US court overturns death penalty

WASHINGTON - A US federal appeals court has overturned the death sentence passed against human rights campaigner Mumia Abu-Jamal, while upholding his conviction for the murder of a police officer.

In a split decision, the three-member Philadelphia appeals court ruled that Abu-Jamal, a former radio journalist and member of the Black Panthers, should face a new sentencing hearing or have his sentence commuted to life in jail.

Abu-Jamal, born Wesley Cook, was sentenced to death in 1982 for the murder of a Philadelphia police officer the year before.

While in jail, he became a leading campaigner against the death penalty.

The Sunday Times-The South African Press Reporting.

His death sentence overturned by a US appeals court in Philadelphia yesterday, but his bid for a new trial was rejected.

The appeals court, in a 2-1 decision, disagreed, however. Its judges noted that Abu-Jamal's trial lawyers did not object at the time to the seating of the jury.

But his lawyers won a reversal of the death sentence on the grounds that jurors might have been confused by one aspect of the jury instructions. They were told they could weigh "any mitigating circumstances" as reason to spare his life.

But the judges worried that jurors may have thought that all 12 of them had to agree on a particular mitigating circumstance. For example, jurors were told that Abu-Jamal had significant prior criminal record and that he had been a journalist and activist.

The Supreme Court

Vince Lombardi

"He is well known as being unequivocally committed to winning. One of his most famous maxims is 'Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing', although he did not coin the phrase and the exact words he used are disputed.

Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing is a well-known quote in sports. Some people think the quote exemplifies a form of unfettered competitiveness that has permeated American sports. Its assertion about the importance of winning has been touted as a basic tenet of the American sports creed and, at the same time, singled out as encapsulating what is purportedly right with competitive sports.

This credo has served as counterpoint to the well known sentiment by sports journalist Grantland Rice that, it's “not that you won or lost but how you played the game,' and to the Modern Olympic creed expressed by its founder Pierre de Coubertin: "The most important thing . . . is not winning but taking part (in the Games).”

The quote is most widely attributed to American football coach Vince Lombardi;he coined the phrase. Lombardi is on record using the quote as early as 1959 in his opening talk on the first day of the Packers’ training camp. The quote captured the American public's attention during Lombardi's highly successful reign as coach of the Packers in the 1960s. Over time, the quote took on a life of its own. The words graced the walls of locker rooms, ignited pre-game pep talks, and echoed from the rafters of banquet

According to Cenk Uygur and The Young Turks, Barack Obama has won from their reading of The Politico.
"The Politico laid it out very clearly yesterday - and solidified what we've known for weeks - this race is over. Obama has the nomination.

Even Hillary Clinton's own campaign admits it! Politico reports, "One important Clinton adviser estimated to Politico privately that she has no more than a 10 percent chance of winning her race against Barack Obama, an appraisal that was echoed by other operatives. In other words: The notion of the Democratic contest being a dramatic cliffhanger is a game of make-believe."
This beggs the question, what is wrong with Hillary;why don't she bow

Small Steps To Fight Inflation

The question on every American’s mine today is how to maintain the value of my dollars? Unfortunately, I do not hear present leadership addressing the issue of inflation and its effects on small investors. Stick our head in the sand and wait to see what happens to the dollar or start planning to ease the pain of inflation? Take inflation seriously, these little steps can help you

Here are a few of things that you can buy now at the dollar level of as a small investor. First, the U.S. Forever Postage Stamps, second, State quarters and third, foreign currencies will beat inflation. All are sound short-term investments returning a significant profit to the small investor.

This May 2008, first class U.S. postage is scheduled to increase again as it has continually due to transportation-increased cost over the past years. The Forever Stamp is now on sale at US Post Offices and promises to keep the current first class postage stamp rate frozen. So if you are one who uses the US mails you will net a gain form investing in the forever stamps now. Estimate how much money you spend on postage and calculate what the savings will be if the price for stamps increases ten cents and you can see why investing now is important. This stamps maybe your blessing.

Also the individual state quarters go out of production this year, the mint will end production of them shortly, hence, they become rare coins and become a value to collectors

Phishing E-mail:

Subject line

CUSTOMER NOTIFICATION: DATA CONFIRMATION

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Type: Trojan

Category: HTML

Monster(Jobs & Careers) member

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Dear Monster (Jobs & Careers) member,

Monster Technical Department requests you to complete Online Employer Form.

This procedure is obligatory for all clients of Monster.

Please select the hyperlink and visit the address listed to access Online Employer Form.

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Analysis by Kim Thorogood