Actually the inspectors were generally allowed to do their jobs. While there were some inconsistencies in records, largely relating to the inability to prove a negative, they really didn't find anything.

But certain leaders in the US and UK did not accept these findings, leading the inspectors to withdraw ahead of hostilities.

The US, of course, also did not find anything.

It doesn't really matter what is said. Countries are really no different than people. They talk a lot of shit.

Until the US actually responds to a cyber attack with force, it isn't policy.

You seriously believe the taliban would have been provided evidence and would say "oh, you're right, here he is"? Please.

They would never have been satisfied, just like birthers and any other denialist.

It's said that cats cannot taste sweets, but this is pop science distillation of the actual reality. As the article explains, they do taste it, just not through the same mechanism that we do. Nearly every cat owner has anecdotes about their pet liking something sweet.

There seems to be a misconception here. Congress broadly authorized the programs, and the intelligence committees get regular updates. The programs operate under FISC orders, which provides some form of judicial oversight. Either body could shut the programs down. The House did not have the votes to defund a couple weeks ago, extremely unlikely it would have passed the Senate anyway.

So given that these bodies have not shut the programs down, the only logical conclusion to me is that all three branches are OK with it. Yeah, some individual legislators are making hay, and there was one denial from FISC, but as a whole the bodies haven't really used their power to curtail the activities.

This doesn't magically make the programs legal, good, or right.

"they use it because it's outside of the US and they can argue that normal laws don't apply."

This was an argument by the Bush administration that was rejected by the Court in Rasul (2004) and Boumediene (2008).

The prison is still in use today because Congress blocked Obama's efforts to close it.

Where all is defined as "every game except nationally televised games and those broadcast in your home market", yeah.

At this point it's beyond ESPN. You also have Fox, NBC, CBS, NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA, and sometimes a local sports channel (e.g. Comcast Sportsnet). Then there's the more fringy sports channels: golf, tennis, Fox soccer, Fox college, Big 10, universal.. surely I've missed some. On top of that you have the "season pass" deals that the major sports offer. These have online components but afaik all of them prohibit watching a game that is on TV in your market.

Ezra is a male name.

A union is an association of workers, and the right of free association is protected by the First Amendment. Why do you hate freedom?

There's a Metallica DVD that uses the angle feature on a couple songs, you can choose which band member to watch instead of the director making the call.

When talking about driving, and particularly about penalties, one can rarely use the phrase "in the US". It is handled at the state level and varies widely.

As far as suspensions, due to the necessity of a car in most places in the US, DMVs or courts will provide an allowance so you can drive to work, school, etc. Makes for a big loophole, doesn't really get anyone off the road, and the end result is really just more fines (these special allowances have an administrative cost, and then typically you also have to take a class, and/or carry extra insurance, etc.)

This happens to drivers of cars frequently as well, but they don't use it as an excuse for noise pollution.

The other day a guy on the phone started to slowly cross the street a couple hundred feet down the road. With normal behavior he would have made it just fine, no one would even have to slow down. But something in his conversation caused him to slow, and then stop right in my lane. I slowed to a crawl and sounded the horn. His immediate reaction was to resume walking... right into the oncoming traffic lane, without looking, where a car was only ~50' away.

He was completely oblivious to the whole thing. Never even looked up.

In NJ tired driving is illegal, defined as no sleep >24 hours. Pretty much impossible to enforce unless the driver admits it.

In Arkansas if you have not slept >24 hours and cause a fatal accident, it is negligent homicide.