Scare tactics keep Angelenos away and pollution at bay for LA’s biggest ever roadworks It was supposed to be the world’s biggest traffic jam, the weekend that bumper-to-bumper gridlock would finally eat up Los Angeles. In the end, though, what was called Carmageddon looked less like a Hollywood disaster movie and more like the Rapture, the moment of resurrection when Christian believers are “caught up” to heaven, leaving empty space and eerie silence for sinners left behind. In short, the scare tactics worked. Having been told for weeks that the closure of one of America’s busiest stretch of freeway would throw the city into chaos, Angelenos stayed home, skipped town, hopped on their bikes, or took the bus. Aside from one snarl-up near the LA Coliseum, where Real Madrid were playing against David Beckham’s old team, the LA Galaxy, the city was a breeze. With traffic way down, the California summer light was delightfully smog-free. The beaches, usually packed on the weekend, were left to local joggers and children and dogs. “It’s dead as a doornail out there,” said a delighted Zev Yaroslavsky, the LA county supervisor credited with coining the term Carmageddon. Weeks ago, he and other city officials began issuing alerts about the consequences of closing a 10-mile stretch of the San Diego freeway for the weekend so road workers could demolish a bridge. A city hooked on earthquake, fire, flood and landslide disaster scenarios was duly impressed. But the warning did have the effect of promoting the attractions of public transport, neighbourhood block parties and exercise. A budget airline, JetBlue, offered a $4 flight across the city from Burbank to Long Beach, while a group of cyclists known as the Wolfpack Hustle instantly challenged the airline, saying they do the same trip faster. And did. Shopping revenue was down, but nobody seemed to mind. And Sarah McLachlan still managed to pack the outdoor Hollywood Bowl for a two-night engagement with a full symphony orchestra, even if many tickets were purchased at the last minute with a steep discount. Road transport United States Andrew Gumbel guardian.co.uk
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As deadline nears, Republican party is still blocking President Obama’s compromise package, including $1tn from higher taxes A week of high brinkmanship on Capitol Hill opened today with neither side in the impasse over the US debt ceiling prepared to budge and with the US just days away from a potentially catastrophic default. The White House called a temporary cessation of hostilities, with meetings that have been going on almost solidly for more than a week suspended over the weekend to allow tempers to cool. But despite the hiatus, there was no sign from either the Republicans or Democrats that they were preparing to compromise. In interviews on the Sunday political shows, the White House budget director, Jack Lew, made clear that tax rises for the rich would have to be on the table – a demand that the Tea party-steeled Republicans have doggedly refused to contemplate. “Can we get a balanced package together? It’s not fair to ask senior citizens to pay a price, to ask families paying for the college education of their children to pay a price, but leave the most privileged out of the equation,” he told ABC’s This Week. Lew said he was confident a deal would be done but criticised right-wing Republicans, who are taking the crisis to the brink. “The debt will be extended. Notwithstanding the voices of a few who are willing to play with Armageddon, responsible leaders in Washington are not.” Those “voices of a few” include that of the presidential candidate Michele Bachmann, who confirmed last week that she would vote against raising the debt ceiling, whatever the outcome of the talks. The US treasury has until 2 August to raise the limit on its debt from the current $14.3tn (£9tn) or risk running out of federal money immediately. Analysts say that in order to give Congress time to prepare the legislative paperwork needed to raise the ceiling, a deal would have to be close to fruition by as early as this Friday. Despite the fast-approaching deadline, Republicans are steadfastly refusing to play ball with President Obama’s compromise package, which would involve $4tn of deficit cuts including $1tn that would come from increased taxes. John Kyl, the Republican whip in the senate, said on This Week: “Unless the president gets off his absolute obsession with raising taxes, Republicans will not do anything that will harm our economy. Job-killing taxes will harm our economy.” Mitch McConnell, Republican leader in the Senate, put forward a get-out-of-jail plan last week that would allow Obama to push through an increase in the debt ceiling with only minority support from Congress – a move that would in effect postpone the big debate on the deficit until after next year’s presidential election. But the plan is only increasing dissension within the Republican party. Jim Jordan, chairman of the Republican study committee, called McConnell’s proposals a cop-out. “I’m not going to support the McConnell plan. This is just kicking the can down the road,” he told Fox News. US federal government shutdown US economy Economics US elections 2012 United States US politics US Congress US taxation Obama administration US domestic policy Global economy Financial crisis Michele Bachmann Ed Pilkington guardian.co.uk
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• Rebekah Brooks arrested • Ed Miliband: Murdoch’s empire must be dismantled • Questions select committee must ask Brooks and Murdochs • News Corp’s fight to stay afloat in the US as sharks circle 8.16pm: Speaking about his free stay worth £12,000 at Champneys health farm where Wallis was also acting as PR agent, Stephenson again denied all allegations of impropriety: “There has been no impropriety and I am extremely happy with what I did and the reasons for it – to do everything possible to return to running the Met full time, significantly ahead of medical, family and friends’ advice. The attempt to represent this in a negative way is both cynical and disappointing. I thought it necessary to provide this lengthy and detailed account of my position on aspects of the current media questions and speculation concerning my conduct. I do this to provide the backcloth to the main purpose of this statement.” 8.10pm: Stephenson also addressed the allegation that the contractual relationship with Wallis was kept secret: “The contracting of Mr Wallis only became of relevance when his name became linked with the new investigation into phone hacking. I recognise that the interests of transparency might have made earlier disclosure of this information desirable. However my priority, despite the embarrassment it might cause, has been to maintain the integrity of Operation Weeting. To make it public would have immediately tainted him and potentially compromised any future Operation Weeting action.” He said the reasons for not telling David Cameron and Theresa May about the relationship with Wallis were “two fold”: “Firstly, I repeat my earlier comments of having at the time no reason for considering the contractual relationship to be a matter of concern. Unlike Mr Coulson, Mr Wallis had not resigned from News of the World or, to the best of my knowledge been in any way associated with the original phone hacking investigation. Secondly, once Mr Wallis’s name did become associated with Operation Weeting, I did not want to compromise the prime minister in any way by revealing or discussing a potential suspect who clearly had a close relationship with Mr Coulson. I am aware of the many political exchanges in relation to Mr Coulson’s previous employment – I believe it would have been extraordinarily clumsy of me to have exposed the prime minister, or by association the home secretary, to any accusation, however unfair, as a consequence of them being in possession of operational information in this regard. Similarly, the mayor. Because of the individuals involved, their positions and relationships, these were I believe unique circumstances. Consequently, we informed the chair of the MPA, Mr Malthouse, of the Met’s contractual arrangements with Mr Wallis on the morning of the latter’s arrest. It is our practice not to release the names of suspects under arrest, making it difficult to make public details of the arrangements prior to Mr Wallis’s release the same day. The timing of the MPA committee that I appeared before at 2pm that day was most unfortunate.” 7.59pm: In his statement, Stephenson addressed his relationship with Neil Wallis. He said he met him in 2006: “The purpose of that meeting was, as with other journalists, to represent the context of policing and to better inform the public debate carried out through the media on policing issues. I had no knowledge of, or involvement in, the original investigation into phone hacking in 2006 that successfully led to the conviction and imprisonment of two men. I had no reason to believe this was anything other than a successful investigation. I was unaware that there were any other documents in our possession of the nature that have now emerged. I have acknowledged the statement by John Yates that if he had known then what he knows now he would have made different decisions. My relationship with Mr Wallis continued over the following years and the frequency of our meetings is a matter of public record. The record clearly accords with my description of the relationship as one maintained for professional purposes and an acquaintance. In 2009 the Met entered into a contractual arrangement with Neil Wallis, terminating in 2010. I played no role in the letting or management of that contract. I have heard suggestions that we must have suspected the alleged involvement of Mr Wallis in phone hacking. Let me say unequivocally that I did not and had no reason to have done so. I do not occupy a position in the world of journalism; I had no knowledge of the extent of this disgraceful practice and the repugnant nature of the selection of victims that is now emerging; nor of its apparent reach into senior levels.” 7.41pm: In his statement, Stephenson said: I have taken this decision as a consequence of the ongoing speculation and accusations relating to the Met’s links with News International at a senior level and in particular in relation to Mr Neil Wallis who as you know was arrested in connection with Operation Weeting last week. Firstly, I want to say what an enormous privilege it has been for me to lead this great organisation that is the Met. The recent example of the heroism and bravery of Met officers in chasing armed suspects, involving the shooting of one of my officers, is typical; but is in danger of being eclipsed by the ongoing debate about relationships between senior officers and the media. This can never be right. Crime levels in the Met are at a ten year low. You have seen the Met at its glorious and unobtrusive best on the occasion of the royal wedding; the professional and restrained approach to unexpected levels of violence in recent student demonstrations; the vital ongoing work to secure the safety of the capital from terrorism; the reductions in homicide; and continuing increased levels of confidence as the jewel in our crown of Safer Neighbourhoods Teams serve the needs of Londoners. 7.40pm: Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson has just announced his resignation. In a press conference he said his position was “in danger of being eclipsed by the ongoing debate by senior officers and the media. And this can never be right.” 7.33pm: Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson has just announced his resignation. In a press conference he said his position was “in danger of being eclipsed by the ongoing debate by senior officers and the media. And this can never be right.” 7.17pm: Channel 4 News has now has posted its report on the Serious Fraud Office examining News International’s books Channel 4 News has learnt that the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is making preliminary inquiries into News International. Investigators are looking at many cases involving News International to establish whether a full formal investigation is required. The former minister Tom Watson, wrote to the SFO’s Director urging him to investigate alleged breaches of Company Law at News International, relating to payments made after the phone hacking scandal. He said the payments were a “gross misuse of shareholders’ money”. 6.52pm: Sky news are reporting that the Metropolitan police will be giving a statement on Brooks’ arrest shortly. We will have the full statement here as soon as it has been delivered. 6.45pm: Here’s a link to a previously revealed freedom of information request on Met cops Andy Hayman and John Yates, who where in charge of original investigation into the hacking scandal. It discloses the dinners and lunches that they had with News International journalists from 2005-2009. 6.30pm: Channel 4 head of home news Ed Fraser has just tweeted this very interesting development: @channel4news reveals the Serious Fraud Office examining dozens of cases involving News International 6.12pm: More from the BBC’s Robert Peston who says on his blog that Brooks’ arrest “represents perhaps the greatest failure to date in the Murdoch-controlled group’s campaign for rehabilitating itself” . He goes on to say: If, as seems likely, her arrest prevents her from giving public evidence on Tuesday to MPs on the culture, media and sport Commons committee, her many friends in high places may be slightly relieved. In the current climate of criticism of News International, there will be quite a few powerful people who would be pleased if the brightest possible media light isn’t shone on their close and personal relationship with Mrs Brooks. 5.55pm: The New York Times has produced this rather good chronology of events in the Hacking scandal and previously. 5.44pm: On day 14 of the hacking scandal here’s a round-up for what has has turned out to be another remarkable day in this ongoing saga. • Rebekah Brooks, former News of the World editor was arrested at around mid-day . Officers from two investigations, Operation Weeting (hacking) and Operation Elveden (police payments) held her for questioning at a central London police station. At this moment she is still in custody. • Brook’s PR representative Dave Wallis has said that Brooks only found out on late Friday that the police would be calling her to answer questions, a number of hours after she’d already resigned as head of News International. Wallis, head of PR giant Bell Pottinger, added that Brooks did not know that she would be arrested when she arrived at the police station by appointment on Sunday . • John Whittingdale the head of the commons culture select committee is concerned about Tuesday’s hearing where Brooks is due to appear . Even if Brooks isn’t charged, it will be unclear how much, if anything she will be able to say without prejudicing herself and the ongoing investigations. Rupert and James Murdoch are still due to attend. • Pressure has also been piling on top cops and their links to News International execs. Theresa May is expected to make a statement to Parliament tomorrow about the relationship between the Metropolitan Police’s commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson and ‘Wolfman’ Neil Wallis, a former editor at News International who went on to win a contract to advise the Met on public relations. • It has also been revealed that Stephenson accepted a free stay worth £12,000 at Champneys health farm where Wallis was also acting as PR agent. Stephenson has denied all allegations of impropriety. 4.42pm: More from Chris Bryant MP who has told Sky news that he thinks that Brooks arrest might have been a “ruse” to avoid culture committee questions this Tuesday. “It is unusual to arrest by appointment on a Sunday and that just makes me wonder whether this is some ruse to avoid answering questions properly on Tuesday in the Commons committee. “I don’t want to overstress that argument but it’s unusual to be arrested on Sunday by appointment – why couldn’t that have happened tomorrow or Wednesday or whenever? 4.22pm: Rebekah Brook’s PR agent, Dave Wilson has just confirmed that she is still in custody, almost 4.5 hours after her arrest. 4.16pm: Guardian Media columnist Roy Greenslade has a piece on the winners and losers from what has been left of this week’s Sunday paper market now there is no more NoW. 3.50pm: My colleague Matt Wells, a former editor of Media Guardian, has sent this instant analysis of the arrest of Brooks: The arrest of Rebekah Brooks in relation to phone hacking and corruption drags News Corporation deeper into crisis. It must surely mean that the police investigation is edging closer to James Murdoch, who has been head of all News Corporation’s businesses in Europe and Asia since 2007. He personally approved payments to civil litigants against the News of the World in settlement of their cases – deals that involved gagging clauses that appears to have prevented them discussing potential criminal activity in public. There are two other important things to note from the arrest of Brooks. It is a personal blow for Rupert Murdoch, who had invested so much in the career of Brooks, promoting her though the Wapping ranks at lightening speed and describing her as the “daughter he never had.” (he actually has four). It must also set nerves on edge in Downing Street – only on Friday, it was revealed that David Cameron had hosted Brooks twice at Chequers, the only guest to be granted a second visit in his premiership. They also met socially over Christmas. 3.44pm: Brooks is the tenth person to be arrested so far during operation Weeting. Here’s a timeline setting out when those other arrests took place. 3.34pm: My colleague Juliette Garside has spoken to Brook’s PR representative from Bell Pottinger and managed to ascertain a few more fact about Brooks’ arrest: Rebekah Brooks did not know she was going to be arrested when she handed in her resignation to News International, her spokesman has confirmed. Brooks was taken into custody at mid-day on Sunday, after agreeing to attend a London police station for questioning. Her spokesman, Bell Pottinger chairman David Wilson, said she did not know she was to meet with police until late on Friday and that she did not know the appointment would result in her arrest. The News International chief executive announced her immediate departure from the company on Friday morning. She had agreed to give evidence this coming Tuesday to the culture, media and sport select committee’s inquiry into allegations of phone-hacking at the News of the World. Her lawyers are currently in discussion with the committee about whether she should attend. Wilson said: “It’s left Rebekah in a very difficult position and has left the committee in a very difficult position”. 2.58pm: CNN are reporting that according to Brook’s PR agent, Dave Wilson Brooks did not know that she was going to be arrested when she turned up to the police station today. We are trying to get further verification of this. 2.52pm: Journalism professor Brian Cathcart and member of the Hacked Off campaign group has told the Guardian that he isn’t too worried about what happens on Tuesday as the truth will eventually out when the judge-led inquiry kicks-off. “Whatever happens on Tuesday, I am confident that the public enquiry into this will probe all the issues and that every witness of substance will be questioned thoroughly in public so as far as possible the truth is put before the public.” 2.30pm: Sticking to the twittersphere, John Prescott always one for wit has tweeted this : This arrest ‘by appointment’ of Coulson and Brooks sounds like booking a trip to….let’s say…a health spa! 2.22pm: Again some more from Peston who has just tweeted that Brooks was told about her arrest on Friday: Rebekah Brooks is still talking to police in London, say sources. Arrest was notified to her on Friday, after her resignation was agreed 2.11pm: A PR spokesperson for Brooks has given out a statement about her arrest : “Rebekah is assisting the police with their enquiries. She attended a London police station voluntarily. “It was a pre-arranged appointment. We are unable to comment further as it is an ongoing police investigation.” 2.03pm: The BBC’s business correspondent Robert Peston has just tweeted this : News Int sources say they had no inkling Rebekah Brooks would be arrested when discussing her resignation last week 1.57pm: Sky news is reporting that Commons culture select committee chair John Whittingdale is now concerned about whether Brooks will be able to attend Tuesday’s hearing. 1.37pm: My colleague and crime correspondent Vikram Dodd has confirmed that Rebekah Brooks has been arrested by police in connection with their investigation into phone hacking at News of the World. They corrected an earlier statement that the woman arrested was 42. She is 43. The Metropolitan police said a 43-year-old woman was arrested at noon Sunday, by appointment at a London police station. Brooks, 43, resigned on Friday as News International’s chief executive. She is a former News of the World editor. Brooks is due to give evidence before MPs on the culture select committee on Tuesday. An arrest by appointment on a Sunday by police is unusual. In a statement the Met said: “The MPS has this afternoon, Sunday 17 July, arrested a female in connection with allegations of corruption and phone hacking.” “At approximately 12.00 hrs a 43-year-old woman was arrested by appointment at a London police station by officers from Operation Weeting [phone hacking investigation] together with officers from Operation Elveden [bribing of police officers investigation]. She is currently in custody.” “She was arrested on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications, contrary to Section1(1) Criminal Law Act 1977 and on suspicion of corruption allegations contrary to Section 1 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906.” “The Operation Weeting team is conducting the new investigation into phone hacking. Operation Elveden is the investigation into allegations of inappropriate payments to police. This investigation is being supervised by the IPCC. It would be inappropriate to discuss any further details regarding these cases at this time.” 1.30pm: Correction: Police now say that it is a 43-year-old woman they have arrested. 1.11pm: Breaking: Police have arrested a 42-year-old woman in connection with the hacking investigation. 1.06pm: It had to happen eventually. With all the back-and-forth on twitter about who would play whom in “Hackgate: The Movie” someone has posted the ‘trailer’ on YouTube. . 12.34pm: Pressure continues to pile up on the police. Home Office minister James Brokenshire has told Sky News that his boss Theresa May is planning to make a statement to parliament tomorrow about the relationship between the Metropolitan Police and Chamy Media, the firm run by “wolfman” Neil Wallis , the former News of the World executive. The Home Secretary does have some concerns still in relation to the Metropolitan Police’s relationship with Chamy Media and will be making a statement to Parliament tomorrow around that to set out the issues. 12.23pm: My colleague Juliette Garside has a very handy round-up of this morning’s press coverage. • The Sunday Times has splashed on revelations that Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson and his wife accepted 20 nights on full board at luxury health spa Champneys as he was recuperating from hospital treatment earlier this year. Stephenson says he was unaware that the Champneys publicist was Neil Wallis, a former News of the World executive arrested last Thursday as a key suspect in the Met’s phone-hacking inquiry. Their business section reports that BSkyB is considering plans to return £2bn in cash to shareholders, through a share buyback or special dividend. The satellite broadcaster’s directors will take soundings from investors about whether James Murdoch should stay on as chairman in advance of a board meeting on 28 July. • The MP who will hold Rebekah Brooks and James Murdoch to account this week when they appear before the Culture, Media and Sport committee has close links with News Corporation, according to the Independent on Sunday . John Whittingdale, the committee’s Conservative chairman, is an old friend of Les Hinton, who resigned from News Corp on Friday night, and has dined with Brooks. • Just 24 hours before news broke that Milly Dowler’s mobile had been hacked, Elisabeth Murdoch and her husband Matthew Freud hosted a gathering of the UK’s political and media elite at their Costwolds mansion . According to The Mail on Sunday, Guests included Peter Mandelson, the BBC’s Mark Thompson and Robert Peston, Labour MP David Miliband, Conservative education secretary Michael Gove, Tory policy guru Steve Hilton, his wife, Google communications chief Rachel Whetstone, Rebekah Brooks and James Murdoch. • The Mail on Sunday also questions why law firm Harbottle & Lewis was hired by News International to defend it against hacking claims when the firm had previously advised the Royal family on a Scotland Yard’s investigation which led to the jailing of News of the World royal editor Clive Goodman. • The Sunday Telegraph says a Scotland Yard source confirmed News International executives, including James Murdoch, are being investigated to determine whether they had a role in covering up the extent of phone-hacking at the News of the World. The • The Sunday Mirror says a Press Association royal reporter arrested as part of the hacking investigation is set to be cleared of any wrongdoing . Laura Elston is the only journalist with no links to the News of the World to be arrested. Prince Charles’ spokesman Paddy Harverson borrowed her phone to check his own voicemails while on a press trip to Africa in 2006. 11.59am: A Comres poll for the Independent on Sunday finds that seven out of 10 people think that Murdoch is no longer “fit and proper” to own a media company. The question has extra relevancy because broadcast media regulator Ofcom are still judging whether Murdoch is a “fit and proper” person to hold on to his minority stake in BSkyB. The poll also reveals that the police’s reputation have also taken a bashing, with 63% of the public saying they trusted the police less because of the affair. 11.35am: Unlike Clegg, Labour MP Chris Bryant who along with Tom Watson has been leading the parliamentary charge against News International tweeted this last night: I am firmly convinced now that the metropolitan police was corrupted to its core by NI. Stephenson and Yates have to go. 11.27am: Nick Clegg has been telling viewers of the Andrew Marr show that he is “incredibly worried” about the impact phone-hacking has been having on the reputation of the Metropolitan police. He’s refrained from calling for anyone’s head but pointedly Clegg said that he was withholding judgement until after the Commons’ hearing on Tuesday when commissioner Paul Stephenson will also be appearing in front of MP’s. “When the public starts losing faith in the police it’s altogether much more serious and we really are in some trouble. That’s why I think it’s very important the Commissioner should answer the questions which are being put to him by the Home Secretary and answer them very fully…. I’m not going to judge them [Paul Stephenson and John Yates] until they have answered the questions which are being put to them.” 11.04am: Good morning, this is Shiv Malik blogging on today’s updates in the phone-hacking scandal. A very quick run down of the latest developments: • In an interview with the Observer, Ed Miliband has called for the breakup of the Murdoch empire. Miliband says that the closure of the News of the World and the sacking of News International’s chief executive, Rebekah Brooks are not enough to restore trust saying, “that amount of power in one person’s hands has clearly led to abuses of power.” • The Murdoch clan has been engulfed by infighting . Amid all the descriptions of Rebekah Brooks as Rupert’s ” fifth daughter ” Murdoch biographer, Michael Wolff says that Rupert’s actual daughter Elizabeth, has hit back with some very strong and direct words. • The Observer has dedicated its entire editorial page to detailing 49 essential questions for Brooks, James and Rupert, who will all appear at a hearing of the Commons’ culture select committee this Tuesday. The questions include one to James: Why did you pay £1m in damages and costs to Gordon Taylor and others in 2009 and seal the evidence? Would you agree that this could be described as “hush money”? And one for his father Rupert: Do you agree that the actions of your company between the beginning of 2009 and the end of 2010 could be termed a cover-up? 11.27am: Nick Clegg has been telling viewers of the Andrew Marr show that he is “incredibly worried” about the impact phone-hacking has been having on the reputation of the Metropolitan police. He’s refrained from calling for anyone’s head but pointedly Clegg said that he was withholding judgement until after the Commons’ hearing on Tuesday when commissioner Paul Stephenson will also be appearing in front of MP’s. “When the public starts losing faith in the police it’s altogether much more serious and we really are in some trouble. That’s why I think it’s very important the Commissioner should answer the questions which are being put to him by the Home Secretary and answer them very fully…. I’m not going to judge them [Paul Stephenson and John Yates] until they have answered the questions which are being put to them.” 11.04am: Good morning, this is Shiv Malik blogging on today’s updates in the phone-hacking scandal. A very quick run down of the latest developments: • In an interview with the Observer, Ed Miliband has called for the breakup of the Murdoch empire. Miliband says that the closure of the News of the World and the sacking of News International’s chief executive, Rebekah Brooks are not enough to restore trust saying, “that amount of power in one person’s hands has clearly led to abuses of power.” • The Murdoch clan has been engulfed by infighting . Amid all the descriptions of Rebekah Brooks as Rupert’s ” fifth daughter ” Murdoch biographer, Michael Wolff says that Rupert’s actual daughter Elizabeth, has hit back with some very strong and direct words. • The Observer has dedicated its entire editorial page to detailing 49 essential questions for Brooks, James and Rupert, who will all appear at a hearing of the Commons’ culture select committee this Tuesday. The questions include one to James: Why did you pay £1m in damages and costs to Gordon Taylor and others in 2009 and seal the evidence? Would you agree that this could be described as “hush money”? And one for his father Rupert: Do you agree that the actions of your company between the beginning of 2009 and the end of 2010 could be termed a cover-up? Phone hacking Rupert Murdoch News Corporation News International News of the World BSkyB Rebekah Brooks Shiv Malik guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Chris Matthews Asks Panel Which GOP Presidential Candidate Might be a Great One and is Met With Crickets
July 17, 2011 No Comment
Click here to view this media On this weekend’s Chris Matthews Show, Matthews’ “Big Question” for the week was this: Of the Republicans running for president, which one offers the best chance of becoming, a great president? The response, mainly crickets by his panelists John Heilemann, Kelly O’Donnell, Gloria Borger. The only one willing to give him an answer was Joe Klein. His response of what Republican president might end up on Mount Rushmore — Barack Obama. That’s a pretty sad state of affairs with our current field of Republican candidates when all of them were not willing to say anything good about any of them. And someone should remind Joe Klein that to be an actual Republican these days and not the Villagers imaginary idea of what remains of the Republican Party, you have to be a bat shit crazy ideologue who’s not willing to negotiate with anyone on anything if you think there’s political gain in it and the public will fall for it. I’m not any happier than a lot of us with how far both parties have moved to the right and how money is corrupting our political process, but sorry Joe, the party that has run off the cliff with being insane should not have their label attached to our current president. I’d like for him to be further to the left like the rest of us, and as aggravated as I have gotten with what’s he’s been willing to concede to the other side and with validating a lot of their talking points, I would not wish having to navigate this current political climate he walked into and the Congress he’s been forced to deal with on my worst enemy. And today’s current Republican Party does not deserve to have anyone who is even half-way sane tagged with their label. They deserve to be called out for the zealots and TeaBirchers they are that have taken over their party.
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French city introduces night time ban on alcohol sales to tackle public drunkenness and antisocial behaviour among the young The French call it le binge drinking and consider it one of the more obnoxious imports from across the Channel. Now officials in Lyon have introduced a night time ban on retail sales of alcohol to combat what is seen as a nasty Anglo-Saxon habit sweeping France. From Monday, shops throughout the city will be banned from selling alcohol between 10pm and 6am in an effort to limit public drunkenness. The ban will not apply to bars, restaurants or nightclubs. Until five years ago, the French viewed binge drinking as a phenomenon largely limited to the UK and Scandinavian countries. This is reflected by the use of the English term, which is widespread and appears not to have been censored by the Académie Française, the body guarding the French language. The official translation is intoxication alcoolique aigue (severe alcoholic intoxication). Now, France is being forced to admit it has a growing problem. The French national institute for health education (INPES) has launched a campaign called BoireTrop (OverDrink) to warn of the dangers of excessive drinking. INPES says alcohol is responsible for about 45,000 deaths in France every year. A World Health Organisation report in 2010 showed the French to be the fourth biggest consumers of alcohol in Europe, based on 2005 figures, behind Estonia, the Czech Republic and Ireland. Britain was 13th. Not surprisingly, most alcohol consumed in France is wine. The report found Gallic drinking habits to be “stable”. Officials are particularly concerned about the increase in drinking among those aged 18-25, especially women, and are keen to address the growing fashion among youngsters for getting drunk as quickly as possible. The trend hit the headlines last year with the organisation of several apéro géant (giant aperitif) parties using social network sites such as Facebook. An apéro géant in Nantes last month attracted 6,000 youngsters. A drunken man was fished from the Loire by the emergency services who had foreseen such an event – several youngsters fell into the river the previous year – and stationed a boat on the river. Another teenager had to be rescued after climbing a crane. Lyon officials said the measure was aimed at combatting the “massive and brutal” summer consumption of alcohol in public. It will be in force until 10 September. They hope the measure will “reduce the nuisances” caused by alcohol including “damage, violence, noise and the breaking of glass”. Shopkeepers who break the drink sales embargo could be fined €750 (£660). Jean-Louis Touraine, deputy mayor and responsible for public order in Lyon, told Le Progrès newspaper: “There are serious dangers with alcohol, for long term and immediate health, with numerous accidents among drunken youngsters who, for example, throw themselves into the Rhone as part of a bet, as well as violence and the nuisance for locals. “We are not hoping to completely resolve this problem, but we want to at least reduce the more serious excesses. “And if people turn to bars, we should remind proprietors that they cannot serve people already too drunk.” France Europe World Health Organisation Alcohol Kim Willsher guardian.co.uk
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Berlusconi’s Freedom Party amends proposed cuts to MPs pay while passing bill forcing Italy to tighten its belt Italian MPs are facing a backlash over multimillion-euro perks including trips to saunas and haircuts while the rest of the nation faces new medical charges designed to balance the national books. Two days after the Italian parliament passed an austerity budget to keep the eurozone crisis at bay, hospitals were carrying out two of the budget’s key provisions – a new €10 charge for specialist appointments and a €25 fee for casualty visits, part of a series of measures expected to cost families around €500 a year. But critics pointed out that as the budget was being debated last week, MPs for Silvio Berlusconi’s Freedom People party quietly added amendments watering down proposed cuts to their own pay, currently €65,839 after taxes. Beyond that, benefits up to €117,000 a year that MPs can claim without showing receipts for housing, office staff, telephones and travel — on top of free rail and air tickets — escaped unscathed, as well their subsidised healthcare plan, which costs €10.1m a year. A breakdown of the outlay on medical care published by newspaper La Repubblica on Sunday revealed Italy’s 630 MPs are racking up €3m a year on dentistry, €257,000 on psychiatric bills and €204,000 on thermal baths. “The government and opposition have again teamed up to protect privileges which are unequalled in Europe,” said union leader Raffaele Bonanni. Over the weekend, tens of thousands of Italians linked to a Facebook page on which an anonymous former employee at the Italian parliament posted documents detailing more of the peculiar benefits enjoyed by MPs, including in-house haircuts. As Italy tightens its belt to tackle the downturn, young models in Milan demanded the right to work at the weekend. Employed to appear in shorts and bikinis as live mannequins in the window of department store Coin, the models were criticised last week by Italian unions for taking on work deemed degrading. But on Saturday, the male and female models were back on view, this time toting signs stating “Modelling is also a job.” Italy Silvio Berlusconi Euro Europe Tom Kington guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …We do have a spending problem, you know. We’re not spending enough on infrastructure and it’s a real problem. Via CBS in Minnesota: According to Anoka County Dispatch, emergency crews received a call at about 7:09 a.m. that several train cars had derailed, including the locomotive, over Rice Creek in Fridley. Rice Creek feeds from Rice Lake into the Mississippi River. The train is from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe company. At least two workers have been injured, but there are no other reports of serious injuries at this time. BNSF Spokesperson Amy McBeth said it appears a washout occurred as a result of heavy rains in the area and likely caused the train derailment. The washout was west of the railroad bridge, which was damaged as a result of the derailment. McBeth said 17 cars, including two locomotives, derailed Saturday morning. An engineer and conductor were the only people on the train when it derailed. They were transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The spokesperson said the train had a total of 110 cars and three locomotives. The spokesperson also said about 50 trains use that route on a daily basis. The tracks there will be out of service “for a while” as crews work to clear cars, repair the tracks and conduct an investigation to determine how exactly the train derailed. As it happens, I’m in the middle of house renovations right now. The renovations are more difficult than they should have to be because we put them off for too long and the repairs are much more expensive. Instead of simply replacing a shower pan, we have to tear the whole thing down to the studs and replace subfloors. Instead of patching some wood rot, we’re going to have to tear out bathroom #2, jack up the cast iron tub and replace the entire subfloor. We were stupid. So is the US government, and this Republican congress in particular. When Republican Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke says the economy needs more stimulus right now, not less spending, it should be a clue that there’s a problem. Wall Street reacted to those remarks with optimism. But after a week of garment-rending over spending, bond defaults, and other irrelevant and ultimately ridiculous posturing, Bernanke said there would be no action by the Fed to stimulate spending, and the markets reacted accordingly. Not that there should necessarily be action by the Fed. There should be action by the Congress, and President Obama tried to push them in that direction earlier this week: “The infrastructure bank that we’ve proposed is relatively small,” he said. “But could we imagine a project where we’re rebuilding roads, bridges and ports and schools and broadband lines and smart-grids and taking all those construction workers and putting them back to work right now? “I can imagine a very aggressive program like that around that I think the American people would rally around and that I think would be good for the economy not just next year or the year after, but for the next 20 or 30 years,” Obama continued. Ironic that this bridge collapse happened in Minnesota, where Governor Dayton finally appears to have come to a deal with legislators to end the 2-week government shutdown there. Unfortunately, Dayton is going to take a heavy political hit for this deal, since it essentially grants everything Republicans wanted with one exception: They agreed to take the social wedge issues out. So abortion and stem cell research at the Mayo Clinic survived, as did the jobs of 15% of Minnesota’s public employees. But Dayton was forced to give up raising taxes on wealthy Minnesotans. This is the difference between states and the federal government. States are forced to balance their budgets, and they often look to the federal government for assistance in getting that done. But on a federal level, a balanced budget would be a disaster, despite the fact that Republicans say otherwise. Dayton had to balance 22,000 employees furloughed against those tax increases, and employees won. But it won’t play that way to voters, I think. Bottom line in Minnesota? Republicans took hostages they were willing to shoot. The same is not true on a federal level. The national default “crisis” talks is how effectively Republicans shifted focus from investment in this country to austerity, and yes, Obama followed along perhaps a little too closely, though he certainly has tried to make a case for an infrastructure bank and other investment this past week. At the same time, I’m not clear on how to make the case in a way that people will understand because it’s counterintuitive, this idea of government spending to stimulate the economy. It’s right. But it’s counterintuitive, and that’s largely because we have a news media that starts on a basis that Republicans’ claims are fact, and doesn’t ever bother to report or investigate alternate themes. This manufactured “default crisis” will likely end with Congress passing a clean bill. I just don’t see any grand bargains being possible with the climate as hostile as it is right now in DC. But the real cost will be how Republicans have driven home the austerity theme, regardless of how indefensible it is to claim austerity while not asking anyone with the means to give a little more to end things.
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Rowan Williams dismisses George Pitcher following Tory protests over a controversial magazine article condemning coalition The archbishop of Canterbury has dismissed his spin doctor after just nine months following Tory protests over a controversial magazine article condemning the coalition. George Pitcher, an Anglican priest and former journalist, was hired last October as public affairs secretary at Lambeth Palace and engineered Rowan Williams’s stint as guest editor for the New Statesman last month which saw the archbishop launch a sustained attack on the coalition. His criticism, seen by Whitehall as the most outspoken by an archbishop in a decade, pitted him against the state and left Lambeth Palace officials scrambling to minimise the damage as Conservative politicians and peers berated the archbishop either through the media or through channels at the Church of England. Sunday, Lambeth Palace confirmed that Pitcher was leaving, but refused to say whether the New Statesmen stint had anything to do with his exit. “George was contracted to advise the archbishop on public affairs issues and that contract expires on 30 September, when he will have completed projects he was asked to undertake.” When approached by the Guardian about his departure Pitcher said: “I am returning to journalism, a culture to which I am better suited.” In the two-page editorial entitled “The government needs to know how afraid people are”, Williams said the coalition was facing “bafflement and indignation” over its planned health and education reforms. “With remarkable speed, we are being committed to radical, long-term policies for which no one voted,” he wrote. David Cameron rejected such assertions, saying he disagreed with Williams. “I’ve never been one to say the church has to fight shy of making political interventions, but what I would say is that I profoundly disagree with many of the views that he’s expressed, particularly on issues like debt and on welfare and education.” He added: “I am absolutely convinced that our policies are about actually giving people greater responsibility and greater chances in their life and I will defend those very vigorously.” Rowan Williams Religion Liberal-Conservative coalition Riazat Butt guardian.co.uk
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Plans aimed at reducing the number of deaths from domestic violence are being considered by the home secretary Police would be able to warn women if a new partner had a violent past under plans to reduce the number of deaths and injuries from domestic abuse being considered by the home secretary, Theresa May. The growth of online dating, coupled with the recent launch of a national police database, has encouraged the government to look at new ways to protect potential victims. A proposal for a “Clare’s law’ – after 36-year-old Clare Wood, who met her murderer through an internet website – is to be launched in London on Monday by Wood’s father, Michael, and the former Labour cabinet minister Hazel Blears, who said May had written an “encouraging” letter on the issue. Wood’s killer, George Appleton, set her body on fire before hanging himself in February 2009. An investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission later criticised individual and systemic failures in the way Greater Manchester police had handled Wood’s previous allegations that Appleton had harassed, assaulted and threatened to kill her. It emerged that he had a history of violence against women. The campaign has won backing from Louise Casey, the government’s victims commissioner, and the Home Office confirmed on Sunday that it was looking closely at the idea, which would also protect men seeking new partners. Blears, MP for Salford and Eccles, in whose constituency Wood lived, said: “Women in Clare’s situation often are unaware of their partner’s previous relationships and this can mean they start a relationship with someone with no idea if they have a violent past. Clare’s tragic death shows how vulnerable women aren’t always protected under the current law and until women are given the right to know if their partner has a history of serial domestic abuse they can’t be sure of the risk that they face. “By changing the law we can empower women so that they can take informed action about their relationship and give them the chance to protect themselves and prevent domestic abuse from happening before it begins.” Blears said two women a week died at the hands of violent partners or boyfriends, and the arrival of a national police database meant providing better information had become a more practical proposition. The trigger for release of information had yet to be determined but might either come in response to people raising concerns to the police over the behaviour of a partner or, more controversially, through the police proactively alerting people if a new partner had a history of violence flagged on the computer, even if a formal approach for information had not been made. In both instances, the decision to release details would have to be approved at a meeting with other agencies such as the NHS or children’s services, said Blears. There should be no “free for all” allowing people to go on “fishing expeditions” or try to settle scores. “If a woman chose to carry on a relationship, so be it. At least they are fully informed.” Wood’s father Michael told the Mail on Sunday: “My daughter wasn’t stupid. If she had known about that man’s past, she would have taken herself out of there in a heartbeat.” The Home Office said in a statement: “Clare’s death was a tragic incident and it’s important that lessons are learned. We are committed to doing all we can to protect victims of domestic violence including funding a network of independent domestic violence advisers and a national helpline for victims. “At the end of June we also launched domestic violence protection orders in three pilot areas to empower police officers and magistrates to stop offenders from contacting victims or returning to their home for up to 28 days. The first eighteen orders have been imposed by the courts, so they are already bringing protection to victims. “But we will always consider what more can be done … We’re looking at how the roll-out of the police national database can further help forces identify and monitor repeat perpetrators, providing further protection to victims.” The idea of “Clare’s Law’ follows the introduction of Sarah’s Law giving information on child sex offenders following the murder of Sarah Payne by paedophile Roy Whiting in 2000. The evaluation of a pilot scheme on this published last year showed fathers raising concerns over their partners’ new boyfriends were among the largest groups requesting information. Domestic violence Women Police James Meikle guardian.co.uk
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Click here to view this media As we reported earlier, Rebekah Brooks had resigned from News International just the other day. Things just got much worse for the former News of The Day editor. Rebekah Brooks has been arrested by police investigating allegations of phone hacking by the News of the World and allegations that police officers were bribed to leak sensitive information. The Metropolitan police said a 43-year-old woman was arrested at noon on Sunday, by appointment at a London police station. Brooks, 43, resigned on Friday as News International’s chief executive. She is a former News of the World editor and was close to Rupert Murdoch and the prime minister, David Cameron. A spokesman for Brooks said she did not know she was going to be arrested when she handed in her resignation. Brooks was taken into custody at midday on Sunday, after agreeing to attend a London police station for questioning. Her spokesman, Bell Pottinger chairman David Wilson, said she did not know she was to meet with police until late on Friday, and that she did not know the appointment would result in her arrest. The News International chief executive announced her immediate departure from the company on Friday morning. She had agreed to give evidence this coming Tuesday to the culture select committee’s inquiry into allegations of phone-hacking at the News of the World. Her lawyers are currently in discussion with the committee about whether she should attend. Wilson said: “It’s left Rebekah in a very difficult position and has left the committee in a very difficult position”. The BBC is reporting that the timing of the arrest undermines what the MP’s can ask her at the committee: Liberal Democrat MP Adrian Sanders, a member of the select committee, questioned the timing of the latest arrest. “In whose interest was it for this arrest to take place before Tuesday? Because if it does impede what we can ask, that’s not going to go down well with my fellow committee members. “Quite why now, just a few hours before our select committee meets, an arrangement has been made for an arrest. A lot of people are going to think this is very, very odd. “If this is designed to take the spotlight off the police at the same time giving a shield to Rebekah Brooks, that’s a very serious matter indeed. We don’t know how much this is going to impede our questioning until we’ve been able to sit down and talk it through with the parliamentary counsel.” Another member of the select committee, Labour MP Jim Sheridan, said he hoped her arrest would not affect her appearance before MPs. “The police will do whatever it is they feel necessary to do, and if they feel it’s necessary to arrest Rebekah Brooks at this time, then so be it. “I don’t buy into the conspiracy theories that the police are doing something underhand. I think it’s just that if they feel it necessary, then so be it. Their inquiry, it’s far, far more important than any other inquiry.” Labour MP Chris Bryant, who believes his phone was hacked, also has concerns about the timing of the arrest. Either way there’s serious pressure being applied to Rupert Murdoch and his empire.
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