Porkopolis

Feds: ACLU Wouldn’t Know if It Were Wiretapped

A landmark legal showdown over how much authority the U.S. president has to wiretap the communications of American citizens without congressional or judicial approval played out this afternoon in a Cincinnati courtroom.

Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the National Security Agency (NSA) appeared today before a three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals at the federal courthouse downtown. The ACLU wants the court to affirm an August ruling by a federal judge that the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping program is unconstitutional and violates the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

Poetry Instead of Prozac

How difficult it is to screw up the courage to quit a job when you hate the one you’re in but you don’t have another one lined up!

What about the hassle, expense and hardship of leaving one home for another after the hard work of deciding to move, looking for a new place, going through the expense of the move and finally settling in? Don’t even start on finding the library or a decent Chinese take-out place.

Jail Vote Hits Roadblock

Political in-fighting on Cincinnati City Council continued today when a council member blocked a vote to build a temporary jail sought by his opponents, saying he was unsure if Hamilton County officials approved of the plan — even though all three county commissioners attended a press conference at City Hall earlier this month to support the project.

City Hall’s Crime Victims

Underscoring the fact that crime can occur anywhere, the car of a city council aide was broken into at City Hall on the same day earlier this month that Cincinnati and Hamilton County officials stood on the front steps of the building to reveal plans for erecting a temporary jail.

Mallory to Council: Disagree Agreeably

A day after a nasty debate between Cincinnati City Council factions about allegations that a budget deal was broken, Mayor Mark Mallory said Tuesday he would remind members of rules to keep decorum at public meetings.

Bus Fare Increase on Hold

A planned increase in bus fares for Hamilton County’s Metro bus system, scheduled to take effect Sunday, has been delayed, as Cincinnati City Council hasn’t yet voted to approve the jump.

Hearing on Bush Wiretaps

One of the defining controversies of the so-called War on Terror takes center stage in a Cincinnati courtroom tomorrow. The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has scheduled hear oral arguments in a lawsuit that aims to stop warrantless wiretapping by the National Security Agency (NSA).

Transparency in Judicial Appointments

Ohio Gov. Strickland has come out with his position on transparency in government, and his walk is tracking with his talk.

Valentine’s Day for Pizza Lovers

Power Inspires Progress (PIP), a nonprofit training program that provides instruction in food service at a living wage for people trying to make a change in their lives, is holding a Valentine’s Day open house at the new pizza parlor, Venice on Vine.

Fiction for (a) Change

Real life and fiction meet to create a fun evening and the perfect fundraiser for support for the literary arts.

At 7:30 p.m. Jan. 30, Ensemble Theater of Cincinnati presents a “pay what you can” preview performance of its first production in 2007, Fiction. Donate as little or as much as you’d like as the price of your general admission ticket. All proceeds from the evening benefit the Cincinnati-based non- profit organization Women Writing for (a) Change.