Supreme Court Overturns Fleeting Expletives Ruling and Sweeping Larger Issues Under the Rug

  A Supreme Court ruling regarding FCC indecency rules for broadcast TV calls for less vague standards but seems to back the public interest in safeguarding children from vulgarities and nudity on public airwaves. It will now be up to the FCC to provide a clear set of standards regarding what is to be labeled acceptable or […]

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High Court to Hear Case on Violent Video Games

High Court to Hear Case on Violent Video Games Supreme Case Agreed to Hear Case on Violent Video Games Taking up a new First Amendment test of disturbing images, the Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear California’s appeal of a decision that struck down a state law prohibiting the sale or rental of violent video […]

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Ted Kennedy’s Wake: A Fond Farewell to ‘Captain Ahab’

With the Boston skyline a sparkling backdrop framed in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library’s enormous windows, 13 of Kennedy’s closest friends, colleagues and family members shared their favorite personal, poignant and sometimes bawdy memories of Rose and Joseph’s youngest son, Edward M. Kennedy.

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Michigan courts given leeway to force veil removal

Michigan’s Supreme Court issued an order Tuesday allowing lower state courts to "exercise reasonable control" over the appearance of witnesses and parties, a rule change proposed after a Muslim woman refused to remove an Islamic garment in a small claims court. The order allows courts “reasonable control over the appearance of parties and witnesses” so as to “ensure that the demeanor of such persons may be observed and assessed by the fact-finder and ensure the accurate identification of such person.” The order, which amends a rule of the Michigan Rules of Evidence, is effective September 1. The amendment was prompted by a 2006 small claims case in Michigan filed by Ginnah Muhammad, who wore a niqab — a garment that covers the entire face and head, except for the eyes — to court, the order said

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OAS team in Honduras to push for ousted leader’s return

A delegation of foreign ministers led by the Organization of American States’ secretary-general arrived Monday in Honduras in an effort to restore ousted President Jose Manuel Zelaya to office. The delegation represents seven countries, including Canada, Mexico and Argentina. The organization has demanded that Zelaya, who was ousted June 28 in a military-led coup, be allowed to return to Honduras and resume his presidency

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‘Pioneer’ in online sports betting pleads guilty

The man who founded and ran the online sports gambling operation BetOnSports pleaded guilty and agreed to forfeit more than $43 million in proceeds, prosecutors announced Friday. Now, I know that’s a strong opening statement, but consider this: The government decides where your kids go to school; what curriculum they’ll study; and even develops long-term educational plans just like the Communists devised five-year plans.

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Australian quadriplegic granted right to starve to death

An Australian high court ruled Friday that a quadriplegic man has the right to refuse food and water and can be allowed to die, a rare legal finding that some see as a major victory for right-to-die campaigners. The ruling means that the nursing facility in which Christian Rossiter has lived since November 2008 cannot be held criminally liable for allowing the patient to die, the Supreme Court of Western Australia said.

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