Federal Judge Finds N.S.A. Wiretapping Program Illegal - NYTimes.com

This is huge, huge:

"A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the National Security Agency’s program of surveillance without warrants was illegal, rejecting the Obama administration’s effort to keep shrouded in secrecy one of the most disputed counterterrorism policies of former President George W. Bush.

via www.nytimes.com

Hedge Fund Managers’ Pay Roars Back - NYTimes.com

Surprise! (Not) Bankers made money on the way up, the way down, and on the way back up.

Google Maps Bug: Turn Right Into the Water

Some enthusiasts believe that Google Maps for the Apple iPhone and various Google Android phones make standalone GPS navigation devices obsolete. They'll undoubtedly be right eventually, but that day hasn't arrived if my experience is any indication.

Why Isn't Sarbannes-Oxley Enforced On Wall St.? | Reich

Robert Reich brings up a point I hadn't heard anywhere before. The accounting at Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan violated disclosure laws in Sarbannes-Oxley. While people are debating what new laws to create, why wasn't -- and still isn't -- Sarbox being enforced? Sarbox calls for criminal penalties and fines for executives that rig their balance sheets. Yet (others not Reich) note that the Treasury actually helped Lehman hide its debt. 

Fraud on the Street

Slow Jammin' Healthcare: Fallon & Williams

Reporting the passage of healthcare reform law, with a slow beat:

Warren: Three More Years of Bank Problems.

Elizabeth Warren, chairperson of the TARP Congressional Oversight Panel, seems like a rare straight-shooter in the Obama financial team, perhaps the only one that is not from nor beholden to the banks they are supposed to oversee. So, I take her comments more seriously than the PR spin from the Rubinites.

Congress: You Must Buy Weapons!

I know most will find this far too "inside baseball", but I love the irony. Right-wingers are suing to stop everyone from getting healthcare under the claim that Congress has never ordered people to buy private good or services before. 

Not so fast. Turns out the people that the Tea Party'ers call "geniuses" did just that, in the Militia Act of 1792, requiring citizens of every state to buy fire arms. 

Future Stars in Women's Tennis

After I posted my projections for men's tennis in 2010, several friends and readers asked me when I'd write the equivalent for women's tennis. 

Google's Phony China Stand Overhyped

If you believe the unquestioning headlines regurgitated by mainstream media, Google Inc. is walking away from massive profits in China because of its principles. That's hogwash. 

Take Nadal's Shorts. Please

OK, as closely as I follow tennis, I normally ignore the personal and gossipy aspects. But this visual disaster demands comment.