Orlando Shooting Carries Echoes of Bataclan Attack in Paris

The rat-a-tat of gunfire blasted out in near-darkness , amid loud music coming from the club's sound system - at first seeming like it was part of the show. Then, as clubgoers began dropping from a hail of bullets, the panicked crowds rushed to escape the bloodbath.

Fiery train derailment in Oregon caused by at least one broken bolt

Crumpled oil tankers lie beside the railroad tracks after a fiery derailment on June 3 prompted evacuations from the tiny Columbia River Gorge town in Mosier, Ore. Railroad officials say at least one broken bolt holding a rail in place caused the fiery derailment of a Union Pacific train moving volatile crude oil through the Columbia River Gorge on the Oregon-Washington border.

US fugitives say Cuba has reassured them they are safe

Two American fugitives who fled to Cuba after they were accused of killing police officers said Friday that Cuban officials have assured them that detente with the United States will not lead to their extradition. The United States and Cuba held a second round of law-enforcement talks last month dedicated partly to resolving the fate of scores of fugitives after more than a half century with almost no cooperation.

Rabbi Michael Lerner rips Trump, predicts Clinton presidency in fiery speech at Ali funeral

Rabbi Michael Lerner, who supported Muhammad Ali in his opposition to the Vietnam War, drew multiple standing ovations on Friday as he spoke at the legendary boxer's funeral. "We will not tolerate politicians or anyone else putting down Muslims and blaming Muslims for a few people," said Lerner, in a thinly-veiled criticism of Republican Donald Trump, who has openly called for a ban on Muslim immigration into the US.

The outrageous release of Gitmo prisoners who quickly return to the battlefield

For those Americans with a good memory, or are actually high information voters, you will remember the myriad of promises candidate Barack Obama made during the 2008 presidential campaign. He promised to be "the most transparent administration ever" which almost immediately was voided with the Solyndra scandal, "Fast and Furious ," the IRS scandal , among dozens of other covert activities.

Ex-Stanford swimmer expected to leave jail 3 months early

This January 2015 booking photo released by the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office shows Brock Turner. The former Stanford University swimmer was sentenced last week to six months in jail and three years' probation for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, sparking outrage from critics who say Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Persky was too lenient on a privileged athlete from a top-tier swimming program.

Editorial: Smarter federal justice close at hand – Thu, 09 Jun 2016 PST

Republicans and Democrats have coalesced around the idea of federal sentencing reform to address the nation's high incarceration rate, but proposed legislation is serving a longer stretch in Congress than it should. Republicans and Democrats have coalesced around the idea of federal sentencing reform to address the nation's high incarceration rate, but proposed legislation is serving a longer stretch in Congress than it should.

De-Incarceration, a Different Drum so Needed

Along with VCNV companions, I'm part of a 150 mile walk from Chicago to Thomson, IL , a small town in Northwest IL where the U.S. Bureau of Prisons is setting up an Administrative Maximum prison, also known as a Supermax. Prison laborers from U.S. minimum security prisons now labor to turn what once was an Illinois state prison into a federal supermax detention facility with 1900 cells that will confine prisoners for 23 hours of every day.

Fundies Are Livid Obama’s Faith-Based Council All Gay Now

Back in the Bush Administration, Dubya created the "Office of Faith Based Initiatives," which was a sop to Christian ministries to get them some federal dollars for their food banks and other social welfare type activities. It was supposed to be part of Bush's "compassionate conservatism," but it quickly became mired in controversy.

AMP Blasts Proposed Amendment to Puerto Rico Bill

The American Maritime Partnership , of which the SIU is partner, has issued the following news release on June 8. The American Maritime Partnership , the voice of the domestic maritime industry, today released a statement regarding Rep. Gary Palmer's proposed measure to exempt Puerto Rico from the Jones Act - which requires waterborne cargo between two points in the United States to be transported on vessels that are American built, owned, and crewed. The Jones Act is critical to U.S. national, homeland, and economic security, and ensures reliable shipment of vital goods between Puerto Rico and the U.S. Mainland.

Criminal Justice Reform Initiatives Gets Support From New Crimes Report

There is a correlation between a decrease in both crime and imprisonment, according to a Tuesday report from the The Brennan Center for Justice. The study traces statistics in all 50 states between 2006 and 2014 because "bipartisan criminal justice reforms generally began around 2007," according to the authors, Lauren-Brooke Eisen and James Cullen.

Rehearsal for mega-quake ‘catastrophe’ starts in Northwest

Members of the National Guard listen as State EOC supervisor Chris Utzinger reads messages about the latest details on a simulated tsunami during an earthquake and tsunami readiness drill, Tuesday, June 7, 2016, at Camp Murray, Wash. The four-day event, called Cascadia Rising, is built around the premise of a 9.0 magnitude earthquake 95 miles off of the coast of Oregon that results in a tsunami.

GOP Rep Labrador predicts “we’re going to see some of the greatest…

Someone should be collecting all the big talk we have heard from elected officials and pundits about the ground-breaking criminal justice reforms that are purportedly soon to happen in Congress . As noted in this prior post , at least one notable commentatory was saying in summer 2013 that "momentum for sentencing reform could be unstoppable."

News Analysis: Rising crime by U.S. servicepeople in Okinawa bolsters …

A recent spate of internationally-reported crimes committed by U.S base-linked personnel in Okinawa Prefecture in Japan's southwest has renewed calls from prefectural officials as well as locals for the tiny island to comprehensively have its base-hosting burdens lifted as the disproportionate number of bases being hosted on the tiny island is thought to be directly attributable to the rising instances of crime.

U.S. Navy bans booze in Japan

All U.S. Navy sailors in Japan are banned from drinking alcohol and restricted to base except for essential trips after several recent alcohol-related incidents which the Navy's 7th Fleet said are harming U.S.-Japan relations. "Effective immediately, sailors are prohibited from drinking alcohol, on and off base.