The incident happened last week at Parkway West Middle School in Chesterfield.

District officials said Thursday they believe that fewer than 10 children of the district’s 35 Jewish students were struck.

District [...]]]>

At least four students from a suburban St. Louis middle school face punishment for allegedly hitting Jewish classmates during what they called “Hit a Jew Day.”

The incident happened last week at Parkway West Middle School in Chesterfield.

District officials said Thursday they believe that fewer than 10 children of the district’s 35 Jewish students were struck.

District spokesman Paul Tandy said that in most cases, the students were hit on the back of their shoulders but one student was slapped in the face.

It began with an unofficial “Spirit Week” among sixth-graders that started harmlessly enough with a “Hug a Friend Day.” Then there was “High Five Day.”

Soon, though, the days moved from friendly to silly. Next there was “Hit a Tall Person Day” and, finally, “Hit a Jew Day.”

District officials believe a handful of children were directly involved. Those who actually struck classmates could face suspension and required counseling, Tandy said. Others who weren’t directly involved but taunted Jewish students or egged on classmates could face lesser penalties.

“There is a mix of sadness and outrage,” Tandy said. “The concern is a lot of kids knew about it and they didn’t take action or say anything.”

Karen Aroesty, St. Louis regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, said this was more than a case of bullying. Officials from the group will meet Friday with district leaders to discuss the matter.

Ministry spokeswoman Heidi Langvik-Hansen said the country’s embassy received a telephone call from Russia’s Defense Ministry on Wednesday, saying Moscow plans “to freeze all military cooperation with NATO and allied countries.”

Norway was told in the telephone call a [...]]]>

Norway’s Defense Ministry said Russia has informed it that it plans to cut all military ties with NATO.

Ministry spokeswoman Heidi Langvik-Hansen said the country’s embassy received a telephone call from Russia’s Defense Ministry on Wednesday, saying Moscow plans “to freeze all military cooperation with NATO and allied countries.”

Norway was told in the telephone call a written note about this would be sent out shortly.
Russian officials were not immediately available to confirm the information and officials at NATO headquarters said they have not been informed of any such moves.

I was doing some late night reading and came across this article from the Times of London stating, in ominous words, that Iran was moving missiles into launch position and targeting Israel’s Dimona power plant.

I bookmarked the link in del.icio.us and went on my way. Soon, [...]]]> An interesting thing happened on the way to the forum.

I was doing some late night reading and came across this article from the Times of London stating, in ominous words, that Iran was moving missiles into launch position and targeting Israel’s Dimona power plant.

I bookmarked the link in del.icio.us and went on my way. Soon, Friend Feed picked up my bookmark, as it picks up most of my social content, and published it to my community of followers. This was the ensuing conversation.

It’s interesting to see the wide array of perspectives reflected on this story. Some think that there will be a nuclear showdown between the U.S. and Iran, but wish it was several years away. Others think that it’s likely “something” will happen, including the potential capturing of Osama bin Laden somewhere in the October timeframe. Still others wished to debate the merits of a McCain or Obama administration in dealing with this kind of threat.

It’s good that conversation can actually transpire civilly. Certainly, red flags have been raised by this article including the point that the Times of London is owned by News Corp, the same company that inflicted Fox News on the American viewing public. In addition, there doesn’t seem to be any outside evidence verifying the claim of an imminent nuclear showdown.

Chloe, can you hack into the CIA’s satellite network?

The charges stem from a 2006 deposition Paulk gave in a lawsuit against him, [...]]]>

The 80-year-old leader of a megachurch pleaded guilty Wednesday to lying under oath about his sexual affairs and was sentenced to 10 years’ probation. Archbishop Earl Paulk, who has been in ill health, was also fined $1,000 on a single felony count.

The charges stem from a 2006 deposition Paulk gave in a lawsuit against him, his brother Don and the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit at Chapel Hill Harvester Church by former church employee Mona Brewer, who said she was coerced into an affair.

In the deposition, Earl Paulk said under oath that the only woman with whom he had ever had sex outside his marriage was Brewer. But the results of a court-ordered paternity test revealed in October that Paulk is the biological father of his brother’s son, D.E. Paulk, who is now head pastor at the church.

As part of Brewer’s lawsuit, eight women have given sworn depositions that they were coerced into sexual relationships with Earl Paulk.

Mark Deli Siljander, a Michigan Republican when he was in the House, was charged with money [...]]]>

A former congressman and delegate to the United Nations was indicted Wednesday as part of a terrorist fundraising ring that allegedly sent more than $130,000 to an al-Qaida and Taliban supporter who has threatened U.S. and international troops in Afghanistan.

Mark Deli Siljander, a Michigan Republican when he was in the House, was charged with money laundering, conspiracy and obstructing justice for allegedly lying about lobbying senators on behalf of an Islamic charity that authorities said was secretly sending funds to terrorists.

A 42-count indictment, unsealed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., accuses the Islamic American Relief Agency of paying Siljander $50,000 for the lobbying — money that turned out to be stolen from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Siljander, who served in the House from 1981-1987, was appointed by President Reagan to serve as a U.S. delegate to the United Nations for one year in 1987.

Durham, a 25-year veteran of the Justice Department, has a reputation as one of the nation’s most relentless prosecutors. He was appointed to investigate the FBI’s [...]]]>

Attorney General Michael Mukasey appointed John Durham, a veteran federal prosecutor in Connecticut, to oversee a full criminal investigation that could further challenge the Bush administration’s handling of terrorism suspects.

Durham, a 25-year veteran of the Justice Department, has a reputation as one of the nation’s most relentless prosecutors. He was appointed to investigate the FBI’s use of mob informants in Boston, a probe that sent former FBI agent John Connolly to prison.

Durham gained national prominence following the 1989 murder of Mafia underboss William Grasso, which led to one of the biggest mob takedowns in U.S. history. He then turned to Connecticut street gangs, winning dozens of convictions and putting some gang leaders in jail for life. Former Attorney General Janet Reno hand-picked Durham to lead the investigation into the FBI’s use of mob informants in Boston.

Durham, a Republican, has shown no tolerance for corruption in either party. He supervised the corruption investigation that sent former Republican Connecticut Gov. John G. Rowland and several members of his administration to prison.

The United [...]]]>

An attack on a political rally killed the Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto near the capital, Islamabad, Thursday. Witnesses said Ms. Bhutto was fired upon at close range before the blast, and an official from her party said Ms. Bhutto was further injured by the explosion, which was apparently caused by a suicide attacker.

The United States claims to support democratic institutions yet we support dictatorial regimes like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia because it is convenient. Watch the Bush administration bob and weave out of this one. Expect lots of talk but no action.

By an overwhelming 70-to-25 vote, senators moved to provide the [...]]]>

The Senate voted Tuesday night to approve a sweeping year-end budget package after adding $70 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over the objections of Democrats who have been stymied all year in their efforts to change the course of the conflict in Iraq.

By an overwhelming 70-to-25 vote, senators moved to provide the money sought by President Bush after the defeat of two Democratic-led efforts to tie the money to troop withdrawals.