MONEY IN POLITICS

Judge strikes down Montana’s political contribution limits

Money one hundred dollar bills via AFP

A federal judge struck down Montana’s limits on contributions to state political candidates, allowing politicians in the state to receive unlimited donations.

SEPTEMBER 11 LAWSUIT

U.S. court orders Iran and others to pay $6 billion for 9/11 attacks

September 11 attack via AFP

A judge formally ordered Iran, Al-Qaeda and several other defendants Wednesday to pay $6 billion compensation to the victims of September 11, 2001.

AWFUL

Conn. Supreme Court frees man convicted of sexually assaulting handicapped woman

Gavel via Shutterstock

In a 4-3 decision, the Connecticut Supreme Court on Monday threw out the conviction of a man found guilty of sexually assaulting a severely handicapped woman.

UM, REALLY?

Romney aide dismisses Soledad O’Brien questions as ‘spin’ and ‘talking points’

Barbara Comstock on Starting Point

Wednesday morning, Virginia State Assembly member Barbara Comstock, an adviser to former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA)’s presidential campaign appeared on CNN’s “Starting Point.”

THE RULE OF LAW

Obama wanted civilian trial for Osama bin Laden

Obama via AFP

President Barack Obama hoped to put terrorist leader Osama bin Laden on trial in a civilian court if he was captured alive.

ABORTION CONSPIRACY

Akin stands by 2008 comment: Non-pregnant women are receiving abortions

Congressman Todd Akin screenshot

Republican Rep. Todd Akin, who is running for U.S. Senate in Missouri, on Wednesday stood by controversial comments he made in 2008, insisting that abortion doctors were falsely telling women they were pregnant.

Science

Startling discovery debunked: bacteria can’t survive on arsenic

Startling discovery debunked: bacteria can't survive on arsenic Nearly two years ago, a team of…

Humans added plenty greenhouse gases before industrialization: study

PARIS — Humans were big emitters of greenhouse gases long before the Industrial Revolution, a…

NASA rover checks in online from Mars

Scientists discover two black holes inside a star cluster

Tech News

Germany’s former first lady Bettina Wulff sues Google over autocomplete function

Bettina Wulff and the trouble with fighting Google's autocomplete Germany’s former first lady Bettina Wulff…

Cell phones being built with fewer toxic substances

WASHINGTON — Mobile phone manufacturers, responding to consumer and regulatory pressure, are using fewer toxic…

Media

Psy brings ‘Gangnam Style’ home to Korea with free concert in Seoul

South Korean rapper Psy will give a free concert in Seoul Thursday, capping a stunning…

Wisconsin TV anchor’s bully responds: Slim down, for the kids

A man who wrote to a Wisconsin TV news anchor last week calling her “obese”…

World

British woman could face death in Indonesia for smuggling cocaine to Bali

A British woman was indicted in an Indonesian court Thursday on multiple drug charges including smuggling cocaine to the resort…

Climate change skepticism highest in U.S. and Britain

Awareness of climate change is high in many countries, especially the tropics, but in Britain, Japan and the United States…

Costa Rica set to ban hunting, a first in the Americas

SAN JOSE — Costa Rica is set to be the first country in the American continent to ban recreational hunting…

U.S., British universities top in academic excellence

LONDON — US and British universities continue to dominate in academic excellence but Asia is catching up fast, said an…

U.S. News

Stay of execution upheld for sexual abuse victim

WASHINGTON — Hours before he was set to die Wednesday, a convicted murderer who has…

Sensitive U.S. files unguarded in Libya embassy: report

WASHINGTON — A trove of documents, including travel plans and security contracts, lay unguarded at…

Clinton vows to answer all questions on Libya attack

WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton vowed Wednesday to answer lingering questions about…

Slain border patrol agent worked a well-worn drug-smuggling corridor

Slain border patrol agent worked a well-worn drug-smuggling corridor (+video) (via The Christian Science Monitor)…

Seth McFarlane: Obama could come to debate ‘with his penis out’ and still beat Romney

Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane is so confident about President Barack Obama’s re-election that not…