NOT WEARING SEATBELT

Mass. Lt. Gov. hit 108 mph before car crash

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Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray was slapped with a $555 fine on Tuesday after he apparently fell asleep and drove 108 miles per hour before careening off the road and crashing last November.

CENSORSHIP

Missouri public library blocks websites about ‘occult’ spirituality

Computer lab photo by Tulane Public Relations

The Salem Public Library in Missouri along with its board of trustees face a lawsuit for blocking access to websites discussing indigenous American spirituality and the Wiccan faith.

GETTING MONEY OUT OF POLITICS

NYC Council to vote on corporate personhood

New York City photo by Flickr user kaysha

The New York City Council is expected to vote Wednesday on a resolution asking Congress to pass an amendment overturning the U.S. Supreme Court’s controversial decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

FOR PAUL AND ONLY PAUL

Maddow: 'Ron Paul voters are human beings'

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MSNBC host Rachel Maddow on Tuesday noted that no Republican president candidate had tried to compete with Ron Paul’s loyal base, even though they were voters just like any others.

BIG BROTHER

FBI didn’t need warrant for GPS tracking: judge

Tracking device photo by Ikhlasul Amal

The FBI did not need to obtain a warrant before secretly planting a GPS tracking device underneath the car of a St. Louis City Treasurer’s Office employee accused of stealing public money, a federal judge has ruled.

Dash cam video appears to show officer planting evidence

Dash cam video appears to show Utica police planting drug evidence at a traffic stop

An officer in Utica, New York is being accused of planting evidence — and he was busted by the dash cam in his own police cruiser.

Science

Scientists say unreported drug data a health hazard

LONDON (Reuters) – Unreported data from early trials of experimental medicines in humans can result…

Modern disease found in ancient bones

WASHINGTON — US scientists said Tuesday that their study of a set of medieval bones…

Calories, not protein, boost body fat: study

Scientists learn how to grow mouse sperm in lab

Tech News

Air travel safer than ever: industry report

PARIS — Air travel has never been safer despite the steadily rising number of passengers…

Chinese firm makes Steve Jobs action figure

SAN FRANCISCO — A China-based company plans to begin shipping a realistic-looking Steve Jobs action…

Media

Netflix original program puts New York mobster in Norway

SAN FRANCISCO — Online film and television show titan Netflix will make its original programming…

Music icon Youssou Ndour bids for Senegal presidency

World-renowned singer Youssou Ndour stirred up the battle for Senegal’s presidency on Tuesday by announcing…

World

Ecuador court upholds $9.5 billion ruling against Chevron for environmental damage

QUITO — A court in Ecuador upheld a 2011 ruling requiring US oil giant Chevron to pay $9.5 billion for…

Castro ‘laughs’ off Twitter rumors of death

HAVANA — Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro is “laughing” off rumors about his death that went viral on Twitter, an…

North Korea holds mass rally in support of new leader

SEOUL — More than 100,000 North Koreans rallied in support of new leader Kim Jong-Un on Tuesday, state media reported,…

7-year-old girl attacked by kangaroo

A 7-year-old Australian girl says she thought she was going to die when a kangaroo attacked her on New Year’s…

U.S. News

Couple arrested after Utah and Nevada crime spree

A couple wanted for a crime spree through Utah and Nevada that saw an elderly…

New York firebombing raises alarm over spread of Islamophobia

NEW YORK — New York police arrested a man Tuesday over the firebombing of a…

U.S. charges Swiss bankers for hiding $1.2 billion

NEW YORK — Three Swiss bankers were indicted in the United States Tuesday, accused of…

Quakes halt Ohio ‘fracking’ waste water well

WASHINGTON — A series of small earthquakes has prompted Ohio to suspend operations at a…

MSNBC contributor: ‘Rick Santorum is a homophobe and a bigot’

A regular MSNBC contributor says people should stop beating around the bush and just call…