The Free Press Clause in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects the right of individuals to express themselves through publication and dissemination of information, ideas and opinions without interference, constraint or prosecution by the government. This is a fundamental personal right that is not confined to newspapers and periodicals. But what if the very concept comes into conflict with the freedom of religion protected in the same Constitution and therefore results in imminent danger? Gunfire broke out last Wednesday in an attack at the offices of Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical weekly magazine which gained notoriety in 2006 for its portrayal of a sobbing Muhammad and was hacked in 2011 following a cartoon depicting the Prophet as gay. The attack on Charlie Hebdo may only be the prelude to an escalating terrorist campaign. If another group of extremists succeed at a second-strike in the near future and the conflict escalates to new heights, the French government will probably declare a war on terror and implement a familiar color coded warning system like we have at home in America... Another vicious cycle of violence? In America, a divided three-judge panel of the court ordered YouTube to pull the low-budget "Innocence of Muslims" video because actress Cindy Lee Garcia claimed that she received death threats after a film trailer, insulting the Prophet Muhammad, sparked violence in the Middle East. Concerning the attack in Paris, Pope Francis on Thursday defended freedom of speech but said there are limits and that "you can't make a toy out of the religions of others."
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 1. Obama Plans to Push Paid Family and Sick Leave for Workers
Obama will announce Thursday that he is directing federal agencies to give their employees up to six weeks of paid leave after the birth or adoption of a child, a benefit he wants to extend to all American workers. He will also call on Congress to pass a bill that would allow workers across the United States to earn up to seven paid sick days a year. (NYT) |
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He supports the International Criminal Court looking into Palestinian accusation of war crimes against Israel, saying the ICC should take "an inquisitive look" at those allegations. "Not only at what the Israelis have done to the Palestinians, but vice versa," Carter said. (HP)
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Félix Freoa was already intending to emigrate to Israel with his wife and four children in March or April. But after Friday's deadly hostage-taking at a kosher supermarket they know well, they could wait no longer, and brought forward their departure. (Guardian)
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Deutsche Bank AG and Barclays Plc, two of the world's largest currency dealers, were among the first banks to suffer losses after the Swiss central bank's surprise decision to abandon a cap on the franc, people with knowledge of the matter said.(LA Times)
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The Southern Education Foundation reports that 51 percent of students in pre-k through 12th grade were eligible under the federal program for free and reduced-price lunches in the 2012-2013 school year. The lunch program is a rough proxy for poverty, but the explosion in the number of needy children in the nation's public classrooms is a recent phenomenon. (WP)
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"Birdman" and "The Grand Budapest Hotel" received nine nominations apiece, with "The Imitation Game" closely following with eight. "American Sniper" and "Boyhood" were acknowledged with six nominations each. (LA Times)
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