MONEY

SUPER RICH EVADE AS MUCH AS $70 BILLION A YEAR IN TAXES

DAVID CAY JOHNSTON, NY TIMES - So many superrich Americans evade taxes
using offshore accounts that law enforcement cannot control the growing
misconduct, according to a Senate report that provides the most detailed
look ever at high-level tax schemes. Among the billionaires cited in the
report are the owner of the New York Jets football team, Robert Wood
Johnson IV; the producer of the "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers"
children's show, Haim Saban; and two Texas businessmen, Charles and Sam
Wyly, who the Center for Public Integrity found in 2000 were the
ninth-largest contributors to President Bush. . . Cheating now equals
about 7 cents out of each dollar paid by honest taxpayers, as much as
$70 billion a year, the report estimated. . .

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/01/business/01tax.html?_r=1&ref
=washington&oref=slogin


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CIVIL LIBERTIES
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JUDGE THROWS OUT LAW AGAINST VIDEO GAMES

STAR TRIBUNE - A federal judge in Minneapolis on Monday struck down a
state law aimed at keeping violent video games out of the hands of
Minnesota children, saying the state has shown no convincing evidence
that children are harmed by them. The law, which would have taken effect
today, called for slapping a $25 fine on any child under age 17 who
bought or rented a game rated for more mature players. The law also
required video retailers to post warning signs in their stores. . .
Evidence presented by the state was "completely insufficient to
demonstrate an empirical, causal link between video games and violence
in minors," U.S. District Judge James M. Rosenbaum ruled in a lawsuit
brought by video game makers and retailers. He granted a permanent
injunction barring the state from enforcing the law.

http://www.startribune.com/462/story/586883.html

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FCC TALIBAN STRIKES AGAIN

MARK WASHBURN, CHARLOTTE OBSERVER - Channel 36 sports director Chuck
Howard has parted ways with the station in the wake of a technical goof
that allowed a vulgarity on the air last week. Howard, 41, WCNC sports
director for 11 years, was taping a roundup Wednesday night for the next
morning's "6 News Today" when he decided to redo the segment. "Let's
retake that," he said, prefacing the statement with the word s---.

But when the roundup aired at 5:51 a.m. Thursday, the station showed the
aborted segment rather than the one intended for broadcast. Morning
anchor Colleen Odegaard immediately acknowledged the error and
apologized to viewers. Howard was not on his usual newscasts Friday.
"Chuck has tendered his resignation and we have accepted it," Stuart
Powell, president and general manager of the NBC affiliate, said
Saturday.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/15154166.htm