Jurors to consider verdict on accused killer Levi Bellfield after hearing four weeks of evidence at Old Bailey The Old Bailey jury trying Levi Bellfield for the abduction and murder of schoolgirl Milly Dowler is expected to retire on Wednesday. The panel of 11, which has heard four weeks of evidence, was told by judge Justice Wilkie to consider its verdicts coolly and dispassionately. Bellfield, 43, denies the murder and kidnap of Milly and the attempted kidnap of 11-year-old Rachel Cowles. In 2008, he was convicted of murdering two students and the attempted murder of a third. Milly, 13, disappeared on 21 March 2002 in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, while she walked home from school. Her remains were found six months later in a wood at Yateley Heath, Hampshire, some 25 miles away, but the cause of death could not be determined. Milly Dowler Crime guardian.co.uk
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One of its stars once branded it ‘a joke’. Now England head for the Women’s World Cup as one of the tournament favourites Rachel Yankey, midfielder Rachel Yankey is arguably the most recognisable face in women’s football in the UK. She was the first registered professional female footballer in England, was awarded an MBE in 2006 and, at 31, is the most capped player in the England squad – 109 caps and counting. What’s it like being the poster girl for women’s football? “It feels like the norm,” she laughs. “People have been making comments about me since I was a kid. At the time there were maybe one or two other black players and I was quick and an attacking player. I’m used to it now. I think when I finish playing, I’ll sit back and look at it all and recognise all that I’ve achieved.” It’s not too shabby for a girl who adored former Arsenal and England player Ian Wright and started playing football in the park with her older brother and “the boys across the road”. She marvels at how much the game has grown. “More girls are playing; we have centres of excellence where you can access great coaching. When I was a kid you went straight into playing women’s football – I played in the seniors before I played in the U-18 team.” She’s especially excited by what this grassroots improvement will produce. “I
Continue reading …Title: Jealous Guy Artist: Donny Hathaway Happy Summer Solstice! Hope y’all enjoyed this the longest day of the year. Here’s a song that has nothing to do with that, but is a killer nonetheless. Recorded live in 1972, Donny Hathaway slays this version of the John Lennon classic. What’s your favorite live track?
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More than any other Republican presidential prospect, Sarah Palin draws white-hot journalistic loathing. She’s too red-state, too gun-toting, too religious, and too unwilling to abort a disabled “fetus.” Even so, filmmaker Steve Bannon remains deeply optimistic his forthcoming Palin documentary “The Undefeated” will sway the media to see Palin in a different light. Bannon, a former Goldman Sachs banker turned filmmaker, told National Review’s Kathryn Lopez that once he and his producing partner delved into Palin’s life story, “we decided that not just the American people but even the mainstream media were both fair and decent — that when presented with something that represented a completely different point of view they would be at least open to considering it.” The movie is not an attempt at objectivity. It’s a campaign film, a longer version of the kind Harry Thomason and Linda Bloodworth-Thomason produced for Bill Clinton. You know, “I believe…in a place called Hope.”
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Action needed to ensure Britons are not sent overseas for trial over alleged offences committed in the UK or without evidence A parliamentary committee has urged the government to renegotiate its much-criticised extradition treaties with the US and EU to avoid future cases like that of Gary McKinnon , the hacker who has spent nine years fighting removal to America. Swift action was needed in particular to make sure Britons were not sent overseas for trial over alleged offences committed wholly or mainly inside the UK or, as is currently the case, without any evidence being offered against them, the joint committee on human rights (JCHR), which comprises MPs and peers from all three major parties, concluded following an inquiry. Such measures would prevent future cases like that of McKinnon, who has become a focal point for opposition to the laws. McKinnon’s supporters argue that any trial should take place in the UK given that his hacking activities were undertaken from a bedroom in north London. The issue has been highlighted in a more recent case, in which Richard O’Dwyer , a Sheffield undergraduate, faces extradition to the US for operating a website linking to other sites carrying pirated TV shows and films – a practice that is possibly not even an offence in Britain. The fact that EU countries can request extradition without offering prima facie evidence had led to people languishing in jail overseas on “speculative charges”, the report said. Other concerns included a sizeable number of warrants for trivial offences – examples include theft involving bicycles or even piglets – and a lack of legal assistance abroad. Hywel Francis, the Labour MP who chairs the committee, said the government needed to look into renegotiating both the extradition agreement with the US and the separate EU-wide European arrest warrant, both of which come under the 2003 Extradition Act . “There were 699 UK extradition cases in 2009/10. That is an enormous number of extraditions. I was surprised not just by the numbers of people involved, but the nature of the problems. There are quite a number of recommendations that we made and that indicates that there are a lot of issues to be addressed,” he said. Advising renegotiation was “a bold recommendation” but showed the depth of backbench feeling on the issue, he added: “This is a joint committee of the Lords and the Commons, with a coalition government majority, and it’s a unanimous report.” A key recommendation is that the government immediately enacts a so-called forum provision, which would give UK judges powers to decide whether an alleged offence would be better tried in Britain. This would most likely eliminate cases such as those of McKinnon or O’Dwyer. The provision exists in law but needs a vote of both houses of parliament to become active. This should be done, the committee said, adding: “It is difficult to understand why this has not yet happened.” While both coalition parties criticised the extradition laws in opposition, the current government – rather than enact immediate change – last year commissioned a review by the senior judge Sir Scott Baker, who will report at the end of the summer. McKinnon’s mother, Janis Sharp, said she welcomed the report. Her son’s fate now rests with David Cameron, who discussed the case with President Obama and hinted that McKinnon, who has Asperger’s syndrome, could remain in the UK . “I’m very pleased. It puts more pressure on the government over Gary,” she said. “But I don’t see why they need to wait. I have been talking to Richard O’Dwyer’s mother and things seem to be getting worse. It is ridiculous. Gary has already lost almost a quarter of his life. It has been more than nine years since the arrest.” Sophie Farthing from the civil rights pressure group Liberty said the recommendations appeared “very strong”. “We’ve been calling for a lot of these reforms for years. We have such a rotten system of extradition now, with an extradition act introduced in the context of the ‘war on terror’. It hasn’t delivered the results it was meant to deliver. “No one is saying that there shouldn’t be an expedient system of extradition, but by taking the decisions out of the hands of judges you just end up with a lot of unfair cases.” Julian Knowles, a barrister from London’s Matrix Chambers specialising in extradition cases, said there was a definite need for changes. “As far the European arrest warrant scheme is concerned we’re seeing the law of unintended consequences,” he said. “At the time it was adopted, in 2002, we didn’t have Poland and other eastern European countries as members of the EU. Under Polish law once a warrant has been issued it can’t be withdrawn, so you get hundreds of these warrants, some for very trivial cases. “But I think a lot of us in the field did anticipate problems with the US, which has a very aggressive attitude towards prosecution. That was a foreseeable problem.” Extradition UK criminal justice Gary McKinnon Hacking Peter Walker guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …The last post on Anthony Weiner on my watch, I swear. But with his resignation now official and the media casting about for the next scandal du jour (hey, guys… look over here! ), it’s time for a little perspective on just what Anthony Weiner did not do, courtesy of Hendrik Hertzberg of The New Yorker and Lawrence O’Donnell: Weiner’s sins, being wholly online, basically onanistic, pathetically “immature,” and totally without direct fleshly carnality, are literally ridiculous. They lack the swaggering macho that pushes more traditional, arguably crueler male transgressions – having affairs, whoring, fathering children out of wedlock – into the comparatively (though only comparatively) safer territory of “boys will be boys” and “men are like that.” One more factor that comes to mind: the particular media addictions of the political class. I suspect that, unlike normal people, a preponderance of that class – commentators, political reporters and editors, operatives, “strategists,” aides, news producers, etc. – spends several hours of every day watching cable-news television (or having it drone and flicker in the background), reading political blogs, sending and receiving e-mails about the latest political uproar, and talking about same to other members of the same class, on the phone or face to face. Actual office-holding politicians don’t necessarily have the time for all that, but they live inside the bubble it creates. The ambient atmosphere is one of constant overexcitement, hysteria, and sometimes unbearable tension, all focussed on the story of the day. That may be a reason why the protagonists of political scandals are dispatched more quickly and more mercilessly than in the past.
Continue reading …AP Miscasts NY State Same-Sex Marriage Bill Status, Calls Common Cause Member a ‘Good Government Advocate’
June 21, 2011 No Comment
The headline at Michael Gormley's Associated Press story on the status of New York State's legislation legalizing same-sex marriage (“NY GOP tables gay marriage; showdown looms”) does not reflect the bill's status in the legislative process as described in his underlying report. Additionally, Gormley had either the ignorance or the gall to characterize an official with Common Cause, an organization whose leadership and national governing board comprise a virtual leftist Who's Who, as a “good government advocate.” Gosh, the people at Heritage are also “good government advocates.” Does anyone think they'll live to see an AP reporter describe any Heritage official in such terms? (To be clear, the wire service shouldn't do that in describing leftist or conservative officials.) Here are excerpts
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Brazilian Maria Gomes Valentim put her longevity down to coffee, bread rolls, milk – and minding her own business A Brazilian woman officially recognised as the world’s oldest person has died just weeks from her 115th birthday. The title now reverts to a woman in the United States. Maria Gomes Valentim died of multiple organ failure, said Helerson Lima, a spokesman for the nursing home where she lived. Valentim would have turned 115 on July 9. An update on the Guinness World Records website said Valentim, “the first Brazilian super-centenarian to hold the title,” died at the age of 114 years, 347 days. On May 18, Guinness determined that Valentim was 48 days older than the person previously considered the world’s oldest human, Besse Cooper from Monroe, Georgia. “With Maria’s passing, the title of oldest living person reverts back to American Besse Cooper, age 114 years 299 days,” Guinness said. The Georgia woman’s son, Sid Cooper, said his mother was doing well at her Monroe retirement community. “She’s gained some weight, she’s eating real good,” he said. “Her memory is still really good. She remembers things from a long time ago and recognises people.” Guinness verified that Valentim was born on July 9, 1896, in the city of Carangola in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, where she lived all her life. Last month, Guinness said on its website that Valentim, who was known as “Grandma Quita,” attributed her longevity to a healthy diet: eating a roll of bread every morning with coffee, fruit and the occasional milk with linseed. Valentim’s family told reporters she had a stubborn streak and always made a habit of minding her own business. They also said that her father lived to be 100. “She says she has lived long because she has always taken care of her own life – and not meddled in the lives of others,” granddaughter Jane Ribeiro Moraes, 63, told a local newspaper in May. Valentim married her husband, Joao, in 1913. He died in 1946. She is survived by four grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren. Her only son died at age 75 in the early 1990s. World records Brazil State of Georgia United States guardian.co.uk
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Investors not told hedge fund Magnetar was influencing choice of mortgage assets for CDO investment JP Morgan has paid $153.6m (£95m) to US regulators to settle charges that it misled investors in a complex mortgage securities transaction just as the housing market was starting to plummet. The charges refer to a $1.1bn investment vehicle called Squared CDO set up by JP Morgan in 2007. The collateralised debt obligation made a series of complex bets on the mortgage market. Marketing material for the investment stated that the its portfolio had been picked using an independent adviser, GSCP, part of advisory service GSC Capital Corp. According to the securities and exchange commission, however, JP Morgan’s clients were not advised that the hedge fund Magnetar helped select the assets in the portfolio and had a short position in more than half of them. Magnetar was poised to benefit if the assets it was selecting for the portfolio failed, said the regulator. When the deal closed, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) calculates that Magnetar was betting $600m that the assets would fall and $8.9m that they would rise. The SEC claimed that JP Morgan launched “a frantic global sales effort” in March and April 2007 as the housing market appeared to be collapsing. In a 22 March 2007 email disclosed by the SEC, the JP Morgan employee in charge of Squared CDO’s global distribution said: “We are so pregnant with this deal … Let’s schedule the cesarian [sic], please!” Ten months later, the securities had lost most or all of their value. Robert Khuzami, the SEC’s director of enforcement, said the bank failed to tell investors “that a prominent hedge fund that would financially profit from the failure of CDO portfolio assets heavily influenced the CDO portfolio selection”. “With today’s settlement, harmed investors receive a full return of the losses they suffered,” he said. JP Morgan did not admit any wrongdoing. The bank said it ultimately lost $900m in connection with Squared CDO’s assets. This is the second time this week US regulators have clashed with JP Morgan. The National Credit Union Administration is also suing the bank for $800m alongside Royal Bank of Scotland, again for allegedly mis-selling mortgage-based securities. Earlier this month Jamie Dimon, JP Morgan’s chief executive, said financial reform was stifling recovery following the credit crisis. “Has anyone bothered to study the cumulative effect of all these things?” he asked the Federal Reserve chairman, Ben Bernanke. “Is this holding us back at this point?” The SEC reached a record $550m settlement with Goldman Sachs over similar charges last year. Regulators are investigating many other deals from the housing crisis, with more settlements expected. JP Morgan Banking Credit crunch Financial crisis United States Securities and Exchange Commission Regulators Dominic Rushe guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …David Gergen Conflates Mitt Romney’s Record on Job Creation With His Father’s
June 21, 2011 No Comment
Click here to view this media Host Christine Romans filling in for Eliot Spitzer on CNN’s In the Arena allowed their regular network contributor David Gergen, who’s always painted as some bastion of even handed “centrism” because of the fact that he’s served as a political adviser for administrations on both sides of the aisle to get away with lying about Mitt Romney’s record on job creation. David Gergen did his best job to conflate what either other Mormon businesses have done to create jobs in America or what Mitt Romney’s father might have done to create jobs to Mitt Romney, completely ignoring Mittens horrid record of destroying jobs at Bain Capital. As I’ve already noted, it’s really pitiful that Stephen Colbert did a better job of telling the truth about Romney’s record on job creation than our corporate media has. Gergen just gave us another example here. GERGEN: The other thing is that Mormon business people we know have created a lot of jobs. And including his father who I have known for 40 years who is a terrific guy. They come from very good family. But they are very, very good at creating jobs. ROMANS: Well, that’s a good point because jobs is what’s so important here.
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