Top Items:
Associated Press:
Rep. Jefferson indicted in bribery probe — WASHINGTON - Louisiana congressman William Jefferson (news, bio, voting record) received more than $500,000 in bribes and sought millions more in nearly a dozen separate schemes to enrich himself by using his office to broker business deals in Africa, according to a federal indictment Monday.
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Patrick O'Connor / The Politico:
GOP to push for Jefferson expulsion — House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) moved quickly to force the expulsion of Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) from Congress following his indictment Monday on federal corruption charges. — The Republican leader will ask members of the House …
Washington Post:
Indictment Sought Against Rep. Jefferson — FBI Probes Allegations Lawmaker Took Bribes to Promote Business Ventures — Federal prosecutors are seeking an indictment today against Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.) in a longstanding FBI corruption probe centering on allegations that he took bribes …
Discussion:
Captain's Quarters, CBS News, Political Radar, Taylor Marsh, The American Street, Wizbang, Booman Tribune, Obsidian Wings, Salon and Alternate Brain
Associated Press:
U.S. congressman indicted in bribery case … WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-Louisiana, was indicted Monday on federal charges of racketeering, soliciting bribes and money-laundering in a long-running bribery investigation into business deals he tried to broker in Africa.
Andrew O. Selsky / Associated Press:
Guantanamo judge dismisses terror case — GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba - A military judge dismissed terrorism-related charges Monday against a prisoner charged with killing an American soldier in Afghanistan, delivering a blow to the Bush administration's attempt to try Guantanamo detainees in military courts.
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William Glaberson / New York Times:
Judge Throws Out Charges in Guantánamo Prisoner Case — A military judge here dismissed the war crimes charges against a Canadian detainee today, saying there was a flaw in the procedure the military has used to file such charges against Guantánamo detainees.
Discussion:
Balkinization
Andy McCarthy / National Review:
Stunning Gitmo Development — Charges Thrown Out — The AP is reporting that a military court today threw out murder charges against Omar Khadr on the grounds that the military commission system as constituted may only try "alien unlawful enemy combatants" and Khadr was only previously found to be an "enemy combatant."
Gary Langer / ABCNEWS:
Democrats Lose Their Edge — Poll Shows Congressional Approval Ratings Have Returned to Pre-Election Levels — The Democrats in Congress have lost much of the leadership edge they carried out of the 2006 midterm election, with the lack of progress in Iraq being the leading cause.
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Washington Post:
Americans Dissatisfied With Direction of Country, Poll Shows — Washington Post-ABC News poll says satisfaction is at its lowest point in more than a decade — Growing frustration with the performance of the Democratic Congress combined with widespread public pessimism …
Washington Times:
CBO: Bill would only reduce illegals by 25% — The Senate's immigration bill will only reduce illegal immigration by about 25 percent a year, according to a new Congressional Budget Office report, Stephen Dinan will report Tuesday in The Washington Times. — The bill's new guest-worker program …
Mary Clare Jalonick / Associated Press:
Wyoming Sen. Craig Thomas Dies at 74 — WASHINGTON (AP) - Wyoming Sen. Craig Thomas, a three-term conservative Republican who stayed clear of the Washington limelight and political catfights, died Monday. He was 74. — The senator's family issued a statement saying he died Monday evening …
Linda Greenhouse / New York Times:
Ruling Helps Prosecutors in Death Penalty Cases — The Supreme Court today strengthened the hand of prosecutors in death penalty cases by making it easier to remove potential jurors who express ambivalence about the death penalty or confusion about how it should be applied.
Discussion:
Real Cities, Los Angeles Times, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Feministe, SCOTUSblog and Washington Post
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Thomas H. Maugh II / Los Angeles Times:
Chicken bones say Polynesians beat Europeans to New World — Researchers use genetic analysis and radiocarbon dating of bones found in Chile to turn previously held ideas on their head. — After decades of contention, New Zealand researchers have provided the first direct evidence …
Discussion:
The Newshoggers
The Palmetto Scoop:
Scarborough has an "Imus moment" — Presidential candidate Fred Thompson's second-and-current wife Jeri, who is considered by some to be a "trophy wife," was the topic of an interesting conversation on Friday's Morning Joe radio talk show, which aired live on MSNBC.
Mike Allen / The Politico:
Key Bush backers rally to Fred Thompson — George P. Bush, a nephew of President Bush who recently joined the Navy Reserve, has contributed to the prospective presidential campaign of Fred Thompson and signed an e-mail asking friends and associates to do the same, The Politico has learned.
Dan Newling / Daily Mail:
Smokers told to quit or surgery will be refused — Smokers are to be denied operations on the Health Service unless they give up cigarettes for at least four weeks beforehand. — Doctors will police the rule by ordering patients to take a blood test to prove they have not been smoking.
Discussion:
Heading Right, Captain's Quarters, Moonbattery, ProfessorBainbridge.com ® and Pajamas Media