Arkansas Bans Abortions at 12 Weeks. Yesterday, Arkansas lawmakers adopted the country’s most restrictive abortion ban (and the biggest challenge to Roe v. Wade) to date by outlawing abortions past the 12th week of pregnancy. This follows a failed veto attempt by Gov. Mike Beebe.

And now for something totally different…

Something For the Ladies, And Then Some. Later today, President Obama is expected to sign the expanded Violence Against Women Act. Among other things, the expanded act provides protections for gay, lesbian, and transgender victims of domestic violence.

Budget Talks. Obama also plans on meeting with top Republicans and Democrats about this whole budget debacle.

Sanction This! The UN has just approved sanctions against North Korea following the country’s third nuclear test. The always cool-headed North Koreans say they plan on retaliating with—what else?—a nuclear strike against the US.

Berlusconi Gets Jail Time. Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s former prime minister and one-man media empire, has received one year of jail time for using a wiretap to beef up a story in his newspaper.

Gore Getting Sued. And in other politics-and-media-don’t-mix-well news, former VP Al Gore is being sued over details surrounding the sale of his Current TV to Al Jazeera.

BP Strikes Back! Following a ruling that could make BP pay out more then it wants in compensations to those affected by its 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, BP says it will appeal the decision.

Closer to home…

Portland Terror Suspect. Here’s more on the Portland city employee arrested on suspected terrorism charges.

Suicide by Cop? And it looks more certain that Santiago A. Cisneros III, the 32-year-old vet shot and killed by Portland police after he pulled a gun on two officers on Monday night, was probably hoping the officers would kill him. If you haven’t yet, check out Denis’ story in this week’s paper.

And speaking of firearms…

More Gun Laws Mean Less Death, or so says a new study.

I guess there could be a connection between having a gun and shooting someone with it and not having a gun and not shooting some one with it.