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You’ve probably seen the Avatar movie in 3D and marveled at its realism and awesomeness. If that wasn’t enough, you could join James Cameron on his trip into the woods to meet the tribes of Brazil, in an effort to save the rainforests. James met 18 indigenous tribe leaders last week to help aide their fight against a building of a damn that would cause the Amazon to flood. According to the Director, these leaders stated that they would fight till the last man, and till the last drop of blood. Looks like they sure mean business!

25,000 indigenous people from 18 tribes and another 20,000 non-indigenous residents would lose their homes, if the Amazon does flood. The hydroelectric plant project, as part of the dam, would help create greener energy, at the cost of land destruction and deforestation. James Cameron sure is doing his best for these tribes. Maybe some of them might find their place in Hollywood too if he ever decides on an Avatar sequel.

[CNN]

The Party of Financial Responsibility
Republicans have an ideological battle over financial reform.

Well, it is a day ending in “Y”, that means there must be some tale of GOP fiscal management to discuss.

The RNC spent more than $340K at a semi-annual meeting in Honolulu in Jan., the latest example of the party spending lavishly on itself while GOP officials worry they won’t have enough money to take advantage of a promising national landscape this fall…The $340K documented in FEC filings does not include airfare for each staffer, which could amount to tens of thousands more.

That is more than they will spend in some key House races, including one that is contested in Hawaii.

But we are talking about Republicans:

Federal law enforcement agencies have launched a criminal investigation into the use of American Express cards issued by the Republican Party of Florida to elected officials and staff…the IRS is also looking at the tax records of at least three former party credit card holders — former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio

Oh no, not Teabagger heartthrob Scott Brown Marco Rubio!

Fortunately, there is one Republican dedicated to real reform, Nevada Senate Candidate Sue Lowden.

I’m telling you that this works. You know, before we all started having health care, in the olden days our grandparents, they would bring a chicken to the doctor…I’m not backing down from that system.

Giving your chicken up for someone else to choke doesn’t sound like a great health care scheme, but it does sound like a typical RNC reimbursable expense.

?

Maybe the world’s debt problem isn’t so quite so bad as some commentators fear, says Paul Kedrosky. The author and entrepreneur calculated the globe’s debt to equity ratio for 2005 to 2010 and found that the ratio today is lower than it was in late 2008, despite the issuance of billions upon billions in government debt in the interim.

Kedrosky notes that the fall in the ratio owes little to paying down debt. Much of the decline is the result of the rise in world stock markets, particularly in emerging markets.

However you slice it, though, the value of global debt is still twice as large as the value of global equity. If the world were a company, a debt-to-equity ratio of that size would be cause for concern. Today’s ratio is well above the level of 2005 to 2007.

Freelance business journalist Ian McGugan blogs for the Financial Post

Goldman Plays, We Pay
The story of the financial debacle will end the way it began, with the super-hustlers from Goldman Sachs at the center of the action and profiting wildly. Never in U.S. history has one company wielded such destructive power over our political economy, irrespective of whether a Republican or a Democrat happened to be president.

By Robert Scheer

The story of the financial debacle will end the way it began, with the super-hustlers from Goldman Sachs at the center of the action and profiting wildly. Never in U.S. history has one company wielded such destructive power over our political economy, irrespective of whether a Republican or a Democrat happened to be president.

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‘Colbert Report’: The SEC Shafts Goldman Sachs
Stephen Colbert is outraged at the Obama administration’s attempt to thwart banks’ promotion of risky investments. After all, risky investments are like risky sex, and “if you make the banks wear a condom, they won’t be able to feel it when they’re f*&#ing us over.”

Stephen Colbert is outraged at the Obama administration’s attempt to thwart banks’ promotion of risky investments. After all, risky investments are like risky sex, and “if you make the banks wear a condom, they won’t be able to feel it when they’re f*&#ing us over.”

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Hispanic Lawmakers Disagree On Immigration Reform Strategy
A disconnect is growing among Hispanic lawmakers over the strategy for moving comprehensive immigration reform, with some pressuring President Barack Obama to push legislation this…

Robert Reich: A Short Citizen’s Guide to Reforming Wall Street
The Dodd bill now being considered in the Senate is a step in the right direction. Yet despite the hype, it’s a very modest step. It leaves out three of the most important things we need.

Jeff Danziger: Goldman Profit

Robots aren’t going to be taking over the world anytime soon. For now, they’re busy saving our environment. To join the crew, the Cryosat-2 is now up in space, working tirelessly to help track the volume of sea ice in the Arctic. This new satellite, recently launched into space from Kazakhstan helps gauge the difference between the ice surface and the top of the water.

Weighing around 720kg and measuring 4.6m X 2.4m X 2.2m, the Cryosat-2 will help scientists with a load of data and probably create a larger awareness about global warming. Technology up in the heavens like the Cryosat-2 help record environment changes in real time, producing data that pinches us every time we forget that our environment is depleting.

[Motherboard]

Limbaugh responds to Clinton with torrent of incendiary rhetoric

In recent days, President Bill Clinton has warned that incendiary rhetoric and “demonizing the government” incited domestic terrorism during his presidency and threatened to do so again. On his April 19 broadcast, Rush Limbaugh responded by unleashing a torrent of incendiary rhetoric, claiming that the Obama administration is “ripp[ing] apart” and “overthrow[ing]” the country and blaming Clinton for the Oklahoma City bombing and the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.

Clinton: “Demonizing” gov’t, public servants can lead to domestic terror

In an April 16 speech, Clinton said of the 1995 bomb attack on an Oklahoma City federal building:

The second lesson we have to learn is that we can’t let the debate veer so far into hatred that we lose focus of our common humanity. It’s really important. We can’t ever fudge the fact that there is a basic line dividing criticism from violence or its advocacy. And the closer you get to the line, and the more responsibility you have, the more you have to think about the echo chamber in which your words resonate.

Look, criticism is part of the lifeblood of democracy. Nobody’s right all the time. But Oklahoma City proved once again that, beyond the law, there is no freedom. And there is a difference between criticizing a policy or a politician and demonizing the government that guarantees our freedom and the public servants who implement them. And the more prominence you have in politics or media or some other pillar of life, the more you have to keep that in mind.

[…]

But what we learned from Oklahoma City is not that we should gag each other or that we should reduce our passion for the positions we hold, but that the words we use really do matter because there are — there’s this vast echo chamber. And they go across space and they fall on the serious and the delirious, alike; they fall on the connected and the unhinged, alike. And I am not trying to muzzle anybody.

But one of the things that the conservatives have always brought to the table in America is a reminder that no law can replace personal responsibility. And the more power you have, and the more influence you have, the more responsibility you have. Look, I’m glad they’re fighting over health care and everything else; let them have at it.

But I think that all you have to do is read the paper every day to see how many people there are who are deeply, deeply troubled. We know, now, that there are people involved in groups — these “hatriot” groups, the Oath Keepers, the Three Percenters, the others — 99 percent of them will never do anything they shouldn’t do. But there are people who advocate violence and anticipate violence.

[…]

When George Washington served his two terms and went home to Mount Vernon to retire and John Adams became president, he was called out of retirement one time. You know what it was? He was called out of retirement to command the Armed Forces sent to Pennsylvania to put down the Whiskey Rebellion, because good Americans who had fought for this country crossed the line from advocating a different policy and opposing the current one to taking the law into their own hands in a violent manner.

Once in a while, over the last 200 years, we’ve crossed the line again. But by and large, that bright line has held, and that’s why this is the longest-lasting democracy in human history. That’s why there is so much free speech. That’s why people can organize their groups. It may seem like fringe groups that advocate whatever the livin’ Sam Hill they want to advocate. That’s why. But we have to keep the bright line alive. So that’s the second lesson.

Clinton offered similar comments in an interview aired on the April 18 edition of ABC’s This Week and in an April 19 New York Times op-ed.

Limbaugh says Obama administration is “authoritarian,” “overthrow[ing]” the country

Limbaugh: “The country is being overthrown,” “ripped apart, transformed, right before our very eyes.” Limbaugh responded by arguing that Clinton’s comments were part of an effort to smear the tea party movement. He stated: “The reality is that it’s the Obama crowd that doesn’t like government, that doesn’t like the country. It’s the Obama crowd and all of their related groups that have been protesting for as long as I’ve been alive that don’t like the country; the tea party people love this country.” He added that the tea party people are just angry because the “country is being overthrown. The country is being ripped apart, transformed, right before our very eyes, and in a fraudulent manner.”

Limbaugh: ” ‘Regime’ implies and defines authoritarian governments, which this one clearly is.” Responding to a critique of his use of the word “regime” to describe the Obama administration, Limbaugh explained that ” ‘regime’ implies and defines authoritarian governments, which this one clearly is.” 

Limbaugh: “I am treated as an enemy of the state.” Limbaugh stated: “I, a guy on the radio who can’t raise anybody’s taxes, can’t send anybody off to war, I cannot do one thing — I can’t harm you economically, I can’t do a damn — I am treated as an enemy of the state.”

Limbaugh: “Obama urges more opposition to us than he does Islamic terrorists.” Limbaugh stated: “I’m not saying that if we weren’t around they’d be beating Obama up. Don’t misunderstand. They would be full-throated supporters of Obama. But if we weren’t around it wouldn’t be this slavish, in the tank, sycophantic coverage. Because they now feel it necessary to defend themselves — and him — against us. Look at — Obama urges more opposition to us than he does Islamic terrorists.”

Limbaugh blames Clinton for the Oklahoma City bombing, 9-11

Limbaugh asks Clinton, “What words caused Timothy McVeigh to act,” says McVeigh was “outraged over the government invasion” in Waco. Responding to Clinton’s statement that “the words we use do really matter,” Limbaugh asked of Clinton: “What words caused Timothy McVeigh to act? Name one. I want to know what words and who spoke them. What are the words that Timothy McVeigh heard? What are the words he admitted that he heard that prompted him to act?” Limbaugh went on to say: “All I’ve ever heard is that Timothy McVeigh was outraged over the government invasion led by Janet Reno of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. And the Murrah building was blown up on that exact date two years later. … Somebody show me the words, Mr. President, that McVeigh heard and caused him to act.”

Limbaugh: “McVeigh was not inspired by anybody’s words, he was inspired by Mr. Clinton’s deeds.” Limbaugh said that “McVeigh was not inspired by anybody’s words, he was inspired by Mr. Clinton’s deeds. And this is what they’re trying to wash over; this is what they’re trying to erase from the historical record.”

Limbaugh: Clinton has “ties to the domestic terrorism of Oklahoma City.” Limbaugh said that Clinton, the Obama administration, and the press can “try to make Oklahoma City the result of a modern tea party movement,” but “President Clinton’s ties to the domestic terrorism of Oklahoma City are tangible; talk radio’s ties are nonexistent. We had nothing to do with it.”

Limbaugh: Because Clinton “ignored terrorism throughout the ’90s,” “the country was attacked on 9-11.” Limbaugh stated: “Let us not forget Bill Clinton ignored terrorism throughout the ’90s. As a result, the country was attacked on 9-11. Debra Burlingame with a great column in The Wall Street Journal today. It’s just not 9-11. How about the World Trade Center bombing in ‘93 on Clinton’s watch; the Khobar Towers on Clinton’s watch? There were so many acts of terrorism in this country and around the world on Clinton’s watch. He didn’t care about it. He didn’t fight — he wanted to take on hard issues — he loved that 65 percent approval number.”

Limbaugh attacks Clinton for his role in “domestic violence,” “Waco invasion”

Limbaugh says children at Waco “really got abused by the U.S. government.” Discussing the standoff at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Limbaugh said: “Sixty-seven people died in the fire — we remember watching it — 20 children. Janet Reno said we have to go in there because children are being abused. Yep. They really got abused by the U.S. government.”

Limbaugh: “President Clinton … has had a direct and indirect role in so much pain and domestic violence.” Limbaugh stated: “So, throughout the ’90s, we are the victims of terrorism acts by people who Obama will not even call terrorists now. Bill Clinton and Janet Reno didn’t just threaten violence at Waco — they delivered it. As a result, American citizens — children, women, mothers — were killed. And what followed was a domestic terrorist bombing in Oklahoma City. And President Clinton, who has had a direct and indirect role in so much pain and domestic violence, lectures us about threats and acts of violence?”

Limbaugh: OKC bombing was “about the U.S. military invading a religious compound.” Limbaugh told listeners, “Don’t forget that the Oklahoma City bombing occurred two years to the day after the Waco invasion — two years to the day — and Tim McVeigh as much as said so.” Continuing, Limbaugh said that Clinton was involved in “an attempt to rewrite the history of the Oklahoma City bombing and the president’s role in it. … They know this is about Waco. They know this is about the U.S. military invading a religious compound.” 

Limbaugh: “You have President Clinton here simply lying about a terrible tragedy.” Limbaugh said: “You have President Clinton here simply lying about a terrible tragedy to try to chill free speech and libeling me and the tea party at the same time. It does not get more despicable than this.” 

Limbaugh: Tea party is “the first time” that “everyday citizens” have “risen up” “since the Civil War”

Limbaugh stated: “What is it that’s remarkable about the tea party is that it’s the first time an uprising of common, ordinary, average everyday citizens since the Civil War has risen up like this.”

SEC Enforcement Lawyer Who Quashed Stanford Probes Later Did Legal Work For Stanford
Spencer Barasch, the chief of enforcement at the SEC’s Fort Worth office, who multiple times declined to pursue alleged Ponzi schemer Allen Stanford, later jumped ship to become a partner at a big private law firm where he proceeded to represent none other than ‘Sir’ Allen Stanford.

Judge: Kwame Kilpatrick Violated Probation
Disgraced former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, now living in north Texas and working as a salesman for a tech company, may be headed for jail after a Michigan judge ruled today he violated his probation by not disclosing assets as required under a plea deal.

Mark your calendars: Soccer ace David Beckham will make his inaugural appearance on ABC’s The View this Monday, April 26! Becks gets in gear for his first stop at the Emmy-winning AM gabfest two months after his wife, singer/fashionista Victoria Beckham, dropped by The View for a guest hosting stint in February.

After a little teaser yesterday, Ken Block has finally released his custom-built 2011 Fiesta for the next chapter in his Gymkhana series that have become an Internet phenomenon with more than 30 million views combined.

“The great thing about Gymkhana for me is that it is amazingly fun to do,” said Block. “It’s taking some of the best parts of rally racing and removing a bit of the stress that is involved with competing, allowing me to just go out and play in an amazing car. I can’t wait to start filming in the Gymkhana THREE 2011 Ford Fiesta. I just did one day of testing in the U.K. with it and it is extremely fun to drive. It has amazing power and control.

Click here to get prices on the 2011 Ford Fiesta.

Based on the 2011 Ford Fiesta, the Gymkhana THREE Fiesta is similar to Block’s Monster World Rally Team Rally America Fiesta but the “drip pattern” livery is larger and more pronounced than the rally car’s design. Modified by Olsbergs Motorsport Evolution, the 2,425 lbs Gymkhana THREE Fiesta is capable of making 850-hp, but is restricted to 650-hp and 660 lb-ft of torque in order to let Block do what he needs to control the car. 0-60 mph comes in a very fast 2 seconds.

Other changes include the carbon fiber hydraulic e-brake handle being changed to a custom-made metal piece, with Ken’s Huck Gee skull logo and No. 43 engraved into it. Block’s trademark “43” is displayed in the side rear windows.

Hit the jump for the press release.

Press Release:

COMING SOON: GYMKHANA THREE STARRING FORD FIESTA CUSTOM-BUILT BY KEN BLOCK, MONSTER ENERGY, DC APPAREL

– Ken Block will drive a custom-built Fiesta for the next chapter in his series of Gymkhana videos that have become an Internet phenomenon with more than 30 million views
– The new fun-to-drive 2011 Ford Fiesta features an expressive, vibrant design, with sharp reflexes and a global track record that will redefine U.S. small car customers’ expectations
– The Ford Fiesta goes on sale this summer, while the new Gymkhana THREE video is coming soon

SAN FRANCISCO, April 21, 2010 – In the fall of 2008 Ken Block released a “just for fun” video that took the Internet by storm. It was the launch of Gymkhana, a term and event that has become synonymous with Block. With more than 30 million YouTube views, it has helped establish Block as one of the most high-profile global motorsports stars today.

For Monster World Rally Team driver Block, the opportunity to push the limits of his car control while maneuvering around a series of cones, slaloms, 180-degree and 360-degree and figure-eight turns and other obstacles all while utilizing extreme acceleration, braking and drifting is pretty much the definition of fun. For that reason, Block chose the Ford Fiesta as the car that will be purpose-built for his highly anticipated Gymkhana THREE.

“The whole Gymkhana thing started quite simply. I was looking for a way to get more seat time that involved rally-type driving, and a series for actual Gymkhana racing sprung up in California,” said Block. “I built the first car to compete in it, but unfortunately the series folded after only one event. I then had a purpose-built car with nowhere to run it, so I rented El Toro airfield to go have a little fun with my new toy and ended up making a video from the day of practice. Next thing we knew, it exploded on the Internet.”

Within minutes of announcing his decision in January to join Ford Motor Company and run a global rally program, Block’s Facebook page was inundated with inquiries about what this meant for Gymkhana. Today, those same fans get their first look at the car Block will utilize in the video.

“We are so excited to have Ken Block on our team engaging new audiences for Fiesta,” said Sam De La Garza, Fiesta brand manager. “In the first month alone, Ken’s Fiesta videos on YouTube generated more than 1 million views delivering the excitement of the Fiesta brand across the Internet. In just his second race in the Fiesta, Ken and the Monster World Rally Team captured the 100 Acre Wood Rally, showing that this is the beginning of a successful partnership.”

The Gymkhana THREE Fiesta is emblazoned with similar livery to Block’s Monster World Rally Team Rally America Fiesta and his Focus RS WRC; however, the “drip pattern” livery is larger and more pronounced than the rally car’s design.

The carbon fiber hydraulic e-brake handle has been changed to a custom-made metal piece, with Ken’s Huck Gee skull logo and No. 43 engraved into it. While Block’s trademark “43” is on the car, it is not in the standard door location, but displayed in the side rear windows.

Built by Olsbergs Motorsport Evolution (MSE), the 2,425-pound Gymkhana THREE Fiesta sports a purpose-built Olsbergs engine capable of up to 850 brake horsepower, but is restricted to 650 horsepower in order to give Block the torque band he needs to control the car. Equipped with an Olsbergs MSE Maktrak (magnesium) six-speed paddle-shift sequential transmission, it is capable of 660 lb.-ft. of torque at 4000 rpm and needs a mere two seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph.

The car’s body has been altered with an aggressive new front bumper design inspired by road racing cars. It has a carbon splitter, which improves aerodynamics, unlike the rally car’s bumper, which is built for gravel stage durability. The fender flares are also much wider and more squared off for an aggressive look.

“Aside from gobs of usable power, the real trick in setting up the Gymkhana Ford Fiesta was building a car for tarmac that handles as if it’s on gravel,” said Block. “While most tarmac race cars are designed to grip, we need a car that will still react quickly, but handle loose, while still providing complete control; this is a very delicate balance.”

The Gymkhana THREE Fiesta started as a production 2011 Fiesta before going through a conversion by Olsbergs MSE, the same group that runs Block’s Rally America program and that won gold at the X Games 15 Rally Competition in a Fiesta last August. The production Fiesta is an excellent platform for the Gymkhana car. The nimble ride and the ultra-high-strength boron steel body are ideal for the demands of the Gymkhana course. A testament to the Fiesta platform is that Fiesta has been designated as Ford’s worldwide rally car in both WRC and Rally America starting in 2011.

Going on sale in summer 2010, the all-new, fun-to-drive Ford Fiesta features an expressive, vibrant design, with sharp reflexes and a global track record that will redefine U.S. small car customers’ expectations. The Fiesta is a car that doesn’t compromise – offering drivers the kind of technology, fun-to-drive performance, fuel economy and craftsmanship that other cars, both large and small, can’t match. With 15 class-exclusive technologies and features and projected best-in-class highway fuel economy of 40 mpg, Fiesta brings fuel economy and convenience together.

Details of the location and stunts of Gymkhana THREE remain a closely guarded secret. The multi-day shoot and the tentative release of the Gymkhana THREE video is slated for this summer.

– By: Omar Rana

Hector Penate in a guest appearance on the Starz series Headcase…..

In this week’s edition of In Touch Weekly, Hector Penate, a Miami-born struggling actor and former Little League coach, claims to have had a fling with the CNN star’s estranged wife when he coached the couple’s sons in baseball more than three years ago.

Although former singer Shawn Southwick denies sleeping with her children’s coach, Penate, 31, told the tab that he and Southwick, 50, started having sex two-and-a-half weeks after they met in 2007. At the time, the Hispanic hunk was mentoring The Kings’ young sons, Chance, 11, and Cannon, 9.

Penate claims Southwick showered him with gifts during the nearly two year romance, including purchasing a BMW 7 Series and paying the rent on a Studio City that Larry co-signed for.

“She controlled him. He just sat there and signed it.”

And those aren’t the only tidbits the jilted gentleman spills in chats with In Touch and Entertainment Tonight hitting the Gossip Wire this week:

Hector On Sex With Shawn: “We had sex in Larry’s bed — a lot. I had sex with Shawn while Larry was on TV. Our sex life was real good.”

Hector on Larry’s Alleged Affair With His Sister-In-Law Shannon Engemann: “I still think to this day that Larry is in love with Shawn’s sister…He told me one time, ‘Have you ever seen Shannon?’ After I said that I had never met her, he said, ‘Oh, oh — she’s really gorgeous!’”

On Shawn’s Plans To Become Pregnant With His Child: “She was trying to fertilize her eggs to do that.”

Last week, King and Southwick were heading for divorce after nearly 13 years of marriage, but it’s now on hold. The couple is currently in marriage counseling.

Obama Gets No Health Care Bounce
A new Quinnipiac poll finds President Obama’s job approval at 44%, his lowest approval rating since his inauguration.

Notes pollster Peter Brown: “President Obama’s approval rating hovers at an all-time low. The White House had predicted passage of the health care overhaul would boost his fortunes, but that has not been the case, and that legislation itself remains decidedly unpopular.”

The survey also finds that 53% of American voters are “very confident” or “somewhat confident” the president will make the right decision in nominating a U.S. Supreme Court justice, while 46% percent are “not too confident” or “not confident at all.”

Five Senate Races the Tea Party Could Impact
The Daily Caller looks at the five Senate primary races where the Tea Party may play the biggest role in determining the winner.

They are: Nevada, Arizona, Kentucky, Florida and Utah.

The Media and Extremists Are Fanning the Flames of Hatred — Why Is the US Becoming So Uncivil?
Our lack of civility in public discourse can be traced directly back to a lack of empathy. The only way to move forward is to actually listen to what the other side is saying.

Our lack of civility in public discourse can be traced directly back to a lack of empathy. The only way to move forward is to actually listen to what the other side is saying.

Toxic Nail Salons: Why Your Nail Polish Color Could be the Next Agent Orange
Nail salon workers, and potentially their customers, may be at risk from a toxic cocktail of chemicals that have been linked to cancer, birth defects and skin rashes.

Nail salon workers, and potentially their customers, may be at risk from a toxic cocktail of chemicals that have been linked to cancer, birth defects and skin rashes.

Study Settles It: Shocking Black & Latino Imprisonment Rates the Result of Racist, Punitive Impulse
How racist attitudes barely hide beneath the surface of ‘tough on crime’ policies.

How racist attitudes barely hide beneath the surface of 'tough on crime' policies.

Senate Budget Chairman Conrad goes further than Obama in plan to reduce deficits
A spending plan drafted by the Senate Budget Committee chairman would reduce deficits by slashing spending on programs unrelated to national security and forcing lawmakers to pay for popular tax policies, including provisions that protect middle-class families from the bite of the alternative…

Gates calls for overhaul of export licensing controls
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Tuesday that the government’s Cold War-era system of licensing the export of weapons and other high-tech goods was actually harming national security by blocking arms sales to allies and giving an advantage to foreign manufacturers.

As focus turns to economy, health care appears to be on White House back burner
Three months ago, at a private meeting of nervous House Democratic lawmakers, President Obama promised to put the full weight of his office behind the marketing of the health-care bill once it became law.

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Using the Oklahoma City Bombing
Deb Saunders, San Francisco Chronicle
Monday was the anniversary of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that left 149 men and women — most of them federal workers — and 19 children dead. As is his habit, former President Bill Clinton used the occasion to bash his critics.In a New York Times opinion piece, “What We Learned in Oklahoma City,” Clinton placed the blame on Americans who have advocated smaller government. The terrorists — bomber Timothy McVeigh and his accomplices — who targeted the Murrah Federal Building, he wrote, “took to the ultimate extreme an idea advocated in the months and years before the…

Senators Propose Bill to Smooth Out Presidential Transitions

The Case for Breaking Up the Big Banks
Jonathan Macey, RealClearPolitics
Chris Dodd and the other politicians working on financial reform claim that their proposed legislation will end the long-standing U.S. policy which posits that the biggest financial institutions are “too big to fail” and therefore must be bailed out every time they find themselves in financial distress. At the core of the “Dodd bill” is the premise that regulators need yet more discretion, more power, and more regulatory tools if they are to succeed at last in exorcizing long-entrenched too big to fail strategies from the heart of our regulatory canon. The Dodd bill is…

For four hours Tuesday, attorneys delivered their closing arguments in the high-profile civil case over whether Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz is qualified to run for attorney general.

The four hours of arguments was extraordinary – easily ranking among the longest in recent state history.

Even in murder cases, the closing arguments sometimes last less than one hour. Cases in front of the Connecticut Supreme Court – the state’s highest court – are routinely argued faster than the Bysiewicz summations.

In the Beth Carpenter murder-for-hire capital felony case in New London in 2002, in which the defendant was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of release, the closing arguments were shorter than in the Bysiewicz case. The prosecution, headed by now-chief state’s attorney Kevin Kane and fellow prosecutor Peter McShane, had one hour for the final argument. The defense, headed by Hugh Keefe and assisted by Tara Knight, also had one hour. Kane then had time for rebuttal before the case went to the jury, which declared Carpenter guilty on all counts.

Rule 15-7 of the Superior Court practice book, which cites Section 52-209 of the general statutes, says, “The argument on behalf of any party shall not occupy more than one hour, unless the judicial authority, on motion for special cause, before the commencement of such argument, allows a longer time.”

State Rep. Michael P. Lawlor, a longtime attorney who co-chairs the legislature’s judiciary committee, said that Judge Michael Sheldon is obviously being careful in allowing extended time for the closing arguments. One of the reasons, Lawlor said, is that the case has been fast-tracked and issues that might have been settled in the court over the course of months are now all being jammed into the final arguments.

“This may end up in the Supreme Court,” Lawlor said. “If they get there, they’ll get an hour.”

Known for his patience, Sheldon has displayed both patience and perserverance in a courtroom filled with high-profile participants under an intense media spotlight.

“He’s one of the smartest judges in the state – no question about it,” Lawlor told Capitol Watch. “He’s the kind of guy you want dealing with this. There’s a lot of potential ramifications in this. The judge has to be super careful. He wants to make sure he has considered every single thing.”

The Hartford Courant’s veteran political reporter, Jon Lender, has been inside Sheldon’s courtroom and filed this dispatch.

http://blogs.courant.com/capitol_watch/2010/04/judge-shows-skepticism-to-both.html

Toyota ha mandado a revisión a todos los Land Cruiser de Europa con carrocerías de 5 puertas y acabados VXL y Limited. La razón por la que este modelo deberá pasar por el taller es debido a un problema con el control de estabilidad.

Además, este problema también afecta a España ya que se calcula que se han vendido alrededor de 250 unidades en nuestro país. El fallo en el control de estabilidad es debido a que tarda demasiado tiempo en activarse cuando entramos a gran velocidad en una curva, lo cuál podría causar el vuelvo del coche.

Según afirma la propia marca, para poder volcar el vehículo, tendriamos que circular a 100 km/h como mínimo y realizar un giro de 90º sin pisar el freno ni el acelerador (algo muy poco casual).

Related posts:

1. Fotos espía del restyling del Toyota Land Cruiser
2. Toyota llama a 3,8 millones de coches a revisión
3. 25.000 Volkswagen Jetta llamados a revisión

We’re not stopping yet, the BBSync Birthday Bash continues now with one of our favorite BlackBerry cases from OtterBox, the Commuter Series. These cases feature two layers of protection, plus a screen protector. These cases are available for most current BlackBerry smartphones. These cases are normally $34.95 each, but this is your chance to win one for free! All you have to do is a post a comment below and tell us what device you’re using, and how rough you are on your BlackBerry. Hurry and post your comment now, as you only have until Saturday night, before this contest ends.

* This contest is only available to residents in Canada and the United States. We will contact the winners April 30, 2010.

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Win 1 of 7 OtterBox Commuter Cases for BlackBerry! (BBSync Birthday Bash)

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[JURIST] British human rights lawyers on Monday submitted documents to a UK High Court that allege Britain allowed Afghan detainees to be tortured following their transfer to Afghanistan authorities. The documents were submitted by Public Interest Lawyers on behalf of human rights and anti-war activist Maya Evans, who is seeking a judicial inquiry into Britain’s policy for transferring detainees in Afghanistan. Evans alleges that British officials turned over al Qaeda and Taliban suspects to Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS), which is believed to have used torture as a means of interrogating prisoners. The documents detail nine cases of detainee abuse, including the use of physical beatings, electrocution, and sleep deprivation. The application for review has been opposed by Secretary of State for Defence Bob Ainsworth, who has said that safeguards were put in place to prevent abuse.
Concerns over detainee abuse were first brought to light in a 2007 report by Amnesty International, which said that the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), was exposing terrorism detainees to risks of torture by transferring NATO-held detainees into custody of Afghanistan authorities. Amnesty’s report focused on actions by Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, and the UK, saying that the forces from those countries have been transferring terror detainees to the NDS, despite numerous reports of torture. The report prompted Evans to bring her suit seeking judicial review in 2008. The case mirrors similar allegations that Canadian military officials were complicit in the torture of detainees that were transferred to Afghanistan officials.