This week, we’ve got both net neutrality and the Patriot Act under fire, plus an airline sacrificing goats. Those go together seamlessly.
More on:
Justice Department says no to net neutrality here.
Federal Court rules Patriot Act statute unconstitutional here.
No peaches for the Treasurer here.
Southwest Airlines fashion police here.
Airline sacrifices goat here.
We all know about the largely reported stories this week: The GAO’s less than stellar assessment of the situation in Iraq, Nawaz Sharif’s impending return to General Mr. Musharraf’s Pakistan, and - gasp! - Burning Man’s premature burning. We even got nonstop obsession with Miss Teen South Carolina (who, by the way, is of course milking it for all she can).
But chances are you missed these stories: the first reporter is allowed inside the Terrorist Screening Center, dogs hunt down pirated DVDs, and graffiti for the blind.
More on:
NPR story on the Terrorist Screening Center here.
DVD-sniffing dogs here.
Braille Graffiti project (with video) here.
(audio clip from Dr. Strangelove)
It’s a legal roundup for this week’s Week in Review. We’ve got spies, security theater, and more.
More on:
Interview with National Intelligence Director Michael McConnell here.
More info on the Pentagon’s TALON database here. Website for the DoD’s Counterintelligence Field Activity, which uses TALON, here.
No pudding for you, here.
Teen prosecuted for recording 20 seconds of a movie here.
AltLaw beta site here.
OK, I’m the first to admit that we’re delving into less reputable topics for this week’s roundup. But at least it starts out with something you really ought to be aware of. I promise.
More on:
The Protect America Act here.
CREW’s complaint against House Minority Leader Boehner here.
Florida State Representative pleads fear of black men here.
Houston police officer trades sex for no ticket here.
Young Republican President accused of forcing sex on a sleeping man here.
Well, it’s actually pulping them, but what’s the difference?
Cambridge University Press has agreed to destroy all unsold copies of a book linking Saudi charities with terrorism, after a Saudi businessman threatened a lawsuit. That businessman, Sheikh Khalid Mahfouz, has brought libel suits against multiple publishers for their books accusing the Saudis of supporting terrorism through various charities. The publishers often settle rather than going to trial, regardless of the validity of the claims, causing free speech advocates to fear a chilling effect.
More on:
Cambridge University Press decision here.
Blog commentary from author who won a British libel case here.
Here’s your week in review. Only the important stuff, here.
Check out these links to items mentioned in the review:
Senator Stevens and his motorcycle
man-eating badgers
mp3 player in court
airport security bulletin
and, without further ado, enjoy:
