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Looking for a few good boomers to help others

AP - U.S. News - Thu, 2025-05-29 23:37
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Local charities and nonprofits are looking for a few good baby boomers - well, lots of them, actually - to roll up their sleeves to help local schools, soup kitchens and others in need....
Categories: Associated Press, News, US

Senate nears passage of bill to slow postal cuts

AP - U.S. News - Thu, 2025-05-29 23:37
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Senate bill aimed at saving the U.S. Postal Service would make it harder to close thousands of low-revenue post offices and end Saturday mail delivery - steps the struggling agency says are needed to reduce billions in debt and become profitable again....
Categories: Associated Press, News, US

D.Vt.: Exigency of person in room who wouldn't show hands justified for officer safety

FourthAmendment.com - News - Thu, 2025-05-29 23:37

“Quilter raises a hodgepodge of constitutional arguments in support of his motion to suppress.” [Meaning: The court is going to deny them as misguided at best.] As to entry of the hotel room, it was justified by the exigent circumstance of officer safety where one person in the room on a bed wouldn’t show his hands right away. “Entry therefore became a matter of officer safety. Since law enforcement officers must be permitted to secure environments for their own protection, Minnesota v. Olson, 495 U.S. 91, 100 (1990), this situation justified entry for that limited purpose.” United States v. Quilter, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 56393 (D. Vt. April 23, 2012)*:

The Second Circuit has adopted a non-exhaustive list of six factors to determine existence of exigent circumstances:

(1) the gravity or violent nature of the offense with which the suspect is to be charged; (2) whether the suspect "is reasonably believed to be armed"; (3) "a clear showing of probable cause ... to believe that the suspect committed the crime"; (4) "strong reason to believe that the suspect is in the premises being entered"; (5) "a likelihood that the suspect will escape if not swiftly apprehended"; and (6) the peaceful circumstances of the entry.

United States v. Reed, 572 F.2d 412, 424 (2d Cir. 1978) (quoting Dorman v. United States, 435 F.2d 385, 392-93 (D.C. Cir. 1970)).

Obama says Romney is stuck with conservative views

AP - U.S. News - Thu, 2025-05-29 23:37
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Mitt Romney can't disavow the conservative views he embraced as candidate during the Republican presidential primaries, President Barack Obama says in a new interview. However, Obama acknowledges that he too is struggling against public skepticism because of the slow economic recovery....
Categories: Associated Press, News, US

D.Neb.: Defendant's dropping cell phone and car keys in bush was RS in a high crime area

FourthAmendment.com - News - Thu, 2025-05-29 23:37

In a high crime area, officers observed defendant dropping a cell phone and car keys into brush. That was reasonable suspicion. They did not violate the Fourth Amendment by pressing the key fob to find the car. United States v. Cowan, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 6051 (8th Cir. March 23, 2012). United States v. Figures, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 55641 (D. Neb. April 20, 2012).*

Motion for return of property under Rule 41(g) was denied without prejudice where the
claimant likely had no property interest in the place where it was seized. He needed to show more and still can. United States v. Return of Property of Fawcett, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 55620 (N.D. Ohio April 20, 2012)*:

In this matter, Mr. Fawcett has not yet shown a sufficient property interest in the jewelry listed in his Declaration. The Defendant avers the jewelry, consisting largely of vintage watches, was taken from a residence in which, at the time of the exercise of the warrant, Mr. Fawcett no longer had any property interest and in which he no longer resided. Mr. Fawcett has yet to offer any evidence to demonstrate his lawful possession of the jewelry listed in his Declaration. Further, Mr. Fawcett has failed to specify with any certainty the items he seeks to have returned. Instead, the description offered in his Declaration is generic by type (watch), and brand (Rolex), and general year (vintage 1978).

Ted Nugent pleads guilty in illegal AK bear kill

AP - U.S. News - Thu, 2025-05-29 23:37
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Rocker and gun rights advocate Ted Nugent pleaded guilty Tuesday to transporting a black bear he illegally killed in Alaska, saying he was sorry for unwittingly violating the law....
Categories: Associated Press, News, US

Deion Sanders cited for spat with estranged wife

AP - U.S. News - Thu, 2025-05-29 23:37
PROSPER, Texas (AP) -- Much like his playing days, Deion Sanders' tumultuous marriage has had no shortage of flash and drama: A reality television show, a divorce arrangement in which the couple still lived together and now, misdemeanor assault charges....
Categories: Associated Press, News, US

First Look: Peter Jackson unveils 'Hobbit' scenes

AP - U.S. News - Thu, 2025-05-29 23:37
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit" is preparing to leave the shire....
Categories: Associated Press, News, US

Halliburton objects to Gulf spill settlement

AP - U.S. News - Thu, 2025-05-29 23:37
Cement contractor Halliburton is objecting to a proposed $7.8 billion settlement between BP and a plaintiffs group representing more than 100,000 victims of the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico....
Categories: Associated Press, News, US

New case of mad cow disease in California

AP - U.S. News - Thu, 2025-05-29 23:37
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The first new case of mad cow disease in the U.S. since 2006 has been discovered in a dairy cow in California, but health authorities said Tuesday the animal never was a threat to the nation's food supply....
Categories: Associated Press, News, US

Obama pushes low-rate student loans, wooing young

AP - U.S. News - Thu, 2025-05-29 23:37
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) -- President Barack Obama went after the college vote Tuesday, pitching cheaper student loans as he courted the one age group where he has a decided advantage over Republican rival Mitt Romney. The twist? Romney, too, has endorsed the idea, though it's unclear whether deficit-leery Republicans in Congress will go along....
Categories: Associated Press, News, US

Arrest of BP Scapegoat:Real Killers Walk

Greg Palast - Articles - Thu, 2025-05-29 23:37

by Greg Palast – Special for Buzzflash at Truthout

The Justice Department went big game hunting and bagged a teeny-weeny scapegoat.  More like a scape-kid, really.

Today, Justice arrested former BP engineer Kurt Mix for destroying evidence in the Deepwater Horizon blow-out.

I once ran a Justice Department racketeering case and damned if I would have 'cuffed some poor schmuck like Mix––especially when there's hot, smoking guns showing greater crimes by BP higher ups.

Last week, I released evidence we uncovered that BP top executives concealed evidence of a prior blow-out.  Had they not covered up the 2008 blow-out in then Caspian Sea, then the Deepwater Horizon probably would not have blown out two years later in 2010. [Watch the film and read the stories.]

I urge you to read the affidavit of FBI agent Barbara O'Donnell which the government filed in arresting Mix.  His crime is deleting texts from his phone indicating that the blown-out Macondo well was gushing over 15,000 barrels of oil a day, not 5,000 as BP told the public and government.  If true, it's a crime, destruction of evidence.  But Mix is a minnow.  What about the sharks?  The texts were obviously sent to someone (named only "SUPERVISOR" by the FBI).  If "Supervisor" knew, then undoubtedly so did BP managers higher up.  Presumably, even CEO Tony Hayward would have gotten the message on his racing yacht.

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Destruction of evidence is not nice, but concealment of evidence and fraud by corporate bigs, is the bigger crime.  I hope, I assume, I demand that we find out what Supervisor's supervisors knew and when they knew it––and didn't tell us.

And far, far, far more important:  when is the Justice Department going to go after the greater wrongdoing? Let's begin with the cover-up before the spill that the drilling methods used on the Deepwater Horizon had led to a blow-out nearly two years earlier.

Let's face it:  to go after the bigger crime means going after the entire industry.  The earlier blow-out was concealed by BP as well as its partners Exxon and Chevron and, by the US State Department under Condoleezza Rice.  [If you want to get that story, please check out Part II:  BP Covered Up Prior Oil Spill at Ecowatch.org.]

One point in Mr. Mix's defense.  During my investigation of the Deepwater Horizon, I found that employees who provide evidence against BP find their careers floating face down in the Gulf.

BP and other oil companies punish troublemakers by writing "NRB" on their record.  That means "Not Required Back"––and the worker is banned from the offshore rigs.  No doubt, Mr. Mix thought long and hard about what would happen to his career if his texts came to light.  Not an excuse for crime, but it's a fact.  It's the guys on top putting on this kind of pressure that should be doing the perp walk:  the Big Bad BP Wolves, not their mixxed-up scapegoat.

****

Re-prints permitted with credit to Greg Palast

Greg Palast is the author of Vultures’ Picnic, which centers on his investigation of BP, bribery and corruption in the oil industry. Palast's, reports can be seen on BBC-TV and Britain’s Channel 4.

You can read Vultures' Picnic, "Chapter 1: Goldfinger," or download it, at no charge: click here.

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Aide: Edwards doubted he fathered mistress' baby

AP - U.S. News - Thu, 2025-05-29 23:37
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) -- John Edwards' first reaction when he learned his mistress may be pregnant was to downplay the chances he was the father, calling the woman a "crazy slut," his former close campaign aide testified Tuesday....
Categories: Associated Press, News, US

BLT: Does Gant prohibit search incident in DUI cases?

FourthAmendment.com - News - Thu, 2025-05-29 23:37

BLT: Does Gant prohibit search incident in DUI cases? D.C. Appeals Court Weighs Warrantless Car Searches:

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals heard arguments this morning on when it's still lawful for local police to search a car without a warrant after making a lawful arrest.

The U.S. Supreme Court tried to limit those types of searches in its 2009 decision in Arizona v. Gant. The high court did carve out some exceptions, though, which included searches where police have "reason to believe" they might find evidence of the crime.

Almost all the precedent since Gant says yes.

Gov't says transgender people protected under law

AP - U.S. News - Thu, 2025-05-29 23:37
WASHINGTON (AP) -- In a first-of-its-kind ruling, the agency that enforces the nation's job discrimination laws has ruled that transgender people are protected from bias in the workplace....
Categories: Associated Press, News, US

Obama pushes low-rate student loans, wooing young

AP - U.S. News - Thu, 2025-05-29 23:37
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) -- President Barack Obama went after the college vote Tuesday, pitching cheaper student loans as he courted the one age group where he has a decided advantage over Republican rival Mitt Romney. The twist? Romney, too, has endorsed the idea, though it's unclear whether deficit-leery Republicans in Congress will go along....
Categories: Associated Press, News, US

Gov't says transgender people protected under law

AP - U.S. News - Thu, 2025-05-29 23:37
WASHINGTON (AP) -- In a first-of-its-kind ruling, the agency that enforces the nation's job discrimination laws has ruled that transgender people are protected from bias in the workplace....
Categories: Associated Press, News, US

Hudson leaves court before grisly photos shown

AP - U.S. News - Thu, 2025-05-29 23:37
CHICAGO (AP) -- Jennifer Hudson shut her eyes tight Tuesday, holding still on a spectators' bench, as a police officer at the trial of the man accused of killing three members of the Oscar winner's family described coming across bloodied bodies at the Chicago home where Hudson grew up....
Categories: Associated Press, News, US

WebProneNews: "Judge: Your Tweets Aren’t Yours, And Even Your Deleted Tweets Can Be Obtained Without A Warrant"

FourthAmendment.com - News - Thu, 2025-05-29 23:37

WebProneNews: Judge: Your Tweets Aren’t Yours, And Even Your Deleted Tweets Can Be Obtained Without A Warrant; #OWS protestor loses motion to quash subpoena by Josh Wolford:

“While the Fourth Amendment provides protection for our physical homes, we do not have a physical “home” on the Internet.”

That’s the crux of a decision from New York Criminal Court judge Matthew Sciarrino Jr. Not only that, but when you tweet, you’re giving Twitter the right to distribute all of you information however they please.

New case of mad cow disease in California

AP - U.S. News - Thu, 2025-05-29 23:37
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The first new case of mad cow disease in the U.S. since 2006 has been discovered in a dairy cow in California, but health authorities said Tuesday the animal never was a threat to the nation's food supply....
Categories: Associated Press, News, US
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