Revenge porn ban: A ban on posting and tagging nude photos and videos on the Internet — known as “revenge porn” — has unanimously cleared a House panel. The House Judiciary committee advanced the bill (HB 787) on Tuesday. It aims to combat jilted lovers who embarrass each other online. It would make a third-degree felony out of putting nudity on the Web and affixing identifying information to it. The bill makes it a second-degree felony if the poster is 18 or older and the person in the photo is 16 or younger. The depiction would not have to be of the actual person. If a person places a photo of someone nude from the neck down and says it was someone else, he or she still could run afoul of the law.
Bush Admin’s indisputable torture: An independent review of the U.S. government’s anti-terrorism response after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks reported Tuesday that it is “indisputable” the United States engaged in torture and the George W. Bush administration bears responsibility. The former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush, John Bolton, called the report “completely divorced from reality.” Bolton said, “The whole point of the Bush administration’s review of the techniques was so that no one would be tortured. The intention was precisely the opposite.” President Barack Obama has declined to investigate interrogation methods under the administration of his predecessor, George W. Bush.
Arkansas potential abortion ban: Abortion advocates in Arkansas have filed a lawsuit that seeks to overturn two new restrictive abortion laws, claiming they are unconstitutional. The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas and the Center for Reproductive Rights say the ban on most abortions from the 12th week of pregnancy clearly contradicts the standard of viability established by the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision.
MPAA new rating system: The Motion Picture Association of America announced changes Tuesday to its movie rating system, saying the group wants to better inform parents about violence in films. The new system, called the “Check the Box” campaign, will include a more prominent and detailed description explaining why a movie received a particular rating. One example read, “An intense scene of war violence, some images of carnage, brief strong violence.”
Florida teachers to bear arms: Despite complaints, a law that would allow Florida teachers to bear arms in the classroom in order to defend themselves is one step closer to becoming law. The bill (HB 1097) was advanced by the House Judiciary Committee on an 11-7 vote in the closing weeks of the 60-day legislative session. The law would give principals in public and private schools the ability to designate employees on campus to carry concealed weapons at all times. The bill leaves it up to school principals to decide whether to arm someone and who would be the right person.
Jodi Arias trial continues: Defense attorneys in Jodi Arias’ murder trial rested their case Tuesday after about 2 1/2 months of testimony aimed at portraying the defendant as a victim of domestic violence who was forced to fight for her life on the day she killed her one-time boyfriend. The trial is expected to continue at least several more weeks before jurors begin deliberations. The prosecutor and defense attorneys also have presented conflicting portraits of Arias.