Thursday, April 27, 2006

COERCION? UNCONSTITUTIONAL LAWS? NO EVIDENCE? WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?

Federal Victory in Terror Case May Prove Brief, Experts Say

LOS ANGELES, April 26 — Despite predictions that their victory might not hold up on appeal, federal prosecutors on Wednesday savored their victory in a Sacramento courtroom, where a jury a day earlier convicted an American born in Pakistan of providing support to a terrorist group and lying to investigators.

snip

But legal experts said the prosecution's celebration might be short-lived because a federal appeals court had twice ruled unconstitutional some aspects of the law on which Mr. Hayat was convicted. They also said Mr. Hayat's reported confessions to F.B.I. agents could be challenged on the ground they were coerced from a frightened suspect with a limited command of English.

snip

The government never presented evidence that Mr. Hayat had participated in or planned any terrorist act.

link

Friday, April 21, 2006

MY COCKATOO HAS BEEN A WRECK

U.S. Bird Flu Threat May Be Overstated, Experts Say

Dr. Marc Siegel, author of False Alarm: The Truth About the Epidemic of Fear and a clinical associate professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine in New York City,
said, "There's a complete psychosis here."

"The whole problem with the topic is the blurring of the distinction between birds and people. I'd be worried if I was a bird -- maybe. But not even all birds should be worried," Siegel said.

link

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

BREAKING NEWS

Bounty or bust?: Experts say fall pecan harvest could go either way

It's hard to say whether the coming pecan season will be good or bad, said Stuart Gauthier, associate county agent for the Vermilion and Lafayette Parish Extension Service of the LSU AgCenter.

link

Friday, April 07, 2006

ROLL OVER, DICK NIXON

Experts: Tactic Would Be Legal but Unusual

By Michael A. Fletcher Washington Post Staff Writer

Legal experts say that President Bush had the unquestionable authority to approve the disclosure of secret CIA information to reporters, but they add that the leak was highly unusual and amounted to using sensitive intelligence data for political gain.

"It is a question of whether the classified National Intelligence Estimate was used for domestic political purposes," said Jeffrey H. Smith, a Washington lawyer who formerly served as general counsel for the CIA.

snip

Experts said the power to classify and declassify documents in the federal government flows from the president and is often delegated down the chain of command. In March 2003, Bush signed an executive order delegating declassification authority to Cheney.

aargh

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

MOM: Jimmy, you should always take a bath before you retire.

JIMMY: Is that why Grandpa didn't retire until he was 65?

Are You Ready for Retirement? Experts Say No

Cheyenne- Associated Press

Retirement overconfidence. It may be a phrase that you will be hearing a lot of as the nation's baby boomers approach retirement age.

A new report suggests that tomorrow's sun setters are not doing enough today, but, they say, it's never too late to start.

For most people, the most difficult thing about retirement should be getting early tee times on the golf course, but experts warn that to have stress free golden years, the hard work must come early.

yakety yak