Learn from the mistakes of others

Federal judge rules against 'intelligent design' in public schools

[JURIST] AP is reporting that a federal judge has ruled that "intelligent design" cannot be taught in biology classes in a Pennsylvania public school district. US District Judge John E. Jones III ruled Tuesday that the Dover Area School District violated the Constitution when it decided that biology curriculum must include anti-evolutionary intelligent design theory [Natural History backgrounder].
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Read the full opinion [PDF text; opinion is also available from the ACLU here]. The US District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania has a case website, including pleadings and orders in the case, and the ACLU of PA, which represented the plaintiffs, also provides case documents

god help us if this isn't replicated elsewhere ... O_o

Democrats say they never approved NSA domestic spying program

[JURIST] Top Senate Democrats have said that they never approved or were fully briefed on the National Security Agency's post-September 11th domestic surveillance program [JURIST report].
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Both Republican and Democratic members of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday called for an immediate joint investigation [press release] with the Senate Judiciary Committee into whether the NSA and government officials acted "without appropriate legal authority." Reuters has more.

word has it, mentioning something isn't the same as asking for consent ... talking about a topic isn't making a decision ... and disclosing the good bits without mentioning the rest isn't full disclosure nor acting in good faith.

colour me surprised.

FBI reports rise in US murder rate, decline in other crimes

[JURIST] The Federal Bureau of Investigation [official website] reported Monday that the US murder rate rose 2.1 percent [press release] during the first six months of 2005, though rates for other significant offenses, such as rape and arson, are on the decline.

i wonder what might explain this trend?