Top News Stories of the Week
By Drudge Retort
Friday, August 06, 2010 at 08:00 AM
The following stories were the biggest news events of the preceding week, according to the users of the Drudge Retort.
A federal judge in California on Wednesday overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriage, saying the voter-approved rule violated the constitutional rights of gays and lesbians. The decision by Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker is an initial step in what will likely be a lengthy legal fight over California's Proposition 8, which defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
Posted by ness_gadol at 05:52 PM on August 04, 2010 | 846 COMMENTS
Moderate Muslims Behind 'Ground Zero' Mosque
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, one of the leaders behind the Park51 project described by critics as the "Ground Zero Mosque," is a moderate Muslim who openly condemns Al Qaeda and argues that American democracy is Islam's ideal society.
Posted by Corky at 09:58 AM on August 04, 2010 | 359 COMMENTS
Senate Goes After Pot Brownies
Last night the United States Senate voted to double the penalties for brownies and other treats made with marijuana. The "Saving Kids From Dangerous Drug Act," introduced by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, would double penalties for those who make or sell marijuana combined with candy or marketed like candy.
Posted by nullifidian at 06:31 PM on August 03, 2010 | 219 COMMENTS
Socialist: Capitalism is Killing Us
Leela Yellesetty, Socialist Worker: I often think that one of the tremendous tricks of capitalism is getting us to accept an absurd state of affairs as normal -- inevitable even. Especially when things look really bad, like today, this is the last-resort argument of defenders of capitalism: Even if the system has problems, this is as good as it gets. I want to convince you that capitalism is not as good as it gets -- and that a better world, a socialist world, is in fact possible, not to mention necessary if we want to survive as a species.
Posted by paneocon at 07:30 PM on August 03, 2010 | 215 COMMENTS
During House debate on a $7.4 billion bill to provide health care aid to 9/11 first responders, which later was defeated, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) angrily denounced Republicans for using procedural excuses for opposing the bill. "It's Republicans wrapping their arms around Republicans, rather than doing the right thing on behalf of the heroes!" he thundered. "You vote yes if you believe yes! You vote in favor of something if you believe it's the right thing! If you believe it's the wrong thing, you vote no!"
Posted by rcade at 12:17 PM on July 30, 2010 | 214 COMMENTS
Krauthammer Calls Chevy Volt 'a Disaster'
"The only people who are going to buy it are going to be very rich people who are going to park it outside their townhouse for ostentatious show of how virtuous they are while they drive around in their Cadillac Escalade," claims columnist Charles Krauthammer.
Posted by cookfish at 07:31 AM on August 02, 2010 | 179 COMMENTS
Judge Allows Spouse Rape of Muslim
The blog Volokh Conspiracy recently uncovered a case where a New Jersey judge let a Moroccan husband in the U.S. rape his wife without punishment because he believed his Muslim religion permitted it. "This is according to our religion. You are my wife, I c[an] do anything to you," the man's new wife testified she was told. After a judge ruled this was not rape, an appellate court overturned the decision July 23.
Posted by MURPHY at 09:53 AM on August 02, 2010 | 146 COMMENTS
Obama: African-Americans are a 'Mongrel People'
President Obama waded into the national race debate in an unlikely setting and with an unusual choice of words: telling the daytime talk show hosts on The View that African-Americans such as himself are "sort of a mongrel people." He added, "I mean we're all kinds of mixed up. That's actually true of white people as well, but we just know more about it."
Posted by cookfish at 09:50 AM on July 30, 2010 | 141 COMMENTS
Anne Rice: 'I Quit Being a Christian'
The novelist Anne Rice announced last week on Facebook that she was quitting Christianity, later clarifying that she remains committed to "faith in Christ." She wrote, "Following Christ does not mean following His followers." Rice returned to her Catholic faith in 2005 and wrote a memoir about the experience.
Posted by kanrei at 10:53 AM on August 02, 2010 | 130 COMMENTS
McConnell Wants 'Birth Citizenship' Hearings
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has become the highest-ranking Republican to support a review of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which grants "birth citizenship" to children of illegal immigrants born in the U.S., his office confirmed Monday. McConnell believes "we should hold hearings," his spokesman said.
Posted by rcade at 03:15 PM on August 03, 2010 | 117 COMMENTS
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