10/13/14 06:33 PM

The United Auto Workers refused to allow a Michigan member to resign her union membership, according to a legal complaint filed with the National Labor Relations Board. That constitutes a challenge to the state's new right to work law, which forbids workers from being obligated to join or otherwise support labor unions.

Rhode Island GOP files official complaint against Dem gubernatorial candidate

By Becket Adams

10/02/14 02:29 PM

The Rhode Island Republican Party filed a complaint with the state's Board of Elections this week, alleging that Democratic gubernatorial nominee Gina Raimondo violated campaign finance law by coordinating with Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., to star in a pricey election ad.

Louisiana GOP files ethics complaint against Sen. Mary Landrieu over use of tax dollars for campaign expenses

09/02/14 08:59 AM

"As a taxpayer who resides in the state of Louisiana, I am disappointed that my senator would feel entitled to act above the law by using my tax dollars to fund her re-election campaign," Jason Dore, executive director of the Republican Party of Louisiana, wrote in a formal complaint filed Tuesday with the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics.

Second judge rules against Indiana right-to-work law

07/25/14 03:27 PM

A second judge has ruled Indiana's right-to-work law unconstitutional, a major victory for labor unions who complained the law places an unfair burden on unions. In the latest ruling, Lake County Circuit Court Special Judge George Paras also ordered this latest decision to go into effect immediately before any appeal. Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller asked the judge to stay ruling until it...

Federal judge orders IRS to swear that it can't recover Lois Lerner's lost emails

By Mark Flatten

07/10/14 04:05 PM

A federal judge wants the IRS to make a sworn statement of how it lost Lerner's emails and what it can do to get them back. The IRS and Judicial Watch will also have to meet in September in front of a federal magistrate who is an expert on electronic records in the courts.

Judicial Watch asks federal judge to lift 'temporary' stay on lawsuit seeking Operation Fast and Furious documents

By Mark Tapscott

07/06/14 06:54 PM

A federal judge will decide Tuesday whether to lift a 16-month-old "temporary" stay on a non-profit government watchdog's Freedom of Information Act lawsuit for Operation Fast and Furious scandal documents.

Republicans file briefs against Northwestern athletes union

07/03/14 06:13 PM

Republicans in the both the Senate and the House filed a friend-of-the-court brief Thursday in the National Labor Relations Board case regarding the Northwestern University students who wish to form a college athletes union. The lawmakers came down strongly against allowing collective bargaining on campuses, as they have previously done.

Hillary Clinton and her defense of an accused child rapist: Is it a big deal and will the media cover it?

By Becket Adams

06/16/14 12:37 PM

Hillary Clinton suggested in a decades-old interview that she knew her client was guilty when she defended him for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl, according to audio released late Sunday night by the Washington Free Beacon. “It was a fascinating case, it was a very interesting case,” Clinton, who took the case in 1975 when she was just 28 years old, said in an interview conducted years...

Democratic senators accuse columnist George Will of trivializing rape

06/12/14 05:20 PM

Four Democratic senators have blasted conservative pundit George Will for downplaying the prevalence of rape on college campuses, saying his "ancient beliefs" trivialize the plight of rape victims. In a letter Thursday to the Washington Post columnist, the senators took exception to Will's June 6 column, in which wrote of the "supposed campus epidemic of rape, a.k.a. sexual assault." He accused...

Democratic candidate accused of unequal pay demands equal pay

06/10/14 07:24 PM

In a new campaign ad, New Mexico Attorney General Gary King claims he will demand equal pay for women in the state. The thing is, three years ago King was accused of pay discrimination by female lawyers in his office. Not only that, but King's opponent, Republican Gov. Susana Martinez, signed an equal pay bill into law last year. In 2011, three female attorneys in King’s office filed a lawsuit...

Florida police use red-light cameras to track man critical of divorce judge

06/10/14 07:05 PM

A St. Petersburg, Fla., man was tracked by police using the city's red light cameras to catch him placing bumper stickers around town -- including placing some on street signs. Joe Mazzara, a 67-year-old businessman, placed bumper stickers around the city that said “Get Jack Helinger off the bench.com.” Mazzara was upset over the way Helinger handled his divorce case. Now Mazzara is facing 12...

Tax expert: Obamacare will make 2015 IRS filings 'most chaotic in years'

06/10/14 12:47 PM

Obamacare's confusing tax credits, coupled with fines and the implementation of previously delayed mandates, will make the 2015 tax filing season “one of the most chaotic in years,” a national tax expert and tax preparer warned House lawmakers today.

Key Republican Saxby Chambliss presses Pentagon for Bowe Bergdahl file

06/06/14 10:47 AM

Despite the outpouring of information about Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's physical condition before his release over the last 24 hours, the Pentagon is remaining mum about a 2010 investigation that concluded that he walked away from his unit. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., the ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has pressed the Obama administration and the military for information about...

Cancer clinic accused of dragging out chemo treatments for more government money

06/04/14 05:40 PM

Owners of a Kentucky cancer clinic will pay $3.7 million to settle claims they prolonged chemotherapy for some of their patients to pad their bills to the government. The owners of Elizabethtown Hematology Oncology were initially accused by a whistleblower of extending chemo treatments, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal. They were alleged to have submitted false claims for payment to...

Judge: Duke University can't expel student accused of sexual misconduct

06/03/14 06:59 PM

A judge in North Carolina ruled that Duke University could not expel a male student accused of sexual misconduct because his due process rights were violated. Superior Court Judge W. Osmond Smith III issued a preliminary injunction on May 29, stopping Duke from expelling Lewis M. McLeod, a senior at the university who was barred from graduating in early May. Smith ruled that Duke “breached,...

San Diego school district hopes to get back tainted funds

05/29/14 04:47 PM

With board members having left under a cloud, California's Sweetwater Union High School District has joined a lawsuit to get back millions of dollars in public funds. Two construction management firms were paid $644 million — $26 million from Sweetwater — to oversee a bond program, according to U-T San Diego. However, four out of five members of the Sweetwater board have since left office amid...

Nashville judges ask for raise when facing budget cut

By Fred Schulte, Center for Public Integrity

05/28/14 12:41 PM

Eleven judges in Nashville making $165,000 yearly are seeking a pay raise -- though their department faces a budget cut. The General Sessions Court judges in Davidson County make $165,204 annually, but recently asked for $2,500 raise each to give them the same pay as their Circuit Court counterparts, according to the Tennessean. The eight Circuit Court judges — who are also paid by the state —...

Center for Public Integrity sues in an effort to make Medicare Advantage files public

05/27/14 02:33 PM

The Center for Public Integrity has sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, seeking a wide range of records concerning oversight of Medicare Advantage health insurance plans for senior citizens.

Accusations cloud Sheriff Terry Maketa's future: Commanders' complaint alleges affairs, budget improprieties

By Dave Philipps, Colorado Springs Gazette

05/27/14 10:19 AM

El Paso County, Colo., Sheriff Terry Maketa is embroiled in accusations of sex with subordinates, abusive treatment of employees and dismantling oversight of the office budget that could stain his 12-year career and sink future prospects for one of the most powerful local Republicans.

Fired Tampa detective may have filed fraudulent tax returns with names of murder victims

By

05/25/14 01:28 PM

About 4,600 people that Tampa detective Eric Houston checked out on national or state databases between 2010 and 2012 had fraudulent tax returns filed in their name — 21 of which were involved in homicides or aggravated batteries. Houston was fired in April by Tampa police Chief Jane Castor.

Rand Paul: 'Drone judge' betrayed Bill of Rights, promotes 'vigilantism'

05/21/14 12:25 PM

Declaring that a Harvard University law professor nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals violated the Bill of Rights by penning a memo justifying the administration's drone killing of Americans overseas, Sen. Rand Paul on Wednesday vowed to fight David Barron's appointment. “I cannot and will not support a lifetime appointment of someone who believes it is okay to kill an American citizen not...

Exclusive: Secret Service agents accused of ordering 'Operation Moonlight' remain on the job

05/21/14 10:22 AM

Two Secret Service officials accused of diverting members of a special White House unit to protect the assistant and friend of the agency's director are still on the job and have not been placed on administrative leave while the matter is under investigation, according to two people familiar with the matter. David Beach and Jim Donaldson, the two agents in charge of the Washington field office,...

Obama considering Shaun Donovan for budget chief, San Antonio mayor for housing secretary

05/17/14 05:48 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) -- It's a second-term Cabinet shuffle for President Obama. Obama plans to nominate Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan to be White House budget director. And the president is considering naming San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro as Donovan's successor. That's according to people familiar with the selection process. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized...

Examiner Editorial: Judge finds pervasive fraud by trial lawyers in asbestos litigation

By Washington Examiner

05/14/14 06:18 PM

Fresh evidence of the efficacy of transparency in public affairs recently came from an unexpected source -- class-action litigation on behalf of people who claim to have developed mesothelioma as a result of exposure to asbestos.

Wisconsin judge reaffirms ruling closing Scott Walker 'John Doe' probe

05/08/14 02:32 PM

Over a period of less than 48 hours, a Wisconsin special prosecutor's probe into alleged campaign finance improprieties by Gov. Scott Walker and outside conservative groups has been alive, then dead, then alive again and then dead once more. The latest twists came late Wednesday when a federal appeals court stayed a judge's ruling Tuesday ordering the probe shut down. Then on Thursday, the...

John D'ohh! Judge says secret probe into Scott Walker fundraising unconstitutional, orders closure

05/07/14 04:05 PM

A U.S. District Court judge in Wisconsin ordered the closure of a secret investigation of fundraising by Republican Gov. Scott Walker's campaign and conservative groups. In a sweeping ruling Tuesday, the judge said the probe was trampling the defendants' constitutional free speech rights and ordered its immediate closure. The long-running "John Doe" probe looked into possible illegal...

Protecting US security personnel: Where the Benghazi and Plame scandals connect

By Austin Bay

05/07/14 12:34 PM

Partisan political advantage, gained at the real or potential life-threatening expense of American personnel undertaking high-risk assignments, was the deep moral issue driving prosecutors in the 2005 Valerie Plame name exposure scandal. An even more disturbing and exploitative example of high-level Washington political operatives exposing low-level American field personnel to greater physical...

Justice Department asks judge to dismiss Rand Paul's NSA lawsuit

05/05/14 06:02 PM

Justice Department lawyers asked a federal judge to dismiss a class-action lawsuit filed by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., against the National Security Agency, arguing that Paul didn't deserve to have the case heard because he can't prove that his phone records were collected by the agency. Because Paul can't prove that, the Justice Department argued, he doesn't have standing to sue. "[T]he government...

NLRB says Catholic university not religious enough to bar unions

04/29/14 01:54 PM

Seattle University may say it is a Catholic Jesuit school, but that does not mean it really is a religious institution, says the National Labor Relations Board. On Thursday, the federal labor law enforcement agency ruled that the school was not exempt from the NLRB's authority and its adjunct professors could therefore unionize. The ruling clears a path for a vote by the adjuncts, who work at...

Federal judges acknowledge conflicts of interest

By

04/28/14 09:49 AM

The Center for Public Integrity looked into the three most recent years of financial disclosure reports by 255 judges who sit on 13 appellate circuits. The Center found 24 cases where judges owned stock in a company with a case before them, and two more case where judges had financial ties with law firms working on cases over which they presided.

The high cost of liberalism shows up in San Francisco housing costs

By Thomas Sowell

04/21/14 04:57 PM

Liberals advocate many wonderful things. In fact, I suspect that most conservatives would prefer to live in the kind of world envisioned by liberals, rather than in the kind of world envisioned by conservatives. Unfortunately, the only kind of world that any of us can live in is the world that actually exists. Trying to live in the kind of world that liberals envision has costs that will not go...

Republican National Committee files Tax Day lawsuit seeking IRS records related to Tea Party targeting

04/15/14 12:22 PM

The Republican National Committee on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service after months of trying to obtain documents pertaining to the targeting of Tea Party groups through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Cost of filing taxes: 15 hours of 'lost time'

04/15/14 10:35 AM

Simply filing taxes and complying with Uncle Sam's tax code costs the U.S. 6.1 billion hours and $224.3 billion, a jaw-dropping amount that when reduced to individual filers totals $90 billion in "lost time" to meet the April 15 tax filing deadline, according to a "tax day" analysis. The National Taxpayers Union's annual report, provided in advance to Secrets, determined that the 6.1 billion...

Jay Carney accuses Russia of using tactics from 'the Soviet past'

04/14/14 04:09 PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin is using tactics from "the Soviet past," according to President Obama's spokesman, who also maintained that the Cold War is not an accurate analogy for current tensions in Ukraine. "It's not often that you suddenly have, in a variety of cities, all at the same time, a bunch of men wearing military gear, without insignias, including bulletproof vests, suddenly...

Elijah Cummings accuses Darrell Issa of 'scuttling' chance to have Lois Lerner testify

04/11/14 06:06 PM

Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., accused House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., of "scuttling" an opportunity to have former IRS official Lois Lerner testify about the targeting of conservative groups, a charge Issa's team attributes to dishonest statements from Lerner's attorney. Cummings told Issa that Lerner would have testified if the hearing had been...

Eric Holder in hot water with federal judge over drug sentencing guidelines

By Mark Tapscott

04/11/14 10:00 AM

Attorney General Eric Holder is the nation's chief law enforcement officer, so his job is to enforce laws duly passed by Congress and signed by the president. Nowhere in his job description does the AG get to decide unilaterally to reduce federal drug sentencing guidelines. Don't expect Holder to be deterred by that fact, however. After appearing several months ago before the U.S. Sentencing...

Federal judge dismisses lawsuit against Obama administration over drone strikes

By

04/04/14 05:40 PM

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Obama administration officials over the 2011 drone-strike killings of three U.S. citizens in Yemen, one of them an al Qaeda cleric. U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer says the case raises serious constitutional questions and is not easy to answer. But she says that she will grant the Obama administration's motion to dismiss. The government has...

Poll: Hillary Clinton winning Catholics, Protestants, and 36% of evangelicals

04/03/14 04:04 PM

With a crushing dominance shown in repeated polls, Democrat Hillary Clinton is on a path to do something her husband and two-term president never achieved: win a majority of more than 50 percent of the presidential vote in 2016. In the latest poll, Zogby Analytics confirmed the trend showing the former secretary of state, one-term New York senator and former first lady beating Sen. Rand Paul,...

Lazy judges: 16,000 cases are three years old --- or older!

04/01/14 02:11 PM

There's one problem with the lifetime appointment of federal judges. What can be done about lazy judges, like some of those sitting on about 16,000 civil cases that are three years old or older? According to two top court officials: Not much other than embarrassment. In a revealing discussion at a recent House Appropriations Committee subcommittee hearing to discuss the judiciary’s budget,...

San Diego invites feds to probe police misconduct

By

03/24/14 10:23 AM

SAN DIEGO — San Diego's new mayor and newly appointed police chief have invited the federal Department of Justice to investigate the city's police department after allegations of officer misconduct. Mayor Kevin Faulconer and police Chief Shelley Zimmerman were set to reveal details about the planned six-month investigation at a news conference Monday. Faulconer and Zimmerman, whose new jobs...

Judge strikes down Michigan's ban on gay marriage

By

03/21/14 05:10 PM

DETROIT — A judge has struck down Michigan's ban on gay marriage, the latest in a series of decisions overturning similar laws across the country. Federal Judge Bernard Friedman ruled Friday, two weeks after a trial. Two Detroit-area nurses who've been partners for eight years claimed the ban violated their rights under the U.S. Constitution. It was not clear if gay marriages could begin...

Deputy accused of stealing money taken in raid

By

03/21/14 03:51 PM

HOUSTON — Harris County sheriff's officials say a deputy has been fired for stealing money he was supposed to have confiscated and held as evidence. Jason Henry Hayes was fired Thursday and is charged with theft by a public servant and tampering with evidence. The 33-year-old Hayes began working as a Harris County deputy in 2004, and was most recently assigned to a game room task force....

Washington Examiner files lawsuit against CFPB for withholding renovation documents

03/19/14 10:24 AM

A federal lawsuit was filed today by the Washington Examiner seeking 335 pages of public documents withheld by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about its costly renovation of an office building near the White House. The Examiner filed a civil complaint against the CFPB under the federal Freedom of Information Act following eight months of bureau refusals to release its financial and...

U.S. suspends consular relations with Syria; orders all non-U.S. personnel out

03/18/14 01:36 PM

Daniel Rubinstein, President Obama's newly appointed special envoy for Syria, announced the decision in a statement Tuesday afternoon. It comes three years after the beginning of the bloody civil war that has killed more than 130,000 people.

Judge issues mixed ruling on Cape Wind project

By Washington Examiner staff reports

03/15/14 02:40 PM

A federal judge on Friday rejected several arguments brought by opponents of a proposed first-in-the-nation offshore wind farm in Nantucket Sound but ordered the government to review claims that the Cape Wind project could pose risks to migratory birds and the endangered North Atlantic right whale.

Feinstein accuses CIA of spying on Senate oversight panel

03/13/14 08:24 PM

NATIONAL SECURITY Feinstein accuses CIA of spying on Senate oversight panel Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, in a dramatic speech on the Senate floor, accused the CIA of "spying" on her panel's computers. The California Democrat said the CIA had searched — without her knowledge or consent — a stand-alone computer network established for the committee at the agency's...

Judge weighs new evidence in Army sex assault case

By Michael Biesecker

03/10/14 11:41 AM

The judge in the case against an Army general believed to be the highest-ranking U.S. military officer to be tried on sex assault charges began considering new evidence Monday that a top lawyer at the Pentagon may have unlawfully interfered in a decision on whether to accept a plea agreement that was ultimately rejected.

Judge: Texas man can be tried in childhood crime

By

03/06/14 12:31 PM

CONROE, Texas — A Texas man accused of dousing a boy with gasoline and setting him on fire when he was a teenager can be tried as an adult for murder after the victim died from his burns nearly 13 years later, a judge ruled Thursday. Authorities allege that Don Willburn Collins was 13 when he attacked Robert Middleton in 1998 on his eighth birthday near the younger boy's home in Splendora,...

Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson accused of shoving his wife

03/04/14 11:39 PM

Outspoken Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., has been accused of shoving his estranged wife into a door and causing her to fall, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Grayson allegedly “showed up, unannounced” while his wife was getting ready to take two of the couple’s children to a play date. When she refused to speak with Grayson inside, he “then deliberately and with force pushed [her] very hard...

California lawmaker accused of corruption on leave

By

03/03/14 10:46 AM

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A California state lawmaker facing federal corruption charges alleging he took kickbacks while in office said Sunday evening he has taken an indefinite leave of absence from the Legislature while he awaits trial. The departure of Sen. Ron Calderon deprives Senate Democrats of the two-thirds margin they need in the 40-member chamber to raise taxes, pass emergency...

Oscars study: Elite Academy judges are out of touch with moviegoers

03/01/14 11:20 AM

The elite 5,783 judges who will decide Sunday night's Oscar awards are out of touch with what consumers look for in a movie, often choosing films about activists overcoming oppression instead of Iron Man smashing a tank, according to a new study of the Academy Awards. “The standards learned and employed by elites who possess significant cultural capital tend to deviate from the standards of...

Yes, President Obama is punishing nuns for wanting to serve non-Catholic poor elderly

02/24/14 05:51 PM

Our President is battling in court against nuns who don't want to pay for birth control -- and the President's supporters in the media are calling the nuns theocrats for fighting back. The Little Sisters of the Poor don't count as religious enough to be exempt from President Obama's mandate that all employers cover birth control or order their health insurer to cover birth control. Liberal New...

Owner of Sacramento firms accused of fraud

02/24/14 11:27 AM

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The owner of two Northern California medical-supply businesses has been arrested on fraud charges for allegedly running a Ponzi scheme to keep his firms afloat. The Sacramento Bee cites court papers that say Deepal Wannakuwatte took in more than $125 million over the past decade from investors who were financing contracts to supply gloves to the U.S. Department of...

Examiner Editorial: Euthanasia shows hypocrisy of judges trusting foreign law

By Washington Examiner

02/24/14 08:54 AM

Applying theories and decisions from foreign courts in U.S. law has long been a popular fad among liberal jurists and academics in America, especially by proponents of the "living Constitution." Left-leaning majorities on the Supreme Court have cited foreign court decisions and legal practices in several cases over the past 10 years to overturn centuries of precedent on a multitude of...

MSNBC debunks accusation that Rand Paul's team stole his NSA lawsuit from another attorney

02/13/14 05:46 PM

MSNBC debunked a charge leveled against Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and his legal team that the lawsuit they filed against the National Security Agency was "stolen from its author." The network did so by contacting the author, who explained that he is part of Paul's legal team. "I was working on a legal team, and have been paid for my work,” Bruce Fein, who helped write the lawsuit, told MSNBC in an...

Judge: Kentucky must recognize same-sex marriages

By

02/12/14 12:39 PM

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A federal judge has ruled that Kentucky must recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, striking down part of the state ban. In 23-page a ruling issued Wednesday, U.S. District Judge John G. Heyburn II concluded that Kentucky's laws treat gay and lesbians differently in a "way that demeans them." The constitutional ban on same-sex marriage was approved by voters...

The Hilda Solis files: Former Labor secretary in yet another union corruption scandal

By Michelle Malkin

02/12/14 12:01 PM

Put on your super-shocked faces, everyone: Former Obama administration official Hilda Solis, who is now running for yet another government position in Los Angeles, is embroiled in yet another union corruptocracy scandal. The "Hope" and "Change" hits just keep on coming.

Man accused of beating wife to death doesn't outrage Lebanon officials, but a nude skier does

02/11/14 05:13 PM

A Lebanese woman was allegedly beaten to death by her husband on Friday, yet officials have been slow to assist the woman's family. Meanwhile, a three-year-old topless video of Lebanese Olympic Skier Jacky Chamoun was dug up and prompted a swift backlash from members of the government. Lebanon's Sports and Youth Minister Faisal Karameh has even ordered an investigation into the matter, asking...

Arizona judge deals blow to government employee unions

01/30/14 05:16 PM

An Arizona Superior Court judge ruled that members of a Phoenix law enforcement officers union could not conduct union business while also on the job. The ruling could end, at least in the state, a common practice by organized labor officials that essentially amounts to them getting taxpayer money to run their unions. In a ruling released Wednesday, Judge Katherine Cooper said that allowing the...

Systemic personnel problems seen in nuclear corps

By

01/30/14 10:12 AM

A widening cheating scandal within the Air Force's nuclear missile corps is revealing systemic personnel problems in the force and is setting off high-level meetings to search for solutions. For the first time, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel summoned 15 of his top Air Force, Navy and nuclear mission leaders to the Pentagon, where they worked Wednesday to figure out whether cultural problems...

Two-thirds of briefs filed with Supreme Court in Hobby Lobby case support the company

01/29/14 04:43 PM

Hobby Lobby, the arts and crafts chain currently battling the Obama administration over the so-called contraceptive mandate, has received more outside support in the Supreme Court than the government. In a press release, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which represents Hobby Lobby, said amicus briefs supporting the store outnumbered those supporting the federal government’s position. Of...

Obama will violate budget deadline laws for 18th time with latest filing

01/27/14 05:55 PM

President Obama will miss a budgetary deadline set by law for the 18th time in his presidency, according to a summary of his record provided by Senate Republicans. "The Office of Management and Budget recently announced that President Obama's FY 2015 budget would be delivered to Congress on March 4, just over one month past the statutory deadline (which requires the President's budget to be...

California students file suit to nix tenure law

By

01/27/14 11:52 AM

Nine California public school students are suing the state over its laws on teacher tenure, seniority and other protections that the plaintiffs say keep bad educators in classrooms. The case that goes to trial Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court is the latest battle in a growing nationwide challenge to union-backed protections for teachers in an effort to hold them more accountable for their...

Time for some legal problems at S&P? Tim Geithner accused of threatening company over downgrade

01/22/14 04:23 PM

Chris Christie isn't the only politician whose deputies have been accused of abusing power by threatening those who resist them politically. President Obama's former Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner threatened Standard & Poor's in 2011 for downgrading the U.S. government's credit rating, according to an S&P honcho. Reuters reports on the testimony of Harold McGraw, chairman of S&P's...

Government accuses military moving company of fraud

By

01/22/14 02:18 PM

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A company that handles moves for some military members in South Carolina and Georgia is being accused of inflating costs and overbilling the federal government, allegations that could potentially result in millions of dollars in penalties and fines. Covan World-Wide Moving Inc., and an affiliate, Coleman American Moving Services, Inc., move soldiers to and from South Carolina's...

Wendy Davis is being judged by a double standard she invited

By Charles Hoskinson

01/22/14 11:30 AM

Democratic Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis has been crying foul all week since the Dallas Morning News published a story noting inconsistencies in her biography. In an epic Twitter meltdown, Davis, who's running for governor, blamed the campaign of her Republican opponent, Attorney General Greg Abbott, for the revelations in the story, even though the veteran political reporter who wrote it...

Environmental groups file court motion seeking EPA action on ozone standard

By Zack Colman

01/22/14 09:19 AM

Several public health and environmental groups filed a motion Tuesday in federal court in an attempt to force the Environmental Protection Agency to propose delayed standards for ozone, which causes smog. If honored, the move would establish a December 2014 deadline for the EPA propose a standard and October 2015 date to finalize it. The American Lung Association, Environmental Defense Fund,...

US dropping case against Somali man accused of piracy

01/20/14 10:22 AM

WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors are dropping their case against a Somali translator accused of being a pirate and playing an illegal role in the hostage siege aboard a Danish merchant ship off the coast of Somalia in 2008. A jury last month deadlocked on two charges of hostage-taking against Ali Mohamed Ali. He had been found not guilty of the more serious charge of piracy, and the Justice...

Judge rejects request to halt Idaho wolf kill plan

01/19/14 08:27 PM

BOISE, Idaho — A federal judge has rejected a request by conservation groups to stop Idaho from killing wolves from two packs in central Idaho as part of the state's efforts to bolster elk numbers in the area. U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge on Friday denied the temporary restraining order sought by the groups who contend the large-scale removal of wolves contravenes the 1964 Wilderness Act...

Federal judge in Montana sent hundreds of bigoted emails

01/18/14 12:59 PM

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A former Montana judge who was investigated for forwarding a racist email involving President Obama sent hundreds of other inappropriate messages from his federal email account, according to the findings of a judicial review panel released Friday. Former U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull sent emails to personal and professional contacts that showed disdain for blacks,...

US judge strikes down Oklahoma same-sex marriage ban

By

01/14/14 05:56 PM

TULSA, Okla. — A federal judge on Tuesday struck down Oklahoma's gay marriage ban, ruling that it violates the U.S. Constitution. U.S. District Judge Terrence Kern handed down the ruling in a lawsuit filed by two same-sex couples. Kern immediately stayed his ruling pending appeals, meaning gay marriages won't happen in Oklahoma right away. The gay couples had sued for the right to marry and to...

Judge: New Mexico doctors can give meds to help people die

By Susan Montoya Bryan

01/14/14 09:49 AM

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Competent, terminally ill patients have a fundamental right under the New Mexico Constitution to seek a physician's help in getting prescription medications if they want to end their lives on their own terms, a state district judge ruled Monday.

Veterans Affairs under fire for proposed disability filing rule

01/11/14 07:14 PM

For veterans seeking disability compensation, the application process is supposed to be so easy that a handwritten note on a napkin will initiate a claim or an appeal. A proposed rule from the Obama administration would change that, and veterans groups are sounding the alarm.

Pentagon finds Edward Snowden took 1.7 million files, Mike Rogers says

By Bloomberg News

01/09/14 07:39 PM

Former government contractor Edward Snowden downloaded about 1.7 million intelligence files in the biggest theft of U.S. secrets in history, according to a Pentagon report described by members of Congress. The Defense Department report concluded that Snowden’s disclosures last year could “gravely impact” U.S. national security and put members of the armed forces “in harm’s way,” Representative...

Montana judge criticized in rape case to retire

By

01/08/14 10:29 AM

BILLINGS, Mont. — A Montana judge said he plans to retire at the end of the year after drawing widespread condemnation for saying that a 14-year-old rape victim appeared "older than her chronological age." District Judge Todd Baugh said his decision to step down after three decades on the bench was unrelated to the public uproar over his actions in the case of Stacey Rambold, a former business...

Mainstream Media Scream: Bryant Gumbel accuses GOP of extortion

01/06/14 12:30 PM

This week's Mainstream Media Scream features the return of former "Today" co-host Bryant Gumbel to discuss the top stories of 2012, during which he slammed the GOP over the government shutdown. Reviewing Culturalist.com’s list of top news stories of 2013 on "Today" last week, current co-host Matt Lauer said to Gumbel: “At number five, the federal government shutdown. I think that was on most of...

China accuses U.S. of supporting terrorism after release of Uighurs from Guantanamo

01/02/14 04:42 PM

China accused the United States of having a "double standard" in its opposition to terrorism, a line of criticism that springs from the U.S. position towards a persecuted ethnic minority that Chinese government officials accuse of significant terrorist activities.

Washington judge strikes part of wage hike measure

By

12/29/13 12:02 PM

SEATTLE — A Washington state judge has struck part of the voter-approved $15 an hour minimum wage measure for airport workers in SeaTac. King County Superior Court Judge Andrea Darvas says the measure applies to about 1,600 hotel and parking lot workers in the city of SeaTac, but does not apply to employees and contractors working within Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, which is operated...

Judge ends Katrina flooding lawsuits against feds

12/29/13 02:11 AM

NEW ORLEANS — Dozens of lawsuits seeking damages from the federal government for Hurricane Katrina-related levee failures and flooding in the New Orleans area are over. U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval Jr. has dismissed the cases. The move comes more than a year after a federal appeals court overturned his ruling that held the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers liable for flooding caused by lax...

Federal judge in New York rules NSA metadata collection lawful

12/27/13 03:52 PM

A U.S. District Court judge in New York ruled Friday that the National Security Agency's telephone metadata collection program was legal, rejecting a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union against it, and setting up a conflict with an earlier ruling that the program was "likely unconstitutional." Judge William Pauley specifically invoked the 9/11 attacks to say the program was needed to...

Federal judge calls NSA phone surveillance programs legal

By Brian Hughes

12/27/13 02:44 PM

A federal judge in New York City on Friday ruled that the National Security Agency's massive phone surveillance network is legal, giving the Obama administration a judicial victory at a time when it's trying to defend the scope and constitutionality of the secretive programs. “While robust discussions are underway across the nation, in Congress, and at the White House, the question for the...

Examiner Editorial: Federal judge was right to reject Obama's 'secret law' claim

By Editorial Writer

12/18/13 05:30 PM

President Obama has become something not even his harshest critics would have predicted before the 2008 election – the most secretive chief executive in memory. No prior occupant of the Oval Office ever went before a federal judge and claimed an executive privilege to issue a presidential directive as a “secret law” governing every American citizen but that is available to be read only by his...

Solyndra-like USEC to file for bankruptcy, wants $750m more from DOE

By Luke Rosiak

12/16/13 06:09 PM

The United States Enrichment Corp., the nuclear enrichment company that has drained billions of dollars from federal coffers and churned through investors’ money with a series of failing business plans propped up by extensive political connections, lobbying and campaign connections, will file for bankruptcy, it announced Monday. But that will not be the end of the Solyndra-like...

Federal judge rules NSA phone collection likely unconstitutional, suggests data may be destroyed

12/16/13 03:38 PM

A federal judge today ruled that the National Security Agency's phone records collection program likely violates the Fourth Amendment -- the first significant defeat for the spy agency's controversial efforts since they were revealed publicly by Edward Snowden.

GOP rank-and-file quietly builds an Obamacare alternative

12/13/13 09:02 AM

"The only alternative that Obamacare's critics have is, well, 'let's just go back to the status quo,'" said President Obama last week, "because they sure haven't presented an alternative." It's an argument Democrats make all the time -- often, these days, to divert attention from the ongoing problems of their troubled national health care scheme. But still -- why haven't Republicans presented...

8-year study: Black federal judges 'conditioned' to go easy on fellow blacks

12/12/13 11:01 AM

Black federal judges, inspired by racial “solidarity” and “conditioned” in life to sympathize with other blacks, side with African-Americans filing discrimination cases in significantly higher percentages than white judges, according to a first-of-its-kind study. The California State University, Northridge study of 516 discrimination cases in federal courts over eight years found that black...

With John Podesta, new judges, Obama poised for aggressive use of executive power

12/11/13 03:34 PM

President Obama will find it easier to "work [his] way around Congress" now that some Washington denizens have gotten new jobs. The president opened the week by hiring the Center for American Progress' John Podesta, an old Bill Clinton hand. Podesta has an expansive view of presidential power — he wrote a report after the 2010 elections on how Obama could implement his policies without the...

Judge rejects mistrial motion for ex-BP engineer

By Kevin McGill

12/11/13 11:38 AM

NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge has refused to declare a mistrial in the case of former BP drilling engineer charged with obstruction of justice following the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. In a filing Tuesday, defense lawyers for Kurt Mix said prosecution questioning of witness Wilson Arabie on Monday improperly raised issues of whether Mix ordered copies made of spill-related documents...

Judges in Chicago question Wisconsin abortion law

12/04/13 09:41 AM

CHICAGO — An appellate court on Tuesday questioned a lawyer for the state of Wisconsin about why lawmakers singled out abortion clinics in requiring their doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, as judges heard arguments about the hotly debated law.

Judge okays Detroit's bankruptcy

12/03/13 01:44 PM

U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Steven Rhodes ruled Tuesday that Detroit was eligible for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection, a decision that comes after four months of legal fighting between the state of Michigan and the unions representing city employees. "The court finds that Detroit was and is insolvent. The court finds that the city was generally not paying its debts as they became due," Rhodes...

Wall Street Journal: U.S. attorney, chief judge decry budget cuts

By

12/02/13 12:08 PM

A lot has been said about the effects of the budget cuts known as sequestration on the courts and the U.S. Department of Justice. Hiring freezes, layoffs, furloughs and a drop off in mental health and substance abuse treatment for recently released convicts are just a few stresses on the system. The government shutdown didn’t help any. But for the average American, the cuts in the justice...

Pope Francis shouldn't bite the hand that feeds the Catholic Church

By Shikha Dalmia

11/27/13 09:49 PM

Pope Francis doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving. So there is no need for him today to thank capitalism, a system that has done far more to alleviate poverty, his pet crusade, than the institution he leads. But he should take a pause from railing against it — not least because it enables the very activity that he cherishes most: charity. For about the sixth time since assuming office eight months...

NYC files suit against correction officers' union

By

11/26/13 10:39 AM

NEW YORK — New York City has sued the correction officers' union for what it says was an illegal strike at Rikers Island last week. It accuses the union of grounding dozens of buses last Wednesday that take inmates to court. According to The New York Times, the suit says correction officers claimed the buses had problems when in fact they were in working order. The lawsuit suggests the work...

Examiner Editorial: Federal judge slams class-action lawyers in Nissan case

By Editorial Writer

11/26/13 08:01 AM

Alex Kozinski is chief judge for the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco. He is also among the technology “early adopters” who bought one of the 35,000 or so Nissan Leafs sold by the Japanese automaker here in America since its introduction in 2010. These otherwise innocuous facts proved to be rather unfortunate for the class action lawyers who represented...

Stars and Stripes: Report: Pentagon emphasizing personnel, but budget costs up across the board

By

11/25/13 11:52 AM

(www.stripes.com) The Military Times reports that while military and civilian personnel costs have grown by 78 percent between 2001 and 2012, the overall defense budget has been growing even faster, calling into question the emphatic calls from Pentagon brass to reduce personnel-related costs.

ACLU asks New York judge to halt NSA surveillance

11/24/13 12:12 PM

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. government's interpretation of its authority under the Patriot Act is so broad that it could justify mass collection of financial, health and even library records of innocent Americans without their knowledge, a civil liberties lawyer warned Friday at a hearing on a lawsuit challenging a federal phone-tracking program. "If you accept the government's theory here, you...

San Jose Mercury News: BART board rejects family leave clause in labor deal

By

11/22/13 10:09 AM

OAKLAND -- In the latest twist in BART's tortured labor negotiations, the transit agency's directors on Thursday risked another strike by rejecting a costly paid family leave provision that they say was mistakenly included in the final contract. Union leaders slammed the move but were mum on whether they would walk off the job for the third time since July. The BART Board of Directors voted 8-1...

California lesbian teacher files discrimination suit

By

11/20/13 10:23 AM

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — A lesbian teacher filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Hesperia Unified School District that alleges unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation because of her sexual orientation. Lambda Legal filed the 109-page lawsuit in San Bernardino County Superior Court on behalf of Julia Frost, who taught as a probationary English teacher at Sultana High from August 2011...

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Judge shuts operations of 3 Canadians suspected in yellow pages scam

By

11/20/13 10:11 AM

Authorities have put a temporary stop to three Canadians accused of tricking small-business owners in Wisconsin and all over the United States into paying more than $14million combined for unwanted yellow page listings online. The Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against the men and their companies Monday. A federal judge has temporarily halted the operation and frozen the assets of the...

NBC: Accusers say head of Pentagon's anti-sex abuse effort interfered with investigation

By

11/15/13 11:27 AM

(investigations.nbcnews.com) The Army general in charge of preventing sexual abuse throughout the U.S. armed forces is facing new accusations that he personally interfered with an internal Pentagon investigation into allegations of horrific conditions at a U.S.-funded hospital in Afghanistan.

Daily Beast: Military veterans serving in Congress accuse Pentagon of wasteful spending

By

11/15/13 10:39 AM

The few veterans serving in Congress have a unique ability to criticize the Pentagon without having to worry about accusations that they don’t support the military. That was on full display Thursday at a summit in Washington D.C. when reps Duncan Hunter (R-CA) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), both military veterans, squared off against Pentagon officials and accused the DOD of continuing to spend...

Judge questions Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's budget balancing method

By

11/13/13 11:27 AM

BATON ROUGE, La. — A judge has decided that Gov. Bobby Jindal and lawmakers shouldn't have used dollars from a retirement fund for probation and parole officers to balance the state operating budget. If Tuesday's ruling is upheld, the implications could be larger than repaying the $3.7 million, because the Jindal administration and the Legislature have used similar tactics to repeatedly balance...

Group says Obama wants 'rubber stamp' judges to OK new EPA, IRS regs

11/08/13 02:14 PM

President Obama is trying to pack new liberal judges on the important D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to stop the court's practice of slapping away his regulations and recess appointments, according to a new TV ad targeting a southern Democratic senator that OK'd the president's picks.

Catholic bishops press John Boehner for immigration reform

11/07/13 07:48 PM

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is urging the House to draft an immigration reform bill by the end of the year, saying it is a matter of "great moral urgency." In a letter Thursday to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, the group's president, said immigrants and their families are suffering because the current immigration system has failed. "As...

White House accuses Republicans of 'cherry-picking' Obamacare data

By Brian Hughes

11/01/13 03:40 PM

The White House on Friday brushed aside documents showing just six people successfully enrolled online in Obamacare the first day public exchanges launched this month, accusing Republicans of “cherry-picking” data about the botched rollout to the president's signature legislative achievement.

NLRB nominee accused in union corruption case

10/28/13 05:20 PM

Richard Griffin, President Obama's nominee to be the National Labor Relations Board's general counsel, is accused of making false statements under oath in a union corruption complaint in California district court. The charges stem from when Griffin was the top lawyer for the International Union of Operating Engineers. The complaint alleges that he gave a false explanation in a deposition for...

Georgetown Law professor to use students to lobby against Catholic Church

10/28/13 04:43 PM

A Georgetown Law professor plans to use her class to help advance the anti-Catholic agenda of her employer, the National Women's Legal Center. The professor is Kelli Garcia, senior counsel to the NWLC. The description for her class on "regulatory advocacy" regarding Obamacare includes this interesting passage: For the practicum part of the course, students will work with the National Women's...

Federal judge: Texas abortion limits unconstitutional

By Chris Tomlinson

10/28/13 03:14 PM

AUSTIN, Texas — New abortion restrictions passed by the Texas Legislature are unconstitutional and will not take effect as scheduled on Tuesday, a federal judge has ruled. District Judge Lee Yeakel wrote Monday that the regulations violated the rights of abortion doctors to do what they think is best for their patients and would unreasonably restrict a woman's access to abortion clinics....

IRS delays start of 2014 tax filing season by up to two weeks

10/22/13 05:03 PM

The Internal Revenue Service announced Tuesday that the 2014 tax-filing season will be delayed by up to two weeks as a result of the recent partial government shutdown. The delay means taxpayers can start sending their 2013 tax returns in "no earlier than Jan. 28 and no later than Feb. 4," the IRS said. The original start date was Jan. 21. About 90 percent of all IRS operations were shuttered...

San Francisco transit agency, unions reach deal to end strike

10/22/13 08:52 AM

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco Bay Area's main commuter train system and its unions reached a tentative agreement on a new contract Monday night, ending a crippling four-day strike. Union officials announced the deal, which still requires approval from union members, then from the Bay Area Rapid Transit's board of directors. BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost said limited service would...

New talks raise hopes for end to San Francisco transit strike

10/21/13 09:26 PM

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Representatives of the San Francisco Bay Area's transit rail system and its striking unions returned to the bargaining table Monday, raising hopes among the region's frustrated commuters that a four-day work stoppage that has gridlocked highways and doubled travel times is about to end. Bay Area Rapid Transit officials hoped to have an agreement in place by Monday evening...

Houston Chron: Texas judge resigns after being accused of texting tips to prosecutors

By

10/21/13 06:29 PM

(www.chron.com) State District Judge Elizabeth E. Coker--who sits on the bench over Trinity, Polk and San Jacinto counties--has resigned under fire in a texting controversy, according to a voluntary agreement with the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. The agreement also said the commission looked into other complaints that Coker allegedy engaged in other improper communications and meetings...

Striking San Francisco transit workers earn 75 percent above median wage

10/20/13 06:53 PM

Striking workers for San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit system are expected to vote down the latest contract proposal to end their strike, according to local union officials. The proposal would preserve a base salary 75 percent higher than the region's median household income. The workers have been on strike since Thursday, the latest action in the long-running talks. The strikers demanded...

Priest sues Defense Department for banning services at Navy submarine base during government shutdown

10/15/13 02:50 PM

A Roman Catholic priest has filed a lawsuit against Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Navy Secretary Ray Mabus after government officials threatened to arrest him if he fulfilled his duties as a military chaplain during the government shutdown. Father Ray Leonard serves as Catholic pastor for the U.S. Navy's submarine base at Kings Bay, Ga., near the Georgia-Florida line. He is a civilian who...

With budget talks stalled, Manchin, Corker accuse both sides of 'overreach'

10/13/13 02:01 PM

Two senators with a history of hashing out bipartisan deals on Sunday complained that talks to reopen the government and raise the debt ceiling before Thursday's deadline have stalled in the last 24 hours. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said hopes for a final deal fizzled on Saturday when Senate Democrats pulled back at the request of the White House and are now demanding that sequester-imposed...

Rep. Darrell Issa accuses top IRS officials of conducting agency business via private email

10/07/13 04:24 PM

Top brass at the Internal Revenue Service violated agency policy -- and possibly federal law -- by repeatedly using non-secure private email accounts to conduct official business, including sending classified documents to non-agency email addresses, says the head of the House oversight panel. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrel Issa, R-Calif., in a letter to IRS...

Judicial Watch files FOIA over World War II Memorial's closure

10/02/13 06:23 PM

A decision to barricade the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., to visitors during the federal government shutdown attracted national attention Wednesday when a group of veterans removed the barriers to visit the memorial, but it remained unclear who was responsible for the memorial's forcible closure. Judicial Watch sent a Freedom of Information Act request Wednesday to the...

Shutdown overreach: More personnel sent to WWII memorial than Benghazi; Park Service closes park it doesn't run

10/02/13 05:44 PM

The National Park Service is sending so many officials out to shut down federal parks that it might have to suspend furloughs if the government closure continues. Two examples: -- At the World War II Memorial on The Mall in Washington, where veterans have been staging protests to keep it open, Washington Examiner's Charlie Spiering reports that at least seven officials were dispatched Wednesday...

Examiner Editorial: Federal judges should end lavish conference spending

By Editorial

09/27/13 06:12 PM

Federal judicial officials have chafed under the spending cuts imposed on the third branch of government by the sequestration process adopted by Congress and President Obama in 2011. Chief Justice John Roberts even said that sequestration would lead to people being “furloughed or worse and that has a more direct impact on the services that we can provide.”

Utah election overhaul advocates file initiative

09/26/13 09:13 AM

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A group of prominent Republicans led by former Gov. Mike Leavitt has taken a key step in their campaign to revolutionize the way Utah elects candidates for political office. The Count My Vote group filed an application for an initiative petition Wednesday which would do away with the current caucus and convention nominating system. If the group gathers enough signatures,...

Bigger government becomes dumber government becomes mediocre judges

By Conn Carroll

09/24/13 10:54 AM

Unless you are a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, you probably have never heard of Lillian BeVier. BeVier graduated at the top of her class from Stanford Law School in 1965, where she worked as an editor of the prestigious Stanford Law Review. She went on to receive multiple distinguished awards throughout her career in private practice before joining the University of...

The Pope is still a pro-life Catholic --- his comments explained

09/20/13 04:45 PM

In case you came away from the media's coverage of Pope Francis's lengthy interview concluding that the Catholic Church was about to become pro-choice, check out the Holy Father's comments this morning: "Every child that isn't born, but is unjustly condemned to be aborted, has the face of Jesus Christ, has the face of the Lord."

Morning Examiner: Senate Democrats to pass clean CR, sans filibuster

By Conn Carroll

09/20/13 09:36 AM

House Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., reportedly will send a clean continuing resolution funding the government through December back to the House next week, after stripping language from the measure that defunds Obamacare with a simple majority vote in the Senate.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, Rep. Spencer Bachus want answers on CFPB data-mining, bankruptcy files

09/18/13 06:14 PM

Two key congressional Republicans want answers from the Department of Justice about a controversial consumer credit card data-mining operation at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Rep. Spencer Bachus of Alabama also want to know if — besides invading consumer privacy — CFPB has harmed the U.S. Trustee Program by improperly using it to capture millions of...

Indiana judge rejects state's right-to-work law

09/09/13 10:04 PM

Lake County Judge John Sedia said in a ruling Thursday that Indiana's recently-enacted right to work law, which prohibits labor contracts that require workers to either join a union or pay dues to one, violates the state constitution. Sedia said the law violates a provision that bars the delivery of services "without just compensation" because labor contracts require unions to represent all...

San Fran Chron: Sen. Dianne Feinstein wants ICE to stop farm audits

By

09/05/13 10:52 PM

At the height of California's harvest, during a critical farm labor shortage, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has asked immigration officials to stop cracking down on undocumented field workers, saying she is concerned that it could lead to financial losses and higher food prices. Feinstein, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, urged Immigration and Customs Enforcement to focus...

Is stopping Keystone a San Francisco hedge-fund billionaire's shrewd investment?

By Ron Arnold

08/29/13 04:45 PM

Tom Steyer, San Francisco hedge-fund billionaire and million-dollar donor to Democratic candidates -- including President Obama -- is something of a one-man Big Green with greater wealth and deeper contacts than many activist non-profit foundations.

This file should go through at 3 am on 8-31-13

By Mark Rendle

08/29/13 10:30 AM

Long-time rivals Manchester United and Liverpool have been drawn to play each other at Old Trafford in the third round of the Capital One Cup. The Premier League giants were the first clubs out in the draw and the match could mark Liverpool forward Luis Suarez's return to action after a 10-match ban. The 26-year-old was handed a 10-match suspension after biting Chelsea defender Branislav...

San Francisco Fed: Weak demand, not Obamacare, behind rise in part-time work

By Joseph Lawler

08/26/13 04:05 PM

Economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco have weighed in the rise of part-time work. In a letter published by the bank Monday, two economists attribute the high proportion of part-time jobs to economic slack rather than to Obamacare’s employer mandate.

Lawmakers accuse NSA of keeping Congress in dark

08/25/13 02:05 PM

Two members of Congress on Sunday accused the beleaguered National Security Agency of keeping Congress in the dark regarding its domestic surveillance programs. When “Fox News Sunday” asked Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., if he thought Congress was adequately briefed on government surveillance programs within the United States, he said “absolutely not.” “Look, I appreciate efforts to keep...

Carl DeMaio mulls run for San Diego mayor instead of Congress

By Rebecca Berg

08/23/13 05:25 PM

Last year, Carl DeMaio nearly bested Bob Filner in the race to be the mayor of San Diego. Now, with Filner resigning amidst serious allegations of sexual harassment, DeMaio is weighing whether to drop his bid for Congress to run for mayor again in a special election.

Glenn Beck takes credit for San Diego Hooters sign banning Mayor Bob Filner

08/14/13 08:10 AM

Glenn Beck indicated on his TV network ‘The Blaze,’ Tuesday, that he was partially responsible for the sign posted at the San Diego Hooters restaurant refusing to serve Mayor Bob Filner. “This is the Hooters in San Diego with our sign,” Beck said gleefully. “Yeah, this is a sweet moment, I’m just going to savor it for a minute.” On August 7, Beck encouraged San Diego business owners to download...

U.S. freezes bank account of Afghan contractor accused of bribery

08/09/13 10:30 PM

Department of Justice officials have frozen more than $63 million in U.S. funds in the bank account of an Afghan contractor who is accused of bribing his way into thousands of overpriced contracts to transport goods for the U.S. military. Hikmatullah Shadman, who owns a trucking and construction company, bribed his way into at least 5,421 delivery jobs, worth $77.9 million, between November...

Sequester cuts don’t deter luxury conferences for judges

08/05/13 04:20 PM

Mandated federal budget reductions have not stopped judges and other judicial branch employees from scheduling and attending lavish and costly conferences in places like the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia and the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort and Spa, “where Southern charm meets modern luxury.”

San Diego City Council likely won’t defend mayor in sexual harassment case

By Rebecca Berg

07/30/13 10:10 PM

The San Diego City Council was expected to vote Tuesday night against defending embattled Mayor Bob Filner in the sexual harassment lawsuit filed against him, after earlier voting to recoup any damages Filner incurs should he lose the case. “Based on the earlier vote today, I don’t think the council will vote to defend the mayor,” said Katie Keach, the deputy chief of staff to Council President...

Cause of Action files IRS complaint against Obamacare advocate Enroll America

07/29/13 08:35 PM

Cause of Action, a Washington-based non-profit government accountability group asked the IRS Monday to withdraw the tax-exemption of Enroll America, which was formed explicitly for the purpose of encouraging Americans to enroll in the Obamacare health insurance exchanges. Cause of Action believes Enroll America should have its nonprofit status revoked because it does not adhere to the...

DNC's Debbie Wasserman Schultz calls on San Diego Mayor Bob Filner to resign

07/26/13 02:00 PM

Washington pressure is mounting on embattled San Diego Mayor Bob Filner as Democratic National Committee Chairman Debbie Wasserman Schultz became the latest Democratic official to call on the former Democratic member of Congress to resign over an intensifying sexual harassment scandal.

Federal personnel rules were waived for Obamacare hires

By Mark Tapscott

07/25/13 04:25 PM

So many problems have plagued federal officials responsible for implementing Obamacare that the president recently ordered delay of an important mandate and did away with anti-fraud verification tools. What hasn't been a problem, however, is hiring hundreds of bureaucrats to run Obamacare because federal officials waived civil service personnel rules intended to insure the government hires...

Tea Party leader accused of racism for praising George Washington, Martin Luther King

07/19/13 02:30 PM

One of the Tea Party speakers at a rally in Washington D.C. this week praised George Washington, Martin Luther King, and other “great Americans who built this country,” but he used the word “breeding” to talk about the nation’s “DNA.”

Detroit bankruptcy filing puts Obama in awkward spot

By Brian Hughes

07/18/13 07:50 PM

When Detroit on Thursday became the largest U.S. city to file for bankruptcy, it punctured a major narrative that was key to President Obama’s re-election: that his auto bailout would help resuscitate the Motor City’s battered economy and inject life into an area unable to shake hard times. Facing $18.5 billion in long-term debt, Detroit is now turning to the federal courts for help, hardly...

Detroit files for bankruptcy

By Joseph Lawler

07/18/13 06:50 PM

The city of Detroit field for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection in federal court Thursday, beginning a lengthy legal battle that will set an important precedent for the rest of the United States. The petition for bankruptcy was filed in the Eastern District of Michigan by emergency manager Kevyn Orr, a former bankruptcy lawyer appointed in March by Michigan governor Rick Snyder to resolve the...

Mitch McConnell campaign bugger files FBI complaint accusing GOP of cyber fraud

07/08/13 11:15 AM

Curtis Morrison, the liberal activist who secretly taped Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., discussing re-election strategy with his campaign team, filed a complaint yesterday with the FBI’s cybercrime team accusing the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) of tricking Democrats into donating to re-elect McConnell. The complaint focuses on a website launched by Republicans...

Judge orders Obama administration not to enforce HHS mandate

06/28/13 06:45 PM

Following a federal circuit court’s ruling that the contraception mandate is likely unconstitutional, a federal judge ordered President Obama’s administration not to attempt to force a company challenging the mandate to comply with the rule. The government is “temporarily ENJOINED and RESTRAINED from any effort to apply or enforce, as to [Hobby Lobby], the substantive requirements imposed in 42...

VIDEO: Obama disses Catholic schools

06/20/13 07:40 AM

During his speech to students in Northern Ireland earlier this week, President Obama criticized Catholic schools as a source of division within the Irish community. “If towns remain divided, if Catholics have their schools and buildings, and Protestants have theirs, if we can’t see ourselves in one another, if fear or resentment are allowed to harden, that encourages division.” Obama said. “It...

Judge: Obama accidentally gave two military sexual assault defendants a safety hatch

06/18/13 08:45 PM

Two service members charged with sexual assault cannot be kicked out of the military, even if they are convicted, because comments made by President Obama about the issue constitute “unlawful command influence,” according to a military judge in Hawaii. “A member of the public would not hear the President’s statement to be a simple admonition to hold members accountable,” Navy Judge Cmdr. Marcus...

Ted Cruz files bill to bring back Arizona voter ID law

06/18/13 06:35 PM

Sen. Ted Cruz wasted little time in reacting to Monday's Supreme Court rejection of an Arizona law that demands would-be voters prove they are citizens, filing legislation hours later to allow the measure to return. The high court voted 7-2 to throw out Arizona's voter-approved requirement that residents document their citizenship when using a voter registration form produced under the federal...

Accused kitten thief pleads not guilty

06/13/13 06:15 PM

A 24-year-old woman accused of stealing a kitten from the Washington Humane Society pleaded not guilty in D.C. Superior Court on Thursday, court records show. Porsha Nicole Evans, of Southeast D.C., has been charged with second-degree theft. The brown-and-white kitten known as Callista was taken from the Washington Humane Society adoption center on New York Avenue NE on May 26. A Humane Society...

Nancy Pelosi: As a practicing Catholic, abortion views are ‘sacred ground’

06/13/13 03:15 PM

The Weekly Standard’s John McCormack managed to get under House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s skin this morning during her press conference. McCormack questioned Pelosi about the moral difference of babies killed by Dr. Kermit Gosnell and the moral difference between late-term abortions. “As a practicing and respectful Catholic, this is sacred ground to me when we talk about this,” Pelosi said...

Friends accused of firing stolen FBI machine gun

06/11/13 08:00 PM

Two Northern Virginia friends are in hot water after one of them stole an FBI machine gun and later used the weapon to shoot at a tow truck, according to charging papers. Jonathan Cowden, 26, a security guard and Nate Whilden, 26, a self-described music instructor, have both been charged with possession of a machine gun, a felony that carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. Cowden, of...

Judge admonishes AEG Live CEO about testimony

By

06/10/13 07:15 PM

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A judge is admonishing the top executive of AEG Live to answer questions from an attorney for Michael Jackson's mother without arguing with the lawyer. Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos told CEO Randy Phillips on Monday that his testimony was taking longer than necessary due to his comments. The judge's admonition was made outside the presence of the jury that's hearing...

Mainstream Scream: Martin Bashir accuses Obama scandal critics of racism

06/10/13 04:35 PM

This week's Mainstream Media Scream features MSNBC's Martin Bashir, in his "Clear the Air" segment ending his Wednesday show, calling criticism of President Obama over the IRS probe of Tea Party groups racist. "The IRS is being used in exactly the same way as they tried to use the president's birth certificate. ... Despite the complete lack of any evidence linking the president to the targeting...

Judge: Zimmerman witnesses must testify publicly

By MIKE SCHNEIDER

06/06/13 08:25 PM

SANFORD, Fla. (AP) -- A Florida judge denied a defense request Thursday to let a handful of witnesses testify confidentially during George Zimmerman's trial for fatally shooting Trayvon Martin. Defense attorney Mark O'Mara asked that the witnesses be allowed to testify out of the public eye because of concerns for their safety about testifying at the trial, which starts next week. He said their...

Judge may unseal part of Michael Jackson abuse claim

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY

06/06/13 08:25 PM

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A judge said Thursday he was inclined to unseal portions of a choreographer's court filings alleging he was abused by Michael Jackson. However, personal details and psychiatrist reports would likely not be released. Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff said he needed to address which records should remain sealed before he can deal with whether Wade Robson, a choreographer...

On judges, President Obama forgets his Senate votes

06/06/13 05:50 PM

The issue of judicial nominations causes an outbreak of hypocrisy in both political parties, and President Obama isn't immune. In fact, he seems to have come down with a particularly bad case lately. On Tuesday, the president went to the Rose Garden to deliver a peevish and lecturing speech announcing three candidates for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Noting that it is...

Update: Judge orders Kathleen Sebelius to put dying girl on adult lung transplant list

06/05/13 07:05 PM

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius must allow a dying 10 year-old girl to be placed on a waiting list for an adult lung transplant by waiving a rule that would keep her off the list because she’s under the age of 12, a federal judge ordered today, after Sebelius told Congress she would not do so. “[T]he Secretary shall direct the [Organ Procurement and Transplant...

Soldier accused in Afghan massacre describes killings

By GENE JOHNSON

06/05/13 04:05 PM

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. (AP) — The American soldier charged with killing 16 Afghan civilians during nighttime raids on two villages last year pleaded guilty Wednesday then described shooting each victim, telling a military judge there is "not a good reason in this world" for why he did it. To avoid the death penalty, Staff Sgt. Robert Bales pleaded guilty to multiple counts of murder at...

Judge stalls decision on delaying Fort Hood trial

06/04/13 07:55 PM

FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) -- A judge says she won't decide whether to delay the Fort Hood shooting suspect's trial until he provides evidence to support his defense strategy -- and she might not accept it. Maj. Nidal Hasan said Tuesday his defense will explain that he killed 13 people in the 2009 shooting rampage because soldiers were about to deploy to Afghanistan. He says he was trying to prevent...

Obama may have outsmarted GOP on judges

06/04/13 06:25 PM

When President Obama announced Tuesday that his three new picks for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit "are no hacks," some GOP critics of his bid to pack three liberals on the court found themselves nodding in agreement. "They're not hacks because they haven't done much," said a key critic on background. "They were perfectly vetted to have no paper trail. It's like boxing with...

Judge delays Hasan's request to represent himself

05/29/13 07:16 PM

FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) -- The Army psychiatrist charged in the deadly 2009 Fort Hood shooting rampage has the mental capacity to represent himself at his murder trial, but more information is needed about his physical condition, a judge said Wednesday in delaying the suspect's request. At a pretrial hearing, Maj. Nidal Hasan did not say why he wants to cut ties with his attorneys, a request he...

GOP senators file brief in NLRB Supreme Court appeal

05/28/13 06:05 PM

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced that all 44 of his fellow Senate Republicans joined him in signing an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to invalidate President Obama’s recess appointments. The lawmakers argue in the brief that the appointments made to the National Labor Relations Board last year were abuses of executive power. The brief argues: When the...

Accused hatchet man enlisted help to dispose of body

05/28/13 05:55 PM

A Gaithersburg man accused of killing a friend with a hatchet enlisted another friend to help hide the body, according to charging documents. Claude A. Allen III, the son of a former top White House aide, provided authorities with several versions of what happened before admitting that he killed 25-year-old Michael P. Harvey over the earnings from a drug sale, the documents said. Harvey's body...

San Antonio flooding kills 1; 200-plus rescued

By MICHAEL BRICK

05/25/13 09:50 PM

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- The San Antonio Fire Department says it's rescued more than 200 people from homes and cars amid flooding that killed at least one person. The massive flooding Saturday was caused by torrential rains in San Antonio. The Fire Department says it's conducted more than 235 water-related rescues. Department spokesman Christian Bove says a woman died after being trapped in her car,...

Director Roman Polanski laments leveling of sexes as 'idiotic'

By

05/25/13 09:50 PM

CANNES, France (AP) -- Roman Polanski says the birth control pill has had a "masculinizing" effect on women and that the leveling of the sexes is "idiotic" The director made the comments Saturday at the Cannes Film Festival, where he came to premiere "Venus in Fur," a film adapted from the David Ives play which stars Polanski's wife and toys with the subject of gender. Polanski said the pill...

DOD ignores judge, cuts physical therapy for soldiers’ disabled children

05/22/13 07:35 PM

Defense Department (DOD) officials decided to stop covering a certain form of physical therapy for the disable children of military members, despite an administrative judge’s ruling that the treatment is covered under the law. “For my daughter, this therapy means life, death or some horrible surgery, but she’s not alone — there are 27 other military families who use the center where Kaitlyn...

Local Editorial: Some tolls are taxes, Portsmouth judge rules

By Examiner Editorial

05/22/13 02:10 PM

A Portsmouth judge's recent ruling in a case involving Virginia's Public-Private Transportation Act has sent shock waves through the commonwealth and the financial markets, as well it should. Members of the General Assembly have been hiding behind the PPTA by allowing unaccountable bureaucrats and political appointees to do the dirty work of raising taxes to fund major transportation projects.

Judge's ruling puts Virginia road projects in jeopardy

05/20/13 07:05 PM

A Virginia judge's ruling threatens to jeopardize the way Virginia is using private companies to run the Beltway Express Lanes and build similar lanes on Interstate 95. Portsmouth Circuit Court Judge James A. Cales said in an oral ruling earlier this month that he thought Virginia's tolls on the Midtown Tunnel set as part of a $2.1 billion deal with a private company were unconstitutional,...

Russian TV: American accused of spying flies out

By LYNN BERRY

05/19/13 09:25 PM

MOSCOW (AP) -- The U.S. Embassy employee accused of spying in Moscow flew out of Russia on Sunday, five days after he was ordered to leave the country, NTV television reported. The Kremlin-loyal TV station broadcast video Sunday evening showing Ryan Fogle going through passport control and security at Sheremetyevo International Airport. He also was pictured in the company of embassy staff as he...

GSA broke personnel rules with peer awards, IG reports

05/17/13 05:45 PM

Officials giving bonus awards to General Services Administration senior executives between 2009 and 2011 violated multiple federal personnel rules and guidelines, according to the agency's Inspector-General. Among the violations described in the 21-page report made public yesterday were those involving GSA's "Peer-2-Peer" performance awards that the IG said were not authorized by Congress. The...

7 Egyptian security personnel abducted in Sinai

05/16/13 06:56 PM

CAIRO (AP) -- Suspected militants in Egypt's Sinai abducted seven security personnel as they headed to Cairo for holidays early Thursday, security officials said. It was the first such kidnapping of security forces in the lawless peninsula. The officials said masked gunmen ambushed two taxis at gunpoint outside the city of el-Arish, the capital of North Sinai governorate, fleeing with five...

Egyptian judges suspend talks with president

05/15/13 07:15 PM

CAIRO (AP) -- In the judiciary's latest face-off with Egypt's Islamist rulers, the country's top council of judges decided Wednesday to suspend its participation in a government-backed judicial reform conference following a renewed push by lawmakers on a controversial bill that would force thousands of their colleagues into retirement. The declaration by the Supreme Judicial Council makes it...

Struggling ace Stephen Strasburg set to pitch in hometown San Diego

05/15/13 05:15 PM

Struggling ace starter to pitch in San Diego Pitching for the first time as a major leaguer in his hometown on Thursday night, Stephen Strasburg returns to San Diego not as much a conquering hero as a troubled star facing fresh questions about his ability handle the mental side of the game. During his longest streak of starts without a win as a big leaguer (seven), Strasburg has shown a lack of...

Feds seeking to ID man accused of sexually exploiting young girl

05/15/13 11:10 AM

Investigators with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security are seeking to identify a man accused of sexually exploiting a young girl. A criminal complaint filed in federal court in the District charges the man as "John Doe" with producing child pornography. Investigators believe that the man is somewhere in the United States. On May 3, Danish National Police referred four child pornography...

Judge: Federal government negligent in boy's death

By TRACIE CONE

05/14/13 07:06 PM

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- The U.S. government was negligent in the death of a boy killed when a retaining wall crushed him at a national park in Northern California, a federal judge has ruled. The decision by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley of Sacramento upheld the earlier findings of a magistrate, who had determined that officials at Lassen Volcanic National Park intentionally demolished...

Walmart again files lawsuit against grocery workers union

05/14/13 11:30 AM

Walmart filed a lawsuit last week against the United Food and Commercial Workers and group the union runs called OURWalmart, alleging the two have been staging illegal protests at the retail giant’s California stores. The suit claims the union activists were trespassing on the stores, blocking customer access and other disruptive activities. The UFCW, whose members include workers for...

Judge delays decision on Holmes insanity plea

By DAN ELLIOTT

05/13/13 07:05 PM

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) -- Lawyers for the Colorado theater shooting suspect told a judge Monday he wants to change his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity, but the judge won't immediately rule on whether to allow it. Attorney Daniel King made the request in court, saying the defense now has a diagnosis for James Holmes, though he didn't specify what it was. Holmes, with bushy hair and...

Mom: Accused boy, 12, 'could never' hurt sister

By

05/12/13 10:05 PM

VALLEY SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) -- A day before a 12-year-old boy was arrested for the stabbing death of his 8-year-old sister, his mother described him as "protective" of his younger sibling. Leila Fowler's killing last month shook the quiet community of Valley Springs, southeast of Sacramento, and set off an intense manhunt. Her brother was in the home at the time and told police he saw a man run...

CalPERS: Bankrupt San Bernardino can afford to pay pension fund

05/08/13 10:15 PM

Bankrupt San Bernardino has more than enough money to pay the $12 million it owes California’s public pension fund, even though the city previously claimed it only had $4.2 million, the California Public Employees Retirement System said on Tuesday. The city actually had $28.6 million in the bank as of January, a CalPERS attorney told a judge in bankruptcy court, according to Reuters. San...

Two moms file suits charging Metro police beat their kids

05/08/13 05:35 PM

Two mothers filed suit against three Metro Transit Police officers on Wednesday, saying the police brutally beat their 14-year-old children and then improperly charged them with crimes in two separate incidents. "We hope [Metro will pay attention. It seems clear to us their officers need better training and better supervision," said Arthur Spitzer, legal director for the local American Civil...

Virginia mom accused of embezzling from school group

05/07/13 04:05 PM

A Prince William County woman is accused of stealing money from an elementary school parent-teacher organization. Sabrina Ann Corra-Reynolds, treasurer of the Glenkirk Elementary Parent Teacher Organization, was charged Monday with two counts of embezzlement. According to police, Corra-Reynolds spent $2,200 of the organization's money to rent a vehicle and buy a children's dresser. The...

Congressmen accuse Labor nominee Thomas Perez of failing to comply with subpoena

05/07/13 11:30 AM

Reps. Frank Wolf, R-Va., and Andy Harris, R-Md., alleged in a letter sent to Attorney General Eric Holder that Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez, the White House’s nominee to head up the Labor Department, withheld information from a congressional subpoena. The subpoena ordered Perez to turn over all private emails that related to his official government business. Republicans believe...

Judge: Sammy Hagar's memoir did not defame woman

By RYAN J. FOLEY

05/06/13 07:10 PM

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- A defamation lawsuit against Sammy Hagar filed by a former Playboy bunny who claims he fathered her child has been dismissed, and the former Van Halen frontman is pleased with the result, his attorney said Monday. U.S. District Judge Linda Reade ruled April 30 that Hagar did not defame the woman -- identified as Jane Doe in court documents -- when he accused her in his...

Pentagon directly accuses Chinese military of launching cyberattacks on U.S.

05/06/13 07:00 PM

Defense Department (DOD) officials reported that the Chinese military is launching cyber attacks on the United States, a charge the Chinese government has denied. “[I]n 2012, numerous computer systems around the world, including those owned by the United States government, continued to be targeted for intrusions, some of which appear to be attributable directly to [Chinese] government and...

Husband in missing belly-dancer case accused of hiding machine gun in girlfriend's car

05/05/13 07:50 PM

The husband of a 36-year-old Leesburg woman who disappeared under suspicious circumstances has been arrested on federal gun charges after investigators said he tried to hide a submachine gun shortly after she vanished. Leyla McCullagh and Matthew Ryan McCullagh, 33, had a contentious relationship. She was arrested on domestic assault charges for an April 2012 incident in which police said she...

Washington Post accused of promoting Terry McAuliffe in Virginia governor's race

05/02/13 06:00 PM

A new fundraising email from Republican Virginia gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli's campaign bluntly charges that the Washington Post adopted Democratic foe Terry McAuliffe's talking points in a new poll about the closely watched off-year election. "Terry McAuliffe appears to have The Washington Post in his back pocket," wrote Cuccinelli campaign manager Dave Rexrode. He said Post...

Another lawsuit filed for EPA official’s private emails

05/02/13 05:05 PM

Yet another Environmental Protection Agency official used his private email account to conduct government business, according to a lawsuit from the watchdog that has recently exposed similar transparency violations at the agency. The Competitive Enterprise Institute filed a lawsuit to see emails sent or received by EPA regional administrator Jared Blumenfeld at his private account about...

D.C. man accused of racist vandalism at Montgomery College

By Scott McCabe and Naomi Jagoda

05/02/13 01:05 PM

A 32-year-old District of Columbia man has been accused of vandalizing Montgomery College's Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus with racist graffiti. Takoma Park police said 32-year-old Dawit Bezuneh used spray paint to tag "Death to America" and green and red markers to write "Cracker is inferior race," "white crackers" throughout the school. Cracker, sometimes "white cracker," is sometimes a...

The Blotter: Man accused of choking ex, stealing Chihuahua; driver admits to killing churchgoer; one dead, one hurt in shootings near Gallaudet

05/01/13 05:30 PM

Man accused of choking ex, stealing Chihuahua A Hyattsville man was arrested after police said he choked his ex-girlfriend and stole her Chihuahua. Arlington County police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said Jonathan Jimenez, 24, approached the woman shortly after midnight Tuesday as she was walking the dog on the 2400 block of 11th Street N. in Arlington. Jimenez and the woman, who broke up...

Ex-boyfriend accused of choking woman, stealing Chihuahua

05/01/13 03:30 PM

A Hyattsville man was arrested after police said he choked his ex-girlfriend and stole her Chihuahua. Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said Jonathan Jimenez, 24, approached the woman shortly after midnight Tuesday as she was walking the dog in the 2400 block of 11th Street N. Jimenez and the woman, who broke up several months earlier, got into an argument, and Jimenez put his...

Egypt president, judges compromising on reform law

By AYA BATRAWY

04/28/13 10:45 PM

CAIRO (AP) -- The Egyptian president's office indicated Sunday a compromise has been reached with the judiciary to defuse an uproar over a proposed law that would have forced out thousands of the country's most senior judges. Just three days earlier, the country's Islamist-led parliament pushed ahead with the disputed bill that would have lowered the retirement age for judges from 70 to 60....

Montgomery County woman accused of offering daughter for sex

04/28/13 07:35 PM

A Montgomery County mother is facing nearly a dozen charges after authorities said she offered a Gaithersburg man sex with her daughter to settle a $5,000 debt. Maryland prosecutors say that the woman, whose name The Washington Examiner is not reporting because it could be used to identify the victim of a sex crime, has been charged with 11 counts in connection with the allegations. Bejarni...

D.C. accuses two more workers in parking scheme

04/28/13 05:15 PM

The D.C. government employee had noticed a trend near his office in Southwest Washington: The meter maids who patrolled the area were aggressive, ready to issue parking tickets with abandon. But District government investigators said he didn't set his watch to go drop more quarters into the meters. Rather, they contend his solution amounted to a bizarre scheme that violated conduct guidelines:...

Judge to Janet Napolitano: You have to deport illegal immigrants

04/24/13 12:45 PM

Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano does not have the authority to refuse to enforce laws that require illegal immigrants to face deportation, according to the federal judge hearing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement union’s lawsuit against DHS. “The court finds that DHS does not have discretion to refuse to initiate removal proceedings [when the law requires it],” U.S....

Bowie woman pleads to filing false Medicaid claims

04/23/13 01:05 PM

A Bowie businesswoman pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $200,000 in false Medicaid claims. Tina Jackson-White, 51, owner of Family Home Medical and Supplies, a company that provided adult incontinence supplies such as diapers and bed liners, to Medicaid beneficiaries in D.C. and Maryland. The company is accused of billing Medicaid for products it never bought for its clients. But between...

Op-Ed: Public employee union's 'official time' personnel bailout

By Nathan Mehrens

04/22/13 04:10 AM

Around $156 million, that's how much taxpayers spent in 2011 on federal employees who did no federal work at all. These aren't people who fail to perform the work assigned to them, but rather employees who are not assigned any federal work at all. Shocked? Under the law, a federal agency can pay its employees who act as union stewards on a full-time basis to work for an outside entity, the...

Judge allows Flavor Flav to attend Hall of Fame

By KEN RITTER

04/18/13 06:00 PM

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Flavor Flav has a new court date in Las Vegas that doesn't interfere with his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A judge on Thursday agreed to postpone arraignment for the rapper and former reality TV star on felony assault with a weapon and child endangerment charges until May 7. The 54-year-old entertainer's legal name is William Jonathan Drayton Jr. Defense...

Maryland man accused of making Boston-related bomb threat

04/18/13 05:55 PM

A 59-year-old Baltimore man was arrested Wednesday after police said he called 911 and said he was from Boston and was going to "blow some more stuff up." According to Anne Arundel County police, Ronald William Smith made the threat about 12:40 p.m., and then hung up. Authorities said they were able to trace multiple calls from the same number to a residence at 1305 Broadview Drive in Ferndale,...

Senator once hired man accused of mailing him ricin-laced letter

04/18/13 02:35 PM

Sen. Roger Wicker once hired the man accused of trying to send a ricin-tainted letter to both President Obama and Wicker’s D.C. Senate office. He could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted. “I have indeed met the gentleman,” Wicker, R-Miss., said as he emerged from the Senate chamber Thursday. Federal officials on Thursday charged Paul Kevin Curtis, 45, of Corinth, Mississippi, with...

Assad accuses West of backing al-Qaida in Syria

By ZEINA KARAM

04/17/13 08:00 PM

BEIRUT (AP) -- Syria's president accused the West on Wednesday of backing al-Qaida in his country's civil war, warning it will pay a price "in the heart" of Europe and the United States as the terror network becomes emboldened. Bashar Assad also lashed out at Jordan for allowing "thousands" of fighters to enter Syria through its borders and warned that the "fire will not stop at Syria's...

Trespassing accusation leaves Sanford on his own

By BRUCE SMITH

04/17/13 07:56 PM

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (AP) -- Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's political comeback already hinged on persuading conservative voters in the state's Lowcountry to forgive him for past infidelity and political mistakes. Now he'll have to do it with his ex-wife accusing him of repeatedly trespassing in her home. That revelation prompted the National Republican Congressional Committee to pull...

Judge refuses Kwame Brown's travel request

04/17/13 12:15 PM

A federal judge on Wednesday refused another request from former D.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown to adjust the conditions of his house arrest. In an April 10 court filing, Brown asked U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon to allow him to travel to Raleigh, N.C., in early May for his nephew's graduation. Brown lawyer Frederick Cooke Jr. had cited Brown's "close relationship with his nephew"...

Mother accused of abducting 5-year-old Fairfax County boy

By Scott McCabe and Naomi Jagoda

04/16/13 07:30 PM

Fairfax County police are working with law enforcement agencies across the country to find 5-year-old Cameron Serafin. The young Fairfax County boy spends alternating weeks living with his mother and with his father. But on April 7, Cameron wasn't returned to his father as he should have been, police said. On Thursday, Cameron and his mother, 32-year-old Rebecca Serafin, were seen at an airport...

Judge denies Gitmo detainee's bid for relief

By FREDERIC J. FROMMER

04/15/13 07:16 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A federal judge Monday denied an emergency motion for relief filed by a Guantanamo Bay prisoner on a hunger strike, despite pleas from the man's lawyer who says his client is dying. U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan ruled Monday that he didn't have jurisdiction over the case filed by Yemeni prisoner Musaab al-Madhwani. Hogan pointed to a provision of the Military Commissions...

San Francisco cable car accidents costs millions

By PAUL ELIAS

04/13/13 08:55 PM

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- In this city of innumerable tourist attractions, the clanging, hill-conquering cable cars stand out as a top draw. The quaint conveyances also stand out for the inordinate number of accidents and the millions of dollars annually the city pays out to settle lawsuits for broken bones, severed feet and bad bruises caused when 19th-century technology runs headlong into...

Colo. judge blames social services for boy's death

By

04/11/13 11:05 PM

BRIGHTON, Colo. (AP) -- A Colorado judge is blaming social workers for the death of a toddler beaten by his mother's boyfriend. Judge Chris Melonakis (mel-on-AH'-kis) excoriated Adams County's human services department Thursday while sentencing the boyfriend, Donald Jean Scarlett, to 42 years in prison. He said the agency should be taken before a grand jury and that toddler Michael Harris was...

Judge undecided on if Anthony's story can be sold

By KYLE HIGHTOWER

04/09/13 07:40 PM

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- A judge said Tuesday that he will take 30 days before deciding whether the trustee in Casey Anthony's bankruptcy case can sell the commercial rights to her life story as a means to clear some of her outstanding debts. Federal Judge K. Rodney May said that though he is worried about the effect on imposing long-term restrictions on Anthony, he will review the motion submitted...

The Blotter: Fla. man accused of having guns at Capitol grounds

04/08/13 05:35 PM

Fla. man accused of having guns at Capitol grounds A Florida man who brought guns and ammunition onto the grounds of the U.S. Capitol Building was arrested, police said. Ty Carroll Mitchum, 59, of Clearwater, Fla., was confronted by U.S. Capitol Police officers at about 12:50 p.m. Sunday on the West Front of the Capitol Building because he was acting suspiciously. While he was being...

Planned Parenthood’s ‘post-birth’ abortion lobbyist served at Catholic Charities

04/08/13 01:35 PM

Remember Planned Parenthood lobbyist who argued that babies born alive after a failed abortion should be left to die, if that’s what the mother wants? She was a board member at a local Catholic Charities office until a few months ago. “She was a founding member and secretary of the Sunset Rotary Club of Tallahassee and serves on the board of Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida-Tallahassee....

Police: Italian priest stole $5.1M from hospital

By NICOLE WINFIELD

04/04/13 07:17 PM

ROME (AP) -- Italian police on Thursday arrested a priest accused of pocketing 4 million euros ($5.1 million) from a Catholic hospital he ran and helping run up 600 million euros ($769 million) in debts that forced it into bankruptcy. Italy's financial police placed the Rev. Franco Decaminada, who until 2011 was the CEO of the IDI dermatological hospital in Rome, under house arrest. They also...

Montgomery County Council members accuse planners of succumbing to Walmart pressure

04/02/13 07:25 PM

A proposal that would make it easier for Walmart to open a store in Aspen Hill sparked fierce debate among Montgomery County Council members Tuesday, with some accusing the county's Planning Board of catering to the big-box giant. Councilmen George Leventhal and Marc Elrich, both at-large Democrats, said the board was succumbing to pressure by the property owner and the retailer to get a...

Judge tells D.C. cop to seek help for gambling problem before sentencing

04/02/13 06:00 PM

The sentencing of a D.C. police detective convicted of stealing her brother's identity has been deferred so that the officer can begin to seek help for a gambling problem. Jamell Stallings, 46, of Brandywine, was convicted in February of counterfeiting, identity fraud and theft charges. She was scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday but now has another court appearance scheduled for May 17....

Stockton, Calif. eligible for bankruptcy in pension test case, judge rules

04/01/13 07:10 PM

Stockton, Calif., became the most populous U.S. city to enter bankruptcy proceedings when a judgeaccepted the city’s application for bankruptcy on Monday, saying it would not be able to provide basic services otherwise. The ruling is the latest in a case that pits federal bankruptcy law against state pension laws. The city’s creditors opposed bankruptcy, fearing it will...

Judge rules Stockton, Calif., to enter bankruptcy

By TRACIE CONE

04/01/13 07:01 PM

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- A judge accepted the California city of Stockton's bankruptcy application on Monday, making it the most populous city in the nation to enter bankruptcy. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Klein said the bankruptcy declaration was needed to allow the city to continue to provide basic services. "It's apparent to me the city would not be able to perform its obligations to...

Talking points: Princeton mom, San Francisco elf, Pepsi's makeover

03/30/13 11:20 PM

Susan Patton, a Princeton University alumna and mother to two male Princeton students, wrote a letter to the Daily Princetonian to express what college ladies should really be on: finding a husband. In a letter to the school's paper -- which is addressed to "the daughters I never had" -- she tells young Princeton women that college is prime time to bag a husband, and once you get out into the...

Judge: Jolie didn't plagiarize 'Blood and Honey'

By

03/30/13 11:05 PM

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A federal judge says actress Angelina Jolie didn't steal the story for her movie "In the Land of Blood and Honey" from a Croatian author. City News Service reports Friday's tentative ruling in Los Angeles will throw out the suit accusing Jolie of copyright infringement. In 2011, author James Braddock sued Jolie and the film company that made the film, saying it was partly...

San Diego school district offers retirement buyouts to already retired teachers

03/29/13 03:35 PM

San Diego Unified School District is so desperate to get teachers off the payroll to close a $92 million budget gap that they’re offering a $25,000 retirement buyout to already-retired teachers. In a deal negotiated with the teachers union, the district will expand its buyout offer to 24 teachers who retired last year if at least 100 2o-year veteran teachers submit retirement...

Judge upholds sentence for killer Potomac doctor

03/28/13 08:45 PM

A Montgomery County judge ruled Thursday against reducing the 30-year prison sentence of a doctor convicted of killing his wife with a hammer in their Potomac home. Zakaria Oweiss, 68, was convicted in 2003 of second-degree murder for the 2001 death of his wife, Marianne. On Aug. 15, 2001, Marianne Oweiss was struck on the back and top of her head at least seven times with a rubber mallet...

Judge sets sentencing date for former Vincent Gray aide

By April Burbank

03/28/13 07:10 PM

A federal judge on Thursday set a sentencing date for the assistant treasurer of D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray's 2010 campaign, 10 months after Thomas Gore pleaded guilty to his role in an attempted cover-up of a political corruption scheme. Gore, who acknowledged in May that he helped arrange secret payments to minor mayoral candidate Sulaimon Brown and then destroyed records of those payments as...

Feds: Judge wrong to deny Indian satellite voting

By MATTHEW BROWN

03/28/13 05:20 PM

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) -- Civil rights attorneys from the U.S. Justice Department contend a federal judge wrongly denied a request to establish satellite election offices for American Indians on three Montana reservations. At issue in the case before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals are the long distances that some Indians in rural areas of the state must travel to reach county courthouses...

Demi Lovato returning as 'X Factor' judge

By

03/28/13 05:20 PM

NEW YORK (AP) -- Fox network says Demi Lovato is returning as a judge of "The X Factor." The singer-songwriter will be back alongside series creator Simon Cowell when the singing competition begins its third season this fall. Although calling Lovato "really, really annoying," Cowell said he enjoys working with her. She joined the panel of judges last year. Thursday's announcement comes as the...

Judge approves American-US Airways merger

By SCOTT MAYEROWITZ

03/27/13 06:50 PM

NEW YORK (AP) -- American Airlines won bankruptcy court approval Wednesday to combine with US Airways and form the world's biggest airline. "The merger is an excellent result. I don't think anybody disputes that," Judge Sean H. Lane said before issuing his decision. The combined airline will have 6,700 daily flights and annual revenue of roughly $40 billion. The new American Airlines will fly...

Judge indicates support for American-US Air deal

By SCOTT MAYEROWITZ

03/27/13 06:10 PM

NEW YORK (AP) -- A federal bankruptcy judge signaled his support for the $11 billion merger of American Airlines and US Airways. But Judge Sean H. Lane deferred giving his official blessing until he could further consider the timing of a severance package for outgoing American CEO Tom Horton. "The merger is an excellent result. I don't think anybody disputes that," Lane said Wednesday during a...

Accused shooter arrested in Silver Spring slaying

By April Burbank

03/27/13 12:25 PM

A man sought by police for more than two years after a fatal shooting in Silver Spring has been arrested in Knoxville, Tenn. on other charges. Montgomery County police had issued a warrant for Tyshon Jones after four men assaulted Julian Kelly, 27, on Aug. 21, 2010. One person shot Kelly, and he died from his injuries a few weeks after the assault. The police investigation identified Jones as...

Karzai accuses U.S. military of atrocities, in front of Kerry

03/25/13 09:25 PM

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, during a joint press briefing with Secretary of State John Kerry, reiterated his accusation that U.S. special forces have been committing atrocities in Wardak province. Kerry did not contradict Karzai, though U.S. officials have denied the charges. Here’s the relevant portion of the transcript of Karzai’s comments today, during a joint briefing with Kerry: On the...

D.C. jail guard accused of smuggling drugs for inmates

03/25/13 07:20 PM

A D.C. jail corrections officer who allegedly was found with marijuana inside his locker was smuggling the contraband for an inmate, according to new court documents. Jonathan Womble was arrested last month after a police dog detected the scent of marijuana inside the correction officer's locker while the dog's handler was using the restroom, and prosecutors say Womble was smuggling more than...

Anti-Semitic MSNBC host accuses pro-gun Bloomberg opponents of anti-Semitism

03/25/13 06:00 PM

Al Sharpton, who has a long and tragic history of anti-Semitism, ventured to suggest that pro-gun opponents of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s push for gun control are motivated by racist feelings about Jewish people. MSNBC’s Mike Barnicle got the ball rolling on the racism charge. “Let’s get down to it, Mike Bloomberg, mayor of New York City, there’s a level of anti-Semitism in this thing directed...

Special judge to handle Ohio rape investigation

By ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS

03/21/13 07:00 PM

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A large following of "nameless bloggers" alleging a cover-up of a rape investigation spurred an eastern Ohio judge to ask that someone from outside the community oversee a grand jury looking into new charges related to the assault. Jefferson County Judge Joseph Bruzzese Jr. also asked that outside judges be appointed to prosecute any individuals the grand jury might...

SD tribes file lawsuit against social services

By KRISTI EATON

03/21/13 07:00 PM

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- South Dakota routinely violates the federal law governing foster care and adoptions for American Indiana children by holding improper hearings after children are removed from homes, two tribes allege in a lawsuit filed Thursday. The Oglala Sioux and Rosebud Sioux Tribes, along with three Native American parents, filed the lawsuit in federal court in Rapid City,...

Judge postpones hearing for woman in Gray campaign scandal

03/21/13 04:45 PM

A federal judge agreed Thursday to postpone a status hearing for the woman whose guilty plea last summer sparked demands for D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray's resignation. Jeanne Clarke Harris, who briefly served as a communications consultant for the Gray campaign and acknowledged last summer that she helped implement a $653,800 shadow campaign to help elect him, had been scheduled to appear in U.S....

Butler, Creighton and Xavier set to join Catholic 7

By Joe Kay

03/19/13 11:40 PM

NEW YORK -- The two conferences growing out of the old Big East are moving forward. Butler, Creighton and Xavier will join the so-called Catholic 7 schools in the new basketball conference keeping the Big East name, a person familiar with the situation said Tuesday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement will not take place until Wednesday, when it will be made in...

Local Catholics praise choice of Francis as pope

03/13/13 07:25 PM

Washington-area Catholics rejoiced at the election of a new pope Wednesday, eagerly sharing the little they knew about the Argentine Jesuit and expressing support for his leadership after the surprise resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. Catholic University freshman Kaitlyn Feeley, 18, skipped class to watch on TV as the new pope, Jorge Bergoglio -- who is the first to take the papal name Francis...

Celeb credit files frozen after data posted online

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY

03/13/13 07:05 PM

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The three major credit bureaus say hackers who have posted credit reports on stars and government officials in recent days did not breach secure databases but relied on personal information they collected elsewhere on the public figures. Representatives for Experian, Equifax and TransUnion wrote in statements that are cooperating with authorities investigating the website...

Dingell: Congress viewed as 'slightly above child molesters'

03/13/13 02:40 PM

Michigan Democratic Rep. John Dingell has been in House for 57 years, or a quarter of the time there has been a United States Congress, so he's the foremost expert when it comes to the public's attitude toward lawmakers. His verdict: It's never been worse. Complaining that members spend their time "carping and criticizing," he said that the public's respect for Congress has fallen to a new low....

Maryland teacher accused of exchanging nude photos with student

By DAN ELLIOTT NICHOLAS RICCARDI

03/12/13 07:30 PM

A female teacher at a Maryland high school was charged Tuesday with exchanging sexually explicit photos with a student, authorities said. Erin Thorne, 28, was charged with one count of displaying obscene matter to a minor and one count of solicitation of child pornography. She turned herself into police Tuesday afternoon, according to the Anne Arundel County Police Department. Thorne was an...

Colo. judge enters not guilty plea for Holmes

03/12/13 05:15 PM

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) -- The judge in the deadly Colorado movie theater shooting case entered a not guilty plea on behalf of James Holmes on Tuesday after the former graduate student's defense team said he was not ready to enter one. If Holmes is convicted, he could be executed or spend the rest of his life in prison. Judge William Sylvester said Holmes, 25, can change his plea to not guilty...

Virginia's Catholic politicians weigh in on papal conclave

03/11/13 10:10 PM

The Vatican conclave that on Tuesday begins the work of picking a new pope is expected to pit those who advocate for traditional values against those eager to embrace change. And to some local Catholics, that sounds all too familiar. "It sounds like the same debate going on in political parties," joked Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell of Virginia. Some of Virginia's most prominent leaders on both...

Judge OKs medication for Colorado shooting suspect

03/11/13 07:10 PM

DENVER (AP) -- The defendant in the deadly Colorado theater shooting could be given "truth serum" under a court order issued Monday to help determine whether he is insane if he pleads not guilty by reason of insanity. Suspect James Holmes could be required to submit to a "narcoanalytic interview" as part of an evaluation to determine if he was legally insane at the time of the July 20...

Judge strikes down NYC sugary-drinks size rule

03/11/13 07:05 PM

NEW YORK (AP) -- A judge struck down New York City's pioneering ban on big, sugary drinks Monday just hours before it was supposed to take effect, handing a defeat to health-minded Mayor Michael Bloomberg and creating confusion for restaurants that had already ordered smaller cups and changed their menus. State Supreme Court Justice Milton Tingling said the 16-ounce limit on sodas and other...

D.C. chef Jose Andres to judge season finale of 'The Taste'

03/11/13 05:40 PM

D.C. chef and restaurateur Jose Andres has a role this week on ABC's "The Taste." The Jaleo owner will be a guest judge for the two-hour series finale. Andres will taste-test spoonfuls of food made by the remaining four chefs tasked with making the perfect three-course meal. Andres is often credited with bringing the small plates dining concept to the States, so he knows something about judging...

MontCo teen accused of killing sister to be tried as juvenile

03/09/13 05:05 PM

The 14-year-old Silver Spring boy charged with killing his infant sister will be tried in juvenile court. Jonathan Aguilac was charged with second degree murder in the death of his 7-month-old sister. The court determined Friday he would be tried as a juvenile, said Ramon Korionoff, the public affairs director for Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office. Aguilac killed his sister Larissa...

D.C. Councilman Jim Graham lawsuit hearing scrapped by judge

03/08/13 02:50 PM

A D.C. Superior Court judge scrapped a hearing planned for Friday in Ward 1 Councilman Jim Graham's lawsuit against the D.C. Board of Ethics and Government Accountability after the two sides reached an agreement on the case's schedule. Lawyers for Graham and the ethics board were due to appear before Judge Anthony Epstein on Friday morning, but Epstein on Thursday approved a joint motion on the...

Credo: Christopher Kaczor, author of 'The Seven Big Myths About the Catholic Church'

03/07/13 08:35 PM

Christopher Kaczor's new book is "The Seven Big Myths About the Catholic Church," in which he tackles issues related to celibacy for priests, contraception, science and homosexuality. Kaczor, a professor of philosophy at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, has written eight other books on Catholicism, bioethics and other topics. He was in D.C. last month to give talks about his new...

Suspects in cop hit-and-run accused in Feb. violence, records show

03/07/13 06:55 PM

The three men charged in connection with a hit-and-run of a D.C. police officer this week were each implicated last month in violent crimes, including a sexual assault and an attack on another District cop. Police charged Kevin Burno with aggravated assault while armed after Tuesday's incident, in which he crossed into an opposite traffic lane and struck Officer Sean Hickman with a Lexus,...

State Department delays honor for activist accused of anti-American, anti-Israel tweets

03/07/13 03:55 PM

The State Department will delay awarding Egyptian activist Samira Ibrahim with the International Woman of Courage Award, an honor she was slated to receive for standing up to the “virginity tests” she and other women were subjected to by the Egyptian military during Arab Spring protests in March 2011. A State Department spokeswoman said during a press briefing Ibrahim will not receive the...

US accuses Iran of nuke 'deception and delay'

By GEORGE JAHN

03/06/13 03:06 PM

VIENNA (AP) -- A senior U.S. envoy accused Iran of "deception, defiance and delay" Wednesday in dealing with international concerns about its nuclear activities, reflecting frustration over Tehran's expanding uranium enrichment program and stalled U.N. attempts to determine whether Tehran has worked secretly on atomic arms. Joseph Macmanus, the chief U.S. delegate to the International Atomic...

Utah judge OKs board for polygamous sect's lands

By BRADY McCOMBS

03/06/13 03:05 PM

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The resolution of a lengthy legal battle over homes and land owned by a polygamous sect led by Warren Jeffs crept forward Tuesday, when a Utah judge gave initial approval for the creation of a trustees board to oversee the properties on the Utah-Arizona border. Utah 3rd District Judge Denise Lindberg approved the proposal, which now goes to Utah legislature. Lawmakers...

Caps defenseman Roman Hamrlik claimed by New York Rangers

03/06/13 01:45 PM

Capitals defenseman Roman Hamrlik has been claimed off waivers by the New York Rangers The 38-year-old was placed on waivers on Tuesday and had 24 hours to either clear and remain with the organization or be picked up by another team. The Rangers lost defenseman Marc Staal to an eye injury in Tuesday night’s game after he was struck in the face with a puck. It is not known how serious that...

Judge: Feds can review Gray donor's documents

03/06/13 12:15 PM

A federal appeals court has ruled that investigators can review millions of documents seized by authorities last year from embattled businessman Jeffrey Thompson. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit held in a sealed opinion on Tuesday that prosecutors could review the records as a part of their long-running probe of campaign finance practices in the city. The...

Caps place veteran defenseman Roman Hamrlik on waivers

03/05/13 02:20 PM

The Capitals have placed veteran defenseman Roman Hamrlik on waivers, the organization confirmed on Tuesday. The news was first reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger. Hamrlik, 39, is in the second year of a two-year, $7 million contract that has an annual salary-cap hit of $3.5 million. He has appeared in just four games this season out of 20 and was scheduled to be a healthy scratch again tonight...

Judge refuses Kwame Brown request to leave D.C.

03/04/13 04:50 PM

A federal judge refused Monday to allow former D.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown to travel to North Carolina for a higher education program he championed while in office. Brown, who is serving a sentence of 180 days of house arrest after pleading guilty to bank fraud last summer, had asked U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon for permission to leave the D.C. area on Saturday "to continue the...

San Francisco's 'other' bridge prepares to shine

By LISA LEFF

03/03/13 10:25 PM

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- After more than 75 years in the shadow of its glamorous cousin, San Francisco's "other" bridge is getting a chance to shine. The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge has been turned into the latest -- and by far the biggest -- backdrop for New York artist Leo Villareal, who has individually programmed 25,000 white lights spaced a foot apart on 300 of the span's vertical cables...

Catholic women capture first NCAA victory

03/02/13 01:55 AM

There’s no substitute for experience, especially in an NCAA tournament. Friday night at DuFour Center, the Catholic University women applied lessons learned from an unsuccessful appearance in the tournament last year to grind out the first NCAA victory in program history, 52-44 over Cabrini (Pa.). Holding Cabrini scoreless during a 6-minute, 15-second stretch late in the game, Catholic (27-1)...

Judge approves sale of Mayor Vincent Gray donor's troubled company

03/02/13 12:36 AM

A D.C. judge has approved the sale of Chartered Health Plan Inc., the Medicaid managed care provider long controlled by embattled businessman Jeffrey Thompson, to a Philadelphia company. D.C. Superior Court Melvin Wright agreed Friday to a proposal from the District, which seized control of Chartered last year, to sell the company to AmeriHealth for $5 million. AmeriHealth has also agreed to...

Catholic 7 taking Big East name in 2013-14

02/28/13 11:45 PM

Report: Butler, Xavier will join the new league Georgetown took control of its conference destiny when it and six other Catholic -- and basketball-only -- schools announced their split from the Big East in December. Now it appears those schools are taking the name, too, and that they will have a reformed basketball conference of their own next season, according to multiple media reports. The...

Lawmakers accuse Obama prosecutors of lying about espionage probe at NASA

02/28/13 11:10 AM

Congressional leaders are challenging a U.S. Attorney's denial that the Justice Department shut down a federal espionage investigation involving the illegal transfer of U.S. space defense weapons technology to foreign countries, including China, The Washington Examiner has learned. Melinda Haag, the U.S. Attorney for Northern California, also denied that she had ever requested authority to...

Catholic men, women opening NCAA tournament at home

02/25/13 11:00 PM

Both earn bids in same year for first time There was a celebratory atmosphere Monday afternoon at Catholic University. No, Easter didn't arrive five weeks early. The joy was over basketball. For the first time in school history, both the men's and women's teams are in the Division III tournament. Watching the NCAA selection show from a meeting room on Monday, the women's team didn't have to...

Pa. gov's filing defends antitrust suit vs. NCAA

By MARK SCOLFORO

02/25/13 10:10 PM

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett says the NCAA has been trying to use his antitrust lawsuit over its sanctions against Penn State in a child sex abuse scandal to combat a groundswell of public criticism. Corbett filed a court document late Monday saying a judge shouldn't dismiss the lawsuit he filed in January against college sports' governing body. The Republican says the...

NRA uses Justice memo to accuse Obama on guns

By ALAN FRAM

02/23/13 10:10 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The National Rifle Association is using a Justice Department memo it obtained to argue in ads that the Obama administration believes its gun control plans won't work unless the government seizes firearms and requires national gun registration -- ideas the White House has not proposed and does not support. The NRA's assertion and its obtaining of the memo in the first place...

Prince George's woman accused of murdering mother's boyfriend

02/22/13 06:35 PM

A 28-year-old Oxon Hill woman was arrested for fatally stabbing her mother's boyfriend, police said. Kimberly Elaine Smith was arrested on charges of second-degree murder in the death of 51 year-old Charles Blyther Jr. Late Thursday night, Blyther and Smith's mother got into an argument inside Smith's home in the 1100 block of Kennebec Street. Smith then grabbed a knife and stabbed Blyther in...

Judge lets D.C. ethics board opinion stand against Councilman Jim Graham

02/22/13 02:10 PM

A D.C. judge refused Friday to require the city's ethics board to withdraw its opinion that said it had "substantial evidence" of misconduct by Ward 1 Councilman Jim Graham. "Mr. Graham has not met the standards for the issuance of a temporary restraining order," D.C. Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein said. Caroline Mehta, a lawyer for Graham, said she was "undeterred." Epstein's ruling came...

Rockville elementary teacher accused of sexually abusing students

02/21/13 08:50 PM

A Rockville elementary school teacher was arrested Thursday on charges of sexually abusing two of his students. Timothy Vincent Krupica, 30, of the 6900 block of Rooks Court in Frederick, was charged with two counts of sexual abuse of a minor and several additional sex offense charges. Montgomery County police detectives received information Wednesday from two 11-year-old girls at Meadow Hall...

Maryland elementary school teacher accused of sex abuse of students

02/21/13 05:15 PM

A Rockville elementary school teacher was arrested Thursday on charges of sexually abusing two of his students. Timothy Vincent Krupica, 30, of the 6900 block of Rooks Court in Frederick, was charged with two counts of sexual abuse of a minor and several additional sex offense charges. Montgomery County Police detectives received information Wednesday from two 11-year-old girls at Meadow Hall...

White House accuses Boehner of ‘amazing act of revisionist history’

02/20/13 11:05 AM

In an op-ed yesterday in the Wall Street Journal, House Speaker John Boehner said President Obama is blaming Republicans for drastic budget cuts he created, and has refused to produce a plan that could pass Congress. The White House called this “an amazing piece of revisionist history.” In his op-ed, Boehner wrote, Having first proposed and demanded the sequester, it would make sense that the...

Judge blocks NYC from Ken Burns film footage

By LARRY NEUMEISTER

02/19/13 08:10 PM

NEW YORK (AP) -- A federal judge on Tuesday blocked New York City from getting footage gathered by documentary filmmaker Ken Burns in research for his movie about the five men exonerated in the Central Park jogger rape case. U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald L. Ellis said the city had failed to show him a concern so compelling to trump the "precious rights of freedom of speech and the press" when it...

Judge approves Transocean's $1B spill settlement

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN

02/19/13 08:05 PM

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- A federal judge on Tuesday approved Transocean Ltd.'s agreement with the Justice Department to pay $1 billion in civil penalties for its role in the massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier said in his ruling that he found "no just reason for delay" in approving the civil settlement. Last week, a different judge approved Transocean's...

Gaithersburg woman files $20 million lawsuit over toddler's death

02/19/13 07:40 PM

The mother of a 15-month-old Maryland boy who police say was drowned by his father is suing the psychologist who testified that the accused killer was capable of having unsupervised visits. Hera McLeod, 32, of Gaithersburg, is seeking $20 million from Ashburn Psychological Services and one of its psychologists, Margaret Wong. The lawsuit was filed in Fairfax County Circuit Court on Tuesday...

D.C. office worker accused of taking secret photos of interns pleads guilty to child porn

02/14/13 07:05 PM

A Silver Spring man accused of secretly taking photos of interns at a D.C. office pleaded guilty Thursday to possession of child pornography. Marc Gange, 32, faces a likely sentence range from about 8 years to 10 years based on federal sentencing guidelines, prosecutors said. According to court papers, Gange met a man online and thought he was communicating with someone who was sexually abusing...

D.C. files complaint over $114,000 in missing campaign funds

02/14/13 06:55 PM

District regulators say a longtime political operative "knowingly and willfully" broke the city's campaign finance laws -- and possibly its criminal laws -- for his role in handling nearly $114,000 in checks to himself from former Councilman Michael Brown's campaign account. The D.C. Office of Campaign Finance alleged in a five-page complaint to the D.C. Board of Elections last month that Hakim...

Egyptian officials accused of covering up torture

02/13/13 07:01 PM

CAIRO (AP) -- An Egyptian opposition group accused the government on Wednesday of covering up torture at the hands of security forces. The charge came after a government forensic report claimed 28-year-old activist Mohammed el-Gindy was killed in a car accident. It contradicted family and friends, who said he died after he was electrocuted and beaten on his head repeatedly in detention earlier...

Police arrest man accused of mass stabbing on Guam

02/12/13 11:25 PM

HAGATNA, Guam (AP) -- A man accused of killing three people and injuring 11 after crashing his car and stabbing people in a major tourist district in Guam was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, police said Wednesday. The Pacific Daily News reports (http://goo.gl/8qxzk) police have arrested 21-year-old Chad Ryan Desoto of Tamuning. The wreck and alleged knife attack Tuesday...

Judge: D.C. police violated officer's rights

02/12/13 06:45 PM

The District violated the constitutional rights of one of its police detectives when it punished the law enforcement veteran for speaking to a newspaper reporter without authorization, a federal judge has ruled. U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg said the city had infringed on William Hawkins' rights when, after Hawkins publicly criticized an anti-crime initiative, it added a record to...

Judge: D.C. violated cop's constitutional rights

02/12/13 02:25 PM

A federal judge has ruled that the District acted unconstitutionally when it disciplined a D.C. police detective for publicly criticizing the agency's anti-crime strategy. In a 23-page ruling, U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg said the city had infringed upon William Hawkins' constitutional protections when it added a record to his personnel file that could affect future promotions and...

Marco Rubio praises Pope Benedict XVI for 'putting the Catholic Church first'

02/11/13 01:05 PM

Sen. Marco Rubio R-Fla. praised Pope Benedict XVI this morning in a statement reacting to the news that he would resign at the end of the month. “Today Pope Benedict XVI displayed the qualities of an excellent leader and a true man of God by putting the interests of the Vatican and the Catholic Church over his own papacy,” Rubio said. “Since becoming Pope in 2005, Pope Benedict XVI has served...

Maryland mother accused of murder thought her toddler was possessed, court documents say

02/08/13 01:30 PM

An Annapolis woman accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter told police that she believed the child was possessed by an evil spirit, according to a charging document. Chelsea Booth, 25, was charged on Thursday with first- and second-degree murder and first-degree child abuse resulting in a death. Detectives interviewed Booth on Wednesday, after community members reported that they had not...

Massive manhunt on for ex-cop accused of killing 3

02/07/13 06:05 PM

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Thousands of police officers throughout Southern California and neighboring states hunted Thursday for a disgruntled former Los Angeles officer wanted for going on a deadly shooting rampage that he warned in an online posting would target those on the force who wronged him, authorities said. Police issued a statewide "officer safety warning" and police were sent to protect...

Judge cuts short ex-La. gov. Edwards' court supervision

02/07/13 06:00 PM

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- A federal judge has agreed to cut short former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards' court supervision following his release from prison. Edwards was sentenced to three years of supervised release. His supervision lasted about 18 months before U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson agreed Wednesday to end it early. Edwards served eight years in federal prison and six months of home...

Judge: Handcuffed teen to stay with foster family

02/07/13 05:55 PM

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A suburban Kansas City judge has ruled a 17-year-old who was found handcuffed to a steel pole in the basement of his home this week will stay with a foster family for now. The teen spoke at a probable cause hearing Thursday morning. His father also was there and asked for a lawyer, but did not make comments. Clay County juvenile court officer Alan Gremli says the boy is...

Texas judge: Ex-lawmakers’ pensions will stay private

02/06/13 07:18 PM

A Texas judge ruled Tuesday the pensions of former lawmakers will remain secret, saying she does not have jurisdiction over what the state’s Employees Retirement System makes public. The ruling by Texas District Judge Lora Livingston came in a lawsuit filed by Texans for Public Justice, which sued in October 2012 to make the aggregate state-funded pensions of 103 former...

5 injured when San Fran cable car stops suddenly

By

02/06/13 06:30 PM

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Five people were injured Wednesday when a San Francisco cable car came to a sudden stop in the city's Nob Hill neighborhood, authorities said. One of the injuries -- an elderly man who fell and hit his head -- was considered life-threatening, San Francisco Fire spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge said. Four other people were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries....

Virginia man accused of videotaping guests in bathroom during Super Bowl bash

02/06/13 04:20 PM

A Manassas man has been accused of rigging a video camera inside a bathroom to secretly videotape people during a Super Bowl party. Prince William County police responded Monday to a report of an unlawful filming incident at a house party on the 7700 block of Beckham Court in Manassas. A female partygoer found a video camera inside the bathroom while the device was recording, and the incident...

Report: Ireland oversaw harsh Catholic laundries

By SHAWN POGATCHNIK

02/05/13 11:48 PM

DUBLIN (AP) -- Ireland's government oversaw workhouses run by Catholic nuns that once held thousands of women and teenage girls in unpaid labor and usually against their will, a fact-finding report concluded Tuesday, establishing state involvement in the country's infamous Magdalene Laundries for the first time. But Prime Minister Enda Kenny stopped short of making any official apology for the...

Former Christian school teacher accused of molesting boys

02/04/13 08:25 PM

A former youth worker and teacher at a Christian school in Gaithersburg has been charged with molesting teenage boys during the 1980s and '90s. Nathaniel Morales, 55, has been indicted in Montgomery County Circuit Court on 10 counts of sexually abusing four boys under his care. Morales, now a Pentecostal bishop in Las Vegas, has a hearing scheduled for Friday . Police began investigating in...

Police obtain warrant for man accused of dumping body in Woodbridge

02/04/13 04:30 PM

Prince William County police have identified the second man who is suspected of dumping a body on a Woodbridge street last month. Douglas Hernandez is wanted for first-degree murder in the death of 47-year-old Barbaro Lupe Alonso-Iraola, police said Monday. A warrant has been obtained for his arrest. On Jan. 15, a resident spotted Alonso-Iraola's body in front of his home in the 15000 block of...

New version of 'Don't Say Gay' bill filed in Tennessee

02/04/13 12:05 AM

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A bill that proposes forcing schools to tell parents if their children have talked to a teacher or counselor about being gay has set the stage for a new fight over social issues in the Tennessee Legislature. Opponents call the legislation unnecessary and an inappropriate government intrusion in family matters. The measure, filed Tuesday by state Sen. Stacey Campfield,...

Hundreds watch as San Diego power plant imploded

02/02/13 07:30 PM

CHULA VISTA, Calif. (AP) -- In a matter of minutes, a hulking power plant that loomed over San Diego Bay since the late 1950s was demolished Saturday, to make way for a city park. The implosion -- which had been months in the planning -- turned the mighty structure into a heap of concrete and twisted steel. Kayakers and other onlookers positioned themselves as early as 4 a.m. to watch the...

Judge: No show trial for German far-right suspects

02/02/13 02:30 PM

BERLIN (AP) -- A senior German judge has rejected calls to give the public greater access at the trial of a woman suspected of involvement in a far-right murder spree that has shaken the country's security establishment since coming to light over a year ago. The trial of Beate Zschaepe -- the sole surviving member of a neo-Nazi trio that allegedly killed nine businessmen and a policewoman...

Rick Snider: Trust in Jim Harbaugh, San Francisco 49ers to win Super Bowl

By Rick Snider

02/01/13 06:50 PM

The San Francisco 49ers will beat the Baltimore Ravens 27-24 in Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday. Sometimes little brothers win. San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh gets lifetime bragging rights over older sibling and Baltimore coach John Harbaugh. The 49ers are simply a better team. Not that the Ravens can't win. There's something about this team's chemistry after getting everyone back from injuries...

Man at center of Te'o hoax says he was molested

02/01/13 02:15 PM

The man who says he tricked Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o into falling for a fake woman he created online claims the hoax had "everything to do" with escaping from real life because he had been molested as a child. Ronaiah Tuiasosopo spoke publicly for the first time in an interview with Dr. Phil McGraw for the "Dr. Phil Show," the second part of which aired Friday. The 22-year-old...

Judge rules against mistrial in Culpeper police-shooting case

02/01/13 11:40 AM

A judge on Friday decided not to declare a mistrial in the case of the former Culpeper police officer who was convicted of killing an unarmed woman, according to media reports. Daniel Harmon-Wright, 33, was convicted Tuesday of voluntary manslaughter and other charges. Harmon-Wright had responded to a suspicious person call on Feb. 9, 2012 and fatally shot 54-year-old Patricia Cook while she...

Conviction reversed for accused fondler of male Georgetown students

01/31/13 09:05 PM

The D.C. Court of Appeals overturned the 2010 conviction of an Arlington man accused of breaking into homes and sexually assaulting male Georgetown University students as they slept. The court on Thursday ruled that Todd Matthew Thomas can get a new trial because prosecutors were allowed to tell jurors that he was previously convicted of sexually assaulting another man in Virginia. D.C....

Crime History: Prominent judge charged with threatening ex-lover

01/31/13 04:45 PM

On this day, Feb. 1, in 1993, Sol Wachtler, then the highest ranking judge in New York, was indicted on charges of harassing a former lover and threatening to kidnap her 14-year-old daughter. Wachtler, who famously said that any decent prosecutor could get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich, began an affair with socialite Joy Silverman while serving as administrator of a $3 million trust...

Police won't file charges against Rep. Moran's son

01/31/13 04:25 PM

Arlington County police said Thursday they won't file charges against the son of Northern Virginia Democratic Rep. Jim Moran, who was caught on camera coaching a man on how to commit voter fraud. A video of Patrick Moran was posted online by a group led by conservative activist James O'Keefe. The footage showed an undercover operative masquerading as a campaign worker who told Moran he had the...

Ex-Metro policeman files discrimination lawsuit

01/30/13 06:50 PM

Metro transit police pulled a woman out of her wheelchair, kicked a handcuffed suspect in the head, impersonated a DEA agent and laid on top of a woman while arresting her, a former Metro transit police lieutenant charged in a discrimination lawsuit. The legal case, filed in U.S. District Court by a 21-year veteran of Metro's police force, David Mann, said Metro police got off with light...

Maryland teen met her accused killer over the Internet

01/28/13 07:35 PM

Eighteen-year-old Siohban Lee met her killer through a social network site, according to D.C. police. The Takoma Park teenager told friends last week that she was planning to meet a man she met on the Internet, according to charging documents released Monday. She wound up fatally shot in the head about 3:30 in the morning in Northwest Washington. Her iPhone was missing. Detectives and wireless...

Bill filed in Mississippi seeks to nullify federal laws

01/25/13 11:20 AM

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) -- Mississippi defied the union during the Civil War and civil rights era, and at least two lawmakers think it is time to do so again. Republican state Reps. Gary Chism and Jeff Smith, both of Columbus, filed a bill this month to form the Joint Legislative Committee on the Neutralization of Federal Laws. Chism said Thursday that the tea party-backed measure is a response to...

Maryland's top court: Police must turn over racial profiling files

01/24/13 09:45 PM

Maryland State Police must turn over internal records about how authorities investigate complaints of racial profiling, the state's top court has ruled. The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland and the Maryland State Conference of the NAACP have maintained that the state police have violated Maryland open records law by improperly withholding documents that would show whether the agency...

Judges rejects effort to invalidate Indiana right-to-work law

01/23/13 04:50 PM

Catching up on some state-level news I missed last week, an Indiana judge has thrown out a union’s effort to get the court’s to throw out the state’s new right-to-work law. According to the Indianapolis Star: The plaintiffs, Local 150 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, claimed the law, which bars companies and unions from negotiating contracts that require all employees to pay...

D.C. Council to consider opening arrestee mug shot files

01/22/13 07:15 PM

The District's police department would be required to release the mug shots of arrestees under a plan a city councilwoman introduced Tuesday. Ward 3 Councilwoman Mary Cheh's measure would allow the city to charge for the photos, but it would bar the Metropolitan Police Department from keeping the photos private. "Usually, a small number of people are responsible for a large number of crimes,...

Files show how LA church leaders controlled damage

By GILLIAN FLACCUS

01/21/13 09:15 PM

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Retired Cardinal Roger Mahony and other top Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles officials maneuvered behind the scenes to shield molester priests, provide damage control for the church and keep parishioners in the dark, according to church personnel files. The confidential records filed in a lawsuit against the archdiocese disclose how the church handled abuse...

Montana family accused of $70M in bogus charges

By MATT VOLZ

01/21/13 09:10 PM

HELENA, Mont. (AP) -- A Montana family and their accountant are accused of tacking $70 million in bogus charges onto customer phone bills nationwide, then funneling some of that money through a religious organization to buy land and pay for the husband's legal bills. Steven Sann, his wife Terry, son Nathan and accountant Robert Braach run a maze of nine companies engaged in "cramming, " or...

Cleveland Clinic nurse accused of murder-hire plot

By THOMAS J. SHEERAN

01/16/13 07:00 PM

LAKEWOOD, Ohio (AP) -- An Ohio man hatched a plot to kill a woman he was in a home-ownership dispute with, authorities say, by approaching an emergency room patient at the renowned hospital where he worked as a nurse with the question, "Ever killed anyone?" No, the Cleveland Clinic patient replied, but I once shot a man. That was good enough, authorities say, for nurse Andrew Martin, 23, who...

Teen accused in D.C. cabbie's death indicted in Waldorf slaying

01/16/13 05:15 PM

A 17-year-old Waldorf man who is already charged with killing a District cab driver has been indicted in the shooting death of a woman in Charles County and the wounding of her husband. Joshua Terrell Mebane was formally charged this week with first-degree murder and attempted murder in the Oct. 26 shooting of Teresa Bass and her husband, Jerry Bass. Mebane remains in custody in the D.C. jail...

Episcopal priest chosen for inaugural benediction

01/16/13 12:45 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The pastor of the Episcopal parish closest to the White House will give the benediction at President Barack Obama's inauguration. The Rev. Luis Leon of St. John's Church has been chosen for the honor. He replaces Atlanta megachurch pastor Luis Giglio. Giglio bowed out last week after a sermon he gave years ago surfaced in which he criticized the gay rights movement. A...

Judge moves NY officer's trial in cannibalism case

By LARRY NEUMEISTER

01/15/13 09:10 PM

NEW YORK (AP) -- The trial of a New York City police officer charged with conspiring to rape, kill and eat women has been moved from next week to next month. Federal Judge Paul Gardephe said jury selection in the trial of Gilberto Valle (VAL'-ee) will begin on Feb. 11. He says opening statements will start on Feb. 25. The trial was scheduled to start next week. A lawyer for Valle said he needs...

Virginia lawmakers appoint first openly gay judge

01/15/13 07:10 PM

The Virginia General Assembly on Tuesday appointed a gay Richmond prosecutor to a judgeship a year after rejecting him because of his sexual orientation. Tracy Thorne-Begland, a deputy commonwealth attorney and former Navy officer who came out on national television in 1992 while serving, will serve a six-year term on the 13th General District Court. But his nomination was not without...

Virginia lawmakers okay gay judge Tracy Thorne-Begland

01/15/13 02:30 PM

The General Assembly on Tuesday approved a gay Richmond prosecutor to serve a judgeship in the 13th General District Court. Tracy Thorne-Begland, a deputy commonwealth attorney and former Navy officer who came out on national television while serving in the 1990s, was confirmed by the House on a 66-28 vote a year after the same chamber rejected him because of his sexual orientation. Last June,...

Virginia House panel welcomes first openly gay judge

01/14/13 06:45 PM

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- A Republican-ruled legislative panel that vets judicial candidates was deferential and even supportive of a reappointment bid by Virginia's first openly gay judge who was rejected by the full House a year ago. Members of a joint House and Senate subcommittee questioned Richmond General District Judge Tracy Thorne-Begland for nearly 40 minutes Monday, where eight others...

Lawyer who wants to decriminalize pot files for D.C. Council run

01/14/13 05:36 PM

A lawyer who wants to decriminalize marijuana in the District is the first person to submit the paperwork necessary to earn a spot on the April 23 special election ballot for an at-large D.C. Council seat. A spokeswoman for the D.C. Board of Elections said Monday that Paul Zukerberg submitted his signed petitions Monday, and Zukerberg said in an email that he had filed 3,091 signatures. "The...

Obama accuses pro-gun groups of ‘ginning up fear’ to sell more guns

01/14/13 01:25 PM

During his press conference today, President Obama signaled that gun organizations such as the National Rifle Association were “ginning up fear” to sell more guns. “I think that we’ve seen for some time now that those who oppose any common sense gun control or gun safety measures have a pretty effective way of ginning up fear on the part of gun owners that somehow the federal government is...

29 Belfast cops hurt in Catholic-Protestant clash

By SHAWN POGATCHNIK

01/12/13 09:35 PM

DUBLIN (AP) -- Northern Ireland police fought day-and-night street battles with Protestant militants Saturday as a protest march to Belfast City Hall degenerated into riots when many marchers returned home to the Protestant east side. The Protestants, who have blocked streets daily since Catholics on the council decided Dec. 3 to curtail the flying of the British flag, have frequently clashed...

Police Blotter: Cop molests girl at church; Maryland fire deaths down

01/10/13 07:15 PM

A veteran D.C. police officer who also is a youth choir director is accused of sexually assaulting a young girl at his family's church in Southeast Washington. Wendel Palmer, 44, was arrested Wednesday and charged with first-degree child sexual abuse. According to charging documents, the investigation began in March when the victim's mother learned of the alleged incidents. The victim told...

D.C. police officer accused of sexually assaulting young girl

01/10/13 01:45 PM

A veteran D.C. police officer who is also youth choir director is accused of sexually assaulting a girl at his family's church in Southeast Washington while she was in junior high. Wendel Palmer, 44, was arrested Wednesday and charged with first-degree child sexual abuse. According to charging documents, the investigation began in March when the victim's mother learned of the alleged incidents...

Chuck Hagel also criticized Hormel for attending 'anti-Catholic' event

01/09/13 11:40 AM

Talking Points Memo has looked back at the original 1998 interview with the Omaha World-Herald that caused former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel, now President Obama’s nominee to be defense secretary, to have to apologize to James Hormel, the US’s first openly gay ambassador. It seems that Hagel’s remarks against Hormel were more expansive than has been widely reported. In addition to saying that...

Three accused of burglaries at University of Maryland athletics building

01/08/13 12:15 PM

Three 22-year-old men who allegedly were involved in several burglaries at the University of Maryland's Varsity Team House building have been arrested, police said. Igor Cooper Rosensteel, of Middle River, Richard Nathan Landa, of Freeland, and Ian Robert Hammer, of College Park, were arrested last month each face burglary and theft-related charges, according to University of Maryland police....

Church can't withhold names in California priest files

By GREG RISLING

01/07/13 09:10 PM

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles must release the names of church leaders and pedophile priests identified in thousands of pages of internal documents recounting sexual abuse allegations dating back decades, a judge ruled Monday. The decision by Superior Court Judge Emilie Elias overturned much of a 2011 order by another judge that would have allowed the...

Judge in Virginia rules EPA overstepped authority

01/04/13 11:35 PM

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- A federal judge has ruled that the Environmental Protection agency exceeded its authority by attempting to regulate stormwater runoff into a Fairfax County creek as a pollutant. U.S. District Judge Liam O'Grady in Alexandria ruled late Thursday in favor of the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, which challenged EPA's...

Rare San Francisco river otter stumps researchers

By JASON DEAREN

01/03/13 09:10 PM

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A rapt crowd followed a trail of bubbles that zipped over the surface of a seaside pond in the ruins of a 19th century bath in San Francisco. San Francisco's newest star -- the first river otter seen in the city in decades -- surfaced its whiskery head furtively, a mouth full of sea grass. The crowd oohed as large waves pounded rocks just offshore, a briny smell and chill...

New charge filed against former Bush appointee

By Ben Giles

01/02/13 06:25 PM

A new case has been filed against the former chief of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, who pleaded guilty to contempt of Congress in 2010 but then backed out of the plea after a judge ruled he must serve time in prison. Scott Bloch, appointed by President George W. Bush as the head of the Office of Special Counsel, has sought for nearly two years to back out of a guilty plea he made in 2010,...

Examiner Local Editorial: Federal judge should slap down EPA overreach

By Examiner Editorial

01/02/13 03:05 PM

Last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ordered a 50 percent reduction in the amount of water -- including rain and snow -- that enters Fairfax County's Accotink Creek, which meanders 23 miles before emptying into the Potomac River. It's now up to Alexandria District Judge Liam O'Grady to decide whether water can be regulated as a "pollutant." Congress passed the Clean Water Act in...

Group files US DOE complaint on U.Va. 'warning'

12/31/12 05:25 PM

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- A higher education nonprofit representing trustees and alumni is seeking an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education into an accreditation agency's decision to put the University of Virginia on warning for its failed attempt to fire its president last summer. The American Council of Trustees and Alumni contends the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools'...

Credo: Jon O'Brien of Catholics for Choice

12/28/12 07:10 PM

O'Brien grew up in Dublin and worked in Eastern Europe before immigrating to the United States in 1996. He is now a D.C. resident and president of the advocacy group Catholics for Choice, which works on issues ranging from abortion to AIDS to religion in public life. Do you consider yourself to be of a specific faith? I'm without a doubt a Catholic. I'm very proud to be one. I consider it to be...

Fales succeeds for San Jose State at Military Bowl

12/28/12 12:10 AM

Spartans QB is named MVP after record day San Jose State quarterback David Fales made up for one miscue and a missing coach with a record setting afternoon for the Military Bowl's first ranked participant. Completing 33 of 43 passes for a Military Bowl record 395 yards and two touchdowns, Fales was named the game's MVP as he propelled the 24th-ranked Spartans to a 29-20 victory over Bowling...

NY woman accused of scam in name of Connecticut victim

By

12/27/12 09:25 PM

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- A New York City woman tried to scam donors by posing as the aunt of a child killed in the Connecticut elementary school massacre, federal authorities said Thursday. Nouel Alba, 37, was arrested Thursday and accused of using her Facebook account, telephone calls and text messages to seek donations for what she called a "funeral fund." She told one donor that she had to...

Judge orders release of Virginia man whose death sentence was overturned

12/27/12 11:55 AM

A federal judge has ruled that a man whose Prince William County murder-for-hire conviction was overturned should be released and not retried. Justin Michael Wolfe had been convicted of capital murder in the 2001 slaying of his marijuana supplier and had been sentenced to death. But in July 2011, a federal judge in Norfolk vacated the conviction and death sentence, ruling that Wolfe was denied...

Military Bowl preview: No. 24 San Jose State (10-2) vs. Bowling Green (8-4)

By Ann Gosier is the chairwoman of Two Rivers Public Charter School.

12/26/12 08:30 PM

When » Thursday, 3 p.m. Where » RFK Stadium TV » ESPN KEYS TO VICTORY 1 San Jose State's passing game » Junior quarterback David Fales ranks seventh in the NCAA in passing yards (3,798) and has 31 touchdown passes to nine interceptions. The Spartans have four receivers with at least 589 yards, including junior wide receiver Noel Grigsby (1,173, nine touchdowns). Bowling Green's secondary depth...

A high-quality school anchors a changing neighborhood

12/21/12 05:05 PM

Neighborhoods are changing throughout the District of Columbia. The newly rebranded NoMa community, a long-neglected area south of K Street, has seen much development since the Metro station which bears its name was opened. Close to the intersection of New York and Florida Avenues in Northeast D.C., Two Rivers receives city funds to provide tuition-free public education, filling available...

Priest charged with sexually assaulting man in Fairfax County

12/19/12 05:50 PM

A parish priest was arrested for sexually assaulting a 29-year-old man who sought him out for support and guidance in Springfield, police said. Father Luis Fernando Franco Henao, 40, is charged with sexual battery, Fairfax County police said. He turned himself into detectives on Wednesday and has been released. Franco Henao allegedly groped the man on Feb. 2 at St. Bernadette Parish, located at...

Could Rosie O'Donnell be the new judge on 'America's Got Talent?'

12/19/12 11:35 AM

Sharon Osbourne left the judging panel on "America's Got Talent" leaving an opening for someone else. Who might that someone else be? Well according to reports, "Talent" judge Howard Stern wants Rosie O'Donnell to join the panel. O'Donnell told The Observer that she is "very interested" and that she is talking to producers about lining something up. No word from NBC on if there is truth to the...

Accused butt-slasher extradited to U.S. from Peru, returned to Fairfax Co.

12/19/12 11:10 AM

A 41-year-old man accused of slashing the buttocks of young women in Fairfax County stores has been extradited to the United States, police said. Johnny D. Guillen Pimentel was arrested in Lima, Peru in January. U.S. Marshals took custody of him on Monday, and he was taken to Fairfax County on Tuesday, according to Fairfax County police. Between February and July of 2011, at least eight young...

Zac Posen to fill in for Michael Kors as judge on next season of 'Project Runway'

12/18/12 12:45 PM

Designer Zac Posen will be joining the judging panel for the next seaosn of "Project Runway." Longtime judge Michael Kors had to take a breaking from judging the show's 11th season due to a schedule conflict -- but don't worry, he'll be back for the season finale and he isn't "out." Posen called the chance to judge "an amazing opportunity." The new season of the show premieres on Jan. 24, and...

Holmes deduces way to lift Catholic over Randolph-Macon

12/18/12 12:10 AM

Point guard controls flow of uptempo affair Roughly four minutes into Monday's game at Catholic University, referee Dave Funk blasted his whistle and announced as he approached the scorer's table, "Media timeout." "That's our first this year," the clock manager at DuFour Center replied with a smile. Such is life in Division III basketball, in which games get little attention, even when they pit...

Judge delays hearing on guilty Vince Gray aide

12/17/12 05:30 PM

The federal investigation into D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray's campaign is unlikely to conclude before next summer after a federal judge postponed a hearing for a woman who helped implement the illegal, off-the-books shadow campaign that boosted Gray's prospects. Jeanne Clarke Harris, who served as a communications consultant to Gray's 2010 campaign, was scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court for...

House favors Protestant guest chaplains over Catholics 2-1, Jews 7-1

12/17/12 04:55 PM

Guest chaplains speaking at the start of House sessions have been overwhelmingly Protestant, with evangelical Protestant ministers leading more prayer than any other denomination, according to a special C-SPAN report. On its Facebook page, C-SPAN looked at the affiliations of the 93 guest chaplains who have spoken during the 112th Congress, which started January 5, 2011, and found that 37...

Boston ex-mobster Whitey Bulger seeks judge's dismissal

By

12/15/12 09:25 PM

BOSTON (AP) -- Lawyers for former mobster James "Whitey" Bulger have asked a federal appeals court to order the judge scheduled to preside over his murder trial to step aside because of his close ties to the U.S. Department of Justice. U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns has twice rejected a defense request to recuse himself from Bulger's trial. Bulger's lawyers say Stearns should not preside...

4 Texas officers accused of helping move cocaine

By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN

12/13/12 09:00 PM

McALLEN, Texas (AP) -- Federal prosecutors announced charges Thursday against four officers from a South Texas anti-drug task force who they say took thousands of dollars in bribes to guard large shipments of cocaine. The officers -- two from the Mission police department and two Hidalgo County sheriff's deputies -- were members of the "Panama Unit," which is a joint task force between the two...

Big East's seven Catholic basketball schools late to moving party

12/11/12 10:20 PM

The moment the conference realignment dominoes started to fall in the Big East, the league's seven Catholic basketball schools had the chance to take control of their future. But instead of looking forward, they held fast to the past as things crumbled. Now, some 15 months after Syracuse and Pittsburgh announced their departures, they've finally figured out that they're unhappy with what the...

Judge denies bond motions in Trayvon Martin case

By KYLE HIGHTOWER

12/11/12 09:25 PM

SANFORD, Fla. (AP) -- A Florida judge has denied defense requests to end 24-hour GPS monitoring of George Zimmerman while he is out on bond in the fatal shooting of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin. Judge Debra Nelson denied bond requests from Zimmerman's defense team Tuesday. Besides dropping the monitoring, the defense wanted the former neighborhood watch volunteer to be able to live outside...

Judge: Strauss-Kahn, NYC hotel maid settle suit

By JENNIFER PELTZ

12/10/12 09:30 PM

NEW YORK (AP) -- Former International Monetary Fund leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn and a hotel maid settled her lawsuit Monday over sexual assault allegations that sank his political career and spurred scrutiny of his dealings with women on two continents. State Supreme Court Justice Douglas McKeon announced that after lengthy negotiations in the suit brought by Nafissatou Diallo, the parties...

Man accused of killing girlfriend, shooting daughter on Metro found dead

12/10/12 07:50 PM

A D.C. man accused of fatally shooting his girlfriend and wounding their 1-year-old daughter on a Metrobus on Sunday evening has killed himself, a law enforcement source told The Washington Examiner. Authorities had tracked Javon Steven Foster to an address on Long Island, N.Y., where he had apparently shot himself to death Monday, according to the source, who has knowledge of the investigation...

Child porn suspect accused of taking photos of interns

12/09/12 06:25 PM

A Silver Spring man has been charged with distributing child pornography and taking photos of interns at the nonprofit where he worked. Marc Edward Gange, 34, is accused of sending child pornography to an undercover D.C. police officer that he met in a chat room last month frequented by people interested in incest and having sex with children, charging documents state. According to court...

Judge mocks Obama’s ‘accommodation’ proposal on contraception mandate

12/09/12 05:50 PM

Judge Brian Cogan mocked the “accommodation” on religion liberty outlined by President Obama in regards to his health care law’s contraception mandate while ruling against a Justice Department motion to dismiss the Archdiocese of New York’s lawsuit against the regulation. “There is no, ‘Trust us, changes are coming’ clause in the Constitution,” Cogan wrote in his ruling against DOJ. “To the...

Report accused D.C. Councilman Graham of impropriety

12/07/12 04:00 PM

A city investigator alleged in 2008 that Ward 1 Councilman Jim Graham sought to leverage the District's lottery contract for political advantage, though the investigator eliminated that opinion in a later report. Robert Andary, who ran the internal affairs division in Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi's office, wrote in 2008 that his investigation has "revealed inappropriate actions by Mr....

Did Rob accuse Rita of cheating?

12/04/12 10:55 PM

Although he never uses her name, Rob Kardashian appears to have tweeted that his girlfriend, Rita Ora, cheated on him. A lot. Rob started his slew of tweets Monday and Tuesday by saying he was "disgusted" with the "How We Do" singer and her playgirl ways. "She cheated on me with nearly 20 dudes while we were together, I wonder how many she will sleep with now that we apart?" he wrote. The pair...

UN chief accuses Syria of violating Golan accord

By EDITH M. LEDERER

12/03/12 09:25 PM

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon accused the Syrian government Monday of serious violations of the 1974 agreement that separated Israeli and Syrian forces in the Golan Heights and called on both countries to halt firing across the cease-fire line. In a report to the U.N. Security Council, Ban said recent incidents across the cease-fire line have shown the potential for...

Judge removed in Fort Hood shooting rampage case

12/03/12 09:25 PM

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- The military's highest court ousted the judge in the Fort Hood shooting case Monday and threw out his order to have the suspect's beard forcibly shaved before his court-martial. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces ruled that Col. Gregory Gross didn't appear impartial while presiding over the case of Maj. Nidal Hasan, who faces the death penalty if convicted...

Former VA personnel chief faulted by IG

By Mark Flatten

12/03/12 04:50 PM

Cronyism and bad judgment by the recently ousted head of personnel at the Department of Veterans Affairs led to the hiring of four top agency officials previously slammed for misconduct or poor performance at other federal agencies, according to documents obtained today by the Washington Examiner. John Sepulveda gave preferential treatment when he hired his top advisors shortly after being...

San Jose St. vs. Bowling Green in Military Bowl

12/02/12 11:05 PM

There certainly have been more locally relevant matchups for the Military Bowl than Bowling Green of the Mid-American Conference and No. 24 San Jose State of the Mountain West. But who would have figured that when teams from their conferences met last year, Toledo and Air Force staged a rollicking 42-41 shootout, the Rockets winning with 52 seconds left, stopping a two-point conversion try by...

Egypt judges strike to protest president's decrees

11/28/12 06:50 PM

CAIRO (AP) -- In an escalation of the tug-of-war between Egypt's president and the powerful judiciary, judges in the country's top courts went on strike Wednesday to protest Mohammed Morsi's seizure of near absolute powers, while Islamists rushed to complete a new constitution, the issue at the heart of the dispute. The moves came a day after at least 200,000 protesters filled Cairo's central...

ACC files suit against Maryland

11/27/12 08:50 PM

The Atlantic Coast Conference is making a preemptive strike in attempting to force Maryland to pay the league’s exit fee. On Monday in Greensboro, N.C., the ACC filed suit against the school attempting to collect $52,266,342. In the language of the suit, a copy of which was obtained by the Associated Press, the league is asking the court to make a “declaratory judgement” that the “withdrawal...

Reporters accuse Obama of staging ‘photo-ops’ and ‘killing time’ ahead of fiscal cliff

11/27/12 03:25 PM

A fed up Fox News’ reporter, James Rosen, accused President Obama of choosing photo-ops over wrangling with Congress over the ‘fiscal cliff’ debt negotiations concerning the expiring tax cuts. “Why not stay in town and just hammer it out and get a deal done,” said Fox News’ James Rosen. “Why is everyone jumping on their airplane for photo-ops outside of the Beltway?” President Obama is...

Judge mulls new trial for dad in family slayings

By DON BABWIN

11/26/12 09:25 PM

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) -- A judge will decide Tuesday whether an Illinois man convicted of killing his wife and three children deserves a new trial, based in part on claims that the behavior of lawyers next door during Drew Peterson's murder trial made it impossible for the man to get a fair trial. Christopher Vaughn was convicted of fatally shooting his family in their SUV so he could start a new...

Wizards expect Nene to play vs. San Antonio

11/26/12 11:20 AM

Nene’s return to the court for the Wizards has been crucial, given how close Washington has come to victories in its last two games. It’s also been heroic, given how quick he’s gone from spectator to participant after sitting out for more than three months with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. It may grow to legendary if his ridiculous plus-minus trend continues. But there’s a difference...

Baghdad, Kurds trade accusations of troop buildup

By DIAA HADID

11/22/12 05:50 PM

BAGHDAD (AP) -- Baghdad and Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region accused each other Thursday of rushing troops into disputed border regions in the latest flare-up of tensions between the rival governments. This latest flare-up of tensions, triggered by a shoot-out last week between Kurdish guards and Iraqi police, reflects longstanding grievances between the two sides over how to share natural...

Sunday Reflection: Dividing Catholics from their church

By Terence P. Jeffrey

11/22/12 04:10 PM

"Catholicism teaches that it is a sin to use, provide, or otherwise support contraception." These words are not from the Catholic Catechism or a sermon by a Catholic bishop. They are excerpted from the preliminary injunction U.S. District Judge Robert H. Cleland issued last month. It temporarily stopped the Obama administration from forcing a family-owned outdoor power equipment company to...

Judge: Jailed Amish cannot attend Ohio wedding

By THOMAS J. SHEERAN

11/21/12 06:05 PM

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Defendants convicted in beard- and hair-cutting attacks on fellow Amish lost a bid Wednesday to leave jail to attend a family wedding after prosecutors argued they might flee or commit similar attacks while on furlough. U.S. District Court Judge Dan Polster, who presided at the trial of 16 Amish convicted in the attacks, ruled against requests by five of the nine locked-up...

Scalia judges wine

By Jenny Rogers

11/20/12 06:35 PM

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia handed down one of his most important opinions this month -- which sauvignon blanc best pairs with oysters. The justice reprised his role on the jury of Old Ebbitt Grill's International Wines for Oysters Competition, in which 140 wines were evaluated from all over the world. No word on if Scalia applied a textualist or intentionalist approach when evaluating...

San Francisco dominates AU

11/20/12 09:25 AM

If the American University basketball team doesn’t look like itself this year, it’s because the Eagles are playing much more zone defense, trying to cover for their primary deficiency – a lack of quickness. Monday night at Bender Arena, the Eagles had no answer – zone or otherwise – for the offense of San Francisco in a 67-53 loss. The Dons (2-1) of the West Coast Conference, who won 20 games...

Judge denies bid for park Nativity displays

By GILLIAN FLACCUS

11/19/12 09:05 PM

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- There is no room for a 60-year-old Nativity display in Santa Monica's showcase park after a federal judge ruled Monday against churches who had sued to keep the tradition alive when atheists stole the show with their own anti-God messages. U.S. District Judge Audrey B. Collins rejected a motion from the Santa Monica Nativity Scenes Committee to allow the religious display...

Mexico's AG dismisses explanation for US shooting

By JUAN DIEGO QUESADA

11/18/12 09:35 PM

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Mexican federal police who ambushed a U.S. Embassy vehicle, wounding two CIA officers, were not investigating a kidnapping in the area, the attorney general's office said Sunday, contradicting the official police explanation of the shooting. The CIA officers were heading down a dirt road to a military installation south of Mexico City on Aug. 24 with a Mexican navy captain...

Public nudity ban eyed in fed-up San Francisco

By LISA LEFF

11/18/12 09:35 PM

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- San Francisco may be getting ready to shed its image as a city where anything goes, including clothing. City lawmakers are scheduled to vote Tuesday on an ordinance that would prohibit nudity in most public places, a blanket ban that represents an escalation of a two-year tiff between a devoted group of men who strut their stuff through the city's famously gay Castro...

D.C. principal accused in parking lot beat-down

11/15/12 08:10 PM

The principal of a District high school and two staff members have been accused of beating up a former co-worker after a homecoming football game. Thelma Jarrett, principal of Calvin Coolidge High School in Northwest Washington, surrendered to D.C. police Thursday morning on a warrant charge of simple assault. Jarrett and two other women, Donna Pixley, 52, and Bridgette V. Stevens, 42, are...

Man accused of dragging girlfriend through a bonfire in Maryland

11/14/12 03:45 PM

A 29-year-old man was arrested after he allegedly dragged his girlfriend through a bonfire in Anne Arundel County, police officials said. Louis Vaden, of no fixed address, was charged with attempted first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault and related charges, court records show. The incident occurred Monday morning in a wooded area behind the 6000 block of Ritchie...

San Francisco Ballet brings energy of dance to the Kennedy Center

By Marie Gullard

11/12/12 11:25 AM

What the Met is to opera the San Francisco Ballet is to dance. And for those who can't get enough of the latter, the Kennedy Center presents six days of unparalleled performances by America's oldest professional ballet company. Founded in 1933, the San Francisco Ballet showcases the art of Classical and Neoclassical dance in two separate productions -- the first, a mixed-repertory program that...

Study: US judges' criminal caseloads vary widely

By FREDERIC J. FROMMER

11/12/12 12:20 AM

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal judges across the nation are shouldering criminal caseloads that vary widely in size, sometimes even among judges in the same courthouse, according to a study released Sunday. The study by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, or TRAC, at Syracuse University found three courthouses where the judge with the largest criminal caseload had sentenced more than...

Ex-deputy accused of sexually abusing Maryland teen gets suspended sentence

11/09/12 01:35 PM

A former Frederick County sheriff's deputy who was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old girl received an 18-month suspended jail sentence at his sentencing on Thursday, The Frederick News-Post reported. Sam Allen Bowman, 47, pleaded guilty to misconduct in office in October. He had also been indicted on three counts of fourth-degree sex offense, but those charges...

Judge: D.C. special-ed buses can leave court supervision

By Abby Hamblin

11/09/12 12:30 PM

The District is ready to regain control of its school bus fleet after 17 years under federal court supervision, a district court judge decided Thursday. Petties v. D.C. was filed in 1995, after it was determined that the buses that transport special education students -- currently 3,500 students on 790 buses -- were not properly maintained or inspected. In April, city officials said they had...

Watchdog group CREW files ethics complaint against Issa over state dinners video

11/08/12 03:25 PM

A watchdog group today filed an ethics complaint against U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa about an online video criticizing President Obama's extravagant spending on state dinners. Meanwhile, it appeared the group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, has backed down from its earlier criticism of the committee's use of social media to tout the video.

Suspension lifted for judge in video beating

By TERRY WALLACE

11/07/12 02:10 AM

DALLAS (AP) -- The Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted its suspension of a South Texas judge shown in a video beating his teenage daughter. Justices had suspended Aransas County Court-at-Law Judge William Adams with pay in November 2011 while the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct investigated the 2004 incident. The commission issued a public warning to Adams on Sept. 6. In its one-page...

Man accused of stabbing roommate surrenders after Examiner profile

11/05/12 08:40 PM

A Prince George's County man who disappeared after he allegedly stabbed his roommate in the head turned himself in after seeing his story featured in The Washington Examiner, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. Elvys Valenzuela, 30, becomes the 49th fugitive whose arrest has been credited to the newspaper since it began the weekly "Most Wanted" feature four years ago. Although a vast...

Lawsuit filed over gambling expansion vote count

By Matt Connolly

11/02/12 07:45 PM

A former Prince George's County Council chairman has filed a lawsuit over how the results of the Maryland ballot question on expanded gambling will be counted. Thomas Dernoga, a Democrat who represented the Laurel area for nine years and who filed the suit on behalf of eight plaintiffs who live near the proposed new casino site at National Harbor, is looking to clarify whether the gambling...

Judge ends case against Britney Spears' parents

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY

11/01/12 09:20 PM

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A judge has dismissed a case by Britney Spears' former confidante that accused the singer's mother of libeling him and accused Spears' caretakers of failing to pay him a portion of her fortune. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Suzanne Bruguera ruled Thursday that an attorney for Sam Lutfi hadn't proven any of his claims in a case that centered on events before the singer's...

Judge voids P.G. master plans after failure to report campaign donations

By Matt Connolly

11/01/12 07:25 PM

Ethical lapses in Prince George's County prompted a judge's decision to void a pair of three-year-old zoning plans. The two master plans, which cover the southern third of the county, were approved by the District Council in 2009 even though no developers applying for rezoning had filed affidavits reporting their donations to council members -- a legal necessity. "The troubling ethical lapses...

Family to appeal judge's ruling in 'Science City' case

10/30/12 06:35 PM

Family members of the former owner of the farm slated to become part of Johns Hopkins University's "Science City" in Germantown plan to file an appeal over a judge's ruling supporting the university. Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Ronald Rubin ruled on Friday that Johns Hopkins University could develop the farm -- which was sold to the college by the late Elizabeth Beall Banks in 1989 to...

In new ad, Biden boasts he is a ‘practicing Catholic’

By GEOFF MULVIHILL KATHY MATHESON

10/29/12 12:55 PM

In a new ad for ‘Catholics for Obama,’ Vice President Joe Biden boasts he is a “practicing Catholic” and explains that Obama’s platform matches his understanding of Catholic doctrine. “As a practicing Catholic like many of you, I was raised in a household where there was absolutely no distinction between the values my mom and dad drilled into us and what I learned from the nuns and priests who...

Thom Loverro: San Francisco's loss could have led to area's gain

By Thom Loverro

10/26/12 08:50 PM

One of the side stories of the 2012 baseball playoffs has been the passionate fans on display at sold-out AT&T Park in San Francisco, considered one of the jewel ballparks in the game. But if Giants owners had their way 20 years ago, there would be no more San Francisco Giants, as they had in deal signed to move the team to St. Petersburg, Fla. If that had happened, it would have set off a...

NJ teens accused of killing girl showed 2 sides

10/24/12 07:00 PM

CLAYTON, N.J. (AP) -- Something struck Toni Fiorella whenever she would see a mother from her hometown drop two teenage sons off at the laundromat to do the family's wash. She didn't know them by name, but they were always respectful. Their mother must be on to something, Fiorella thought. "It's good," she said. "She's making them responsible." Now, authorities say, those same boys are accused...

Secret Service officer accused of sexually assaulting teen

10/24/12 06:05 PM

A U.S. Secret Service officer was arrested on charges he inappropriately touched a 14-year-old female family member. Hector Reynaldo Cuellar, 51, of Woodbridge, who was reportedly part of the vice president's security detail, was charged Monday with three counts of aggravated sexual battery and three counts of taking indecent liberties with a child by a custodian, Prince William County police...

Accused Family Research Council shooter charged with terrorism

10/24/12 05:35 PM

A Herndon man accused of shooting a security guard at the Family Research Council in downtown Washington has been indicted on a series of new charges, including committing an act of terrorism. Floyd Lee Corkins II, 28, becomes the first defendant charged with committing an act of terrorism under the District of Columbia's Anti-Terrorism Act of 2002. The charge is punishable by up to 30 years in...

11-year-old accused in Maine baby death arraigned

By DAVID SHARP

10/22/12 10:45 PM

SKOWHEGAN, Maine (AP) -- The youngest person to be charged with homicide in Maine in at least 30 years -- and possibly ever -- twiddled her fingers, bit her nails and looked down on Monday during her first court appearance. Afterward, her attorney said the manslaughter charge was "too harsh" for someone so young. The girl was charged over the summer at age 10 with juvenile manslaughter in the...

San Diego media baron promotes conservative causes

By ELLIOT SPAGAT

10/21/12 10:40 PM

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The new media barons of America's eighth-largest city are upfront about wanting to use their newspaper to promote their agenda of downtown development and politically conservative causes -- and they are making their points in a brash, bare-knuckle style. Douglas Manchester and his partner John Lynch gave their 143-year-old newspaper a new slogan -- "The World's Greatest...

Boy Scouts 'perversion files' dotted with D.C.-area pedophiles

10/19/12 02:00 PM

The Boy Scouts of America kept files for decades on roughly 5,000 employees, scoutmasters and volunteers nationwide -- including at least 48 in the D.C. area -- that the group thought might be sexually abusing children, according to documents released Thursday. In most cases, the files show, police were contacted, criminal cases went forward and the scoutmaster or volunteer was found guilty of...

Judge throws out charge against cops in U.Md. beating trial

10/17/12 02:25 PM

A judge has dismissed the first-degree assault charges against two Prince George's County police officers accused of beating a University of Maryland student in 2010. Reginald Baker and James Harrison remain charged with second-degree assault and misconduct in office. They are accused of assaulting John McKenna, then 21, following the Maryland men's basketball team's victory over Duke on March...

After debate, Obama misleads Libya questioner about State Dept personnel

10/17/12 01:35 PM

Does President Obama not realize that the person who turned down the requests for extra security in Benghazi testified about her decision before Congress? Or does he just like to impress average Americans with guarded allusions to security and danger? Obama was asked yesterday who made the decision to deny a request for more security for the U.S. diplomats in Libya. The president did not answer...

Syria accused of cluster bomb use in civil war

By KARIN LAUB

10/14/12 11:05 PM

BEIRUT (AP) -- The Syrian regime was accused Sunday of dropping cluster bombs -- indiscriminate scattershot munitions banned by most nations -- in a new sign of desperation and disregard for its own people. The international group Human Rights Watch cited amateur video and testimony from the front lines in making the allegation against the government of President Bashar Assad. Syria and Turkey,...

SNL mocks Biden for being a ‘real world Catholic’

10/14/12 09:10 AM

Saturday Night Live spent most of their debate sketch making fun of Paul Ryan, but they did have a few funny lines about Joe Biden. Biden was predictably portrayed as a lovable buffoon. When asked about his Catholic faith’s teachings on abortion, Biden explained he was a “real world Catholic.” “I accept the teachings of the Catholic Church, but then, like most Catholics I ignore them and do...

22 saved from sinking boat in San Francisco Bay

By JOHN S. MARSHALL

10/13/12 09:25 PM

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Nearly two dozen people who were enjoying a bachelor party on what's billed as San Francisco Bay's only "floating wine tasting room" are OK after their boat hit a shoal near Alcatraz Island and began sinking Friday night, officials said. The 45-foot Neptune hit the shoal around 8:42 p.m. and started taking on water after the impact left a 1-foot gash in the side of the...

Russian judges defend ruling in Pussy Riot trial

By NATALIYA VASILYEVA

10/11/12 11:05 PM

MOSCOW (AP) -- The Russian judges who ruled to keep two of the three Pussy Riot band members behind bars took the unusual step of publicly defending their decision, saying Thursday that it was made independently and without pressure. A panel of three judges at the Moscow City Court on Wednesday upheld a lower court ruling to send Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina to prison for two...

21 accused in NYC of selling meds on Craigslist

By TOM HAYS

10/11/12 11:05 PM

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Craigslist ad offered black-market Percocet pills for sale but warned potential customers: "No LE please." Meaning: No law enforcement. Like that made a difference. The 40-year-old man accused of placing the ad was among 21 people arrested in an attempt by the New York Police Department to make an example out of some of the smallest of small-time drug dealers: students,...

Maryland corrections officer accused of leading double life

10/11/12 05:40 PM

Federal agents have arrested a Maryland corrections officer on immigration charges, accusing him of marrying his sister to fraudulently obtain a green card after he already had been deported once. Marcus Akwecheh Onekon, 44, of Hyattsville, was charged with fraud, unlawful procurement of citizenship and related charges. Erin Julius, a spokeswoman for the Department of Public Safety and...

D.C. CFO defends against accusations

By Liz Farmer

10/10/12 08:05 PM

The District's embattled top financial officer was set to appear before a panel of lawmakers Wednesday night to face tough questioning regarding accusations of mismanagement within his agency that some say has cost taxpayers millions of dollars in tax assessments. Natwar Gandhi was scheduled to testify in the evening, after the D.C. Council committee had taken a five-hour break for the...

Unions accuse Montgomery officials of lying in fight over bargaining rights

By Alan Blinder and Liz Farmer

10/10/12 07:00 PM

The fight between Montgomery County's top political leaders and the police union got uglier Wednesday as the union accused lawmakers of lying in order to strip away the right to bargain management decisions. "The county is throwing out a bunch of allegations and not a single bit of fact," said Marc Zifcak, former president of the county's police union. Montgomery County lawmakers passed a law...

Judge orders curfew for Kwame Brown

10/09/12 06:15 PM

The man who until June was the District government's second-ranking official is now under orders to be home by 11 p.m. each night. Angered by former D.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown's repeated failures to check in with authorities, a federal judge on Tuesday imposed new restrictions, including a curfew, on the disgraced lawmaker while he awaits sentencing on a felony bank fraud charge. "This...

Judge refusing to block doctor's testimony in Montgomery County double murder case

10/09/12 04:30 PM

A judge is refusing to block a doctor's testimony in the case of a man accused in the 2011 deaths of his estranged wife and stepson in Montgomery County, the Associated Press reported. Curtis Lopez, 46, was indicted on two counts of murder, two counts of kidnapping and one count of robbery. He is accused of stabbing and beating 51-year-old Jane McQuain to death in her Germantown apartment. He...

Paula Abdul to be guest judge on 'Dancing with the Stars'

10/09/12 11:00 AM

With two singing judging stints under her belt, Paula Abdul will now lend her judging talents to dancing. The former judge of "American Idol" and "The X-Factor" will stop by "Dancing with the Stars" on Oct. 15 as a guest judge. She will join permanent panelist Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba to critique one night of dances on the all-star cycle of the show.

Woman to file $15m lawsuit in sheriff's deputy rape case

10/08/12 03:05 PM

A D.C. woman will file a $15 million lawsuit against the Prince George's County Sheriff's Department and a law enforcement officer accused of raping her at the county courthouse in Upper Marlboro, her lawyer announced. Deputy Sheriff Lamar McIntyre was indicted in July on 12 counts, including charges of second-degree rape, second-degree sex offense and misconduct in office. In the lawsuit,...

Edsall hints at personnel changes on offense

10/07/12 12:45 AM

While happy and relieved with Maryland’s 19-14 victory over Wake Forest Saturday at Byrd Stadium, Terps coach Randy Edsall was displeased with the play of his offense, suggesting that there could be lineup changes when Maryland (3-2, 1-0) travels to reeling Virginia (2-4, 0-1) next week. With freshmen Andrew Zeller and Mike Madaras starting for the first time, the offensive line struggled....

Judge orders Metro to post controversial ads

By Kytja Weir

10/05/12 05:03 PM

A federal judge ordered late Friday that Metro must post a controversial anti-jihad advertisement in its stations no later than 5 p.m. Monday. U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Judge Rosemary Collyer issued the order after hearing arguments on Thursday as the advertiser sought an injunction against Metro’s delay in running the ads that read: “In Any War Between the Civilized Man...

Catholic activists unleash attack on Obama

10/05/12 10:10 AM

Conservative Catholic activists, facing polls that show President Obama gaining among the famously politically split church community, are striking back at the White House with more than 1 million voter guides that fail the president on seven key religious liberty issues. Angered by Obama's demand that religious facilities provide health insurance that includes abortion services despite their...

Man accused of being Russia agent didn't mingle

By JUAN A. LOZANO

10/04/12 09:25 PM

HOUSTON (AP) -- In his suburban Houston neighborhood, at least, Alexander Fishenko kept a low profile, living well but never mingling with others on his block. All the while, U.S. authorities say, the immigrant from Kazakhstan was leading a plot to funnel cutting-edge military technology to Russia. For the last four years, Fishenko lived with his family in a two-story, four-bedroom home, a...

Judge hears case on proposed jihad ads for Metro

By Kytja Weir

10/04/12 07:55 PM

A federal judge heard arguments Thursday on whether Metro should be allowed to delay a controversial anti-jihad ad, yet declined to make a decision immediately. U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Judge Rosemary Collyer said she planned to issue an order soon in response to an injunction, then write her decision, due to the sensitive timing of the legal battle over the ads. The...

Unhinged: Harper’s Mag accuses Romney of ‘sly’ racist jab at Obama

By DIAA HADID EDITH M. LEDERER

10/04/12 04:25 PM

Mitt Romney “slyly” proved he’s a racist last night while describing his tax plan. Did you notice? No? Anyone? Harper’s Magazine’s Kevin Baker embarrassed himself in accusing Romney of trying to lock down his allegedly-racist base during last night’s debate. “[Obama]didn’t show a spark of anger, even when Romney slyly found a way to call him a boy, comparing Obama’s statements to the sorts of...

Pa. judge blocks photo ID rule for Election Day

By MARC LEVY

10/02/12 09:25 PM

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Pennsylvania voters won't have to show photo identification to cast ballots on Election Day, a judge said Tuesday in a ruling on the state's controversial voter ID law that could help President Barack Obama in a presidential battleground state. Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson delayed Pennsylvania's voter ID requirement from taking effect this election, saying he...

McQueary files defamation suit against Penn State

By MARK SCOLFORO

10/02/12 09:20 PM

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- A former Penn State graduate assistant who complained he saw former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky showering with a young boy on campus and testified at his sex abuse trial sued the university on Tuesday for what he calls defamation and misrepresentation. Mike McQueary's whistle-blower lawsuit claims his treatment by the university since Sandusky was arrested in...

Syrian minister accuses US of stoking 'terrorism'

10/01/12 09:25 PM

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Syria's foreign minister brought his regime's case before the world Monday, accusing the U.S. and its allies of promoting "terrorism" and blaming everyone from neighbors and extremists to the media for escalating the war -- except the Syrian government. Addressing ministers and diplomats from the United Nation's 193 member states as fighting spread in the historic Old...

Deadline nears on judge's Pa. voter ID law ruling

By MARC LEVY

10/01/12 09:21 PM

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- A court-imposed Tuesday deadline is looming for a judge to decide whether Pennsylvania's tough new law requiring voters to show photo identification can remain intact, a ruling that could swing election momentum to Republican candidates now trailing in polls on the state's top-of-the-ticket races. Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson is under a state Supreme Court...

D.C. alcohol board members accuse chair of 'toxic' atmosphere

09/27/12 06:30 PM

Tensions from a District government boardroom spilled into the open on Thursday as the panel's leader sought to keep her job and two of its members accused her of fostering a "toxic" environment. Mayor Vincent Gray earlier this year nominated Ruthanne Miller, the chairwoman of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, to a full term as the city's top alcohol regulator. But during a rowdy session...

Maryland woman accused of driving pick-up truck into husband

09/27/12 05:55 PM

An Anne Arundel County woman was arrested after she intentionally drove her pickup truck into her estranged husband and seriously injured him, police officials said. Patina Morehead, 39, was charged with attempted second-degree murder and first-degree assault, according to the Anne Arundel County Police Department. About 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, police and fire department personnel went to the...

Examiner Local Editorial: EPA accused of illegal human experimentation

By Examiner Editorial

09/27/12 05:05 PM

A federal lawsuit filed last Friday makes shocking allegations that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency engaged in human experimentation that violated its own scientific and ethical standards -- not to mention federal law and the Nuremberg Code. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, accuses the EPA of paying 41 study participants (some elderly or suffering from asthma,...

Judge schedules Kwame Brown hearing for 'violation'

09/26/12 03:50 PM

A federal judge has scheduled a hearing for former D.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown to review an unknown "violation." U.S. District Judge Richard Leon has ordered Brown, who pleaded guilty in June to bank fraud, to appear in court on Oct. 9. In the docket entry announcing the hearing, first reported by the Legal Times, Leon did not detail the circumstances that prompted the session. A...

Obama accused of 'sitting with Iran'

09/26/12 12:25 PM

A group critical of the president's foreign policy has unleased an ad in key swing states accusing President Obama of favoring Iran over Israel, highlighting how U.S. officials didn't storm out of the United Nations this week when Iranian President Ahmadinejad said the Jewish state would be eliminated. The group Let Freedom Ring sent the ads to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin as part...

Brazil judge orders arrest of Google president

By BRADLEY BROOKS

09/25/12 09:15 PM

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) -- A Brazilian judge ordered the arrest of the head of Google's operations in Brazil for failure to remove YouTube videos that attacked a mayoral candidate, which runs counter to the South American nation's strict pre-vote electoral laws. Google said in a Tuesday statement that it rejected the decision by Judge Flavio Peren of Mato Grosso do Sul state, which also included an...

FLASHBACK: President Obama cut funds for Catholic group helping victims of trafficking

By FELICIA FONSECA JACQUES BILLEAUD

09/25/12 02:35 PM

At the Clinton Global Initiative summit today, President Obama vowed to work with faith based organizations to fight human trafficking, which he called “one of the great human rights causes of our time.” But just last year, Obama ended $19 million in federal grants to the U.S. Catholic bishops for a program dedicated to helping trafficking victims. The USCCB’s Migration and Refugee Services...

UK judge says Litvinenko inquest to open in 2013

By JILL LAWLESS

09/20/12 09:15 PM

LONDON (AP) -- A long-awaited inquest into the poisoning death of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko should consider whether Russian authorities were involved, the senior British judge who will oversee it said Thursday. But the U.K. government will not let lawyers for the victim's family and the suspects see a report on alleged links between Litvinenko and British intelligence....

The wines of San Louis Obispo County

By Scott Greenberg

09/19/12 03:20 PM

My son is now on the college tour circuit, looking at schools across the country for admission next fall. One of the schools that has caught his attention is Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, located on the Central Coast of California. Now, normally, having my son 3,000 miles away would give me a bit of heartburn, but when I checked out the school's curriculum online, I discovered something marvelous;...

Judge reinstates contempt charges for Somali woman

By AMY FORLITI

09/18/12 09:25 PM

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- A federal judge in Minnesota reinstated contempt charges Tuesday for a Somali woman who cited religious beliefs when she refused to stand for the court during the first two days of her high-profile terrorism trial last year. Amina Farah Ali was convicted last fall of funneling money to terror group al-Shabab in Somalia, though she claimed she was raising money for charity....

Judge: Police to enforce Ariz. immigration law now

09/18/12 09:25 PM

PHOENIX (AP) -- A judge in Arizona ruled Tuesday that police can immediately start enforcing the most contentious section of the state's immigration law, marking the first time officers can carry out the so-called "show me your papers" provision. The decision by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton is the latest milestone in a two-year legal battle over the requirement. It culminated in a U.S....

Could Usher and Shakira be judges on 'The Voice?'

09/17/12 06:10 PM

To revoling door of singing show judges just never seems to end. After Christina Aguilera hinted she might step away from her spot on "The Voice" this spring, the show went looking for possible replacements. The names? Usher and Shakira. The Hollywood Reporter is saying that deals with both of them are close to singing deals with the show. While no one's departure has been confirmed for the...

Syria accuses Turkey of allowing al-Qaida transit

By ALBERT AJI BASSEM MROUE

09/16/12 10:25 PM

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) -- Syria accused neighboring Turkey Sunday of allowing thousands of Muslim extremists to cross into its territory, as the government and opposition said an explosion killed at least seven and cut off a main road leading south from the capital. In letters to the U.N. Security Council and Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, Syria's Foreign Ministry said Turkey allowed "thousands...

Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban named new 'Idol' judges

By FRAZIER MOORE

09/16/12 09:55 PM

NEW YORK (AP) -- The "American Idol" judges' panel is now complete with the naming of singer-rapper Nicki Minaj and country crooner Keith Urban. The Fox network officially tapped the pair with an announcement Sunday, confirming rumors surrounding them both just hours before the first round of auditions for next season was due to begin in New York. Minaj is getting $12 million for a one-year...

Palace to file criminal complaint over Kate pics

By JILL LAWLESS

09/16/12 09:50 PM

LONDON (AP) -- Lawyers for Britain's royal family will make a criminal complaint against the photographer who took pictures of Prince William's wife Kate sunbathing topless in the south of France, William's office said Sunday. The palace has already launched a civil lawsuit against France's Closer magazine, which published the paparazzi snaps of Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, relaxing during a...

York: Romney will be judged on actions, not coverage

09/13/12 09:05 PM

Salena Zito, a reporter with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, watched Mitt Romney's Wednesday morning news conference from a diner in Wisconsin. Customers paid careful attention to the TV as reporters repeatedly asked Romney if he had made a mistake by criticizing President Obama's handling of the embassy crises in Egypt and Libya. The exchanges left no doubt that Romney's questioners thought he...

Crime History: Mississippi judge, wife killed on orders of Dixie Mafia kingpin

09/13/12 04:25 PM

On this day, Sept. 14, in 1987, Mississippi Judge Vincent Sherry and his politician wife were murdered in a conspiracy that involved the Dixie Mafia and a homosexual lonely hearts scheme. The Dixie Mafia, also known as the "Cornbread Cosa Nostra," operated throughout the South. From inside the Angola prison in Louisiana, members of the Southern mob extorted hundreds of thousands of dollars from...

Crime History: U.S. senator shot, killed by angry judge in duel

09/12/12 07:35 PM

Sen. killed by judge in duel On this day, Sept. 13, in 1859, U.S. Sen. David Broderick of California was shot by California Chief Justice David Terry during a duel in San Francisco. Broderick and Terry had been friends, but they had a falling out when Terry lost his re-election bid because of his pro-slavery views. He blamed Broderick, who opposed the expansion of slavery. Terry challenged...

Hyattsville man accused of stealing 14 purses in Manassas

09/12/12 04:21 PM

A Hyattsville man is accused of stealing 14 purses from his former roommate, police said. A warrant for burglary with intent to commit larceny has been obtained for 26-year-old Michael Ezzo, Manassas police said. He has been arrested in an unrelated case in Prince William County. On Sept. 5, a Manassas police officer went to the Giant at 8819 Centreville Road, where a gym bag containing 14...

Salvadoran accused in 1989 killings admits US lies

By DENISE LAVOIE

09/12/12 04:20 PM

BOSTON (AP) -- A former El Salvadoran military official accused of colluding in the 1989 slayings of six Jesuit priests admitted Tuesday that he lied to U.S. immigration officials, a guilty plea that could allow him to be extradited to Spain for prosecution in the killings. Inocente Orlando Montano was among 20 Salvadorans indicted in Spain last year for their alleged roles in the killings...

'Titanic' effects maker files for Chapter 11

By

09/12/12 04:15 PM

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) -- Less than a year after going public, the digital production company founded by director James Cameron has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and agreed to sell the core of its business to a private investment firm for $15 million. Digital Domain Media Group Inc., best known for its work on Cameron's "Titanic," has produced visual effects for more than 90...

Randy Jackson back as 'Idol' judge

09/11/12 06:15 PM

Well that didn't last long. As was reported a few weeks back, "American Idol" decided to lessen longtime judge Randy Jackson's role in the show next season. Jackson would make the move to be more of a mentor rather than a judge. But with Mariah Carey being the only set judge for the new season, "Idol" decided to bring Jackson back as a judge. The move came after talks with potential judge...

Rahm denies scurrilous accusation that he likes Nickelback

09/11/12 05:04 PM

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel disavowed any affection for the music by Canadian rock band Nickelback, in response to a striking teacher's placard alleging the contrary. "No," Emanuel spokeswoman Torah Cooper replied when asked by the local RedEye if Emanuel likes the band. Nickelback was not immediately available for comment.

Maryland man accused in Aruba disappearance sued over $1.5m insurance policy

09/10/12 06:00 PM

The Montgomery County man suspected in the disappearance of his vacation partner in Aruba is being sued by the company that issued him an insurance policy covering his companion's life. Robyn Gardner, of Frederick, was reported missing on Aug. 2, 2011. She was 35 at the time. Her vacation partner, Gary Giordano, was detained by authorities in Aruba for several months but was released in...

Maryland man accused in Aruba disappearance sued over insurance policy

09/10/12 01:10 PM

The Montgomery County man suspected in the disapperance of his vacation partner in Aruba is being sued by the company that issued him an insurance policy covering his companion's life. Robyn Gardner, of Frederick, was reported missing on Aug. 2, 2011. Her vacation partner, Gary Giordano, was detained by authorities in Aruba for several months but was later released. Giordano has denied any...

Ex-candidate quits Mexico's main leftist party

By JUAN DIEGO QUESADA

09/09/12 10:30 PM

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- The man who led Mexico's main leftist party in the past two presidential elections announced Sunday he is leaving it behind and may start a new party, throwing uncertainty over the future of the nation's political left. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told supporters at a rally at Mexico City's main plaza that he is leaving the Democratic Revolution Party "on the best of terms."...

Ohio Dem accuses Jewish Republican of being “candidate of the big lie”

09/09/12 10:10 AM

Senator Sherrod Brown’s campaign issued a new attack ad Friday against his rival, Republican Josh Mandel. In it, the Ohio Democrat accuses Mandel of using the “big lie” strategy in his campaign. The term “big lie” was coined by Adolf Hitler and is commonly associated with Nazi propaganda. Mandel is Jewish. The ad states: “Josh Mandel: He has become the candidate of the big lie.” It cites a...

To judge from his schedule, Obama has given up on North Carolina

09/07/12 06:30 PM

President Obama, aside from his appearance at the Democratic National Convention, has not campaigned in North Carolina since April of this year. “I don’t have a scheduling update for you on that or any specific announcements to make,” Obama for America spokeswoman Jen Psaki said when asked if Obama would campaign in North Carolina any time soon. The reporter who asked the question said “I think...

Obama’s puzzling personnel choices

By Michael Barone

09/07/12 02:50 PM

Chicago Mayor and former Obama Chief of Staff Emanuel has resigned his position as honorary co-chairman of the president’s reelection campaign to lead the fundraising effort for the pro-Obama superPAC Priorities USA. Technically, this was not Barack Obama’s choice, since the superPAC is supposed to be independent of the reelection campaign, but who can doubt that he either approved or ordered...

Are the 'Idol' judges set?

09/07/12 10:45 AM

Have weeks and weeks of speculation finally come to an end? With Mariah Carey already set to join the "American Idol" judging panel, many names have been thrown out as her potential fellow judges. According to sources, Fox has settled on the three that will join Carey on the singing competition show -- Nikki Minaj, Keith Urban and Enrique Iglesias. Chances are these rumors are true, as...

Mo. bishop convicted for failing to report priest

By BILL DRAPER

09/06/12 10:35 PM

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The first American bishop criminally charged in the clergy sex abuse scandal was found guilty Thursday of a misdemeanor count of failing to report suspected child abuse, a conviction that extends the struggle of Roman Catholic leaders to restore trust in the church. Bishop Robert Finn was acquitted on a second count. He received two years of probation, but that sentence...

Judge upholds Arizona anti-card check law

09/06/12 07:05 PM

Federal district court Judge Frederick Martone dismissed a challenge Wednesday to an Arizona law which only allows workplace organizing through a federally monitored secret ballot election. The case was filed against the state by the National Labor Relations Board. The ruling was a defeat for organized labor because it furthered opened the door for other states to adopt laws that would prevent...

Bill Clinton: Please don’t judge Obama by the standards he set

By JACQUES BILLEAUD WALTER BERRY

09/06/12 03:55 AM

CHARLOTTE — Campaigning in 2008, Barack Obama set the very highest goals for his presidency. He would not only bring about economic recovery, he would lay the foundation for a new economy, bring Americans together, reduce the rancor of political debate, and even slow the rise of the oceans. Now, as he runs for re-election, Obama is caught in a trap of his own making: Many Americans...

French judges to exhume Arafat body in West Bank

By MOHAMMED DARAGHMEH

09/06/12 12:50 AM

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) -- The widow of Yasser Arafat said Wednesday that French investigators will soon visit the West Bank to dig up the remains of her husband in hopes of determining what killed the longtime Palestinian leader eight years ago. Palestinian officials welcomed the investigation, saying the French team could begin work within days. But some also privately expressed misgivings...

Judge OKs contentious part of Ariz immigration law

09/06/12 12:35 AM

PHOENIX (AP) -- A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Arizona authorities can enforce the most contentious section of the state's immigration law, which critics have dubbed the "show me your papers" provision. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton clears the way for police to carry out the 2010 law's requirement that officers, while enforcing other laws, question the immigration status...

The San Francisco International Wine Competition

By Scott Greenberg

09/05/12 03:05 PM

Some people have all the luck. For three days each June, I am one lucky guy. I have the privilege of swirling, swishing, sniffing, tasting and -- most importantly -- spitting more than 400 wines during the three days of judging the 32nd annual San Francisco International Wine Competition. The competition, the brainchild of wine guru and publisher Anthony Dias Blue, is unique because the...

Judge orders sex change for Mass. murder convict

By DENISE LAVOIE

09/04/12 11:15 PM

BOSTON (AP) -- A federal judge on Tuesday ordered state prison officials to provide a taxpayer-funded sex-reassignment surgery to a transgender inmate serving life in prison for murder. U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf ruled in the case of Michelle Kosilek, who was born as a man but has received hormone treatments and lives as a woman in an all-male prison. Robert Kosilek was convicted of murder...

Judge considers evidence in 2-year-old foster child murder

By Ben Giles

09/04/12 07:50 PM

Defense attorneys argued Tuesday that a confession given by a 12-year-old boy, whom Prince George's County police charged with second-degree murder in the beating death of his 2-year-old foster sister, should be removed as evidence in the county's case against him. Attorney Raouf Abdullah said the teen was interrogated by detectives without the permission of his mother, father or grandmother,...

Philadelphia trial of priest, ex-teacher postponed

By

09/04/12 11:35 AM

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- The Philadelphia rape trial of a Roman Catholic priest and a former Catholic school teacher has been postponed after a lawyer in the case had a death in the family. The Rev. Charles Engelhardt and Bernard Shero are due back in court Friday to get a new trial date. Their case has been severed from the high-profile trial earlier this year of a church official charged over his...

Man arrested, accused of soliciting sex from Bethesda girl

09/01/12 03:40 PM

A Falls Church man has been arrested for soliciting sex from a 12-year-old Bethesda girl, police said. Nathan Samuel Portnoy, 23, was arrested on a warrant charging him with first-degree assault, kidnapping of a child under 16, and sexual solicitation of a minor, according to Montgomery County police. He was in custody in Virginia on Friday, pending extradition to Montgomery County. For about...

Randy Jackson out as 'Idol' judge

08/31/12 11:25 AM

And then there were none? TMZ reported late Thursday that Randy Jackson would be stepping aside as a judge on "American Idol," leaving none of the originial judges on the show. Jackson won't be leave the show totally -- he will be staying on in a mentoring role. As for who will be joining Mariah Carey as judges on the new season, nothing is confirmed, but sources tell the gossip site that...

Fort Hood shooting suspect explains beard to judge

08/30/12 03:20 PM

FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) -- The Army psychiatrist charged in the deadly Fort Hood shooting rampage told a judge Thursday that he grew a beard because his Muslim faith requires it, not as a show of disrespect. Speaking in court for the first time since showing up with a beard in violation of Army regulations in June, Maj. Nidal Hasan responded to Col. Gregory Gross when the judge asked why he had...

Catholic University student mugged near campus

08/30/12 12:30 PM

D.C. police are investigating an assault and robbery of a female Catholic University near the campus in Northeast Washington, school officials said. Shortly after 11 p.m. Monday, the student got out of her vehicle in the 700 block of Lawrence Street NE, and was approached from behind, grabbed by the neck and had her head slammed against the vehicle. The victim fell to the ground, the suspect...

NRA cheers 'Catholic deerhunter' Ryan

08/29/12 03:45 PM

TAMPA, Fla. - They've been able to temper even the small efforts by the administration to target guns, but the National Rifle Association is rallying its members and political officials at the Republican National Convention around worries that President Obama will use a second term to unleash a rash of gun control laws. "We see him as the most anti-gun president in modern times," NRA President...

Mom: Boy accused of killing NY girl wasn't in home

By

08/28/12 11:40 PM

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (AP) -- The teenager charged with killing a 5-year-old girl then dumping her body in a garbage can wasn't around when the little girl's mother dropped her off with a relative while the mother went to work. Crystal Walker told WIVB-TV that she knew John Freeman as a "mooch" who would frequently come and go from Walker's grandmother's house in Niagara Falls. She asked her...

Judge: Smart meter installations can continue in D.C. cabs

08/27/12 08:25 PM

A D.C. judge ruled Monday that the installations of smart meters in the city's 6,500 taxicabs can proceed while an appeals board considers protests against the $35 million deal, dashing the hopes of two companies that wanted to stop the contract temporarily. Creative Mobile Technologies filed suit last week to try to bar the city from insisting its taxi drivers install the smart meters, which...

15-year-old accused of shooting fellow student at Baltimore County school

08/27/12 03:45 PM

A student was shot at Perry Hall High School in Baltimore County on Monday morning, and officials said another student is in custody. The incident happened at about 10:45 a.m. in the school cafeteria, according to the Baltimore County Police Department. The 17-year-old boy who was shot was flown to a trauma center in serious condition. Shortly after the shooting, police apprehended a suspect: a...

Va. woman who runs daycare accused of abusing 4-year-old girl

08/27/12 03:30 PM

A woman who runs a licensed daycare out of her Woodbridge home was arrested after she put a 4-year-old girl in a unlit utility closet with her hands tied behind her back as a form of discipline, police said. Valerie Hjort, 56, was charged with abduction and abuse & neglect of children, according to Prince William County police. She was being held Monday without bond. The incident occurred...

D.C. official accused of conflict of interest

08/26/12 05:30 PM

An advisory neighborhood commissioner voted to support three resolutions that pressed the D.C. government to lower the tax bill for a building whose tenants group she leads, spurring a complaint that she might have violated the city's conflict of interest rules. Along with serving in elected office in Ward 1, Yasmin Romero-Castillo is president of the 3145 Mt. Pleasant St. Tenants' Association....

Ficker files suit over energy tax petition

08/24/12 12:20 PM

Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett abused his authority when he decided not to give the Board of Elections a petition challenging the county's authority to increase the energy tax, local activist Robin Ficker argued in a lawsuit filed in Montgomery County Circuit Court. Ficker submitted 14,500 signatures to put on the November ballot a requirement that the County Council unanimously...

Mexican judge cuts ammo charge against US trucker

By JUAN CARLOS LLORCA

08/23/12 09:20 PM

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP) -- A Mexican appeals judge on Thursday significantly lessened the charge against a Dallas truck driver who says he made a wrong turn into Mexico with a trailer full of ammunition, a decision his attorney said may result in a fine or community service instead of a potential 30-year prison sentence. Jabin Bogan, who has been held in a maximum security prison in Veracruz...

Maryland man accused of 'joker' threat released to parents' custody

08/22/12 11:10 AM

A 28-year-old Maryland man accused of calling himself a "joker" and threatening to shoot up his Prince George's County workplace has been released from the facility where underwent treatment, according to media reports. Neil Prescott, of Crofton, was released from commitment Tuesday, court records show. He is charged with one count of misdemeanor telephone misuse, and a court proceeding is...

Campaign Roundup: 'I’m a Catholic deer hunter who clings to guns'

08/21/12 04:21 PM

Mitt Romney: Romney Touts Cash Advantage Over Obama Romney, Obama Open Up About Religious Views Scott Walker to campaign for Romney in Michigan President Obama: Obama hits Romney as elitist, out of touch on education policy Obama Campaign Will Blast Email from Sandra Fluke About Akin Comments Obama puts another Bain alum in his budget office Madeleine Albright campaigns for Obama: We’re going...

Paul Ryan: I’m a Catholic deer hunter who clings to guns and religion

08/21/12 01:20 PM

During a campaign rally in Pennsylvania today, Paul Ryan reminded a group of voters of President Obama’s 2008 comment about “clinging to guns and religion.” “Hey, I’m a Catholic deer hunter,” Ryan said. “I’m happy to be clinging to my guns and my religion.

Is Nicki the next 'AI' judge?

08/20/12 09:45 PM

The latest person said to be in talks to join "American Idol" as a judge is pop star Nicki Minaj. The "Starship" singer could be the next big name to join Mariah Carey on the reality singing competition. According to Us Weekly, Nicki, 29, will definitely sign on to judge. "I'm not sure the deal is completely done yet, but yes, she is definitely doing it," an insider told the mag. "A few more...

Obama: ‘Nobody accused Mr. Romney of being a felon’

08/20/12 03:20 PM

“Nobody accused Mr. Romney of being a felon,” President Obama said during a rare conversation with the White House press corps today. Obama was defending his campaign from charges that he is being too negative. “We point out sharp differences between the candidates, but we don’t go out of bounds,” he added. Obama’s campaign spokeswoman raised the possibility that Romney committed a felony on...

Judge won't halt Pa. voter identification law

By MARC LEVY

08/16/12 09:40 PM

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- A tough new voter identification law championed by Republicans can take effect in Pennsylvania for November's presidential election, a judge ruled Wednesday, despite a torrent of criticism that it will suppress votes among President Barack Obama's supporters and make it harder for the elderly, disabled, poor and young adults to vote. Commonwealth Court Judge Robert...

Mental evaluation ordered for accused Family Research Council shooter

By Aubrey Whelan

08/16/12 04:55 PM

The Herndon man charged in Wednesday's shooting at the conservative Family Research Council appeared in D.C. federal court for the first time Thursday afternoon, where a judge ordered him to undergo a mental evaluation. Floyd Lee Corkins II is charged with transporting a firearm and ammunition across state lines, a federal charge, and assault with intent to kill while armed, a D.C. charge....

The Democrats’ bloody flag: Accusing Republicans of reinstituting slavery

08/15/12 11:50 AM

One defense of Joe Biden today is: There’s no way his charge that Republicans will “put y’all back in chains” was a race card, because it would be absurd to equate repeal of Dodd-Frank to chattel slavery. Yes, it would be absurd. And it’s exactly the sort of thing Democrats often do. Here’s Democratic congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. saying defense of the 10th Amendment is defense of slavery....

Judge halts transfer of Potomac farmland to soccer group

08/14/12 08:15 PM

The 20-acre farm in Potomac that Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett wants to turn into soccer fields will remain a farm, at least for now. The transfer of the land on Brickyard Road from an organic farm that has a license to use the site to a youth soccer league was halted Tuesday in Montgomery County Circuit Court. Judge Robert Greenberg granted a stay while Nick Maravell, owner of Nick's...

D.C.-area women accused of trying to dupe Atlanta police

08/14/12 07:20 PM

Two D.C.-area women tried to rip off the wrong people, police say. Atlanta police say the two women were involved in a bizarre plot to steal personal information from police and fire department personnel. Cintia Ximena Pedone-Allou, 30, of Beltsville, and Dawnetta Patrice Underwood, 23, of Laurel, were arrested Friday on charges of identity theft and racketeering. Police said Pedone and...

Sunday Reflection: Tough times, but also hope for the American Catholic Church

By William E. Simon Jr.

08/14/12 04:45 PM

A recent New York Times article began on a familiar note: "It is not a good time for the Roman Catholic Church in America." The list of problems is all too familiar: sex abuse scandals, school closings, financial shortfalls, and a decrease in priestly and religious vocations. In addition, attendance at weekly Mass has dipped across the country. Many young people raised as Catholics are leaving...

Judge: Anti-abortion activist will face jury

By ROXANA HEGEMAN

08/12/12 10:40 PM

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) -- An anti-abortion activist accused of threatening a Wichita doctor who was training to offer abortions will have to face a jury after failing to show the issue is so incendiary that jurors cannot impartially decide her case, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten granted the government's belated request for a jury trial against Angel Dillard....

Roman Coppola and W Washington partner for screenwriting contest

08/12/12 05:00 PM

Director and screenwriter Roman Coppola is behind an ongoing screenwriting competition that will end with one of the winning shorts to be filmed at the W Hotel in Washington this October. The "Four Stories" contest will pick scripts from three aspiring screenwriters (a fourth will be written and directed by Coppola) and film them at W Hotels all around the world. Besides Washington, W Mexico...

Woman accused of embezzlement stole from Hurricane Katrina victims

08/12/12 04:15 PM

A woman accused of embezzling $100,000 from a D.C. women's shelter was previously convicted of stealing more than $78,000 from victims of Hurricane Katrina. Latarsha N. Small got her job as an accounting manager at My Sister's Place less than a year after getting out of prison for theft from the Katrina charity. She began stealing from her new employer within weeks, according to court papers....

Man at N.Va. daycare charged with molesting girl

By Aubrey Whelan

08/10/12 07:40 PM

A man who lived on the premises of an Annandale home day care has been arrested for allegedly molesting a girl, and police are investigating whether he victimized other children who attended the facility. Elwood Lewis "Louie" Thomas, 28, was arrested June 7 and charged with two counts .o aggravated sexual battery, according to Fairfax County police. In April, a now-14-year-old girl reported...

Man arrested for molesting girl at Fairfax County daycare

08/10/12 12:55 PM

A man who lived on the premises of an Annandale home daycare was arrested for inappropriately touching a girl, and police are investigating whether he molested other children who attended the facility. Elwood Lewis "Louie" Thomas, 28, was arrested June 7 and charged with two counts of aggravated sexual battery, according to Fairfax County police. In April, a now 14-year-old girl reported that...

New charges filed in nuclear weapons plant breach

By ERIK SCHELZIG

08/09/12 11:10 PM

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A federal grand jury toughened the charges against three anti-war protesters who authorities say cut their way through three security fences and spray-painted slogans on the walls of a nuclear weapons plant in Tennessee. An indictment released Thursday in Knoxville charges an 82-year-old Roman Catholic nun with Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus, a gardener and a...

Romney is the problem, not his personnel

By Philip Klein

08/09/12 01:45 PM

Yesterday, Mitt Romney’s spokesperson Andrea Saul created an uproar when she touted Romneycare while pushing back against an Obama-allied super PAC’s “Romney killed my wife with cancer” ad. A lot of conservatives piled on Saul, with Ann Coulter calling for her to be fired. Matt Lewis wrote a broader post questioning Romney’s personnel choices, and noting that Saul once worked for Charlie Crist,...

Is 'Idol' courting Diddy for a judging spot?

08/09/12 11:25 AM

So many names have been tossed around as potential fillers for the empty judging seat on "American Idol." From Nick Jonas to Brad Paisley and even Snoop Dogg, a wide variety of people have been rumored to be on their way to joining Randy Jackson and new judge Mariah Carey. The newest name being thrown around? Diddy. Page Six is reporting that the show's producers have asked the rap mogul to...

Church wants to reassign Mexico activist priest

By MARK STEVENSON

08/08/12 07:40 PM

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- A crusading Roman Catholic priest who has defied drug cartels and corrupt police to protect Central American migrants said Wednesday that church authorities are trying to smother his activist work with migrants by assigning him to parish duties. The Rev. Alejandro Solalinde has become well known in Mexico after enduring death threats for publicly denouncing drug gangs and...

D.C. police captain files whistleblower suit

08/08/12 06:05 PM

A D.C. police captain who was demoted after he publicly contradicted Chief Cathy Lanier's statements about police escorts for celebrities has filed a whistleblower lawsuit. Hilton Burton is suing the city, Lanier and two assistant police chiefs. He is seeking millions in compensatory and punitive damages. In April 2011, the Metropolitan Police Department performed a police escort for Charlie...

Napolitano accused of double-dealing after DHS levies $15M fine for towing a rig

08/08/12 05:50 PM

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officials fined a natural gas exploration company $15 million for towing a rig to Alaska, prompting the company to accuse Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano of double-dealing in a legal complaint. “Secretary Napolitano’s denial of a waiver was arbitrary and capricious,” Furie Operating Alaska LLC told a federal judge. The complaint springs from DHS’s...

Former University of Maryland student accused of threatening campus violence pleads guilty

08/07/12 05:20 PM

A former University of Maryland student who posted comments threatening violence on the campus has pleaded guilty, according to the Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office. Alexander Song pleaded guilty Tuesday to misuse of telephone facilities and disturbing the peace at a school or college. His sentencing date has not yet been determined. Police have said they believe Song, who was a...

Judge lets stand convictions in shocking '84 killing

08/06/12 08:30 PM

A D.C. judge has denied an attempt to vacate the convictions in the 1984 Catherine Fuller gang-rape and murder that shocked the city. D.C. Superior Court Judge Frederick Weisberg ordered a review of the case after defense attorney said they found information that could have prevented the convictions. The unusual hearing to re-examine the case lasted several weeks in April and May. The...

Crime History: Judge abducted from courtroom, killed along with three inmates

08/06/12 04:20 PM

On this day, Aug. 7, in 1970, California Judge Harold Haley was abducted and killed with three others during a prisoner escape attempt. Haley, 65, was presiding over the trial of James McClain, accused of stabbing a San Quentin prison guard while serving a sentence for burglary. Jonathan Jackson, 17, snuck guns into Haley's courtroom in Marin County and freed McClain and two other San Quentin...

Judge upholds convictions in high-profile 1984 gang rape, murder case

08/06/12 03:50 PM

A D.C. judge had denied petitions to vacate the convictions in the 1984 Catherine Fuller rape and murder that shocked the city. D.C. Superior Court Judge Frederick Weisberg found that the case relied mostly on the testimony of the witnesses and defendants, which he found credible. "Having heard the 'new' evidence, the court is convinced that the totality of evidence pointing to the guilty of...

Pelosi: Harry Reid’s accusation against Romney is ‘true’ and ‘a fact’

08/06/12 12:00 PM

Rep. Nancy Pelosi D-Calif. is backing up Sen. Harry Reid D-Nev. baseless accusation that Mitt Romney hasn’t paid taxes for ten years. “Harry Reid made a statement that is true. Somebody told him. It is a fact,” Pelosi told The Huffington Post in a Sunday interview. “Whether he did or not can easily be disposed of: Mitt Romney can release his tax returns and show whether he paid taxes.”...

Report: Boy Scout files reveal repeat child abuse

By

08/05/12 09:05 PM

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Internal documents from the Boy Scouts of America reveal more than 125 cases in which men suspected of molestation allegedly continued to abuse Scouts, despite a blacklist meant to protect boys from sexual predators. A Los Angeles Times review (http://lat.ms/OT9zx5) of more than 1,200 files from 1970 to 1991 found suspected abusers regularly remained in the organization...

Romney: ‘It’s time for Harry to put up or shut up’ on tax accusations

08/03/12 08:10 AM

Speaking with Sean Hannity yesterday, Mitt Romney explained that Sen. Harry Reid D-Nev. was wrong to accuse him of not paying taxes without any evidence. “Well, it’s time for Harry to put up or shut up,” Romney said frankly. “Harry’s going to have to describe who it is he spoke with because of course, that’s totally and completely wrong.” Later Romney added, “It’s untrue, dishonest, and...

Judge: No mistrial in Drew Peterson murder case

By DON BABWIN

08/02/12 09:35 PM

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) -- A judge said Thursday that he believed Drew Peterson could receive a fair trial in his murder case, but not before chiding prosecutors for entering inadmissible evidence and criticizing them in front of jurors. Testimony resumed with several paramedics and a locksmith shortly after the resolution of the in-court legal drama, which came close to ending the high-profile trial...

Syrian rebels accused of executions, other abuses

By ZEINA KARAM

08/02/12 09:31 PM

BEIRUT (AP) -- The unsteady, hand-held video shows several bloodied prisoners, one in boxer shorts, being led into a noisy outdoor crowd and placed against a wall. The prisoners crouch and seem to avert their eyes as men carrying assault rifles shout slogans and take aim. The gunfire lasts for more than 30 seconds. The international community has accused Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces...

Judge punishes Virginia woman for daughter's chalk drawings

08/02/12 04:55 PM

A Virginia mother was ordered to perform community service after her young daughter drew with chalk on rocks at a park. Susan Mortensen, 29, of Richmond, who was charged with vandalism in March, agreed to perform 50 hours of community service work for the James River Park System. She will have to weed around fence posts, scrape the paint off and repaint them, reports WWBT. A police officer...

Judge puts off ruling on mistrial in Peterson case

By MICHAEL TARM

08/02/12 12:21 AM

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) -- The judge in the Drew Peterson murder trial has adjourned early and delayed a decision on declaring a mistrial. A legal drama erupted Wednesday after a state witness let slip testimony that defense lawyers claim irreparably tainted jurors. Instead of ruling immediately on the defense's mistrial motion, the judge granted a request to let Peterson's lawyers think through the...

Maryland man accused of mass shooting plot charged with misdemeanor

08/01/12 05:55 PM

The Crofton man taken into custody last week by authorities -- who found him to be heavily armed and said he might have been planning a Colorado-style mass shooting -- was charged Wednesday with one count of misdemeanor telephone misuse. Authorities said Neil Prescott, 28, called himself "a joker" and threatened to shoot up his workplace. But Maryland prosecutors on Wednesday announced a single...

Utah senator files D.C. abortion limits as amendment to cybersecurity bill

08/01/12 05:30 PM

The House might have voted down a proposal to ban abortions in the District after a woman's 20th week of pregnancy, but a Utah senator wants to attach a similar measure to a cybersecurity bill making its way through the Senate. Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican, had introduced legislation that would bar abortions in the District after the 20-week mark because, abortion opponents say, fetuses can feel...

Democrats and the non-accusation accusation

By Philip Klein

07/31/12 06:40 PM

This summer, Democrats have been increasingly willing to float unfounded accusations against Mitt Romney in order to promote them. We’ve seen this, for instance, with Obama campaign senior adviser Robert Gibbs suggesting that “nobody knows” whether Romney is a tax cheat. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has taken the non-accusation accusation to a new level today. The Huffington Post...

Man accused of stabbing his mother in Anne Arundel County

07/31/12 03:20 PM

A 21-year-old man accused of stabbing his mother in Anne Arundel County was taken into custody Tuesday morning, officials said. Officers arrested James Arthur Zito at about 11:15 a.m. in the area of the Glen Burnie Mall. He was then taken to a hospital for treatment, according to the Anne Arundel County Police Department. Police would not disclose the reason for his hospitalization. About 7:30...

Judge says Arizona's abortion ban can take effect

By JACQUES BILLEAUD

07/30/12 09:20 PM

PHOENIX (AP) -- Arizona's ban on abortions starting at 20 weeks of pregnancy is poised to take effect this week as scheduled after a federal judge ruled Monday that the new law is constitutional. U.S. District Judge James Teilborg said the statute may prompt a few pregnant women who are considering abortion to make the decision earlier. But he said the law is constitutional because it doesn't...

Catholic confab looks beyond the gaffes

By Hugh Hewitt

07/29/12 05:05 PM

Here in the heart of America's wine industry, the Napa Institute brings together a few hundred Catholics in the company of many of the faith's senior prelates and a raft of the country's Catholic public intellectuals. The beautiful Meritage Resort is full, and the winery tours and golf are wedged in between various seminars, keynote addresses and a Mass schedule designed to please even the most...

Suspect falsely accused in Atlanta Olympic Park bombing

By Jacob Demmitt

07/29/12 03:55 PM

On this day, July 30, in 1996, media outlets began reporting Richard Jewell was the focus of a federal investigation into a bombing that had taken place days earlier at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He was later cleared of all wrongdoing but claimed his reputation was forever tarnished by the coverage. Jewell was a security guard who first saw a suspicious backpack in Centennial Olympic Park...

Judge blocks contraception mandate in religious liberty lawsuit

07/28/12 01:05 PM

A federal judge in Colorado relieved a private company owned by Roman Catholics of the requirement to provide employees with contraception, pending further litigation of the contraception mandate. “A preliminary injunction is an extraordinary remedy; accordingly, the right to relief must be clear and unequivocal,” Judge John Kane — an appointee of President Jimmy Carter’s — wrote as he...

Austria church mounts billboard search for priests

By GEORGE JAHN

07/24/12 09:25 PM

VIENNA (AP) -- European men take note. While unemployment is growing in much of the continent, a powerful international organization is now advertising vacancies in Austria for hundreds of white-collar jobs. Requirements: a sense of religious mission and a commitment to celibacy. Benefits: a possible inside track to Heaven. Seeking to repopulate its thinning clerical ranks, the Roman Catholic...

Romney accuses Obama of classified material leaks

By The Associated Press

07/24/12 11:39 AM

RENO, Nev. -- Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is accusing President Barack Obama of leaking for political gain classified details of the raid that killed al-Qaida terrorist leader Osama bin Laden. Romney was to make the accusation Tuesday afternoon during an address to the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Reno, Nev. In excerpts of the speech released by his campaign, Romney...

Judge rejects signatures in police union ballot drive

07/20/12 07:30 PM

Fraternal Order of Police appeals decision A Montgomery County Circuit Court judge rejected the county police union's attempt to restore its full collective bargaining rights through a measure on the November ballot. The Fraternal Order of Police has appealed. The union submitted 40,800 signatures to the Montgomery County Board of Elections challenging county legislation that revoked the...

Judge gives OK to raze flawed Vegas hotel tower

By

07/19/12 09:40 PM

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- A Nevada state judge gave the go-ahead Thursday for casino giant MGM Resorts International to implode a flawed hotel tower that was partially built but never opened as the centerpiece of the glittering $8.5 billion CityCenter project on the Las Vegas Strip. Clark County District Court Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez's pretrial ruling sounded a death knell for the 26-story Harmon...

D.C. cops accused of confiscating prostitutes' condoms

07/19/12 05:30 PM

D.C. police have targeted condom possession during stops of suspected prostitutes and confiscated condoms on some occasions, according to a Human Rights Watch report released Thursday. Megan McLemore, a researcher with the human rights group, said the organization found police interference with condoms in six of the seven D.C. police districts. "It's not happening every day, but it's happening...

Contraception mandate unites Protestants and Catholics in new lawsuit

07/18/12 02:15 PM

Wheaton College, an evangelical Christian school in Illinois, joined a lawsuit filed by The Catholic University of America against President Obama’s mandate that insurance policies provide free contraception. “This mandate is not just a Catholic issue—it threatens people of all faiths,” said Kyle Duncan, a spokesman for The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which is representing Wheaton....

Accused Ala. bar gunman charged in 2nd shooting

By JAY REEVES JEFF MARTIN

07/17/12 09:50 PM

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -- A gunman stood outside of a crowded downtown bar and opened fire from two different positions early Tuesday, sending patrons running or crawling for cover in a chaotic and bloody scene. At least 17 people were hurt as bullets ricocheted and glass shards and brick chunks fell around the nightclub. Nathan Van Wilkins, 44, surrendered about 10 hours after the 12:30 a.m....

Romney accuses Obama of insulting business leaders

By The Associated Press

07/17/12 05:55 PM

IRWIN, Pa. -- Republican Mitt Romney intensified his criticism of President Barack Obama on Tuesday, accusing the Democrat of insulting business leaders. A key Romney supporter questioned Obama's patriotism. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee is trying shift attention away from his business record and his tax returns with a fresh assault as Obama, anxious about losing his...

Report: P.G. man accused of raping student pleads guilty to lesser charges

07/17/12 02:40 PM

A 26-year-old Prince George's County man who was charged with raping a university student in Pennsylvania has pleaded guilty to lesser crimes, the Associated Press reported. Harold Stanback Jr., of Capitol Heights, pleaded guilty Monday to open lewdness and harassment instead of facing a trial for rape and other charges, according to the AP. He was sentenced to one year probation and fined...

Russia accuses West of blackmail on Syria plans

By JIM HEINTZ

07/16/12 09:35 PM

MOSCOW (AP) -- Russia on Monday accused the West of effectively using blackmail to secure a new U.N. Security Council resolution that threatens sanctions and could open the door for possible future use of military force to end Syria's civil war. The Security Council is deeply divided over a new resolution on Syria as international envoy Kofi Annan's plan for halting the fighting appears dead...

Union files objection to Hawker Beechcraft deal

By ROXANA HEGEMAN

07/16/12 09:30 PM

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) -- Hawker Beechcraft efforts to enter into exclusive talks with a Chinese firm for the $1.79 billion sale of its civilian aircraft operations ran into opposition Monday in bankruptcy court from its machinists union amid fears about the deal's impact on national security as well as worker pensions. A motion filed Monday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York by the International...

Judge backs ouster of MWAA board member

07/16/12 07:30 PM

A Fairfax judge sided with Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell in his effort to oust a union executive from the region's airports board. Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Lorraine Nordlund, in a ruling issued Friday, said McDonnell acted under the appropriate authority when he removed Dennis Martire from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, or MWAA, board last month, dealing a blow to...

Could Mariah be destined for a judge's seat on 'Idol?'

07/16/12 02:50 PM

"American Idol" might soon be living up to its namesake. Rumors are swirling that megastar Mariah Carey wants to be a judge for the show -- which lost both Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez last week. Carey is one of the best-selling musicians of all time, so her expertise would be a good addition to the show. One source told the AP that the singer was currently in negotiations with Fox.

Judge grants more time to Miss. abortion clinic

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS

07/15/12 11:50 AM

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) -- The future of Mississippi's only clinic where women can get an abortion remains unclear after a federal judge's ruling in a closely watched court case. U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III ruled Friday that a strict abortion law passed by the Republican-controlled legislature can take effect, but he gave the clinic more time to comply with the law's requirements and...

Senators tell judges to cancel Hawaii junket

07/13/12 02:20 PM

Senate Republicans told the 9th Circuit Court on Friday to cancel it's mid-August trip to Hawaii, saying the court failed to prove why the trip was necessary even though it had been given weeks to respond. The GOP lawmakers are also threatening legislation to bar such junkets in the future. "In our initial letter, we requested specific documents pertaining to the total cost of the conference...

Belfast Catholics riot after token Orange march

By SHAWN POGATCHNIK

07/13/12 09:45 AM

BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) -- Irish Catholic militants attacked riot police Thursday in a divided corner of Belfast as the most polarizing day on Northern Ireland's calendar reached a typically ugly end -- and yet managed, amid the smoke and chaos, to take a few tentative steps toward compromise. Many hours of violence in the hardline Catholic Ardoyne district marked the fourth straight...

Penn State probe accuses Paterno of cover-up

By GENARO C. ARMAS

07/13/12 09:35 AM

PHILADELPHIA (AP) ?Û" Joe Paterno and other top Penn State officials buried child sexual abuse allegations against Jerry Sandusky more than a decade ago to avoid bad publicity, according to a scathing report Thursday that exposed a powerful "culture of reverence" for the football program and portrayed the Hall of Fame coach as more deeply involved in the scandal than previously thought. The...

Parents accused of locking girl in chicken coop

By JEFF MARTIN

07/13/12 09:30 AM

BUTLER, Ga. (AP) -- A Georgia girl told investigators she spent days at a time locked inside a small outhouse and a chicken coop, and had to wear a shock collar because she didn't do her school work, authorities said Thursday. The 15-year-old girl's parents, Samuel and Diana Franklin, were arrested earlier this week on multiple counts of child cruelty and false imprisonment. They were released...

D.C. cop accused of threatening first lady

07/12/12 07:45 PM

A D.C. police officer is under investigation for allegedly making threatening remarks against first lady Michelle Obama. According to the Washington Post, the officer, who worked as a motorcycle escort for the White House detail, made the comments Wednesday morning during a discussion about threats against President Obama. The officer reportedly pulled out a phone and showed a photo of a gun...

Montgomery County police file for 88 days of overtime after storm

07/10/12 11:10 PM

Montgomery County police worked 88 days' worth of overtime hours in the aftermath of the storm that wreaked havoc across the region on June 29. The 2,111.57 hours earned police $102,843.69 in overtime pay and 310 "comp hours." Many of the hours were spent directing traffic when traffic lights lost power. "In Montgomery County, there's 800 intersections that have traffic signals. At one point,...

Judge OKs rooftop missiles during London Olympics

By JILL LAWLESS

07/10/12 10:20 PM

LONDON (AP) -- It has been a tough few months at the pockmarked concrete high-rise known as Fred Wigg Tower. First there was the fire, which left dozens temporarily homeless. Then came the rash of burglaries of fire-damaged apartments. And now the British army will be putting a battery of high-velocity missiles on the roof. The defense ministry says the missiles, capable of shooting down a...

Chaffetz: US generals accused of delaying hospital abuse report to protect Obama

07/09/12 01:30 PM

Two U.S. Army generals allegedly delayed an investigation of chronic abuse at a military hospital in Afghanistan in order to protect President Obama from embarrassment before the 2010 midterm elections, military whistleblowers have told House investigators. Col. Schuyler Geller, a retired Air Force doctor, helped train Afghan staff at Afghan Military Hospital in Kabul. He has informed Congress...

Could Adam Lambert be the next judge of 'Idol?'

07/09/12 11:20 AM

Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler have yet to sound contracts to judge the upcoming season of "American Idol." So how could possibly be a replacement? Season 8 runner-up Adam Lambert. E! News reports that the show and Lambert, who's latest album hit No. 1 back in May, have been in talks for the singer to take a seat at the judges table. A source told the network that the talks have...

Man acquitted of assaulting retired priest in Calif.

By TERRY COLLINS

07/06/12 09:00 AM

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- A jury acquitted a man Thursday of assaulting a priest he says molested him more than three decades ago during a camping trip and left him with tormented memories that led to alcohol abuse, depression and suicide attempts. The verdict came after defendant William Lynch took the witness stand during the two-week trial and acknowledged punching Jerold Lindner several...

Nats Game Night – 6:35pm vs. San Francisco

07/03/12 07:15 PM

Nationals (45-32) vs. San Francisco Giants (45-35) Game: No. 78 When: Tuesday, July 3 Where: Nationals Park Time: 6:35 p.m. TV: MASN Radio: 106.7FM – The Fan/WFED 1500AM Battle of the two first place teams this week at Nationals Park as the Nats face the San Francisco Giants, who lead the N.L. West. Nice way to head into the All-Star break and Washington’s players said they need to finish this...

Judge orders woman tried in grandson's gun death

By COREY WILLIAMS

07/02/12 10:35 PM

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) -- A 74-year-old Michigan woman accused of shooting her teenage grandson at their suburban Detroit home will stand trial on murder and firearms charges, a judge ruled Monday after a police officer testified the woman emerged from the home screaming, "I murdered my grandson." Sandra Layne is accused of repeatedly shooting 17-year-old Jonathan Hoffman on May 18 at...

Judge refuses to block Florida voter purge

By GARY FINEOUT

06/28/12 11:55 PM

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- A federal judge has refused to stop Florida from removing potentially non-U.S. citizens from its rolls. The U.S. Department of Justice sued the state to halt the purge, arguing it was going on too close to a federal election. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle said Wednesday that there was nothing in federal voting laws that prevent the state from identifying non-U.S....

Judge to reject Montgomery County police union ballot petition

06/26/12 08:20 PM

A Montgomery County Circuit Court judge has indicated he plans to reject the county police union's petition to put on the November ballot a measure restoring the union's full collective-bargaining rights. The Fraternal Order of Police, or FOP, sought to restore its right to bargain virtually any management decision, including requiring officers to check their email daily. However, Judge Eric...

Juvenile accused of starting fire at Fairfax playground

06/25/12 11:34 AM

A juvenile is accused of intentionally setting a fire at a playground in Fairfax County, officials said. The juvenile, whose age and gender were not released, is being charged with destruction of property greater than $200 and fire capable of spreading, officials said. Fairfax County Fire and Rescue spokesman Dan Schmidt said there is a warrant for the suspect's arrest, but the suspect had...

Herndon teen accused of stabbing animals near park

By MARK SCOLFORO and GENARO C. ARMAS Associated Press

06/25/12 11:32 AM

A 17-year-old Herndon boy has been charged in connection with the slashing and stabbing of animals in and near Frying Pan Farm Park, authorities said. The boy was charged with four felony counts of maiming animals, three misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals and two counts of unlawful entry, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. On April 26, three horses were stabbed on...

Judge denied Sandusky lawyers' request to resign

06/23/12 06:28 PM

BELLEFONTE, Pa. -- Jerry Sandusky's lawyers said Saturday they asked to resign from his child sex abuse case on the eve of trial but the judge turned them down. Karl Rominger and Joe Amendola said that as jury selection began they made a sealed motion saying they had not been given enough time to adequately prepare but Judge John Cleland ruled against them after discussion in his chambers. "We...

Pa. Catholic official convicted of endangerment

By The Associated Press

06/22/12 02:54 PM

A Roman Catholic church official was convicted Friday of child endangerment but acquitted of conspiracy in a groundbreaking clergy-abuse trial, becoming the first U.S. church official convicted of a crime for how he handled abuse claims. Monsignor William Lynn helped the archdiocese keep predators in ministry, and the public in the dark, by telling parishes their priest was being removed for...

Final lawsuits filed in Fort Totten Metro crash

By Kytja Weir

06/21/12 07:35 PM

Friday marks a painful anniversary for the families of those who died in the Fort Totten Metro crash three years ago. But for the people who were on one of the two trains that day, it also marks the deadline for when they can sue the transit agency and three equipment manufacturers that have been blamed for the deadly crash. The District has a three-year statute of limitations that ends at the...

Judge tosses 2,600 signatures in Montgomery police ballot drive

06/20/12 05:10 PM

At least 2,600 signatures collected by Montgomery County's police union in an effort to restore the union's collective bargaining rights are invalid, a Circuit Court judge ruled Wednesday, and more than 6,000 more could be tossed following a trial next week. The signatures are among 11,225 the county is challenging. If the county is able to get 4,595 of the 34,828 signatures the county Board of...

Obama ignites Catholic backlash over mandate

06/19/12 05:25 PM

With prayer and calls to Congress, Catholics are mounting a massive 14-day campaign to force the administration to withdraw its health care mandate on religious institutions. The effort heeds the call of Catholic bishops to pray, fast and organize against the controversial mandate during their "Fortnight to Freedom" that begins Thursday. The movement described to Secrets by the Catholic...

McDonnell accused of 'power grab' against Dulles board

06/18/12 08:00 PM

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell is again playing hardball with regional transportation officials, and one key Northern Virginia Democrat is questioning the Republican administration's commitment to the $6 billion Dulles Rail line. Even though the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority gave in to McDonnell's demands and killed off a union-friendly labor agreement, McDonnell last week ordered the...

Crime History: Cosmetics heir accused of date rapes captured in Mexico

06/17/12 08:00 PM

On this day, June 18, in 2003, bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman captured Max Factor cosmetics heir and serial rapist Andrew Luster in Mexico. Luster had fled the United States in the middle of a trial in which he was accused of drugging three women with the date rape drug GHB, and videotaping himself raping them. Luster, who lived off his family's trust, escaped to Puerto Vallarta, where he...

Rick Snider: Accusations of Armstrong may hurt the cause

By Rick Snider

06/16/12 10:29 PM

Free Lance Armstrong -- again. The haters could never prove anything during the cyclist's career. They sure tried. More than 500 drug tests and not one positive. The haters said Armstrong was using a masking agent. Well, accusations gone unproven are worthless. Yet, the seven-time Tour de France champion is once more under scrutiny despite retiring from racing. The haters just can't let go....

Crime History: Fla. judge, wife abducted, thrown into ocean

06/14/12 08:00 PM

On this day, June 15, in 1955, Palm Beach County Judge Curtis Chillingworth and his wife, Marjorie, were strapped with lead weights and thrown overboard into the Atlantic Ocean never to be seen again. The hitmen were hired by another judge, Joseph Peel, after Chillingworth warned Peel about protecting gambling and moonshine operations. Detectives lured suspected hitman, Floyd "Lucky" Holzapfel,...

Huguely seeks venue change in lawsuit filed by Love family

06/14/12 06:41 PM

Attorneys for George Huguely V are asking for a venue change in a civil lawsuit filed by the family of Yeardley Love. The former University of Virginia lacrosse player from Chevy Chase was convicted in February of killing his on-again, off-again girlfriend and Love's family filed a civil suit in April. That lawsuit alleges that Huguely's negligence led to Love's death and seeks more than...

Montgomery housing worker accused of stealing funds

06/12/12 08:00 PM

A Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission employee has been accused of stealing money that had been paid to a commission-run program. Montgomery County police said the commission had a contract with the county's Department of Health and Human Services to manage a senior nutrition program that provided meals to elderly citizens. To offset costs, the program accepted funds from...

Montgomery housing worker accused of stealing funds

06/12/12 06:57 PM

A Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission employee has been accused of stealing money that had been paid to a commission-run program. Montgomery County police said the commission had a contract with the county's Department of Health and Human Services had a contract to manage a senior nutrition program that provided meals to elderly citizens. To offset costs, the program accepted...

Obama cabinet member accused of hit-and-runs

06/11/12 05:53 AM

Some terrible news out of Los Angeles this morning involving President Obama's Commerce secretary John Bryson. Details via the L.A. Times. Bryson was driving a Lexus in the 400 block of South San Gabriel Boulevard shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday, when he allegedly rear-ended a Buick as it was waiting for a train to pass, according to a statement released by the L.A. County Sheriff's Department...

Shawn Johnson: Rush Limbaugh was great Miss America judge

By Jenny Rogers

06/07/12 04:23 PM

Gymnast Shawn Johnson retired from the sport this week at the tender age of 20, citing a knee injury. She leaves the sport with a jam-packed resume, including several Olympic medals, a “Dancing With the Stars” title — and the honor of having judged a Miss America pageant with Rush Limbaugh. Johnson, who swung into town to participate in a kids’ fitness event in Southwest D.C., told Yeas...

Fairfax man accused of trying to smuggle cash for terrorists

06/06/12 09:34 AM

A Fairfax County man was arrested in a years-long sting in which he believed he was smuggling cash into Lebanon for the Hezbollah terrorist group, according to charging documents unsealed Tuesday. Mufid Kamal Mrad, 64, of Vienna, was charged with attempted money laundering and bulk cash smuggling. If convicted, Mrad faces up to 20 years for the money laundering charge and up to five years for...

Man accused of extorting Annandale businesses

06/03/12 08:00 PM

A man has been charged with extorting Northern Virginia business owners over the past three years, forcing them to pay money and threatening to call authorities about illegal-immigrant employees, according to court records. Je Hyung Yoo, 29, was charged in federal court in Alexandria with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats or violence. From summer 2009 to March 2012, he and others...

Alleged white supremacist accused of illegally possessing automatic AK-47

05/31/12 11:44 AM

An alleged white supremacist from Manassas is accused of illegally obtaining a fully automatic AK-47.Prosecutors say 48-year-old Douglas Story has expressed hatred toward minorities and a number of political figures, including President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder.He was charged in federal court in Alexandria with violating the National Firearms Act by making a firearm for allegedly...

Fugitive ignores judges' orders

05/30/12 06:00 PM

U.S. marshals are looking for a convicted burglar who they say has little regard for the judicial system, and they are asking the public for information to help bring him into custody again.Julio Cesar Solano, 24, was arrested in May 2011 for illegal possession of a handgun in Prince George's County while he was already on probation for a burglary conviction.He was released but subsequently...

Falls Church man accused of producing child pornography using webcam

05/30/12 12:39 PM

A Falls Church man is accused of producing child pornography by enticing a Pennsylvania youth to perform sexual acts on a webcam.Christopher Julich, 31, was indicted on charges of producing and attempting to produce child pornography, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced Tuesday.He persuaded a minor in Lackawanna County, Pa., to perform the sex acts on a...

Obama’s attack mobilizes Catholics in rare unity

05/29/12 05:09 PM

President Obama’s demand that religious-affiliated organizations offer health insurance that includes abortion, in violation of Catholic teaching and conscience, is unifying the Catholic vote in a way not seen since John F. Kennedy was elected president in 1960.“More than ever, Catholics are really waking up,” said Ashley McGuire of the Catholic Association.Her group is leading the...

Doggett faces San Antonio Dem challengers

By Mark Lisheron

05/29/12 02:45 PM

For the past decade, Texas Republicans have kept Democrat U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett from taking anything for granted. The arcane and complicated legal battle over congressional redistricting in 2003 forced Doggett to move into another district after five terms. In two elections while the fight made its way through the courts, Doggett beat Republican challengers by vote totals of more than 67...

Elementary school janitor accused of assaulting 7-year-old boy

05/29/12 02:30 PM

A janitor at a Woodbridge elementary school is accused of assaulting a 7-year-old boy with a cart.Prince William County police said the Enterprise Elementary School student told investigators that janitor Ross Schrecengost used a hand cart to corner him against a bulletin board, then pushed him.Schrecengost, 59, was charged with assault and battery in the Friday incident.Police said there...

Cardinal raps media over Catholic Church coverage

05/27/12 08:16 PM

Cardinal Donald Wuerl said that the mainstream media networks for "missed the boat" with their failure to cover the Roman Catholic lawsuit over the contraception mandate, which he indicated derives from their political "mindset." "It seems to me that somehow they missed the boat. And they missed the story," Wuerl said on Fox News Sunday when asked about the mere 19 seconds of broadcast time...

Fairfax tae kwon do coach accused of sexual contact with students

05/23/12 08:06 PM

A nationally known tae kwon do coach from Fairfax County has been indicted on charges of having sexual contact with two female teenage students.Fairfax County police said officers began investigating 38-year-old Quyen V. Phan Le in June, when a former student reported that Phan Le had inappropriate sexual contact with her multiple times between May 2003 and January 2005. Investigators later...

D.C. personnel records left burning in trash bins, firefighters say

By Liz Farmer

05/22/12 05:47 PM

The District's police and fire unions are asking the city's top investigator to launch an investigation into what they say is the destruction of personnel files, The Washington Examiner has learned.In a letter to D.C. Inspector General Charles Willoughby obtained by The Examiner, the union chiefs detail an incident on Friday in which fire engines were dispatched to a fire training academy for a...

Federal judges enjoy taxpayer-funded junkets, too

05/22/12 11:20 AM

Just weeks after Congress publicly excoriated the General Services Administration for spending $823,000 on an agency conference in Las Vegas, the judges and staff of the nation's 9th Circuit Court of Appeals are headed to their own lavish, taxpayer-funded conference -- in Maui. The California-based court's get-together, scheduled for mid-August, could end up costing taxpayers...

Senator threatens to cut judges' budget

05/22/12 10:50 AM

Judges on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals plan to vacation in Hawaii on the taxpayers' dime, but they might see their budget cut by Congress as a result. "Ultimately, the Congress has the power to appropriate money, and we need to evaluate the judicial branch budget request in light of some of these expenditures," Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., the Ranking Member on the Senate Budget...

San Francisco to rename street after Pelosi

By Conn Carroll

05/21/12 11:47 AM

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee will rename a street after former-Speaker Nancy Pelosi today in Golden Gate Park. "Middle Drive East" which connects Martin Luthjer King Jr. Drive and John F Kennedy Drive in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park will now be renamed in honor of Pelosi and her 25 years of service in Congress. San Francisco is the second city to name a street after Pelosi. Baltimore,...

Crime History: Former NYPD officer kills judge over lawsuit

05/21/12 06:54 AM

On this day, May 21, in 1988, U.S. District Judge Richard Daronco was shot and killed by Charles Koster, a retired New York City police officer angry over the judge's decision in a sexual discrimination lawsuit filed by his daughter.Daronco, 56, was gardening at his home in Pelham, N.Y., when 67-year-old Koster shot him with a revolver. The judge staggered into his house, collapsed and died....

Man accused of exposing self to woman, stalking

05/19/12 08:00 PM

A Manassas man is facing stalking and indecent exposure charges after he allegedly exposed himself to a fast food worker, then followed her after she left the restaurant.Prince William County police said 34-year-old Rigoberto Lopez Castro exposed himself to a 57-year-old McDonald's employee outside the restaurant located at 14591 Jefferson Davis Highway in Woodbridge at about 11:40 p.m....

Energy Dept. executive accused of fraud

05/17/12 06:06 PM

A former Department of Energy executive and his wife have been indicted for allegedly defrauding the federal government of more than $1 million by secretly causing the department to award contracts that benefitted them personally.Michael Strayer, 69, and his wife, 48-year-old Karen Earle, were indicted in federal court in Greenbelt on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States, wire...

John’s accuser hires Gloria Allred

05/16/12 07:16 PM

After being dropped by his attorney and withdrawing his lawsuit, it looked like John Doe No. 1 was out of John Travolta’s life for good.That is, until famed civil rights attorney Gloria Allred stepped in.John Doe’s lawsuit alleging sexual assault against the “Face/Off” star seemed to unravel as the actor and his people disproved the date of John’s whereabouts at the time of the alleged sexual...

Obamacare: Catholic school dumps its health plan

By David Freddoso

05/15/12 10:27 PM

The Franciscan University of Steubenville, a small but well-known Catholic college in eastern Ohio, has its own answer to Obamacare. It is cancelling its student health insurance policy in order to avoid complications from the Obama administration's mandate to cover contraception, sterilizations, and abortifacient drugs. The school notes on its website that even if it had kept its...

Teen accused of damaging Fairfax mosque

05/12/12 09:07 PM

Fairfax County police have arrested a teenager accused of causing major damage to an under-construction mosque in January.Trenton M. Carter, 18, was arrested May 3 and charged with felony destruction of property, Fairfax County police said.Police responded to the construction site of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Mosque in Chantilly on the morning of Jan. 30 and found extensive damage....

Judge tosses drunk driving case against former FAA chief

05/10/12 02:20 PM

A judge dismissed the drunk driving case against the former head of the Federal Aviation Administration Thursday, according to the Fairfax City General District Court clerk's office.Randy Babbitt, 65, was charged with driving while intoxicated and driving the wrong way on a one-way highway in Fairfax City on Dec. 4. He was head of the FAA at the time of his arrest, and he resigned...

Vegan group wants POTUS posing sans meat

05/07/12 05:27 PM

The pro-Vegan group Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is sick of seeing the president with a hot dog in hand. On Thursday, the group is planning to send the White House a petition for executive action that, if signed, would ban the first family from participating in photo ops posing with unhealthy foods like hot dogs and cheeseburgers. "These pictures receive massive publicity and...

Love family files suit against U.Va., lacrosse coaches

05/04/12 01:43 PM

Yeardley Love's family has filed a civil lawsuit against the University of Virginia and school athletic officials, alleging that they contributed to Love's death by neglecting to stop George Huguely V's drinking.Huguely, a former U.Va. lacrosse player from Chevy Chase, was convicted in February of second-degree murder for beating Love, his former girlfriend, to death in her off-campus apartment...

GSA accused of charging contractors 'kickbacks'

05/03/12 08:11 PM

A House Ways and Means subcommittee is investigating whether the General Service Administration is using a tax deduction to "secure kickbacks" from contractors who help make government buildings more energy-efficient. House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Charles Boustany, R-La., sent a letter to 15 government departments and the Environmental Protection Agency to determine...

Bouncer accused of assaulting patron in College Park

05/03/12 11:35 AM

A 6-foot-2, 400-pound bouncer at a bar near the University of Maryland campus was charged after he allegedly assaulted a patron over the weekend, police said.Marcus Anthony Plummer, 28, was charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault and reckless endangerment, Prince George's County police said.A 23-year-old U.S. Air Force member from Wyoming was escorted out of RJ Bentley's in...

Marshals seek child molester

05/02/12 06:00 PM

U.S. Marshals deputies are looking for a convicted sex offender who has violated his parole, and they are asking the public for information that could lead to his arrest.Shamar Robert Chester was convicted of felony child sex abuse in 2007 after a 15-year-old girl give birth to his baby. Chester was 31 years old at the time, according to charging documents. Chester was sentenced to 19 months in...

Man accused of robbing Md. CVS, threatening pharmacist with blood-filled syringe

05/02/12 03:27 PM

A man is accused of robbing a Maryland CVS of $27,000 in prescription drugs by threatening a pharmacist with a blood-filled syringe that he said was contaminated with the AIDS virus.Howard County police said 52-year-old Benjamin Blessing forced a pharmacist at the CVS on the 3300 block of Centennial Lane in Ellicott City to open a safe containing prescription medications by holding a syringe...

First trial for accused serial stabber

05/02/12 06:46 AM

A former Leesburg resident suspected in a series of stabbing attacks, including several in Northern Virginia, is facing his first trial this week.Jury selection for the trial of 35-year-old Elias Abuelazam began Tuesday in Genesee Circuit Court in Flint, Mich. Abuelazam is on trial in the death of a 49-year-old man.In total, he is suspected in at least 13 stabbing attacks, five of them fatal....

Man accused of killing pregnant girlfriend will have mental evaluation

05/01/12 08:48 AM

A man accused of murdering his pregnant girlfriend in Prince George's County will undergo a mental evaluation, according to media reports.Nathan Cedric Rogers, 22, is charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder and first-degree assault in the death of 23-year-old Jasmine Nichelle Moss, according to court records. Police found Moss's body in the trunk of a car Friday in District...

Love family files suit against Huguely

04/26/12 06:36 PM

The family of Yeardley Love has filed a civil lawsuit against the University of Virginia lacrosse player convicted of second-degree murder in her death.George Huguely V was convicted in February of killing Love, his former girlfriend, at Love's off-campus apartment in May 2010.In the suit, Sharon Love, Yeardley Love's mother, contends that Huguely's negligence led to Love's death. She is...

Tareq Salahi accuses Cuccinelli of grandstanding

04/26/12 10:33 AM

Infamous White House gatecrasher Tareq Salahi was on CNN this morning to discuss his intentions to run for Virginia Governor, in spite of his tulmultous public image. Salahi said that in spite of his history with the Democratic party, he plans to challenge Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli as a Republican candidate. Cuccinelli is currently prosecuting Salahi's Virginia wine business for...

NBC close to locking up all four 'Voice' judges

04/24/12 10:19 AM

Deadline reported on Monday that NBC is close to finalizing deals to keep all four judges in place on "The Voice." Adam Levin, Cee-Lo Green and Blake Shelton will move in to the high seven figure range for salaries while Christina Aguilera will get a bump that will keep her as the top paid personality on the show. NBC is eyeing a fall return for the show after the current season is over. Even...

WH stands by man accused of bullying, harassment

04/19/12 04:27 PM

President Obama stands by Nuclear Regulatory Commission chairman Gregory Jazcko, the White House affirmed today, despite accusations that he "biillies women" and engages in "intimidating, hostile" behavior with colleagues. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Obama does not plan to ask for Jazcko's resignation, but acknowledged that he has been accused of making sexist comments...

Claire Danes hosting Capitol File party for WHCD

04/19/12 03:26 PM

She's the star of D.C.'s favorite spy show "Homeland" and was Capitol File's most recent cover girl, so it makes sense that actress Claire Danes will be the official host of the magazine's White House Correspondents' Association Dinner after-party. This year's invite-only fete will be held at the Newseum and is expected to attract a smattering of celebrities. We hear that CNN's Piers Morgan...

'What kind of Catholics do they think we are?'

04/19/12 10:35 AM

At the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast this morning, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, of the Knights of Columbus, gave a stirring speech regarding what he described as the Obama administration's assault on religious liberty. Anderson referred to Winston Churchill who defied the enemies of liberty in a speech to Congress in 1941. Today, with the same defiance, we can declare,...

Catholic leader says Obama pushes “evil acts”

04/19/12 10:31 AM

In a sharply-worded attack on President Obama’s “war” on religion, a major Catholic leader today said church members should never give in to the “heavy hand of government,” and he offered a prayer for “those who hate” Catholics.At the 8th Annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, Carl Anderson, CEO and Chairman of the 1.8 million-member Knights of Columbus compared Obama to...

Catholics revive assault on Obama’s abortion mandate

04/19/12 09:48 AM

If President Obama thought Catholics were going to move past their anger at his administration's demand that most employers--even Catholic ones--provide health insurance that covers birth control and abortion services, today’s attack by the chairman of the Knights of Columbus will remind him that the fight has just begun.At the 8th Annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington,...

Arlington priest on leave after sexual misconduct allegation

04/18/12 06:03 PM

An Arlington priest has been placed on leave while authorities investigate allegations that he engaged in sexual misconduct with a teenage boy in the 1990s, church and police officials said Wednesday.The Diocese of Arlington said the investigation into Rev. Terry Specht is in its initial phase and no determination about the alleged misconduct has been made.The Fairfax County Police Department...

Accused Pepco impersonator receives 25 years for home invasion in Anne Arundel

04/18/12 11:27 AM

A man accused of posing as a Pecpo worker in two home invasions was sentenced to 25 years in prison for one of them in Anne Arundel County.Craig S. Brooks, 50, pleaded guilty Tuesday to first-degree assault for a May robbery in Glen Burnie, The Associated Press reported.On May 3, a man went to a 48-year-old woman's home and said he was a utlitity worker checking on a potential gas leak. Brooks...

Accused ICE imposter indicted in far-reaching fraud plan

04/14/12 11:22 PM

A Virginia woman who prosecutors say aimed to defraud at least 250 individuals of a total of $100,000 or more by pretending to be an Immigration and Customs Enforcement worker has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Alexandria.Isabel Pajuelo was indicted on one count of impersonating a federal employee and seven counts of wire fraud, according to court papers filed Thursday. Her...

Mel accused of ‘hating Jews’ again

04/12/12 07:46 PM

Mad Mel is at it again.Screenwriter Joe Eszterhas is accusing Mel Gibson of “hating Jews.”According to Movie Talk on Yahoo, Joe and Mel had been collaborating for several months on a script for Warner Bros. about a Jewish warrior.When Joe was let go from the project, he wrote a letter to Mel (obtained by the Wrap) accusing him of “anti-Semitism.”Yahoo says the letter, which is nine pages long,...

Judge allows D.C. police union lawsuit to stand

04/12/12 01:02 PM

A D.C. judge on Thursday refused to throw out a lawsuit against the District government for failing to operate the board that oversees police hiring and training.In a terse order, Superior Court Judge Judith Macaluso rejected the city’s argument that the District’s police union did not have the right to sue over the status of the panel.The union filed a lawsuit in January to force Mayor Vincent...

Obama: I worked with Catholics to improve families

04/10/12 03:31 PM

In Florida today, President Obama reminded Catholics of his history of partnering with churches during his community organizing days in Chicago. "My first job in Chicago . . . was working with a group of Catholic churches on the South Side of Chicago in low income neighborhoods," Obama said, reminding the audience that he partnered with Catholics, "to try to figure out how we could improve...

Claire Danes of "Homeland" chats with Capitol File

04/08/12 10:10 PM

Washington just loves Showtime's CIA-versus-terrorists drama "Homeland," so actress Claire Danes was a no-brainer for Capitol File magazine's May/June issue. And with that spread, we learned some interesting tidbits about the hit show. First and foremost, the role of CIA agent Carrie Mathison always belonged to Danes. So much, in fact, that in early iterations of the script the character was...

WH won't judge Islamists on religious affiliation

04/05/12 12:09 PM

Representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood met with "mid-level" White House officials, not "lower-level" as President Obama's spokesman said yesterday, who again reminded reporters that Republican senators have also met with the Muslim Brotherhood. "They are mid-level members of directorates at the National Security Council," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters today....

Five Fairfax gang members accused of prostituting girls

03/30/12 09:11 AM

A 17-year-old girl who responded to a Facebook message saying she was pretty and could make money told police that she ended up being forced to give oral sex at knifepoint and coerced into having sex with 14 men in one night. The person named "Rain Smith" who sent that Facebook message was actually 26-year-old Justin Strom, the leader of the Underground Gangster Crips -- a Fairfax County-based...

District man accused of taking girl, 15, to Maryland for prostitution