can Screw You | Cracked.com
6 Completely Legal Ways The Cops Can Screw You | Cracked.com: "We are so lucky to be living in an era of law when it's no longer common for, say, suspects to be interrogated with live cobras tied to the ends of nightsticks. Unfortunately, there are still many colorful ways the police can royally screw you while Lady Justice shrugs."
Boy shot neo-Nazi father as he slept, hid gun, officials say | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times
Boy shot neo-Nazi father as he slept, hid gun, officials say | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times: "The 10-year-old Riverside boy accused in the shooting death of his neo-Nazi activist father gave police a chilling account of how he carried out the early morning attack May 1, officials said in a court document.
The boy -- who told authorities he was tired of his father, Jeffrey R. Hall, beating him and his stepmother -- grabbed the family's Rossi .357 revolver from a closet and then 'he went downstairs with the gun, pulled the hammer back, aimed the gun at his dad’s ear while he was asleep and shot him,' Riverside Police Det. Greg Rowe wrote in a court declaration filed Tuesday. The boy 'then went upstairs and hid the gun under his bed,' Rowe wrote.
The declaration was filed to support allegations against the boy's stepmother, Krista F. McCary, 26, who was charged Tuesday with child endangerment and failure to properly store a firearm."
The boy -- who told authorities he was tired of his father, Jeffrey R. Hall, beating him and his stepmother -- grabbed the family's Rossi .357 revolver from a closet and then 'he went downstairs with the gun, pulled the hammer back, aimed the gun at his dad’s ear while he was asleep and shot him,' Riverside Police Det. Greg Rowe wrote in a court declaration filed Tuesday. The boy 'then went upstairs and hid the gun under his bed,' Rowe wrote.
The declaration was filed to support allegations against the boy's stepmother, Krista F. McCary, 26, who was charged Tuesday with child endangerment and failure to properly store a firearm."
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Murder Defendant Casey Anthony's Multiple Personalities - The Daily Beast
Murder Defendant Casey Anthony's Multiple Personalities - The Daily Beast: "There is no Miss Manners guidebook on how one is expected to behave at one’s own murder trial. But after watching Casey Marie Anthony’s behavior during jury selection at her capital murder case over the past week-and-a-half, observers are left wondering how many different ways someone can behave.
The first day she appeared especially engaged and intense as she and her lawyers hunched around the defense table and quietly conferred. Anthony asked questions, locked eyes with her advisors and nodded nervously at everything they said.
Once their chairs were shifted so prospective jurors could look directly at her from their seats in the gallery Casey Anthony seemed to take on an entirely different persona. She sat still and stiller and never looked up from some mystery focal spot on the table in front of her. She began to clutch a tissue and wipe her eyes and nose even before the indictment against her was read aloud. A completely different persona seemed to have emerged."
The first day she appeared especially engaged and intense as she and her lawyers hunched around the defense table and quietly conferred. Anthony asked questions, locked eyes with her advisors and nodded nervously at everything they said.
Once their chairs were shifted so prospective jurors could look directly at her from their seats in the gallery Casey Anthony seemed to take on an entirely different persona. She sat still and stiller and never looked up from some mystery focal spot on the table in front of her. She began to clutch a tissue and wipe her eyes and nose even before the indictment against her was read aloud. A completely different persona seemed to have emerged."
Amnesty International Expresses Relief After Uganda Parliament Fails to Debate and Vote on Anti-Homosexuality Legislation
Amnesty International Expresses Relief After Uganda Parliament Fails to Debate and Vote on Anti-Homosexuality Legislation | Amnesty International USA: "New York) -- Amnesty International expressed relief today that the Uganda Parliament failed to debate and vote on a draconian anti-homosexuality bill.
Ugandan and international rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have been campaigning for Parliament to reject the bill, which proposed life imprisonment for entering into a same-sex marriage.
The bill would have allowed the death penalty for homosexual acts in some cases. Parliament was dissolved on Friday without any new legislation being discussed.
'We are relieved that the Anti-Homosexuality Bill was not passed into law today,' said Michelle Kagari, Amnesty International's deputy director for Africa.
'This bill would have institutionalized the discrimination, including harassment and arbitrary arrests, that LGBT people in Uganda already face.'"
Ugandan and international rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have been campaigning for Parliament to reject the bill, which proposed life imprisonment for entering into a same-sex marriage.
The bill would have allowed the death penalty for homosexual acts in some cases. Parliament was dissolved on Friday without any new legislation being discussed.
'We are relieved that the Anti-Homosexuality Bill was not passed into law today,' said Michelle Kagari, Amnesty International's deputy director for Africa.
'This bill would have institutionalized the discrimination, including harassment and arbitrary arrests, that LGBT people in Uganda already face.'"
Immigrant Freed From 19-Month Detention: 'I Treat My Dogs Much Better Than The Detainees Are Treated'
Immigrant Freed From 19-Month Detention: 'I Treat My Dogs Much Better Than The Detainees Are Treated': "On Tuesday, for the first time in 19 months, Pedro Guzman left Stewart Detention Center, a privately run facility where he was housed while fighting deportation. The Lumpkin, Ga., detention center is one of many run by Corrections Corporation of America, a prison giant that believes its next major market is immigrant detentions.
Georgia may be its next frontier. The state's anti-illegal immigration bill, styled after Arizona's SB 1070, was signed into law last week. The result could be more immigrants in detention -- and more profits for CCA, which has been accused of mistreating detainees and cutting down on amenities to improve profits.
CCA, as reported by NPR last year, was in the room when SB 1070 author Russell Pearce, now Arizona state Senate president, unveiled his plans for the bill at a meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council.
Guzman said he saw firsthand how CCA makes its money by spending as little as possible on the men and women in detention centers."
Georgia may be its next frontier. The state's anti-illegal immigration bill, styled after Arizona's SB 1070, was signed into law last week. The result could be more immigrants in detention -- and more profits for CCA, which has been accused of mistreating detainees and cutting down on amenities to improve profits.
CCA, as reported by NPR last year, was in the room when SB 1070 author Russell Pearce, now Arizona state Senate president, unveiled his plans for the bill at a meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council.
Guzman said he saw firsthand how CCA makes its money by spending as little as possible on the men and women in detention centers."
David Barton's Tax Records Boast Expertise In Black History
David Barton's Tax Records Boast Expertise In Black History: "WASHINGTON -- David Barton, the Republican establishment’s favorite amateur historian, claims in tax records reviewed by HuffPost to be something of an expert on African-American history.
In filings with the Internal Revenue Service, Barton’s nonprofit, Wallbuilder Presentations, Inc., justified its tax-exempt status by highlighting among its 'accomplishments' a video project “of the moral heritage and political history of African Americans.'
It’s a curious claim for the Tea Party favorite, who has twice given speeches in front of white supremacist groups -- protesting later that he was ignorant of the groups' professed racist ideology.
But Barton can’t boast ignorance of his more controversial lobbying. The Texas-based former school principal once advocated that Thurgood Marshall be removed from the state’s text books and that Martin Luther King, Jr. got too much credit as a civil rights leader."
In filings with the Internal Revenue Service, Barton’s nonprofit, Wallbuilder Presentations, Inc., justified its tax-exempt status by highlighting among its 'accomplishments' a video project “of the moral heritage and political history of African Americans.'
It’s a curious claim for the Tea Party favorite, who has twice given speeches in front of white supremacist groups -- protesting later that he was ignorant of the groups' professed racist ideology.
But Barton can’t boast ignorance of his more controversial lobbying. The Texas-based former school principal once advocated that Thurgood Marshall be removed from the state’s text books and that Martin Luther King, Jr. got too much credit as a civil rights leader."
Preacher says world ends in 5 days - UPI.com
Preacher says world ends in 5 days - UPI.com: "OAKLAND, Calif., May 16 (UPI) -- An American radio preacher gives the world as we know it less than a week to go.
Harold Camping's Family Radio network, based in Oakland, Calif., has put up signs across the country warning of 'Judgment Day May 21.'
Without support from churches -- which he says are ruled by Satan -- Camping gives mathematical formulas he says are encoded in the Bible as proof that on Saturday, believers will be 'raptured' into heaven and the rest of mankind will endure torment and tribulation until God destroys the world Oct. 21, The Denver Post reports.
He says the Rapture will begin with a great earthquake on the Pacific Rim."
Harold Camping's Family Radio network, based in Oakland, Calif., has put up signs across the country warning of 'Judgment Day May 21.'
Without support from churches -- which he says are ruled by Satan -- Camping gives mathematical formulas he says are encoded in the Bible as proof that on Saturday, believers will be 'raptured' into heaven and the rest of mankind will endure torment and tribulation until God destroys the world Oct. 21, The Denver Post reports.
He says the Rapture will begin with a great earthquake on the Pacific Rim."
Fight Against Human Trafficking Needs To Target Corporations: U.S.
Fight Against Human Trafficking Needs To Target Corporations: U.S.: "ROME -- The fight against human trafficking, which for years has focused on rescuing sex slaves and punishing their pimps and smugglers, is now seeking to compel corporations to ensure they aren't unknowingly facilitating modern-day slavery.
United States Congressman Chris Smith told a conference Wednesday inside the palazzo housing the Vatican courts that Delta Air Lines Inc. has already begun training flight attendants to spot potential victims from being trafficked and to notify police upon landing."The conference was organized by the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, which has been on a decade-long campaign to raise awareness of human trafficking.
Between 12.3 million and 27 million people are currently estimated to be enslaved and trafficked under promises of a better life, but forced into prostitution, manual labor or domestic servitude.
The U.S. ambassador-at-large to combat human trafficking, Luis CdeBaca, said awareness of the issue had resulted in legislation to punish traffickers and protect victims, but that the next step must involve making consumers and corporations aware.
"It will take private-sector corporations collaborating with countries across regions to trace the supply chain of cheap goods and figure out where trafficking exists and how to fight it," he said.
United States Congressman Chris Smith told a conference Wednesday inside the palazzo housing the Vatican courts that Delta Air Lines Inc. has already begun training flight attendants to spot potential victims from being trafficked and to notify police upon landing."The conference was organized by the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, which has been on a decade-long campaign to raise awareness of human trafficking.
Between 12.3 million and 27 million people are currently estimated to be enslaved and trafficked under promises of a better life, but forced into prostitution, manual labor or domestic servitude.
The U.S. ambassador-at-large to combat human trafficking, Luis CdeBaca, said awareness of the issue had resulted in legislation to punish traffickers and protect victims, but that the next step must involve making consumers and corporations aware.
"It will take private-sector corporations collaborating with countries across regions to trace the supply chain of cheap goods and figure out where trafficking exists and how to fight it," he said.
This is Newsy Now and here are the headlines you need to know.
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Skechers Shape-Up for Girls: Bad Message?
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Did the DOJ Discriminate in Florida Imam Case?
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Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Blackwater Founder Contracted by UAE Crown Prince
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FOX Cancels ‘America’s Most Wanted’
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Monday, May 16, 2011
Obama Navy Seal Doll
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Sunday Soundbite Analysis: 5/15/2011
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Newsy Now: May 16
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Saturday, May 14, 2011
Rights group urges Iran not to blind woman's attacker with acid - CNN.com
Rights group urges Iran not to blind woman's attacker with acid - CNN.com: "Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- A human rights group on Saturday urged Iranian authorities not to put acid in the eyes of a man found guilty of blinding a woman who scorned him.
Majid Movahedi is scheduled to be blinded by having five drops of acid in each eye Saturday, according to Amnesty International.
It was unclear what time -- or whether -- the punishment will take place Saturday. The semiofficial Iranian Students' News Agency, or ISNA, reported Saturday that the acid punishment had been postponed and another date hadn't been established."
Movahedi was convicted in 2008 of throwing a bucket of acid on Ameneh Bahrami.
The attack blinded Bahrami, who sought to have authorities render the ancient punishment of "an eye for an eye" in accordance with Islamic law.
Majid Movahedi is scheduled to be blinded by having five drops of acid in each eye Saturday, according to Amnesty International.
It was unclear what time -- or whether -- the punishment will take place Saturday. The semiofficial Iranian Students' News Agency, or ISNA, reported Saturday that the acid punishment had been postponed and another date hadn't been established."
Movahedi was convicted in 2008 of throwing a bucket of acid on Ameneh Bahrami.
The attack blinded Bahrami, who sought to have authorities render the ancient punishment of "an eye for an eye" in accordance with Islamic law.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Private Prisons in America: Are They Right for Our Youths?
Private Prisons in America: Are They Right for Our Youths?: "Mike McIntosh II, 21, used to be a vibrant athlete who loved doing kick flips on his skateboard, scoring goals on the soccer field and executing extreme bike tricks on his BMX. He was smart, too, studying welding at a community college, his father recalled recently.
'He was a sports fanatic,' the father, Michael McIntosh, 47, told The Root. 'He used to work out with me, so I knew he was a strong kid, because I'm a former U.S. Marine.'
But now the 5-foot-8 youth of medium build is a shell of his former self, physically hobbled and brain damaged during a 2010 riot at Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility, the private prison in Jackson, Miss., where he remains incarcerated, his father said. (The elder McIntosh declined to discuss the reason for the arrest that led to his son's incarceration because of pending litigation.) McIntosh blames the prison for lack of supervision and a staff that flouts the law, engaging in abuse of young prisoners themselves"
'He was a sports fanatic,' the father, Michael McIntosh, 47, told The Root. 'He used to work out with me, so I knew he was a strong kid, because I'm a former U.S. Marine.'
But now the 5-foot-8 youth of medium build is a shell of his former self, physically hobbled and brain damaged during a 2010 riot at Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility, the private prison in Jackson, Miss., where he remains incarcerated, his father said. (The elder McIntosh declined to discuss the reason for the arrest that led to his son's incarceration because of pending litigation.) McIntosh blames the prison for lack of supervision and a staff that flouts the law, engaging in abuse of young prisoners themselves"
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
3 dead after shooting at San Jose State University - CNN.com
3 dead after shooting at San Jose State University - CNN.com: "(CNN) -- Three people are dead after a shooting in a campus parking garage at San Jose State University, spokeswoman Pat Lopes Harris said Wednesday.
The incident occurred shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday on the California campus. Harris said university police responded to a report of a possible shooting and found two people dead on the fifth floor of the garage. A third person was taken to a hospital but died upon arrival, Harris said.
Harris said it was not clear whether the deceased were students. No identities have been released pending autopsy results."
The incident occurred shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday on the California campus. Harris said university police responded to a report of a possible shooting and found two people dead on the fifth floor of the garage. A third person was taken to a hospital but died upon arrival, Harris said.
Harris said it was not clear whether the deceased were students. No identities have been released pending autopsy results."
Incarceration Nation The US is the World’s Leading Jailer
When historians look back at the end of the 20th century they’ll write about "the era of incarceration." Prisons, like consumerism and suburban sprawl, have emerged as defining features of the American cultural landscape. Building and running prisons is one of the fastest growing industries in America, supported by a subservient judiciary eager to keep them filled.
We are suffering through a bizarre but tragic social epidemic. Since 1970 our state and federal prison population has grown nearly seven-fold from just under 200,000 to close to 1.4 million people. Add to that an additional 606,000 or so people locked up in county and city prisons, and we have approximately 2 million people in American jails. In New York State we’ve seen the number of our neighbors locked up increase from 12,500 to over 70,000 during the same time period.
In 1998 the US surpassed the former Soviet Union and won the crown as the globe’s foremost jailer with an incarceration rate of approximately 690 prisoners per 100,000 citizens. By comparison, that is almost 6 times Canada’s incarceration rate (115), over 12 times Greece’s rate (55), 19 times Japan’s rate (37) and 29 times India’s rate of 24 prisoners per 100,000 citizens.
We are suffering through a bizarre but tragic social epidemic. Since 1970 our state and federal prison population has grown nearly seven-fold from just under 200,000 to close to 1.4 million people. Add to that an additional 606,000 or so people locked up in county and city prisons, and we have approximately 2 million people in American jails. In New York State we’ve seen the number of our neighbors locked up increase from 12,500 to over 70,000 during the same time period.
In 1998 the US surpassed the former Soviet Union and won the crown as the globe’s foremost jailer with an incarceration rate of approximately 690 prisoners per 100,000 citizens. By comparison, that is almost 6 times Canada’s incarceration rate (115), over 12 times Greece’s rate (55), 19 times Japan’s rate (37) and 29 times India’s rate of 24 prisoners per 100,000 citizens.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Arizona Fence to Get Help from Prisoners
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Pakistani Media Outs Supposed CIA Chief
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Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Woman Attacked By 3 Pit Bulls
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. -- A woman walking down Independence Drive in Douglas County was attacked by three pit bulls shortly after 8 a.m. Monday.
Neighbors identified the victim as Frankie Forsh, wife of a Douglas High School athletic coach Chet Forsh. Frankie Forsh was near the cul-de-sac of the Governor's Ridge subdivision when the three dogs jumped her, witnesses told Channel 2 Action News reporter Ross Cavitt. Several neighbors heard the commotion and came running to help.
Edd Stephens said he threw rocks and some weights at the dogs and was able to get one to run away quickly. But the other two kept up the attack, biting the victim on the face, arm and leg, Stephens said. Neighbors said the wounds were deep and traumatic.
Stephens said he was able to hit the last dog in the ribs with a rock and it ran off.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/24146968/detail.html
Neighbors identified the victim as Frankie Forsh, wife of a Douglas High School athletic coach Chet Forsh. Frankie Forsh was near the cul-de-sac of the Governor's Ridge subdivision when the three dogs jumped her, witnesses told Channel 2 Action News reporter Ross Cavitt. Several neighbors heard the commotion and came running to help.
Edd Stephens said he threw rocks and some weights at the dogs and was able to get one to run away quickly. But the other two kept up the attack, biting the victim on the face, arm and leg, Stephens said. Neighbors said the wounds were deep and traumatic.
Stephens said he was able to hit the last dog in the ribs with a rock and it ran off.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/24146968/detail.html
Monday, May 2, 2011
LA Traffic Officers Film Porn at Work
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World News: Osama Bin Laden Biography
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