Today's Takeaway | August 9, 2012

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Thursday, August 09, 2012

The U.S. Military's history of recruiting and retaining Neo-Nazis | The burgeoning field of intergalactic law | How personal experience changed my views on the death penalty | Sinai: What it meant then and what it means now | Bo Xilai murder trial begins... and ends | U.S. begins Agent Orange cleanup | A victim's son reflects on the Sikh temple shooting | An update from a family in Aleppo | Is the "Like" button protected free speech?

The U.S. Military's History of Recruiting and Retaining Neo-Nazis

When Wade Michael Page allegedly attacked the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin this past weekend, many were shocked by his identification as a neo-Nazi. Wade, however, is not the first neo-Nazi veteran to have committed murder in the United States.

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The Burgeoning Field of Intergalactic Law

What if taking a vacation no longer meant flying to Europe? What if it meant traveling through space? Luckily, should that day come, lawyers are already looking into it.

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Can Personal Experience Change Your Views on the Death Penalty?

When Matthew Parker found out his brother was murdered there was nothing he wanted more than revenge, and that meant the death penalty for the man responsible. The murderer, however, received a sentence of life in prison.

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Sinai: What It Meant Then, What It Means Now

There's more trouble unfolding this week in Egypt, as its newly elected president, Mohamed Morsi, confronts violence in the Sinai Peninsula. Sixteen Egyptian soldiers were killed Sunday by shooters, and on Tuesday night, gunmen fired on up to seven government checkpoints in what appears to be a carefully planned attack.

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Gu Kailai Murder Trial Begins... and Ends

A trial began today in China that will prove to be the most politically importance since the prosecution of the Gang of Four in Beijing in the 1980s. The wife of ousted Communist Party official Bo Xilai is being tried for the murder of a British businessman.

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U.S. Begins Agent Orange Cleanup

During the Vietnam War, the U.S. sprayed millions of gallons of the toxic defoliant known as Agent Orange over jungle areas to destroy enemy cover. Today, the U.S. has begun clean-up project in an effort to build ties between the countries. 

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A Victim's Son Reflects on the Sikh Temple Shooting

Amardeep Kaleka's father was killed in the horrific shooting at the Wisconsin Sikh temple on Sunday that left seven people dead including the gunman. His father, Satwant Singh Kaleka, was the temple president.

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Updates from a Family in Aleppo

Syrian rebels are trying to fend off a ground offensive by government troops in Syria's largest city of Aleppo. There are reports the opposition have withdrawn from some densely populated neighborhoods but are holding their ground in others.

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Is the "Like" Button Protected Free Speech?

Political free speech is protected by the U.S. Constitution — but what about liking someone, some cause, or some candidate on Facebook? Facebook and the American Civil Liberties Union are now fighting to make the "Like" button a form of protected speech.

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