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Man Falls Asleep During Robbery
WMDT STAFF
03/27/2010
A 19 year-old man is in custody after apparently falling asleep during an attempted robbery.
It happened today at the Talons Square South apartments in Princess Anne.
Police say Jaimie Goodson forced his way into the apartment, and then bagged numerous items.
When officers arrived, they found Goodson asleep in a bed.
He was taken into custody and is being held on bond.
Congressional disapproval ratings hit 72 percent, now at late-1994 levels
TOP OF THE BALLOT: A side effect of the healthcare process is the highest congressional disapproval since October 1994; members ready for town hall craziness; Tea Party meets its resistance
Highest disapproval of Congress since Oct. 31, 1994
The jury is in, and Democrats did indeed get a slight bump from healthcare reform. But will the sausage-making do them in?
Tucked away inside a new Washington Post/ABC News poll is a key figure — 72 percent. That’s the percentage of voters who disapprove of the job Congress is doing, and the number hasn’t been that high since — you guessed it — the week before the 1994 election.
The Cornhusker Kickback and Gator-aid — two controversial provisions in the healthcare bill — are a couple of attractively named and accessible reasons why people don’t like how Congress operates. And at no point in the last 16 years has that picture been so clear to voters.
Other signs in the poll are more positive for Democrats, though. It pegs President Barack Obama’s approval rating at 53 percent (43 percent disapproval). And the bill itself is up a slight two points from last month. Also, of the 46 percent of voters who approve overall, the group that strongly approves of the bill rose by 10 points, to 32 percent.
Town hall fun ahead
If Democratic members of Congress thought August was fun, wait till they find out what recess is like after you pass healthcare reform.
The at-times violent and vulgar reaction to the passage of the bill last week will be front and center as members return home for a two-week recess. Already, members are dealing with protests at their homes, being spat on and being cursed at. And for the members who have the courage to hold public events, it could only be the beginning.
Democratic leaders have sought to put the issue behind them, complaining that it distracts from their momentous legislative victory. Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen (Md.) on Friday said it was appropriate for his party to call attention to what certain conservative activists are subjecting his members to, but he also declined to elaborate on his comments suggesting GOP leaders had fomented the events.
Look for these kinds of stories to continue over the next two weeks.
Tea Party under attack
The Tea Party is an emerging force in the political landscape, but resistance is building.
Remember Scott Ashjian, the third-party Tea Party candidate who threatened to take double digits in Nevada and keep Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in office? He now faces felony theft charges and is being derided by Tea Party activists locally for being an opportunist.
And over at The Fix, Chris Cillizza has the scoop on Democratic consultant Craig Varoga creating an anti-Tea Party political action committee, called the Patriot Majority PAC. Varoga managed Tom Vilsack’s 2008 presidential campaign.
The group is reportedly looking at getting involved in 12 to 15 races where Tea Party candidates are running.
Sebelius To Insurers: It's Over, You Lost, Stop Looking For Loopholes
First Posted: 03-29-10 05:18 PM | Updated: 03-29-10 05:51 PM
Huffington Post
Kathleen Sebelius warned the insurance industry Monday not to look for loopholes in health care legislation and informed it that she will be writing regulations to ensure that the industry covers children with preexisting conditions, which some insurers insist is not a requirement of the law.
"The American people debated and discussed health insurance reform for more than a year. Congress and the President have acted. Now is not the time to search for non-existent loopholes that preserve a broken system," writes Sebelius, the Health and Human Services Secretary. The letter was sent to top insurance lobbyist Karen Ignagni on Monday and provided to HuffPost by a third party.
President Obama made the ban on denying children with preexisting conditions a central part of his argument in the closing weeks of the reform fight, saying that kids would be protected almost immediately after the bill passed. (The rule would activate in six months.)
But insurers argued that what the law really said was that if they choose to cover children, they must cover expenses arising from preexisting conditions. But they claim that doesn't mean they have to offer insurance at all to that child. Without a public insurance plan for children to opt in to, their only choice is the private market.
Sebelius's letter is an attempt to persuade the private industry to follow the spirit of the law. When Congress returns after the two-week recess, progressive Democrats will again be looking at ways to add a public option to the law. By threatening to refuse to insure sick children, insurers only make the case that much more persuasive.
R.N.C. Spends Thousands on Private Jets, Limos and Clubs, Report Shows
JEFF ZELENY AND BERNIE BECKERThe Republican National Committee opened an investigation on Monday into why money from donors was paid to reimburse a $2,000 tab at a risqué California nightclub earlier this year, party officials said.
“It was obviously improper – for more than one reason,” said Doug Heye, a spokesman for the party said. “It was not a sanctioned R.N.C. activity. It was improper because of the venue.”
As Republicans attempt to win back control of the House and Senate in this midterm election year, several party officials and contributors have raised questions about the financial disparities between the Democratic and the Republican parties. Republican officials opened a review of their spending after the nightclub expense was discovered by reporters for The Daily Caller, an online publication in Washington.
The Republican National Committee spent about $30,000 in February on private airplanes and limousines. But those charges were overshadowed by the $1,946.25 charge at Voyeur West Hollywood, which was described by The Los Angeles Times last year as a “high-end nightclub” with an interior “reminiscent of the masked orgy scene” from the movie “Eyes Wide Shut.”
Mr. Heye, the party spokesman, said that the Republican chairman, Michael S. Steele, was not responsible for the charges. He said the reimbursement was made to a “non-committee staffer,” whom he identified as Erik Brown of Orange, Calif., a political consultant. Mr. Heye said the money would be paid back to the Republican National Committee.
“The chairman was never at the location in question, he had no knowledge of the expenditure, nor does he find the use of committee funds at such a location acceptable at all,” Mr. Heye said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the F.E.C. filings show some $17,500 spent on private jets in February, in addition to more than $12,500 on limousines, which could add to the perception that Mr. Steele has expensive tastes. The filings also list several charges of well over $1,000 at hotels in Washington and elsewhere.
The Democratic National Committee seized on the report Monday.
“If limos, chartered aircraft and sex clubs are where they think their donor’s money should be spent – who are we to judge?” asked Brad Woodhouse, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee. “But, this controversy shouldn’t give voters much confidence in Republicans when they say they want to be put back in charge of federal spending – not that their performance the last time they were in charge would have engendered any confidence in the first place.”
Tucker Carlson responds to RNC complaints about DC’s Michael Steele article
Daily Caller
Monday, March 29th, 2010 @ 2:30 PM
The complaints from the RNC about this morning’s Daily Caller article, “High Flyer: RNC Chairman Steele suggested buying private jet with RNC funds while loud, lack substance. Despite claims to the contrary, no one from the committee has ever explained the specific circumstances of any of the expenses listed in its most recent disclosure filings.
Our questions remain: Why did the committee spend more than $17,000 on private jets in the month of February? How and why was RNC business conducted in a bondage-themed nightclub, and how and why were the nearly $2,000 in charges that resulted approved by RNC staff?
To be clear: We did not claim that Michael Steele personally visited Voyeur West Hollywood. In fact, and unfortunately, we still know almost nothing about that trip, including its purpose. If the RNC provides details, we’ll put them on the site immediately.
The Daily Caller requested interviews with Michael Steele on Jan. 14, Jan. 15, Jan. 18, Feb. 10, Feb. 23 and again on March 23. All were denied.
The story we ran today is accurate, as the RNC knows.
LINK TO ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Baltimore Sun
Intruder killed in early morning Perry Hall shooting
9:31 AM EST
March 28, 2010
A suspected burglar was shot and killed in Perry Hall Sunday morning when he was confronted by a homeowner with a gun.
According to Baltimore County Police, officers responded to the shooting at 5:46 a.m. in the 4200 block of Chapel Road in Perry Hall.
Police said the suspected burglar had entered the home and was confronted by its resident, who shot him in the residence. The burglary suspect was taken to Franklin Square Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. No one else was injured. Police have not released the names of the resident or the suspected burglar.
-- Sun staff
President Obama addresses troops at Bagram Air Base.
Dharapak/APPresident Obama meets with Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the presidential palace in Kabul.
WASHINGTON - President Obama flew into Afghanistan under cover of darkness Sunday for a surprise meeting with President Hamid Karzai and a pep talk for GI's.
The two leaders met in Karzai's heavily fortified presidential palace in Kabul, emerging briefly to walk a red carpet so Obama could review an Afghan honor guard standing at attention.
He later thanked U.S. troops for putting their lives on the line.
"One of the main reasons I'm here is to just say thank you for the incredible efforts of our U.S. troops and our coalition partners," Obama said. "I want to make sure they know how proud their commander in chief is of them."
It was the President's first trip to wartorn Afghanistan since he was a senator running for the White House in 2008.
As President, Obama has dramatically escalated the war by adding more than 70,000 U.S. troops to the long fight, which has seen little progress since the post-Sept. 11 invasion.
Karzai said he wanted to "express the gratitude of our people for the help that America has given us for the last eight years."
Obama said Americans "are encouraged by the progress that's been made," but made it clear he also expects Karzai's government "to continue to make progress on the civilian process."
Those were code words for corruption, a topic Obama also raised in a private 30-minute face to face meeting.
Afghanistan has been looted by greedy Karzai cronies - many of whom are widely believed to be heroin traffickers.
Obama flew directly from Andrews Air Force Base in Washington to Bagram Air Base, which is 50 miles north of Kabul, the danger-fraught capital known to many foreign journalists and aid workers as "Kaboom."
He then took a chopper to the palace, touching down in Kabul around 8 p.m. local time, where he emerged with war boss Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal and U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry. National Security Advisor James Jones told reporters aboard Air Force One that the President would press Karzai to clamp down on rampant corruption.
Karzai's own reelection to a new term in office recently, which disappointed the White House, was widely denounced for corruption in the balloting.
Obama will make him understand "that there are certain things he has to do as the president of his country to battle the things that have not been paid attention to almost since day one."
The two allies also will discuss reconciliation with elements of the Taliban, Jones added. The White House also said that Karzai will join Obama in Washington for talks on May 12.
There are now about 100,000 U.S. forces in the Afghan war, along with up to 40,000 NAT troops and tens of thousands of military contractors.
Obama addressed soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who are part of a force that has mounted a major - and so far successful - offensive in Marjah, a Taliban-friendly town in the southern province of Helmand.
Next up, according to Gen. McChrystal, is an offensive in neighboring Kandahar, the seat of power for Mullah Omhrs Taliban.
Graham: Wave of state legislatures will fight back against health bill
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) predicted Sunday that a wave of state legislatures would fight to resist federal healthcare reform that will add billions in costs to their budgets.
The prediction signals that Republicans plan to take President Barack Obama up on his challenge to “go for it” and attempt to repeal the $938 billion reform measure.
“This fight won’t wind up being just in Washington, it’s going to spread to every statehouse in the nation and we’re going to have referendums on this bill throughout every statehouse in the nation,” Graham said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “Can the states afford what Washington did to them?”
Graham estimated that 16 million additional people would be placed on Medicaid rolls as a result of Democratic healthcare reform.
“My state is going to get killed by having to serve more Medicaid people,” said Graham. “It’s going to hurt state budgets.”
Attorneys general in more than a dozen states have announced plans to sue the federal government over healthcare reform, alleging the new law violates the constitution.
A Washington Post poll published Sunday showed that 50 percent of people oppose the law while 46 percent support it. The poll showed that public support for the reform has not improved much since Obama signed it into law, even though a USA Today poll from earlier in the week showed the proposal gaining favor, with 49 percent describing it as “a good thing” compared to 40 percent who disagreed.
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) gave a preview of how the fight over healthcare reform may play out in states around the country.
Rendell has called on his state’s Republican attorney general, Tom Corbett, to drop a suit challenging the new law.
In Mississippi, Barbour and the Republican lieutenant governor Phil Bryant have pressed Attorney General Jim Hood, a Democrat, to challenge the law, but so far Hood has resisted.
Barbour has threatened to file a lawsuit himself if Hood, who plans to run for a third term in 2011, doesn’t act.
Rendell said suits challenging the new law are “frivolous” and “a waste of taxpayers' dollars at a time when all the states are fighting to preserve those dollars.”
Rendell defended the federal government’s power to regulate interstate as well as intrastate activity.
“This is not a government takeover; we left the private health insurance companies intact,” Rendell said during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week.”
Barbour, who appeared on the same program, argued that the federal government has never had a recognized power to force citizens to buy products such as health insurance.
“The fact of the matter is this is an issue that under our Constitution, where the powers of the federal government are limited, does the federal government have the power and authority to require, force every citizen to buy a product, in this case health insurance,” Barbour said.
“I do not believe the United States governor has the authority or power to force us to purchase health insurance any more than in the name of homeland security they can force every American to buy a gun,” he added.
In six states, there are clashes between governors and attorney generals over legal challenges to healthcare reform.
In Colorado, Michigan and Washington, Democratic governors have also opposed plans by Republican attorneys general to file suit.
In Georgia, Gov. Sonny Perdue (R) has pushed the Democratic attorney general to challenge the law but the state’s lead solicitor, Thurbert Baker, has said the case lacks legal merit.
From Poverty to Power: Celebrities Who Started With Nothing
Michael Deane
Saturday, March 27, 2010
When thinking of the "new breed" of celebrity - from the Kardashians to Paris Hilton to the stars of "The Hills" - fame seems to depend on the fact that they're already fabulously wealthy. Well, despite these new trends, some of the most famous and wealthy people did not come from rich families - many of them were born into poverty. Read on to learn some of their stories and what it took from having nothing to multi-million-dollar empires.
The Phenomenon - Oprah Winfrey
Surely the most well-known rags-to-riches story of our era is the story of Oprah Winfrey. Having been born into abject poverty in rural Mississippi, Winfrey went from being a young girl clothed in potato sacks (literally) to the richest and most powerful female media mogul in the world. Winfrey was able to accomplish this by moving from a disruptive and abusive household in with her stricter father.
Once Winfrey was subject to discipline and was supported at school, she became an honors student and got her big break when she became a newscaster in Nashville after finishing college. Winfrey has come a long way from her poor upbringings, and is worth $2.9 billion as of 2009, according to Forbes.
A Magical Story - J.K. Rowling
Similar to Winfrey's story, J.K. Rowling went from being on the dole to starting a $15 billion industry. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books series, was estimated to be worth $843.92 million U.S. dollars as of 2008. She began writing the series while she was on welfare and by incorporating some of the darker elements of her own life - the loss of her mother and battle with depression - into the novels, Rowling's books became a success after an initial press of 1,000 sold out, giving way to Potter mania.
Signing the Stars - David Geffen
David Geffen is a name that many of you will have heard, but few will understand the significance. Geffen is responsible for signing Crosby, Stills and Nash, Bob Dylan and Nirvana, starting Geffen Records and was a founding member of Dreamworks studio.
Geffen grew up poor in Brooklyn, living in a one-bedroom apartment with his family and sleeping on the couch. Geffen did poorly in high school and flunked out of college, but his natural gift in spotting and developing musical talent — along with business sense that he learned from his mother - made him a millionaire by the time he was 26.
At 67, renowned art collector and philanthropist Geffen is worth an estimated $4.6 billion - making him one of the richest behind-the-scenes players in showbiz.
Making It With Music - Jay-Z
Another music mogul that made his way from the bottom to the top is Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter. Carter is as much a businessman as he is a performer, but began his life in the Brooklyn's Marcy Housing Projects. Carter was raised by his mother, and was involved in crime when growing up - at 12 he shot his brother in the arm for stealing his jewelry.
Carter began as a rapper and went on to become involved in everything from nightclubs and clothing to being a part owner of the New Jersey Nets. As of 2009, Carter was worth over $150 million according to Forbes, and seems to be broadening his reach in the business world.
Her Cash Will Go On - Celine Dion
Though she's kind of faded from the spotlight since her late '90s ubiquity - Celine Dion is still ranked as one of the highest-grossing female entertainers and in 2007 was listed by Forbes as the fifth richest female entertainer, coming in at $250 million. She also was ranked as the top-earning singer of the decade by U.K.'s The Sun. Not bad for the 14th (!) of 14 children growing up in a poor household in rural Quebec, where her father made $160 per week to support the family of 16.
Like many of these rag-to-riches stories, it seems Celine's success owed as much to luck as talent - she was discovered singing when she was 12 and continued to create more songs and make more money.
Canadian Songstress - Shania Twain
Another Canadian songstress that grew up with nothing in the rugged wilderness was Shania Twain (born Eileen Regina Edwards). The recently separated Twain grew up in Timmins, Ontario in a household that was too poor to pay for heat, and at times couldn't afford to buy food. By the age of eight, Twain was honing her craft in bars in order to provide an extra $20 for her family.
Twain continued her singing career into high school and was soon on her way to becoming the highest-selling female musician of all time. Her net worth is estimated at around $450 million.
The Bottom Line
From inner-city housing projects to rural homesteads without heat, many of the most famous and wealthy celebrities had very humble beginnings. What brought all of these stars from rags to riches was focusing in on their natural talents, dedicating themselves to its development and not stopping until they had a hefty bank account. It just goes to show that you don't have to be born rich to become rich.
Pay day loan break-in suspect arrested
LDN Staff -
Thursday, March 25, 2010
MANISTEE TWP. — An 18-year-old Cadillac native was arrested this morning and charged with breaking into All Star Pay Day Loans on Parkdale Avenue.
Manistee County Sheriff’s Office deputies spotted the man, dressed in dark clothing, walking across the Burger King Restaurant parking lot at 3:43 a.m. today. During their investigation, they found he was carrying about $1,200 in cash and had placed duct tape on the bottoms of his shoes, which they said was in an effort to cover his shoe prints.
Police said the man then admitted breaking into the nearby All Star Pay Day Loans business. Entry was made to that business through the building’s east side door.
The man was arrested without incident, police said, and lodged at the Manistee County Jail for breaking and entering with intent, a 10-year felony.
March 27, 2010
Ex-cop accused of bank heists
Gladwin man arraigned in connection with East Lansing robberies
TAMMY STABLES BATTAGLIA
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
Memories of a 1996 bank robbery, high-speed chase and arrest of a Livonia police officer flooded back to Warren Lt. Michael Torey when he learned the former officer had been arrested again in East Lansing and was arraigned Friday.
"It was weird because he was a police officer when he was robbing banks," Torey said Friday about the 1996 saga of former Livonia cop Ronald Nelson, arrested Thursday as a suspect in a series of robberies in the East Lansing area. "It wasn't like he was fired or anything. He was still on the job. It was a weird feeling."
Nelson, who lives in Gladwin, ultimately was convicted of three robberies of what was the Standard Federal Bank on Schoenherr just south of 13 Mile Road.
Nelson served 12 years in prison, but was released within the past year, Torey said.
East Lansing police Capt. Tom Johnstone said area banks have been robbed five times since November. So when tellers at the Bank of America at 1390 W. Lake Lansing Road in East Lansing realized the man walking in at 9:30 a.m. matched photos of the suspect they had behind their counters, they immediately notified police with their panic buttons, Johnson said.
A radio broadcast alerted police jurisdictions in Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties.
St. John's police Lt. Michael Carey, who has been investigating the case since the first robbery in his city in November, immediately headed for Route 127 driving north out of East Lansing and parked along the side of the road.
Minutes later, the suspect's getaway car drove by. Following the car at posted speeds for more than 20 miles, calling for help from the Michigan State Police and other departments, Carey helped stop and arrest the suspect, Johnstone said.
"It was quite the scene," Johnstone said. "The officers initiated a felony stop with multiple vehicles, and he surrendered without incident."
Investigators for all the East Lansing-area communities that experienced bank robberies in the past few months are expected to meet within the next few days to file additional charges against the suspect, Johnstone said.
Watson/Getty