Weekly Daily Brickbats Archive 2007 January 22-31

Denver authorities gave Cynthia Roberson, 60, 24 hours to remove the snow from the sidewalk in front of her home or face a $150 fine. But what really galled the disabled woman is that she had already removed the snow from the sidewalk. Then the city sent snow plows that cleared the street but piled more snow on the sidewalk. "I can’t keep paying people to fix what the city messes up," she said. A city planning official says the city will give people extra time if city crews piled snow on the sidewalks, but it's still up to residents to remove that snow.

The Bush administration has argued that alleged terrorist Majid Khan should not be allowed to speak to a civilian attorney because he may reveal secret interrogation techniques. Khan, who is now held at Guantanamo Bay, was held for three years in secret CIA prisons after being arrested in Pakistan. Some, however, argue the administration is using security concerns to hide embarrassing behavior by the government.

Zahra Amir Ebrahimi is one of Iran's most famous young actresses. But she faces a public lashing and jail sentence because a sex tape, purportedly of her, has been released on the Internet. Tehran's chief prosecutor, Saeed Mortazavi, has ordered a special investigation into the tape, which has also hit the streets as a DVD. Her boyfriend, who is suspected of releasing the tape without her knowledge faces up to three years in jail and a large fine.

The good news? President George W. Bush wants to give Americans who buy their own health insurance a break on their income tax. The bad news? He plans to "pay for" those tax breaks by taxing some health benefits provided at work that are currently untaxed.

The government of Kenya has barred the sale of secondhand underwear, socks and bras. Government officials say the move will stop the spread of skin diseases, but some doctors say the clothes should be alright to wear if they have been properly laundered. Critics say the ban hurts poor people who can't afford to buy new clothes.