- An Italian court sentenced a British lawyer to four-and-a-half years in jail for accepting a $600,000 bribe from Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in 2000. The man gave false testimony during corruption trials against Berlusconi in 1997 and 1998. Since being reelected, Berlusconi created a law making him immune from prosecution while he is Prime Minister.
- Derek Black, son of an ex-Klansman and friend of David Duke, wants to fill a vacancy on the seat of the Palm Beach County Republican Executive Committee. After being elected last year, Black was booted off because he didn’t sign a party loyalty oath. He is asking that the ballots be done in secret because voting for him “might make some members uncomfortable to have to make their vote public.”
- Rhode Island is considering repealing its “rent-a-judge” law that allows justice to be meted in private settings between consenting parties. Because the cases can be appealed, the concern is that private rulings could become public law.
- Organizers of a parade in Cologne are trying to decide whether to allow a nearly nude image of German Chancellor Angela Merkel to appear on a float. The busty image has a Marilyn Monroe-like pose and may yet be adorned with a bikini.
- In a statement, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il thanked North Koreans for nominating for another term. The only thing significant about this is why does he bother to pretend that the people have a choice?
- Potential Presidential candidate and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has planned another out-of-state fundraiser but once again claims if is for his gubernatorial reelection. Jindal has already held fundraisers in Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Connecticut, Mississippi and Washington, D.C. That doesn’t count the political appearances and out-of-state fundraisers for other candidates.
- A bill has been introduced in the Maryland state house to change the 1861 state song’s lyrics to a less Confederate supporting “spurns the northern scum.”
- The Iraqi government is controlling its wild dog population by feeding dogs with meat containing strychnine. The SPCA has requested that the dogs be sedated with a dart gun, and then euthanized, but the Iraqis say they don’t have the resources for that.
- The continued vacancy at the Census Director position and suggestion that the director might report directly to the White House instead of the Commerce Department has Congressman Darrel Issa suggesting, “There is only one possible reason for it – political interference in the 2010 Census and partisan manipulation of the results.”
