Cave News

John Edwards - we all knew he’d get away with it

The jury in the trial of John Edwards (pictured) was deadlocked on five counts, leading the judge to declare a mistrial.

The jury reached a not guilty verdict on one of the six counts of charges stemming from campaign finance violations.

The verdict followed nine days of deliberations and hours of confusion.

The jury finally sent a note that said: “We have finished our deliberations and arrived at our decision on counts one through six.” Confusion reigned when the jury foreman said that they had not.

Most trial observers could not have been surprised at the result after learning that one alternate juror’s had flirted with the defendant John Edwards.

No retrial date was set. The judge said she probably does not have time on her calendar to start a retrial until September at the earliest.

Link

What congress does best...

Vintage taxi in Havana, Cuba

A taxi driver sits on the fender of his 59-year-old Oldsmobile as he waits for customers in Havana, Cuba.

Coded assassination message in crossword puzzle

The crossword puzzle shown below was published in the Venezuelan newspaper Ultimas Noticias in Caracas on May 11, 2012.

A veteran Venezuelan crossword-writer has been accused of hiding a coded message to assassinate President Hugo Chávez's brother in the latest surreal twist to election year politics in the South American nation ruled by the cancer ridden President Hugo Chávez.

Hugo Chávez (left) with his brother Adán Chávez

Neptali Segovia was interviewed by intelligence agents after a state TV pundit said he had disguised a message to gun down Chávez's brother, Adán, in the answers to various clues in a crossword this week. Answers to clues included "Adán", "asesinen" (meaning "murder") and "rafaga" (which can mean either a burst of gunfire, or a gust of wind).

Republican groups plan $1 billion ad blitz

From a report at the link below:

Republican super PACs and other outside groups shaped by a loose network of prominent conservatives – including Karl Rove, the Koch brothers and Tom Donohue of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce – plan to spend roughly $1 billion on November’s elections for the White House and control of Congress

That total includes previously undisclosed plans for newly aggressive spending by the Koch brothers, who are steering funding to build sophisticated, county-by-county operations in key states.

Coupled with the news that MoveOn my educe their campaign help for Democrats (see second link below) is not good news for left-wing politicians.

Link here and here.

New York City to ban the Slurpee and Big Gulp

According to a CBS report:

Every single menu in New York City could soon be getting a major overhaul if Mayor Michael Bloomberg has his way.

Mayor Bloomberg and deputy mayor for health Linda Gibbs are shown above.

Doesn’t every city have a deputy mayor for health? Your city doesn’t? Neither does mine.

The man behind calorie counts is set to announce a new public health initiative to battle obesity, taking aim at super-sized sugary drinks.

In other words, it may soon be time to say goodbye to those Big Gulps, those Slurpees or even Venti at Starbucks.

The NYC Beverage Association is opposed to the ban, saying in a statement: “The city is not going to address the obesity issue by attacking soda, because soda is not driving the obesity rates. The overall American diet is.

Link

California 9 11 fund raided by state politicians

From a Fox News report:

After the 2001 terrorist attacks, California lawmakers sought a way to channel the patriotic fervor and use it to help victims' families and law enforcement. Their answer: specialty memorial license plates emblazoned with the words, "We Will Never Forget."

Part of the money raised through the sale of the plates (pictured) was to fund scholarships for the children of California residents who perished in the attacks, while the majority -- 85 percent -- was to help fund anti-terrorism efforts.

An Associated Press review of the $15 million collected since lawmakers approved the "California Memorial Scholarship Program" shows only a small fraction of the money went to scholarships.

Forty percent has funded anti-terror training programs. However $3 million was raided to plug the state's budget deficit.

More of the plundered California 9/11 fund can be found here.

MoveOn may limit campaign help for Democrats

From a Washington Examiner report:

MoveOn, a giant in the progressive political world and an early endorser of Barack Obama in 2008, warns that it might have to “pull the plug” on key campaigns to help Obama and Senate Democrats if its 5 million members don’t pony up with at least $5.

Without a rush of new cash, MoveOn says it will have to give up efforts to elect Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts, help the recall fight against Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, and energize younger voters who’ve soured on Washington.

In 2008, MoveOn was one of the first groups to endorse President Obama. The group then recruited 1 million volunteers who went door to door, made phone calls, and helped provide the surge of grassroots support necessary to elect Obama.

The problem this year is the absence of the 2008 “hope and change” frenzied enthusiasm.

Link

Hand deformities plague poultry workers

A new report describes two cases of poultry workers who developed chronically swollen knuckles, the hallmark sign of a rare skin condition known as pachydermodactyly.

Researchers from Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, said the joint swelling as well as pain, itching and burning both men felt in their hands was likely due to repeated injuries to the skin and tissue changes as a result.

More at the Fox News report here.

Black pastor losing Church over gay marriage support

From a report at the link below:

An African-American pastor is about to lose his church to foreclosure thanks in large part to his seven-year long support of same-sex marriage.

Rev. Oliver White who heads the Grace Community United Church of Christ in St. Paul, Minnesota, took a stand in 2005, and voted for same-sex marriage at the United Church of Christ’s national synod — and subsequently lost three-quarters of his parishioners.

Rev. Oliver White thanks President Obama for his stand supporting gay marriage. A stand that could help defeat the president in November.

Link