Author: Justin Lane

Below are Ring of Fire’s top stories from the past week. Yamaha Hit with $3.3 Million Verdict for Wanton Conduct After five hours of deliberation, a jury in Montgomery, Alabama returned a $3.3 million verdict against Yamaha for its wanton conduct in the design, manufacture, marketing, and sale of the Yamaha Rhino Model 660 UTV vehicle.  A finding of wantonness means that Yamaha acted or failed to act with a conscious and reckless disregard for the safety of its consumers, knowing that grievous injury was likely to result. Republican Conspiracy Theory Ridiculous, Even the the NRA Republican Senator James...

How out of touch is Missouri Republican Rep. Billy Long? For starters, speaking about the sequestration cuts taking effect, he claimed that his constituents not only weren’t feeling any effects but that they actually want more sequester cuts. Speaking without any actual information, the representative said to Missouri’s KOLR10 News, “The people that I’ve talked to seem to be doing well. In fact…They want to see more.” The shortsightedness of Long’s comments cannot be overstated as the $85 billion in cuts are only just now taking effect. Food pantries have been forced to close their doors, Courts have stopped...

On Tuesday, Senator John McCain (R-Ariz) pleaded to his fellow Republicans to go against their nature, give credence to their “better angels” and, when that fails, consider the negative repercussions that failing work on comprehensive immigration reform will have on the GOP. In an interview at the USC Schwarzenegger Institute, McCain claimed that he thinks the GOP “can compete” but not if they don’t consider the growing power of Hispanic voters. The senator expressed that when the moral argument fails with his cohort, he appeals to their appreciation of threats and numbers. “All you have to do is the...

Tom Wheeler will be nominated by President Barack Obama to be the next chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. Mr. Wheeler will be filling the position following the resignation of Julius Genachowski. According to a tweet from Brendan Sasso, technology policy reporter for The Hill, the White House has confirmed the nomination. Wheeler’s earlier career included being a major lobbyist in the telecom and media industries. He has a track record of being for corporate monopolies and against consumer interests and his positions regarding the issues facing the FCC...

Below are Ring of Fire’s top stories from the past week. Aaron Swartz’s Prosecutor to Pursue Charges against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz is known for her rabid, often overdone, aggression toward defendants.  Of recent infamy for her overzealous treatment of the would-be prosecution of Reddit co-founder and suspected hacker Aaron Swartz, who was found hanging dead in his Brooklyn apartment earlier this year. Papantonio: Anti-intellectualism is Destroying Democracy in America Anti-intellectualism and anti-rationalism have become almost epidemic in America. In fact, a talented writer by the name of Susan Jacoby wrote an important book several years ago...