In Brief: Fielder wins HR derby, “Jane Roe” arrested

Just a few random notes that caught my eye this evening:

• Congratulations to Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder, the 2009 Major League Baseball All Star game Home Run Derby champion. Fielder hit a total of 23 home runs during the three rounds, and his home runs traveled an average of 439 feet, including on shot that went 503 feet. Fielder is the first Brewer to win the Home Run Derby, with former Brewers outfielder Jeromy Burnitz coming the closest as the runner-up to Ken Griffey Jr. in 1999.
• Norma McCorvey, the Dallas woman known as Jane Roe in the landmark abortion rights case Roe v. Wade, was among the protesters arrested yesterday for disrupting the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. McCorvey and another protester were arrested after they made their way into the hearing room and began screaming during the opening statement of Minnesota senator Al Franken.
• Authorities in Florida have arrested 7 suspects in connection with the shooting deaths of a Gulf Coast couple known for adopting special-needs children. Byrd and Melanie Billings, who over the years have adopted a total of 16 children with special needs, were shot and killed during a home invasion/robbery. Nine of their children were home when the home invasion/robbery/murders took place. What a tragic story…
• Les Leopold, author of The Looting of America, has an interesting idea
  on how to create a million new jobs in a month. Leopold’s plan would offer every one of the rougly 534,000 501(c)3f non-profit public charities $100,000 (pro-rated in monthy payments), if they hired two new employees at $40,000 a year each, plus benefits including health care. The catch is that they would have to hire these two new employees within one month of signing up for the funds. Go read more on Leopold’s plan.

• I’m reading Bloggers on the Bus by Eric Boehlert right now. If you have a chance, pick it up; it’s fascinating.