How will he do it without stepping outside where British police are waiting?

[He] risks arrest if he takes even one step out of the building. With police officers primed to detain him, Assange must find a way of speaking publicly without setting foot outside, raising the possibility of him being forced to speak from a balcony or lean out of a window.

.... Britain's Foreign Office warned that the steps to the embassy were considered British territory while police said officers would take "appropriate" action" if he strayed from the building.

Maybe they can just put a big TV monitor on the steps which broadcasts him speaking from inside. Like the kind they have at concerts so the people in the back can see closeups of the performers who otherwise just look like tiny figurines.

Here's a countdown clock until he speaks.

Interpol says its red notice against Assange continues despite Ecuador's decision to grant him asylum.

The New York Times has an editorial today on Obama and Romney/Ryan's dueling and confusing positions on Medicare. It fact checks the major points and concludes:

In the Medicare arena, the choice is between a Democratic approach that wants to retain Medicare as a guaranteed set of benefits with the government paying its share of the costs even if costs rise, and a Republican approach that wants to limit the government’s spending to a defined level, relying on untested market forces to drive down insurance costs.

Beautiful day here. Which means an open thread for you, all topics welcome.

The three female members of the Russian punk rock group "Pussy Riot" were sentenced to two years in prison today following Judge Marina Syrova's 3 hour reading of the verdict, finding them guilty of "hooliganism." What is hooliganism? From the verdict: [More...]

Daily Kos Radio's Ministry of Truth show, with me and Jesse LaGreca, is on today live.

Listen here.

Some experts weigh in with some possibilities on how Julian Assange will get out of the Ecuadoran Embassy in London and whether Britain would revoke Ecaudor's status under a little if ever used law and go in and seize him.

Among the possibilities being discussed: Having him escape in an oversized diplomatic bag or crate. another one:

Ecuador could name Assange its representative to the United Nations. That would make him immune from arrest while traveling to U.N. meetings around the world. Assange could be stripped of his role as representative by the U.N. General Assembly, but in the meantime would be protected.
[More...]

The Center for Disease Control today announced that all baby boomers should be tested for Hepatitis C.

Arizona is denying drivers' licenses to young immigrants who apply for a deferral of removal under President Obama's order.

A jury has awarded $4.5 million to a gay student in his lawsuit against lawyer Andrew Shirvell, formerly an assistant attorney general, who wrote about him on an anti-gay blog and on social media pages. The student had offered to drop the lawsuit if the Shirvell apologized. Shirvell was fired from the AG's office after his postings. An apology vs. $4.5 million -- big mistake.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

The Colorado Center on Law and Policy has released a report on the state and local budget impact of Amendment 64, the November ballot initiative to legalize personal adult use of marijuana in Colorado. The report finds Amendment 64 would:

• initially result in $60 million annually in combined revenue and savings for state and local governments in Colorado, which could double to more than $100 million within the first five years of implementation;
• save local and state law enforcement officials more than $12 million in the first year of operation;
• generate $24 million annually in state revenue for the Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) capital construction program
• create more than 350 new jobs, the majority of which will be in the construction industry.

[More...]

Justin Wolfe has been on death row in Virginia since 2002 for killing a fellow drug dealer. He was convicted based upon testimony of the shooter, Owen Barber, that Wolfe had hired him to kill the dealer. Barber later recanted and said he made that up to avoid the death penalty. His affidavit is here.

In 2010, Barber testified at Wolfe's federal habeas hearing that he fabricated Wolfe's involvement to avoid the death penalty. (He was sentenced to 60 years.) In 2011, the federal court vacated Wolfe's conviction and sentence finding he was wrongfully convicted based on the prosecution's withholding of critical evidence. Virginia appealed.

Today the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the District Court's order vacating Wolfe's conviction and sentence, finding no error in the district court's findings. Virginia says it is disappointed and most likely will retry Wolfe. [More...]

Look at this "reporting", via Hunter:

So, now we know. After months of his campaign dodging direct questions on the matter, Mitt Romney said Thursday in South Carolina that at no time in the past decade has he paid less than a 13 percent tax rate.

Mitt Romney refuses to release his tax returns, and this WaPo "journalist" pronounces the question answered.

Simply pathetic. I suppose the new standard is what the candidate says is taken as gospel and enough. Why would any candidate ever release their tax returns applying this standard? What a pathetic excuse for a reporter.

Ecuador has granted asylum to Julian Assange of Wikiliaks.

“The government of Ecuador, faithful to its tradition of protecting those who seek refuge in its territory or in its diplomatic missions, has decided to grant diplomatic asylum to Julian Assange,” said Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño, reading from a government communiqué at a news conference....

“There are indications to presume that there could be political persecution,” and that Mr. Assange would not get a fair trial in the United States and could face the death penalty there.

Ecuador can only provide protection to Assange in Ecuador. And Britain still says it must extradite him to Sweden. How does he get to Ecuador? [More..]

I'll be on Daily Kos Radio with Jesse LaGreca today at 11 Eastern. Listen here.

Open Thread.

New Zealand High Court Judge Winkelmann delivered a solid win to Kim Dotcom and his Megaupload codefendants late yesterday. Judge Winkelmann upheld District Court Judge David Harvey's order directing the U.S. to disclose evidence to the defense for use at the extradition hearing.

Kim Dotcom's extradition has become less certain after a judgment which will see the FBI having to prove it has the evidence to back up its charges - and a finding the legal document asking he be sent for trial in the United States did not comply with the law.

[More...]

I don't usually read articles about Zumba, but when looking for news about Kim Dotcom in the New Zealand Herald tonight, I came across a new series of articles and videos about Zumba and I got sucked in.

First, Zumba flew a reporter from New Zealand to Florida to attend its annual instructor's conference in Orlando last week. Attending the convention: 8,000 instructors from 80 countries. Here's his video report on the "United Nations of Zumba."

Second, Zumba, which is already said to be worth a half billion dollars, is branching out into the music business. With 14 million people now taking Zumba classes, it figures who needs radio stations? Zumba Fitness CEO Beto Perlman says:

We have 14 million people and we're democratic. They are all listening to the music that we give them.

So why not make deals directly with the artists, whose music they will feed directly to the Zumba-ites at classes, where music is already a key component? Instead of buying music heard on the radio, millions will buy a song after dancing to it at Zumba class. Pretty clever. It's a win-win -- Zumba classes won't get stale, artists make some money, and Zumba rakes in millions. [More...]

Ross Douthat:

Most Republicans would have been happy posing as deficit-reducers while arguing for deficit-financed tax cuts. But Ryan, despite his own supply-side sympathies, deliberately drew up a plan for deficit reduction that would work with our current tax code, and doesn’t require any rosy fantasies about how tax cuts will spur unprecedented growth. [Emphasis supplied.]

Wait, what?

Ryan’s assumptions provide the key to understanding his political thinking. He predicts that his plan would bring in more revenue from increased economic activity even while cutting the top tax rate and corporate rate from 35 percent to 25 percent, adopting the supply-side theories that he has subscribed to since he was at Miami University of Ohio. [Emphasis supplied.]

It's the old cut taxes on the rich + ? = Prosperity gnome plan. Get this:

If Rep. Paul Ryan’s newly unveiled 2012 budget is signed into law, this is what Ryan’s economic forecasters say will happen: The unemployment rate will plunge by 2.5 percentage points. The still-sinking housing market will roar back in a brand new boom. The federal government will collect $100 billion more in income tax revenues than it otherwise would have. And that’s just in the first year. By 2015, the forecasters say, unemployment will fall to 4 percent. By 2021, it will be a nearly unprecedented 2.8 percent.

Sounds like a "rosy fantasy" to me. Ross Douthat is both a fool and a knave.