BTD is in hearings and I'm busy at work. Here's an open thread, all topics welcome. Please keep it civil.

Roman Polanski has been freed. The Swiss have denied the extradition request.

The Swiss Justice Ministry said in a statement that the decision reflected doubts over the legal strength of the U.S. extradition request, in particular concerning negotiations between Los Angeles prosecutors and Polanski's U.S. attorneys at the time. Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said at a news conference that Polanski is now free to leave Switzerland and return to his home in France.

The Swiss statement states the decision was based on the request itself and the refusal of the U.S. to provide sealed testimony regarding the alleged misconduct of the prosecution and Judge, and the Swiss national interest. [More....]

Juan Lazaro Jr., 17, and his half brother, Waldo Mariscal, 38,ara the sons of Journalist Vicky Pelaez and her husband, Juan Lazaro. Until two weeks ago, the family lived comfortably in Yonkers, MY, which is in Southern Westchester County, about 1/2 hour from Manhattan. Their parents are now in Russia. Vicky Pelaez is planning on leaving Russia for Peru, and ultimately Brazil.

Her son Juan, Jr. , at 17, is building a career as an accomplished pianist. He's got a shot at making it, according to his teachers.He wants to stay in NY and finish.

But, the Government has seized their home in Yonkers and they have no money. They have asked the Red Cross for help.

Lazarro fooled his wife and children. Ms. Pelaez's lawyer heard her ask her husband in court last week, "What was your real name?"

Update (TL): Spain wins.

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What a great game this should be. The Netherlands has won 6 straight at the tournament. Spain is the best team in the world. It should be great.

What to expect? Nervous, cautious start. No one wants to give up an early goal. Spain will play its possession style as usual, but with more caution at the back. Sergio Ramos will stay back early. The attacks will build from midfield.

More.

Law Enforcement is all excited about the popularlity of the iPhone. Why? It provides them with enhanced snooping abilities.

Law-enforcement experts said iPhone technology records a wealth of information that can be tapped more easily than BlackBerry and Android devices to help police learn where you've been, what you were doing there and whether you've got something to hide.

A former hacker, Jonathan Zdziarski, wrote a book on the iPhone's forensics, and cops now hire him to teach them how to retrieve hidden and deleted information. Some examples below: [More...]

Attorney General Eric Holder was at the Aspen Ideas Festival this week, where he was interviewed by CBS's Bob Schieffer for a segment of CBS Face the Nation that aired today.

There's not much new in his interviews. Basically, he said that the Arizona lawsuit is based on the pre-emption argument -- that the state law violates the Constitution's Supremacy Clause. The racial profiling argument was weaker because there's no evidence of it yet. He said down the road, should evidence develop that the law is resulting in racial profiling, the Government will have the tools to make the challenge. [More...]

I'm cheating a little bit this morning - working while keeping an eye on Stage 8 of the Tour de France, which has a mountaintop finish in the Alps.

Later, I'll be watching the World Cup final. Full preview post around noon.

Open Thread.

Today is Saturday, just two more working days until Monday for me.

Open Thread.

I missed the news today due to work, and my new i-Phone 4 arrived today and I'm about to set it up. (I'll let you all know how it goes and what's good and bad about it when I'm done. So far, it's still in the box.)

If you've got something to say, here's a place, all topics welcome. Please let me know if I missed anything big.

iPhone update below: [More...]

One of the more amusing things I have seen with regard to the LeBronathon is having ESPN commentators demanding "perspective" from Cleveland fans (who are angry with LeBron for leaving the Cavs to join the Miami Globetrotters.) In a world with perspective, there would not be an ESPN. Or an NBA. Or a LeBron James. In a world with perspective, no one would care about sports at all.

I say this as an irrational and insatiable sports fan, as regular readers are aware. The LeBron Brand, the ESPN brand, the major sports, are all dependent upon the irrationality of sports fans. It is simply ridiculous to chide Cleveland fans for exhibiting the type of irrationality that is necessary for anyone to actually care about sports. The type of irrationality that is necessary for these commentators to even have jobs.

A lack of perspective from these folks.

Speaking for me only

The European Court of Human Rights yesterday blocked the transfer to the U.S. of four suspected terrorists. The grounds: They might get sent to Supermax in Florence, CO which has inhumane conditions.

Egyptian-born Hamza, a former imam of the once-notorious Finsbury Park mosque in north London who has one eye and a hook for one hand, is serving a seven-year jail term for inciting followers to murder non-believers.

The other men in jail awaiting extradition are British nationals Babar Ahmad, Haroon Rashid Aswat and Seyla Talha Ahsan.

Interestingly, the court rejected their claims that their designation as enemy combatants could lead to the death penalty, and that their trials would be unjust. It was the Supermax argument that won the day.

[T]heir complaints "concerning the stringency of conditions there for what could be the rest of their lives, raised serious questions of fact and law". [More...]

Yesterday I asked why Vicki Pelaez, a Peruvian-born journalist with U.S. citizenship would go along with the deal to return to Russia. Here's what appears to be the answer:

Russian officials had made offers including free housing for life, an indefinite living allowance of $2,000 a month, visas and free passage for her children, and the right to travel beyond Russia to any country she wished, in return for her co-operation.

She told the Court she merely acted under her husband's instructions in delivering letters with invisible ink to someone who gave her a packet of money to bring back to the U.S.

I can't imagine she's thrilled with her husband right now. According to this version, her children will be granted visas to visit her, which means they won't be moving there. And, she's been promised she can leave Russia for Peru. [More...]