The investigation into abuse of immigrants by the East Haven, CT police force has taken years.

Today, the Department of Justice charged four officers, Dennis Spaulding, David Cari, Jason Zullo and Sgt. John Miller, with conspiracy, deprivation of rights and obstruction of justice. Miller is the head of the local police union.

The Indictment is here. The officers were arrested by the FBI. One agent said of the misconduct, "They behaved like bullies." [More...]

The Romney Campaign has sent out a summary of the tax returns it will be releasing today.

Mr. Romney reported $21.7 million in income. He paid $3 million in federal taxes, slightly more than the $2.98 million he made in charitable donations. At least $1.5 million of his charitable donations went to the Mormon Church.

Of Mr. Romney's 2010 income, he noted a capital gain of $12.6 million, taxable interest of $3.3 million, ordinary dividends of $4.9 million and smaller sums of gains and losses on business income, refunds and other income.

His tax rate comes out to 14%. Why so low? The rate on investment income (15%) is lower than the rate for salaried income (35%.) Who is responsible for the big disparity?

That preferential rate for investment income, which was instituted as part of the Bush tax cuts to spur investment, is the basic reason why the Mr. Romney and his wife have an effective rate of around 15%.

His off-shore investments are not tax shelters. He pays the capital gains rate on those. He's worth between $84.8 million and $264.7 million. [More...]

The Republicans debate yet again tonight in Tampa.

For those of you watching, here's a thread to discuss it.

In other Repbulican news, it looks like Newt's tax returns have "issues."

Haditha has been described as the My Lai of the Iraq War. 24 civilian Iraqis, including women, children and an elderly person in a wheel chair were shot in cold blood when Marines from Kilo Company (3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment)went on a retaliatory rampage after a soldier had been killed by a roadside bomb.

Eyewitnesses disputed the Marines' account. The account by a 13 year old girl who pretended to be dead as the Marines barged in and killed her parents, grandparents and brother is especially compelling. [More...]

Former CIA officer John Kiriakou has been charged in federal court in Virginia with leaking information, perhaps pertaining to waterboarding, the capture of Abu Zubaydah and the interrogation of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

The Justice Department also said that the information Kiriakou supplied to journalists also contributed to a subsequent security breach at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay. Kiriakou’s disclosures, according to the Justice Department, enabled defense attorneys to obtain photographs of CIA operatives suspected of being involved in controversial interrogations, pictures that were subsequently discovered in prisoners’ cells.

Mexico strikes again at the Sinaloa Cartel, killing Luis Alberto Cabrera-Sarabia, who was appointed to take over for his brother Felipe Cabrera Sarabria, after his arrest last month. 10 or 11 others were arrested and presented to the media.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Good news today. The Supreme Court has ruled in the case of Antoine Jones that GPS monitoring requires a warrant. While there were concurring opinions, the justices were unanimous in the decision, which you can read here. The issue:

Whether the attachment of a GlobalPositioning-System (GPS) tracking device to an individual’s vehicle, and subsequent use of that device to monitor the vehicle’s movements on public streets, constitutes a search or seizure within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment.

[More...]

It seems to me, going through the timeline in the 72 page Megaupload Indictment, there are some events and players the media hasn't bothered to explore yet in any great detail. They are: [More...]

Bump and Update: Bail decision reserved until Wednesday. Kim DotCom will stay in custody until then. The Judge is preparing a written ruling. Reuters reports the judge said, "Given the breadth of issues covered in this bail application and the seriousness of the issues, I am going to reserve my decision," said Judge David McNaughton." Sounds like he wants to dot all his "i's for the appeals court.

The other defendants were also remanded. Tbe Judge indicated that his ruling as to Kim Dotcom would also apply to them. Recap of hearing below: [More...]

Steven Tyler rocked out his version of the National Anthem today. I thought he was just fine-- delightfully screech-y in fact, if a little off-key. The audience cheered -- it was good entertainment.

I don't think the person who posted this video on You Tube should have used the words "messed up" because he sang "a bomb bursting in air" instead of "bombs bursting in air." Big deal.

Tyler is no stranger to singing the National Anthem. Check out his Indy 500 version. It's not like they didn't know what they were getting, he's been singing it at sporting events for a decade at least.

A bail hearing is about to get started in New Zealand for Kim DotCom and the other Megaupload defendants. While we're waiting, here's some other news: Reuters reports Bob Bennett won't be representing Megaupload because his firm, Hogan Lovell, has a conflict due to representation of another client.

Bennett was working for Megaupload before the website's executives were indicted, said Ira Rothken, one of Megaupload's lawyers. Rothken said Bennett was handling matters other then criminal defense...."Who is or isn't on the criminal defense team is still being decided," Rothken said.

Former Penn. State football coach Joe Paterno has lost his battle with lung cancer. He died today.

The Washington Post interviewed him at his home recently.

Paterno’s hope is that time will be his ally when it comes to judging what he built, versus what broke down. “I’m not 31 years old trying to prove something to anybody,” he said. “I know where I am.” This is where he is: wracked by radiation and chemotherapy, in a wheelchair with a broken pelvis, and “shocked and saddened” as he struggles to explain a breakdown of devastating proportions.

RIP Mr. Paterno.

Via The Hill, A Republican operative explains:

Henry Barbour, a top Rick Perry fundraiser who endorsed Mitt Romney after the Texas governor dropped out, said Gingrich could not beat President Obama and would cost Republicans many House and Senate seats.

Barbour told The Hill that [. . . ] Gingrich [. . .] would turn the presidential race from a referendum on Obama into "the adventures of Newt Gingrich." "Newt would be a disaster as the nominee," he said. "He will put the House at risk. He will put our chances of taking the Senate down the tubes."

"He's too polarizing a figure to win the White House. He can't win independent voters and we can't win the White House without independent voters. He would be a disaster for our down-ticket candidates and our gubernatorial candidates."

Yes. Yes he would.

Speaking for me only