Free Republic

A judge in Texas was forced to hit the panic button in her court and call in security after the brother of a murdered teenager attacked the 17-year-old accused of killing her. Judge Hazel Jones had to call for security at her courtroom in Houston after Abel Alvarez flew at Frank DeLeon, 17, over the January 11 murder of Alvarez's sister Diamond Alvarez, 16. Diamond was shot 22 times as she walked the family dog, Peanut, near her home. Her on-off boyfriend DeLeon, 17, was arrested on January 17 and charged with her murder. DeLeon was freed on a $250,000...

Opposite charges attract. Like charges repel. It's the first lesson of electromagnetism and, someday, it could save the lives of astronauts. NASA's Vision for Space Exploration calls for a return to the Moon as preparation for even longer journeys to Mars and beyond. But there's a potential showstopper: radiation. Space beyond low-Earth orbit is awash with intense radiation from the Sun and from deep galactic sources such as supernovas. Astronauts en route to the Moon and Mars are going to be exposed to this radiation, increasing their risk of getting cancer and other maladies. Finding a good shield is important.