Yep, it’s true.

Houston public libraries want to keep stinky and tired people out.

Library officials said people have been using the libraries as temporary shelters, restaurants and changing stations. The new ordinance prohibits sleeping on tables, eating, using restrooms for bathing and “offensive bodily hygiene that constitutes a nuisance to others.”

…

“I understand what they’re trying to do, but when you start targeting a community like the homeless, I think that’s poor policy,” council member Ada Edwards said.

Bill Andrews puts his foot down:

Inmates set a small fire, flooded toilets and smashed a television in a violent protest to searches at the Jefferson County Jail, authorities said.

…

He has revoked inmates’ television, telephone, commissary and visitor privileges for an indefinite period.

“Once in a while you’ve got to remind these people who’s in charge here,” Andrews said Wednesday.

Any bets on how long before someone starts screaming that TV watching isn’t a privilege, it’s a right?

Palm Beach Post:

As a 13-year-old Palm Beach County girl prepared this week to end a pregnancy she says she does not want, the Florida Department of Children and Families went to court to stop her from having the abortion.

The American Civil Liberties Union challenged the state’s position Wednesday, saying DCF is overstepping its authority and violating the girl’s constitutional rights.

And check out this quote by ACLU of Florida Executive Director Howard Simon:

“forcing a 13-year-old to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term… is just plain cruel. “

Killing the baby, on the other hand, is apparently not a bit cruel.

The Republic of T agrees with the ACLU, and takes it a bit further.

Regardless of how she got pregnant, in my book forcing her to carry it to term qualifies as a rape done by the state.

As does Hope.

Really, her life can’t get much worse. Oh wait, I know…

Let’s force her to have a child she doesn’t want.

Its like they enjoy making life as miserable as possible, isn’t it?

Twenty Something Mom is on it as well.

Does the State of Florida not have enough minor children to take care of?

“Too many kids already” seems to be presented as at least one valid justification for killing this one. It is interesting too that she adds this:

I used to be radically pro-life, until I got pregnant way too young.

I’ve never been young and pregnant, so I cannot completely relate, but this sentence basically says to me “I abandoned what I believed was right when it became inconvenient for me,” concluding with “It’s sad, but it was right.” At least she is consistent wit this “death is better than a bad life” argument that presented by her above.

This 13-year-old girl has obviously been through a lot in her life. She is in a bad situation which has led to poor choices. I have great compassion on her, and as such, I do not think that the solution is to allow her to live the rest of her life knowing she has killed her child. The bogus arguments of “this child will be cared for by the state forever” and “this child will live in poverty” and “this girl will have her life ruined and never go to college and be a contributing member of society” … unless she kills her baby, are specious. She can carry the baby to term, live with the short term consequences of her actions, and put the baby up for adoption to one of the many families who are not able to have children and will take care of and love this child for the rest of its life. She can then move on with her life and grow to a be a contributing member of society, should she choose to do so. This is the compassionate approach. 9 months seems like forever when you are 13 years old, but allowing her to compound her poor choice by having an abortion is not in any way compassionate or protecting her “rights.” It is adding to the harm that has already befallen her.

UPDATE: (5/4) The court has ruled the girls is competent and will permit the abortion. Gov. Jeb and the DCF will not appeal.

Anecdotally, I’ll offer up personal corroboration of BizzyBlog’s take on the topic.

Five-plus years ago, people listened to Rush, Liddy, and the rest to learn things the mainstream media either would not report, or would not emphasize.

Today, those who follow the blogs have 24-7 access to alternative information. Many of us can predict what Rush, Hannity, Franken and the rest are going to talk about even before the show starts, and we can feel pretty confident that we won’t learn much that is new. So, why listen? Since the left-of-center blogosphere is just as active, one would expect that many of them feel the same way about Franken, Imus (whose program has gone through a steep decline), et al.

This is exactly on target. It used to be that the talk radio shows created the news, and generated hot topics. Now they are simply hours behind what is already buzzing in the blogosphere. For those with computer access and a good set of RSS feeds during the day, listening to talk radio has become very predictable and redundant.

Via MM.

Rep. William Clay (D-MO) stated it as succinctly as possible.

In another sign of the measure’s new support, Democratic Rep. William Clay of Missouri, who staunchly favors abortion rights and voted against the measure in the past, voted for it on Wednesday. Clay said he switched in response to an outpouring of support for the bill from constituents in his St. Louis district.

“This bill simply says that a parent has a right to know if their child is having surgery,” Clay said.

It is also interesting to note the AP wording on the lead paragraph. (Well, actually it’s not that interesting, but at least worth pointing out).

The House passed a bill Wednesday that would make it illegal to dodge parental-consent laws by taking minors across state lines for abortions, the latest effort to chip away at abortion rights after Republican gains in the November elections.

How about this alternate wording, as suggested by Dodo David:

“the latest effort to strengthen parental rights…”

Hmmm… wonder what the AP writer thinks of the bill.