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September 30, 2009

Forbes 400 List: Forbes Releases Names Of America’s Richest People

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Huffington Post News Editors @ 11:56 pm

The rich haven’t gotten richer–or poorer–this year. The price of admission to this, the 27th edition of The Forbes 400, is $1.3 billion for the second year in a row. The assembled net worth of America’s wealthiest rose by $30 billion–only 2%–to $1.57 trillion.

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Dan Rather To Speak To Neil Cavuto About Lawsuit

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Huffington Post News Editors @ 11:55 pm

The Huffington Post hears that Neil Cavuto has landed an exclusive interview with Dan Rather, his first since his lawsuit against CBS was dismissed Tuesday.

The interview is expected to air on Cavuto’s Fox News program, “Your World with Neil Cavuto,” as well as on his Fox Business Network program. Rather is expected to discuss his decision to appeal the dismissal of his case.

Rather’s $70 million breach of contract suit — in which he claimed that CBS wrongfully fired him over his report on George W. Bush’s service in the National Guard — was thrown out Tuesday by a judge in the Appellate Division of New York’s Supreme Court. Rather’s attorney immediately indicated that he planned to appeal.

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Former Prosecutor: I Lied In Polanski Documentary

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Huffington Post News Editors @ 11:19 pm

LOS ANGELES — A former prosecutor said Wednesday he lied when he told a documentary film crew that he advised a judge handling Roman Polanski’s sex case that he should send the director to prison.

The statement later became part of the basis for a move by Polanski’s attorneys to dismiss the case against the fugitive director who was arrested in Switzerland on Saturday.

“They interviewed me in the Malibu courthouse when I was still a DA, and I embellished a story,” David F. Wells said in an interview with The Associated Press about his statements to the makers of “Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired.”

“I’m a guy who cuts to the chase – I lied. It embarrasses the hell of me.” he said.

Wells, 71, did not handle Polanski’s case but was assigned to the courtroom where it was heard and had frequent interactions with the judge.

Wells said he was sorry about making the comments for the documentary.

“I cost the DA’s office a lot of money and aggravation over this,” said Wells, who retired as a prosecutor more than two years ago.

Polanski was accused of plying a 13-year-old girl with champagne and part of a Quaalude during a modeling shoot in 1977 and raping her. He was initially indicted on six felony counts, including rape by use of drugs, child molesting and sodomy.

The director pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of unlawful sexual intercourse; in exchange, the remaining charges were dropped, and the judge agreed to send Polanski to prison for a 90-day psychiatric evaluation. But Polanski was released after 42 days and fled the country on the eve of his Feb. 1, 1978, sentencing after the judge reportedly told lawyers he planned to add more prison time.

Polanski’s attorneys later argued in a motion to dismiss the case that the communications between the judge and Wells were clear misconduct and violated Polanski’s constitutional rights.

That motion was dismissed because Polanski was a fugitive at the time, though the judge acknowledged “substantial misconduct” in the original case. The matter is now in the hands of an appeals court.

One of Polanski’s attorneys, Chad Hummel, declined to comment on Wells’ comments. District Attorney’s spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said the office also had no comment.

Marina Zenovich, who directed the film, did not return a phone message seeking comment.

Wells said he overstated his actions to the filmmakers because he was told the documentary would air in France, not the United States. The documentary aired on HBO.

In the documentary, Wells is depicted as conferring with the now-deceased trial judge Laurence J. Rittenband about Polanski’s case. Wells says in the film the judge took his advice in deciding to renege on a plea bargain and give Polanski additional prison time.

“I made that up to make the stuff look better,” Wells said. His admission was first reported in a story by former O.J. Simpson prosecutor Marcia Clark on the Web site The Daily Beast.

Polanski’s victim, Samantha Geimer, who long ago identified herself, has joined in Polanski’s bid for dismissal. She testified at the time that Polanski forced himself on her – which he acknowledged in his guilty plea – but has said she forgives him and wants the ordeal to be over.

Wells said he would testify in court that he lied and has offered to give a sworn declaration to prosecutors about his actions, in case they need it. No one from the district attorney’s office has contacted him since he made the offer several months ago, he said.

Wells said he showed Rittenband a copy of a newspaper that pictured Polanski with girls at an Oktoberfest event. Wells said he never talked about potential sentences and the judge would have seen the paper anyway.

Wells said he still believes Polanski should receive a much stiffer sentence.

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Elizabeth Smart To Testify In Court Against Alleged Kidnapper

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Huffington Post News Editors @ 11:19 pm

Seven years since she was abducted from her Salt Lake City bedroom by knifepoint, Elizabeth Smart will be in the same room on Thursday as her alleged kidnapper, Brian David Mitchell.

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Flozell Adams 3-for-3 on Fines

Filed under: Flozell Adams, Julius Peppers — NFL FanHouse @ 10:45 pm

Chris Burkeby Chris Burke

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Flozell AdamsIf there’s anything in sports that would qualify as the opposite of Joe Dimaggio’s epic 56-game baseball hit streak, it may be what Flozell Adams has cooking for the Cowboys so far in 2009.

Three games into the NFL season, Adams has been fined three times. The third wallet hit, a $7,500 blow, came down Wednesday, as Adams was punished for kicking at Carolina’s Julius Peppers on Monday night (video here courtesy of Digital Sports Daily).

Adams was fined $5,000 for an unnecessary roughness penalty in Dallas’ Week 1 win at Tampa Bay, and $12,500 for two incidents in a Week 2 loss to the Giantsone of which was a trip on Justin Tuck that ended with Tuck injuring his shoulder.

Flozell Adams 3-for-3 on Fines originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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PETA Video: Cows Suffer On Land O’Lakes-supplying Farm (VIDEO)

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Huffington Post News Editors @ 10:27 pm

PETA representatives have released a video comprised of footage taken during an undercover investigation of a Pennsylvania dairy farm that contracts to Minnesota-based Land O’Lakes.

The video depicts the gross mistreatment of cows, with animals being milked while covered in urine and feces. Cows that have collapsed from exhaustion are prodded by handlers, animals are covered in infections that have gone untreated and one cow in particular is marched off to what is presumably the slaughterhouse.

Land O’Lakes has stated that they are investigating the issue and that they are committed to treating animals in their dairy farms humanely.

WATCH:

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Baby Missing After Mother Is Stabbed By Fake Immigration Officer In Nashville, Tennessee

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Huffington Post News Editors @ 10:23 pm

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A newborn snatched from a Nashville home was missing and his mother recovering from stab wounds she said she suffered in a struggle with the woman kidnapper posing as an immigration agent, authorities said Wednesday.

Maria Gurrolla told reporters she had never seen the woman before she showed up at her door Tuesday evening. She said the woman got a knife from the home and stabbed her several times.

“I need my baby back,” the 30-year-old mother said through an interpreter outside Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Gurrolla said the woman, whom she described as a robust white American, did not say anything about wanting to take the baby, who was on the sofa.

“She said she was an immigration officer and she was there to arrest her,” said Gurrolla’s cousin, serving as interpreter. It was not clear if Gurrolla was an immigrant, but police said she has lived in Nashville for at least 10 years. The cousin said the family did not want to discuss her legal status.

Gurrolla said she did not see the woman take the baby because she ran to a neighbor’s home to get help. That neighbor, Eric Peterson, told The Associated Press that Gurrolla banged on his door and was “covered from her head to her toe with blood” with gashes on her neck and upper chest.

She pleaded with him to rescue her children from the “lady in the kitchen” who had a butcher knife. He went to the home a few doors down and saw a woman speeding away from the home. He brought Gurrolla’s 3-year-old daughter back safely to his house, but found no baby, he said.

Police issued an Amber Alert with a picture and description of a 30-year-old woman. They found and questioned a woman matching the description near Buffalo, N.Y., then said they did not believe she was involved in the case.

Gurrolla was in a wheelchair and covered by a blanket at the hospital. Her eyes were bloody and swollen and she had a long scratch on her face.

Dr. William Dutton said she had a penetrating chest wound and her lung had collapsed. He said she also deep stab wounds to her neck, but was in stable condition. He said she still has physical signs that she gave birth recently. He described the birth as complicated but declined to elaborate.

A blue yard sign outside Gurrolla’s home in the community of mostly single-family brick houses in south Nashville announces, “IT’S A BOY!” Police spokeswoman Kristin Mumford said she doesn’t know whether Gurrolla was targeted because of the sign.

Peterson said as he was making his way to Gurrolla’s house, a woman with a ponytail was behind the wheel of a gray 2-door Honda that sped away from the home.

As he approached Gurrolla’s yard, a young girl in a diaper walked from around the back of the house. He left her with Gurrolla and the woman he lives with and headed back to look for the baby.

He sent his pet pit bull in first to check things out, then went in through the back door,

“As I preceded into the kitchen, I saw a puddle of blood, a big puddle of blood,” he said.

He searched everywhere but found no baby. When he told Gurrolla, that’s when she first started to cry. Police said the baby’s father was at the home later Tuesday night, and Sharon Kimble, who lives with Peterson, said the toddler’s father came later to pick her up.

Police spokesman Don Aaron said investigators were interviewing Gurrolla and her family again about the abduction. No one, including the family, has been ruled out as a suspect, he said.

A sketch artist is working to come up with a drawing of the kidnapper’s face. Police said Gurrolla described the woman as a white woman in her 30s, approximately 5 feet, 4 inches tall, with her blonde hair in a ponytail.

“We don’t have any indication at this point that this is anything but a stranger child abduction,” Mumford said. “We’re not ruling out anything, but we have no reason to believe that the family is not being completely truthful.”

Mumford said police are retracing the mother’s activities before the attack, such as a visit to a local Walmart. Hoping to find a witness, police released a photo of a car that was parked near Gurrolla’s at the Walmart and later followed her down the road.

Aaron asked the public for tips on the case and said it was a top priority for police in the area.

“There is an infant child that cannot care for himself who is missing and time is of the essence,” said Kristin Helm, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

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Live Blog from the Anchor Desk 09/30/09

Filed under: Live Blog, T1 — Maureen @ 9:45 pm

A double dose of tragedy in the South Pacific. Another earthquake strikes.  Thousands of people are reportedly trapped. We’ll take you inside the rescue effort.   Plus, a five-year-old takes on an alligator. A 40 pound boy versus an 800 pound gator. This kid isn’t shy.

Want to know what else we’re covering? <strong><a href=”http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/category/the-buzz/” target=”_blank”>Read EVENING BUZZ</a></strong>

Scroll down to join the live chat during the program. It’s your chance to share your thoughts on tonight’s headlines. Keep in mind, you have a better chance of having your comment get past our moderators if you follow our rules.

Here are some of them:

1) Keep it short (we don’t have time to read a “book”)
2) Don’t write in ALL CAPS (there’s no need to yell)
3) Use your real name (first name only is fine)
4) No links
5) Watch your language (keep it G-rated; PG at worst — and that includes $#&amp;*)

Francis’ Bad Gamble Could Cost Him His Home

Filed under:

Joe Francis went from the big house to a really big Bel Air house that he could now lose because of a gambling debt.TMZ has obtained legal documents, asking the California courts to honor a judgment Las Vegas mogul Steve Wynn obtained against Francis …

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Michelle Obama: Crime Won’t Hurt Chicago Olympic Bid

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Huffington Post News Editors @ 9:34 pm

First Lady Michelle Obama, off to Copenhagen on Tuesday night to lobby for Chicago’s 2016 Olympic bid, said the rash of crime in Chicago won’t hurt the city when the International Olympic Committee votes on Friday.

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