With big issues working their way toward the Supreme Court on such vital issues as health care reform, same-sex marriage, affirmative action, and police stops of undocumented immigrants, liberals need to be on guard, writes longtime court-watcher Emily Bazelon for the New York Times . Sure, there are solid progressives, such…
Continue reading …Happy Meals may come with fruit now , but that doesn’t mean gut-busters have been wiped from menus. And while Applebee’s Provolone-Stuffed Meatballs dish is the stuff of legend, the Daily Beast also ferrets out a few surprises on its list of worst new fast food: California Pizza Kitchen’s Caramelized Peach…
Continue reading …Harnessed and in bulletproof vest, Anders ‘not unmoved’ by return to island but no remorse shown, investigators report Norwegian police took the self-confessed mass killer Anders Behring Breivik back to Utøya island on Saturday to stage a reconstruction of his slaughter of 69 people there three weeks ago. In a photograph of the visit in the VG newspaper, 32-year-old Breivik is shown standing in a shooting position, as if aiming a rifle at someone in the water. “We were able to animate his memory with regard to what happened out there,” police prosecutor Paal-Fredrik Hjort Kraby told reporters, adding that many new details emerged in the eight-hour journey around the island. “It was clear the suspect was not unmoved at being back on Utøya, but he did not want to elaborate on it to anyone and there was no expression of regret for his actions,” Kraby said. In VG’s pictures Breivik is shown harnessed with a rope leash while clad in a bulletproof vest and red sweater as he led investigators around Utøya under heavily armed protection. At times he also wore handcuffs and ankle cuffs. Kraby described Breivik as calm and co-operative, as he has remained through almost 60 hours of interrogation since the July 22 shooting, which followed a car bomb explosion in Oslo that killed eight. The victims had been attending an island summer camp run by the youth wing of Norway’s Labour party, which Breivik condemned in a rambling manifesto. Most of the victims were in their teens or 20s, and some were shot while attempting to swim to safety. Despite Breivik’s admission that he committed the attacks, Kraby said an extensive reconstruction was needed to show survivors and relatives exactly what happened. “It’s important they get to know as much as possible about what happened on the island, even if it has to come from the suspect himself,” said Kraby. “We’re seeking as many details as possible about each killing.” (Additional reporting by Terje Solsvik; Editing by Rosalind Russell) Anders Behring Breivik Norway Europe The far right guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …If you can’t turn the channel this morning without running into Michele Bachmann, do not adjust your set: The Minnesota rep is taking her victory lap on all five major network shows, reports Politico . Highlights: On her leadership : “I’ve been on the front lines, and I have been fighting. I…
Continue reading …
The bull – named Raton, or Mouse – has such a fearful reputation that its owners command a high price for festival appearances An inquiry was launched on Sunday after a 29-year-old man was gored to death by a bull during a festival in eastern Spain. The man, whose name was not released, died at a hospital in the town of Xativa on Saturday. A regional government official said an investigation into the goring had been opened. The 500 kilogram bull – named Raton – has killed two other members of the public during festivals over 10 years. Because of the animal’s reputation, his owners reportedly earn €10,000 (£8,750) each time it appears at a festival. “He’s the one that gets the highest prices,” owner Gregorio de Jesus said of Raton. “But still he works out the cheapest because wherever he goes organizers double the ticket price.” Television images showed the man being tossed in the air and then hit along the ground in Xativa’s bullring. In Spain, many summer festivals feature bull runs in streets or bullrings, where revellers can come close to the beasts. Witness accounts cited by Valencia’s Las Provincias newspaper said the man appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and had been escorted back to his seat in the stands during the bull run immediately before Raton’s appearance. He then made his way back down to the ring before the incident. Spain guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
World Bank chief launches scathing critique of western economic leadership as US and Europe struggle to recover Global stock markets are entering a “new danger zone”, the head of the World Bank has warned in a scathing critique of economic leadership in the US and Europe. Robert Zoellick said the global economy was going through a multispeed recovery with western economies stuck in the slow lane following the downgrading of US government debt and the ongoing crisis in the eurozone. Investors have displayed increasingly erratic behaviour in recent weeks, with the FTSE 100 index in London rising and falling by 3% in successive days as financial professionals digested the prospect of another worldwide recession. “What’s happened in the past couple of weeks is there is a convergence of some events in Europe and the United States that has led many market participants to lose confidence in economic leadership of some of the key countries,” said Zoellick, whose institution invests in developing countries. Echoing the concerns of the Standard & Poor’s credit rating agency, which has stripped the US of its AAA credit rating due to fears of political paralysis in the world’s largest economy, the World Bank president indicated that American and European leaders were not acting quickly enough. He said: “I think those events combined with some of the other fragilities in the nature of recovery have pushed us into a new danger zone. I don’t say those words lightly … so that policymakers recognise and take it seriously for what it is.” Zoellick said that problems related to sovereign debts and uncompetitive economies in the 17-state eurozone had often been dealt with “a day late”, stoking investor concerns that governments and central banks were not getting on top of multiple crises or even approaching them in the right way. “That [worry] has accumulated and so we’re moving from drama to trauma for a lot of the eurozone countries,” he said. On the US, Zoellick said the fundamental strengths of the American economy were not the main concern, but “frankly that markets are used to the United States playing a key role in the economic system and leadership”. He said efforts to cutUS government spending had so far been focused on discretionary items rather than big-ticket welfare programmes such as social security. “Until they make an effort on those programmes, there is going to be continued scepticism about dealing with long-term spending,” he said. Zoellick added while market confidence had endured a torrid month, the real issue was whether this will spread to business and consumer confidence, something that was still unclear. “What is different from the world of the past is now emerging markets are sources of growth and opportunity. About half of global growth is represented by the developing world … so this is a very rapid change in a relatively short span of time in historical terms.” Zoellick spoke at the Asia Society in Sydney, Australia, on the eve of a summit between French president Nicolas Sarkozy and German chancellor Angela Merkel that will attempt to forge a co-ordinated path out of the eurozone crisis. Fears over sovereign debt burdens spread to France last week as destabilising rumours spread that the country might join the US in suffering the previously unthinkable punishment of losing its AAA rating, which threatens to raise the state’s borrowing costs. Chancellor George Osborne hinted that he shared Zoellick’s concerns when he admitted that closer fiscal union, perhaps driven by the issue of eurobonds underwritten by the 17 single currency members, might be the only solution to the crisis. Asked on BBC Radio4 if the only answer for the eurozone was some form of fiscal union, he said: “The short answer is yes.” World Bank Economics Global economy United States Europe Europe Dan Milmo guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …World Bank chief launches scathing critique of western economic leadership as US and Europe struggle to recover Global stock markets are entering a “new danger zone”, the head of the World Bank has warned in a scathing critique of economic leadership in the US and Europe. Robert Zoellick said the global economy was going through a multispeed recovery with western economies stuck in the slow lane following the downgrading of US government debt and the ongoing crisis in the eurozone. Investors have displayed increasingly erratic behaviour in recent weeks, with the FTSE 100 index in London rising and falling by 3% in successive days as financial professionals digested the prospect of another worldwide recession. “What’s happened in the past couple of weeks is there is a convergence of some events in Europe and the United States that has led many market participants to lose confidence in economic leadership of some of the key countries,” said Zoellick, whose institution invests in developing countries. Echoing the concerns of the Standard & Poor’s credit rating agency, which has stripped the US of its AAA credit rating due to fears of political paralysis in the world’s largest economy, the World Bank president indicated that American and European leaders were not acting quickly enough. He said: “I think those events combined with some of the other fragilities in the nature of recovery have pushed us into a new danger zone. I don’t say those words lightly … so that policymakers recognise and take it seriously for what it is.” Zoellick said that problems related to sovereign debts and uncompetitive economies in the 17-state eurozone had often been dealt with “a day late”, stoking investor concerns that governments and central banks were not getting on top of multiple crises or even approaching them in the right way. “That [worry] has accumulated and so we’re moving from drama to trauma for a lot of the eurozone countries,” he said. On the US, Zoellick said the fundamental strengths of the American economy were not the main concern, but “frankly that markets are used to the United States playing a key role in the economic system and leadership”. He said efforts to cutUS government spending had so far been focused on discretionary items rather than big-ticket welfare programmes such as social security. “Until they make an effort on those programmes, there is going to be continued scepticism about dealing with long-term spending,” he said. Zoellick added while market confidence had endured a torrid month, the real issue was whether this will spread to business and consumer confidence, something that was still unclear. “What is different from the world of the past is now emerging markets are sources of growth and opportunity. About half of global growth is represented by the developing world … so this is a very rapid change in a relatively short span of time in historical terms.” Zoellick spoke at the Asia Society in Sydney, Australia, on the eve of a summit between French president Nicolas Sarkozy and German chancellor Angela Merkel that will attempt to forge a co-ordinated path out of the eurozone crisis. Fears over sovereign debt burdens spread to France last week as destabilising rumours spread that the country might join the US in suffering the previously unthinkable punishment of losing its AAA rating, which threatens to raise the state’s borrowing costs. Chancellor George Osborne hinted that he shared Zoellick’s concerns when he admitted that closer fiscal union, perhaps driven by the issue of eurobonds underwritten by the 17 single currency members, might be the only solution to the crisis. Asked on BBC Radio4 if the only answer for the eurozone was some form of fiscal union, he said: “The short answer is yes.” World Bank Economics Global economy United States Europe Europe Dan Milmo guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …World Bank chief launches scathing critique of western economic leadership as US and Europe struggle to recover Global stock markets are entering a “new danger zone”, the head of the World Bank has warned in a scathing critique of economic leadership in the US and Europe. Robert Zoellick said the global economy was going through a multispeed recovery with western economies stuck in the slow lane following the downgrading of US government debt and the ongoing crisis in the eurozone. Investors have displayed increasingly erratic behaviour in recent weeks, with the FTSE 100 index in London rising and falling by 3% in successive days as financial professionals digested the prospect of another worldwide recession. “What’s happened in the past couple of weeks is there is a convergence of some events in Europe and the United States that has led many market participants to lose confidence in economic leadership of some of the key countries,” said Zoellick, whose institution invests in developing countries. Echoing the concerns of the Standard & Poor’s credit rating agency, which has stripped the US of its AAA credit rating due to fears of political paralysis in the world’s largest economy, the World Bank president indicated that American and European leaders were not acting quickly enough. He said: “I think those events combined with some of the other fragilities in the nature of recovery have pushed us into a new danger zone. I don’t say those words lightly … so that policymakers recognise and take it seriously for what it is.” Zoellick said that problems related to sovereign debts and uncompetitive economies in the 17-state eurozone had often been dealt with “a day late”, stoking investor concerns that governments and central banks were not getting on top of multiple crises or even approaching them in the right way. “That [worry] has accumulated and so we’re moving from drama to trauma for a lot of the eurozone countries,” he said. On the US, Zoellick said the fundamental strengths of the American economy were not the main concern, but “frankly that markets are used to the United States playing a key role in the economic system and leadership”. He said efforts to cutUS government spending had so far been focused on discretionary items rather than big-ticket welfare programmes such as social security. “Until they make an effort on those programmes, there is going to be continued scepticism about dealing with long-term spending,” he said. Zoellick added while market confidence had endured a torrid month, the real issue was whether this will spread to business and consumer confidence, something that was still unclear. “What is different from the world of the past is now emerging markets are sources of growth and opportunity. About half of global growth is represented by the developing world … so this is a very rapid change in a relatively short span of time in historical terms.” Zoellick spoke at the Asia Society in Sydney, Australia, on the eve of a summit between French president Nicolas Sarkozy and German chancellor Angela Merkel that will attempt to forge a co-ordinated path out of the eurozone crisis. Fears over sovereign debt burdens spread to France last week as destabilising rumours spread that the country might join the US in suffering the previously unthinkable punishment of losing its AAA rating, which threatens to raise the state’s borrowing costs. Chancellor George Osborne hinted that he shared Zoellick’s concerns when he admitted that closer fiscal union, perhaps driven by the issue of eurobonds underwritten by the 17 single currency members, might be the only solution to the crisis. Asked on BBC Radio4 if the only answer for the eurozone was some form of fiscal union, he said: “The short answer is yes.” World Bank Economics Global economy United States Europe Europe Dan Milmo guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
US police chief ‘seriously interested’ in Scotland Yard position though home secretary has banned foreigners from applying The former US police chief Bill Bratton has said he is a “progressive” who can lead British policing out of “crisis”, reduce crime despite budget cuts, and bring about “transformational” change in the aftermath of last week’s UK riots. In an interview with the Guardian, Bratton said he was “seriously” interested in the vacant post of commissioner of the Metropolitan police but that the home secretary, Theresa May, had been “adamant” in banning foreign nationals from applying. Bratton – credited with turning around troubled police departments in New York and Los Angeles – is understood to have been David Cameron’s choice to run Scotland Yard. Instead he will advise the prime minister on gangs and crime after the Home Office insisted candidates must be British. According to Whitehall sources, Bratton has also told friends that he was so keen to take the job he would be prepared to take British citizenship if it made the difference. Cameron’s courting of Bratton continued to provoke criticism by senior British officers on Sunday. The series of rows between the Tories and senior police officers intensified yesterday. They are disputing where the blame lies for losing control of the streets to looters, who deserves the credit for quelling the riots, and whether budget cuts will endanger public safety. The day’s developments include: • Chris Sims, the chief constable of West Midlands police, criticised “empty slogans” after Cameron’s remarks about a “zero tolerance” of crime – a theory Bratton used in New York. In a statement Sims said: “I continue to work with the Police Authority to develop a policing response that is consistent with available good practice but is not slavishly adopting empty slogans.” • Theresa May, the home secretary, meanwhile, insisted it was her job to tell police chiefs “what the public want them to do”. In his Guardian interview Bratton hits out at those opposing foreign expertise to help UK policing and warns against being “parochial”. • The London mayor, Boris Johnson, said he would continue to fight for more police officers. The appointment of Bratton as a consultant on gangs by the prime minister was attacked over the weekend by Hugh Orde, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers. In a swipe at Orde, who has dismissed the call for foreign police chiefs as “simply stupid”, Bratton says Orde himself was successful as an Englishman coming in as an outsider to run the police in Northern Ireland: “I find it ironical the hue and cry about outsiders,” Bratton said. He adds that if US police chiefs spoke out against politicians in the same way as Britain’s, they would be fired. Bratton’s remarks are his most extensive yet on how the US and his experience can, he claims, make British streets safer, and will be seen by some as a job application. He told the Guardian he had been “an outsider” when he took over police departments in the US and the situation with the Met “mirrors” those he inherited in New York and LA police departments. The similarities were a leadership stepping down amid a corruption scandal, disorder on the streets, rows with politicians, and community concerns about policing. Bratton said: “The Met is having its share of issues and leadership crises, certainly. It is a mirror image of when I went into the NYPD and LAPD, and both those cities turned out quite well. I’ve been an outsider in every department I’ve worked in. Bureaucrats change processes, leaders change culture. I think of myself as a transformational leader who changes cultures.” Bratton said US police chiefs had shown their British counterparts the way, securing large falls in crime despite facing falling budgets. In LA, were he stepped down as police chief in 2009, despite high unemployment and a 15% budget cut, crime is down by 10%. Bratton said: “You can run around saying the sky is falling in, the sky is falling in, or you actually do something about it. You have to play the hand you’re dealt. I’ve always dealt initially with budget cuts.” “Out of crisis comes opportunities. If you want to speed up the process of change, nothing does it better than a good old crisis.” Bratton said the chance to become Met commissioner was attractive: “If it was open to people other than British citizens it would be something I would seriously consider. I understand the home secretary is adamant in opposing that.” Bratton declares he is steeped in the traditions of British policing, and insists he can change its culture and that human rights is at the heart of his thinking: “Britain is the birthplace of democratic policing. Robert Peel’s nine principles [of policing] shaped my thinking.” But it had to learn from elsewhere: “Anyone who looks only inwards is not going to be as successful as someone who looks outside, the world over. It’s a big world out there.” He says his track record demonstrates his toughness on crime, but paints a much more rounded picture of himself. He told the Guardian he is a “progressive” who points out he hired more people from the ethnic minorities, women, gay people and transvestite people to make the police forces he ran reflect the communities they serve. The rebellion by British police chiefs spread , with fresh annoyance being triggered by Cameron telling a Sunday newspaper he wanted “zero tolerance” policing adopted on Britain’s streets. The courts opened their doors on a Sunday for the first time as the justice system continued to struggle to process suspected looters and rioters. The police surge in numbers following the rioting was maintained , but unless there is further trouble or intelligence of fresh disorder, some areas will start reducing the officers out on the street on Monday . British Police chiefs who thought government criticism was limited to the Met’s handling of the outbreak of disorder in London, now feel the attack has spread to the reaction to force in the West Midlands and Greater Manchester. On Sunday Chief Constable Sims said: “I look forward to being held to account for the decisions I have made over the past week which I believe were consistent with the available information and resources. I am proud of how quickly the force adopted new tactics to this unprecedented challenge.” Amid stiff sentences being handed out to rioters and looters, Sims called for compassion not to be lost: “Sentencing is justifiably harsh but we must not at this time abandon all compassion for some of our very damaged young people who have been caught up in these incidents.” Tim Godwin, acting commissioner of the Met, said the criticism had led to “upset” among his command team and officers on the ground. Andy Trotter, chief constable of British Transport police and a public order expert who is seriously considering applying for the Met commissionership, said he did not believe government claims that budget cuts would not damage the police: “We cannot pretend that the scale of cuts we face will not impact on the frontline of policing. “It is simply not possible.” Metropolitan police Police Theresa May David Cameron Public services policy Public sector cuts Public finance Vikram Dodd Allegra Stratton guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …US police chief ‘seriously interested’ in Scotland Yard position though home secretary has banned foreigners from applying The former US police chief Bill Bratton has said he is a “progressive” who can lead British policing out of “crisis”, reduce crime despite budget cuts, and bring about “transformational” change in the aftermath of last week’s UK riots. In an interview with the Guardian, Bratton said he was “seriously” interested in the vacant post of commissioner of the Metropolitan police but that the home secretary, Theresa May, had been “adamant” in banning foreign nationals from applying. Bratton – credited with turning around troubled police departments in New York and Los Angeles – is understood to have been David Cameron’s choice to run Scotland Yard. Instead he will advise the prime minister on gangs and crime after the Home Office insisted candidates must be British. According to Whitehall sources, Bratton has also told friends that he was so keen to take the job he would be prepared to take British citizenship if it made the difference. Cameron’s courting of Bratton continued to provoke criticism by senior British officers on Sunday. The series of rows between the Tories and senior police officers intensified yesterday. They are disputing where the blame lies for losing control of the streets to looters, who deserves the credit for quelling the riots, and whether budget cuts will endanger public safety. The day’s developments include: • Chris Sims, the chief constable of West Midlands police, criticised “empty slogans” after Cameron’s remarks about a “zero tolerance” of crime – a theory Bratton used in New York. In a statement Sims said: “I continue to work with the Police Authority to develop a policing response that is consistent with available good practice but is not slavishly adopting empty slogans.” • Theresa May, the home secretary, meanwhile, insisted it was her job to tell police chiefs “what the public want them to do”. In his Guardian interview Bratton hits out at those opposing foreign expertise to help UK policing and warns against being “parochial”. • The London mayor, Boris Johnson, said he would continue to fight for more police officers. The appointment of Bratton as a consultant on gangs by the prime minister was attacked over the weekend by Hugh Orde, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers. In a swipe at Orde, who has dismissed the call for foreign police chiefs as “simply stupid”, Bratton says Orde himself was successful as an Englishman coming in as an outsider to run the police in Northern Ireland: “I find it ironical the hue and cry about outsiders,” Bratton said. He adds that if US police chiefs spoke out against politicians in the same way as Britain’s, they would be fired. Bratton’s remarks are his most extensive yet on how the US and his experience can, he claims, make British streets safer, and will be seen by some as a job application. He told the Guardian he had been “an outsider” when he took over police departments in the US and the situation with the Met “mirrors” those he inherited in New York and LA police departments. The similarities were a leadership stepping down amid a corruption scandal, disorder on the streets, rows with politicians, and community concerns about policing. Bratton said: “The Met is having its share of issues and leadership crises, certainly. It is a mirror image of when I went into the NYPD and LAPD, and both those cities turned out quite well. I’ve been an outsider in every department I’ve worked in. Bureaucrats change processes, leaders change culture. I think of myself as a transformational leader who changes cultures.” Bratton said US police chiefs had shown their British counterparts the way, securing large falls in crime despite facing falling budgets. In LA, were he stepped down as police chief in 2009, despite high unemployment and a 15% budget cut, crime is down by 10%. Bratton said: “You can run around saying the sky is falling in, the sky is falling in, or you actually do something about it. You have to play the hand you’re dealt. I’ve always dealt initially with budget cuts.” “Out of crisis comes opportunities. If you want to speed up the process of change, nothing does it better than a good old crisis.” Bratton said the chance to become Met commissioner was attractive: “If it was open to people other than British citizens it would be something I would seriously consider. I understand the home secretary is adamant in opposing that.” Bratton declares he is steeped in the traditions of British policing, and insists he can change its culture and that human rights is at the heart of his thinking: “Britain is the birthplace of democratic policing. Robert Peel’s nine principles [of policing] shaped my thinking.” But it had to learn from elsewhere: “Anyone who looks only inwards is not going to be as successful as someone who looks outside, the world over. It’s a big world out there.” He says his track record demonstrates his toughness on crime, but paints a much more rounded picture of himself. He told the Guardian he is a “progressive” who points out he hired more people from the ethnic minorities, women, gay people and transvestite people to make the police forces he ran reflect the communities they serve. The rebellion by British police chiefs spread , with fresh annoyance being triggered by Cameron telling a Sunday newspaper he wanted “zero tolerance” policing adopted on Britain’s streets. The courts opened their doors on a Sunday for the first time as the justice system continued to struggle to process suspected looters and rioters. The police surge in numbers following the rioting was maintained , but unless there is further trouble or intelligence of fresh disorder, some areas will start reducing the officers out on the street on Monday . British Police chiefs who thought government criticism was limited to the Met’s handling of the outbreak of disorder in London, now feel the attack has spread to the reaction to force in the West Midlands and Greater Manchester. On Sunday Chief Constable Sims said: “I look forward to being held to account for the decisions I have made over the past week which I believe were consistent with the available information and resources. I am proud of how quickly the force adopted new tactics to this unprecedented challenge.” Amid stiff sentences being handed out to rioters and looters, Sims called for compassion not to be lost: “Sentencing is justifiably harsh but we must not at this time abandon all compassion for some of our very damaged young people who have been caught up in these incidents.” Tim Godwin, acting commissioner of the Met, said the criticism had led to “upset” among his command team and officers on the ground. Andy Trotter, chief constable of British Transport police and a public order expert who is seriously considering applying for the Met commissionership, said he did not believe government claims that budget cuts would not damage the police: “We cannot pretend that the scale of cuts we face will not impact on the frontline of policing. “It is simply not possible.” Metropolitan police Police Theresa May David Cameron Public services policy Public sector cuts Public finance Vikram Dodd Allegra Stratton guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …