NEWS & BLUES

Curses, Foiled Again!

When a taxi arrived at its destination in Bowie, Md., the passenger demanded money from the driver, then “struck him in the head and then threw some kind of liquid on him,” Police Chief Chuck Nesky said. The passenger then ignited the liquid. As it caught fire, the driver escaped, but the passenger didn’t. Firefighters who extinguished the blaze found the would-be robber’s body in the back seat, burned beyond recognition. (The Washington Post)

Larry Laugen, 37, went to the police station in Turlock, Calif., as required to register as a sex offender. Also at the station was a woman giving details of her confrontation with a man who broke into her apartment the day before. As she was leaving, she recognized Laugen and told the officer with her, “Hey, that’s the guy.” He was arrested on a burglary charge. (The Modesto Bee)

Ideal Candidate

Republicans filed a federal lawsuit to stop Nevada from listing “none of these candidates” on ballots. It’s the only state that lets voters actively choose none of the above instead of passively just not voting. GOP officials acknowledged that “none” could attract enough votes from disgruntled anti-Obama voters who might otherwise vote for Mitt Romney to give Nevada’s six hotly contested electoral votes to the president. “None” has won some primary elections and siphoned off votes that might have benefited candidates, notably Sen. Harry Reid, who in 1998 beat his Republican challenger by 400 votes, with “none” capturing 8,000. (National Journal)

Now That’s Debating

At the start of a live television debate about the crisis in Syria, Jordanian politician Mansour Murad and Madaba First District Deputy Mohammed Shawabka began trading insults. After Shawabkeh accused Murad of spying for the Syrian regime and Murad replied by calling Shawabkeh an Israeli spy and cursed the deputy’s father, Shawabka hurled a shoe at his opponent, who dodged the footwear. Then Shawabka drew a pistol from his waistband and threatened Murad but didn’t fire. The moderator tried several times to control his guests but to no avail. (The Jordan Times)

Silver Lining

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee used his syndicated radio program to put a positive spin on Rep. Todd Akin’s remarks about rape and pregnancy by pointing out that rapes, although “horrible tragedies,” have produced admirable human beings. “Ethel Waters, for example, was the result of a forcible rape,” Huckabee said of the American gospel singer, as was televangelist James Robison. (Los Angeles Times)

A House Divided

Obstructionist politics continued after House Republicans introduced a bill rife with typographical errors, including a ban on new federal regulations until the labor secretary reports “that the Bureau of Labor Statistics average of monthly employment rates for any quarter beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act is equal to or less than 6.0 percent” — in other words, a 94 percent unemployment rate. Acknowledging that “employment” should have read “unemployment,” Republicans anticipated unanimous consent to correct the typo, but House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said Democrats would block the move. (The Washington Post)

Two rival groups mounted separate re-enactments of the Civil War Battle of Antietam, known in the South as the Battle of Sharpsburg, requiring re-enactors to choose between realism or spectacle. The hobby’s so-called progressive wing focuses on historical accuracy, whereas mainstream re-enactors are more interested in battle tactics and camaraderie. Held on successive weekends, the two privately financed interpretations each attracted about 4,000 uniformed re-enactors. (Associated Press)

More Than Its Cheese Has Holes

Referendum-happy Swiss voters held a referendum to decide whether there should be a referendum to limit referendums. Switzerland holds a half-dozen national referendums a year and many more local ones. The proposal, which would have required a national vote whether to endorse or reject every important international agreement the government signs, was rejected by 75.2 percent of the voters. One anti-referendum poster declared, “Too much democracy kills democracy.” (Associated Press)

Unnecessarily Necessary

Missouri voters approved an amendment to the state constitution that reaffirms “the right to pray in a private or public setting,” even though the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights already protect the right to pray. State Rep. Mike McGhee, whose legislation led to the amendment proposal, acknowledged the redundancy, but he and other proponents insist the amendment will fortify protection for Christianity, which they said is under attack. (Fox News)

We’re Against Us

The United Nations General Assembly voted, 133 to 12 with 31 abstentions, to condemn the U.N. Security Council for failing to end the unrest in Syria. (BBC News)

Joyful Noise unto the Lord

When neighbors complained that Betty Jones, 54, was playing music too loudly, police in Bristol, Tenn., said she told them she spends five hours every Sunday praising the Lord by listening to the music of Johnny Cash, the Judds, Alan Jackson, Elvis Presley and others, and that she would continue to listen to it how she wanted. The officers cited her and left but returned after more complaints and arrested her for disorderly conduct and violating the city’s noise ordinance. She admitted that on the second police visit, “I was going off and cussing.” (Bristol’s WCYB-TV)

When Guns Are Outlawed

When two men entered a family grocery store in New Bedford, Mass., showed the clerk a gun and reached for cash from the register, the owner’s 80-year-old mother-in-law grabbed a box of mangoes and lobbed at least five of them at the men before one of them hit her in the head with the gun. The men fled with cash, but owner Manuel Nogueira gave chase and captured one of them. Police caught the other one. (Boston’s WHDH-TV)

Nehemiah Winters, 35, pleaded no contest to stealing a can of beer from a woman sitting on her front porch in Lincoln, Neb. The 21-year-old victim said Winters walked up to her twice and asked for her beer. She refused, but when he returned a third time, he revealed something in his waistband that she thought was a knife and gave him the beer. She then called police, who arrested Winters with a partial can of beer and what turned out to be a fork. (Lincoln Journal Star)

News and Blues is compiled from the nation’s press. To contribute, submit original clippings, citing date and source, to Roland Sweet in care of The New Times.