Trump ordered that the term Homo sapiens be changed to Hetero sapiens. In history books and on websites, the airplane from which the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima will no longer be identified as the Enola Gay, but rather the Enola Straight. Trump also ordered billionaire Mark Cuban, who supported Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, to change his name to Mark American. If he does not do so, he will be charged with terrorism.   read more

Watt's work on the Finance Committee and his reliance on contributions from the banking industry to fund his political campaigns have generated criticism. Since he entered Congress in 1992, Watt has received more campaign money—$1.33 million—from financial interests than any other industry or special interest. Critics charge that Watt's financial dependence on the finance industry and his cozy relationship with Bank of America have led him to be more less consumer-oriented on related issues.   read more

The controversy centers on Pagan Island, part of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), which is itself made up of 14 islands, three of which are inhabited (Saipan, Tinian and Rota). American forces intend to occupy all of Pagan Island for live-fire training and military exercises. Pagan was inhabited for more than 3,000 years, but the population was evacuated during a volcano eruption in 1981.   read more

Wells Fargo placed Delassus into default after the bank incorrectly charged him for back property taxes, which it turned out was really owed by his neighbor, not Delassus. Even after Delassus pointed out the mistake, which Wells Fargo acknowledged, the bank refused to correct the situation or help him bring his account current, resulting in the condo being seized and sold off.   read more

Although the available public record is sketchy regarding Djoumbe's activities during the chaotic years after the 1990 coup that put Idriss Déby in power (where he remains today), Djoumbe emerged as deputy general director of the Foreign Ministry from 1999 to 2001. Djoumbe was ambassador to Belgium from 2007 to 2010, In an odd career twist, he then served as Minister of Mines and Geology from 2010 to 2011.   read more

The state paid more than $5 million to defend education requirements for students who are not proficient in English, according to The Arizona Republic. In the case of SB 1070, the controversial anti-illegal immigration law, more than $3.2 million has gone towards defending it. This money was raised by Governor Jan Brewer through private contributions to her Border Security and Immigration Legal Defense Fund.   read more

Instead of using dealerships, Tesla markets and sells its automobiles through the Internet or by phone. This new business model of selling vehicles has upset owners of car dealerships who see Tesla as a threat to the traditional way of making deals. That is why the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association sponsored a law that would make it illegal for any carmaker to bypass dealerships and sell directly to customers.   read more

The state adopted the Cuba Amendment, which banned businesses from receiving state and local contracts if they had dealings in Cuba or Syria, or maintained connections with companies that did so. The law also required companies to certify that they did not have business operations in any of the two countries when bidding on a government job or renewing a contract with a government agency.   read more

Documents sealed from the public include affidavits for search, arrest and charging warrants, as well as incident and investigation reports produced by law enforcement. Representative John Rubin, a Republican and a former federal administrative law judge, told the Kansas City Star that the records should be open “unless law enforcement can provide a justifiable reason to keep records closed or sealed to protect an ongoing investigation for prosecution.”   read more

Holly Van Voast has been arrested at least 10 times for showing off her chest. She recently filed a federal lawsuit against the city and the department to challenge such apprehensions. Her litigation reminded authorities that New York’s Supreme Court ruled decades ago that baring one’s chest in public— noncommercial activity—is as legal for a woman as it is for a man.   read more

The reason that the IRS has instead pursued the small outfits is because many don’t have legal counsel and therefore make for an easier target, Chris Ashby, a lawyer to conservative groups, told the Times. “The big groups are generally well-advised, lawyered up,” he said. “Their tax forms are artfully drawn.”   read more

In 2009, 30.5% of female characters aged 21-39 appeared at least partially nude. This percentage rose to 41.5% in 2010 and dropped back down to 39.6% in 2012. By contrast, the percentage of female characters aged 13-20 who appeared at least partially nude was 28.2% in 2009 and 33.0% in 2010, but jumped to 55.8% in 2012.   read more

To some observers, there may be more to the story than meets the eye because so much of it strains credulity—such as the unlikely use of a cheap-looking disguise, a recruitment letter written in such a potentially compromising way, and the fact that Russian authorities and media—already on the scene of the arrest—moved with lightning speed to plaster photos, video and information across the media landscape.   read more

Noor pleaded guilty before a military commission to conspiracy and providing material support to terrorism. Under the terms of his plea, he had to serve an additional 34 months on top of the nine years he’s already been imprisoned as a wartime detainee. Noor traveled to Afghanistan in 1994, where he received paramilitary training at an al-Qaeda camp. Noor claimed he was not a member of al-Qaeda, and was never linked to any specific terrorist attack.   read more

At least 43 contractors have been told by the MOF that they owe a combined $921 million in business taxes and associated penalties, according to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). SIGAR pointed out that the government of Hamid Karzai signed deals with the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Agency for International Aid and other bodies to excuse non-Afghan businesses from paying local taxes as long as they are helping with the war.   read more

In a news conference on Tuesday, Holder defended the spying, claiming that it was done in response to one of “the top two or three most serious leaks that I’ve ever seen.” He also claimed that he was not involved in the case and shifted the blame onto his deputy, James M. Cole. For his part, Cole defended his own actions by saying that the records “have been closely held and reviewed solely for the purposes of this ongoing criminal investigation.”   read more

CMS officials said they are not responsible for monitoring prescription practices, claiming that duty must be handled by private health insurance plans. However, the inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services has repeatedly criticized CMS for not policing Part D.   read more