Jul
16
2013
At the height of the clergy sex-abuse scandal in 2002, Catholic leaders stayed silent as California lawmakers passed a landmark bill that gave hundreds of accusers extra time to file civil lawsuits. The consequences were costly.
California dioceses paid $1.2 billion in settlements and released thousands of confidential documents that showed their leaders, including Cardinal Roger M. Mahony of Los Angeles, had made plans to shield admitted molesters from law enforcement.
Now, state legislators are considering a …
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Jul
13
2013
A Florida jury on Saturday found George Zimmerman not guilty in the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, in a case that sparked a national debate on race and guns.
The panel of six women deliberated more than 16 hours over two days until nearly 10 p.m. on Saturday (0200 GMT Sunday) before delivering the verdict, which drew immediate condemnation from some civil rights groups.
Zimmerman appeared stoned-faced as the verdict was announced, but then …
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Jul
12
2013
More than 12,000 inmates in California jails have missed nine consecutive meals over three days in a hunger strike against solitary confinement and prison authorities are now threatening to discipline them.
The nine-meal point is a critical benchmark that requires officials to recognise the action as a hunger strike.
About 30,000 prisoners across the state began refusing meals on Monday in support of inmates with ties to
gangs who are being held in solitary confinement at Pelican Bay …
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Jul
12
2013
Hello. My name is Ed Snowden. A little over one month ago, I had family, a home in paradise, and I lived in great comfort. I also had the capability without any warrant to search for, seize, and read your communications. Anyone’s communications at any time. That is the power to change people’s fates.
It is also a serious violation of the law. The 4th and 5th Amendments to the Constitution of my country, Article 12 …
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Jul
12
2013
By Aura Bogado
“The Lone Ranger” debuts in theaters in time for the July 4 holiday, and while Johnny Depp’s decision to play Tonto—a fictional Native sidekick to the white cowboy—has drawn attention and criticism, the film’s release means that all things Native are unusually relevant—and marketable. And that can be a good, bad, and very ugly thing, all at once.
Tonto action figures are already being sold as “Native American warrior spirit” caricatures. The …
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Jul
12
2013
Riot police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse masked protesters in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday, as demonstrations continued throughout Brazil. Unions are demanding better work conditions and tougher government measures to tackle inflation.
Tens of thousands of union members marched throughout the country, blocking roads and grinding traffic to a crawl in dozens of cities.
Bus drivers, metal workers and other unionized workers took to the streets as part of a one-day strike. Labor …
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Jul
12
2013
American intelligence leaker Edward Snowden will meet with human rights groups Friday at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo international airport, according to an airport spokesman.
About 10 people are expected to participate in the meeting at Terminal F in the airport’s transit area, airport spokesman Roman Genis told Fox News. The meeting comes as Snowden and his advisers continue to try and find a way for him to leave the Moscow airport transit zone — where he’s been stuck …
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Jul
11
2013
“Tapped out” Detroit is facing a $380 million deficit, but the firm hired to restructure the city’s finances pays its lawyers $1,000 an hour because “that’s the going rate”.
The company hired to restructure Detroit’s financing, Jones Day, has stacked up a $1.4 million bill, according to a report by another law firm AM Law Daily, which obtained the figures. The report added that lawyer David Heiman has billed the city $149,419 for 153 hours of …
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Jul
11
2013
An Aeroflot plane en route from Moscow to Havana has deviated from its course, FlightAware live flight tracking indicates. The news has sparked online speculation that NSA leaker Edward Snowden may be aboard the aircraft.
Aeroflot flight 150 to Havana took off from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport at 14:10 pm local time (10:10 GMT) on Thursday. Whistleblower Edward Snowden has been holed up in the airport for the past two weeks.
The flight route usually passes over Scandinavia …
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Jul
11
2013
WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government on Thursday reported a rare surplus of $116.5 billion in June, the largest for a single month in five years. The gain kept the nation on track for its lowest annual deficit in five years.
The June surplus was due in part to $66.3 billion in dividend payments from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The mortgage giants were taken over by the government at the height of the 2008 financial …
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