Siouxsie and the Banshees - Il Est Ne Le Divin Enfant (VIDEO)

Justice Department Blocks South Carolina’s Voter ID Law

The U.S. Department of Justice will block the voter ID provisions of an election law passed in South Carolina earlier this year because the state’s own statistics demonstrated that the photo identification requirement would have a much greater impact on non-white residents, DOJ said in a letter to the state on Friday.

The decision places the federal government squarely in opposition to the types of voter ID requirements that have swept through mostly Republican-controlled state legislatures.

Officials in DOJ’s Civil Rights Division found a significant racial disparity in the data provided by South Carolina, which must have changes to its election laws precleared under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, because of past history of discrimination. The data demonstrated that registered non-white voters were 20 percent more likely than white voters to lack the specific type of photo identification required to exercise their constitutional rights, according to a letter sent to South Carolina and obtained by TPM.


http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/breaking_justice_department_blocks_south_carolinas_voter_id_law.php?ref=fpnewsfeed

Release of Air Jordans leads to riot in Detroit area mall.

The release of the much anticipated Nike Air Jordan XI Concord lead to an early morning riot at Southland Mall and resulted in the arrest of a 21-year-old Detroit man who is accused of inciting a riot.

Taylor police said Southland Mall security called police for assistance at around 5:30 a.m. this morning when a large crowd of about 300 people were lined up outside. The mall, located in Taylor, was not scheduled to open until 8 a.m.

Police said about 100 people gained entry to the mall through two doors near JCPenney and Best Buy. The crowd forced their way into the mall by pulling the main doors open and created some minor interior damage to decorations and benches that were toppled over during a scuffle.

http://www.freep.com/article/20111223/NEWS02/111223016/Air-Jordan-release-leads-riot-Southland-Mall?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE

Paranoid Township Board ends fluoridation of water.

Following a two-month debate, the township Board of Trustees voted 5-2 on Tuesday to stop adding fluoride to its water immediately. The township in Livingston County has 368 private water customers, several businesses and schools connected to the system.

Trustee Glenn Harper, who raised the issue, called fluoride a health hazard and said people should decide individually whether to use it. "We should not be making people's health decisions," he said, adding that fluoride supplements could be purchased cheaply.

The federal government has long called fluoridation one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th Century. But earlier this year, the government said a review suggested some Americans might be getting too much fluoride.

http://www.freep.com/article/20111222/NEWS05/112220461/Board-votes-to-end-fluoridation

Detroit police arrest protesters at library sit-in.

Police led at least two protestors away in handcuffs Thursday night from a sit-in protest designed to stop four branch closures of the Detroit Public Library.

Protestors began gathering outside the Lincoln branch on East Seven Milejust after 4:30 p.m. The branch, along with Mark Twain, Monteith and Richard, is set to permanently close Thursday because of budget cuts.

By nearly 6 p.m., about 30 people were outside Lincoln chanting, while another 11 were inside. Five squad cars stood guard nearby the protest organized by the group By Any Means Necessary.

Occupy Detroit organizers also posted to their website asking members to gather outside Lincoln before 5:30 p.m. Another protest is planned outside Monteith on Kercheval at 5 p.m.

Donna Stern, an organizer for the group By Any Means Necessary, said the closures would "further erode the neighborhoods."

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20111222/METRO/112220477/1409/metro/Police-arrest-protesters-sit-Detroit-library-branch

Judge: Indiana Secretary of State ineligible to hold office

Charlie White is ineligible to serve as Secretary of State and should be replaced by his election opponent, Democrat Vop Osili, a Marion County judge ruled today.

White is facing seven felony charges, including allegations of voter fraud. Osili was the second-highest vote-getter in the November 2010 election.

The ruling by Marion County Judge Louis Rosenberg today overturns a decision by the Indiana Recount Commission in June that White was eligible to hold office. Democrats asked Rosenberg to review the decision because they said the commission didn’t apply the laws correctly.



http://www.indystar.com/article/20111222/NEWS/111222028/Secretary-State-Charlie-White-ineligible-hold-office-judge-rules?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CIndyStar.com

Huge fire in SF!!!

Large residential fire in the Western Addition neighborhood section of San Francisco (Pierce and Golden Gate). High winds are spreading the flames. Keep safe!!

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/san_francisco&id=8476587

Deputy draws gun on family because of Wal-Mart employee's mistake.

COMMERCE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) - Levi Stubbs, his wife and teenage daughter were shocked to see Oakland County Sheriff's deputies surrounding their minivan after they just finished some Christmas shopping at Wal-Mart.

Stubbs says a deputy drew his weapon as they were being ordered out of their minivan Tuesday afternoon.

The Stubbs were told that Wal-Mart employees called to report that they had passed several $100 bills that were counterfeit. Turns out the money wasn't counterfeit at all.

“Someone could have been shot. Someone could have been killed over erroneous information," says Stubbs who also told 7 Action News that their teenage daughter seemed to be in such distress after the incident that they considered taking her to the hospital.


http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/oakland_county/walmart-mistake-leads-deputies-to-stop-family-that-store-workers-suspected-passed-counterfeit-bills#ixzz1hERWjgsz

Palin attacks picture of Obama family pet.

Now, however, it seems that President Obama just isn’t invested in American Christmas traditions enough.

From radio.foxnews.coms’ Todd Starnes (emphasis mine):

The official White House holiday card makes no mention of the word ‘Christmas’ and instead focused on Bo the First Dog based on the wishes of the First Family.

“From our family to yours, may your holidays shine with the light of the season,” read the inside of the card, featuring the presidential seal.

The front of the card features Bo the First Dog lounging by a fireplace. Holiday greenery is draped over the fireplace mantle. Holiday presents are placed on a table underneath a poinsettia – instead of a Christmas tree.

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin told Fox News & Commentary that she found the card to be a bit unusual.

“It’s odd,” she said, wondering why the president’s Christmas card highlights his dog instead of traditions like “family, faith and freedom.”

Palin said the majority of Americans can appreciate the more traditional, “American foundational values illustrated and displayed on Christmas cards and on a Christmas tree.”

As for the Obama card, she replied, “It’s just a different way of thinking coming out of the White House.”


http://www.addictinginfo.org/2011/12/21/a-very-merry-fox-christmas-obamas-christmas-card-just-isnt-american-enough/

Romney: Deport Obama’s Uncle

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Wednesday joined Reps. Lamar Smith (R-TX) and Steve King in making political hay out of the August arrest of President Barack Obama’s uncle on DUI charges.

Romney — who’s been getting hammered by Democrats over his “for Pete’s sake” response to a previous question on immigration — didn’t seem to know what Boston radio host Howie Carr was talking about when he brought up Onyango Obama’s arrest during an interview, ABC reports. “Who is Uncle Omar, Howie?” Romney asked.

Once Howie explained, Romney said “the answer is ‘yes.’”

“Well, if the laws of the United States say he should be deported, and I presume they do, then of course we should follow those laws,” Romney said, according to ABC. “And the answer is ‘yes.’”


http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/romney-deport-obamas-uncle.php?ref=fpb