The New York Times has an article with more details on the secret Office of Legal Counsel memo on targeted killings. Dated June, 2010, after Anwar al-Awlaki was put on the capture or kill list, ran some 50 pages, and was principally authored by Marty Lederman and David Barron. According to the Times,

The memo, however, was narrowly drawn to the specifics of Mr. Awlaki’s case and did not establish a broad new legal doctrine to permit the targeted killing of any Americans believed to pose a terrorist threat....The memorandum is said to declare that in the case of a citizen, it is legally required to capture the militant if feasible — raising a question: was capturing Mr. Awlaki in fact feasible?

Good read: Glenn Greenwald on Steve Jobs and America's drug policy, focusing on Steve Jobs' use of LSD and DOJ's ramped up war on Calfornia dispensaries.

October 10 is the 9th annual World Day Against the Death Penalty. There are 3,200 people on death row in the U.S.

There is no humane way to kill a human being, and this practice of killing to set an example that killing is wrong must end.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Atone!

But, Go Gators!

Update (TL): We've got snow!

Open Thread.

Yom Kippur begins at sundown. It is the holiest day of the Jewish year, a time of atonement and forgiveness. It's a time to make peace with other people and with G-d. Observant Jews fast for 24 hours. It's a time to wipe the moral slate clean for a new year. No work is allowed.

If you're feeling bad you aren't at a temple, here's a live online service, beginning at 6:15 pm PT. If you're at Occupy Wall St, there's a service there.

For everyone else, here's an open thread, all topics welcome. [More...]

Open thread.

Go Yanks!

Tonight's DWTS is just another reminder this show is merely a popularity contest and has little to do with dancing ability. Nancy Grace, whose schmaltzy waltz last night got the second lowest scores of the night, is safe. David Arguette, whose feet didn't do any more dancing than Chaz Bono (who got the lowest score) is safe. Neither Nancy or David have the redeeming quality that Chaz Bono has -- a likeable TV presence and a buoyant personality. So I'm not criticizing voters for keeping Chaz. I'm glad about that. But to keep Nancy Grace or David Arquette or Rob Kardashian and send Kristin Cavalieri home? Or put Hope in the bottom two? Ridiculous.

Of course, Hope may not have really been in the bottom two. The announcer always reminds the audience that one of the final two couples might not have received the second lowest combined votes and judge scores. In other words, the safe couple in the final two is placed there because the producers think it will make the show more interesting. It's a total manipulation. [More...]

Open thread.

Aside from has-been Dick Cheney spouting off, what else is going on today? All but 20 of the 700 arrested yesterday during the Occupy Wall Street protest have been released.

Don't miss Prohibition tonight on PBS.

PROHIBITION is a three-part, five-and-a-half-hour documentary film series directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick that tells the story of the rise, rule, and fall of the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the entire era it encompassed.

Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

The U.S. is warning travelers world-wide of potential retaliation threats for the targeted killing of Anwar al-Awlaki.

A Yemen security official said today that reports that bombmaker Ibrahim al-Asiri was one of those killed with al-Awlaki and Samir Khan is incorrect. As for how they found al-Awlaki, the official said "they had located Awlaki with intelligence gathered from a captured al Qaeda operative." Anyone wonder what tactics were used to get that information?

Al-Awlaki's death is not going to end AQAP or be the end of al Qaeda. For one thing, AQAP's top leaders are still alive, including Nasser al-Wahayshi, deputy leader Said al-Shihri, and military commander Qasim al-Raymi. AQAP will replace its leaders who are killed much faster than we can kill them.

Update 10/2: The US media is finally correcting its reports from yesterday saying bombmaker Ibrahim al-Asiri was killed in the attack on al-Awlaki and Samir Khan. If I could find the Yemeni officials' statements yesterday saying al-Asiri was not killed, why couldn't they? Answer: They probably did see the reports, but chose to run with the unsupported claim by unnamed US officials that he was killed. More bang for the buck I guess -- it made for a juicier story.

'Tis a privilege to live in Colorado. This is the best weekend of the year to see the aspen change, and the weather is gorgeous.

I'm news deprived today, so here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

It's my birthday -- another year, about to begin. I'm taking the day off from the news and the computer.

For everyone celebrating Rosh Hashanah tonight, L'Shana Tova! and a year of blessings, fulfillment, health and happiness to all.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

I've been cleaning out my parents' storage unit on weekends for the past 6 weeks, determined not to move the stuff to my house and fill it with clutter. I'm finally done. I just met GotJunk there and in 20 minutes they hauled everything away and swept the unit clean. As for the 11 boxes of financial and medical records dating back to the 1960's, they will take it to a shredding company which will send me a certificate.

What a relief. Now I'm taking my car to be thoroughly vacuumed to get the dust out from the boxes I did decide to keep.

As for selling the nameless crystal and china on EBay, forget it. There are thousands of baby boomers doing the same thing as their parents die and the place is flooded with the same stuff my parents had.

Moral of the story: Don't do this to your kids. Stop hoarding and throw stuff away. Hearses don't have luggage racks.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Say hello to the new Scotus Blog,now sponsored by Bloomberg Law. I haven't had a chance to read through the the changes, but the Bloglift is really nice.

Boeing's stock rose big-time today with its delivery of the new Dreamliner. I wonder if they timed it with the premimere of Pan Am last night (which featured the inaugural flight of its big transatlantic plane of the day.) I think Pan Am (the show) is a winner. Anyone see it?

Breaking Bad was good last night, but not as riveting as the prior two episodes featuring Gus. Only two episodes left this season.

Desperate Housewives is definitely right to call it quits after this season if last night's show is any indication. Way too dark and depressing.

Time for the news, what's happening in the world? Here's an open thread to discuss it -- and any other topics.