DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Council Work Session Agenda & Packet - February 23, 2015
The Agenda Packet for Monday’s Council Work Session is attached, and posted at the link below on the City Website HERE.
Saturday, February 21, 2015
The IRS paid $5.8 billion to identity thieves in 2013
It recovered more than $24 billion dollars. At least, it thinks so. The Government Accountability Offices finds the IRS does a decent job of estimating how much it pays out in refunds to people using stolen identities. But GAO says there's room for improvement, like challenging its own assumptions in a more dynamic analyis. Auditors say the IRS should present a range of possible fraudulent payment levels to reflect the uncertainty in calculating these things. The agency answers, it would love to, if only it had the money and people to do so.
HSBC Whistleblower Spills Lynch Evidence to Senate
WND was first to report in a series of articles beginning in 2012 charges by Cruz, a former HSBC vice president and relationship manager, based on his more than 1,000 pages of evidence and secret audio recordings.
The staff of the Senate Judiciary Committee focused Wednesday on Cruz’s allegations, first reported by WND Feb. 6, that Lynch, acting then in her capacity as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, engaged in a Department of Justice cover-up. Obama’s attorney general nominee allowed HSBC to enter into a “deferred prosecution” settlement in which the bank agreed to pay a $1.9 billion fine and admit “willful criminal conduct” in exchange for dropping criminal investigations and prosecutions of HSBC directors or employees.
On Feb. 12, the Senate Judiciary Committee announced Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, had decided to postpone the Senate vote on Lynch’s confirmation until the last week of February, when Congress returns from the Presidents Day recess. The decision is widely attributed to allowing Vitter and the Senate Judiciary Committee staff time to pursue the allegations concerning Lynch’s role in the HSBC scandal.
Read more
Massive Poop Spill Shuts Down Highway Exit In Indiana
An Indiana highway ramp was shut down for hours on Thursday afternoon due to a large and possibly accidental dump in the middle of the road.
Two tons of excrement spilled onto the I-65 exit ramp in White County, according to WLFI.
The raw sewage was 6 to 8 inches deep in places, the Lafayette Journal and Courier reported.
The crappy job of clearing the road got even worse when the fecal matter froze. The newspaper reported that the ramp had to be salted and sanded before the "toxic poopsicles" could be removed.
Police told the newspaper that the driver of the truck has not been found, but said that the poop was likely dumped by accident.
More
Two tons of excrement spilled onto the I-65 exit ramp in White County, according to WLFI.
The raw sewage was 6 to 8 inches deep in places, the Lafayette Journal and Courier reported.
The crappy job of clearing the road got even worse when the fecal matter froze. The newspaper reported that the ramp had to be salted and sanded before the "toxic poopsicles" could be removed.
Police told the newspaper that the driver of the truck has not been found, but said that the poop was likely dumped by accident.
More
Giuliani Defends Obama Criticism
Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani adamantly defended Thursday his controversial criticism of President Obama, one day after saying he does "not believe that the president loves America."
Giuliani made the remarks Wednesday at a private fundraiser for Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who is widely considered to be a prospective candidate for president in 2016. He added: “(Obama) doesn’t love you. And he doesn’t love me. He wasn’t brought up the way you were brought up and I was brought up through love of this country."
The comments drew widespread criticism from Democrats and liberals.
But Thursday night on "The Kelly File," when host Megyn Kelly asked Giuliani if he wished to apologize, the 2008 presidential candidate doubled down on his criticism.
"Not at all. I want to repeat it," Giuliani said. "The reality is, from all that I can see of this president, all that I’ve heard of him, he apologizes for America, he criticizes America. ... This is an American president I’ve never seen before."
Giuliani said he doesn't think Obama believes in American exceptionalism, citing the president's remarks on police tactics in the wake of the Ferguson shooting, western atrocities in the name of religion and Obama's longtime association with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, a controversial Chicago pastor.
More here
Giuliani made the remarks Wednesday at a private fundraiser for Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who is widely considered to be a prospective candidate for president in 2016. He added: “(Obama) doesn’t love you. And he doesn’t love me. He wasn’t brought up the way you were brought up and I was brought up through love of this country."
The comments drew widespread criticism from Democrats and liberals.
But Thursday night on "The Kelly File," when host Megyn Kelly asked Giuliani if he wished to apologize, the 2008 presidential candidate doubled down on his criticism.
"Not at all. I want to repeat it," Giuliani said. "The reality is, from all that I can see of this president, all that I’ve heard of him, he apologizes for America, he criticizes America. ... This is an American president I’ve never seen before."
Giuliani said he doesn't think Obama believes in American exceptionalism, citing the president's remarks on police tactics in the wake of the Ferguson shooting, western atrocities in the name of religion and Obama's longtime association with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, a controversial Chicago pastor.
More here
Militant Atheists: Remove the Angel
A West Virginia middle school took down the crosses from a memorial to a beloved teacher, but is standing firm on the angels etched into the stone, despite an atheist group's threat to sue on constitutional grounds.
Joann Christy's 26-year career educating children at Ravenswood Middle School came to a tragic end in 2004, when she died in a car accident. But her loved ones and the community she had served sought to remember her with an engraved, stone memorial near the school's entrance.
"There's so many kids that came through this school that were affected by her death, that were affected by her teachings, and now we're just trying to keep her memory alive here," Tracy Sadecky, a family friend, told the station.
But more than a decade later, the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation wants the memorial gone, claiming its presence on public grounds violates the First Amendment. The foundation criticized the display as a promotion of religion that infringes on students rights. WSAZ.com reported that the foundation wrote a letter to the school requesting an investigation into the memorial and the "multiple Latin crosses" near the school's entrance.
Christy's family, apparently in an attempt to resolve the situation, reportedly agreed to the removal of the crosses, but left the angels in memory of Christy, who had a collection of angel figurines. The school has a meeting scheduled Thursday night to discuss the memorial issue and others that reportedly riled up the foundation, including a Nativity scene.
More
Joann Christy's 26-year career educating children at Ravenswood Middle School came to a tragic end in 2004, when she died in a car accident. But her loved ones and the community she had served sought to remember her with an engraved, stone memorial near the school's entrance.
"There's so many kids that came through this school that were affected by her death, that were affected by her teachings, and now we're just trying to keep her memory alive here," Tracy Sadecky, a family friend, told the station.
But more than a decade later, the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation wants the memorial gone, claiming its presence on public grounds violates the First Amendment. The foundation criticized the display as a promotion of religion that infringes on students rights. WSAZ.com reported that the foundation wrote a letter to the school requesting an investigation into the memorial and the "multiple Latin crosses" near the school's entrance.
Christy's family, apparently in an attempt to resolve the situation, reportedly agreed to the removal of the crosses, but left the angels in memory of Christy, who had a collection of angel figurines. The school has a meeting scheduled Thursday night to discuss the memorial issue and others that reportedly riled up the foundation, including a Nativity scene.
More
Antarctica post office seeking job applicants who can dodge 'smelly penguins,' live without showering
If so, we have the job for you!
The U.K. Antarctic Heritage Trust is looking for assistants to help run its post office museum and gift shop at Port Lockroy, located on Goudier Island off the Antarctic Peninsula.
Applications are currently being accepted for up to four full-time seasonal positions at the world's southernmost post office, which is visited each summer (November through March) by 18,000 people — who come by boat twice a day — and processes about 70,000 pieces of mail. Applications are due on Feb. 27.
You don't need to have post office experience to apply, but you do need an unusual skillset:
More
Apple Said to Be Targeting Car Production as Soon as 2020
Apple Inc., which has been working secretly on a car, is pushing its team to begin production of an electric vehicle as early as 2020, people with knowledge of the matter said.
The timeframe -- automakers typically spend five to seven years developing a car -- underscores the project’s aggressive goals and could set the stage for a battle for customers with Tesla Motors Inc. and General Motors Co., both of which are targeting a 2017 release of an electric vehicle that can go more than 200 miles on a single charge and cost less than $40,000.
“That’s the inflection point -- the proving ground -- that brings on the electric age,” Steve LeVine, author of “The Powerhouse,” a book about the automotive battery industry, said on Bloomberg TV Thursday. “Now you have Apple coming in and this is critical mass. Was GM really going to be able to match Tesla? Apple can.”
Apple, which posted record profit of $18 billion during the past quarter, has $178 billion in cash with few avenues to spend it. The Cupertino, California-based company’s research and development costs were $6.04 billion in the past year, and Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook is facing increased pressure to return cash to shareholders. The CEO has been pushing the iPhone maker to enter new categories to further envelop users’ digital lives with Apple’s products and services.
Apple’s possible foray into cars follows a similar path it’s taken to break into other industries. The company wasn’t the first to make a digital-music player or smartphone, and only entered those markets once it had a product that redefined those categories.
Apple representatives declined to comment for this story.
More
The timeframe -- automakers typically spend five to seven years developing a car -- underscores the project’s aggressive goals and could set the stage for a battle for customers with Tesla Motors Inc. and General Motors Co., both of which are targeting a 2017 release of an electric vehicle that can go more than 200 miles on a single charge and cost less than $40,000.
“That’s the inflection point -- the proving ground -- that brings on the electric age,” Steve LeVine, author of “The Powerhouse,” a book about the automotive battery industry, said on Bloomberg TV Thursday. “Now you have Apple coming in and this is critical mass. Was GM really going to be able to match Tesla? Apple can.”
Apple, which posted record profit of $18 billion during the past quarter, has $178 billion in cash with few avenues to spend it. The Cupertino, California-based company’s research and development costs were $6.04 billion in the past year, and Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook is facing increased pressure to return cash to shareholders. The CEO has been pushing the iPhone maker to enter new categories to further envelop users’ digital lives with Apple’s products and services.
Apple’s possible foray into cars follows a similar path it’s taken to break into other industries. The company wasn’t the first to make a digital-music player or smartphone, and only entered those markets once it had a product that redefined those categories.
Apple representatives declined to comment for this story.
More
How Spies Stole the Keys to the Encryption Castle
AMERICAN AND BRITISH spies hacked into the internal computer network of the largest manufacturer of SIM cards in the world, stealing encryption keys used to protect the privacy of cellphone communications across the globe, according to top-secret documents provided to The Intercept by National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden.
The hack was perpetrated by a joint unit consisting of operatives from the NSA and its British counterpart Government Communications Headquarters, or GCHQ. The breach, detailed in a secret 2010 GCHQ document, gave the surveillance agencies the potential to secretly monitor a large portion of the world’s cellular communications, including both voice and data.
The company targeted by the intelligence agencies, Gemalto, is a multinational firm incorporated in the Netherlands that makes the chips used in mobile phones and next-generation credit cards. Among its clients are AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint and some 450 wireless network providers around the world. The company operates in 85 countries and has more than 40 manufacturing facilities. One of its three global headquarters is in Austin, Texas and it has a large factory in Pennsylvania.
In all, Gemalto produces some 2 billion SIM cards a year. Its motto is “Security to be Free.”
More
The hack was perpetrated by a joint unit consisting of operatives from the NSA and its British counterpart Government Communications Headquarters, or GCHQ. The breach, detailed in a secret 2010 GCHQ document, gave the surveillance agencies the potential to secretly monitor a large portion of the world’s cellular communications, including both voice and data.
The company targeted by the intelligence agencies, Gemalto, is a multinational firm incorporated in the Netherlands that makes the chips used in mobile phones and next-generation credit cards. Among its clients are AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint and some 450 wireless network providers around the world. The company operates in 85 countries and has more than 40 manufacturing facilities. One of its three global headquarters is in Austin, Texas and it has a large factory in Pennsylvania.
In all, Gemalto produces some 2 billion SIM cards a year. Its motto is “Security to be Free.”
More
Obama Expected to Appeal Immigration Ruling Today
The Obama administration’s bid to set aside a Texas judge’s order that derailed its immigration reform plans may pivot on a narrow finding that policy makers failed to follow federal rules for drawing up new guidelines.
At the request of 26 states, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen, whose courthouse sits in the Texas border town of Brownsville, blocked the new program late Monday. It would have let as many as 5 million people who illegally entered the country avoid deportation.
The U.S. Justice Department may decide Friday to ask that the ruling be put on hold as it appeals it, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday.
The states sued the federal government last year after Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson issued a series of memoranda to those agencies responsible for immigration matters. The memos established new deferred-action policies enabling some undocumented immigrants to remain in the U.S. and apply for work permits and some government benefits.
The suing states accused the Obama administration of overstepping its constitutional authority and of sidestepping the normal process for rule-making.
Hanen, in his 123-page decision, said he didn’t need to reach the constitutional issue yet. He addressed the more limited question of whether the policy was invalid because the DHS hadn’t made its new rules public, such as by publishing them in the Federal Register, and hadn’t invited public comment before they took effect.
More here
At the request of 26 states, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen, whose courthouse sits in the Texas border town of Brownsville, blocked the new program late Monday. It would have let as many as 5 million people who illegally entered the country avoid deportation.
The U.S. Justice Department may decide Friday to ask that the ruling be put on hold as it appeals it, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday.
The states sued the federal government last year after Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson issued a series of memoranda to those agencies responsible for immigration matters. The memos established new deferred-action policies enabling some undocumented immigrants to remain in the U.S. and apply for work permits and some government benefits.
The suing states accused the Obama administration of overstepping its constitutional authority and of sidestepping the normal process for rule-making.
Hanen, in his 123-page decision, said he didn’t need to reach the constitutional issue yet. He addressed the more limited question of whether the policy was invalid because the DHS hadn’t made its new rules public, such as by publishing them in the Federal Register, and hadn’t invited public comment before they took effect.
More here
Siesta Beach Named Best Beach In The United States By TripAdvisor
Sure Hawaii and the Caribbean have beautiful, swoon-worthy beaches, but if you're looking to escape the cold -- your #1 beach destination is within the continental United States. TripAdvisor's annual rankings for the 25 Best Beaches in the US just came out, and Siesta Beach, Florida claimed the top spot.
Siesta Key has always been one of Florida's best beach towns. Known for its quirky shops and perfect, turquoise water, the famous Dr. Beach declared the whole island of Siesta Key the best beach in the country back in 2011.
Considering 3 out of the top 5 beaches are in Florida, we think you need to pack your bags and head to the Sunshine State, ASAP. But first, a little Siesta zen:
More
Siesta Key has always been one of Florida's best beach towns. Known for its quirky shops and perfect, turquoise water, the famous Dr. Beach declared the whole island of Siesta Key the best beach in the country back in 2011.
Considering 3 out of the top 5 beaches are in Florida, we think you need to pack your bags and head to the Sunshine State, ASAP. But first, a little Siesta zen:
More
Southern Universities Still Wrestling With Racist Pasts
Tillman Hall is the building that goes on the Clemson University posters, at least the ones that don’t feature the football stadium or an orange paw print. The red brick building with a clock tower is the grandest and best- known structure on campus. It’s also named for a vehement racist. The building's namesake, Benjamin Tillman, was a South Carolina governor and U.S. senator in the late 19th century, best known for his fiery rhetoric and for helping to craft the Jim Crow laws. He also helped found Clemson.
Clemson, along with other Southern universities, and even some in the North, is now wrestling with that troubled legacy. The Clemson Faculty Senate last week passed a resolution asking the administration asking to change the name. Jane Lindle, an education professor with an office in the building who is on the Faculty Senate, said that its name presents two sets of problems for her. On a practical level, it’s “an obstacle” to attracting talented faculty. The history behind the name is a deterrent, and its quotidian familiarity creates an ethical problem: “It raises the issue of why aren’t we educating folks better about some of the negative symbolism that they take for granted,” she said.
For students who know the history, the name can send a hurtful message. A black Clemson student named Edith Dunlap told the Greenville News that to see the building on her campus is a “slap in the face.”
More
Clemson, along with other Southern universities, and even some in the North, is now wrestling with that troubled legacy. The Clemson Faculty Senate last week passed a resolution asking the administration asking to change the name. Jane Lindle, an education professor with an office in the building who is on the Faculty Senate, said that its name presents two sets of problems for her. On a practical level, it’s “an obstacle” to attracting talented faculty. The history behind the name is a deterrent, and its quotidian familiarity creates an ethical problem: “It raises the issue of why aren’t we educating folks better about some of the negative symbolism that they take for granted,” she said.
For students who know the history, the name can send a hurtful message. A black Clemson student named Edith Dunlap told the Greenville News that to see the building on her campus is a “slap in the face.”
More
Modcloth Goes One Step Further And Puts Its Employees In Swimsuit Photo Shoot
Online retailer Modcloth has abided by the sentiment that "real is beautiful" for quite some time. The company has been praised for offering a broad range of sizes to its customers and pledging to stop photoshopping its models. Now, Modcloth has gone even further by deciding to use its own employees to show off its latest swimwear options.
The company plucked six employees and had them pose in a variety of styles. The photos will run as promotional images on the website, appear on its blog and will be featured in upcoming Modcloth style stories.
The company plucked six employees and had them pose in a variety of styles. The photos will run as promotional images on the website, appear on its blog and will be featured in upcoming Modcloth style stories.
Ocean City, FOP Reach First Impasse In Union Contract Talks; Arbitration Likely If Issues Unresolved
OCEAN CITY – For the first time since the police department unionized, the Ocean City lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police’s membership has voted to go to arbitration with the Town of Ocean City as the two parties have come to a standoff during negotiations.
“As of right now, we have kind of reached an impasse. We are still working towards coming up with a resolution without arbitration. However, we have notified the city of our intent to go to arbitration,” Ocean City Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge 10 President Shawn Jones said.
In the spirit of wanting to come to a resolution, Jones did not want to go into detail of the dispute but he did indicate it is in regards to pay and benefits.
“Unfortunately, we are so far apart from where our membership feels we need to be. In 2008, we conceded our Cost Of Living Adjustment (COLA) and we haven’t had a Cost Of Living Adjustment since 2008, so we are going on seven years without that type of adjustment,” Jones said. “We negotiated for four and half days and just weren’t able to come close to an agreement.”
The FOP’s legal counsel has contacted City Solicitor Guy Ayres letting him know the FOP membership has voted to go to arbitration if the city is not willing to reconsider.
“We are disappointed in the city’s position on things. As of right now, we are filing for arbitration but if we are able to get back to the table and work out a deal we would be interested in doing so,” Jones said. “As of right now, the ball is in their court.”
More
“As of right now, we have kind of reached an impasse. We are still working towards coming up with a resolution without arbitration. However, we have notified the city of our intent to go to arbitration,” Ocean City Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge 10 President Shawn Jones said.
In the spirit of wanting to come to a resolution, Jones did not want to go into detail of the dispute but he did indicate it is in regards to pay and benefits.
“Unfortunately, we are so far apart from where our membership feels we need to be. In 2008, we conceded our Cost Of Living Adjustment (COLA) and we haven’t had a Cost Of Living Adjustment since 2008, so we are going on seven years without that type of adjustment,” Jones said. “We negotiated for four and half days and just weren’t able to come close to an agreement.”
The FOP’s legal counsel has contacted City Solicitor Guy Ayres letting him know the FOP membership has voted to go to arbitration if the city is not willing to reconsider.
“We are disappointed in the city’s position on things. As of right now, we are filing for arbitration but if we are able to get back to the table and work out a deal we would be interested in doing so,” Jones said. “As of right now, the ball is in their court.”
More
Former CIA director: Obama 'scared' to call ISIS terrorists 'Islamic
Former CIA director James Woolsey said Thursday that President Obama 'looks scared' to called members of Middle Eastern terrorist groups 'Islamic,' just hours after the conclusion of a White House 'Countering VIolent Extremism' summit that studiously avoided pinning terrorism on Islamists.
Sitting FBI director James Comey was not invited to the event, but his counterpart from Russia – Aleksandr Bortnikov, the director of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) – attended.
The FSB is the post-Soviet successor to the infamous KGB.
Woolsey told a CNN audience that Obama 'looks scared. He looks as if he's afraid of using the adjective "Islamic" to describe the terrorists' from ISIS, al-Qaeda and other international terror groups bent on mass-murder and global destruction.
More
Sitting FBI director James Comey was not invited to the event, but his counterpart from Russia – Aleksandr Bortnikov, the director of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) – attended.
The FSB is the post-Soviet successor to the infamous KGB.
Woolsey told a CNN audience that Obama 'looks scared. He looks as if he's afraid of using the adjective "Islamic" to describe the terrorists' from ISIS, al-Qaeda and other international terror groups bent on mass-murder and global destruction.
More
Vanilla Ice claims 'misunderstanding' after burglary arrest
Robert Van Winkle, better known as rapper Vanilla Ice, was released from custody on Wednesday after being arrested over accusations of breaking into and stealing from an abandoned Florida home.
The 47-year-old said it had been a misunderstanding and "it will all be cleared up".
Lantana police said Mr Van Winkle had been renovating the house next to the property where items had been stolen.
Hatzel Vela from ABC news reports.
Read more
Vanilla Ice arrested on suspicion of Florida burglary
The 47-year-old said it had been a misunderstanding and "it will all be cleared up".
Lantana police said Mr Van Winkle had been renovating the house next to the property where items had been stolen.
Hatzel Vela from ABC news reports.
Read more
Vanilla Ice arrested on suspicion of Florida burglary
Obama: 'Islam Has Been Woven Into the Fabric of Our Country Since Its Founding'
We hear a lot about the United States' Judeo-Christian heritage, but according to President Obama, "Islam has been woven into the fabric of our country since its founding."
That's what the president told a White House conference on "countering violent extremism" on Wednesday.
Obama has said similar things in the past:
"I also know that Islam has always been a part of America’s story,” Obama said in a June 2009 speech in Cairo, Egypt. "Islam has always been part of America," he said in a 2010 statement marking the start of Ramadan. And in a 2014 statement marking Eid, Obama said the holiday "also reminds us of the many achievements and contributions of Muslim Americans to building the very fabric of our nation and strengthening the core of our democracy."
According to a Heritage Foundation paper, shortly after America's founding, the United States "was dragged into the affairs of the Islamic world by an escalating series of unprovoked attacks on Americans by Muslim pirates, the terrorists of the era," who looted American ships and captured American sailors, holding them for ransom or selling them as slaves.
More here
That's what the president told a White House conference on "countering violent extremism" on Wednesday.
Obama has said similar things in the past:
"I also know that Islam has always been a part of America’s story,” Obama said in a June 2009 speech in Cairo, Egypt. "Islam has always been part of America," he said in a 2010 statement marking the start of Ramadan. And in a 2014 statement marking Eid, Obama said the holiday "also reminds us of the many achievements and contributions of Muslim Americans to building the very fabric of our nation and strengthening the core of our democracy."
According to a Heritage Foundation paper, shortly after America's founding, the United States "was dragged into the affairs of the Islamic world by an escalating series of unprovoked attacks on Americans by Muslim pirates, the terrorists of the era," who looted American ships and captured American sailors, holding them for ransom or selling them as slaves.
More here
German nurse 'sorry' for killing patients
A German former nurse, who confessed to killing more than 30 patients by administering lethal drug doses, has apologised to relatives of his victims.
The 38-year-old said he was "honestly sorry" and hoped families would find peace if he was convicted, news agency DPA reported.
Identified only as Niels H under German court reporting rules, the accused told the court he acted on impulse.
"Usually the decision to do it was relatively spontaneous," he said.
Niels H has been on trial in Oldenburg in the north of Germany since September and is accused of murder and attempted murder.
The deaths occurred at the Delmenhorst clinic, where the man worked in the intensive care unit between 2003 and 2005.
He is alleged to have killed three patients and attempted to kill two others during that time, using a heart medication that lowers blood pressure.
A psychiatric expert last month said Niels H had admitted to the crimes and also claimed to have over-medicated another 90 patients, 30 of whom died.
More
The 38-year-old said he was "honestly sorry" and hoped families would find peace if he was convicted, news agency DPA reported.
Identified only as Niels H under German court reporting rules, the accused told the court he acted on impulse.
"Usually the decision to do it was relatively spontaneous," he said.
Niels H has been on trial in Oldenburg in the north of Germany since September and is accused of murder and attempted murder.
The deaths occurred at the Delmenhorst clinic, where the man worked in the intensive care unit between 2003 and 2005.
He is alleged to have killed three patients and attempted to kill two others during that time, using a heart medication that lowers blood pressure.
A psychiatric expert last month said Niels H had admitted to the crimes and also claimed to have over-medicated another 90 patients, 30 of whom died.
More
Murder suspect dubbed 'Michelangelo of buttocks injections'
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Gothic hip-hop artist who did illegal cosmetic surgery on the side boasted at her murder trial Thursday that her body sculpting work was so popular she was dubbed "the Michelangelo of buttocks injections."
Padge Victoria Windslowe, who performed under the name "Black Madam," is accused of killing a 20-year-old dancer from London during a procedure at an airport hotel that involved industrial-grade silicone and Krazy Glue.
The woman's 2011 death — and the months that Windslowe spent on the lam — led Philadelphia police to investigate the strange world of "pumping parties" and underground surgery.
"Everyone was calling me 'the Michelangelo of buttocks injections,'" Windslowe, 45, of Philadelphia told a judge at a final pretrial motion Thursday morning, just before her trial got underway. "God's blessed my hands with everything I touch. I make lots of money, in lots of ways."
Padge Victoria Windslowe, who performed under the name "Black Madam," is accused of killing a 20-year-old dancer from London during a procedure at an airport hotel that involved industrial-grade silicone and Krazy Glue.
The woman's 2011 death — and the months that Windslowe spent on the lam — led Philadelphia police to investigate the strange world of "pumping parties" and underground surgery.
"Everyone was calling me 'the Michelangelo of buttocks injections,'" Windslowe, 45, of Philadelphia told a judge at a final pretrial motion Thursday morning, just before her trial got underway. "God's blessed my hands with everything I touch. I make lots of money, in lots of ways."
The judge said that jurors must ultimately decide "the degree of recklessness" Windslowe assumed when they weigh third-degree murder, manslaughter and other charges.
More
More
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)