What a Country!

May 13, 2008

Froylan Camelo says he and other students took Mexican flags with them to Idaho's Minico High School to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. But Camelo says teacher Clint Straatham took his flag from him, threw it in a trash can and taunted him. Straatham denies taunting Camelo. He says he took the flag from him to keep white students from hurting him. And what about tossing it in garbage can? Straatham says he had no other place to put it.

Greasy Fingers

May 12, 2008

California mechanic David Eck wanted to do his part for the environment by converting his cars to run on vegetable oil. But when state officials found out what he'd done they threatened him with big fines for not having a diesel fuel supplier's license, for not paying California fuel taxes on the oil he burned, for removing used grease from local restaurants without a license and for not having a state license to burn fat.

Fly the Unfriendly Skies

May 9, 2008

Federal air marshals say some of their members have been harassed at airports, even kept from boarding planes they are scheduled to guard, because their names match those on the federal no-fly list. The government acknowledges the problem but says it's taking steps to fix it. One agent says he's been having trouble for six years and it hasn't been solved yet.

Sit On It

May 8, 2008

Dozens of people were sitting on the granite ledges at Montreal's Emilie Gamelin Park. People sit on the ledges all the time. So why did police give Brendan Colin Jones a $628 ticket for sitting on the ledge? Well, maybe it was because he just photographed them talking to some people drinking alcohol nearby and refused to give them his camera when they asked.

Who You Gonna Call?

May 7, 2008

University of Wisconsin student Brittany Zimmermann called 911 shortly before she was killed, but a dispatcher hung up on her, didn't call her back and never sent police. Officials are refusing the release the contents of the call, but Madison police say the operator should have taken it seriously. However, a spokesman for the 911 agency told the Associated Press he doesn't think "there's anything to apologize for at this time."

Love, Exciting and New

May 6, 2008

Daphne Beasley, principal of Memphis's Hollis F. Price Middle College High School, has a problem with public displays of affection. In fact, she asked staff to give her the names of students who were couples, the better to keep an eye on them and prevent handholding and other evils. According to a complaint by the ACLU, Beasley posted the list, outing two young gay students in the process.

61 is the New 81

May 5, 2008

Dorothy Simpson suffers from an irregular heartbeat that gives her an increased chance of heart failure and stroke. Her doctor recommended a surgery to correct the problem. But Great Britain's National Health Service rejected the doctor's request, saying the 61-year-old was too old. After the media began inquiring about the decision, the NHS decided Simpson wasn't too old after all.

High Altitude, Bad Attitude

May 2, 2008

Nepal's government has authorized soldiers and police to shoot to kill anyone protesting the Olympic flame as it makes its way up Mount Everest. But they have asked them to first try nonviolent means to squelch any protests of China's human rights record.

Who Is John Adams?

May 1, 2008

Criticism isn't a crime, and someone should let Whitewater, Wisconsin, police chief James Coan know that. Records show he has involved at least two detectives and several other city employees—all on city time—in a quest to find the identity of "John Adams," a blogger who has criticized him and other city officials.