Topic: Crime and Law

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John F. Kennedy: 15 quotes on his birthday

John F. Kennedy was born on May 29th, 1917. To mark what would have been his 95th birthday, here are 15 memorable JFK quotes.
Facebook IPO: Six key dates in its debacle

Facebook's first week as a publicly traded company will go down as a terribly botched corporate launch, perhaps one of the worst in recent history for such a highly visible entity. Eight days ago, it was the tech world's most highly anticipated initial public offering in eight years. Now, the social media company faces mounting legal woes and serves as an embarrassing example of how not to run an IPO. Despite rising insider pessimism about its growth prospects, Facebook kept boosting its asking price and the number of shares it would sell. The result: billions of dollars in losses; investigations by two congressional committees, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), an industry watchdog, and the state of Massachusetts; at least 13 class-action lawsuits; and thousands of resentful shareholders who days later still were unsure how many Facebook shares they had or at what price. Here are six key dates in Facebook's unfolding IPO disaster.
Spurs and Thunder star in NBA’s Western Conference Finals: 10 extra dimensions

The clash of the Spurs and Thunder in the NBA’s Western Conference finals may fly a bit under the national radar when it opens Sunday. Here are 10 factors that make this showdown intriguing.
Major gay marriage cases in federal court and where they stand

Battles over same-sex marriage have been raging in the federal courts for several years. Two could reach the US Supreme Court within a year: one challenging California's ban on gay marriage under Proposition 8, and the other seeking to invalidate the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Here are the cases to follow.
From Willie Horton to windsurfing: Five top political attack ads

Political attacks ads: love 'em or hate 'em, but they’re here to stay, and this election year stands to be a watershed moment in their use. Here's a look at what are considered to be some of the most memorable and effective attack ads utilized over the years.

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Syrian forces and pro-Assad militia could face prosecution for Houla massacre, UN says

Over 100 people were killed in the Syrian town last week. Human rights experts also claim that Syrian authorities ordered the torture of civilians, including children.
Terrorism & Security
Palestinian militant sneaks into Israel, kills one soldier

The attack ends a period of calm that has prevailed since March and comes on the heels of Israel's return of the remains of 91 Palestinian militants.
Is John Edwards verdict the last straw for campaign finance?

A jury found John Edwards not guilty of the most serious charge, and the judge declared a mistrial on the others. The verdict is part of the changing landscape of campaign finance, experts say.
Why a federal court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act

The First Circuit wrote that the federal Defense of Marriage Act intruded on states' rights and that the act's defenders failed to justify its impact on gay couples. But the court acknowledged that 'only the Supreme Court can finally decide this unique case.'
Appeals court strikes down DOMA: Tradition doesn't justify unequal treatment (+video)

A three-judge panel from the federal appeals court in Boston unanimously ruled the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional for denying federal benefits to 'same-sex couples lawfully married in Massachusetts.'
Tax VOX
Tax reform: The cases for going long-term, versus going prudent

As a behind-the-scenes debate begins among reformers over just how to fix the US tax code, some Republicans insist that big, broad-based reform would be easier to accomplish, while others in Congress advocate for a more step-by-step process.
Military intervention in Syria? Germany pushes back hard on French warning.

French President Hollande suggested yesterday that military intervention might be required in Syria. Why that idea resonated particularly negatively in Germany.
My final phone call with warlord Charles Taylor

Former president of Liberia Charles Taylor called me regularly in the early 1990s when I was the director of Voice of America's English-to-Africa broadcasts. I'll never forget one strange phone call from him. Unfortunately, my hunch about Taylor's connection to Sierra Leone would prove correct.
Bruce Springsteen blasts bankers in Berlin concert

The Boss goes off on "greedy thieves" and "robber barons" in fluent German during his Berlin concert. Bruce Springsteen returned to Berlin, where he played a July 1988 concert behind the old Iron Curtain in East Berlin.
Latin America Monitor
Brazilian activist flees Amazon home after threats from illegal loggers

Some 1,000 land activists have been murdered in Brazil the past two decades, and the latest threats highlight the government's failure to protect activists, according to InSight Crime.
Boy played dead to survive Syrian massacre

Ali el-Sayed fell to the floor and soaked himself in his brother's blood as gunmen linked to the Assad regime murdered his family.
Edwards trial: still no verdict after eight days

The eighth day of trial did bring a note from one of the jurors, however, which prompted several private conversations with the attorneys in the case.
Taylor's 50-year sentence draws mixed reactions in Liberia (+video)

Human rights groups welcomed the sentence for Liberia's former president Charles Taylor for his role in Sierra Leone civil war. Some Liberians argued he didn't get fair treatment.
Assange gets surprise chance to fight another day (+video)

Julian Assange's lawyer won a two-week reprieve to review today's decision by Britain's Supreme Court to deport the WikiLeaks boss to Sweden.
As gang warfare escalates in Chicago, can Facebook be a help?

At least 6 of the 10 homicides in Chicago over Memorial Day weekend are linked to gangs, police say. City officials on Tuesday laid out a strategy that includes tracking known gang members on Facebook and Twitter.
Former Liberian leader Charles Taylor sentenced to 50 years in prison (+video)

An international court proceeding ended Wednesday with the sentencing of Taylor, who was convicted of aiding and abetting numerous war crimes in Sierra Leone.
Facebook stock drops below $29 (+video)

Facebook stock falls 9.6 percent to close at $28.84. In its first seven days of trading, Facebook stock has lost nearly a quarter of its value.
Court rules WikiLeaks Julian Assange can be extradited to Sweden (+video)

WikiLeaks found Julian Assange can be extradited to face charges of rape and sexual assault in Sweden, Britain's supreme court ruled.
Mental illness may play role in Patz case

Pedro Hernandez has confessed to the killing, but he has a history of hallucination. He is being held before trial in a psychiatric institution.
Syrian massacre: diplomats expelled from Western nations

The US, Britain, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Bulgaria all expelled diplomats in response to revelations that more than a 100 people were brutally killed in Houla, Syria, by Assad strongmen.
Seven days in, still no verdict in Edwards trial

The jury has been deliberating since April 22, and have at this point brought all the evidence into the jury room.
Rutgers webcam case: Dharun Ravi publically apologizes

Ravi was convicted of bias intimidation last week and was sentenced to 30 days in jail. He will begin to serve his sentence on Thursday.
Etan Patz case: Will self-admitted killer's prayer group confession hold up?

If charges are brought against Pedro Hernandez for the killing of Etan Patz, the case could turn on whether confession made to a prayer group is confidential like that made to a priest.
Android clears court review of patent claims

Android did not infringe Oracle patents, court rules, in a major blow to Oracle. Android ruling means Oracle won't collect billions of dollars in royalties from Google.
Nairobi blast: Could have been Al Shabab or a 'lone wolf' sympathizer

Monday's explosion in a downtown market injured 38, the latest in a string of small attacks that may have been conducted by Al Shabab sympathizers both to kill and to create sense of insecurity.