Buzz Blog
Video shows Afghan Special Forces torturing a prisoner under the supervision of U.S. Soldiers.---
Top of the Alty World
“As Afghan soldiers abuse a prisoner, American Special Forces Stand Idly By”--Rolling Stone
A lawsuit is challenging Georgia's controversial “Stand Your Ground” Law.--Creative Loafing Atlanta
Italian citizens have set up a “MafiaLeaks” website to gather information to defeat organized crime in the country.--Mashable
Man-made earthquakes are increasing in frequency.--Geek
Top of Alty Utah
A former business partner of indicted businessman Jeremy Johnson says he saw Johnson hand a bag of money to John Swallow.--Salt Lake City Weekly
Lawmakers are angry about the large number of files and e-mails deleted by Attorney General John Swallow.--Utah Political Capitol
Openly gay Ogden City Council candidate Turner Britton is still waiting for a final vote count in his election race.--Q Salt Lake
Sen. Orrin Hatch says Republicans would have won the Virginia governor's race if it weren't for the government shutdown—Utah Policy
Rantosphere
City Weekly founder John Saltas sounds off on layoffs at the Salt Lake Tribune and changes in MediaOne's business agreement between the Trib and the Deseret News.
“But this recent layoff by the Trib is a sneaky one. A couple of months ago, 19 journalists were told to pack their bags. Also leaving were longtime editorial-page-guru Vern Anderson and editor Nancy Conway (née Singleton). Besides patting Conway on the back while pretty much ignoring the laid-off journalists, subsequent columns claimed that the newest Trib regime will continue fighting the good fight for Utah. Here’s a hint: When a newspaper begins writing its own happy ending, don’t believe a word of it, and don’t be surprised by what happens next.”--Salt Lake City Weekly
The Long View
The Nation examines how criminal records keep some unemployed for life.
“At age 22, [Luis] “Rivera says, he committed a burglary in the Bronx. He was a lousy criminal and soon got caught. The judge didn’t make him serve any time, just released him to his parents’ custody and gave him five years of probation. Within two years, he’d earned release from probation, as well. But the conviction has nonetheless stalked him ever since. “Twenty years later, it’s still there.” Rivera is part of an uncounted population of formerly convicted or incarcerated people trying to find work in a hostile economy. They are failing, by and large, thanks to the illegal but still widespread practice of employers rejecting applicants or firing workers solely because they have criminal records. A growing movement is pushing states to “ban the box,” or more closely regulate when and how employers can ask about criminal records on job applications.”--The Nation
