Hot off the Press: PUSH! edition

A candidate to fill one of the three Iowa Supreme Court vacancies contributed to the gubernatorial campaign of Terry Branstad, the very man who will appoint justices: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110203/NEWS/102030356/High-court-nominee-Waterman-was-Branstad-campaign-donor. As strange as this sounds (and I think it does give Waterman some good weight), it is apparently uncommon for future justices to have given campaign contributions to the very people who appoint them.

Immigration legislation currently in an Iowa House committee would "mandate a statewide immigration enforcement agreement between federal and state officials," something that is apparently unique but many feel would tie the hands of local municipalities: http://iowaindependent.com/51852/feds-iowa-immigration-proposal-extremely-unique.

Target will be paying public agencies in California a total of $22.5 million after it was found the retail giant was improperly disposing hazardous waste: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/02/target-hazardous-waste.html. Get this:

Target also allegedly fobbed off even more waste in bulk donations to local charities, including the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, which received over 5,000 pounds of unusable, flammable and toxic products in 2008, prosecutors said.

Traditional aesthetics strike again in the NHL as the Tampa Bay Lightening have unveiled a two-color, minimalist jersey design (reminiscent of the Maple Leafs and Red Wings) to be used next year: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/08/sports/hockey/08logo.html.

The Republicans in the Iowa House have introduced a bill that would protect those who "refuse to provide jobs, housing, goods or services to people involved in a marriage that violates his or her religious convictions": http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110208/NEWS10/102080371/Bill-in-Iowa-House-aims-to-protect-same-sex-marriage-objectors. Libertarianism aside, the kind of discrimination trying to be legitimized in the Iowa House is shocking.

The leaning church tower in Bad Frankenhausen, Germany, which leans even more than the Tower of Pisa, is in danger of being torn down. City officials are trying to save it as a tourist attraction: http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,744253,00.html.