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15 Jun 2011 11:32

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Tech: Texas Rep. David Simpson gets a high-five over his anti-TSA bill

  • Right now, searches are proceeding under the object of preventing terrorist activities. But we’ve got to draw a line. You’ve got to have reasonable cause to touch people’s private parts.
  • Texas State Rep. David Simpson • Discussing his bill to prevent the TSA from intrusively groping people in the name of national security. (Which, as you might know, is kind of a pet issue for us.) The bill actually went somewhere last month — it passed the state’s legislature. However, it stalled in the senate because the state got pushback from the federal government, who threatened to stop flights into Texas if the bill became law. Simpson (a Republican), however, notes that the law doesn’t prevent these searches, but forces a good reason for them to happen: “But what we’re basically saying is, ‘Show me the law that says you can touch my private parts in order to travel and I’ll let you do it.’” This guy deserves a high-five. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Jun 2011 21:04

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World: Homeowner of possible mass grave site explains the blood

  • He got drunk and cut his wrist. It took me all day to clean the inside of the house. I’m not sure I got it [the blood] all.
  • Joe Bankston, the owner of the house at the center of the possible mass grave in Texas • Offering a possible alibi for what happened. (No grave has been found as of yet, but blood has.) Bankston’s daughter lives in the home, and her boyfriend attempted suicide a couple of weeks ago, leaving a large amount of blood. The boyfriend, a soldier who went AWOL, is now in psychiatric care after the incident. Bankston’s son, admittedly a convicted sex offender, hasn’t lived in the region for at least a year. “He lived with us for a little while, but had to go to Michigan about a year ago for a court appearance and never came back,” he said. “Last I heard, he was in Ohio.” Thus far, this sounds like a dysfunctional family with a lot of wrinkles (and big ups to Bankston for being so honest about his family’s troubles), not a mass grave site. A weird case all around. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Jun 2011 20:06

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U.S.: On conflicting coverage of a possible mass murder near Houston

  • Today, Liberty, Texas law enforcement officials got a phone call from a psychic. She told them to go to a certain house, where she said there were dozens of dead bodies. They didn’t find any. But that wasn’t the end of it. “All we know is the sheriff department received a call about a mass grave, or something like that, with several bodies,” a law enforcement official said. “They went and checked it, and there was nothing there. The caller went back and said, ‘No, you went to the wrong house.'” They went back, and they found blood, but (after telling the media otherwise and causing a ruckus) no bodies — yet, at least. If this has all the makings of a B-level horror movie, you’re right. But it could also have all the makings of a great tragedy. But evidence is lacking, and the man whose house was raided, a long-haul trucker, denies the allegations. Let’s hope it’s a hoax. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 May 2011 21:34

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Politics: Dark horse alert: Rick Perry may run for president

  • Late registration: The reporting is a bit muddled and inconclusive, but it looks like Texas Governor Rick Perry may be testing the waters for a presidential run. Jumping into the race this late in the game would require a lot of catch up, and Perry’s past flirtations with secession could pose a problem for him as a presidential candidate. Nevertheless, if he did enter the race, he would have a very solid chance of getting the nomination–and, in our opinion, a reasonable shot at defeating Obama in 2012. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 May 2011 03:00

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U.S.: And now, in the “questions we never needed answered” department…

Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Apr 2011 15:24

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U.S.: Amateur video shows violent Texas storms in action

  • Stormchasing across Texas: Impressive and awe-inspiring amateur video highlighting a very familiar sight of late — violent, volatile, inclement weather. The footage is always appreciated, but here’s hoping everyone stays safe! source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

12 Apr 2011 21:18

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U.S.: Clogged-up Texas education funding unclogged in budget deal

  • $830 million in education funds will finally go to Texas source
  • » A federal vs. state fight: Last year, Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett (a Democrat) pushed through a provision effectively barring the state from receiving any federal education money unless it promised to spend all of it on education — something that didn’t happen when Obama pushed through his stimulus in 2009. The intention of the amendment was to get Texas to spend the money on education — which they’ve cut in recent years to help close a large deficit. The result of the amendment was that the money was stalled entirely, putting a stranglehold on Texas schools for nine months. Now Doggett’s amendment will go away — and the money will go to schools.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

12 Apr 2011 01:57

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U.S.: Texas legislators: What the heck — let’s raise the speed limit!

  • 85 miles per hour on some Texas highways — legally?! source
  • » For what it’s worth: Many of these roads already have a pretty high speed limit already — 500 miles of West Texas highway allow for cars that drive 80mph. So they’re just putting already-fast cars on a slippery slope, which we think makes them go even faster. And they’re not alone — in Kansas, you will likely be able to drive 75mph an hour on some roads, thanks to a law that passed the legislature April 1. Sammy Hagar needs to rewrite his meal ticket, stat.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Mar 2011 22:02

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Politics: Ron Paul fifty-fifty at running for President

  • 50% odds that Ron Paul will run for President in 2012 source
  • » Indecisive in Iowa: The libertarian hero, whose stock is way up since his cred-building 2008 run, made the prediction while visiting Iowa. “I really don’t know,” he says. “Maybe a trip like this will help me make up my mind.”
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Feb 2011 13:45

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U.S.: Saudi citizen in Lubbock, Texas charged for bomb, terror plans

  • The would-be jihadist? Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari, a Saudi citizen attending community college in Texas, was arrested today on charges of attempting to build a bomb for terrorist purposes. He allegedly purchased bomb components, as well as chemical components, and kept a journal detailing his dedication to jihadist philosophy. He is accused of plotting to kill former President George W. Bush, as well as attack reservoirs and hydroelectric plants in Colorado and California. He’s also said to have collected names and addresses of three U.S. military officers who’d been stationed at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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