Judge Dismisses All Charges Against Blackwater Guards in Baghdad Shooting

WASHINGTON — A federal judge dismissed all charges Thursday against five Blackwater Worldwide security guards accused of killing unarmed Iraqi civilians on a crowded Baghdad street in 2007.

U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina said Justice Department prosecutors improperly built their case on sworn statements that had been given under a promise of immunity. Urbina said the government’s explanations were “contradictory, unbelievable and lacking in credibility.”

via FOXNews.com – Judge Dismisses All Charges Against Blackwater Guards in Baghdad Shooting – Mozilla Firefox.

TSA demands bloggers’ sources

As the government reviews how an alleged terrorist was able to bring a bomb onto a U.S.-bound plane and try to blow it up on Christmas Day, the Transportation Security Administration is going after bloggers who wrote about a directive to increase security after the incident.

via TSA demands bloggers’ sources – Washington Times – Mozilla Firefox.

French Constitutional Court Rejects Carbon Tax

Dec. 30 (Bloomberg) — France’s constitutional court rejected a proposed tax on carbon emissions, saying a web of exemptions violated the principal of equality and rendered efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions ineffective.

via French Constitutional Court Rejects Carbon Tax (Update1) – Bloomberg.com – Mozilla Firefox.

A political test for teachers

When a child doesn’t finish his homework, who’s at fault? The Race, Culture, Class and Gender Task Group in the University of Minnesota‘s teacher-education program wants every teacher blaming things like “white privilege, hegemonic masculinity, heteronormativity and internalized oppression.” Those who don’t, these professors believe, are unfit to be teachers.

via A political test for teachers – NYPOST.com – Mozilla Firefox.

King: White House has drawn ‘iron curtain’ on plane attack info

The ranking Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee on Monday said the Obama administration has drawn an “iron curtain” when it comes to providing information to members of Congress regarding the attempted Christmas Day terror attack.

via King: White House has drawn ‘iron curtain’ on plane attack info – NYPOST.com – Mozilla Firefox.