I'm still drowning in wiretaps -- motions are due tomorrow. There are 20 plus defendants, 33 phones tapped, innumerable pen registers, trash searches, residence searches, computer searches, controlled buys and snitches -- and companion cases in two California districts. The TL kid's firm is also in the case so he's awash in them as well. But, he had time to win a trial today. He and another lawyer in his firm tried a double refusal DUI and the jury convicted only of careless driving, sparing their hero of a mandatory jail term due to priors. The TL kid did voir dire, opening and the direct examination of their hero. His associate cross-examined the cop and did the closing. The jury was out two hours. So, while even I don't have sympathy for their hero, congrats to the TL kid.

I'm going to take an hour off to watch American Idol and then get back to motions.

What are you watching or thinking about tonight?

I hope you can't go blind from reading 3,000 pages of wiretap affidavits in 48 hours. I still have 600 pages to go. 33 phone lines tapped in one case, what a monster.

Here's an open thread for those of you who are spending your Sunday in a more pleasurable way.

We're hunkering down for another huge snowstorm expected in a few hours.

There's no motive yet in the Binghamton, NY killings today.

President Obama is ready to lift travel and money transfer restrictions to Cuba.

The president has authority to loosen the restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba on his own. The new rules will affect an estimated 1.5 million Americans who have family members in Cuba. Other Americans are allowed to travel to Cuba but only if they qualify through particular cultural, educational and other programs.

Madonna's adoption application was denied by a Malawi judge today, she will appeal.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Here's the latest:

• Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich will be indicted later this afternoon.
• The House passed the tobacco regulation bill.
• The Dow surges and stocks are up.
• Vicente Carrillo Leyva, another suspected Mexican drug lord, has been arrested -- while exercising at a park.

  The announcement came as U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano were preparing to meet outside Mexico City this afternoon with top Mexican security officials to discuss how to staunch southbound smuggling of weapons to drug cartels from the United States.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

The bottom three on American Idol: Megan, Allison and Anoup. I think Anoup will go home, unless Allison is selected but the judges save her.

Update: I was wrong, Megan's going home.

Our afternoon open thread is full, here's a new one. All topics welcome.

Update below: [More..]

I'm off to court and BTD is working this afternoon.

Obama's gift to the Queen: An i-Pod. Photos here.

Another good G20 site: TheCity.co.UK. Lots of folks are using Audioboo, a free i-Phone application. The Telegraph has a good page and is using Twitterfall. And, of course, there's Twitter.

The BBC has a live map where you can follow the G20 by exploring London in video, audio, pictures and text. The Guardian's page is here and their hour by hour protest map is here. [Hat tip to Journalism.uk). Jaime Oliver's page with his menu for tonight's dinner is here.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Here's an open thread for topics unrelated to the auto industry.

The nursing home killings in North Carolina are so sad. So are the stories of some of the residents:

[Jesse] Musser had lived at Pinelake for only six weeks, said his son-in-law, Jim Foster, 47, of Aberdeen. He said the man had Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases and was blind, deaf and confined to a wheelchair. Foster said the family was now trying to figure out how to tell Musser's wife, who has dementia and lives at the same facility, that her husband is dead.

"She was upset that they didn't bring him to see her yesterday," Foster said. "I don't know how we're going to break it to her. You got a clue?"

What news are you following today?

I seldom watch the Sunday Talk shows anymore. They just seem irrelevant to me. Do you folks still watch?

In any event, here's an Open Thread.

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