Lawyer Ends Up Dead After Taking On RoveIt's fishy as hell.
Paul Sanford, a prominent Aptos, California, attorney, who accused Karl Rove of treason in the Plame outing case, took a leap from the Embassy Suites Hotel in Monterey Bay on Christmas Eve. Police describe it as "probable" suicide, even though it appears Sanford was not depressed.
"Friends and associates expressed disbelief at the news of Sanford'... (more)
|
|
Would You "Support the Troops" in Bolivia? Soldiers who join the military voluntarily sign a very unusual contract with the federal government. It is a contract that effectively obligates the soldier to go anywhere in the world on orders of the president and kill people as part of an invasion force against other countries. It doesn’t matter whether the intended victims deserve to die or not. That issue is irrelevant as far as the soldier is concerned. His job is not to question why people he is ordered to kill should be killed; his... (more)
|
|
FBI Says Files In Leak Cases Are 'Missing'SAN FRANCISCO - The FBI is missing nearly a quarter of its files relating to investigations of recent leaks of classified information, according to a court filing the bureau made last week.
In response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, the FBI said it identified 94 leak investigations since 2001, but that the investigative files in 22 of those cases "are missing" and cannot be located. "There is no physical slip of paper on the shelf which indicates that the file has been c... (more)
|
|
Our Next Big Mess NEW YORK--Chances are that you heard more about Rosie O'Donnell's flame war with Donald Trump than the passing of Sapamurat "Turkmenbashi" Niyazov. As seems to occur with increasing frequency, America's media ignored the most important story of the year.
A handful of news outlets that bothered to cover the 66-year-old dictator's death wallowed in the humor inherent in the extravagant personality cult he built up after Turkmenistan gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.... (more)
|
|
Gerald Ford's other contribution to American history: The single bullet theoryIn the non-stop roller coaster ride that is the media's coverage of the death of Gerald Ford, our 38th president, it is amazing what still gets left behind. For example, this interesting post shows how Ford -- overridden, thank God -- vetoed the Freedom of Information Act, at the urging of three guys who you may have heard of, Dick... (more)
|
|
The Enduring Legacy of Gerald R. Ford I believe that the picture below tells us all we need to know about the lasting impact the presidency of Gerald R. Ford has had on the United States of America, the nation he so proudly led for a couple of years after pardoning the man who was at that time the biggest criminal ever to occupy the Oval Office.
... (more)
|
|
High School To Start Random Breathalyzer Tests Los Gatos High School plans to join a growing number of high schools that perform random breath alcohol tests on students at dances and other events.
Principal Doug Ramezane said he would institute the new policy after winter break because several students were found to be under the influence of alcohol at football games, the school's Coronation Ball and even during class this year.
"It isn't OK that any of these kids are doing it," Ramezane said. "It probably isn'... (more)
|
|
North American Secessionists Confront the Empire On December 13, a French-language television station in Belgium reported that the Flemish-speaking region of Flanders had declared its independence, spelling the end of Belgium as a nation-state. With pictures of the King and Queen fleeing the country and of trucks blocked at the new border, the report appeared authentic enough for the newspaper Le Soir to announce the next day that "Belgium Died Last Night." As it turns out, the report on t... (more)
|
|
Wal-Mart stays open for searchLast Saturday afternoon, Eva Voorhees heard the clatter of feet on the roof of the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Mitchell where she works in the photo department - but it wasn't the pitter-patter of reindeer.
It was the police looking for a bomb. Up front, police officers, the SWAT team and others were busy searching the store next to customers who were browsing for gifts. The police looked in jewelry counters, wrapping paper rolls, freezers, the back room where trucks unload and closet... (more)
|
|
Saddam Execution To Be Videotaped(CBS/AP) A U.S. military officer tells CBS News that Saddam Hussein will be turned over to the Iraqi government within the next 36 hours. The officer expects that the Iraqis will execute their former leader before the start of the Eid religious holiday on Sunday, reports CBS News national security correspondent David Martin.
Saddam's chief lawyer urged the United States on Thursday not to hand over the ousted leader to Iraqi authorities before his expected execution because he is ... (more)
|
|
Israel admits it may have hit ambulanceTHE Israeli army has admitted its soldiers may have fired on a Red Cross ambulance during the war in Lebanon - an incident Foreign Minister Alexander Downer claimed was a hoax that had duped a gullible Australian and international media.
The claims centred on a controversial July 23 attack in southern Lebanon in which two Red Cross ambulances were destroyed, either by artillery or missiles - injuring at least six Lebanese, including one man whose leg was later amputated.
... (more)
|
|
US to approve cloned meat The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will declare today that meat from cloned animals is safe to eat. A safety assessment released on Thursday is expected to approve the entry of products from genetically identical cattle and other livestock into the human food chain.
The FDA indicated which way the wind was blowing back in 2005. Now an article published by its scientists in the journal Theriogenology dated January 1 forms the scientific basis of the a... (more)
|
|
Saddam's 'final message' urges Iraqis to unite against US In what may prove to be the final message from Saddam Hussein before his execution, the ousted dictator urged Iraqis to unite against the US and Iran and portrayed himself as a potential martyr.
"The enemies of your country, the invaders and the Persians, have found your unity a barrier between you and those who are now ruling you. Therefore, they drove their hated wedge among you," he said in a handwritten letter released by his lawyer yesterday.
"O faithful peopl... (more)
|
|
The Truth About Where Your Donated Clothes End UpChristmas is one of those times of the year when many Americans clean out our closets and donate some of our used clothing to a charity. Perhaps we hope that Santa Clause will replace them with shiny new shirts, jeans, blouses and shoes. Or maybe we just want to do some good.
In New York City, AnnMarie Resnick told ABC News why her family donates clothing at Christmas time. "By the time my kids grow out of it," she said, "it is generally in good condition, and I want someone e... (more)
|
|
Afghan child killed by NATO soldierAn Afghan child was shot and killed Wednesday when NATO forces opened fire on a car they believed was a threat.
The shooting happened about two kilometres outside the Kandahar airfield, the largest military base in southern Afghanistan.
NATO forces were travelling toward Kandahar City in a convoy when a vehicle was driving nearby. According to a statement released by NATO, the car "failed to heed warnings to stop."
A soldier then fired a shot that hit... (more)
|
|
I spy - a pupil in the toiletsCHILDREN as young as four are being filmed in school toilets across Barking and Dagenham.
The Recorder has discovered a number of CCTV cameras have been installed in primary and secondary schools.
Officials at Barking and Dagenham Council claim there is no secrecy around the cameras, but have refused to disclose which schools are involved in the controversial scheme.
Council bosses have in the past vigorously defended pupils' identities and have even ... (more)
|
|
A coming of age for the European currency On January 1, 2007, Europe celebrates the fifth anniversary of the launch of euro notes and coins by welcoming a thirteenth member of the eurozone – Slovenia, the tiny former Yugoslav republic. But the eurozone’s geographical expansion is modest in comparison with the rapid growth in euro notes in circulation within the region and beyond.
Earlier this month, the value of euro notes pushed through the €600bn (£402bn; $787bn) level – roughly double the ... (more)
|
|
Wild Bees Reject Genetically Engineered Crop--Potential Major Impact on PollinationFrom Ecological Society of America Referring to a Sept. 2004 peer-reviewed article
Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada
Abstract. The ecological impacts of agriculture are of concern, especially with genetically modified and other intensive, modern cropping systems, yet little is known about effects on wild bee populations and subsequent implications for pollination. Pollination... (more)
|
|
Single Gene Could Lead to Long Life, Better Mental FunctionIf you live to 100, as roughly one in every 10,000 people do, you will likely want both your mind and body intact. Researchers have now discovered a gene that accomplishes just that, apparently protecting the brain as well as prolonging life.
The Longevity Genes Project, initiated by Nir Barzilai, director of the Institute for Aging Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, investigates people who live exceptionally long lives.
"There's a strong family histor... (more)
|
|
Anonymous testimony pushes limitsIn three current high-profile criminal cases, federal prosecutors have asked that the identities of Israeli government witnesses be withheld from defendants and their attorneys -- a move some legal scholars see as a highly unusual end run around the 6th Amendment.
Defense attorneys in all three cases have argued, with mixed results, that allowing U.S. prosecutors to keep the witnesses' identities secret -- as demanded by Israel to protect its agents -- violates their clients' cons... (more)
|
|
Five Years of Infamy: Close Guantanamo!On January 11, 2002, the first detainees from Afghanistan arrived at the prison in the US Naval Base, Guantanamo, Cuba. In the succeeding five years, Guantanamo has symbolized to the world the Bush administration's abandonment of international and domestic law, and the development of a policy of inhumane treatment and use of torture. These claims have been linked to military and CIA operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and in an unknown number of secret prisons.
More than 775 detai... (more)
|
|
It smells like cake, but it just might be a bio-weaponThe "Dresdner Stollen," a Christmas treat made exclusively in the eastern German city, has its supporters around the world. But anti-terrorism laws in the US make it harder for Americans to get their fruitcake fix.
In its 550-year existence, the Dresdner Stollen has become a regular part of German Christmases as well as those of other people around the world. But none of its bakers is willing to cough up the cake's recipe.
"It has to be partially handmade and have a... (more)
|
|
Japan Passes Landmark Patriotism LawsTOKYO - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government on Friday successfully pushed through landmark laws requiring Japanese schools to encourage patriotism in the classroom and elevating the Defense Agency to the status of a full ministry for the first time since World War II.
Both measures are considered cornerstones of Abe's conservative agenda to bolster Japan's military status and rebuild national pride in a country that had long associated patriotism with its imperialist past. The ... (more)
|
|
The Rape of Iraq Let's stop using the word war to describe our action in Iraq. While it is terribly true that we are killing and maiming and destroying and being killed and maimed and morally destroyed we should shelve the word war. It constructs a righteous cause and compels a rhetoric of winning. Winning sets figures of contest and domination and triumph and prevailing victory and honoring those who died in the cause, "We are committed to winning. It is our only ... (more)
|
|
US tries to assure allies that extraordinary renditions are over The US is telling its overseas allies that it has stopped "extraordinary renditions" and needs their help to empty Guantánamo's prison cells. But human rights groups dispute this assertion and a question mark hangs over 200 "war on terror" detainees who could be held indefinitely without trial.
European diplomats say Washington is reacting to pressure from parliamentary investigations, lawsuits from former prisoners, and calls by friendly governments, including the UK, to ... (more)
|
|
Gerald Ford's Role in the JFK Assassination Cover-Up Members of the Warren Commission present their report on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
L-R: John McCloy, J. Lee Rankin (General Counsel), Senator Richard Russell, Representative Gerald Ford, Chief Justice Earl Warren, President Lyndon B. Johnson, Allen Dulles, Senator John Sherman Cooper, and Representative Hale Boggs. Credit: LBJ Library photo by Cecil Stoughton
At approximately 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 22 1963, in Dallas's downtown Dealey Plaza, a large... (more)
|
|
| 
