QUATARI DIPLOMAT SCRAMBLES F-16s BY SMOKIN’ IN THE BOYS ROOM
Two F-16s scrambled to escort a United Airlines jet into Denver International Airport on Wednesday night after a Qatari diplomat apparently tried to sneak a cigarette, then joked that he had wanted to set his shoe afire, federal law enforcement officials said. Initially, the incident raised fears of another terrorism strike similar to a passenger’s Christmas Day attempt to ignite explosives in his underwear as a Northwest jet approached Detroit, and to the 2001 shoe bomber, Richard Reid, who tried to set fire to his shoes on a transatlantic flight from Paris. But as the circumstances began to emerge, the incident appeared far less sinister. The incident was exacerbated by the man’s sarcastic comment after leaving the lavatory, when flight attendants and passengers smelled smoke. Asked what he had been doing, he allegedly remarked, “Lighting my shoes on fire,” according to one law enforcement source in Washington. Several passengers concurred with that description of events early Thursday. But a knowledgeable source in Denver, who spoke with federal law enforcement officials there, said it appears that no explosives were found and that the incident may have been a misunderstanding. [via LOS ANGELES TIMES]
FEDS SAY NO TO PAYWALLS ON I-80, TOTALLY FUCKING UP RENDELL’S SHIT
The loss of hundreds of millions in transportation funding from the failed plan to place tolls on I-80 appears poised to blast a big pothole in the road to a swift budget resolution this year. Many in Harrisburg, Democrats at least, thought they were on track for smooth and – for the first time during Gov. Rendell’s administration – timely budget approval. But now the state has to find another way to replace the $472 million in toll revenue targeted for road and bridge repair and aid to public transit. “It presents an additional challenge between now and the enactment of a new budget,” Rendell spokesman Gary Tuma said Wednesday. The House approved a $29 billion state budget with no new taxes last month and sent the legislation to the Senate with a gap of between $750 million and $1 billion. That budget did not contain funding for transportation improvements that were to be underwritten by I-80 tolls. Now lawmakers have a new hurdle, which Republicans and Democrats agree needs to be solved quickly because of the pressing demands of deteriorating roads and struggling mass-transit systems. The federal government’s rejection Tuesday of the I-80 tolls has resurrected the one word no one wanted to hear in an election year: taxes. [via INQUIRER]
‘JIHAD JAMIE’ PLEADS SILENTLY, TO DENY FEDS A VOICE SAMPLE
A Colorado woman charged with conspiracy to support terrorists in connection with the “Jihad Jane” case pleaded not guilty in federal magistrate court yesterday and agreed to pretrial detention. Jamie Paulin-Ramirez, 31, did not utter the words “not guilty” as most defendants do, but only nodded her head when read the charges. Defense attorney Jeremy H. G. Ibrahim explained that he wanted his client to remain silent because federal agents have seized hard drives and other evidence that may contain Ramirez’ voice mails and he didn’t want them to have a voice sample before he has looked at the evidence. [via DAILY NEWS]