Accused of funneling money to the Pakistan Taliban, the FBI arrested three Florida residents on Saturday, one of whom was captured in Los Angeles, reports the Daily News. The arrests were part of an investigation of a Florida family of Pakistani expatriates that is allegedly funding religious extremists "to topple the Pakistani government and fight the United States," according to the FBI.
FBI Arrests Man In Los Angeles For Allegedly Funding Pakistani Taliban
Osama Bin Laden Dead, Obama Calls Late-Night Press Conference [UPDATED]
Osama Bin Laden, considered the mastermind of Al Qaeda and the 9/11 attacks on the United States, is reportedly dead. Major news outlets have made the declaration, and President Barack Obama is expected to address the press, the nation, and the world shortly to confirm the reports. UPDATE 8:49PM: Obama confirmed that Osama Bin Laden was killed by a U.S. attack, and that the body was taken into possession by U.S. forces. Bin Laden was killed today on a compound in Pakistan, and no Americans were harmed in the attack.
11 Bombings in Los Angeles During Fidel Castro Days
In the wake of the big Fidel Castro seemingly-non-news of him stepping down as president (meanwhile the US recently bombed Pakistan without notice or permission), it's interesting to look back at the impact of the man on Los Angeles. The divide between those who wanted to work with Castro's Cuban government and those who vehemently opposed it led to violence -- eleven such terrorism incidents occurred in the Los Angeles area alone according to Cuban Information Archives, a site dedicated to "source materials pertaining to Cuban Exile activities as they pertain to their struggle to wrestle Cuba from Fidel Castro."
Bhutto's Assassination Shocks LA Pakistani Community
Yesterday's tragic assassination of Pakistan's opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has shocked and angered the world and the tide of emotion is strong in LA's community of Pakistani-Americans.
TV Junkie: Thursday + DVDs [UPDATE: BBC to Exclusively Cover Benazir Bhutto's Assassination]
Post Xmas doldrums have hit the tube big time, here's what's worth watching tonight:
Get Your Lit On: The Spooky Week in Bookish LA
Jason Goodwin discusses and signs The Snake Stone 7pm @ Vroman's
Joe Wilson, Comedian
For Joe Wilson, joking is a part of everyday life. After all, he is a comedian. But, one day, some casual joshing lead to an experiment: would people pay money for celebrity air? Joe put his plan into action, started an eBay auction, and found himself swamped by media attention, enemies with Jay Leno, and with enough material for a one man show that he called A Jar of Celebrity Air, which he'll be performing on November 3rd at the LA Comedy Fest . If that's not enough, you can also catch some of Joe's award winning solo comedy on October 27th and 30th.
Extra, Extra: Democracy, Dump Trucks and Downtown
Two explosions ripped through a convoy carrying former Pakistani premier and maybe the country's best hope for Democracy, Benazir Bhutto, following her triumphant return after an eight-year exile. She was not hurt, but hundreds were killed and injured. How did the White House respond? By tying it back to the war on terrah, of course, saying, "Those responsible seek only to foster fear and limit freedom." A dump truck is in a "precarious spot"...
CD Review: Gaudi + Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan "Dub Qawwali"
Artist: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan + Gaudi Album: Dub Qawwali Label: Six Degrees Records Release Date: August 7th, 2007 I count myself incredibly fortunate to have seen Qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan perform while he was still alive, this was back in 1990, at a little hamlet called Santa Barbara, a year or so after Martin Scorsese's Last Temptation of Christ came out, which featured Khan on the soundtrack. The essence of one...
Fake Osama Hassled in Downtown LA, Real Osama Fine
A comedian dressed as Osama Bin Ladin was spotted downtown trying to do a lame bit, but it made us realize something: fake Osamas are funny. We don't know why fake Osamas are funny. The real one is an evildoer and all. And he probably had something to do with 9/11, but given the lack of attention that our government is paying to him, we're starting to doubt it. Seriously, if bro really orchestrated...
Tommy Trojan vs. Joe Bruin? Boring.
India and Pakistan. Ohio State and Michigan. Leno and Letterman. These rivalries pale in comparison to mascot battles royales. Plus, we know how this one started. For more classic mascot moments, Sports Illustrated has a great blog entry going.

