FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS

Judge: Stripping naked to protest TSA is protected speech

[TSA agent via Carolina K. Smith, M.D. / Shutterstock.com]

A circuit court judge has ruled that a man who stripped down to his birthday suit to protest against airport security was not guilty of indecent exposure.

THE NEW MCCARTHYISM

Boehner: Bachmann ‘pretty dangerous’ but staying on Intelligence Committee

House Speaker John Boehner (C-SPAN)

The House Speaker refused to consider removing Michele Bachmann from the House Intelligence Committee even though he said it was “pretty dangerous” for her to accuse Clinton’s deputy chief of staff of infiltrating the U.S. government on behalf of radical Islamists.

REALLY?

McCain insists Palin was the right choice in 2008

John McCain screenshot

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said Thursday that he had no regrets about picking former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate in 2008.

MARKETPLACE FAIRNESS ACT

Reid says Internet sales tax could pass in 2012

Amazon via AFP

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) believes that Congress could pass an Internet sales tax this year, allowing states to collect sales taxes from online businesses that have no physical presence there.

CALL TO ACTION

Rep. Jackie Speier blasts ‘cancer’ of military rapes

repjackiespeier-facebook

The Congresswoman said she was “sick of waiting for action” while she delivered her 23rd speech on the House floor condemning sexual harassment and rape in the U.S. military.

LEGALIZE IT?

Obama’s drug czar: White House is ‘interested’ in medical marijuana

Obama drug czar Gil Kerlikowske. Photo: Screenshot via WhiteHouse.gov.

Gil Kerlikowske, President Barack Obama’s drug czar, claimed this week that the White House is “interested in the potential marijuana may have” in medicine.

Science

NASA and Microsoft team up for Xbox ‘Mars Rover’ game

With significant budget cuts for its Mars program looming, NASA is looking to shake things…

Massive iceberg twice the size of Manhattan breaks off Greenland glacier

A massive iceberg twice the size of Manhattan has broken off of a glacier in…

Report: China produces as much CO2 per person as Europe

Hubble finds rare spiral galaxy

Tech News

Google profits surges on growing ad revenue

SAN FRANCISCO — Google on Thursday reported that its quarterly profit surged to $2.79 billion…

Google introduces face-blurring feature on YouTube to protect protestors

Human rights activists and campaigners will be able to appear anonymously in videos posted to…

Media

Mourners bid farewell to ‘first Bollywood superstar’

Mourners gathered in Mumbai under heavy monsoon rain to bid farewell and catch a final…

Journalist arrested in Belarus for publishing pictures of teddy bears

Press freedom publicity stunt leads to jail for website editor If it wasn’t so serious,…

World

French lawmakers abolish tax breaks, boost taxes on rich

PARIS — French lawmakers Thursday backed a series of measures abolishing tax breaks and taxing the wealthy as the new…

Syria’s Assad emailed sexist jokes: WikiLeaks

PARIS — Hundreds of emails purportedly written by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad show he sent several sexist or irreverant messages…

U.S. Navy helicopter crashes in Oman

A US Navy helicopter crashed on Thursday in Oman during a transport mission, and the fate of its five-member crew…

German legislators call to protect religious circumcision

German MPs adopted a cross-party motion on Thursday calling on the government to protect religious circumcision after a court ruling…

U.S. News

U.S. stocks score third day of gains

NEW YORK — US stocks notched gains for a third straight day Thursday as investors…

Gingrich tells Snooki: I’ve been ‘deprived’ of strippers

Former Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich and Jersey Shore star Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi hit it…

Police arresting condom carriers increase risk of spreading HIV

Police in major cities in the United States are criminalising women who carry a stock…

Huckabee: Boy Scouts’ LGBT ban is ‘right decision’ to prevent sex crimes

Fox News host Mike Huckabee on Wednesday said that the Boy Scouts of America’s policy…

House committee passes D.C. 20-week abortion ban

The House Judiciary Committee voted 18 to 14 on Wednesday to advance a bill that…