SDB Evening News Reads for 051611

Today’s reads are going to be a bit on the “quick” side.  Here is the scope on what has happened today.

I.M.F. Chief Is Held Without Bail – NYTimes.com

Pool photo by Richard Drew

Dominique Strauss-Kahn waited to be arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on Monday.

Prosecutors had asked the judge, Melissa C. Jackson, supervising judge of Manhattan Criminal Court, to remand Mr. Strauss-Kahn, 62, contending that he was a flight risk. They also indicated that a similar attack may have occurred.

“Some of this information include reports that he has in fact engaged in conduct similar to the conduct alleged in this complaint on at least one other occasion,” said John McConnell, an assistant district attorney, adding that the district attorney’s office was still investigating the other occasion, which occurred outside the United States.

Look at the man’s expression as he waits for his case to be heard…defiant and annoyed are the words that come to mind. What do you think?

At least Judge Melissa C Jackson didn’t buy the defense reasons for Stauss-Kahn’s quick get away.

Indeed, Judge Jackson, before ordering remand, indicated that she was concerned about Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s needing to be stopped at the airport.

“When I hear that your client was at J.F.K. Airport about to board a flight,” she said, “that raises some concern.”

Mr. Strauss-Kahn has been charged with various counts of sexual assault including attempted rape, sexual abuse and criminal sexual act. He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

After Judge Jackson announced that Mr. Strauss-Kahn would be held without bail, Mr. Brafman asked if she would be amenable to changing her decision if he were able to strike a deal with the Manhattan district attorney’s office in which his client would wear an ankle monitor. Judge Jackson indicated that she would not change her ruling, meaning that Mr. Brafman may have to make a bail appeal to the appellate court.

It is so good to see that this Judge is standing ground on violence against women. After the crap we have seen from another Judge last week, the one that would not approve the TRO for Planned Parenthood’s Defunding in Indiana, seeing this Judge actions is very encouraging.

The International Court may be getting a warrant issued for Gadaffi and his son and brother in-law for crimes against humanity.

 Court Prosecutor Seeks Warrant for Qaddafi – NYTimes.com

The chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, said that Colonel Qaddafi, his son Seif al-Islam Qaddafi and his brother-in-law Abdullah al-Sanousi formed an inner circle that crushed peaceful demonstrations and ordered the use of live ammunition and heavy weapons against protestors.

He said he had “direct evidence” that the three men held meetings to plan and direct the operations. Mr. Qaddafi’s “second-eldest son, Seif al-Islam, is a de facto prime minister, and Abdullah al-Sanousi is his right-hand man, his executioner,” Mr. Moreno-Ocampo said.

A three-judge panel will decide whether to issue arrest warrants. Mr. Moreno-Ocampo seemed to send a clear message from Western governments when he said that it was not up to others, or NATO, but to Libyans themselves to make any arrests.

On the matter of war crimes, in Sudan Ahmed Haroun, was re-elected by 6,5000 votes on Sunday.  Sudan war crimes suspect re-elected – Africa – Al Jazeera English

A Sudanese official wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague on war crimes charges has been re-elected governor of a central state in Sudan, according to the country’s electoral commission.

Ahmed Haroun, the candidate for the ruling National Congress Party, defeated the candidate for the opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement [SPLM] by 6,500 votes in an election on Sunday.

That allows him to remain governor of Southern Kordofan state, a post he was appointed to in 2009.

Haroun faces charges of murder, rape and the forced expulsion of civilians in Darfur.

He is a staunch ally of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is also wanted by the Netherlands-based tribunal over the conflict in the western Darfur region.

Questions are being raised about possible fraud and rigged elections.

The NYT is reporting that opening the spillways is “working.”  Opening of Spillway Seen to Relieve Pressure on River – NYTimes.com

The opening of the Morganza spillway has relieved pressure on levees downriver, leading officials to believe that the Mississippi River will crest at Baton Rouge and New Orleans sooner and at lower levels than had once been predicted.

This next link is something that I noticed while doing Google searches on finding abortion providers in Georgia.  ThinkProgress » Anti-Abortion Group Uses Google Ads To Misdirect Women Seeking Abortions

An anti-abortion group called Online for Life is buying up Google ad space as part of a campaign to deliberately mislead and misdirect women seeking information about abortions on the internet, the Washington Independent reported Friday. In order to “intercept” “abortion-determined” women who try to find service providers online, the Texas-based group has made their deceptive ads some of the first hits women see when they use Google to search for “abortion” in certain cities. Several of the ads trick women by appearing to offer full-service medical counseling, but instead re-route them to “crisis pregnancy centers” that perform ultrasounds and try to scare women out of having abortions by telling them false or misleading information about the risks of the procedure.

Online for Life explains the strategy on its website under the heading “Rescuing pre-born babies from abortion using the Internet”

I don’t have time to discuss this right now…I’ve got to go and pick up my former fetus from cheerleading practice. Damn PLUBs.

Over in Indiana, Planned Parenthood is getting a surge in donations. Good. Indiana Planned Parenthood Sees Flood Of Donations After Defunding

Nicole Robbins, 31, is a single mother in Indianapolis, Indiana, who has been visiting Planned Parenthood for pap tests, breast exams and birth control for nearly six years. Last week, she received some bad news: they can no longer legally accept her Medicaid payments.

“I’m frustrated,” she told HuffPost. “Where do I go now? I know the doctor there, I know the people there, I know it’s confidential, I can always call with any questions or concerns. I don’t want to have to go somewhere else.”

[…]

Robbins, who is currently on administrative leave from her nursing home job and thus not earning any income, said the staff at her local Planned Parenthood referred her to the Health Advantage program at Wishard Hospital in Indianapolis, a managed care program for low-income and uninsured patients. But the hospital is much more difficult to get to from her house than the Planned Parenthood clinic, and there are many unknowns involved: Will she qualify for the program? Will they offer all the same family planning services as Planned Parenthood? Will there be a long waiting list for appointments?

The actions of Gov. Daniels is more oppressive to women than just making it even harder for them to get an abortion.  We all know that. And with the cost of gas and the fact that most women will have to drive further to get health care,  it just adds more misery and hardship to women who are already having a hell of a time in this economy.  Assholes.

Be sure to post some links in the comments, I look forward to reading them when I get back from town.