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Sunday, March 3, 2013

US seizes 2,200 pieces of artwork in NJ

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) ? The massive trove of artwork arrived in New Jersey last year from Texas on an 18-wheeler ? its contents a mystery.

After five days of inventory, the haul proved to be significant: more than 1,100 pieces of art, mostly works by some of the nation's most influential photographers, including Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Weston.

The valuable shipment was moved again to New York, but instead of being carefully exhibited in a home in Spain as planned, it ended up in the hands of federal authorities. By the end of an investigation, authorities had seized more than 2,200 works of art appraised at nearly $16 million.

On Friday, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Newark announced a Feb. 22 court filing that alleges the artwork was purchased with money collected in a scheme that sold fake credits for renewable energy. The complaint seeks to force the owner to forfeit the works.

Authorities said they were seized from a warehouse in New York in July weeks after being moved from Newark and readied for shipment to Spain via Amsterdam. The works include numerous prints by Stieglitz, including one of his famous artist wife, Georgia O'Keefe, that sold for $675,000. An Edward Steichen print titled "Greta Garbo for Vanity Fair Hollywood" was purchased for $75,000.

Authorities allege the artworks' owner, Philip Rivkin, used money fraudulently funneled through his Houston-based company, Green Diesel, to buy the art. Rivkin has not been formally charged with a crime.

Kyle Sampson, a lawyer for Rivkin, said Friday he was aware the forfeiture action was filed.

"We have not received formal notice of the forfeiture action, but I am aware that a complaint has been filed," he told The Associated Press. "We've been working for some time with the EPA in an effort to resolve their concerns and any other outstanding issues there may be."

A lawyer for Green Diesel declined comment in an email message.

Rivkin was owner and CEO of Green Diesel and a company called Fuel Streamers. Authorities allege in the complaint that Rivkin and others claimed the companies produced, purchased and imported renewable fuel. But authorities say the fuel did not exist.

By federal standards, the national stock of gasoline and diesel must contain a certain percentage of renewable fuel. Authorities allege oil companies, including Shell and Exxon, have reported a total of $78 million in losses from buying fake renewables from Green Diesel.

According to the complaint, an unnamed assistant for Rivkin told authorities that Rivkin controlled all financial accounts. "Money would come in and he (Rivkin) would move it out," the assistant told authorities.

Authorities allege Rivkin used Green Diesel's bank account and other accounts to buy at least $18 million in artwork. Rivkin tended to buy his photographs in groups, making it difficult to trace individual purchases, but authorities said they have matched 1,590 pieces of art to one credit card and four bank accounts.

In April 2012, the federal Environmental Protection Agency issued a notice of violation to Green Diesel, alleging it improperly generated credits that track and boost renewable fuel production. Authorities claim Rivkin arranged to have the art shipped out the year before, after learning of the investigation.

An EPA spokesman did not return a call for comment.

According to the complaint, Rivkin's assistant said Rivkin started purchasing vintage photographs after receiving the "EPA money." Much of the artwork was shipped from Houston to Newark and eventually bound for Spain, authorities said.

The assistant traveled to Geneva and Barcelona with Rivkin, the assistant told authorities. Rivkin stayed in Spain and when the assistant returned to the U.S. noticed that Rivkin's office was cleaned out and numerous documents were shredded, authorities said.

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Associated Press writer Geoff Mulvihill in Trenton contributed to this story.

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Follow Zezima at www.twitter.com/katiezez

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-03-01-US-Energy-Fraud-Artwork/id-aae52d50acb64bbca43cb0a392eaf0c0

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The Yeshiva World New Study Says Holocaust Infrastructure Was ...

aushn The Holocaust ? the systematic, state-sponsored murder, persecution and abuse of millions ? was far more shocking and horrific than even experts thought a few months ago.

New research shows that about 42,500 Nazi camps and ghettos stretched from Nazi-controlled France to Russia between 1933 and 1945, Hitler?s vicious reign of terror and darkness.

The prevalence of camps in Germany, in particular, astonished researcher Martin Dean. Berlin, for instance, had about 3,000 camps and Hamburg had 1,300 sites.

?You literally could not go anywhere in Germany without running into forced labor camps, P.O.W. camps, concentration camps,? said Dean. ?They were everywhere.?

Dean and fellow scholar Geoffrey Megargee presented their findings at the German Historical Institute in Washington in late January, reported The New York Times.

Megargee expected to find about 7,000 camps and ghettos when research began. The final number of 42,500 locations sent shudders throughout the room.

?The numbers are so much higher than what we originally thought,? institute director Hartmut Berghoff told the newspaper. ?We knew before how horrible life in the camps and ghettos was ? but the numbers are unbelievable.?

The research team uncovered 30,000 slave camps, 1,150 Jewish ghettos, 1,000 prisoner-of-war camps, 980 concentration camps, 500 sex-slave brothels and thousands of other camps serving a myriad of wicked ends: forced abortions, mandatory euthanasia of the elderly and ill, ?Germanisation? and transportation hubs to murder sites, according to the Times.

The team started its research in 2000 for a seven-volume encyclopedia published by the Holocaust Museum, who have already released the first two volumes and expect to release all seven by 2025.

(Source: NY Daily News)

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Source: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/?p=159125

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U.N.'s Ban, Syria mediator frustrated at failure to stop war

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon and Syria mediator Lakhdar Brahimi expressed frustration on Saturday at the failure to end Syria's conflict and said the United Nations was ready to facilitate peace talks.

Ban and Brahimi met in Mt. Pelerin, Switzerland, to discuss the two-year-old war that has killed more than 70,000 people.

In a joint statement, they said "they regretted that the government and armed opposition forces have become increasingly reckless with human life and stressed the importance of accountability for war crimes against humanity."

The conflict began as peaceful protests that turned violent when Syrian President Bashar al-Assad tried to crush the revolt.

"The United Nations would welcome and be prepared to facilitate a dialogue between a strong and representative delegation from the opposition and a credible and empowered delegation from the Syrian government," they said in a joint statement.

The U.N. Security Council has been deadlocked on Syria since 2011 over Russia and China's refusal to consider sanctions against Assad's government. They have vetoed three resolutions condemning Assad's crackdown on the opposition groups.

"Both expressed deep frustration at the failure of the international community to act with unity to end the conflict," the statement added.

Damascus and some opposition figures have recently softened their previous outright rejection of talks to resolve the civil war, with both saying they would consider talks with the other side, contingent on some conditions.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uns-ban-syria-mediator-frustrated-failure-stop-war-182746649.html

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The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: Full On Robocop 33

Keeping with a proud tradition set forth by films like The Matrix, The Terminator, Godfather, Karate Kid, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the third installment of the Robocop franchise was an unmitigated, series-killing, disaster. It represented the worst of early 90's action flicks. However, when BenJamin Wigmore compresses it from a 104 minute shit storm down to a mere 2:10, RC3's actually kind of entertaining. Or at least tolerable. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/jjwCreLv0E4/the-weirdest-thing-on-the-internet-tonight-full-on-robocop-33

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Lawson's jumper lifts Nuggets over Thunder 105-103

Denver Nuggets guard Ty Lawson reacts after hitting game-winning basket with two-tenths of a seond remaining in the fourth quarter of the Nuggets' 105-103 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in an NBA basketball game in Denver on Friday, March 1, 2013. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Wilson Chandler (21), de los Nuggets de Denver, prepara un tiro sobre Russell Westbrook, del Thunder de Oklahoma City, derecha, en el primer cuarto del juego del viernes 1 de marzo de 2013, en Denver. (Foto AP/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler, left, picks up a loose ball in front of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka, of the Congo, in the third quarter of the Nuggets' 105-103 victory in an NBA basketball game in Denver on Friday, March 1, 2013. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler, front, picks up a loose ball in front of Oklahoma City Thunder guard Kevin Martin in the fourth quarter of the Nuggets' 105-103 victory in an NBA basketball game in Denver on Friday, March 1, 2013. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, left, works ball inside for a shot against Denver Nuggets guard Andre Miller in the fourth quarter of the Nuggets' 105-103 victory in an NBA basketball game in Denver on Friday, March 1, 2013. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

DENVER (AP) ? Wilson Chandler tied his career high with 35 points and gladly watched Ty Lawson take the game-winning jumper.

"We've got a lot of guys who can score," Chandler said after Lawson's shot with 0.2 seconds left lifted the Denver Nuggets to a 105-103 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night.

"I'm good whether it's in Ty's hands, both Dre's (Andre Iguodala and Andre Miller), Corey (Brewer), Gallo (Danilo Gallinari), whoever."

After shooting 13 for 19, Chandler said he was thrilled just to be such a big part of a big week for the Nuggets, who ran all over the Lakers, snapped a long losing streak in Portland and then capped it off with a thunderous win over the star-studded Thunder.

Guarded tightly by Thabo Sefolosha, Lawson swished his jumper from just inside the 3-point arc on the right wing. With no time to catch and shoot, the Thunder failed to get off a final tip attempt after their timeout.

"At the end they made a tough shot to beat us," said Kevin Durant, who tied it with a driving bank shot with 17.6 seconds remaining.

Miller inbounded to Lawson, who never gave up the ball. He said his shot was the only option: "I was going to take the last shot, make sure it was the last shot, either make it or we go to overtime."

Russell Westbrook scored a season-high 38 points and Durant had 25 for the Thunder.

"You give Oklahoma City any time to shoot, K.D. and Russell are big shot-makers and we didn't want to give them a chance," Lawson said. "We were going to go to overtime or win in regulation."

The combined 63 points from Russell and Durant were almost double the 34 points Denver's starters scored.

"They're tough guards," Chandler said, "so you want to make them take tough shots. It's like trying to stop the sun from shining ? just hope for a cloudy day."

With Gallinari back in the starting lineup after missing two games with a bruised thigh, Chandler went back to being the Nuggets' sixth man and he led a bench that outscored the Thunder's reserves 71-11

"Say what?" Durant replied. "Jeesh. We've got to do a better job of helping them out, give them a better cushion."

Of course, Chandler was responsible for more than half of the Nuggets' points off the bench.

"That's a great asset to have," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "That's one of the strengths of their team. They're deep, they have a lot of good players that play, a lot of skill players. Thirty-five points, you don't expect that. He stepped up when the moment was needed and he made big shots."

Not even Chandler could have expected to score 35 points, though.

"Honestly, I thought I'd have a pretty good night but 35? No," Chandler said. "I was playing in my rhythm and taking open shots."

Nuggets coach George Karl said: "Well, we owe this one to Wilson Chandler. He was great. We wanted to play small against their big lineup because Scottie always gets small against me. So, the substitution was earlier and quicker and then he has a great game."

Chandler logged 35 minutes to Gallinari's 22.

The Nuggets improved to 25-3 at the Pepsi Center, including 2-0 against Oklahoma City, which has lost five of its last six road games. Only the Miami Heat, at 26-3, are better at home.

Oklahoma City trailed 85-75 heading into the fourth quarter but tied it at 91 on Westbrook's fast-break basket with just under 6 minutes left.

Westbrook's free throw with 3:17 left gave the Thunder their first lead of the second half, 97-96.

The Nuggets came back to take a 101-99 lead on Miller's finger roll, but Durant's two free throws tied it again.

Lawson missed a jumper just inside a minute and Durant missed at the other end.

Chandler's layup with 22.4 seconds left gave the Nuggets a 103-101 lead and gave him 35 points, tying his career high set in 2010 for the New York Knicks against Sacramento.

After a timeout, Durant's bank shot tied it at 103 and Denver called a timeout with 17.6 seconds remaining, then put the ball in Lawson's hands.

NOTES: The Thunder had hit 94 percent of their free throws (130 of 138) over their previous five games. They missed 10 of 34 attempts Friday night. Westbrook was 12 of 17 from the line ? same as the Nuggets. ... Denver C Timofey Mozgov played the final 0.2 seconds as Karl put his 7-footer on the inbounder. ... Durant played all but 21 seconds in the game and was never whistled for a foul, much to Karl's chagrin.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-03-02-BKN-Thunder-Nuggets/id-b36e06d6bd704cf3a4bc995b9bf0e351

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Bud Selig calls for tougher drug penalties

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig speask with reporters at a press conference regarding drug testing in major league baseball during a spring training baseball game at Salt River Fields near Scottsdale, Ariz., Saturday, March 2, 2013. He said he wants tougher penalties for major league players who violate the sport's drug agreement. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Cheryl Evans) MARICOPA COUNTY OUT; MAGS OUT; NO SALES

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) ? Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig called for tougher penalties for major leaguers who violate the sport's drug agreement, a move the union is willing to consider but not for the 2013 season.

Speaking at a news conference Saturday at the Arizona Diamondbacks' spring training ballpark, Selig said last year's positive drug test for All-Star game MVP Melky Cabrera and allegations players received banned substances from a now-closed Florida anti-aging clinic helped lead him to seek stiffer penalties as quickly as possible.

He declined to give specifics, saying MLB Executive Vice President Rob Manfred and players' union head Michael Weiner will meet.

Weiner said Monday that some players have expressed support for tougher penalties. Selig said he was encouraged by Weiner's comments.

"The players have been discussing whether changes in the penalties are warranted since the offseason," Weiner said Saturday during a telephone interview. "As I've said throughout spring training, there's a variety of player views on this subject. In fact, during the offseason we suggested to the commissioner's office the possibility of differential penalties, namely advanced penalties for certain intentional violations but reduced penalties for negligent violations.

"That format was not of interest to MLB at that time. We look forward to ongoing negotiations over the drug program, but any change in the penalties would be a 2014 issue. It would be unfair to change the drug-testing rules now that the 2013 program has begun to be implemented."

MLB and the union started urine testing with an anonymous survey in 2003 and added penalties in 2004, when a first offense resulted in counseling. A 10-day suspension for a first offense was instituted for 2005, and the current discipline structure has been in place since the 2006 season: 50 games for an initial PEDs infraction, 100 games for a second and a lifetime ban for a third. No player has reached the third level.

The initial penalty for a stimulants offense is follow-up testing, with a 25-game penalty for a second violation, 80 games for a third and the discipline for additional offenses to be determined by the commissioner under a "just cause" standard.

Selig wants a tougher penalty for first-time offenders.

"There's no question about that," he said.

Twelve players were given 10-day suspensions in 2005. Thirty suspensions have been announced from 2006 on, including just two 100-game bans ? to pitcher Guillermo Mota and catcher Eliezer Alfonzo. The penalty for Alfonzo was cut to 48 games because of procedural issues similar to the ones that led an arbitrator last year to overturn Ryan Braun's positive test for elevated testosterone before a suspension was announced.

Suspensions for positive urine samples announced in 2012 increased to eight, when Cabrera, Bartolo Colon and Yasmani Grandal all tested positive for testosterone.

"We've made meaningful adjustments to our testing, and the time has come to make meaningful adjustments to our penalties," Selig said. "There is no question that there have been enough events that say to me the program is good, but apparently the penalties haven't deterred some people."

Players and management added spring training blood testing for human growth hormone last year and in January announced a deal expanding it to the regular season. Also in January, they said the World Anti-Doping Agency laboratory in Laval, Quebec, will keep records of each player, including his baseline ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone. The lab will conduct Carbon Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) tests of any urine specimens that "vary materially."

MLB was the first major sports league in North America to test for HGH.

Selig said those who have violated the anti-drug rules are "a very small percentage" of players.

"A great majority really, really have been terrific," Selig said, "and I give the players' association a lot of credit. We had lots of problems two decades ago, 10 years ago, but I'm confident that Michael and Rob will sit down, because I feel very strongly about this."

Cabrera, who was leading the NL in hitting for the San Francisco Giants, was suspended for 50 games last year. After asking for a rules change that prevented him from winning the NL batting title, he signed a $16 million, two-year contract with Toronto during the offseason.

Selig would not comment on the now-defunct Biogenesis of America clinic in Coral Gables, Fla., other than to say it is the subject of a "very thorough investigation" by MLB.

The facility was alleged in media reports to have provided performance-enhancing substances to several players, including Cabrera, Alex Rodriguez and Nelson Cruz. The players have denied they obtained banned drugs from the clinic. MLB has been trying to obtain purported records of the clinic posted online by The Miami New Times, which initially revealed the allegations.

"The program is working fine," Selig said, "but I've come to the conclusion the more I've thought about this that obviously there are some people, small in number, who need to be given a tougher lesson."

In the year ending with the 2012 World Series, there were seven positives for performance-enhancing substances and 11 for stimulants among 3,955 urine tests and 1,181 blood tests, according to a report issued in November by baseball's independent program administrator, Dr. Jeffrey M. Anderson.

"We're way ahead of what anybody could have thought, but my father used to tell me life is nothing but a series of adjustments," Selig said, "and this is an adjustment that you have to make based on what you see."

Joe Torre and Tony La Russa, retired managers who work for Major League Baseball, both voiced support for the tougher penalties at Selig's news conference.

Torre, the former New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers skipper who will manage the United States in the World Baseball Classic, said it is important to remove questions fans may have about whether players are clean.

"Until we can gain the total respect back from fans and have them trust us again, we've got work to do," he said.

La Russa, longtime manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, said although the punishment already is severe, it apparently isn't enough.

"Just make that risk so punishing that we can eliminate this," he said.

Selig said stiffer penalties are in the best interest of baseball.

"Anybody who will be dismayed by this announcement is living in a world that I don't understand," he said, "and in my own feeling frankly doesn't exist."

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AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.

___

Follow Bob Baum at www.twitter.com/Thebaumerphx

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-03-02-BBO-Selig-Drugs/id-47028f63ee5e46a4a08a7f022f0ee699

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Rodman: Kim Jong Un wants Obama to 'call him'

In his first interview since returning to the U.S. from an unprecedented visit to North Korea last week, former NBA star Dennis Rodman said he bears a message for President Obama from the country's oppressive leader, Kim Jong Un.

"He wants Obama to do one thing: Call him," Rodman told ABC's George Stephanopoulos on "This Week." "He said, 'If you can, Dennis - I don't want [to] do war. I don't want to do war.' He said that to me."

The athlete even offered Kim some diplomatic advice for potential future talks with President Obama.

"[Kim] loves basketball. And I said the same thing, I said, 'Obama loves basketball.' Let's start there," Rodman said.

Rodman's comments come just days after the basketball star shocked the world with an unexpected trip to Pyongyang, North Korea, becoming the first known American to publicly meet with the mysterious Kim since he assumed command of the totalitarian nation after the death of his father, Kim Jong-Il in 2011.

The young leader has defied U.N. sanctions by continuing to develop North Korea's nuclear arms and missile program, which he says is aimed at the U.S.

Kim is often regarded as one of the world's most oppressive leaders, presiding over prison camps and allowing millions of his own people to starve.

PHOTOS: Kim Jong Un Through the Years

In a bizarre display of basketball diplomacy, Rodman went on the record to offer highest praise for Kim Thursday, telling reporters, "I love him. He's awesome." Today on "This Week," Rodman didn't apologize for those comments.

"No, I'm not apologiz[ing] for him," Rodman said. "You know, he's a good guy to me. Guess what? He's my friend. I don't condone what he does ? [but] as a person to person - he's my friend."

PHOTOS: Dennis Rodman Goes to North Korea

Rodman traveled through Pyongyang with members of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team and a camera crew from the upcoming HBO series, "VICE." Kim warmly welcomed the Americans, with an itinerary that included ice skating, an aquarium visit and a long dinner and drinks.

During his visit, Rodman sat court side with Kim as they took in an exhibition basketball face-off with the Globetrotters and North Korean players. Kim, like his late father, is said to be a devoted basketball fan - especially for the 1990's-era Chicago Bulls championship teams, which included Rodman. Rodman stood up to give a speech to the basketball crowd, at one point telling Kim, "You have a friend for life."

Despite the unlikely pairing, Rodman said he has something in common with Kim and the North Korean people: a love of basketball.

"I'm not a politician. Kim Jung Un & North Korean people are basketball fans," he tweeted. "I love everyone. Period. End of story."

Dennis Rodman Through The Years

The U.S. State Department had no involvement in the visit, and officials say they have no plans to debrief Rodman after his meeting with one of the world's most mysterious leaders. Col. Steve Ganyard, USMC (Ret.), a former deputy assistant secretary of state and ABC News consultant, told ABC's Martha Raddatz the State Department's decision is "ridiculous."

"There is nobody at the CIA who can tell you more personally about Kim Jong Un than Dennis Rodman, and that in itself is scary," Ganyard said.

Still, Rodman thinks there are more trips to North Korea in his future.

"I'm not like a diplomat," Rodman told George Stephanopoulos. "I'm [going to] go back, do one thing and find out more, what's going on. Find out more."

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