Romney Booed by NAACP, Russia Restricts Internet, Where Is Jesse Jackson Jr.?: P.M. Links
-
Mitt Romney's speech at an NAACP convention prompted boos when he pledged to repeal ObamaCare and told attendees he was the candidate who would make life better for the African-American community.
- Because some California public employee contracts don't put any caps on the amount of vacation or sick leave time that can be accrued and then cashed out, retiring police chiefs in the state are getting final paychecks in the hundreds of thousands when they retire. Downey's former police chief earned $594,000 in 2009 after cashing out more than 3,300 hours of unused leave.
- The president of Florida A&M University resigned today in the fallout of a marching band hazing incident that left a drum major dead. Eleven band members face felony hazing charges, and the victim's family is suing the university.
- The Russian Parliament passed a law today allowing the government to impose restrictions on the Internet. While introduced as a typical "for the children" law to curb sites devoted to pedophilia and drug use, opponents are concerned that the quickly-drawn-up law would be misused on behalf of authorities. Given that Russia is drastically increasing its fines for violating protest laws and seeks to make slander a criminal act, why would anybody think the rules would be abused?
- House Democrats are urging the family of Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Chicago, to explain the circumstances of Jackson's mysterious, unexplained month-long medical leave. Jackson's wife, Sandi, said she hopes doctors will release details soon. Jackson's office had said he was being treated for exhaustion but later said that Jackson's condition was "more serious than [they] thought" and will require extended treatment, without explaining what the condition was.
- Actress Roseanne Barr will not be appearing on the presidential ticket of the Green Party. On Twitter she wished the party luck and then said, "The green party has never been interested in anything I have to say."
- Journalists, bloggers, and writers from around the world are invited to enter the 2012 Bastiat Prize for Journalism, which will honor commentary, analysis, and reporting that best demonstrates the importance of freedom and its underlying institutions.
Do you want hot links and other Reason goodies delivered to your inbox twice a day? Sign up here for Reason's morning and afternoon news updates.