It’s sizzling hot in San Diego but the ocean’s largest predator is keeping people away from the city’s most popular beach. A 2-mile stretch of Mission Beach was closed after a lifeguard on a rescue board spotted a great white shark a few dozen yards away, the Los Angeles Times…
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More than 370 cars set alight so far this year with police saying some crimes are ‘politically motivated’ against gentrification When the owner of the Mercedes locked their car on Wormser Strasse, Berlin on Thursday night, they probably knew it was risky. More than 370 cars have been set alight in the city this year, with the flashiest models being the chief victims. But with police in Berlin promising to put 500 officersand a helicopter in pursuit of the arsonists, the Mercedes’ owner may have thought they could sleep easy. Especially since this was the chi-chi district of Schöneberg, just a few minutes walk from the KaDeWe department store, Berlin’s answer to Harrods. But no. In the early hours of Friday morning the elusive firebugs struck again and the Mercedes became the 371st car to be torched in Berlin this year. A few minutes later an Audi in nearby Keithstrasse became the 372nd. A spokeswoman for the police said that of the 372 cars torched in 2011, 155 were being treated as “politically motivated” crimes. “That can be for a number of reasons,” she said. “Sometimes it’s because the cars are particularly valuable, sometimes it’s the area they were parked in, for example districts where we know there are leftwing groups who are against gentrification.” She specified the borough of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, which is historically a stronghold of the city’s angry left . So far only 13 suspects have been identified. Burning cars has long been a popular nocturnal pastime in Berlin, but the number of attacks this year has become a headache for the city’s administration. Until now the record year for car burnings was 2009, when 401 were set alight. Unless police quickly get a grip on the problem that record is likely to be smashed by the autumn. In a two-week period earlier this month 90 cars were targeted. It has become the hot campaigning topic for the city and state elections taking place in September. Even the chancellor has become involved, saying she is watching developments “with great concern”. One politician from Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union party has even floated the idea of Berliners forming a Bürgerwehr, a sort of unarmed citizens’ militia. Burkard Dregger told voters that if the party triumphs in September he will kit out 1,000 volunteers with truncheons and handcuffs. The idea was immediately rubbished by Germany’s police union. “Bounty hunters belong in westerns,” representative Klaus Eisenreich told the newspaper Die Welt. “Vigilante justice is a real risk. Solving the crime of car burning is a job for the police.” Berlin is not the only city in Germany facing the problem. On Wednesday morning four cars were set alight in the usually more obedient city of Düsseldorf, and Hamburg has also seen a number of attacks. Germany Europe Helen Pidd guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …More than 370 cars set alight so far this year with police saying some crimes are ‘politically motivated’ against gentrification When the owner of the Mercedes locked their car on Wormser Strasse, Berlin on Thursday night, they probably knew it was risky. More than 370 cars have been set alight in the city this year, with the flashiest models being the chief victims. But with police in Berlin promising to put 500 officersand a helicopter in pursuit of the arsonists, the Mercedes’ owner may have thought they could sleep easy. Especially since this was the chi-chi district of Schöneberg, just a few minutes walk from the KaDeWe department store, Berlin’s answer to Harrods. But no. In the early hours of Friday morning the elusive firebugs struck again and the Mercedes became the 371st car to be torched in Berlin this year. A few minutes later an Audi in nearby Keithstrasse became the 372nd. A spokeswoman for the police said that of the 372 cars torched in 2011, 155 were being treated as “politically motivated” crimes. “That can be for a number of reasons,” she said. “Sometimes it’s because the cars are particularly valuable, sometimes it’s the area they were parked in, for example districts where we know there are leftwing groups who are against gentrification.” She specified the borough of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, which is historically a stronghold of the city’s angry left . So far only 13 suspects have been identified. Burning cars has long been a popular nocturnal pastime in Berlin, but the number of attacks this year has become a headache for the city’s administration. Until now the record year for car burnings was 2009, when 401 were set alight. Unless police quickly get a grip on the problem that record is likely to be smashed by the autumn. In a two-week period earlier this month 90 cars were targeted. It has become the hot campaigning topic for the city and state elections taking place in September. Even the chancellor has become involved, saying she is watching developments “with great concern”. One politician from Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union party has even floated the idea of Berliners forming a Bürgerwehr, a sort of unarmed citizens’ militia. Burkard Dregger told voters that if the party triumphs in September he will kit out 1,000 volunteers with truncheons and handcuffs. The idea was immediately rubbished by Germany’s police union. “Bounty hunters belong in westerns,” representative Klaus Eisenreich told the newspaper Die Welt. “Vigilante justice is a real risk. Solving the crime of car burning is a job for the police.” Berlin is not the only city in Germany facing the problem. On Wednesday morning four cars were set alight in the usually more obedient city of Düsseldorf, and Hamburg has also seen a number of attacks. Germany Europe Helen Pidd guardian.co.uk
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Theresa May consents to request from Met to ban all marches in Tower Hamlets and four neighbouring boroughs for 30 days The English Defence League’s plan to march through the capital next month has been blocked by the home secretary. Theresa May banned all marches in Tower Hamlets, east London, and four neighbouring boroughs in the capital for a 30-day period, following a request from Scotland Yard’s acting commissioner, Tim Godwin. The move comes amid fears of violence and disorder if the march was allowed to go ahead. May said: “Having carefully considered the legal tests in the Public Order Act and balanced rights to protest against the need to ensure local communities and property are protected, I have given my consent to a ban on all marches in Tower Hamlets and four neighbouring boroughs for a 30-day period. “I know that the Metropolitan police are committed to using their powers to ensure communities and properties are protected. “We encourage all local people and community leaders to work with the police to ensure community relations are not undermined by public disorder.” Nick Lowles, director of the anti-extremist campaign group Searchlight, said: “This decision is a victory for common sense. “The EDL clearly intended to use the proposed march to bring violence and disorder to the streets of Tower Hamlets. Their plan has been foiled.” He added: “We congratulate Theresa May and the Metropolitan police on their decision, as well as those ordinary Londoners who have joined with Searchlight and local community groups in opposing this divisive demonstration. “Legitimate protest is healthy. Violence and intimidation are not.” English Defence League London Theresa May The far right Metropolitan police Protest Police guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Theresa May consents to request from Met to ban all marches in Tower Hamlets and four neighbouring boroughs for 30 days The English Defence League’s plan to march through the capital next month has been blocked by the home secretary. Theresa May banned all marches in Tower Hamlets, east London, and four neighbouring boroughs in the capital for a 30-day period, following a request from Scotland Yard’s acting commissioner, Tim Godwin. The move comes amid fears of violence and disorder if the march was allowed to go ahead. May said: “Having carefully considered the legal tests in the Public Order Act and balanced rights to protest against the need to ensure local communities and property are protected, I have given my consent to a ban on all marches in Tower Hamlets and four neighbouring boroughs for a 30-day period. “I know that the Metropolitan police are committed to using their powers to ensure communities and properties are protected. “We encourage all local people and community leaders to work with the police to ensure community relations are not undermined by public disorder.” Nick Lowles, director of the anti-extremist campaign group Searchlight, said: “This decision is a victory for common sense. “The EDL clearly intended to use the proposed march to bring violence and disorder to the streets of Tower Hamlets. Their plan has been foiled.” He added: “We congratulate Theresa May and the Metropolitan police on their decision, as well as those ordinary Londoners who have joined with Searchlight and local community groups in opposing this divisive demonstration. “Legitimate protest is healthy. Violence and intimidation are not.” English Defence League London Theresa May The far right Metropolitan police Protest Police guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Financial analysts, economists and writers have been filing their instant reactions to Ben Bernanke’s big speech, in which the Federal Reserve chairman announced no new measures to jolt the flagging economy. There’s a split decision: Some observers focus on the Fed’s decision to take no immediate action. But others see suggestions from Bernanke that the
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Hurricane Irene has weakened slightly to a Category 2 storm as it approaches the East Coast, where a hurricane warning has been extended to New Jersey. (Aug. 26)
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As the AP’s Robert Ray explains, rain carried by Hurricane Irene’s outer bands was already reaching the southeastern part of North Carolina. But the main thrust of the hurricane wasn’t expected in North Carolina until sometime Saturday. (Aug. 26)
Continue reading …Gawker had a piece last night about the labor movement and the extent to which Labor is leaving the Democratic Party. “Probably the most stinging backstab national Democrats gave labor was when they had 60 votes in the Senate a couple of years ago but still couldn’t manage to pass card-check, a piece of legislation that would have made it easier for workforces to organize and which big unions considered their last big opportunity on the federal level to save private sector unionization from its rapid slide into extinction. The problem was that one Democratic senator, Blanche Lincoln — who technically represented the entire state of Arkansas but was essentially a voting lobbyist for the company Walmart — didn’t want it, and it died.. . Then this year, when teachers’ unions became public enemy #1 and the source of all deficit problems and earthly evil according to new Republican (and even some Democratic) state legislatures across the country, national Democrats barely opened their mouths. . .” What we’ve seen in many states is a witch hunt on the pensions and power of those who aim to collectively bargain. Whether it was the public employees in Wisconsin or the pension fight that is about to happen to public safety workers in Oklahoma, unions are in trouble. Maybe that’s why earlier this year the International Association of Firefighters decided that they’re not giving any money to federal elections anymore and instead are sending it down to the state level to help protect pension programs. Or why some unions plan to sit out the National Democratic Convention in North Carolina in 2012. Gawker quotes a Politico piece saying that the AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka plans to scale back their involvement with democratic candidates in the 2012 election. What’s discouraging in the Gawker piece are the comments that followed the “unions are getting screwed” theme: “Dear Unions, We feel ya. Love, The Gays. Dear Unions & Gays, Right there with you. Love, The Ladies Dear Unions, Gays, & Ladies, We share the same pain. Love, The Blacks Dear Unions, Gays, Ladies, & Blacks, It’s certainly been a couple of rough years, hasn’t it? Love, The Latinos Dear Unions, Gays, Ladies, Blacks & Latinos, Yeah. Love, The Poors It has been a rough year – a rough couple of years. The War on Women rages with cuts to federal family planning program for low-income women that provides birth control, anything Planned Parenthood related, breast and cervical cancer screenings, and testing for H.I.V. and other sexually transmitted diseases. While there have been large steps forward for LGBT rights they have little to do with Congressional legislation and everything to do with funding for the Justice Department. The worst is the war on the poor. Ours use to be the party that launched the War on Poverty but today we’ve stood by and watched as Republicans work tirelessly for the corporations that line their campaign war chests. And sadly many Democrats want to be just like them. That’s right… I’m talking to you Dan Boren . But he’s not the only one. Republicans don’t win by taking over power and pushing us to the right – because eventually the pendulum swings back to the left (see 2006 and 2008). Republicans win by forcing our own party to move further to the right. I’m a big believer in winning in Red States, being competitive in Red States, and I fully support moderate Democrats. But “moderate” doesn’t have to mean you’re a racist, anti-women, homophobic, poor-hating corporate whore. It just means you frame things differently so your district can understand it. It means you you have to stand up to enraged tea party family farmers and explain to them that their subsidies come from the government that they hate. And be inspired by this. Because I agree… I’m tired of working for candidates who make me feel like I should be embarrassed for believing what I believe. I’m tired of getting them elected. And instead of saying excuse me you Leave it to Beaver trip back to the ’50s we’ve cowered in the corner and said .. “Please don’t hurt me!”
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You would think that wearing Victoria’s Secret’s jewel-covered fantasy bra and panties would be the most glamorous moment of a model’s life. However, for Selita Ebanks, who slipped into underwear covered with $4.5 million worth of diamonds, rubies, emeralds and yellow sapphires, nothing could be further from the truth. “I wasn’t scared [about the value], it hurt. Yeah, diamonds hurt,” Ebanks tells me. “I don’t know about wearing diamonds on your crotch. It’s like you’re walking and scraping. This is not cohesive to get a man. No man wants a scratchy vagina.” Victoria’s Secret has become the largest American lingerie retailer, topping one billion dollars and mailing more than 400 million catalogs full of images of half-naked young ladies per year. And although most people look at the stunning images and think about how sexy and beautiful the Victoria’s Secret ladies look, Ebanks does have a point. “That’s not sexy. Nobody wants bruises on their vagina,” Ebanks tells me and I have to agree! FOLLOW NAUGHTY NICE ROB ON TWITTER
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