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Fullerton police officers charged in death of Kelly Thomas have made their first court appearance. Cpl. Jay Cicinelli pleaded not guilty today to charges of involuntary manslaughter and use of excessive force. He was released on $25,000 bail and is due back in court November 4. Arraignment for Fullerton Officer Manuel Ramos was continued until Monday. He's being held on $1 million bail. Thomas' father asked that bail not be reduced based on the "horrific way my son was murdered." Both officers have been ordered by the court not to be in possession of firearms.

Jakarta - Indonesia's top Islamic body said on Thursday that Christmas decorations in malls, amusement centres and public places were "excessive and provocative" in the Muslim-majority country. Christmas ornamentation had been put up in an "excessive and provocative way", said Muhyidin Junaedi, one of the chairpersons of the Indonesia Ulema Council (MUI). "It should be done in a proportional manner as Muslims are the majority here, otherwise it will hurt their feelings," he said.

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010 at 2:49 am Ford $131 Million Verdict 9th Largest in U.S. History By Stacy In a landmark ruling going against U.S. automaker Ford, a $131 million verdict was returned by the jury leaving the manufacturer culpable for the wrongful death of Minor League baseball player Brian Cole. The New York Mets hopeful had been driving his Explorer and was thrown from the vehicle when it flipped, suffering terminal injuries. Get the full story, pictures and video below Company spokeswoman Marcey Evans said Cole had been driving over 80 miles per hour when he went off the...

Given Russia's reputation for excessive bureaucracy, it's only right that a company would exist to help businesspeople to set up, find the right translators, and also provide the right legal guidance to navigate the Byzantine direction of Russia's business bureaucracy. Center of Economic Planning consists of a professional team of skilled translators, auditors and IT specialists who will also not just help foreign businesses, but also help native Russians build their businesses.

LONDON (Reuters) – People who spend a lot of time surfing the internet are more likely to show signs of depression, British scientists said on Wednesday. But it is not clear whether the internet causes depression or whether depressed people are drawn to it. Psychologists from Leeds University found what they said was "striking" evidence that some avid net users develop compulsive internet habits in which they replace real-life social interaction with online chat rooms and social networking sites. "This study reinforces the public speculation that over-engaging in websites that serve to replace normal social function might be linked to...

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Nearly two out of three Americans believe the media gave too much coverage to the death of Michael Jackson and just three percent think it was too little, according to a survey published on Wednesday. Twenty-nine percent of the 1,000 people polled June 26-29 for the survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press believe the coverage of Jackson's sudden death on Thursday at the age of 50 was the "right amount." Thirty percent of those polled said they followed the coverage of Jackson's death "very closely" while 28 percent said they followed...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democrat lawmakers on Friday proposed guaranteeing health coverage for nearly every American, despite mounting concerns the cost of doing so could torpedo the Obama administration's healthcare reform effort. In the latest draft of the healthcare bill, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives suggested all citizens should be able to get insurance regardless of medical history and that coverage should be mandatory for individuals and businesses. The proposal would create a new government plan to help cover the uninsured -- a move backed by President Barack Obama but resisted by Republicans and some centrist Democrats who fear...

Judge slams Mountie in Banff arrestRCMP and the Crown are looking into the case of a Banff constable who Tasered a man multiple times while arresting him, after a judge ruled the officer was not justified in handcuffing him in the first place. Provincial court Judge John Reilly accused arresting officer Const. Casey Murphy of using excessive force and giving "deliberately false" evidence during the trial on a charge of obstructing a police officer. Exshaw resident Adam Dormer, 26, was found not guilty on Monday and will not have to pay a bylaw fine issued for being a nuisance. "We...

Whispers started with the first few gunshots. Neighborhood rumors had it that a cotton farmer who leases land from the Chickasaw Basin Authority near the Wolf River was shooting deer on the property. So when residents discovered nearly 40 of the animals had been killed and left to rot in the surrounding woods, they reacted with horror. "I don't like to see (deer) slaughtered, and that's what happened down there in these cotton fields," said Brenda Flanagan, a nearby resident. "To me it's inhumane. ... What's gone is gone, and I would hate to see that ever happen again." Angry...

EPA Clean Air rules take effect in EastRule mandates cuts in emissions over next decade By Stephanie I. Cohen, MarketWatch Last Update: 12:19 PM ET May 12, 2005 WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - New federal air rules took effect Thursday that require eastern states to reduce harmful emissions from coal-burning power plants that dirty the air of other states located "downwind" of the pollution sources. The Clean Air Interstate Rule, or CAIR rule, was published in the Federal Register Thursday, kicking off a timeline to clean up the air in 28 states and the District of Columbia by making permanent cuts in...

Just saw an interview with the widower of a woman who apparently died from a lung disease supposedly caused by a diet drug produced by Wyeth (I didn't hear the words "Fen-Phen" ...so I'm not sure if it's related. Anyway, the story indicated that the judgement awarded was $1 billion - which far exceeds Texas' cap on punative damages.

US troops 'used excessive force' at Fallujah protest By Phil Reeves in Delhi 18 June 2003 The United States should hold a "full, independent and impartial" inquiry into the "apparent use of excessive force" by American troops who allegedly opened fire on a crowd of demonstrators in the Iraqi town of Fallujah, according to a report issued yesterday by Human Rights Watch. As debate grows over the bungled aftermath of the invasion, the group also accuses US authorities of following a "recipe for disaster" by placing combat-ready soldiers in a volatile environment without adequate training, translators or crowd control devices....

HoustonChronicle.com -- http://www.HoustonChronicle.com | Section: Business Jan. 28, 2003, 8:51AM Loan debt, burden hit worse now Student liabilities triple over decade By GREG WINTER New York Times Every so often, when the phones grow quiet and the copiers still, Margot E. Miles glances at the lawyers devouring cases around her and thinks: "I could do that. I would love to do that." A smile overtakes her as she envisions life as a lawyer -- fighting injustice, changing the world -- until the prickly reminder of having $25,000 in undergraduate loans wipes it away. Dreams can wait. As for the need to...

HERE is the latest lesbian TV kiss – and it is set to leave Friends fans gobsmacked. Blonde Aussie stunner Melissa George, who plays Rachel and Ross’s new “hot nanny” Molly, embraces her girlfriend Tabitha in front of Joey, who quips: “This is my ultimate fantasy.” But the scene — which will be shown on Channel 4 on March 21 — is not the first girl-on-girl action in Friends. In 2001 Rachel snogged an old college pal played by Winona Ryder. In fact sometimes it seems it is difficult to turn the TV on without seeing two women snogging....