Campus deals with bomb threat

A few days after one of the deadliest shootings in US history the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus went underlock down after a threatening note was found in a bathroom. University officials said they had no choice but to lockdown the school and cancel classes afte the incident out at Virgina Tech.

Supreme Court upholds ban on partial birth abortion

The Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision ruled that the law that was passed by congress in 2003 was legal. Justice Anthony Kennedy writing for the majority said that the proponents did not make a sufficient case to warrant lifting the ban. Proponents say the ruling pushes womens rights back significantly and will allow states to put further restrictions on abortions and womens rights. Right to Life advocates claimed victory saying that the court made the right decision by following the constitution and protecting the unborn.

No deal yet on Iraq

Bush and congressional leaders met today to try and hammer out a deal to continue funding for the troops. However there was no progress made. Democrats claimed that they had made concessions with the White House. Bush said that he did not want a deadline for troop withdrawal and promised to veto the bill when it reaches his desk. Democrats will likely not have enough votes for a override so the bill will likely be renegotiated in conference committee.

NC Attorney General dismisses charges against Duke players

The North Carolina Attorney General in a press conference today declared that all charges related to the alleged rape by Duke students were going to be dropped. This after it was earlier learned that Mike Nifong the Durham city prosecutor mishandled the evidence. The Attorney General's office was brought in after it was determined that the city prosecutor was no longer effective in bringing the case forward and that there was not enough evidence and that the prosecutor was operating under prejudicial conduct. Nifong had been accused of using the rape case to ensure his re-election as city prosecutor. A member of congress from NC has asked the Justice department to investigate whether the college students civil rights were violated.

Congress and White House at odds over war funding

The White House and Congress continued to exchange volleys as the president vowed to veto a war funding bill that contains pork and a timetable which Bush says will hamstring the generals in the field. Congress said that it is trying to create accountability and that they have a constitutional right and obligation to get answers to questions they say that the previous congress failed to do. Congress also said that they are also doing the will of the people which they accuse the president of failing to do.

Twins stadium deal almost done

After passing a bill through the legislature and signed by the governor the Twins stadium has hit a hurdle. the Board of the Hennepin County has been negotiating with the owners of the would be site of the proposed outdoor stadium. the County voted to take the land by eminent domain and agreed to pay $13.35 million. The owners of the current space dispute that saying that the land is worth much more than that. A court appointed panel is expected to take oral arguments and issue a ruling. The Twins have stated that they are willing to pay additional costs for land aquisition although they did not elaborate on how much. The rest of the funding is expected to come from a county sales tax. The open air stadium is scheduled to be open for the 2010 season.

Red light camera overturned

The MN State Supreme Court sustained a District courts ruling that the red light camera ordinance by the City of Minneapolis was unconstitutional. It stated that the owners were assumed to be the violators and that the goverment did not provide a way for the offender to defend their actions. The City of Minneapolis failed in its attempt at the legislature to get an a exception in state law. State law requires an officer to be present to issue such a citation. The city ordinance is likely to be ruled unconstitutional because of the 4th Amendment due process clause.

Iran to release British sailors

After a 13 day standoff with Britain, Iran has agreed to turn over 15 British sailors. Iran claimed that the British sailors had entered into territory that is in Iran. Some experts believed that this was a trap by Iran to gain concessions. Iran claims that they were in Iranian territory. However the British said that according to their maps they were in Iraq territory. Iran currently has a dispute with the UN regarding its nuclear program. The price of oil dropped on the news.

Supreme Court rules against Gitmo detainees

The US Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Gitmo detainees to get acess to the federal court system. The court did not elaborate on the reason behind their decision. This decision did not address a previous ruling that allows the congress to determine the formulation of military tribunals by the administration.

Bush threatens veto

President Bush continued his threat to veto legislation that would force a timetable for US forces to withdraw from Iraq. In a test of political wills the Senate passed a bill that would require the Bush administration to set timetables. The bill is likely to get vetoed by the president and the Democrats will likely be forced to withdraw that provision. Bush urged the congress to act quickly on this defense appropriation because they will need the money by the middle of the month. The congress is on a two week recess.

Bush backs embattled AG Gonzalez

Despite the firestorm of controversy surrounding the firings of several federal prosecutors the White House continues to support Attorney General Gonzalez. The White House released a statement in support of the embattled Attorney General after his former Chief of Staff suggested that Gonzalez made statements that were contrary to internal email communications. The Senate has been adament about finding out why these US Attorneys were fired. The White House defended the decision on the grounds that US Attorneys serve at the pleasure of the president thus are political appointments not civil servants. The controversy comes because it was thought that the federal prosecutors were fired for incompetence not politics. The White House also stated that the federal prosecutors were fired because they were not following the presidents priorities.

UN approves sanctions against Iran

The UN Security Council approves sanctions against Iran for continuing its nuclear program. The US and its European allies have been trying for many months to try and get Iran to suspend its nuclear program because they believe its being developed for military rather than civilian use. Iran has stated that they will not be reporting to the UN. Iran must be careful because unlike Iraq Iran doesnt have as many friends when it comes this issue.

Congress vs The White House

As the democrats took over the Congress in November the White House has had a much more hostile relationship with the Congress. The current controversy is a prime example of payback by congressional democrats who say that republicans failed to provide adequate oversight of the White House. Congress has held numerous hearings including the War in Iraq. Congress held a vote this week to provide funding for the war which was requested by the president but was contingent on an exit strategy of early 08. With a significant number of Senators running for president in 08, the Senate is likely to get just as political as the US House. Dont feel too much sympathy for the White House as republicans have privately complained that the White House has not done a good job of explaining its policy and strategy goals. Rather they have just wanted to execute their strategy and expected that republicans would fall in line. While they were willing to do that in the first time most republicans are now looking for answers.

Bush draws crticism for Iraq plan

Pres. Bush drew criticism from both sides of the political aisle. He laid out a plan in which he would add an additonal 20,000 troops to secure Baghdad which is been plagued by secterian violence and IED's. Privately White House aides say they have told the Iraqi government that America's resolve is wearing thin and that they need to start making progress. The White House fears that a pull out of US forces would have far deadlier consequences both short term and long term. In the short term they fear that Syria and Iran would have a heavier hand in the political affairs of Iraq and would give Iran further incentive to puruse its nuclear programs. Also that Al-Qaeda would use Iraq as a base of operations to commit attacks dircectly against the United States. The long term consequence would result in a very unstable region which is already dealing with enough turmoil.

Democrats get ready to takeover Congress

The democrats are getting ready to takever Congress as the new majority. The Congress will be lead by Nancy Pelosi and the Senate will be lead by Harry Reid. Some of the items on the agenda for the 110th congress include border security, minimum wage increase and the Iraq War among others. The Pentagon has requested 110Billion for the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Appeals Court upholds Saddam conviction

In a ruling not unexpected an appeals court has ruled that Saddam's conviction has satisfied the legal requirements that now paves the way for his execution. The Sunni's hailed this as a botched trial while the Shiite majority hailed it as major victory and officially puts an end to the Saddam regime. Experts believe that this may quell any hopes that Saddam would be returning to power.

Saddam found guilty

This verdict while not surprising puts an end to a very murdurous regime that lasted for nearly 2 decades. Security has been tight in Baghdad enlight of a verdict negative or positive. Several senior leaders in the former regime were also found guilty of acts during that regime. Saddam is expected to appeal the verdict which could take sometime. When all of the appeals are exhausted he will be executed by hanging.

Political parties vying for control of Congress

The Democrat and Republican Parties are in an all out political war to control the majority in Congress. Republicans are trying to shore up their base which has been dismayed by rampant spending, the War in Iraq and Capitol Hill scandals. However the Democrats have not been able to effectively capitalize on the misfortunes of the republicans. Democrats have yet to offer a viable alternative which is why experts say that democrats are struggling to get traction against their republican opponents. More money has been spent on TV advertising than any other midterm in recent memory. While the democrats have a strong possibility of regaining control of congress that is less likely in the Senate. Consequently the ad wars have been the nastiest that we have seen in recent years. With so many races in a virtual dead and control of congress at stake experts say that candidates are likely to fight it out the end.

Races tighten as election nears

Campaigns have committed an all out blitz as the election comes to a close. Candidates are now using personal attacks to gain a political advantage. The air waves are expected to be he hit with a number of attack ads.

FL Congressman resigns over emails

Florida Congressman Mark Foley (R) resigned today amid allegations about sexually explicit emails to a former male congressional page. This comes as republicans battle to retain the majority in congress in the November election. The Florida Republican Party is scrambling to find a replacement candidate as lawyers try to find a way to get another candidate on the ballot.

RNC picks Twin Cities for 2008

The Republican National Commitee approved the Twin Cities to host its national convention. MN is also a swing state that borders on other swing states like Iowa and Wisconsin.

Rep. Bob Ney pleads guilty

Congressman Bob Ney (R-OH) pleaded guilty to charges related to the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. Ney initially denied any wrongdoing and was asked to step down from his leadership position as the Chair of the House Administration Committee. Ney has decided not to seek re-election. His republican challenger has asked to him to resign so that he can replace him for the general election.

Endorsed candidates win primaries with ease

US Senate candidate Mark Kennedy (R), US Senate candidate Amy Klobuchar (DFL) Governor Tim Pawlenty(R) Attorney General Mike Hatch(DFL) all easily won their parties primaries. The major party candidates are expected to slug it on the air waves as well as in the debates as the '06 election is expected to come to a fiery end. Control of the State House is at stake as well as control of Congress could well be decided on election. Republicans hope to keep majority while the democrats hope to take over as the new majority party.

White House buts heads with Congress over detainee bill

After the Supreme Court ruled the presidents military tribunals unconstitutional the White House has been urging congress to pass its version of the detainee bills. However its been tough sledding as the president faces opposition in his own party on Capitol Hill. A Senate committee this week passed a detaine bill which the White House opposes. The Senate version does not have as strict a policy on interrogations. President Bush held a press conference to press congress on passing his version of the detainee bill. He said that the CIA officers involved in interrogations must be able to use agressive tactics and should not be burdened with potential civil liability and criminal prosecution. There has been some debate over how to interpret Article 3 of the Geneva Convention which the Supreme Court cited in its Hamden vs. Rumsfeld decision. Some on Capitol Hill have argued that we should have our own interpretation of the article because it is too vague as its currently written and other countries interpret it based on their own laws.

Judge blocks strike until negotiations are exhausted

A federal appeals judge blocked the Northwest Flight attendants from striking against Northwest Airlines because there is too much economically at stake beyond the parties involved. The judge did not rule out allowing a strike if he believes that the parties cannot come to terms in the future.

US State Dept. issues limited visa to former head of Iran; current leader to address UN

Despite protest the State Department granted a visa to the former head of Iran. Opponents say Khatami should not be granted a visa because he resided over a regime that wanted the destruction of Israel and was a sworn of the United States. MA governor Mitt Romney who is a republican candidate for president blasted the decision to grant the visa and said that he should not be given protection by while visiting the United States.
The current Iranian leader has been granted a visa to visit the United States to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The Secret Service will be protecting him but his travel will be limited. The Secret Service provides security for foreign heads of state and dignitaries while in the United States. The United Nations is considered international territory even though its essentially in New York.

DOJ to propose law to prevent some convictions from being overturned

The Justice Department has proposed a law to congress that would prevent people like Ken Lay from having their convictions overturned. Lay's lawyers have filed motions to have their clients convictioned vacated by the judge because he is no longer alive. The judge has yet to certify the conviction. The Supreme Court has recently ruled that judges do not have the authority to overturn a jury verdict.

Mexican President Fox forgoes last speech to Mexican Congress

Mexican President Fox was forced due to security concerns to forgoe his annual speech to the Mexican congress following a protest outside of the chambers. Fox is the first Mexican president to forgoe his speech. Fox did give his speech on television. Leftist organizations continue to protest the outcome of the presidential election in which the winning candidate won by less than 1%. Protesters want a recount of all ballots. Mexico's Federal Election Tribunal has final authority on the outcome of the election.

FBI investigates AK State Lawmakers in probe of VECO

The FBI investigated the offices of Alaska state lawmakers as part of an investigation of VECO an oil field services company based in Alaska. VECO has made numerous contributions to political campaigns. The FBI stated that the lawmakers are not the target of the investigation.

U of M bans alcohol on campus dorms

The University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus has now prohibited alcohol in Twin Cities dorms in an attempt to curb binge drinking. This policy will also apply to students who are over the legal age. University officials admit it wont stop binge drinking but will alleviate some of the behavior that pervades college campuses. Most upper classman live off campus so this will not effect them for the most part.

Armitage was source of CIA leak

Richard Armitage the former Deputy Secretary of State was the source of CIA leak it was revealed and not former VP Chief of Staff Lewis Libby as the special federal prosecutor has claimed. Libby is charged with lying to a federal prosecutor.

Gov. Jeb Bush declares State of Emer. for So. FL

Gov. Jeb Bush declared a state of emergency for the So. Florida as Hurricane Ernesto tracks toward Florida. Tourists were ordered to evacuate the area. Officials said they wanted to evacuate tourists first so that there would be an orderly evacuation.

Several planes diverted due to security concerns

A number of commercial airliners were diverted from their original flight plans amid heightened security concerns. This is just another issue airlines must deal with as they attempt to remain in business while fuel prices have skyrocketed.

Judge temporarily blocks strike

A federal appeals court judge in New York as temporarily stopped a strike by NWA flight attendants. The judge stated he needed more time to review the case. NWA had argued that it was illegal for the union to strike while the airline was in bankruptcy. The Justice department also filed papers on behalf of Northwest stating that it would have been a violation of federal law.

DOJ joins NWA against flight attendants strike

The Justice Department has filed papers on Northwests behalf arguing that a flight attendants strike would violate federal law. A bankruptcy judge had ruled earlier that a strike by the flight attendants was legal despite the fact that Northwest is in bankruptcy. A federal appeals court is expected to rule on the matter soon. The flight attendants have threatened to implement CHAOS as part of the strike plans.

FDA approves plan B for OTC

The FDA gave formal approval today to a controversial pill plan B. Plan B is supposed to protect against unwanted pregnancy due to unprotected sex. Democrats had threatened to block the nomination of a current FDA member to become the Chief of the FDA. Plan B is expected to be sold over the counter but customers will be required to show ID to purchase it. Only those 18 and older will be allowed to buy it.

Iran to formally respond to UN resolution

Iran is expected soon to respond to the UN resolution to stop its nuclear program. Iran has been defiant every step of the way stating that they have the right to defend themselves. Experts and many countries are wary of Iran's claim that they are doing it for peacefull purposes. Iran has plenty of oil and has ties to, encourages and finances known terrorist organiztions.

Ellison campaign continues amid controversy

The Keith Ellison for Congress continues forward as the DFL endorsed candidate despite controversies over past statements as well as several unpaid tickets. Now it has been learned that he was late on paying taxes on his businesses. Ellison faces a serious primary challenge from fellow democrats and may not make it past primary amid the allegations.

DFL Cmte endorses candidate for AG

The DFL State Central Committee endorsed Steve Kelly for Attorney General. Kelly was endorsed when former House Minority Leader Matt Entenza who was the endorsed candidate for Attorney General. Steve Kelly is currently a state senator and was competing with the likes of Deputy Attorney General Lori Swanson for the endorsement as well as former Congressman Bill Luther.

Texas GOP endorses write-in candidate for congress

After failing to legally remove Tom DeLays name off the ballot for the Republican Party the party opted to endorse a write-in candidate for DeLay's seat. A federal judge earlier had ruled that DeLay's name could not be removed from the ballot after he won the parties nomination. DeLay's district is 60% republican. DeLay officially resigned from office in early June.

Judge rules warrantless wiretaps unconstitutional

A federal judge ruled today that warrantless wiretaps were unconstitutional. Lawyers for the plaintiffs argued that the government does not have the right to tap phone lines unless there is court order. The government argued that this tool is a necessary and legal tool. Pres. Bush said that he disagreed with the ruling and that those who believe this do not understand the nature of the threat that terrorism poses to the United States. Bush authorized the National Security Agency to conduct warrantless wiretaps on international phone calls in which there were individuals connected with known terrorist organizations. He also made sure that there were regular inspections to make sure that civil liberties were protected. It was a program that was considered to have the most monitoring of any program to minimize the likelyhood of abuse. The Justice Department is expected to appeal the decision to the US Court of Appeals.

Bankruptcy judge rules on strike

A bankruptcy judge has ruled that NWA flight attendants do have a right to strike against Northwest Airlines despite the fact that the airline was in bankruptcy. The airline had contended that a strike while a company was in bankruptcy was illegal a judge ruled otherwise. Flight attendants plan to implment a plan called CHAOS (Creating Havoc Around Our System) This would mean that only a select few people would know when the strike would occur and a disruption in one part of the system would lead to delays in other parts of the system.

British authorities still on high terror alert

The British have not lowered their terror alert because they believe an attack is still imment. Authorities believe that other terror cells could be ready to strike. US officials still have flights from the UK to the US on high alert. However US officials have eased restriction of carry-on items for domestic flights.

Authorities arrest suspects who bought prepaid cellphones

Federal authorities arrested several students after they bought multiple cellphones. Prepaid cellphones are thought to be used for international phone calls which make them harder to trace and to detonate bombs from a remote locations. Authorities found that they had as many as a thousand prepaid cellphones. The suspects said they bought them to resell them at a profit. The suspects are being charged with providing material support to a terrorist organization.

UN Security Council approves cease-fire resolution

The UN Security Council approved a plan that would end the violence between Hezbollah and Israel. An international force will be sent to maintain a buffer zone between south Lebanon and Israel. The Israelis will be allowed to continue military attacks until the international forces arrive. They are not expected to end military plans until Sunday. Hezbollah is expected to be disarmed. Most observers hope that the UN will have much more success with this resolution than the previous resolution that were not enforced.

British authorities foil plot for planes bound for United States

British authorities earlier today foiled a plot to blow up planes bound for the United States. The terror alert in the United States has been raised to orange and flights bound from the UK to the US have been raised to red. The threat is considered ongoing.

Lieberman and McKinney lose primaries

Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) lost his primary to democrat millionaire Ned Lamont in Tuesdays primary. Lieberman is expected to run as an independent now that he no longer has the support of his party. Connecticut has more registered voters of independents than republicans and democrats. Lieberman was criticised by democrats for supporting the president on the War in Iraq.
Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney of Georgia lost her primary bid to win re-election in Georgia. McKinney has been a controversial figure on Capitol Hill recently she was accused of striking a Capitol Hill police officer after failing to yield to an officer. Members of congress are encourage to wear their lapel pins that identify them as members of congress so that officers can easily identify them and bypass security. McKinney also missed a number of scheduled debates.

Mexican Court not likely to recommend recount

The Federal Elections Tribunal which has final authority on elections has said that it will not recommend a recount of a closely contested presidential election. The conservative Calderon narrowly won election by less than 1% over his liberal counterpart Obrador. The court also said that if a recount is authorized that each lawsuit must be brought individually and not by class action suit which the Obrador campaign had sought. The Tribunal has until September to issue a a final ruling on the matter.

Castro transfers power

Fidel Castro temporarily transferred presidential power to his brother Raul. Castro is currently recovering from surger and this transfer was done for cautionery reason Cuban officials said. Cuban exiles in Florida were seen rejoicing over the news of Castro.

Court says DeLays name must remain on ballot

A federal appeals court ruled today that former Rep. Tom DeLay's name must remain on the ballot. Despite the fact that he no longer resides in Texas but moved to Virginia. The Texas GOP attempted to replace DeLay with another republican since DeLay resigned from the US House on June 9th. The democrats opposed the filing because they want to use DeLay as a way to campaign on the culture of corruption since republicans are in the majority. This will be interesting to reconcile since the federal constitution requires that a candidate reside in the state that he or she intends to represent. DeLay won the republican primary back in March.