Papers: Strauss-Kahn claimed to have diplomatic immunity
Coach Sunglasses Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former chief of the International Monetary
Fund, at first claimed to have diplomatic immunity when he was taken into custody, but later said he was not invoking it, according to a new prosecution
document.
Strauss-Kahn told a Port Authority detective, "I have diplomatic immunity," according to a transcript in the document. But four hours later, he told a New
York Police officer with the Manhattan Special Victims squad, "No, no, no, I'm not trying to use that. I just want to know if I need a lawyer."
Strauss-Kahn pleaded not guilty June 6 to seven charges involving a May 14 incident in which a housekeeping employee at New York's Sofitel hotel accused him
of sexual assault.
Air Max ShoesThe IMF has said Strauss-Kahn would have been entitled to diplomatic immunity only if his
alleged crime involved official fund business, which is not the case in this situation.
Strauss-Kahn repeatedly questioned why he was being detained, at one point asking, "What is this about?"
When he was approached by Port Authority officers on an Air France flight at John F. Kennedy International Airport, the first thing he said was, "Do you have
my cell phone?" The report shows he called the hotel several times, looking for a phone he thought he left behind.
Later that night, just before 11 p.m., he was asked whether he'd like to speak to detectives about the incident. nike dunk shoes He responded, "My attorney has told me not to talk. I was ready to talk."
Strauss-Kahn, who was considered a front-runner in France's presidential race before his arrest, faces charges including criminal sexual acts and sexual
abuse.
His attorney, Ben Brafman, declined to comment on details of the case in a brief statement outside the courtroom after entering the plea.
"We intend to defend this case and defend it vigorously, but we are going to do so in the courtroom," Brafman said, renewing statements that evidence in the
case will reveal his client is innocent.
The new court filing indicates that several reports will be forthcoming, including a medical examination of the housekeeping employee, DNA reports, a sexual
assault forensic examination, photographs and electronic recordings.
According to New York police, the attack happened soon after the housekeeper entered Strauss-Kahn's suite to clean it.
Coach Totes BagsStrauss-Kahn emerged naked from a room, ran down a hallway, shut a door
to prevent the woman from leaving and attacked her, according to police and prosecutors.
According to court documents and prosecutors, Strauss-Kahn grabbed the woman's chest, tried to take off her pantyhose and forcibly grabbed her between her
legs.
The criminal complaint against Strauss-Kahn alleges that he forced the woman to engage "in oral sexual conduct and anal sexual conduct" and tried to force
her to engage in sexual intercourse.
The next court date for Strauss-Kahn is July 18, according to Erin Duggan of the district attorney's office. No date for a trial has been set, Duggan said.
The alleged victim, who has not returned to work, intends to testify against Strauss-Kahn, said her attorney, Ken Thompson.
"She is going to come into this courthouse, get on that witness stand and tell the world what Dominique Strauss did to her," Thompson said.
He declined to discuss specifics of any possible settlement negotiations with Strauss-Kahn, saying his focus is preserving the good name of his client.
Nike Air Max 2003She was described by a former attorney as a 32-year-old single
mother living in the New York borough of the Bronx who moved to the United States from the West African country of Guinea.
At the hearing, defense lawyers formally requested that Manhattan prosecutors provide discovery materials: copies of scientific reports as well as police
reports and formal statements made by the hotel employee.
A Mystery Partly Solved: How the 'Club Drug' Ketamine Lifts Depression So Quickly
Coach SunglassesA new study sheds light on why the anesthetic and "club drug" ketamine can relieve depression rapidly in hours, instead of weeks or months. The findings may help provide new targets for developing antidepressants and increase researchers' understanding of the devastating disorder. The study, published in the journal Nature, offer support for wider use of ketamine in depression and suggests new leads for scientists aiming to create fast-acting drugs with fewer side effects. A drug that could relieve depression quickly has long been sought by pharmaceutical companies and patients: for the 20 million Americans suffering from depression, the early weeks of treatment are a high-risk time for suicide, which kills nearly 35,000 people each year. The new research involved numerous experiments in mice aimed at teasing out what happens to both brain and behavior when ketamine takes effect. In one such test, mice were forced to swim in a water-filled tube that they cannot escape.Air Max Online Previous research has shown that mice given antidepressants swim longer before giving up: a sign that the drugs are working. The new study found that just one dose of ketamine produced the same effect in a half an hour compared with the weeks or months this can take with standard antidepressants, in mice as well as in humans. Further, the new study found that the antidepressant effect of a single dose of ketamine lasted for a week. (More on TIME.com: How a Study of a Failed Antidepressant Shows That Antidepressants Really Work) cheap hermes birkin"It's a nice, elegant experiment," says Carlos Zarate, chief of experimental therapeutics of the mood and anxiety disorders program at the National Institute of Mental Health and author of an early randomized trial of ketamine for depression. He was not associated with the study. "It's very good work," he adds. The researchers, led by Lisa Monteggia, an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, also measured brain changes after animals underwent behavioral tests. Monteggia and her colleagues found that ketamine acted by increasing synthesis of BDNF, a nerve growth factor that supports the health of brain cells, helps them grow and can promote the development of new neurons. Some researchers have previously theorized that all effective antidepressants ultimately act by promoting nerve cell growth, which would help explain the fact that although the drugs change neurotransmitter levels within hours, it takes much longer to lift mood. Nerve cells take time to grow, they argued, and that accounts for the delay. But the rapid action of ketamine shows that this certainly can't be the whole story, whether or not the growth of new cells matters for long-term recovery. Digging further, Monteggia's group found that ketamine increases BDNF by deactivating a chemical called eEF2 kinase (also known as CAMKIII), which normally suppresses BDNF production.Coach Earrings Consequently, when eEF2 kinase is inactivated, brain cells produce more BDNF. "We know that ketamine can produce a fast-acting antidepressant response in treatment-resistant patients, but no one really knows how that works. What we found is a necessary pathway for ketamine to trigger [that response]," says Monteggia. "We've identified a novel pathway never before linked to any behavior, let alone an antidepressant response that could be a novel drug target." That means drugs that inhibit or block eEF2 kinase could potentially work as antidepressants ones that would take effect faster than any current medication and possibly without the "trippy" side effects that make ketamine desirable to some recreational users. Compounds like this currently exist. "It sounds very, very exciting," says Emery Brown, professor of computational neuroscience at MIT, who was not associated with the research. "If they're correct, it most certainly could lead to new drug development. This is the first time I've heard of this possible mechanism." Nike Air Max LeBron 8However, none of these compounds are currently on the market for any use and it's not known what other kinds of side effects they might have, Monteggia says. The implications of the research go beyond possible drugs based on eEF2 kinase. The research shows that ketamine acts on brain circuits that are constantly active "in the background" cells that are activated not when you do something or have an experience, but that are always sort of humming along, no matter what else you are doing or thinking. "That background stuff might not just be the background," Monteggia says. "It might be important. The problem in mental illness may be a function of background neurotransmission." "This is bringing a whole new insight into how we might want to construct these types of drugs," says Brown. "It could make us rethink how we approach this entire problem." Ketamine is already widely used in anesthesia and for pain treatment. But it is not yet widely available to the 5% of Americans over 12 who suffer severe depression, even though such "off-label" use is legally allowed. rown and Zarate say that one reason may be that while anesthesiologists are comfortable using the drug, psychiatrists do not have much experience with it and may be scared about side effects.
Glaring Omission in Republican Debate: Why So Little Mention of Our Costly War?
coach handbags outletAt 10 past 8 Monday evening, Michele Bachmann decided to separate herself from the six guys next to her on the stage by telling John King of CNN why she had come to St. Anselm College. It was the fifth anniversary of the day a young man from New Hampshire was killed in Afghanistan, but she made no mention of that. "John ... I just want to make an announcement," she said as the first big TV debate among Republican candidates for President began. "I filed today my paperwork to seek the office of the presidency of the United States ... So I wanted you to be the first to know." Bachmann was trying to provide some contrast to her fellow candidates, the six men who looked as if they were about to be inducted into the local Rotary Club: smiling, amiable, eager to please and ready to drop the hammer at any given moment on Barack Obama for everything from unemployment to health care to same-sex marriage but unwilling to tackle the U.S.'s military engagement for the past 10 years. The crowd for the debate was middle-aged, white, patriotic and ready to roll for anyone who could convince them that competence could beat charisma in 2012. Moments before the TV light went on, an old guy with a white beard shouted, "Let's do the Pledge." Air Max Shoes Outlet OnlineThe CNN floor producer asked, "You want to lead it?" "Yeah," the old guy said. And he did. The crowd stood, hands over hearts, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to great applause. See Mark Halperin grade the New Hampshire debate at The Page. It wasn't until about an hour and a half in, after Romney gave everyone an update on the Bruins game, that the candidates had to turn to that sticky subject of war, when a retired Navy man with three sons serving asked if it was time to start withdrawing from Afghanistan. "It's time for us to bring our troops home as soon as we possibly can, consistent with the word that comes to our generals that we can hand the country over to the Taliban military in a way that they're able to defend themselves," Romney said. cheap nike shoes storeAs he said "Taliban military," the camera cut to someone in the audience in military dress, who winced. Romney corrected his mistake, but the deed was done. To rub it in, Paul followed Romney by saying, "I wouldn't wait for my generals. I'm the Commander in Chief." Coach BeltsNew Hampshire is not that different from the 49 other states. Anxiety and apprehension fill the air. Confidence in the country is shaky as people pay more than $4 a gal. for gas, listen to news about staggering debt, watch home prices and wages wallow in the shadow of what sure seems like a double dip or, at least, a never ending recession. In the morning, traffic on I-93 South toward Boston resembles the highway from Baghdad to Kuwait as thousands of New Hampshire residents head to jobs in Massachusetts. (See the top 10 debate flubs.) Our exhausted nation has been at war for 10 years. Twenty-three residents of New Hampshire have been killed in Iraq, 13 others in Afghanistan. Hundreds have been wounded, physically as well as psychically, and require costly care. As the candidates tried to please the crowd in St. Anselm with hockey scores, 20 miles (32 km) away, on Route 114 near Henniker, there was a sign dedicating a bridge to the memory of Sergeant Russell M. Durgin, 10th Mountain Division, United States Army. Nike Air Max Tailwind Although he grew up in Henniker, he won't be voting in the Republican primary. He was killed in the Korengal Valley, Kunar province, Afghanistan, on June 13, 2006, at the age of 23.
GOP presidential contenders face off in CNN debate
coach outletSeven declared or likely Republican presidential contenders will face off Monday in one of
the first debates of the primary season, giving them the chance to separate themselves from the competition almost 17 months before the 2012 election.
With President Barack Obama intent on re-election, Republican viewers will pay particularly close attention to try to determine which candidates can defeat
an incumbent who won in 2008 with strong support from independent, minority and young voters.
Former Massachusetts Gov.Nike Air Max Mitt Romney, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination
in 2008, has emerged as an early front-runner in his second bid for the White House.
Profiles of the seven hopefuls
A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Monday showed Romney grabbing the support of 24% of Republicans and independents who lean toward the GOP. Former
Alaska Gov. cheap hermes birkin Sarah Palin came in second at 20%, followed by former New York Mayor Rudy
Giuliani and the rest of the field.
Palin and Giuliani, who have not announced that they will join the race, are not participating in Monday's CNN/WMUR/New Hampshire Union Leader debate.
Scheduled to participate are declared presidential candidates Romney, businessman Herman Cain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Texas Rep. Ron Paul,
former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. Also taking part is Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, who has yet to formally
declare her candidacy.
Nike outletFollow CNN's live blog for up-to-the-minute reports
As the current favorite, Romney will face almost certain criticism from his fellow candidates.
Pawlenty has shied away for months from direct attacks on Romney, but he signaled over the weekend that he intends to step up his criticism in hopes of
making inroads with fiscal conservatives. That could start in earnest at Monday night's debate after Pawlenty said Romney's health care record will be "fair
game."
"I don't think contrasting policy differences between the candidates is out of bounds in a debate," Pawlenty said Monday. "The American people want to know
what you stand for and what do you believe. If you get asked a question about how that differs from other proposals, I think that's fair game."
His comments follow a Sunday appearance on Fox News in which he tied Obama's health care law to Romney's health care legislation in Massachusetts, coining a
word: "Obamneycare."
Opinion: New Hampshire good testing ground
Coach NecklacesRomney's focus, however, was on Obama on Monday as he revealed a Web video
titled "Bump in the Road," which criticizes the president over the state of the economy.
The video "highlights President Obama's failure to create jobs for millions of unemployed Americans and shows that the unemployed are not just economic
statistics, but are real Americans looking to support themselves and their families," Romney's campaign manager, Matt Rhoades, wrote in an e-mail to
supporters.
Romney, a successful businessman, is basing his campaign largely on his ability to fix the economy.
While Romney will be the center of attention at the debate, Gingrich might have the most to prove after last week's exodus of 16 top aides from his campaign
less than a month after he formally announced his 2012 bid.
The outgoing staff cited the candidate's questionable work ethic and fundraising ability as their reason for abandoning the campaign. Gingrich has vowed to
continue and will seek to use his strong skills as a debater to demonstrate that his candidacy is still viable.
In his first appearance since the departures, Gingrich touched Sunday on his nearly 40 years of experience in the public eye.
"I know full well the rigors of campaigning for public office," Gingrich said in a speech before the Republican Jewish Coalition. "In fact, I've had some
recent reminders.Nike Air Max 1 I will endure the challenges. I will carry the
message of American renewal to every part of this great land, whatever it takes."
Coach JewelryOn Monday, May 16, Chris Epps, commissioner of Mississippi's department of corrections, sat at a long conference table, grasping a mound of financial documents. He was preparing to head to the state's penitentiary, an 18,000-acre old cotton farm in the Mississippi River Delta, for the execution of a man convicted of murder nearly two decades ago. Since the mid-1990s, Mississippi has become one of America's most aggressive incarcerators a difficult feat, in a nation of jailers. Now, Epps is leading Mississippi on an improbable shift: dismantling the prison system. "We've got all these needs" education, health care "and spending all this money on corrections," Epps says. "We've got to decide who we're mad with, and who we're afraid of." Incarceration has been America's primary weapon in the war on crime. That's why in the 80s, Congress passed laws mandating that if you were caught with just 50 grams of crack-cocaine about 20 packs of sugar you automatically got a decade in prison. In 1980, according to the Sentencing Project, a Washington -based advocacy group, an estimated 41,000 people were in prison or jail for drug offenses, and by 2003, that population had grown to nearly a half-million. Now, some 2.3 million people about 1 in every 100 U.S. adults are incarcerated. Discount Coach Handbags Prison overcrowding reached such crisis levels in California that, in May, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a judicial-panel decision that requires the state to release 46,000 inmates over the next two years. (See TIME's photoessay "Welcome to Prison Valley.") Nevertheless, the incarceration boom appears to be reversing. Between 2008 and 2009, state prison populations fell slightly, by 0.3%, to 1.4 million, the first such decline since the 70s.hermes birkin handbags There are several reasons for the shift. The first is money. The Great Recession decimated state coffers, and is forcing governments to acknowledge they can no longer afford spending $52 billion a year locking people up. The second reason is demographics: people between 15 and 34 prime ages for criminal activity account for about 27% of the American population, compared to about 32% in 1990, near the violent-crime wave's peak. Those shifts, coupled with the over-saturation of prisons, partly explain why the violent crime rate has dropped to the lowest point in almost 40 years. Between 1997 and 2007, New York State's prison population shrank by 9.4%, or 6,500 inmates, according to the Pew Center on the States, and the state's violent crime rate almost halved. cheap nike shoes store The takeaway, says James Austin, a leading criminal justice expert: "You can cut back on the size of the prison population without having a negative impact on crime." Epps wants to bring that lesson to Mississippi's prison system. Or, as he puts it, "To not lock up more people." He is 50 years old, very tall, with a drawl that calls to mind an old-school Southern sheriff. The son of educators raised in Tchula, Miss., a nearly all-black town in the heart of cotton country, Epps joined the department as an officer at the state penitentiary at Parchman, managing the movement of inmates between, say, the dentist and dining hall. Coach BeltsHe rose quickly, and was appointed as the department's chief in 2002, by Ronnie Musgrove, a socially conservative Democratic governor. Two years later, Mississippi's then-new governor, Haley Barbour, a Republican, reappointed him to the job.
