NBey6's Blog

"Spontaneity is total sincerity - and as a rule the civilized adult is goaded into it only by despair, suffering or imminent death."

- Alan Watts -

U.S. arrests 10 for spying for Russia

By Jeremy Pelofsky

Jeremy Pelofsky

17 mins ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. authorities said on Monday they have broken up a spy ring that carried out deep-cover work in the United States to recruit political sources and gather information for the Russian government.

Authorities charged 11 individuals with the plot, 10 of whom were arrested on Sunday in Boston, New York, New Jersey and Virginia on charges including conspiracy to act as unlawful agents of the Russian Federation and money laundering.

The group, dubbed the "Illegals", was accused of being tasked by the Russian intelligence agency SVR to enter the United States, assume false identities and become "deep-cover" Americans, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

Their goal was to "become sufficiently 'Americanized' such that they can gather information about the United States for Russia and can successfully recruit sources who are in, or are able to infiltrate, United States policy-making circles," according to criminal complaints filed in U.S. federal court.

However, they were not assigned to collect classified, secret information, a Justice Department official said. Most are believed to be originally from Russia and trained to secretly infiltrate the United States.

News of the bust comes just days after President Barack Obama met with Russian Dmitry Medvedev to continue repairing a relationship between the two nations that has been fractured over diverging foreign policies and business matters.

An attempt to reach a representative at the Russian embassy in Washington was not immediately successful. U.S. law bars individuals from acting on behalf of foreign states without notifying the U.S. government.

WIRETAPS AND BUGGED HOMES

The arrests are the culmination of a multi-year investigation that used extensive surveillance of communications and wiretaps, including putting listening devices into the homes of the accused individuals.

The FBI decrypted a coded message in 2009 sent to two of the individuals accused of being part of the ring. The message instructed them to "search and develop ties in policymaking circles in US and send intels" back to Moscow, according to court papers.

The individuals were accused of collecting information ranging from research programs on small yield, high penetration nuclear warheads and the global gold market to trying to obtain background information about people who applied for jobs at the Central Intelligence Agency, according to court papers.

One of the individuals charged, Christopher Metsos who is still at large, was accused of receiving and doling out money to the group, including getting payments during a brush-pass with a Russian government official who was affiliated with the Russian Mission to the United Nations in New York, according to the Justice Department.

Metsos also buried some money in rural New York that was later recovered about two years later by two others in the group who had traveled from Seattle.

Nine of the individuals were accused of conspiracy to commit money laundering related to their activities.

In another instance, one defendant was accused of receiving $80,000 for some of the group from a representative of the Russian government while in an unnamed South American country, according the criminal complaints.

Those charged include: Metsos, Richard Murphy, Cynthia Murphy, Donald Heathfield, Tracey Lee Ann Foley, Michael Zottoli, Patricia Mills, Juan Lazaro, Vicky Pelaez, Anna Chapman and Mikhail Semenko. All but Metsos were arrested on Sunday.

TIW 6-28-10 IN Midday

Winning Numbers: 228 & 9940

529, 632, 765, 724, 793, 946, 810, 354
6037, 2605, 3182, 5710, 5492, 7269, 7539
4163, 4865, 4827, 4230, 1689, 0839, 9104

724, 835, 946, 057, 168, 279, 380, 491, 502, 613

4230, 4231, 4232, 4233, 4234, 4235, 4236, 4237, 4238, 4239

0230, 1230, 2230, 3230, 4230, 5230, 6230, 7230, 8230, 9230

79 and/or 24 pairs

Updated: June 28, 2010, 1:44 PM ET

Dempster: Up to Zambrano to apologize

ESPNChicago.com

Carlos Zambrano will have no trouble getting a second chance with fellow pitcher Ryan Dempster as long as the suspended former Chicago Cubs ace apologizes for his dugout tirade.

Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster joins "The Waddle & Silvy Show" to discuss Carlos Zambrano's dugout tirade and the fallout since.

Zambrano, who has a history of outbursts, unleashed a tirade against his teammates and had to be separated from Derrek Lee in the dugout after allowing four runs in the first inning of a 6-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Friday. He was sent home by manager Lou Piniella, suspended indefinitely by the team and won't have a spot in the rotation when he comes back.

Dempster said it's up to Zambrano, who is still waiting to find out how long he has been suspended by the Cubs, to help his teammates move past the incident.

"I think that's up to him," Dempster said Monday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000. "When you do those things and react the way he did you have to be the one to stand up and go out there and accept responsibility. I think he will be willing to do that but we'll have to wait and see. I can't make speculations because I don't know what's going to happen. Whatever happens, happens and we're just worried about going out and winning the ball game tonight."

Zambrano, who is three years into a five-year, $91.5 million contract, is 3-6 with a 5.66 ERA and recently rejoined the starting rotation after spending five weeks in the bullpen.

Zambrano further angered the Cubs when he went out to dinner with White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen hours after his tirade. Cubs general manager Jim Hendry and Piniella expressed their frustration with Zambrano's decision over the weekend, but Dempster said it didn't bother him.

"Me? Would I do it? No. But to each their own," Dempster said. "When you're away from the field you can go hang out with whoever you want to hang out with and have dinner with whoever you want to eat with. I know [Zambrano and Guillen] are really good friends away from the field, and they talk a lot and they see each other a lot in the offseason. He's free to do whatever he wants."

Monday, June 28, 2010
Serena, Venus advance at Wimbledon

Associated Press

WIMBLEDON, England -- Defending champion Serena Williams overcame Maria Sharapova 7-6 (9), 6-4 on Monday to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals and avenge her loss to the Russian in the 2004 final.

In another marquee women's matchup, Kim Clijsters rallied to beat Justine Henin 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 in an all-Belgian duel between former No. 1-ranked players making Wimbledon comebacks after returning from retirement.

Five-time women's winner Venus Williams also advanced.

Serena Williams served 19 aces for the second straight match -- taking her total to 63 for the tournament -- and held off the resurgent Sharapova in a tight battle on Centre Court.

"I don't serve like this too often," Williams said. "I don't know what it is about this court that makes me serve well."

Williams, who hit four aces in the opening game, saved three set points in the tiebreaker to stay in command.

"I played really well and I thought I had my chances," said Sharapova, who hurt her own cause with seven double faults. "If it was not for her really great serving, I certainly had a real good look at winning the match."

In 2004, Sharapova -- 17 years old at the time -- stunned Williams 6-1, 6-4 for her first Grand Slam title.

"That was so long ago that I don't think it gives me any more added or any less satisfaction," Williams said after Monday's match. "We're both different players. She's obviously improved. Hopefully I've improved since six years ago."

Sharapova came back from 3-1 down in the first set and had Williams on the ropes in the tiebreaker, but failed to convert. Leading 6-4, she hit a forehand into the net before Williams smacked a forehand winner to make it 6-6.

With Sharapova up 8-7, Williams hit a service winner to save another set point. At 9-all, Sharapova double-faulted. Williams then converted her third set point with her 13th ace.

Serving for the match in the second set, Williams hit another ace and a service winner. She finished with 31 winners and 17 errors, while Sharapova had 14 winners and 18 errors.

"I had a few looks at her serve, but even when you had a good look and the ball's coming at you in 120s [mph], it's pretty tough to do much with it," Sharapova said.

Clijsters came from a set down against Henin and is now 13-12 in career meetings against her compatriot.

Henin received treatment on her right elbow on three changeovers after slipping and falling to the turf as she charged to the net at 2-1 in the first set. She said the elbow was "quite painful" and bothered her on her serves and backhands, but didn't know the extent of the problem.

"I don't really know how it affected [the match]," said Henin, who has seven Grand Slam titles but has yet to win Wimbledon. "We'll see in the next few days."

Henin seemed in complete command after easily winning the first set, but Clijsters -- a two-time U.S. Open champion -- lifted her game in the second.

Clijsters made the decisive break in the eighth game of the final set after Henin sailed a forehand long, then served out the match. The two exchanged kisses on the cheek at the net.

"I can't believe we're back to this after so many years of battling against each other," Clijsters said. "I think this was our 25th battle, so we go way back but we play really good tennis and I think we showed some good stuff out there today."

Venus Williams overcame a tough challenge from the lowest-ranked player left in the draw. The second-seeded Williams broke back twice to stay in the second set, then escaped in the tiebreaker to complete a 6-4, 7-6 (5) victory on Court 2 over 92nd-ranked Jarmila Groth of Australia.

"There wasn't a lot of room for error for either one of us against each other's serve," Williams said. "She played really well today. I didn't think she made too many errors. Just really played some smart tennis and took advantage of opportunities. I played well at the end to close it out."

The victory sent Williams into her 31st Grand Slam quarterfinal and improved her record to 12-0 in fourth-round matches at the All England Club. She could potentially face Serena in Saturday's final.

Vera Zvonareva advanced when fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic retired with a back injury while trailing 6-1, 3-0. It's the fourth time the Serb has gone out in the fourth round here, while the Russian made it to the quarters for the first time. She will next face Clijsters.

Third-seeded Caroline Wozniacki lost 6-2, 6-0 in just 46 minutes to unseeded Czech Petra Kvitova. The 19-year-old Dane, last year's U.S. Open runner-up, was overwhelmed by the 62nd-ranked Kvitova, managing just four winners to her opponent's 23.

Also making the quarters were No. 9 Li Na of China, Tzvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria and qualifier Kaia Kanepi of Estonia.

Midday & Evening

** until 6-30-10 **

0123 0127 0136 0145 0159 0168 0235 0249 0258 0267 0289 0348 0357 0379 0456 0469 0478 0568 0789 1234 1239 1248 1257 1279 1347 1356 1369 1378 1459 1468 1567 1689 2346 2359 2368 2458 2467 2589 2679 3457 3489 3579 3678 4569 4578 4789 5689 0015 0019 0024 0028 0037 0046 0069 0078 1104 1108 1126 1135 1149 1158 1167 1189 2206 2215 2238 2247 2256 2269 2278 3304 3309 3318 3327 3345 3349 3358 3367 4402 4407 4416 4425 4429 4438 4456 4479 5509 5514 5518 5523 5527 5536 5568 6603 6607 6612 6625 6634 6639 6648 6657 6679 7701 7705 7714 7719 7723 7728 7746 7759 7768 8803 8812 8817 8826 8835 8839 8857 9901 9906 9915 9924 9928 9937 9946 9978 0001 0006 1113 1117 2220 2224 2229 3331 3336 4443 4447 5550 5554 5559 6661 7773 8880 8884 8889 9991 9996 0033 0055 1122 1144 2233 3399 4488 5577 5599 6688 6666 7777

Midday & Evening

** until 6-30-10 **

0123 0127 0136 0145 0159 0168 0235 0249 0258 0267 0289 0348 0357 0379 0456 0469 0478 0568 0789 1234 1239 1248 1257 1279 1347 1356 1369 1378 1459 1468 1567 1689 2346 2359 2368 2458 2467 2589 2679 3457 3489 3579 3678 4569 4578 4789 5689 0015 0019 0024 0028 0037 0046 0069 0078 1104 1108 1126 1135 1149 1158 1167 1189 2206 2215 2238 2247 2256 2269 2278 3304 3309 3318 3327 3345 3349 3358 3367 4402 4407 4416 4425 4429 4438 4456 4479 5509 5514 5518 5523 5527 5536 5568 6603 6607 6612 6625 6634 6639 6648 6657 6679 7701 7705 7714 7719 7723 7728 7746 7759 7768 8803 8812 8817 8826 8835 8839 8857 9901 9906 9915 9924 9928 9937 9946 9978 0001 0006 1113 1117 2220 2224 2229 3331 3336 4443 4447 5550 5554 5559 6661 7773 8880 8884 8889 9991 9996 0033 0055 1122 1144 2233 3399 4488 5577 5599 6688 6666 7777

TIW 6-28-10 MO Midday

Winning Numbers: 208 & 2544

507, 490, 345, 306, 379, 764, 218, 956
8301, 9837, 0259, 7123, 7649, 1984, 1704
6280, 6587, 6591, 6903, 2854, 3504, 4236

306, 417, 528, 639, 740, 851, 962, 073, 184, 295

0903, 1903, 2903, 3903, 4903, 5903, 6903, 7903, 8903, 9903

6900, 6901, 6902, 6903, 6904, 6905, 6906, 6907, 6908, 6909

85 and/or 30 pairs

If they can do it, we can too!!

Well please don't do it this way!!!!!

The number 82 player in the world, Yen-Hsun Lu of Chinese Taipei has just beaten the American, Andy Roddick, the number 7 player in the world, in a 5 set match that lasted 4 hrs and 36 mins. Andy was the last American man standing, until this loss, and now they're all gone as Sam Querry was beaten in straight sets earlier today by Andy Murray. The final score line between Lu, Yen-Hsun and Roddick, Andy was 4-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(4), (5)6-7, 9-7 and now Lu will have to face Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the quarterfinals. Maybe next year, Andy!!

Updated: June 28, 2010, 9:41 AM ET

Researchers find brain trauma in Henry

By Peter Keating
ESPN The Magazine
Archive

Chris Henry, the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver who died in a traffic accident last year, had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) -- a form of degenerative brain damage caused by multiple hits to the head -- at the time of his death, according to scientists at the Brain Injury Research Institute, a research center affiliated with West Virginia University.

"We would have been very happy if the results had been negative, but multiple areas of Chris Henry's brain showed CTE," said Julian Bailes, Director of BIRI and chairman of neurosurgery at West Virginia. Bailes and his colleagues plan to present results of their forensic examination at a news conference Monday afternoon.

Researchers have now discovered CTE in the brains of more than 50 deceased former athletes, including more than a dozen NFL and college players, pro wrestler Chris Benoit and NHL player Reggie Fleming.

Repeated blows to the head are the only known cause of CTE, researchers say. Concussive hits can trigger a buildup of toxic tau protein within the brain, which in turn can create damaging tangles and threads in the neural fibers that connect brain tissue. Victims can lose control of their impulses, suffer depression and memory loss, and ultimately develop dementia.

While the links between CTE and behavior are still being studied, many of the former athletes diagnosed with this form of brain damage died under unusual circumstances. Ex-Steeler Justin Strzelczyk, for example, was killed in 2004 after experiencing hallucinations, leading police on a high-speed chase for 40 miles before driving his car into a tanker truck. In 2007, Benoit strangled his wife and 7-year-old son, then put Bibles next to their bodies and hanged himself. Tom McHale, a guard for three NFL teams remembered by teammates as smart and dependable, sank into depression and died of a multiple-drug overdose in 2008.

Henry, 26, died on Dec. 17, 2009, a day after he either jumped or fell from the back of a moving pickup truck being driven by his fiancee, Loleini Tonga. The two had been involved in a dispute before Tonga got into the truck and Henry jumped in. One witness told reporters that Henry said, "If you take off, I'm going to jump off the truck and kill myself."

It is still not clear whether Henry jumped or fell, but as Tonga was driving at about 19 miles per hour, Henry crashed to the ground, suffering a fractured skull and massive head injuries. Police ruled the incident an accident. No traces of alcohol were found in a toxicology report, which didn't include any other tests for drugs. No charges were filed against Tonga.

After Henry's death, his mother, Carolyn Henry Glaspy, gave BIRI permission to examine his brain in detail.

CTE can be pinpointed only by autopsy, and even under regular post-mortem analysis, its effects are invisible. But using cell-staining techniques discovered and developed by Bennet Omalu, a neuropathologist who is co-director of BIRI, scientists can see the dangerous tau proteins and telltale tangles that characterize CTE. After staining, normal brain cells are blue and uncluttered under a microscope, while Henry's brain cells were discolored, clumpy and filled with threads, according to the researchers.

Now, Bailes -- and likely Henry's family, friends and fans -- will wonder if his neural damage contributed to his emotional volatility, including whatever problems he was suffering the day he died.

"I think it did," Bailes said. "Superimposed on the acute brain injuries Chris suffered when he died, there was fairly extensive damage throughout his brain that was fully consistent with CTE. This syndrome is expressed not only as changes in the brain, but clinically, as behavioral changes. And starting with Mike Webster, we have seen common threads in these cases: emotional disturbances, depression, failed personal relationships and businesses, suicidal thoughts, sometimes alcohol or drug use."

"I'm just trying to learn what happened, and what the situation was with Chris' brain," Glaspy said. "Whatever I can do to help anyone else who is going through this, I'm willing to do."

For years, the NFL and its affiliated researchers disputed a scientific evidence linking concussions to long-term brain damage. However, referring to reports of CTE among former players, NFL Head, Neck and Spine Committee co-chair Richard Ellenbogen told The New York Times earlier this month, "They aren't assertions or hype -- they are facts."

In April, the league announced a $1-million gift to the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University.

Henry, a native of Belle Chasse, La., played collegiately at West Virginia and was a third-round pick by the Bengals in 2005. He played for five tumultuous seasons in the NFL; he was arrested five times during his pro career, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended him for the first half of the 2007 season for violating the league's personal conduct policy.

But after Cincinnati brought him back in 2008, Henry vowed to put his substance abuse and anger management issues behind him. And he had been succeeding, according to teammates as well as Bengals officials.

Updated: June 28, 2010, 2:40 PM ET

Capriati stable; full recovery expected

Associated Press

Former tennis star Jennifer Capriati was recovering Monday from an accidental overdose of prescribed medication, a family spokeswoman said.

The 34-year-old Capriati, once ranked No. 1 in a career sidetracked by personal troubles, was in stable condition and expected to make a full recovery, spokeswoman Lacey Wickline told The Associated Press. She declined to identify the medication.

[+] Enlarge

Gary Gershoff/Getty ImagesJennifer Capriati, seen at the U.S. Open in 2008, is said to be in stable condition and expected to recover.

Capriati was rushed to a South Florida hospital early Sunday morning, she said. Wickline would not say how Capriati was found or who called emergency services.

"In response to an outpouring of concern and support shown by Jennifer's fans and friends worldwide, we would like to acknowledge that Jen is recuperating at a South Florida hospital from an accidental overdose of medication prescribed to Jen by her personal physician," Wickline said. "Jen is recovering fully and stably."

"The Capriati family asks that you respect our privacy at this time. As we will provide updates when available," she added.

Public records show Capriati owns a condo on Singer Island in Palm Beach County, Fla. Riviera Beach police and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, which oversee the area, did not have a record of what happened. Nearby hospitals did not have a patient listed under Capriati's name.

Celebrity website TMZ first reported that Capriati was hospitalized.

At Wimbledon, Venus and Serena Williams paused after wins Monday to extend their concern.

"I probably will definitely see how that goes and pray for everyone involved," Serena Williams said. "If there's any way I can do anything to help, reach out, I definitely will do that."

Added Venus Williams: "I remember her match against Monica in the semifinals of the [French] Open. I remember watching that and just thinking how great that tennis was. So definitely a lot of fond memories just watching her growing up, and obviously even playing against her, respecting her game so much."

Capriati won three majors -- two Australian Opens, one French Open -- and a gold medal in the 1992 Olympics. She also was the youngest semifinalist at the French Open in 1990, when at age 14 she lost to eventual champion Monica Seles.

But the child prodigy burned out of tennis and retired several times from a game she had been pushed to play nearly her entire life.

She was arrested in 1993 for shoplifting at a Florida mall, and again in 1994 for marijuana possession. She came back strong several times, however, from personal issues and injuries.

Capriati reached the U.S. Open semifinals in 2003, losing to Justine Henin. She failed to gain any momentum from that run, and soon faded from the game again.

I watched the BET Awards last night and it had to be the best that I've seen in years. Eminem, Diddy - Dirty Money and Chris Brown stole the show!! Here is Chris Brown's performance......it was epic!!

Monday 6-28-10 Monday

682, 800, 998, 578, 057, 263, 367, 370, 316, 168

186, 322, 820, 074, 374, 455, 060, 674, 657, 907

639, 267, 923, 140, 542, 027, 798, 782, 530, 742

7005, 1863, 1549, 9441, 6633, 1188, 2608, 1100