California poised to ban plastic bags

California poised to ban plastic bags: "

California is poised to become the first state in the nation to ban plastic shopping bags, a move hailed by environmentalists and grocers alike.

Plastic shopping bag - California - Business - Luggage and Bags - Consumer Goods and Services"

Jerry Brown backs family of California Marine suing funeral protesters

Kudos to O-Reilly, yes I know I said it!
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Jerry Brown backs family of California Marine suing funeral protesters: "

California Atty. Gen.
Jerry Brown has joined the case pending at the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf
of the family of a Marine from Twentynine Palms whose funeral
was picketed by an anti-gay group.

The family of Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder sued members of the Kansas-based
Westboro Baptist Church for invasion of privacy and emotional distress after the group picketed Snyder's funeral in Westminster, Md. The group pickets military funerals out of a belief that soldiers' deaths are God's punishment for the U.S. promoting homosexuality.

Snyder, 20, was killed in Iraq on March 3, 2006.

A trial court awarded
$10.9 million to the family, reduced to $5 million by the judge.

But an appeals
court, citing the 1st Amendment, threw out the verdict and ordered the Snyder
family to pay legal costs of $16,500 to Fred Phelps, founder of the Westboro church. (On behalf of the Snyder family, those costs were reportedly paid by Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly.)

The high court has announced it will hear the Snyder family’s
appeal.

Brown joined other state attorneys general in signing a friend-of-the-court brief.

"Free speech is a cherished American right," Brown
said in a statement today, "but disrupting a private funeral with vicious
personal attacks on the grieving family goes too far."

Snyder was
assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 7 at Twentynine Palms as a generator mechanic.

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Marine Cpl. Matthew Snyder. Credit: Marine Corps

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Australian Schools To Teach Intelligent Design

Odd Science:
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Australian Schools To Teach Intelligent Design: "An anonymous reader writes 'It appears that schools within the Australian state of Queensland are going to be required to teach Intelligent Design as part of their Ancient History studies. While it is gratifying to note that it isn't being taught in science classes (since it most certainly isn't a science), one wonders what role a modern controversy can possibly serve within a subject dedicated to a period of history which occurred hundreds of years before Darwin proposed his groundbreaking theory?'

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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