The US has had the potential capability to track Russian mobsters since SWIFT let us access the databases after 9/11, particularly now that we’re making all our specific requests orally. So far as I know, no one has ended up dead in a duffel bag over that access.

An epic portrait of one community’s long-time battle to take on Massey Energy lawlessness and their Big Coal sycophants in the Coal River Valley of West Virginia, The Last Mountain just might be one of the most timely and game-changing films in years. Beautifully filmed, at once provocative and disquieting, The Last Mountain wonderfully captures the inspiring resistance and indefatigable campaigns of coal mining families — and their outside supporters — to stand up and defend their land and lives.

In a world subject to the rule of law and the principle that government leaders who commit war crimes and crimes against humanity should be held accountable, we would applaud the existence of an international court to prosecute alleged criminals and serve as a warning and deterrent to would be criminals. And if that system applied its rules uniformly and fairly across nations, it would be a hopeful sign civilization can make progress towards a just society.

We are a long way from that ideal, and a primary reason is the fact that the US Government, including its recent Presidents and the most senior officials of the Defense Department and intelligence agencies routinely violated international laws against aggression, kidnapping, rendition, torture, and other prisoner mistreatment.

Despite the struggles of the Great Recession and the need for jobs, Republican legislatures across the country have engaged in a concerted effort to legislate a woman’s right to choose. There is settled case law that abortion is a legal medical procedure in the United States, and yet several states have banned late-term abortions after 20 weeks, the so-called “fetal pain” bill, so far this year. This conflicts directly with the fetal viability standard ruled by the Supreme Court, and seems destined for a challenge.

Over the past few months the political discourse in Washington has been pulled rightward at a mind-boggling pace. Given how narrow and bizarrely focused the debt ceiling debate has become, regardless what the final package contains, it is assured to be a massive victory for the right.

Republicans just can’t resist a game where they make up the rules as they go along. Two fine examples of this are Wisconsin where they are going to redistrict before the recall elections, even though they have not drawn up the ward maps yet. And then there is Ohio, where SB 5 is going to before a vote of the people, but Republicans want to split it into 5 separate bills to confuse the voter.

So, former disgraced Governor Rod Blagojevich has been convicted of 17 of the 20 counts that were being retried after the previous jury deadlocked on the charges except the charge of lying to the FBI.

The main charge, that Gov. Rod tried to sell the seat of then president elect Obama to the people that could do the most for him is among the ones he has been found guilty of today.

The Roberts Court continues its work turning America into corporatocracy with a government of the rich, by the rich and for the rich. The Supreme Court in a 5-4 ruling today just struck down a provision (PDF) of Arizona’s public campaign financing system that would provide publicly financed candidates some matching funds if their opponents started raising large quantities of private money.

You just knew after the historic events in New York on Friday night that there would be some truly deliciously unhinged wingnuttery coming from William F. Buckley’s old place. After all, under Buckley, the National Review was objectively pro-Jim Crow in the ’50s and ’60s.

In short, there’s no such thing as a Texas miracle. It’s a miracle if Rick Perry gets away with claiming one.