Monthly Archives: July 2017

30 for 30 podcasts: ‘A Queen of Sorts’ – ESPN

Posted: July 22, 2017 at 8:39 am

Jul 19, 2017

Tim FiorvantiESPN.com

"Imagine the person who the coolest people in the world think is the coolest, most intimidating, mysterious person that they know -- that they all want to hang out with. And that's Phil Ivey."

Hyperbolic, to be sure, but the description that Chad Millman, vice president, editorial director, ESPN Domestic Digital and ESPN's resident gambling expert, gives Phil Ivey at the opening of 30 for 30 Podcasts' "A Queen of Sorts" isn't too far from the truth.

Ivey, as famous as a poker player can get, is only half of the equation in the story detailing his 2012 "edge sorting" scandal involving tens of millions of dollars, casinos in London and Atlantic City, and the subsequent legal proceedings that have tied up Ivey and his winnings for almost five years.

While Ivey's issues have been well-documented, the heart of the story in "A Queen of Sorts," produced and narrated by Rose Eveleth, lies in a woman named Chung Yin Sun -- better known as Kelly -- who was Ivey's accomplice in this endeavor.

In 2012, poker star Phil Ivey pulled off an elaborate baccarat scheme that won him over $20 million and landed him in court. But Ivey had another card up his sleeve - a secretive mastermind named "Kelly" Cheung Yin Sun, who crafted the scheme to get revenge. A Queen of Sorts dives into the world of high stakes gambling, and what happens when a casino underestimates an Asian woman.

Throughout most of his career, with a few notable exceptions, Ivey has been one of the most enigmatic figures in the world of poker. He owns 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, tied for second-most of all time, and seems an almost certain bet to become a first-ballot Poker Hall of Famer when the class of 2017 is announced later this month.

For hard-core poker fans, Ivey is also known for playing in the highest stakes poker cash games in the world, both live and online. His absence from this year's World Series of Poker main event, which wraps up this weekend, was a bit stunning for the uninformed, but Ivey's reason for missing the biggest poker tournament of the year has to do with a card game of a different kind.

Pairing up with a whale like Ivey, who is well-known for spending his hard-earned poker earnings on craps and sports betting, among other gambling interests, was a perfect match for Kelly, until it wasn't. This podcast digs into Kelly's history as a degenerate gambler who lost in the neighborhood of eight figures, her time in prison because of a casino marker she got for a friend, and how it inspired her into embracing advantage play as a means of revenge.

Millman (along with writer Michael Kaplan, a pair of advantage players, casino security experts and others) breaks down some of the intricacies of the case and how everything fell apart.

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30 for 30 podcasts: 'A Queen of Sorts' - ESPN

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Victoria euthanasia laws: report outlines path for terminally ill to end own lives – The Guardian

Posted: at 8:38 am

Former Australian Medical Association head Brian Owler hands over a report to Victorian health minister Jill Hennessy after an independent panel released its recommendations for the states new assisted dying laws. Photograph: Joe Castro/AAP

Terminally ill Victorians with 12 months left to live will be able to legally end their own lives under a proposed assisted dying framework, described as the most conservative in the world.

On Friday, an independent panel chaired by the former Australian Medical Association head Brian Owler handed down its recommendations to the Victorian government on how best to implement voluntary euthanasia legislation.

The recommendations will be turned into a draft bill, which will be put to a vote before the end of the year, as the Daniel Andrews government seeks to become the first Australian state or territory to legalise voluntary assisted dying since the Northern Territorys legislation was repealed in 1997.

The panels final report outlined 66 recommendations and safeguards, with Owler calling it the most conservative model for voluntary assisted dying in the world.

Under the proposed rules, only Victorians who suffer from an incurable disease that is advanced, progressive and will cause death within 12 months, and who are experiencing pain that cannot be relieved tolerably, will be eligible.

Patients could access lethal medication, which must be stored in a locked box, within 10 days of making their first request to a doctor.

Patients would have to be over 18, Victorian residents and must have the decision-making capacity to choose to end their life. This would rule out any person suffering dementia, while mental illness and disability are also said to not be sufficient on their own to qualify a patient for assisted dying.

Further safeguards would also require a patient make three separate requests and receive the approval of two independent doctors. Requests for information are not to be considered formal requests, and the panel also recommended a voluntary assisted dying review board be established to review every assisted death.

The Victorian health minister, Jill Hennessy, said the move to legalise euthanasia had widespread community support and she would introduce legislation, subject to a conscience vote, by the end of the year.

Government will now consider this report and will respond in the next couple of weeks, she said.

The minister said she was optimistic the bill would pass, but committed to have it voted on as soon as possible. She also committed to an 18-month window between the bill passing and the legislation coming into effect.

Each and every single day I am approached by Victorians who are at the end of their life or who are caring for someone at the end of their life, for whom law reform cant come soon enough, she said. The vast majority of the mainstream support a change to the law.

The panel also recommended that new criminal offences with severe penalties should be created to prevent people coercing others to end their lives, though no set terms had been decided.

Doctors who are asked to assess a patients eligibility for assisted dying would be required to undertake specific training, and practitioners would be able to conscientiously object to providing advice.

The patient would also be able to rescind their request at any time.

Fridays report comes after an extensive process of consultation, including a parliamentary inquiry in June last year that recommended assisted dying laws. In May, the director of Dying with Dignity NSW, Shayne Higson, told Guardian Australia the Victorian bill had been the most thorough process in the history of this movement.

Victorias continued push to legalise assisted dying could encourage other states to attempt similar legislation.

In New South Wales, a cross-party bill sponsored by five MPs was unveiled in May, while Western Australias health minister, Roger Cook, has stated he supports voluntary euthanasia and has encouraged the drafting of a private members bill.

In South Australia, both the premier, Jay Weatherill, and the opposition leader, Steven Marshall, support assisted dying, and in November last year, a bill to legalise euthanasia was defeated by only vote, after the Speaker was called on to break a tie.

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Victoria euthanasia laws: report outlines path for terminally ill to end own lives - The Guardian

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Activists Want Dutch Government to Legalize "Euthanasia Pill" to Kill … – LifeNews.com

Posted: at 8:38 am

On July 20, the Wall Street Journal published an article by Kees van der Straaij, who is a member of the Netherlands parliament. The following is the Wall Street Journal article In the Netherlands, the doctor will kill you now.

In 2002 the Netherlands became the first country to legalize euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide for those suffering deadly diseases or in the last stages of life. Not long after the legislation was enacted, eligibility was expanded to include those experiencing psychological suffering or dementia. Today pressure is mounting for the Dutch government to legalize a euthanasia pill for those who are not ill, but simply consider their lives to be full.

Proponents of assisted suicide continue to claim that safeguards already built into Dutch law are sufficient to reduce the risk of abuse. They point out that medical professionals are required to assess whether a persons suffering is indeed unbearable and hopeless.

These safeguards do exist. In practice, however, they are hard to enforce. A poignant illustration was recently aired on Dutch television. An older woman stricken with semantic dementia had lost her ability to use words to convey meaning. Upsy-daisy, lets go, she said. Both her husband and her physician at the end-of-life clinic interpreted her words to mean, I want to die. A review committee judged her euthanasia was in accordance both with the law and her earlier written instructions, an outcome very few would have imagined possible as recently as 10 years ago.

Such episodes have many Dutch people worried about the erosion of protections for the socially vulnerable and medically fragile. A broad and heated public debate recently flared about whether doctors may administer fatal drugs to those with severe dementia based on a previously signed advance directive. In several controversial cases, assisted suicide was not directly discussed with patients who were incapable of reaffirming earlier written death wishes. In one case, a doctor slipped a dementia patient a sleeping pill in some apple sauce so that he could be easily taken home and given a deadly injection.

Hundreds of Dutch physicians signed a declaration outlining their moral objection to these increasingly common practices. Nonetheless, the Dutch government stands by its claim that the law permits doctors to end such patients lives. Meanwhile, the Dutch Right to Die Society, a national euthanasia lobby, keeps pressing to take further steps, arguing that individuals should have the option to step out of life.

Keep up with the latest pro-life news and information on Twitter.

But is this argument really convincing? Those seeking death because their lives are full are often haunted by loneliness and despair. Some elderly people fear bothering their children with their social and medical needs. They dont want to be perceived as burdensome.

Legalizing the euthanasia pill could put even more pressure on the vulnerable, disabled and elderly. More than 60% of geriatric-care specialists already say they have felt pressure from patients family members to euthanize elderly relatives. Will the day come when society considers it entirely normaleven naturalfor people who grow old or become sick simply to pop the pill and disappear? If so, those who desire to continue living in spite of societys expectations will have some serious explaining to do.

All of this clearly shows the slippery slope of the euthanasia path. Contrary to the emphatic advice of a special advisory committee chaired by a prominent member of a liberal-democratic party, the outgoing Dutch government wishes to expand and extend the euthanasia law to those who consider their lives to be full. The pressing question is where the slope ends and the abyss begins. Will those with intellectual disabilities or physical defects also be empowered to step out of life? Will those battling thoughts of suicide be encouraged to opt for a dignified death in place of excellent psychiatric care?

The governments most fundamental task is to protect its citizens. The Dutch government, to its credit, often speaks out when fundamental human rights are under threat around the world. Now that the fundamental right to life is under threat in the Netherlands, its time for others to speak out about the Dutch culture of euthanasia.

Links to other articles concerning euthanasia in the Netherlands.

LifeNews.com Note: Alex Schadenberg is the executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition and you can read his blog here.

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Protestors gather following recent Animal Control euthanasia – The … – The Edwardsville Intelligencer

Posted: at 8:38 am

Steve Horrell shorrell@edwpub.net

Dozens of people on Wednesday protested the killing of two pit bulls and three other dogs that were being held by Madison County Animal Control.

The protesters held signs outside the Administration Building but moved indoors to listen to three speakers address County Board members at the monthly meeting.

Anne Schmidt, the executive director of the Metro East Humane Society, said the dogs that were killed were highly adoptable and she characterized their deaths as unnecessary and an affront to the countys No Kill policy.

Multiple policies were broken, Schmidt said. I, no, we demand that those responsible be held accountable for the policies that have been broken. If you truly believe in Making Madison County a No Kill county, Im sure you will be highly supportive of this demand.

The controversy began after a Madison County family turned the two pit bulls over to Animal Control on July 3. They were euthanized four days later.

Last fall Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler campaigned on a promise to extend the mandatory wait time from three to five business days to 10 business days.

Three months ago the countys Public Safety Committee endorsed a No Kill with a goal to save healthy and adoptable dogs and cats in the possession of Madison County Animal Control.

Schmidt said that before the dogs were euthanized, Animal Control employees were informed that animal welfare organizations were interested in obtaining the dogs so they could find a family to love them and care for them as they deserved.

But when representatives from the organizations arrived, they were told the dogs had been put down.

Ledy Van Kavage, an attorney and a long-time animal rights activist, urged County Board members to make changes in order to stop the culture of killing that has permeated Animal Control.

Dawn Boner, a Madison County resident, acknowledged that there are times when animals need to be euthanized, especially if they become feral or aggressive. No Kill, in practical terms, means not euthanizing adoptable pets that have an opportunity to be rescued.

It is always a sad time and a last resort when an animal has to be euthanized, she said. The same can be said for Madison County Animal Control. It is never something that anyone takes lightly or encourages.

After the meeting, Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler said the two pit bulls had been fighting each other a lot. The county has had no written policy about how long the county should hold an animal before it is euthanized. This week a policy is being drafted and will be sent to Animal Control advising employees that no animal will be put down without the written approval of Animal Control Director Ryan Jacob.

Members of the Public Safety Committee will sign the document, he said. Basically, its going to be that we all understand this, and its in writing now.

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There’s no such thing as a victimless crime – KGUN

Posted: at 8:38 am

PHOENIX, Ariz. (KGUN9-TV) - There is a victim in every crime -- a person harmed, injured, or killed as a result. If and when the perpetrator is caught, he or she could very well spend time locked up in prison. To some people, that's the end of the story -- the person is off the streets and away from the victims. However to the victim and those close to the victim, it's just the beginning of a new chapter.

"A lot of times, society thinks that once a conviction has occurred, it's all done and over with," Jan Upchurch said. "And it is not. People that are victims of crime are always impacted by that experience."

Upchurch is the administrator of the Arizona Department of Corrections Office of Victim Services. Her day-to-day consists of working with victims of crimes, making sure they get everything they need.

"It's all kinds of crimes," she said. "It can be stalking, murder, a sexual assault, financial crimes, stolen cars."

Victims of crime can "opt in" to her office's services at any time -- immediately after the crime, months after the crime, even years later when the criminal's been behind bars for years.

"All they have to do is call our number, or there's a form online through the Attorney General's office of victim services they can fill out," she said. That number is (602) 542-1853.

Once a person has opted in, her office will be a resource for many questions they might have. Some of those questions are just curiosities, others sometimes are about the judicial process.

"If they've gotten into trouble if there's disciplinary actions, what's the life like for an inmate," Upchurch said. "Sometimes people want to know that. What's their cell look like."

One of the main questions her office deals with: when will the person responsible for the crime rejoin society?

"We mail out letters usually one to two months before an inmate is released," she said."The day of his release, we actually do call the victims again and let them know that the inmate has been released."

Upchurch wasn't always an advocate for victims. But that all changed when she became one herself, after a tragic incident killed her husband.

"It was August 31, 1990," she said. "My first husband was a DPS officer and he was killed in the line of duty by a drunk driver. It shattered my world."

Her life was turned upside down that night. She's been able to move forward since that night, but she says the moment will stay with her forever.

"People that are victims of crime never get over it. It's always a part of their life," Upchurch said.

Helping others through a similar story has helped her cope with moving forward -- it's what she's made a career out of.

"To help them find some peace and a sense of justice," she said. "That's the really important part."

But for the victims and the families of victims, she says there is no such thing as closure, only a sense of justice.

"Can you ever fulfill complete justice?" Upchurch said. "No, because you can never bring someone back that has been murdered or been horrifically a victim of domestic violence or stalking."

While victims may never get the complete justice they're looking for, Upchurch says finding the sense of justice is crucial for the healing process and finding a new normal in life.

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There's no such thing as a victimless crime - KGUN

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Crime went up by 10% this year the biggest annual increase in a decade. What’s behind the rise? – Channel 4 News

Posted: at 8:38 am

The total number of crimes recorded by police in England and Wales rose by 10 per cent between March 2016 and March 2017, according to the Office for National Statistics(ONS).

Thats the biggest annual increase in a decade, and it comes after years of cuts that have seen police numbers fall by 20,000 since 2010 (which we subjected to the FactCheck treatment earlier this year).

In April, the assistant commissioner at the Metropolitan Police, Martin Hewitt, said it would be a naive answer to say that if you cut a significant amount out of an organisation, you dont have any consequences.

But is there strong evidence that austerity played a role?

FactCheck investigates.

The police recorded nearly 5 million offences in the 12 months up to March 2017 a 10 per cent increase from the previous year. We havent seen such a sharp spike for over a decade.

Between 2004 and 2010, the number of crimes recorded by police in England and Wales each year was falling. The coalitions spending cuts started to take effect in 2011, and since then, crime rates have crept up. Theyre not as high as they were in 2003-4 (when total recorded crimes were at 6 million), but theyre on their way.

Successive governments have tried to get police forces to record the true extent of crimes for years. Forces came under renewed pressure in 2014 after the UK Statistics Authority stripped them of their official statistics status.

Since then, Her Majestys Inspectorate of Constabulary has been carrying out spot-checks, and has said that many forces still need to improve their recording practices.

You might think then, that todays figures simply show that the police are responding to this pressure, and getting better at reporting crimes.

Thats been true in previous years, but it doesnt quite explain whats happened this year.

John Flatley from the ONS said that while ongoing improvements to recording practices are driving this volume rise [in the number of recorded crimes], we believe actual increases in crime are also a factor in a number of categories.

In other words, the police are getting better at recording crime, but the number of crimes is also going up.

When you compare the year-on-year changes in police numbers with the number of recorded crimes in England and Wales, its difficult to see a strong statistical link. For example, officer numbers rose between 2008 and 2009, but reported crimes fell in the same period.

This is shown in the graph below, which uses data from the ONS.

Its also worth remembering that the crimes recorded by the police are not the only way we measure crime.

The ONS also uses the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) to estimate the number of crimes each year. The Survey conducted by the ONS interviews a representative sample of the population to ask if theyve experienced crime in the last 12 months.

Interestingly, this years Survey showed a 7 per cent fall in the total number of crimes in England and Wales, despite the 10 per cent rise in crimes recorded by the police.

Although the Survey estimated that there were 5.9 million incidents of crime this year 900,000 more than the police recorded.

So why are the two figures different?

First of all, the Survey results are an estimate based on a sample size of the population, whereas police records in theory should accurately account for every single case of recordable crime.

They also measure different types of crime. The Survey does not include crimes against businesses and organisations, and excludes so-called victimless crimes like possession of drugs.

The Survey may also estimate a higher number of crimes each year because it includes crimes that were never reported to the police.

FactCheck verdict

Its true that there are 20,000 fewer police officers on the streets than there were when austerity began. Its also true that crime rates have risen over that period.

But some of that rise is because the police have got better at recording crimes. And police records are not necessarily the best measure of crime rates in England and Wales. The Crime Survey says that crime has actually fallen by 7 per cent this year.

Ultimately, its very hard to tell whether austerity has led to more crime.

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Crime went up by 10% this year the biggest annual increase in a decade. What's behind the rise? - Channel 4 News

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Blackpool: From the courts 21-07-17 – Blackpool Gazette

Posted: at 8:38 am

Here is the latest round-up of some of the cases at Blackpool Magistrates Court.

Oliver Wheatcroft, 26, begging

A man with money and a home was a prolific begger.

Oliver Wheatcroft was paid more than 230 a week in state benefits and was said to have chosen his begging lifestyle.

His crimes were described as not victimless and it was said people with probably less money than him had given him money and food.

Wheatcroft, 26, of Elm House Hostel, Derby Road, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to six offences of begging.

He was sentenced to a four year Criminal Behaviour Order (CRIMBO) which bans him from begging in Blackpool and fined 100 with 100 costs plus 30 victims surcharge.

Defence lawyer, Steven Townley, said an offence of begging was only punishable with a fine but from now on Wheatcroft could be sentenced to up to five years imprisonment if he breaches the order.

Prosecuting for Blackpool Council, Mike Caveney, said Wheatcroft had repeatedly been seen begging in central Blackpool.

Mr Caveney said: He is not homeless. He gets over 230 a week in housing benefits. He chooses his lifestyle to support other activities he spends money on.

It is not a victimless crime. People with possibly less money than he has have given him money and food.

Visitors are confronted with him in a dishevelled state. Business people do not like him in front of their premises.

The prosecutor added that the manager of the resorts Body Shop said Wheatcroft could be moved on several times, but he would just go round the block and come back 30 minutes later.

Mr Townley said his client had immediately pleaded guilty to the begging offences. The CRIMBO would prevent Wheatcroft from doing anything which might be seen as begging.

He told the court: You were told he is not homeless and has plenty of money. That is misleading. He has a room in a hostel.

He does not have a lot of money. He is on benefits and most of that money goes to the hostel. He is a drug addict and is getting treatment with methadone.

The order bans Wheatcroft from:

Asking people he does not know for money, food or other goods or approaching anyone for that purpose in any place to which the public have access in Blackpool Borough.

Sitting or remaining outside any business or premises to which the public have access for the purpose of begging in Blackpool.

Sitting, loitering or remaining on any highway or public thoroughfare or outside any business or premises to which the public have access, giving the impression he is waiting for any person to give him money, food or other goods. For the avoidance of doubt this includes and is not restricted to public toilets, train stations, doorways and bus shelters in Blackpool.

Here is Thursdays round-up of cases at Blackpool Magistrates Court 20-07-17

Peter McGuinness-Wood, 38, breach of post prison supervision

A man has been sent back to prison after falling asleep on a train and failing to meet his probation officer on the day he was released from jail.

Peter McGuinness-Wood had been called into the probation service offices after he missed the appointment and ended up being threatening towards his probation officer.

McGuinness-Wood, 38, of Reads Avenue, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to breaching his post prison supervision.

He was sentenced to 14 days jail.

Presiding magistrate, Brian Horrocks, told him: You had been drinking and actually made a threat to your probation officer. That is not on.

The court was told that McGuinness-Wood was released from Preston Prison on July 13 after serving a sentence for breaching a restraining order.

Gillian OFlaherty, prosecuting for the probation service, said the defendant had been told to attend the probation service offices in Blackpool that day but he did not go.

McGuinness-Wood later phoned his probation officer and said he had not kept the appointment as he had called asleep on the train and woken up in Oxenholme.

On July 18 the defendant had attended at the probation service offices. He appeared under the influence of alcohol and became argumentative.

A warrant for his arrest for breaching his post prison sentence had been issued and the police arrived.

McGuinness-Wood said to his probation officer: One day you and me will bump into each other in the street. And he lunged at the officer as he was led out.

Stephen Duffy, defending, said after being released from jail his client had fallen asleep on the train and missed his appointment with his probation officer.

His probation officer then told him to go to the probation service offices on July 18.

McGuinness-Wood got upset because he felt his probation officer should not be calling the police to tell them he was there.

Mr Duffy added: His perception of a probation officer was an old-fashioned one of a court appointed friend.

He felt he had been hoodwinked into attending the probation service offices and was not told a warrant had been issued to arrest him. He got upset as he felt he should have been told beforehand.

Stephen Allen, 37, possessing cocaine with intent to supply

A man accused of having half-a-million pounds of cocaine concealed in a secret compartment in the car he was driving as he headed towards Blackpool has made his first appearance at court.

Stephen Allen is said to have been stopped on the M55 and a painstaking investigation into the vehicle by police revealed a void concealed behind the drivers seat which contained almost two kilograms of cocaine which was 81 percent pure.

Allen, 37, of Warrington Road, Prescot, Merseyside, is charged with possessing cocaine with intent to supply the drug on February 17 this year.

He was arrested at Manchester Airport on Tuesday after flying into the country from Barcelona.

Prosecutor, Sarah Perkins, asked for the case to be heard at crown court and opposed bail.

Allen was remanded in custody to appear at Preston Crown Court on August 16.

Christopher Rogers, 26, assault

A man accused of punching his 23-weeks pregnant girlfriend and spraying her with a fire extinguisher has made his first appearance at court.

Christopher Rogers, 26, of Broughton Avenue, Layton, pleaded not guilty to assault and causing 70 worth of damage to his partners hair straighteners, laundry maiden and a light fitting.

Rogers was bailed to October 6 for tria.

He must not contact the complainant or go within 50 metres of an address on the resorts Talbot Road as conditions of his bail.

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Blackpool: From the courts 21-07-17 - Blackpool Gazette

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Graffiti trio sentenced for 4,000 vandalism spree (From Salisbury … – Salisbury Journal

Posted: at 8:38 am

THREE graffiti vandals responsible for nearly 4,000 of damage have been ordered to pay compensation.

Ben Bartlett, 23, of Neville Close, Salisbury, Michael Davies, 29, of Rollestone Street, Salisbury, and Jack Ellis, 21, of Shears Drive, Amesbury, admitted criminal damage in Salisbury Magistrate's Court today (Friday).

The trio were responsible for 3,928.87 worth of damage and appeared in court for 14 charges between them.

Prosecuting, Kate Prince, said Wiltshire Police had been investigating an increase of graffiti in Salisbury with more than 200 "tags" recorded between January and October 2016.

Bartlett was identified as a suspect made full admissions when arrested.

Davies was arrested after admitting on his Facebook page that he was a graffiti writer, rather than his brother who had wrongly been arrested.

Ellis also outed himself on Facebook in a series of comments on the Journals Facebook page and his own profile.

Items they vandalised included a carriage at Salisbury railway station, to which 2,100 worth of damage was caused.

An Iceland delivery van, a shutter belonging to the Trussell Trust, a wall of the Chapter House pub and other buildings around the city had also been vandalised.

Bartlett used the tag 'Nesek', Davies used 'KRS' or 'Kearsey' and Ellis used 'Peak' or 'PK'.

A statement from Cllr Mike Osment stated: "Unsolicited, wanton graffiti is simply an act of vandalism in a different form.

"In this financial year [2016], and on Salisbury City Council land alone, 1,320 has already been spent with contractors to remove graffiti with another estimated 1,200 yet to be arranged.

"It should also be remembered at all times that of course the monies taken to remedy graffiti is not from some mysterious source, it is public money that everybody pays via their various taxes.

"In today's climate of ever lessening availability of public funds, the impact of graffiti is therefore extenuated to an even higher level of impact."

Bartlett, representing himself in court, said: "We love the art, we love it with a passion."

He said he had to travel to Southampton or Bournemouth to paint graffiti legally, despite his low income.

He told magistrates Salisbury "should have a wall of its own to do it [graffiti] without the worry of being caught or anything".

Defending, Matthew George said Salisbury City Council had declined Davies' offer to clean up the graffiti.

He said Davies had stopped doing graffiti and had a "desire to become a professional artist".

Defending Ellis, Nick Redhead said: "I think it would be fair to say these are not always easy crimes for the police to investigate.

"To a significant extent, Mr Ellis has sidestepped that difficulty for the police by making the disclosures that he has."

He added: "This is not a victimless crime and sometimes people lose sight of that, as perhaps Mr Ellis did.

"He expresses himself as more interested in the art side of this, rather than damaging people's property."

Magistrate Debbie Slater order Bartlett to pay compensation of 2,268, Davies to pay 785 and Ellis to pay 875.

Bartlett and Ellis must also carry out 150 hours' unpaid work each, but Davies was unsuitable due to depression.

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Graffiti trio sentenced for 4,000 vandalism spree (From Salisbury ... - Salisbury Journal

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Four who stole lead from Erpingham and Baconsthorpe churches left communities ‘totally crushed and devastated’ – Norfolk Eastern Daily Press

Posted: at 8:38 am

PUBLISHED: 15:10 20 July 2017 | UPDATED: 16:47 20 July 2017

Erpingham Church.

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Today the men were jailed for a total of 10 years and 10 months for conspiring to steal lead from churches at Erpingham and Baconsthorpe.

Sentencing the four, Recorder Frank Burton QC said stealing lead from churches was not a victimless crime.

He said: Im quite satisfied that there was a degree of sophistication and significant planning. These churches are uninhabited and they are vulnerable.

The damage caused great harm to the architectural richness of the region which is cherished by believers and non-believers.

Robert Balotesco, 38 and Razvan Cracea, 27, were both jailed for three years and one month while Stengatu Ciprian, 25, and Ion Dan, 25, were given two years and four months.

The court heard how the raiders stole lead from St Marys Church in Baconsthorpe, near Holt, on the evening of March 3-4 and again on the evening of April 26-27, causing about 100,000 of damage.

They also struck St Marys at Erpingham on May 9, but fled after an alarm went off. But they returned to the church on May 16, stealing lead and leaving a replacement bill of 10,000-50,000.

The court heard Ciprian and Dan joined the group on May 20, but were still knowingly part of the conspiracy.

The four men, who were travelling in a van, were arrested after a police pursuit near Wisbech. Several other men escaped from the scene.

Mr Burton said members of the church community were left totally crushed and devastated by thefts and doubted their ability to raise enough money to fix the roofs.

All four men, who were based in the Coventry area, pleaded guilty on June 19 to one count of conspiracy to steal lead from churches between March 1 and May 21 this year.

In mitigation, the court heard the men felt genuine remorse for the crimes.

This newspaper has a campaign called Stop The Roof Raiders which aims to raise awareness of this region-wide issue.

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Four who stole lead from Erpingham and Baconsthorpe churches left communities 'totally crushed and devastated' - Norfolk Eastern Daily Press

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We the Living comes alive at Cato Institute – Accuracy in Academia

Posted: at 8:37 am

July 21, 2017, Leonard Robinson, Leave a comment

Ayn Rand has been gaining more attention lately in literary and academic circles. At Accuracy in Academia, we recently interviewed Professor David Kelley, Founder and CIO of the Atlas Society on the influence of Ayn Rand and her work on people, decades after her death in 1982. You can listen to the interview here.

The Cato Institute was the most recent institution to tackle the challenge of bringing the work of Ayn Rand to a vast audience of admirers, foes, and curious observers. Scenes from We the Living, published in 1936, were recreated on stage there by Cato Institute fellows and interns.

Set in 1920s Russia, We the Living is not only Rands first novel but the most autobiographical. The novel follows Kira, a young woman who descends from a once-successful family as she faces life in post-revolutionary Russia confronting societal changes due to communism. We the Living is not only a complete takedown of Marxism but also a passionate love story. Originally published in 1936, Rands novel struggled to sell and initially only brought Rand 100 dollars in royalty payments. In 1957, after publishing Atlas Shrugged, Rands publishers released a new edition of We the Living, which has since sold three million copies.

Those familiar with other works of Ayn Rand noticed a different tone in We the Living. John Jeffrey, a student at George Washington University, said, She seems to have really focused on building a strong plot with very relatable characters compared to some of her other works.

After the theatrical reading, the Cato Institute hosted a panel discussion with Onkar Ghate, Senior Fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute; Sarah Skwire, Senior Fellow at the Liberty Fund and Literary Editor at FEE.org, and Cathy Young, columnist for Newsday and Reason and author of Growing Up In Moscow with moderation by Caleb O. Brown, Director of Multimedia at the Cato Institute.

In their discussion, they shared many similar viewpoints of the impact that We the Living and similar works had on painting a vivid picture of life in Soviet Russia and other Marxist-embracing nations. However, disagreement was shared on whether Rands later works such as Atlas Shrugged deserved similar praise due to their literary style and length.

Yet, despite disagreement, all agreed with Cathy Young, who reflecting on her childhood in Russia said, Rand knew that the best way to defeat communism is to paint a very detailed picture of it and that is what she did.

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We the Living comes alive at Cato Institute - Accuracy in Academia

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