The coroner's report is not yet in, but investigators are paying special attention to Propofol, one of the drugs found at Jackson's house, and the one that an expert says has a 100% death rate for most abusers.

[snip]

The only abusers who stand a chance are the few doctors who become addicted. Wischmeyer led a 2006-07 study of Propofol after a colleague died from the drug.

link

Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday called for a radical rethinking of the global economy, criticizing a growing divide between rich and poor and urging the establishment of a "world political authority" to oversee the economy and work for the "common good."

Pretty gutsy to demand that you get paid to dress and undress for your job, IMO.  Plus, they want to get paid for taking their uniforms to the cleaners?!  Pffft.  Suck it up--if you don't consider it an honor to put on the uniform and serve your community, perhaps it is time to find another line of work.

Anyone with enough money could probably find a doctor who would find a way to do what they want, even if the justification was "It's better if the patient takes dangerous drugs under my supervision than behind my back. (Well, mostly under my supervision.  Kind of.  In theory.)".

I think my most persistent question WRT to MJ (and potentially other celebrities) is "Are/Were they mentally competent?".  Everyone makes foolish decisions and mistakes.  Some people have enough money to hire people to help them to make as few as possible.  Some people have enough money to make truly costly mistakes - over and over again.

In a 42-page decision issued today, Naves agreed with the university that Churchill's presence on the Boulder campus would suggest that the university tolerated academic misconduct.

"The evidence was credible that Professor Churchill will not only be the most visible member of the Department of Ethnic Studies if reinstated, but that reinstatement will create the perception in the broader academic community that the Department of Ethnic Studies tolerates research misconduct," Naves wrote.

"In addition, this negative perception has great potential to hinder students graduating from the Department of Ethnic Studies in their efforts to obtain placement in graduate programs," he wrote.

Last October, I went on CNN Newsroom with Rick Sanchez to talk about an investigative piece co-written with Max Blumenthal about Sarah Palin's longtime dalliances with Alaska's far-right elements, particularly the secessionist Alaska Independence Party.

[snip]

Now, it turns out that my short appearance on TV threw Sarah Palin into a tizzy and provoked a quarrel with Steve Schmidt of the McCain campaign. This from a CBS story by Scott Conroy and Shushannah Walshe:

"Pls get in front of that ridiculous issue that's cropped up all day today - two reporters, a protestor's sign, and many shout-outs all claiming Todd's involvement in an anti-American political party," Palin wrote. "It's bull, and I don't want to have to keep reacting to it ... Pls have statement given on this so it's put to bed."

[snip]

"That's not part of their platform and he was only a 'member' bc independent alaskans too often check that 'Alaska Independent' box on voter registrations thinking it just means non partisan," Palin wrote. "He caught his error when changing our address and checked the right box. I still want it fixed."

Now, the problem with this response is that it's just factually false. Palin's connections with the AIP ran much, much deeper than Todd's paper affiliation. As we explained in the Salon story:

"Mass. challenges federal Defense of Marriage Act"