Source: CBS
A federal appeals court says California’s ban on same-sex marriage – known as Proposition 8 – violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.

From RedState:

The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that Governor Rick Scott can reject high-speed rail funds from the federal government.

Scott had decided to decline high-speed rail funds for a Tampa to Orlando line and two state legislators sued him.

This is a victory for fiscal sanity. Democrats have a sexual fetish for trains and I’m not sure why. No one wants to ride them, but Democrats keep wanting to build them.

From the AP:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the First Amendment protects fundamentalist church members who mount anti-gay protests outside military funerals, despite the pain they cause grieving families.

The court voted 8-1 in favor of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan. The decision upheld an appeals court ruling that threw out a $5 million judgment to the father of a dead Marine who sued church members after they picketed his son’s funeral.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion for the court. Justice Samuel Alito dissented.

Hot Air has some interesting analysis.

The “trial” of former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky is finally waking Russian citizens up to the fact that their country is run by gangsters. Rule of law does not exist. Russia’s kangaroo courts are a place where Putin can settle political scores and lock up real and imagined opponents.

The collapse of the Soviet Union did not bring the kind of freedom and democracy that we in the West had hoped for. Instead, it brought about the worst kind of crony capitalism. Crony capitalism centrally controlled by an organized crime syndicate masquerading as a government. A crime syndicate led by former KGB henchman and FSB stooge Vladimir Putin. A crime syndicate that murders journalists, shuts down newspapers, beats and arrests protesters, uses propaganda against its citizens, uses the judiciary as a political weapon, and allows corruption at every level of government from policeman to prime minister.

The fact that we in the West continue to wine and dine Putin and treat him like he deserves a place at the table is disgusting. He’s a thug. Russia should face sanctions and be a pariah in the international community.

Rapper T.I. was sentenced to 11-months in prison yesterday after a judge revoked his probation for a 2009 gun possession incident. The judge had no choice but to revoke his probation after T.I. was arrested last month for felony possession of a controlled substance.

Last week, T.I. heard on the radio that a man was on top of a 22-story building in Atlanta and threatening to jump. He drove to the location and asked the Police if he could try and talk the man down. They agreed and T.I. talked the suicidal man down. A police officer involved in the incident testified in court on T.I.’s behalf.

It’s a shame to see T.I. go back to prison. It’s an even bigger shame to see him doing things that could get him sent back to prison. T.I. does more charitable work in his community and around the nation than perhaps any other rapper. He’s constantly involved in programs to help at-risk youth and other good works.

R&B singer Ne-Yo recently commented that T.I.’s problem was the people he surrounds himself with. He’s a good guy who lets bad people hang around him. Ne-Yo advised that he find some new friends. I think there’s probably a lot of truth to that.

I’m also a big fan of T.I.’s music. I think he’s one of the best rappers alive. The real sad irony of this story is that T.I.’s soon-to-be released 7th album is called “King Uncaged” — a reference to his triumphant return from prison and promise to do better.

Some potential names for the follow up album could be King Caged Again, King Re-Caged, or King Caged Once More.

Here’s an awesome single from “King Uncaged” featuring Keri Hilson called “I Got Your Back”:

From the AP:

A federal judge overturned California’s gay-marriage ban Wednesday in a landmark case that could eventually force the U.S. Supreme Court to confront the question of whether same-sex couples have a constitutional right to wed.

I have to admit this issue doesn’t get me as animated as it does other conservatives. Frankly, I don’t really care if gay people get married. It doesn’t have any impact on my life either way.

I just turned 29 and I find that most conservatives of my generation and younger don’t really have a problem with gay marriage. At worst they’re like me and ambivalent about the whole thing.

I do however take issue very much with liberal judges imposing things on the citizenry against their will. I believe states rights should be respected.

The people of California have repeatedly voted on the issue of gay marriage and each time they voted against it. The people of California have said loud and clear that they want marriage to be defined as between a man and woman only.

Gays are allowed to have civil unions in CA which grant them all the rights as a legal marriage — it’s just not called a “marriage.”

I’m not sure why the semantic issue of calling it “marriage” is such a big deal, but it seems to be.

After today’s ruling you can be sure this issue will go all the way to the SCOTUS. How they will rule on it is anybody’s guess. I think it could go either way.

I just think the states that want gay marriage should have it and those that don’t shouldn’t be forced to. That said, I don’t think it would be unreasonable to force all 50 states to allow civil unions. Then gays would be covered in every state, but the semantic issue of calling it “marriage” would be left alone.

No matter how you feel about pornography from a moral or social perspective it’s nevertheless a legal and legitimate enterprise. Adults aged 18 years or older can lawfully view other adults aged 18 years or older engaging in consensual sexual acts on film. Certain sexual acts such as those involving minors, bestiality, or incest are expressly illegal and cannot be engaged in or filmed. Beyond that you can pretty much do whatever you want. It’s a free speech issue plain and simple.

Opening arguments began today in the outrageous “obscenity” trial of John Stagliano who owns a porn company called Evil Angel.

Stagliano faces up to 32 years in prison and a $7 million dollar fine for distributing three adult movies to consenting adults who wished to purchase them.

Keep in mind we’re not talking about anything involving kids here — only adults. Anyone not wishing to view the movies doesn’t have to. They don’t run billboards or television commercials. You have to either go to an adult video store or to the Evil Angel website to buy the movies.

Reason Magazine has extensive background on this case as well as up to date trial coverage. John Stossel had Stagliano on his show a couple of weeks ago to discuss his case.

The bottom line is that it’s impossible to legislate “obscenity” because it’s in the eye of the beholder.

Regardless of what you think of porn, this kind of attack on free speech is a mighty slippery slope.

What’s to stop the DOJ (especially Eric Holder’s DOJ) from deciding certain kinds of political speech are obscene? How about books? Music?

This is the kind of issue that I part ways with my Conservative friends on. I’m a libertarian all the way on this. The government has no damn business getting involved.

Follow the case live on Twitter @richardabowitz

UPDATE:  Here’s Reason’s interview with Stagliano

New explosive allegations from former DOJ attorney J. Christian Adams about the corrupt practices of Eric Holder’s Justice Department.

Actress Lindsay Lohan was found to be in violation of her probation and sentenced to 90 days in jail. She was also ordered to complete 90 days in a residential drug treatment facility after finishing her jail sentence.

J. Christian Adams resigned his position as an attorney for the Department of Justice over its decision to drop the Black Panther voter intimidation case. He testified before the US Commission on Civil Rights this morning.

Now former DOJ officials who’ve worked with Adams are coming forward to support him.

Several former DOJ employees have been in contact with Pajamas Media, interested in publicly supporting J. Christian Adams as he comes forward about the DOJ’s failure to enforce the country’s laws from a race-neutral perspective.

These former DOJ employees have expressed a willingness to go on record regarding Adams’ professionalism, excellent performance, and outstanding record of enforcing the law without racial bias.

Additionally, they would like to corroborate Adams’ statements about the DOJ.

This story is not even close to being over. I have a feeling after all the smoke clears this country will be minus one corrupt racist Attorney General.