httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfXPe-JCHKQ

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH6I21sIvZI

Christopher Christie/campaign photo

New Jersey Gov.-elect Chris Christie is continuing to load up his administration with former colleagues from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

In the latest move, Christie, the former U.S. Attorney, named two ex-colleagues to the attorney general’s office and a third to the governor’s counsel, according to the Newark Star-Ledger.

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By Allan Lengel

Huping Zhou learned the hard way that peeking into confidential medical files can be hazardous to your well being.

The former UCLA Healthcare System employee in Los Angeles pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court to four counts of illegally reading private and confidential medical records “mostly from celebrities and other high-profile patients”, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Zhou, 48, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to violating the federal privacy provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) by looking at the files for no valid reason. Authorities did not disclose the names of any celebrities.

Authorities said Zhou was a licensed cardiothoracic surgeon in China and worked for the UCLA Healthcare System as a researcher with the UCLA School of Medicine.

It’s hard to imagine that this guy has much of a case. It’s just a matter of time before he works out a plea deal.

Suspect Abdulmutallab/u.s. marhsals photo

DETROIT — Standing before a federal judge, shackled at the ankles and speaking in barely audible tones, Nigerian terror suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab faced a judge in his alleged attempt to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day.

Abdulmutallab told the judge that he understood the charges levied against him by a grand jury in a six-count indictment.

After a series of questions from Magistrate Judge Mark Randon, Abdulmutallab’s lawyers informed the court that their client would stand mute — meaning he did not plead guilty or not guilty, but a plea of not-guilty was entered on his behalf by the court.

Abdulmutallab, 23, stood in court in khaki pants and an oversize white t-shirt flanked by his lawyer, Federal Defender Miriam Siefer, during the 3-minute arraignment.

For Full Story

WASHINGTON — It used to be that conversations on airplanes went something like this: “Excuse me flight attendant, can I have another diet Coke?”

Or:”Excuse me, where are you headed today?” or “Any idea what time we’re suppposed to land?”

Lately, the conversations have gone something like this: “Hey, isn’t that man’s underwear on fire.”

Or, as a man on a Northwest flight from Miami to Detroit screamed out this week: “I want to kill all the Jews”.

Whatever happened to the friendly skies?

By Allan Lengel

WASHINGTON — A week after a judge dismissed murder-related charges against 5 Blackwater guards who worked in Iraq, the Justice Department came back with murder charges against two former Blackwater guards who were detailed to Afghanistan.

The U.S. Attorney in Alexandria filed second-degree murder and attempted murder charges on Thursday against Justin Cannon, 27, of Corpus Christi, Tex. and Christopher Drotleff, 29, of Virginia Beach, Va. in connection with shootings that resulted in the death of two people and the wounding of a third.

Authorities say the two men were contractors for the U.S. Department of Defense in Afghanistan and employed by Paravant LLC, a subsidiary of Xe, formerly known as Blackwater Worldwide. The two were charged under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA).

The 13-count indictment alleges that on May 5, 2009, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Cannon and Drotleff shot and killed two Afghanistan nationals and wounded a third.

The FBI arrested Cannon Thursday in Corpus Christi and Drotleff in Virginia Beach.

Last week, a D.C. judge dismissed charges against 5  Blackwater guards in connection with the deaths of  14 unarmed Iraqi civilians. The judge ruled that the Justice Department overstepped its bounds by using statements the men made to the State Department even though the men were told the statements could not be used against them in court.

OTHER STORIES Of STORIES

Donald Washington/gov photo

Donald W. Washington, the first African American to serve as U.S. Attorney in Shreveport, La.,  is stepping down,  effective Jan. 18.

“It has been a high honor and great privilege to serve as United States Attorney, and to work alongside so many talented and dedicated professionals in service to our country and the cause of justice,” Washington said in a statement.

He was appointed by President Bush in 2001, just six days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Read Press Release