California has been trying to ban plastic shopping bags to save the environment or something, but the state Senate yesterday rejected the bill. Also not banned yesterday — carrying unloaded firearms in public. So much for all that, hippies.

Good news for criminals in China: The government has proposed dropping the death penalty for several crimes, such as smuggling exotic animals and relics. And no more elderly executions, either. Currently, 68 crimes are punishable by death in China.

Did you know that in nine western states it's legal for cops to secretly put a GPS tracker on your car, without a warrant? No big deal, right? Because we know that all cops can be trusted, all the time.

The city council in beach town Asbury Park, New Jersey, has struck down a proposal to allow topless sunbathing to boost tourism. Too bad for the ladeez, but JWOWW's slutty bikini tops achieve pretty much the same result, don't they?

The good news: The British Supreme Court has voted to overturn a discretion test that barred asylum protection for persecuted gay folks. The bad news: Obnoxious stereotypes are still alive and well in Britain. For one judge, at least.

Religious people don't attend religious services as often as they used to, probably because they're boring. But what if you could take your awesome guns to churches, mosques, synagogues, etc., as you will now be able to in Louisiana?

The wait is over: Hawaii's governor yesterday vetoed a bill that would have allowed same-sex civil unions, after much speculation.

Everyone in Finland is now legally entitled to high-speed internet access, the commie-socialists announced today.

Public libraries in the internet age have become less about books and more about free porn and librarian sex. But one Massachusetts lawmaker is on a mission to stop it, by publicly shaming people caught watching porn on library computers.

New York cops are "livid" as well as "furious" at a proposed new bill that would require them to shoot to "stop" a suspect, rather than to kill. Wha...wha...what are cops, trained snipers? Listen to this outrageous libtard fantasy law:

In order to "protect" the public, a judge in Malawi has sentenced a gay couple to 14 years in prison with hard labor for "gross indecency" and committing "unnatural acts." Somewhere, Rev. Rick Warren is smiling. [BBC, pic]

The plan in Texas to rewrite history textbooks to fit a right-wing agenda could pass this week. The Guardian profiles the evangelical Christian lawyer behind the push, Cynthia Dunbar, who has plenty of interesting ways of looking at history.

Barack Obama's Big Government is soliciting propaganda videos from Americans to help him explain how rules are made and how everyday people can help him destroy White Culture and free enterprise. The Heritage Foundation made a wacky one.

Faisal Shahzad, the Times Square car bomber, has been, by all accounts, spilling his guts to interrogators. Nevertheless, the fact that he was read his rights has outraged Republicans, who hate rights. And Obama may be amenable to their complaints.

Old people continue their neverending assault on sexting by targeting teens behind the wheel.

Republican State Rep. Kim Meltzer thinks cops need more authority, especially when it comes to busting illegals in her state, so she's drafting a bill like Arizona's to clean Michigan up a little. [Detroit Free Press, pic]

You can still put on some Barry White, lower the lights and make love to your favorite goat in Florida — their bickering legislature has failed to pass a measure outlawing bestiality.

Yesterday, in a vote of 31-20, state lawmakers passed the bill that now must be signed by the governor, who has been noncommittal on the issue. Republican Rep. Barbara Marumoto, who voted in favor of the bill (!) told the Honolulu Star Bulletin: "I don't believe our society will come crashing down if we pass this bill." [HSB]

The Australian government announced plans today to ban all shiny branding and logos on cigarette packs—it'll just be the brand name, and a big ol' photo of a diseased lung. Eh, they all taste like diseased lungs anyhow. [SMH]

After realizing they look like huge assholes to everyone outside of the finance industry, GOP senators have decided to allow a debate on the financial regulation bill to begin today. "We owed the American people our best effort." [NYT]