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TIL the 9th circuit court of appeals ruled that requiring a parolee to attend Alcoholics Anonymous is unconstitutional, citing precedence in the 2nd and 7th circuit courts. The decision was unanimous. The case was taken up by the parolee's son, as the parolee died after being sent back to prison.

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nDZW TIL that Vicki Lawrence in high school wrote a fan letter to Carol Burnett noting their close resemblance. Burnett—who was looking for an actress to play her younger sister for a new show—hired Lawrence, beginning her long television career.
69R0X TIL Stephen Hawking enjoyed reading Leonard Mlodinow 's book "Euclid’s Window" so much that he invited him to coauthor, resulting in "A Briefer History of Time" and "The Grand Design". When waiting for Hawking's response, Mlodinow learned to slow down his thought processes and assess his own ideas
70QM TIL that for 15 years, Wilson Sporting Goods has sold a volleyball that is identical to Wilson from the movie Cast Away.
mxyrY TIL Soviet gymnast Elena Mukhina, widely touted as the next great gymnastics star until 1979. Her coach rushed her recovery from an injury and pressured her to perform a dangerous move (the Thomas salto), which caused her to break her neck, leaving her a lifelong quadriplegic. She died at 46 in 2006
l9OG TIL that in 1889 a dam owned by an exclusive hunting and fishing club gave way, causing a flood that killed 2,209 people in southern Pennsylvania. The club’s members included many of the richest men in America and efforts to hold it legally responsible went nowhere