These stories don’t even require commentary…
“NJ Supreme Court gives same-sex couples more rights”
The case that resulted in Wednesday’s ruling was brought by seven same-sex couples who were denied marriage licenses in New Jersey. The dissenting justices, led by Chief Justice Deborah Poritz, argued that the majority did not go far enough, saying that only marriage would allow gay couples to achieve equal benefits.
In making its ruling, the court reflected on the changes that have transformed marriage during the last 200 years, such as granting women greater rights within marriage.
“The institution of marriage reflects society’s changing social mores and values,” the majority said in its opinion. “Although courts can ensure equal treatment, they cannot guarantee social acceptance, which must come through the evolving ethos of a maturing society.”
“Bush concedes depth of domestic unease over war but vows new tactics will earn victory”
With less than two weeks to go before midterm elections in which the Republican party is expected to suffer heavily because of doubts about Mr Bush’s leadership of the war, yesterday’s press conference at the Oval Office was intended to convince ordinary Americans that the president has a credible plan for Iraq.
“Apple Hacking Could Be Good for iTunes”
What will this mean for Apple?
It’s too early to say. The company will clearly mount a legal challenge, but some analysts believe Apple could end up selling fewer iPods but more music.
“It could be in Apple’s interest that when people download music from iTunes, that consumers will be able to import it to other places: your home, your computer, your car,” McSherry says.
And other lawyers say there’s a big difference between “reverse engineering” and hacking into a company’s internal, confidential information or a bank’s records, for example. That is clearly against the law.
“Radio host accuses Fox of faking Parkinson’s”
In a new embarrassment for the Republicans, Rush Limbaugh, the doyen of conservative talk radio hosts, has issued a graceless apology after suggesting the actor Michael J Fox might have faked the effects of Parkinson’s disease in an election campaign advertisement pleading for embryonic stem cell research.
And last, but not least…
“Canada troops battle 10-ft Afghan marijuana plants”
“We tried burning them with white phosphorous — it didn’t work. We tried burning them with diesel — it didn’t work. The plants are so full of water right now … that we simply couldn’t burn them,” he said.
Even successful incineration had its drawbacks.
“A couple of brown plants on the edges of some of those (forests) did catch on fire. But a section of soldiers that was downwind from that had some ill effects and decided that was probably not the right course of action,” Hiller said dryly.