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13 Apr 2011 22:29

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Politics: Arizona State Senate: “Where’s the birth certificate?!”

  • YES a “Birther Bill” has passed the Arizona Senate source
  • » Score one for The Donald: Arizona’s State Senate just passed a bill that requires presidential candidates to produce their “long form birth certificate” in order to appear on the state’s presidential ballots. If they can’t (or won’t) do that, other documents will be accepted–but not, much to Orly Taitz’s delight, a Certificate of Live Birth. We, like many Arizona Democrats, are skeptical as to whether or not this is within a state’s power. Regardless, the bill now heads to the state House for a vote.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Apr 2011 23:47

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Politics: For second time, federal appeals court finds Arizona immigration law unconstitutional

  • Immigration station: Though its prominence in the news cycle has faded, the fight over Arizona’s controversial immigration law is anything but over; in fact, it’s taken a rather significant turn. Quick recap: When Governor Jan Brewer signed a possibly-racist anti-immigration bill into law last year, the Justice Department successfully sued to block its implementation, arguing that it usurped federal jurisdiction. Brewer appealed the ruling, and today, the appeals court issued its verdict: the Arizona law does in fact encroach on federal authority, and the injunction against it will remain in place. This one could make its way up to the Supreme Court; considering that lower courts’ rulings often influence the decisions of higher courts, this is an important development. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Mar 2011 15:35

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U.S.: Jared Loughner faces fresh charges in Arizona shooting rampage

  • 49 total charges for the gunman who shot Gabrielle Giffords source
  • » Focusing on the other victims: This time, the charges focus less on Gabrielle Giffords (the only wounded victim still in the hospital or in rehabilitation) and more on those killed or wounded in the attack. Some of the charges include murder charges in the death of a federal judge and congressional aide, as well as charges revolving around causing death or injury at a federally-provided event. Let’s be honest, though. No matter how many charges they nail him for – or at least try to – the fact of the matter is, he’ll be punished severely when he’s convicted.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Feb 2011 14:54

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U.S.: Jury finds Shawna Forde guilty, sentences her to death

  • crime In 2009 Shawna Forde, the leader of Minutemen American Defense, committed a home invasion near the Arizona/Mexico border, hoping to find drugs to sell for the group’s finances. They ended up shooting and killing a Hispanic father and his daughter, aged 9, both U.S. citizens.
  • verdict A court sentenced Forde with the death penalty yesterday, finding her guilty of orchestrating the home invasion and subsequent killings of Raul and Brisenia Flores. The girl’s mother, who survived the shooting with injuries, said Brisenia was shot point-blank while begging for her life.
  • response Latino activists are upset by the lack of coverage this story received compared to the murder of Robert Krentz last year, which caused stridently anti-illegal immigration rhetoric and policy to flourish. Compared to the tepid response to this case? Yeah, it’s a starkly bad double standard. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Feb 2011 23:47

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U.S.: New Jared Lee Loughner mugshots, courtesy of a legal battle

  • A bunch of news organizations fought hard for these photos. More than a dozen media outlets, in fact. And these pics of Jared Lee Loughner, the suspect in last month’s Gabrielle Giffords shooting, only came to light after a court decision forced their release (which prosecutors and defense attorneys fought against, saying that they unfairly biased potential jurors against Loughner). But it wasn’t a total loss for the lawyers. They managed to prevent the release of the search warrant records in the case. That said, these photos don’t seem quite as bad as the iconic one released after he was arrested. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Feb 2011 12:50

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Politics: University of Arizona announces new Institute in wake of Tucson

  • the talk Much discussion was had in the wake of the Tucson, Arizona shootings at the hands of Jared Loughner regarding civil political discourse. As these things tend to, we expected this surge of goodwill to not really go anywhere.
  • the walk? The University of Arizona will establish the National Institute for Civil Discourse, a non-partisan organization with honorary chairmen Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush (those two do everything together). source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Feb 2011 20:12

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U.S.: Tucson shooting: Christina Taylor Green’s photographer may sue. Ugh.

  • Christina Taylor Green’s death may have been the saddest of the many that took place in Tucson last month. But now that Gabrielle Giffords has started to recover and the dust has mostly settled, ugliness is starting to seep in a little. Photographer Jon Wolf, who owns the copyright to this photo of Green, has pressured a number of media organizations, including the Arizona Republic, and the Tucson Citizen, to pay a licensing fee for use of the now-iconic image. He wants $125,000, which he’s said he wants to mostly give to charity, and he’s, uh, threatened to sue. Green’s family doesn’t support his actions, the charity has refused to take any of Wolf’s money, and there’s a Facebook campaign against Wolf’s business picking up steam. It’s a photo of someone who died. If we were him, we’d just take the modest licensing fee (which the media organizations have offered) and be done with this. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

10 Feb 2011 22:21

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World: What’s happening in Egypt, though an American’s words

  • What Americans should fear is the possibility of an increasingly illegitimate regime continuing to control one of the most strategically important countries in the Mideast.
  • Phoenix resident Max Mattern • In an article talking about his time in Egypt in the wake of the recent protests. Mattern was there studying as a Fulbright scholar, but the situation in the country has complicated those plans and put him in the middle of a major crisis zone. Mattern, writing in a piece for the Arizona Republic, says that the people of Egypt want change, but the protests are taking a lot out of them. “Although a sizable majority dislikes Mubarak and his policies,” he writes. “after a week of fear and violence they have had enough.” Mattern says that the protesters are sincere and have no evil plots to bring theocracy to the society. The current regime, however, troubles them. (thanks missmaestra, who has been covering her friend’s situation on Tumblr) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Feb 2011 11:07

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U.S.: Report: Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl announcing retirement

This will probably get lost in the Mubarak resignation shuffle, but the Senate Minority Whip will likely announce he’s not running in 2012. Whew! Lots of news today! source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Feb 2011 14:20

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U.S.: Gabby Giffords recovering well, beginning to regain speech faculties

Great news: Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is regaining the ability to speak. Sources wouldn’t divulge her first words, other than they involved her asking for toast. Good luck, Gabby! source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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