News Bits!

- The Hammer motioned to have his appointed judge, Travis County District Court's Bob Perkins, remove himself from the case, his attorney arguing that "Perkins has specifically given money to people or organizations that have opposed DeLay." The defendant himself whined that he was "charged with beating Democrats." Actually, Tom? You're charged with being a fucking crook.

- Judge Perkins also presided over the case of Jackson Ngai, the UT student accused of brutally slaying his piano teacher. Ngai was declared not guilty "by reason of insanity", which means that in as little as a year he could by walking the streets right next to you!

- Work on the proposed Gables Park Plaza - at the northeast corner of Cesar Chavez and Lamar - is slated to begin late next year.

- 29-year old Lee Thomas has been accused of critically injuring his girlfriend's 2-year-old boy. Thomas claimed the baby had fallen from an inflatable mattress, while the child's brothers told police that "Thomas had been potty training the infant and would 'whoop' him when he dirtied his pants." The child remains in critical condition.

- Condi demands that Syria be held accountable for the death of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

- In what will doubtless be but the first of many to come, a defense lawyer in Saddam's mass murde trial was found "dumped in the street with two bullet wounds in the head." The gunmen actually dragged him out of his office in front of everyone.

- Wilma thrashes the Yucatan Peninsula

- A college student in San Antonio has taken legal action after her school refused to let her keep her pet ferret, which she needs to counter her panic attacks.

- The Amazon rainforest is deteriorating doubly as quickly as experts had predicted.