Something is brewing in Russia. For the first time since the Cold War, the country has expelled a U.S. journalist living in Moscow with no explanation. David Satter, a former correspondent with the Financial Times and the author of three well-received books on Russia and the Soviet Union, was given the boot on Christmas Day. When asked why, Russia declined to comment. But on Tuesday, Russia’s foreign ministry accused Satter of infringing migration rules. Satter believes otherwise. The move is likely to strain relations with the Obama administration on the eve of the Sochi Winter Olympics. Read about all the secrecy here…[The Guardian]
A Wyoming lawmaker who isn’t aware that it is 2014 is pushing legislation to allow the use of a firing squad to execute state inmates if constitutional problems or other issues ever prevented the state from using lethal injection. “The state of Wyoming doesn’t have a gas chamber currently, an operating gas chamber, so the procedure and expense to build one would be impractical to me,” said Sen. Bruce Burns, R-Sheridan, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “I consider frankly the gas chamber to be cruel and unusual, so I went with firing squad because they also have it in Utah,” Burns added. Read about it here…[HuffPost]
The shade is real in Florida. The son of Orange County, Florida’s assistant fire chief has been suspended from the fire department for 12 hours without pay after painting a Confederate battle flag on his work axe and leaving it at the home of an African-American man whose house was on fire. Jeff Holton said he did the paint job to signify his small town roots and core values of family and hard work. Oh…he also didn’t mean to offend anyone. Read about it here…[Gawker]
That swearing toddler who was used by the Omaha Police Department as an example of thuggish behavior will be able to stay with his 16-year-old mother, as they have both just been placed in the same foster family. Ennisha Devers, from Omaha, Nebraska, and her son had been separated and placed in protective custody over a separate incident, but yesterday a judge ruled they would be rehomed together with foster families. Watch the viral video that brought attention to this family here…[Daily Mail]
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty
