Monday Morning News Bits

Rick Santorum is crazy. Apparently, Europe is being overrun by some unknown force because of their enlightened stance on religious tolerance (secular society), and their culture is dying. Wow. Watch the video, its hilarious.

NASA will no longer censer its scientists, which is very god news. This comes from scandal a little while back involving a 24 year old college dropout (he lied about the dropping out part, and said he graduated) who would force scientists to write “theory” when discussing the big bang. Also, he tried to stop a lead scientist from going to an interview on NPR. I find it the worst that they tried to put a muzzle on science. If we’re paying for the research, which we should, we should certainly led the results be said, unfiltered.

An American company has found a way to make stem cells from testes. The experiment has been demonstrated, but not tested by other scientists, or subject to the same scrutiny that other experiments are. In other words, this is a claim, and we’re a ways away from this being a reality. This could take the ethical debate away from stem cell research though, and get this crucial research on track after long delays by Bush and some Republicans.

And finally, the Supreme Court refused to review a case by “enemy combatant” Jose Padilla. Padilla was held for three years in a military prison and not given his right to trial, because he was deemed an enemy combatant. In January he was transferred to federal prison, and will go on trial in federal court soon. This made the case moot, according to six Justices and the honorable Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez. This case would have challenged the President’s power to detain indefinitely without habeas corpus.

Oh, and I shouldn't forget to mention, V for Vendetta is doing very well in theaters, grossing $56 million and counting. I love this movie, if you haven't seen it, go see it soon before its gone. Movies at home don't get the same effect.