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Archive for “Bad Government” news
Don’t Be Surprised by Dept. of Justice’s AP Probe
By Nick Vadala 5/17/2013
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As the immortal hip hop duo Mobb Deep rapped back in 1995, “ain’t no such thing as halfway crooks.” In "Shook Ones Pt. II," Prodigy warns, if you “speak the wrong words, man you will get touched.”
Given the actions of the Department of Justice this past week, it seems like they might know a little bit about that. In response to a report from the Associated Press in May of last year regarding a foiled bombing plot in Yemen, the DOJ launched a two-month-long probe into the AP’s phone records, netting communications information from more than 100 reporters and editors across multiple bureaus, according to AP estimates. In some cases, the secret probe extended to home and cell phone records as well, so the investigation was thorough.
Before You Die Over Rats at Green Eggs Cafe, Look in Your Kitchen
By Christopher Moraff 5/09/2013
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Philadelphia's foodies are in a tizzy over video that surfaced this week showing a gaggle of rats enjoying after-hours pizza at the Green Eggs Cafe Midtown in Center City. The video has sparked an outpouring of revulsion on local social media, but I honestly don't know what all the fuss is about.
ACLU Sues Norristown Over Domestic Violence Evictions
By Joel Mathis 4/24/2013
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The ACLU today said it is suing the city of Norristown, whose cops last year reportedly threatened to have a resident evicted by her landlord after she reported domestic violence accusations against her boyfriend a third time. “You are on three strikes," the officers reportedly told the woman. "We’re gonna have your landlord evict you.”
Sandra Park of the ACLU Women's Rights Project writes:
Yes, that’s right. The police threatened Ms. Briggs with eviction because she had received their assistance for domestic violence. Under Norristown’s “disorderly behavior ordinance,” the city penalizes landlords and tenants when the police respond to three instances of “disorderly behavior”
Traffic Court Judge Candidates Can’t Keep Their Own Affairs In Order
By Joel Mathis 3/27/2013
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At AxisPhilly, columnist Tom Ferrick checks in on the crew of candidates for Traffic Court judgeships, and finds many of them haven't fulfilled their regular obligations to society. Take, for example, candidate Warren Bloom, who will lead the list of Democratic candidates in the election—and thus will likely win. According to Ferrick, Bloom "is a tax deadbeat. He still owes the city close to $20,000 in back business and real estate taxes, though he says he has made arrangements to pay them off. Then there is the matter of his 1992 conviction of indecent assault and corrupting a minor in
The Top 10 Frankenfoods of the Future!
By Brian Howard 3/19/2013
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Highway Robbery: A.G. Charges 8 with Corruption
By Simon van Zuylen-Wood 3/13/2013
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Attorney General Kathleen Kane has charged eight with orchestrating a pay-to-blame scheme in which they would award contracts to friendly donors. The accused include former state senator and Democratic minority leader Robert Mellow, in addition to seven former and current PA turnpike officials and employees.
Kane said a grand jury found that private Turnpike vendors and consultants who made substantial contributions to public officials and political organizations were rewarded with multi-million dollar Turnpike contracts. The grand jury also found substantial evidence that Mellow, while serving as Democratic floor leader, directed his chief of staff to secure Turnpike contracts for key contributors and
Why the New TSA Knife Policy Is Scary
By Chris Freind 3/08/2013
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If the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) could compete for an Emmy, it would definitely be a winner. Its “Security Theater” has become a cutting-edge soap opera, replete with comedy, drama and ultimately, tragedy. And the latest episode is making the biggest headlines yet. The TSA is now permitting passengers to carry knives onto planes.
The Weirdest Interview Ever? Dennis Rodman Defends North Korea on National TV
By Simon van Zuylen-Wood 3/04/2013
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After his very special visit to North Korea, where he became the first American (and extraterrestrial) to meet lil' Dictator Kim Jong-Un, Dennis Rodman decided to take a victory lap with a Sunday morning George Stephanopoulos interview. Looking like that 1990s CD-Rom get-rich-quick guy, wearing a dollar-bill suit, Rodman seemed unaware of North Korea's abysmal human rights record and totalitarian government. Between Rodman's casual bewilderment, Stephanopolous's comically earnest questions, and the look on the face of the Vice Media guy (who arranged the trip) after the interview ended, ABC's "This Week" has never been so surreal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GixKLkai6uA
Call the Next Federal Government Crisis “Armageddon”
By Beth Capriotti 2/27/2013
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President Obama is running around the country trying like hell to convince the American public that the sky is falling and that it’s not his fault, it’s those horrible mean-spirited un-American Republicans. The fact that he’s golfing in Florida or campaigning instead of staying in Washington to do his job is infuriating enough, but now the Washington Post has cited a Washington Post-Pew poll that says that just one in four Americans are following the debate very closely and less than one in five say they understand “very well” what would happen if the sequester went into effect.
If You Were John Boehner, Your Ass Would Be Fired
By Sandy Hingston 2/20/2013
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All hail Presidents Day, known for automobile sales and bearable traffic on the Schuylkill Expressway. It’s not really a day for thinking about politics. Yet here’s what I was mulling over on Monday on my day off from work:
