Ann Friedman: Dr. George Tiller, an outspoken advocate for abortion rights and one of the few late-term abortion providers in the country, was shot dead in church this morning.Cara Kulwicki writes at Feministe: This is the first time an abortion provider has been murdered in over a decade. I have friends who work in abortion clinics. This is terrorism. And right now, I just don't … Read More
Ugly America
By now, you may have heard about the killing of Dr. George Tiller in Wichita, Kansas this morning. It took place in (of all places) a church. Dr. George Tiller has long been a target (literally and figuratively) of the religious right, Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, and others because he performs late term abortions. As Amanda Marcotte wrote: [Tiller] is … Read More
Crimes Committed During “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”
People are compiling a list. So far: By Ferris Truancy Many many many moving violations Odometer fraud (tampering): 49 U.S.C. § 32703(2) Odometer fraud (conspiracy): 49 U.S.C. § 32703(4) Computer tampering (when he changes his attendance record): 720 ILCS 5/Art. 16D – 3 Car theft Disorderly conduct (jumping on parade float): 720 ILCS 5/26‑1 Copyright violation (singing "Twist and Shout" … Read More
Binghamton Shootings
Death toll up to 13, some reports say. It's not even clear, as I write this, if the situation is over with. Some reports say a man was arrested, some say two men were arrested, and still others say there is a hostage situation. [UPDATE 2:45 pm — Now hearing it was a single gunman, and he is dead.] It's … Read More
NC Nursing Home Shooting And Other Mass Killings
Somehow, this possible motive doesn't make the killings any less senseless. Speaking of senseless killing, I'm not looking forward to next month. On April 19, 1993, following a 51-day standoff, federal agents raided the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas. A fire, later determined to have been set by the Davidians, destroyed the compound and killed 57 of its residents. On … Read More
Today’s Favorite Lede Paragraph Of A News Story
AP: FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Police in Connecticut say a woman attempting to reconcile with her husband handcuffed herself to him as he slept and then bit him on his torso and arms. Yeah. Um. Yeah. For some strange reason, her attempt at reconciliation didn't work. Ok, ok. Here's the 911 call…
2,116 North Carolina Sex Offenders Are On MySpace
CNN has the story: More than 2,100 registered North Carolina sex offenders were found on the social networking site MySpace, the state attorney general's office said Tuesday. In response to a subpoena from state Attorney General Roy Cooper, "MySpace turned over the names, IP and e-mail addresses of 2,116 convicted North Carolina sex offenders found on its social networking Web … Read More
What Hath Rush, Hannity And O’Reilly Wrought?
James Adkisson has been sentenced to life behind bars for the deaths of Greg McKendry and Linda Kraeger, the Unitarian Universalist church-goers who died during his assault on their church in Knoxville, TN last July. What Adkisson left behind is his four-page handwritten manifesto, which can be read here (PDF format). It's a reiteration of the talking points of Rush Limbaugh, … Read More
Dispatch From Red America
Life in NC is a Del Shores play: NC man shot by his stepfather ends up in same jail JACKSONVILLE, N.C. – A man who police said was shot by his stepfather ended up in the same jail with him after officers discovered outstanding arrest warrants against the victim. Police told The Daily News of Jacksonville that 37-year-old Richard Hayes … Read More
Blago Arrest
I guess everyone knows about the arrest this morning of Illinois governor Rod R. Blagojevich and his Chief of Staff, John Harris — on corruption charges. What surprises me was how blatant his corruption was. I mean, the governor of Illinois gets to choose who fills Obama's now-empty Senate seat, so he literally auctioned it off. Or as the governor … Read More
Breaking News: O.J. Sentenced
A good long one, too. 16 years. Eligible for parole in 6 years. Good. I guess it's really good for the "real killers" who won't have O.J. on their trail for a few years.
You Remember How They Used To Say That Things Would Go On Your “Permanent Record”?
In one case, it's frighteningly true. Georgia law tries to keep sexual offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a child-care facility. Noble idea. The problem is what Georgia deems a "sex offender". Wendy Whitaker was 17, a sophomore in high school. And one day, she performed consensual oral sex on another sophomore. The other student was 16, five months shy of turning … Read More
Senator Stevens (R-AK) Who Immortalized “The Internet Is A Series Of Tubes” Is Convicted
As the Wall Street Journal notes, this has some historical significance. Sen. Stevens is a sitting senator, one of only five in all of history to be convicted of a crime, and the first since 1981. Stevens is 84 years old — soon to be 85 on Nov. 15 — and is the longest-serving Republican with almost 40 years in the Senate … Read More
I Was About To Weigh In On The Ashley Todd Story….
You know what I mean, right? Ashley is a 20 year old McCain volunteer. In the wee hours of yesterday morning, she stopped at an ATM in Pittsburgh "on the wrong side of town" and was robbed. Sixty dollars were taken. The reason it made headlines (asn was HEAVILY promoted by Drudge) was this: she claimed that her assailant (a black … Read More
I Would Have Acquitted Ivins
Yesterday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation outlined a pattern of bizarre and deceptive conduct by Bruce E. Ivins, an Army microbiologist who killed himself last week, in an attempt to show, in the court of public opinion, that Ivins (and Ivins alone) was behind the 2001 anthrax-by-mail attacks which killed 6 people. I’m not saying that Ivins was innocent. I’m … Read More