California requires textbooks to teach religion with ‘respect’

California students will soon learn that Romans, not Jews, crucified Jesus...

U.S. Orders College to Drop Fellowships For Minorities

Southern Illinois University is involved in a law suit with the justice department, over three minority scholorship programs. The scholarship programs are aimed at women and minorities, the justice department calls them discriminatory.

Less than 8 percent of SIU's 5,500 graduate students are black or Hispanic. University spokeswoman Sue Davis said Friday that the programs have helped improve the school's diversity and are similar to those at other schools nationwide.

I would like to know more about this case. If anyone has information, I would like to know.

cartoon blogging

Jews of color

I have found this cool site for Jews of color. The site is called Scattered Among the Nations.
Also check out Kulanu

Motown star Martha Reeves wins Detroit council seat

Following up on this story I reported in August. Martha Reeves, famous motown singer has won her race to be a member of the Detroit city council.

When all else fails Don't let gays get married

We are back to banning gay marriage, but it is already illegal. A senate panal voted yesterday to approve the, Marriage Protection Amendment. It still needs the approval of 2/3 of the Senate and the House and then the states.

I think this is another attempt to take the focus off of what is going wrong with the Republican party. Republicans realize they are in trouble and are desperate to do something to salvage their majority, so what do they do? They mobilize their base. The Republicans need to realize that the majority of Americans are not happy with how they are running the government and old tricks like this will not work.

Funny

I thought this was funny and so wrong.

Got this from Yo Yenta

Impeach Bush

A poll conducted by Zogby International, says 53% of Americans say Congress should consider impeaching Bush if he lied about why we went to war in Iraq.

Impeach Pac

Uganda's Jewish community

The BBC has a wonderful photo essay on the Abayudaya Jews of Uganda. Last year I saw a film about them at the Atlanta Jewish film festival, I would encourage anyone to see the film if you can.

If you want to learn more about the Abayudaya Jews visit Kulanu.org

U.S.: House Amendment Tilts Playing Field for Death Penalty

I am slowly trying to catch up on my news.

Proposed changes in the Patriot Act Reauthorization Act could make it easier for prosecutors to seek the death penalty.

WP

Friday Cartoon Blogging

Secret Prisons

I know I have been out of the news loop for a while but what have we become? Now we have taken over old Soviet style prisons in Eastern Europe and filled them with our prisoners so that they are out of reach of international law. A lot of us new this to be true anyway so I do not know why I am surprised.

The CIA has been hiding and interrogating some of its most important al Qaeda captives at a Soviet-era compound in Eastern Europe, according to U.S. and foreign officials familiar with the arrangement.

The secret facility is part of a covert prison system set up by the CIA nearly four years ago that at various times has included sites in eight countries, including Thailand, Afghanistan and several democracies in Eastern Europe, as well as a small center at the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba, according to current and former intelligence officials and diplomats from three continents.

The largest CIA prison in Afghanistan was code-named the Salt Pit. It was also the CIA's substation and was first housed in an old brick factory outside Kabul. In November 2002, an inexperienced CIA case officer allegedly ordered guards to strip naked an uncooperative young detainee, chain him to the concrete floor and leave him there overnight without blankets. He froze to death, according to four U.S. government officials. The CIA officer has not been charged in the death.

Now the EU and the Red Cross want to investigate.

New judge named in DeLay case

Will we ever find a judge for Delays case?

Reaction to T-shirt at issue

Women gets kicked out of a social security office in Joplin Missouri for wearing this shirt. This is the same shirt that got a women kicked off a South West Flight.

Thank you Rachel Maddow