White House responds as GOP continues Sotomayor attacks

Republicans kept the pressure on the president’s Supreme Court pick Friday, pushing the idea that Judge Sonia Sotomayor is an activist judge who will bring a leftist agenda to the bench. Meanwhile, the White House tried to soften remarks Sotomayor made in 2001 that have rankled conservatives, who say her assertion that her experiences as a Latina woman might make her judgments more sound than those of a white man brands her as a racist. “I’m sure she would have restated it, but if you look at the entire sweep of the essay she wrote, what’s clear is that she was simply saying that her life experiences will give her information about the struggles and hardships that people are going through that will make her a good judge,” President Obama said in an interview with NBC’s Brian Williams.

Share

Rihanna to testify in Chris Brown hearing, lawyer says

Singer Rihanna cleared her schedule to testify next month in the case against singer Chris Brown, who is charged with brutally beating her earlier this year, her lawyer said. While Brown’s lawyer previously indicated he hoped to resolve the case without public testimony, Los Angeles Criminal Court Judge Patricia Schnegg set on Thursday a preliminary hearing for June 22. Schnegg also ruled Thursday that a leak of police photos showing Rihanna’s bruised and bloodied face would not affect the prosecution of Brown.

Share

Scientology on trial for fraud in France

The Church of Scientology went on trial this week in France, accused of fraud in a case that sheds light on the group. If found guilty, the church could be forced to shut down in France, though appeals could see the case continue for years. “This is a process in heresy,” Daniele Gounord, the spokeswoman for Scientology in France, told reporters.

Share

Q&A: The return of the Russian superpower?

From the uncertainty that followed the break-up of the Soviet Union, a newly invigorated Russia has emerged, displaying unprecedented political, military and economic confidence that has, at times, put it on a collision course with the West. With no sign of strongman Vladimir Putin taking a political backseat, Russia looks set to continue its bid to regain superpower status, providing its citizens can endure the crippling impact of the global financial crisis and shrug off fears that their newfound freedoms, outlook and relative prosperity will be short-lived

Share