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Ricky Gervais has hit out at parents who 'put the fear of God' into their children for being gay or threaten them if they ever come out as being homosexual. The outspoken comedian will appear on CNN's Piers Morgan show tonight where he opens up about his atheist views as well as gay marriage and his weight loss. Known for speaking his mind and never shying away from controversy, the 50-year-old had some choice words for people who make homophobic comments to their children. (VIDEO AT LINK) Ricky is an admitted atheist and says although he respects others' beliefs, he...

Gov. Deval Patrick yesterday announced that NStar [NST] — as part of its bid to merge with Connecticut-based Northeast Utilities — has agreed to buy 27.5 percent of the electricity that will be generated by the yet-to-be-built Cape Wind project. And by “agreed” we really mean “succumbed to unprecedented pressure from Patrick’s team, designed to ensure that the offshore wind project may some day, with enough government coaxing, actually break ground.”

Gross’s work involved distributing computer and satellite phone equipment to members of the island’s Jewish community so they could use the Internet, according to his family and U.S officials.

Did you ever think that perhaps “conservat­ive enough” by Sarah Palin’s standards might be too far right for the rest of us Republican­s and independen­ts? Most of us are not wealthy and are neither racist nor homophobic. We are not all evangelica­l Christians. We are merely commonsense people, most of whom have faith in God, but respect people who do not share our faith (we pray for them rather than judge them); we believe strongly in fiscal restraint, less government intrusion in our lives, a fair taxation system and an agenda that is not only without discrimination but also includes...

The Supreme Court (has) scheduled 5 ½ hours of (Obama Care) oral argument for the week of March 26. The Court released its argument calendar for April, the final argument cycle of the term. It was almost certainly a clear-the-decks move by the Court, aimed at giving the justices more time to write their opinions before the end of June on the multiple complex issues raised by the challenges to the Affordable Care Act...

HISTORY knows him as an evil Nazi monster — but Adolf Hitler was quite happy camping it up in the woods. This rare archive picture shows him in lederhosen and knee-high socks lounging against a tree. Unsurprisingly, the Fuhrer banned the snap — and several taken by his personal photographer in the late 1920s — calling it "beneath one's dignity". In another shot Hitler tilts his head and tries a mean and moody stare to camera, topped off by a military cap. He never wore the hat again.

LONDON – Trading jokes and swapping leads, investigators from the FBI and Scotland Yard spent the conference call strategizing about how to bring down the hacking collective known as Anonymous, responsible for a string of embarrassing attacks across the Internet. Unfortunately for the cyber sleuths, the hackers were in on the call, too – and now so is the rest of the world.

obama - adam sandler george w - jeff bridges clinton - brad pitt george bush - MAYBE mel gibson al gore - chris cooper kareena gore - kim basinger hillary clinton - sharon stone chelsea clinton - rebecca gay heart jenna bush - bree olsen barbara bush jr - jennifer love hewitt barbara bush - susan sarandon romney - harrison ford ann romney - natalie portman joe lieberman - dana carvey? napolitano - phoebe cates John edwards - tom cruise elizabeth edwards - ginnifer goodwin santorum - jack dempsey ? howard dean - kevin spacey mark sanford - christian bale...

Over the last three years, we’ve made a number of significant improvements, including policy and personnel changes… the steps that we have taken to ensure that the flawed tactics used in Operation Fast and Furious – and in earlier operations under the prior Administration – are never again used. We also have provided Congress with documents to show how inaccurate information was initially conveyed in a letter sent to Senator Grassley on February 4, 2011. These documents (intended to) ) show that Department officials relied on information provided by supervisors from the relevant components in the best position to know...

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow lambasted Newt Gingrich’s speech in Florida tonight, criticizing him for singling out President Obama’s singing. “Newt Gingrich brought back the food stamps president thing — and then tonight, he went to ‘President Obama ought to stop singing, ought to stop being the Entertainer-in-Chief.’ Sort of caricaturing him in a way that calls out to minstrelsy!” “He’s going after a southern mentality, and racial allusions, always wrapped around when he refers to the president, when he talks about this food stamp stuff,” MSNBC anchor Rev. Al Sharpton observed. “These are — Newt Gingrich is many things, stupid is...

Today is the day of the Florida primary, and it will most likely be the day that Mitt Romney clinches the 2012 Republican nomination for president. I admit that I have a terrible track record of predicting the outcome of elections, but I think it’s pretty safe to say Romney is going to win Florida. The most recent Rasmussen poll has him leading Gingrich by 16 points. The right wing of the party might have fought tooth and nail against Romney, but after a long and arduous primary process, he has now proven that he is in fact the strongest...

The underground economy generates more than 52.6 billion dollars a year - half the amount of the international troika's bailout plan… The study indicates that the size of the unreported economy in Portugal is larger than average for the Organisation for Economic Development (OECD) countries, where it varies between 16 and 18 percent of GDP. Portugal has the third largest underground economy relative to GDP in the EU, after Italy and Greece.

Of course two people — even if they were once on the same ticket for president and vice president of the United States — can, three years later, change some of their views and root for and endorse different candidates in the GOP presidential primaries. It happens to the best of us, and in the best of families, including husband and wife — just look at James Carville and Mary Matalin … Thus it should not be surprising to see, today, the 2008 GOP presidential nominee, John McCain, fervently endorsing Mitt Romney for President and his running mate, Sarah Palin,...

One future presidential nominee needs someone with a totally different ethnic and social background. The incumbent needs someone who doesn't trip over their tongue and has star power to rekindle his fading one. The future looks bright for a showdown of major proportions this November. The stakes have never been higher and both sides will send their biggest players to the sandbox for the tournament that produces just one winner. Hillary Clinton is tired of traveling the world as this country's Secretary of State (who can blame her) and she's ready to park it for four years. Where better than...

It starts from the Superiority Syndrome: People acting as if they’re more important than a U.S. President — when they clearly are not. To fingers in the face. To people questioning his already established and proven citizenship. The incidents of disrespect towards President Obama continue. When people criticize Administration policy, that’s just politics. But several incidents directed at this President appear to find new lows. Of course, people can disagree with the President. But, why can’t people respect the Office of the Presidency? The very public nature of disrespect towards President Obama is noteworthy. Did Gov. Jan Brewer (R-AZ) have...

Obama and his attorney are acting like frightened 5 year olds. In his letter he ignores the other 2 attorneys, but is pretty much saying ‘I am afraid of Orly”. See the letter attached. What Obama is asking now, is totally insane. He is asking the Secretary of State of GA to take the trial away from the judge on the eve of the trial. He is mostly crying on the shoulder of the Secretary of State of GA and saying that Orly is bad, because she issued all of those subpoenas. So after the judge told Obama, that the...

Just one week ago, I used this column to concede that the GOP establishment had prevailed in its primary process, and that Mitt Romney was likely headed to the nomination. What a difference a week makes, huh? Fueled by his performance in the two pre-primary debates last week, as well as lingering distaste for Romney, Newt Gingrich enjoyed a breakout electoral win in South Carolina. His double-digit blowout has translated to serious momentum. Gallup’s tracking poll, which had given Romney a 10-point national lead over Gingrich early last week, clocked in Monday with a statistically insignificant 1-point Romney edge. And...

A Georgia mother who was arrested for allowing her 10-year-old to get a tattoo said she had no idea it was illegal for him to get one, even with her consent. When Chuntera Napier’s son Gaquan Napier asked her if he could get a memorial tattoo for his 12-year-old brother Malik who died after being hit by a car, Napier was touched by the request.

From Washington Blade: White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said on Friday he wouldn’t rule “in or out” the possibility of President Obama endorsing same-sex marriage in the upcoming State of the Union address. Carney made the remarks on whether Obama would announce support for marriage equality during the State of the Union address, which is set to take place Tuesday before a joint session of Congress, in response to a question from the Washington Blade. “I will not rule anything in or out,” Carney said. “I’m just not going to talk about — beyond pointing at his words —...

INCHEON - A freighter exploded in waters off Incheon, killing five sailors and causing six others to go missing. According to the Incheon Coast Guard, the 4,191-ton oil carrier Doola No. 3 exploded yesterday for unknown reasons 4.8 kilometers (3 miles) north of Jawol Island in Ongjin County, Incheon

As the racist rhetoric oozes from Republican presidential candidates, why are comments contained in Ron Paul newsletters from the 1980s and 1990s being widely considered more offensive than current bigoted banter uttered by Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum? One answer to that question is a politics where partisan criticisms are directed at crippling certain candidates feared as rising stars. Thus when Congressman Paul began percolating up in the Iowa Caucus polls late last year, news of his caustic comments in those decades-old newsletters became headline news coverage. Curiously for a candidate tagged racist Paul has a public record of opposing...

The following is edited from remarks given at the Nov. 11, 2011 meeting of the Communist Party National Committee.2012 is a big election year and as we know the stakes are very high. The right-wing Republican opposition unashamedly defends the wealth and privilege of the 1% over the 99% that includes tens of millions who are struggling to survive. These self-proclaimed patriots are willing to wreck our country in order to defeat Barack Obama in 2012 elections. Our party and youth league are an active part of the great democratic mass that is standing against them. These so called patriots...

Dear XXXX: Imagine Mitt Romney in the White House. Tea party Republicans still in control of Congress. No Obama to veto their worst bills. The election is months away, but this scenario could definitely happen, and here's a big reason why: voter suppression laws passed by Republicans in battleground states to make it as hard as possible for students, poor people, African-Americans, and Latinos to vote. Already, Wisconsin, Florida, and Ohio have passed laws to restrict voter registration drives, end early voting, or require voters to present photo IDs at the polls.1 And now Republicans are scrambling to pass laws...

The Hottest (Most Beautiful) Conservative Women of 2012. Whether they would prefer to be recognized as beautiful Republican women or hot Conservative women is a mystery to us. We are simply reporting on their attractiveness.

At 56 years of age, Sandra Bernhard hasn’t become any less outspoken. If anything, she’s become more so. Two years ago, the comedian and singer made headlines after allegedly suggesting that if Sarah Palin were to visit New York City, she may find herself getting “gang-raped by some of my big black brothers.” This is particularly true in her one-woman shows, the latest of which, I Love Being Me, Don’t You?, a mix of comedy, music, and dance, she’ll be performing at the Painted Bride starting today through Saturday. She spoke with The A.V. Club about politics, Playboy, and feminism....

For much of the last week the news has been filled with discussion of the vicious remarks made by liberal commentators Alan Colmes and Eugene Robinson concerning the Santorum family's farewell to their dead child. How did liberals get to the point of attacking the most private of family matters for purposes of political gain? They got there by way of Sarah Palin and her son Trig. Liberals used the developmentally disabled Trig as a means of getting at the governor repeatedly and in the most nasty terms. Bizarrely, this occurred long after the 2008 campaign had closed and at...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa today responded to the Energy Department's announcement that their $730 million loan to Severstal, a Russian steel company, will not be granted... "While I am pleased that the Department of Energy has reconsidered its decision to fund a $730 million loan to Severstal, it's deeply disconcerting to know that this loan would have gone forward had Congress not raised concerns… Following the waste of taxpayer dollars in the collapse of Solyndra, the Department of Energy needs....

When it comes time for math and phonics at Spring Lake Elementary School, first-graders in an experimental classroom stop speaking English and start learning in a language that's foreign to many of them. For about an hour a day, students at the Seminole County school who have never spoken Spanish will learn their numbers and letters, sing and play games completely in Spanish. The goal is ambitious: Teachers aim to have each student speaking, reading and writing both English and Spanish equally by the end of the year with the hope of giving English-speakers a leg up on a new...

Arrogant, abusive, volatile and arbitrary in his use of authority... The chairman of the NRC has been excoriated by scientists who have seen years of research, discarded as Jaczko... terminated the national nuclear waste repository in Yucca Mountain, Nevada. He has been castigated by congressmen who support a rational system for nuclear waste disposal -- as mandated by Congress and four previous administrations. The NRC inspector general concluded that Mr. Jaczko has manipulated policy by withholding information from his fellow commissioners.

A client at a local temp agency was a little put off that signing a recall petition made her ineligible for an $8.75-an-hour clerk job with the state. The client, who didn't want to talk on the record and whose husband contacted The Capital Times, didn't know if that was policy for all state jobs because she wasn't told what state agency she would be working for. Turns out, that job was checking signatures on recall petitions for the Government Accountability Board, which plans to hire 50 temp workers to deal with recall efforts against Gov. Scott Walker, Lt. Gov....

KABUL, Afghanistan — A 15-year-old Afghan girl severely tortured for months by her in-laws in an attempt to force her into prostitution will be sent to India for medical treatment, an Afghan official said Monday. Sahar Gul's mother-in-law and sister-in-law were arrested and her husband was being sought, said Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqi. The case has shocked Afghanistan, though rights activists say serious abuses against women and girls in the conservative society are common. President Hamid Karzai has said that whoever used violence against Gul will be punished. According to officials in northeastern Baghlan province, the in-laws kept Gul...

We remember when many U.S. Republican leaders were genuine conservatives, devoting themselves to reasonable compromises to save taxpayer money and improve government effectiveness. But today's GOP scene, laced with erratic tea party extremism, seems like an odd carnival. Karl Rove, the clever strategist who enticed millions of white evangelicals into the Republican Party, says the current campaign for the GOP presidential nomination is the most "downright inexplicable primary race I've ever witnessed." He's right. A bizarre quality marks the ongoing tussle. Herman Cain, who said God told him to run, was forced out of the race by sex accusations --...

Hey gents, have you ever found yourself jealous of Captain James T. Kirk and his, …er intergalactic conquests? Do you longingly watch Jabba the Hutt’s dancing slave (her name is Oola, if you’re interested) and wonder, what if? Do you long to go where no man has gone before? Well, once a new sci-fi brothel opens in Nevada, you can. Nevada is the only state that allows legal prostitution, and there are two dozen licensed brothels in the state,

An Islamist leader was downbeat on Wednesday over the prospects of the full return of a major charity to the Muslim Brotherhood, saying that authorities have made changes to the structure and composition of the organisation that have made it almost impossible for the group to have the upper hand again.

There comes a time at most large family gatherings when a heated political argument breaks out. And by “heated political argument” what I mean is “someone just repeats something they heard on Hannity’s radio show that you know to be completely untrue.” You may be the lone liberal in a conservative family, or you may have one right-wing uncle in your left-wing family, but this will happen. What to do? If you have a “smart phone,” just bookmark Snopes now. That’ll take care of the really weird stuff. (Well, not this level of weird, but “I read that airlines don’t...

Things went swimmingly until 2009 … when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms conducted a routine inspection of RJF and discovered 10 guns registered to the company could not be accounted for … a big, BIG problem. We’re told the feds pinned the blame on William and Stephanie — and were looking to take serious action that could have resulted in the end of RJF. But law enforcement sources tell us … the Hayden’s struck a deal with feds in 2010, in which the two agreed to surrender their gun-making licenses … and in exchange, they could appoint a...

Apparently the Iraqi government is not able to function without American leadership.

The U.S. Congress passed a massive defense bill last week with provisions asking for new sanctions on Iran, targeting foreign financial institutions that do business with the Islamic republic' s central bank.Government officials said sanctions on the central bank, the main conduit for Iran's oil revenues, could roil markets and harm the interests of U.S. allies and partners. However, as a result of changes made to the original version of the bill, the president can waive the penalties by notifying the Congress that the move is in the interest of U.S. national security. In her meeting with visiting Japanese Foreign...

Many readers are scratching their heads over my endorsement of Ron Paul last week. One writes: Let me add a few more reasons to vote for Ron Paul: If you want all federal student aid eliminated, vote Paul. If you want the Department of Energy, Commerce, Interior, Education and Housing & Urban Development eliminated, vote Paul. If you want the department of Transportation Security Administration eliminated (meaning security is the sole responsibility of private property owners), vote Paul. You can't just ignore Paul's "nuttier policy proposals". These proposals are Paul. If you endorse Ron Paul, you're endorsing his proposals. There...

2003, Harry Reid, pulled all the stops, twice putting blanket holds on executive branch nominations to get Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko in place... It seemed to me that Reid extracted the nomination out of the administration,” said Sarah Binder, a historian of Congress. To kill the Yucca Mountain project, (and) the Majority Leader has largely succeeded. // snip // “This letter is not about politics; it is signed by two Democratic and two Republican members of this commission,” NRC Commissioner George Apostolakis said. “It is not about Yucca Mountain. It is not about other policy disagreements.” NRC Commissioner...

The trick to maintaining the US delusional democracy is feeding the illusion for citizens that voting and elections really matter. But when both major parties are owned by rich and corporate elites it matters less than most people think whether Republicans or Democrats win and control Congress or the White House. Their seeming differences are a clever distraction that keeps fooling and manipulating Americans. With the help of the mainstream media, making entertainment out of political races, Americans are deceived into thinking that elections deserve their respect and participation. As power shifts periodically from one party to the other partner...

Thank you. It is good to see you. Hello, New Jersey! (Applause.) All right, everybody have a seat. Everybody have a seat. I want to begin by just making a few acknowledgements. First of all, I'm going to have a lot to say about this guy, but I just want everybody to know that one of my earliest supporters, somebody who had faith and confidence in me before I was a United States senator was the man standing next to me right here -- Jon Corzine. (Applause.)

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said it would suspend review of the non-foreign ownership requirements of the proposed new reactors at South Texas because Japanese multinational Toshiba effectively controls the project. ("Suspend review" = drop dead in place.)

R.I.P. Christopher Hitchens December 15, 2011 11:51 P.M. By Daniel Foster     Vanity Fair reports that Christopher Hitchens has passed away. Often frustrating, usually provocative, always brilliant. He added to the culture, and the conversation. I’m sure I join many in hoping he is in for a glorious, glorious surprise.

Senator Grassley then pointed out that the first whistleblower to come forward about Fast and Furious (ATF Agent John Dodson) had recently been attacked by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). According to Senator Grassley, “Someone in the Justice Department leaked a document to the press along with talking points in an attempt to smear [Dodson.]” The letter insinuated that Dodson went rogue and started a gun-walking operation on his own... Dodson would have been left dangling in these political winds,

THE TWO HAVE MUCH IN COMMON As one of the most polarizing figures in modern American politics, Newt Gingrich has racked up a huge inventory of pungent criticism of both his ideas and his character — much of it from his fellow conservatives. National Review’s Ramesh Ponnuru, for example, notes Newt’s “erratic behavior, lack of discipline and self-absorption” and “need to justify his every petty move by reference to some grand theory.” But before becoming prime minister, Winston Churchill was often dismissed in similar terms by members of his own party, who complained that “his planning is all wishing and...

This year, two-thirds of state legislatures have introduced laws that undermine the right to vote. Early voting and Sunday voting are under attack, photo ID requirements will introduce the first financial and document barrier to voting since the poll tax, and racially-motivated bans on ex-felons will wipe tens of thousands off the rolls. This effort is unprecedented, it is coordinated, and it is targeted. African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, students, working women, seniors and immigrants of all colors will be disproportionately affected. The right to vote is the heart of our democracy. Throughout our history Americans have been...

Nick Broomfield’s new documentary Sarah Palin: You Betcha! shocks and entertains, writes Siân Ruddick For the millions who hate Sarah Palin and her reactionary politics, the rise and fall of the former governor of Alaska makes a gripping spectacle. Nick Broomfield uses his documentary to find out the truth about the Tea Party Republican in a funny and engaging way. There is little in Sarah Palin: You Betcha! that people with an eye on US politics would have missed in terms of the big events. It charts her sacking of state employees who oppose her and the high profile scandals...

Police officers in Los Angeles stormed Augusta Millender’s home early one morning in 2003. They were looking for Ms. Millender’s foster son, Jerry Bowen, and for a shotgun he had used in a domestic assault. They found neither. But they did seize a gun owned by Ms. Millender, who was 73. The gun was legal, and she said she kept it for self-defense. Scalia, “If he’s so stupid that he executes a warrant that no reasonable officer could think was correct,” the justice said of a hypothetical officer, “he’s in the pot, right?” Both the National Rifle Association and the...