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Purveyor's JournalLawsuit: Violent Private Prison Called 'Gladiator School'
In Idaho prison, violence is said to be used as a management tool.Courthouse News / By Philip Janquart
October 16, 2013 |
BOISE, Idaho (CN) - Corrections Corporation of America uses violence as a management tool at a private prison so brutal it's known as Idaho's "Gladiator School," an inmate claims in court.
Rowe Burningham claims he was brutally beaten at the Idaho Correctional Center, in Kuna. He sued CCA, state prison director Brent Reinke, ICC warden Timothy Wengler and other CCA officers, in Federal Court.
Burningham, a sex offender, claims he was housed in a segregation unit but was moved to a nonsegregation unit against his requests. The move made him susceptible to attack by prison gang members who tend to react violently to sex offenders, he says in the complaint.
He claims fellow inmate and wannabe gang member Michael Shaw Balloue attacked him on Oct. 11, 2011, as part of an initiation into one of the prison's gangs. Balloue is not a party to the lawsuit.
"The only prison staff present at that time was Officer J. Hudon," the complaint states. "Before Officer Hudon responded, Michael Balloue had broken Mr. Burningham's jaw, torn his ear from his head in a three-inch gash, caused severe hemorrhaging in his eye, and left multiple welts all over his head from the impact of his fists, and the resulting impact of Mr. Burningham's head on the floor."
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http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/lawsuit-violent-private-prison-called-gladiator-school?akid=11047.260530.i75BDZ&rd=1&src=newsletter910968&t=13
Senators Push For Escalation Of Sanctions Against Iran After Nuclear Talks End In Geneva
Source: Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Demands in Congress grew Wednesday for a speedy escalation of sanctions against Iran as two days of nuclear talks ended in Geneva, setting up a potential foreign policy clash with the Obama administration while it seeks a diplomatic end to the standoff with Tehran.
Even as negotiations between world powers and Iran ended on an upbeat note, with a new round of discussions set for November, lawmakers seeking to end a government shutdown back in Washington quickly expressed their skepticism and laid out red lines for the talks. Members of both parties have overwhelmingly backed tougher economic pressure on Iran in recent years amid concern it is closing in on nuclear weapons capability.
"Given Iran's continued refusal to halt its illicit nuclear and ballistic missile programs, the Senate should immediately move forward with a new round of economic sanctions targeting all remaining Iranian government revenue and reserves," said Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois, who has played a leading role in drafting sanctions.
With talks in the Swiss city barely over, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida introduced a Senate resolution calling for more pressure.
Read more: http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/afca1b513c6f411996b38dc0003298c2/US-Congress-Iran
RELATED...
IRAN NUCLEAR TALKS END ON UPBEAT NOTE; MORE IN NOV
GENEVA (AP) -- Nuclear talks between Iran and six world powers ended on an upbeat note Wednesday, with top Western and Iranian negotiators announcing a follow-up round early next month while speaking of significant progress in efforts to reduce fears that Tehran may be seeking atomic arms.
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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRAN_NUCLEAR_TALKS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-10-16-17-45-44
Auto Sales Take Hit Due To Washington Budget Fight, But May Bounce Back With Settlement
DETROIT (AP) -- Auto sales tailed off last week, and some dealers and experts are pointing the finger at bickering politicians in Washington.
Data collected by J.D. Power and Associates show that sales fell in the second week of October as the partial shutdown of the government and the debate over the nation's borrowing dragged on. During the first week, sales ran at an annual rate of 15.6 million. But the rate fell to 15.3 million in the week ended Oct. 11.
Analysts such as Jeff Schuster expected sales to recover in October after a weak September, bouncing back to the robust pace seen in August. But J.D. Power data collected from auto dealers nationwide shows otherwise, and there's no explanation other than the government gridlock, said Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting for LMC Automotive, an industry consulting firm that works closely with J.D. Power.
"It's been enough of a hit to consumer confidence that it's affected sales," said Schuster, who would not give specific numbers.
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http://www.newser.com/article/da9fgkjg0/auto-sales-take-hit-due-to-washington-budget-fight-but-may-bounce-back-with-settlement.html
Quest By Cruz, Lee Divides Republicans _ Fool's Errand Or Heroic Stand?
Fool's errand or heroic stand?
The bipartisan compromise on Wednesday to avoid a financial default and end a 16-day partial government shutdown cast a spotlight on Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah, who had precipitated the crises with their demand that President Barack Obama gut his 3-year-old health care law.
Other Republicans who repeatedly had warned the two about their quixotic move took little pleasure in saying "I-told-you-so." The final deal hardly nicked the health care law, while the shutdown and near default left the GOP reeling.
"He's the one who got us into this. He had no strategy. And it caused us to waste 16 days and get ourselves killed in the polls," Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said of Cruz. "All for a guy who was fraudulent from the start."
With a heavy dose of gallows humor, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Republicans' poll "numbers have gone down, Obamacare's somehow mysteriously have gone up. And other than that, this has been great."
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http://www.newser.com/article/da9fgpvo1/quest-by-cruz-lee-divides-republicans-fools-errand-or-heroic-stand.html
AP Source: Lions DT Ndamukong Suh fined $31,500 for hit on Browns QB Weeden
By LARRY LAGE | ASSOCIATED PRESS | 6 minutes ago in Sports
Ndamukong Suh has been fined by the NFL.
Again.
The Detroit Lions defensive tackle was docked $31,500 by the league for a hit on Cleveland Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke Wednesday on condition of anonymity because the fine had not been announced.
Suh insisted earlier in the day he was unaware the NFL was reviewing his actions during Sunday's game, but acknowledged being used to the scrutiny.
"I think there is always going to be a microscope on me," he said. "I think there has been a microscope on me since I was first drafted."
more...
http://www.newser.com/article/da9fgv980/person-familiar-with-decision-tells-ap-lions-dt-suh-fined-31500-for-hit-on-browns-qb-weeden.html
Federal Judge To Hold Trial Before Deciding Lawsuit Challenging Michigan's Gay Marriage Ban
Source: Associated Press
DETROIT — A federal judge stunned the courtroom Wednesday by saying he'll hold a trial before deciding whether to overturn Michigan's ban on same-sex marriage.
U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman said he won't make a decision without hearing testimony from experts on whether there's a legitimate state interest in banning gay marriage. He scheduled a trial for Feb. 25.
"I wish I could give you a definitive ruling. ... There are fact issues that have to be decided," Friedman said.
Friedman clearly caught the lawyers off guard. They had agreed to have him decide the issue on arguments and briefs. There was a groan in a nearby room where dozens of people were watching a video feed.
Read more: http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/91d87d04a7c745639043c32b57fb59f3/US--Gay-Marriage-Michigan
Kentucky GOP Senators Were Wrong That State Didn’t Want Obamacare
The Republican senators from Kentucky, Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell, declared last week that their constituents didn’t want any part of the Affordable Care Act.
Paul and McConnell deemed Obamacare so onerous that it was worth shutting down the entire government in order to try to stop it.
“Obamacare might sell in New York, but Kentuckians aren’t buying it,” they wrote in an op-ed.
They were wrong.
Kentuckians are signing up in droves–at a rate of more than 1,000 people per day–in a state where more than half a million people have been uninsured.
In fact, support nationwide for Obamacare soared this week while the public abandoned the Republican Party in droves. An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll out Thursday showed that a mere 24% of Americans have a favorable opinion of the Republican Party–a historic low.
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http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/it-turns-out-kentucky-does-want-obamacare
Louisiana Supreme Court Strikes Down Law Requiring Immigrant Drivers To Carry Proof Of Legal Status
Source: Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS — The Louisiana Supreme Court has struck down a state law that made it a crime for people who aren't U.S. citizens to drive here without carrying proof of their immigration status.
The divided court ruled Tuesday that the state law is pre-empted by a federal law that imposes similar requirements but carries a lighter punishment. The federal law is a misdemeanor, while the state law is a felony punishable by a prison sentence of up to one year.
Two of the court's seven justices wrote dissenting opinions.
The statute was part of a series of laws that the state Legislature passed in 2002 in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But the law's critics say it hasn't led to the arrest of any suspected terrorists.
Read more: http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/story/ef98b80c136b479180a245f2dfa640d4/US-Drivers-Immigration-Status
White House: Iran's Nuclear Proposal 'Very Useful'
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House says an Iranian proposal addressing its nuclear program is useful and contains a, quote, "level of seriousness and substance that we have not seen before."
White House spokesman Jay Carney says not to expect a prompt breakthrough in the high-level nuclear talks between Iran and six world powers.
Still, the talks ended on a positive note Wednesday. The European Union's top diplomat called them, quote, "very important."
A new meeting among the parties is scheduled for Nov. 7-8 in Geneva.
Carney says, quote: "We found the Iranian presentation very useful."
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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_IRAN_NUCLEAR_OBAMA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-10-16-14-09-17
Dozens Of Syrian Fighting Groups Break Ties With Main Opposition, Says Rebel Commander
Source: Associated Press
BEIRUT — Several dozen rebel groups in southern Syria have broken with the main political opposition group in exile, a commander said in a video posted Wednesday, dealing a potential new setback to Western efforts to unify moderates battling President Bashar Assad's regime.
The Turkey-based Syrian National Coalition, the political arm of the Free Syrian Army rebel group, has long struggled to win respect and recognition from the fighters. It is widely seen as cut off from events on the ground and ineffective in funneling aid and weapons to the rebels.
In the video, a rebel, later identified by a Free Syrian Army official as a captain in a local brigade, read a statement with about two dozen fighters standing behind him, some holding a banner with FSA emblems.
The man said political opposition leaders have failed to represent those trying to bring down Assad.
Read more: http://www.startribune.com/world/227967561.html
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