Opinion
Brothels Ask to Be Taxed, but Official Sees a Catch
“I also believe that by regulating and controlling this business, we could make it much safer for the customers as well as the prostitutes. We kid ourselves and we’re very disingenuous if we pretend that there isn’t rampant prostitution now that is unsafe for which we get no tax revenue.”
Historic trial to treat spinal injury with stem cells
“The previous US president, George Bush, had obstructed research using such cells for eight years to appease his conservative supporters.”
Nashville Voters Reject ‘English First’ Proposal
“Nashville’s documented translation expenses have totaled $522,287 since 2004. By comparison, the special election cost $300,000.” The people who pushed the English-only election by saying it would save money and make government smaller are lying: this is a proposal to hate immigrants.
In the Wake of Gaza, Arab Hard-Liners Gain Upper Hand
“Pointing to the 1,300 Palestinians killed and $2 billion worth of damage to homes and infrastructure, Hamas’ allies say the camp of Arab ‘moderates’ has been thoroughly discredited. Calls for peace with Israel have never sounded so hollow, they say.”
Detainee Was Tortured, a Bush Official Confirms
“His treatment met the legal definition of torture.” If he is a terrorist, it would be unwise to let him go. Since we tortured him, we cannot really put him on trial. It is illegal to hold him indefinitely. Because Bush, Cheney, and their lawyer-thugs purposely broke international law, we might have to let him … Read more
Overheard in New York | Now That’s Diversity
Black girl #1: I told all my white friends that I would be offended if they didn't get me a Kwanzaa present.Black girl #2: What? I told all my white friends that I would be offended if they did get me a Kwanzaa present. –Union Square via Overheard in New York, Jan 13, 2009
Impeach Judge Jay Bybee
As assistant attorney general in President George W. Bush’s Justice Department, he was responsible for the notorious torture memos that enabled the excesses at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, and other places. Impeach Jay Bybee: Why should a suspected war criminal serve as a federal judge? by Bruce Ackerman, Slate.com, April 17, 2009
TB problems prove that we need universal health care
In 2008 alone, 1.5 million people worldwide contract a drug-resistant form of tuberculosis. Infected people spread the deadly disease because it is hard to cure TB without help from others. The most effective way to fight TB is with an intensive, community-based, comprehensive treatment plan. If we don’t battle deadly disease together, then we will … Read more
Study: Ticketing rises in slump
“After analyzing 14 years of data in North Carolina, the pair found that for every 1 percent drop in government revenue, the number of traffic tickets issued per capita increases by 30 percent the following year.”