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Sonia Sotomayor attempted to preempt her critics on Monday with her introductory remarks at her confirmation hearing: “The task of a judge is not to make law,” she said. “It is to apply law.” She pledged to serve the “larger interest of impartial justice,” not the narrow cause of any special interest. "My personal and professional experiences help me listen and understand, with the law always commanding the result in every case," she said.
Honduran President Manuel Zelaya said he is willing to resort to bloodshed to retake his country if his rival Roberto Micheletti doesn't step down within the week. "Let me come back—me with the people and you with your bayonets," he said. "And instead of shooting innocent kids, shoot me." When Zelaya attempted to return to Honduras on July 5, a week after being ousted at gunpoint, the army blocked the airport's tarmac and a teenager died after shots were fired into a crowd of protesters. Honduras has been kicked out of the OAS because of the coup, and Micheletti has yet to be recognized by any country as Honduras' leader. Negotiations are taking place in Costa Rica, but Zelaya says Micheletti is sabotaging the talks by using the time to consolidate his power.
Unexpected turnover in the White House: Steve Rattner is stepping down as "car czar" a day before President Obama makes his first trip to Michigan to chart a plan for the Big Three's survival. Rattner is leaving on his own accord, an administration official told Politico. "He determined that this was the right decision for him and his family at this time," the official said. Ron Bloom, who was an administrator for the United Steelworkers and is a member of the auto task force, will replace Rattner, a former investment banker and journalist. "I hope that he takes another opportunity to bring his unique skills to government service in the future," Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said of Rattner.
How long does it take for the CIA to declare an operation infeasible? In the case of stealth assassinations of al Qaeda leaders, more than seven years did not suffice. As it turns out, the initiative's label as "sporadic" and "embryonic" is what justified it being kept secret from Congress. The plan involved spy-movie-style assassinations of al Qaeda big shots instead of Predator drone missile strikes, which have consistently killed innocent bystanders and caused public outrage. By law, Congress is supposed to be informed of all CIA operations and highly classified material can be revealed only to congressional leaders. When CIA Chief Leon Panetta learned of the highly classified operation he called an emergency meeting with the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, apparently recognizing that he had on his hands an ineffective program that would be a major political liability.
It’s not all bad news for Sarah Palin these days: Her PAC raised $730,000 in the first six months of 2009, according to CNN. Furthermore, the PAC had $450,000 cash on hand and no debts owed. The majority of donations were under $200, while more than 700 people gave more than $200. She has made only two political contributions so far this year: $5,000 to John McCain and $5,000 to Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski. Her largest expenditure was over $100,000 to the Virginia fundraising form Edonation.com
A tragic story is getting even more complicated: A fourth suspect was arrested Monday in the murder of a Florida couple who had 16 children, many of whom had special needs and were adopted. Police say at least six people were involved in the crime and that there were "other motives" than just robbery. Surveillance video from the couple's home shows five people wearing masks and dressed in black entering the house from two entrances. Nine of the children were in the home when the murders took place, and one escaped to a neighbor's house to seek help. The men were only at the home for 10 minutes, according to the tapes, and the crime was "very well-planned and methodical," according to police.
Is this what an economic recovery looks like? The U.S. deficit for 2009 has risen to $1.08 trillion, setting a new record. In June alone, the U.S. accrued an additional $94.3 billion of debt. Last year at this time, the cumulative deficit was at a paltry $285.8 billion. President Obama's economic prognosticators forecast a deficit of $1.84 for the 2009 fiscal year--that number will likely be due for an upgrade. MarketWatch says that the fiscal year of 2010 doesn't look much better: "The administration is projecting a $1.26 trillion deficit." Ouch.
Sorry Sanjay Gupta fans: Dr. Regina Benjamin of Alabama has been picked by President Obama to be the surgeon general. Obama is expected to make a formal announcement Monday. According to the Associated Press, Benjamin "was the first black woman to head a state medical society," and a recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Foundation "genius grant." Her bio also includes notable work in clinics in rural areas of Alabama affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Get ready for some mortal-on-immortal romance. Natalie Portman is the newest star to sign onto the film adaptation of Thor, an early Marvel comic featuring the adventures of the Norse god of thunder. Kenneth Branagh is set to direct and the film will also star newcomer Chris Hemsworth as Thor. Portman plays the god's nurse and love interest, Jane Foster, who gets involved in a love triangle with Thor and his human alter-ego Donald Blake, before briefly becoming a god herself. Marvel Studios says the role will be updated for the film, so surprises might be in store even for devoted Thor fans.
The woman from the landmark Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade was arrested today among other antiabortion protesters for disrupting the first day of Sonia Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings. Norma McCorvey, the 61-year-old referred to as Jane Roe in the 1973 case that established a woman’s right to an abortion, interrupted Senator Al Franken’s opening remarks before being arrested alongside three other protesters.
The Cheney political torch, instead of being snuffed, appears to have been passed: When asked if she would consider a run for politics, Liz Cheney told The Washington Times, “It’s something I very may well do.” Cheney has been a loud critic of President Obama and a defender of her father. She also told The Washington Times that recent reports that her father ordered the CIA to hide information from Congress sound to her like cover for Nancy Pelosi.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo broke up with girlfriend Jessica Simpson on Thursday, People magazine reports. A source close to Simpson said, "She is heartbroken. She loves Tony. But it's been difficult lately." Simpson turned 29 on Friday; her planned Barbie and Ken-themed birthday party "didn't happen," she Twittered. On Sunday, Simpson sent a followup Twitter: "Everyone needs to know that hope floats...grab the strings and pull it back to you."
How low can a war-torn nation sink? Sudanese police stormed a restaurant in the capital city of Khartoum and arrested over a dozen women for nothing more than wearing pants. Several of the women pled guilty and accepted the punishment for "indecent dress" under Sharia law: 10 lashes. The rest of the women chose to consult a lawyer, and now face a more severe punishment of 40 lashes. Some of the women were non-Muslim, and are therefore not supposed to be subject to the harsh form of Islamic law. One of the women swept up in the shocking arrest is a well-known journalist in Sudan who also works for the United Nations.
Get one last look if you can: Bernard Madoff is en route to the prison where he is sentenced to spend the next 150 years. His attorney had requested that he be jailed in upstate New York, but he is being shipped to Butner, North Carolina instead. Upon arriving, "he'll get a tiny bar of soap, a tooth brush, a comb and a razor," according to CNBC. His friends and family will be allowed to visit, but conjugal visits are forbidden.
It is the stuff of nightmares: A 14 year-old boy vacationing with his family in Thailand was sucked into a pool's pump system after diving to retrieve a pair of goggles. Witnesses say the teen from the U.K. was last seen lifting a grate at the bottom of the pool. A half hour later, his body was found in the pool's pump room. The boy's father has claimed that lifeguards on duty ignored his pleas for help, thinking he must have been joking.
South Korean television is reporting that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il has pancreatic cancer, though the report is unsourced. If true, the news leaves the future of North Korea uncertain, though there is little doubt that Kim's successor will seek to continue to rule with an iron fist. A number of news outlets are reporting that Kim's youngest son, Jong-Un, will succeed him; the last time the elder Kim appeared in public, he was noticeably frail. Analysts say North Korea's latest saber-rattling is an attempt to "pave the way for (a) successor" by reaffirming that the nation is not to be messed with.
Don't hold your breath for another Jackson family supergroup. The New York Post reports that Michael Jackson's mom, Katherine, and "baby incubator" Debbie Rowe have made a secret deal. Rowe agreed not to pursue custody of the three kids—two of whom are biologically hers—so long as Michael Jackson's father, Joe, doesn't get them. The new custody pact would also continue to demand that Rowe never tell the children that she's their mom. Joe and Katherine are still married, but have lived apart for years.
It takes a teenager to know a teenager, apparently. When Morgan Stanley's European media analysts asked their intern, Matthew Robson, 15, to describe his friends' media habits, his report turned out to be "one of the clearest and most thought-provoking insights we have seen," an executive explained. Robson's report generated five or six times more feedback than usual. The report argued that teens don't use Twitter because it uses up valuable text allowances on mobile phones, that teens eschew traditional radio for ad-free streaming music websites, prefer online or television summaries of the news to the long pages of newspapers, and find it hard to watch regular television. Give the kid a job!
Too little, too late? The Philadelphia-area pool that has been under fire for turning away a large group of minority summer-camp students is planning to re-invite them to swim. The Creative Steps summer camp had arranged for its 65 mostly black and Hispanic children to swim at The Valley Club, a private suburban swim club located in between two predominantly white towns. The swim-club president had originally justified his decision to ban the campers by saying they would change the pool's "complexion."
An arrest in the killing of a former boxing star: Brazilian police have charged Arturo Gatti's wife with his murder. Police officials say Amanda Rodriguez strangled the rough-and-tumble boxer with the strap of her purse while he was sleeping. Nicknamed "The Thunder," Gatti was found dead on his honeymoon with his wife and 10-month-old son on Saturday, police report. Witnesses say the couple were fighting the night before Gatti's death and that their relationship was on the outs, despite their recent marriage. Rodriguez quickly established herself as a prime suspect with major inconsistencies in her story. Gatti, 37, won acclaim as one of the most compelling television fighters of the modern era. "He was a great guy. He enjoyed life," said fellow boxer Micky Ward. "He was the heart and soul of boxing. I'm going to miss him."
The most American of businesses has finally come to India. Wal-Mart has opened a store in Amritsar, India, The Washington Post reports. In order to avoid a kerfuffle with political factions and local merchants, the Indian government ordered the world's largest retailer to sell only to wholesalers, business owners, and their friends and families. For its part, Wal-Mart, operating in India under the name BestPrice Modern Wholesale, stocks a host of Indian products. Over the next three years, the company plans to open 10 to 15 stores in India.
A few months ago, Senator Patrick Leahy said that he wanted to read the page on the Bush administration’s torture of terror detainees before turning it. It appears that Leahy will get his wish: “After trying for months to shake off the legacy of their predecessors and focus on their own priorities, Obama administration officials have begun to concede that they cannot leave the fight against terrorism unexhumed and are reluctantly moving to examine some of the most controversial and clandestine episodes,” reports The Washington Post. The acknowledgment comes after Newsweek reported that Attorney General Eric Holder is leaning toward appointing a special prosecutor to investigate the Bush administration. The Sunday talk-show circuit was abuzz with the news. Senators John McCain and John Cornyn spoke out against an investigation; Democrats like Senators Leahy, Dianne Feinstein, and Dick Durbin came out in favor of it.
Sacha Baron Cohen's Brüno nabbed the top Hollywood spot this weekend, raking in $30.4 million. However, the Associated Press reports, its earnings look a little odd. The film made $14.4 million on Friday, followed up by a scant $8.8 million on Saturday and an estimated $7.2 million Sunday. Usually, ticket sales for hit movies increase on Saturday. The numbers suggest that the Austrian fashion devotee may not have the staying power of Borat, Baron Cohen's character from Kazakhstan.
They only had to wait a few thousand years, but finally, women in Spain can inherit noble titles. The Guardian reports that a recent change in Spain's law prevents sons with older sisters from claiming the family title. Because the law applies retroactively, some women may be able to claim titles from brothers or uncles who currently hold them. Opponents of the law claim it was passed to suit a few powerful women, including designer Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, who is claiming the title Marquess of Castelldosrius from an uncle who received it from his elder brother. Opponents also point out that the Spanish monarchy still operates on the principle of male inheritance and charge that the rules should be the same for nobility. Of the nobles fighting the new law, de la Prada said, "They are blinded with rage about this."
In order for the GOP to help Sarah Palin, Sarah Palin must first want to help herself: The Republican Governors Association sent an official to Alaska in March to help Palin straighten out her political agenda, but his advice was ignored by the increasingly isolated former-vice-presidential candidate, according to The New York Times. Palin told The Times that personal dislike rather than political calculation held up her legislative agenda. “It’s like, ‘Ooh, not so good anymore, because it’s got Sarah’s name on it,’” Palin said. Since her return from the national campaign, Palin's calendar reveals that her days began later and ended earlier than ever before. As the governor became consumed by ethics allegations—forcing her office to respond to almost any complaint—and blew off speaking engagements, she lost the trust of leaders of the national party. One Republican kingmaker remembered telling her, “You are getting a bad rap. Important people are trying to talk to you. And she said, ‘What number are they calling?’ She did not know what had been happening.”
While the rest of America is still reeling from the economic crisis, Goldman Sachs is back on track and bringing in billions of dollars only a month after the bank repaid bailout funds. Analysts predict that Goldman will report profits over $2 billion in the period stretching from March to June, The New York Times reports. Those fortunate enough to work at Goldman will benefit greatly from the profits: $18 billion will be distributed among the company's 28,000 employees. Described as "the envy of Wall Street," the company is unequaled in its ability to play the world markets. The company, according to observers, is able to manage risk in a way far superior to the competition. Brace for the populist outrage when the earnings report is released Tuesday.
El Niño is set to return with a vengeance. According to the Telegraph, "U.S. government scientists have said that the system, in which the periodic warming of water in the tropical Pacific Ocean can affect weather around the world, is close to making a return as sea temperatures climb above their normal level." In June, the surface temperature of a narrow band of Pacific Ocean water climbed 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, and warmer than usual readings up to 975 feet below the surface have been recorded in other tropical regions. That means we can look forward to a wetter than usual summer, particularly in the mountains, as well as more Eastern Pacific hurricanes although Atlantic hurricanes should drop. The phenomenon is expected to strengthen over the next few months and last through winter 2009-2010.
The loss of a loved one is burden enough, but then to discover that the body may have been unearthed and thrown in a mass grave to make room for other coffins? The relatives of the 7,000 buried at the infamous Burr Oak Cemetery in Illinois are inundating local authorities with their concerns, and it is doubtful they will be allayed anytime soon. So far, the police believe 300 bodies were illegally exhumed and put in a mass grave so that the cemetery could resell the plots. Now, because of Burr Oak's poor record keeping, authorities must identify over 100,000 graves.
Don't hold your breath for confirmation-hearing theatrics: Republican Senate Judiciary Committee member Lindsey Graham said today that Sonia Sotomayor will be confirmed, "unless you have a complete meldown." Other senators weighed in during opening remarks. "Let no one demean this extraordinary woman," said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy. "She's been a judge for all Americans. She'll be a justice for all Americans.” Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, however, set the tone for the opposition. Promising a “respectful tone,” he said, "Call it empathy, call it prejudice or call it sympathy, but whatever it is, it's not law. In truth, it's more akin to politics and politics has no place in the courtroom."
In case you want to take your political cues from a 19-year-old high-school dropout: Levi Johnston announced on Monday on NBC that he would not vote for Sarah Palin for president. "She's very smart," Johnston said. "But I just don't think she can handle the stress level as governor—I don't think she can handle it as president or vice president." He gave her governorship a failing grade: “I don’t really think she has been the governor she should have been for Alaska... I’d do just about anything for her. But I really don’t think I’d vote for her if she ran for president."
It didn't take long for details about the mysterious program that Dick Cheney hid from Congress to find their way into the press. The ultra-secret program involved an executive order to capture or kill higher-ups in al Qaeda, The Wall Street Journal reports. Although the program was authorized in 2001, it had not become fully operational when CIA Chief Leon Panetta ended it this June. Much of the initiative remains unclear; the controversy surrounding it—thus far—is focused on the decision to not inform Congress. It appears that the CIA recognized that parts of the plan, which involved targeted assassinations, were not feasible. The Journal cites an unnamed source who described the plan's ambition: "It was straight out of the movies. It was like: Let's kill them all."
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