Muhammad Cartoon Event Marred By Violence

The idea was to hold a gathering of like-minded folks to celebrate cartoon images of the Prophet Muhammad. And despite a very heavy SWAT team presence and lots of security, two unnamed men in Garland, Texas, were able to open fire at the provocative Jihad Watch Muhammad Art Exhibit and Cartoon Contest as it was wrapping up on Sunday, killing one unarmed security guard before dying in a hail of bullets. Many followers of Islam consider it to be insulting to depict the prophet Muhammad and such images have led to violence before, including the Charlie Hebdo massacre in France in January. Organizers of the event in Texas said they were trying to make a stand for free speech, while reports have emerged that an ISIS-linked Twitter account appeared to predict the “texasattack” shortly before it happened and that the keynote speaker was on an Al Queda hit list. Just days before, the French cartoonist who drew a controversial Hebdo cover after January’s deadly attack said he will no longer draw the figure, but only because he’s gotten “tired” of doing so.

So Many Republicans Are Running For President

While former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton has just one competitor so far, the field of Republican presidential candidates is expanding every day. The latest entries include retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, 63, who announced on Sunday that he’s getting in the game. Carson, popular with the Tea Party movement thanks to his advocacy for a flat tax and the privatizing of medical saving accounts, drew fire earlier this year when he suggested that being gay was a choice. Carson has some company, as former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is set to announce another run for president and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina is also expected to announce. With reports that spending in this year’s White House run could top $10 billion, the leader of the Federal Election Commission basically threw up her hands this week and said “the likelihood of the laws being enforced is slim,” admitting that the six members of her group are so hopelessly deadlocked that it will be nearly impossible to make sure candidates and their fundraisers are following the rules.

Smith College Opens Its Doors

What does “all-women’s college” mean in 2016? In the case of Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts -- the largest of the all-female Seven Sisters schools -- it means adjusting your admission policy to allow transgender women to be admitted. After protests earlier this year aimed at admitting trans women, the school changed its policy following a year-long study, joining Mount Holyoke and Wellesley in changing their admission policies for trans women. Smith will not, however, admit students who were born female but identify as male. Last week, Iowa Western Community College announced that it would offer LGBT students new housing options this fall, including about 40-suite style apartments that could make up a community-living environment.