Alleged Hitman Denies Intentionally Shooting Murdaugh!

In an exclusive interview the alleged Hitman in the Murdaugh case, Curtis Smith, denies ever shooting the disgraced lawyer. He claims he was set up. He admits to being at the scene and disposing of the gun. Murdaugh appeared in court last week with no bandage or other evidence of a head injury:

https://nypost.com/2021/09/18/curtis-eddie-smith-says-he-was-set-up-by-alex-murdaugh/

I don't know what's going on but I don't believe Murdaugh ever intended to end up dead.

Notre Dame Cathedral to be rebuilt by 2024

Notre Dame Cathedral, severely damaged by fire in 2019, is expected to be reopened to the public 2024. The work to secure the structure is now complete. The President of France has decided it will be rebuilt exactly as it was.

https://www.cnn.com/style/article/notre-dame-cathedral-france-opening-scli-intl/index.html

Lawyers' War Stories

When lawyers (particularly litigators) gather after hours they enjoy entertaining each other with yarns of the strange, the bizarre and the incredible things that happen in a court of law. It's a world civilians rarely get to hear of. This 'war story' comes from a column the legendary William Dow writes for the little New Haven County Bar Association paper. Willie is now the Dean of the Connecticut criminal defense bar. Among other famous clients he defended governor John Rowland in his impeachment and first criminal case. (Can't win them all!)
It's too good not to share:


https://www.jacobslaw.com/criminal-defense-articles/once-upon-a-time-in-connecticut/

Chinese Property Developer's Bankruptcy Threatens Economy

The imminent collapse of Chinese real estate developer Evergrande is making investors wonder if it is a Chinese 'Lehman Brothers'. Evergrande is a real estate developer owing upwards of $300 billion dollars and will soon be unable to meet it's debt obligations. Speculation that the collapse of Evergrande will flood an already depressed real estate market with 1.4 million individual properties under construction. Many of these units have been prepurchased by individual investors.
It is estimated that real estate prices are already down 20 percent over the past year. Citizens in China have been encouraged for many years to nvest much of their wealth into housing with the assurance that prices could never go down.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-nightmare-evergrande-scenario-uncontrolled-160000957.html

I have been reading for years about the eventual collapse of the Chinese real estate market. Evergrande is not the only developer in trouble. It does sound a bit like the US in 2008.
The collapse of Evergrande could effect wide deaths of the Chinese economy:

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/17/china-developer-evergrande-debt-crisis-bond-default-and-investor-risks.html

The collapse of Evergrande and it's effect on the Chinese economy is being widely covered in the financial press:

https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/17/investing/china-evergrande-group-debt-explainer-intl-hnk/index.html

George Soros warned last week that the collapse of Evergrande could cause the Chinese economy to collapse

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/10/business/evergrande-debt-crisis.amp.html

The next CDC meeting on boosters

Looks like the CDC advisory committee (ACIP) will meet on September 22 at 10AM and again on 9/23 to make its own recommendation on boosters. I assume this will be livestreamed too.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/index.html

I read tonight in the New York Times that although the FDA gets to approve boosters on an emergency basis it is actually this committee that will determine how and when it all happens.

FDA meeting on boosters is live!

Trials for 18 Jan. 6 Oathkeepers pushed back until at least Spring.

The large Oathkeepers conspiracy trial was scheduled for January has now been pushed into April and July 2022. This is owing to the large volume of video that apparently has still to be fully processed. Judge Mehta, who is presiding over the case, says he intends to split it into two parts. No Oathkeeper wants to be in the trial with Kelly Meggs who texted saying he was hunting for Speaker Pelosi. Both sides have sought the delay, although all the defendants, particularly those locked up, have a Constitutional Right to a speedy trial. The issue of pretrial incarceration may be revisited.
If the trials result in long prison sentences some leaders of the conspiracy may consider the benefits of implicating higher ups.

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/09/16/judge-oath-keepers-trial-capitol-riot-512195

Cyber Ninjas Ordered to Turn Over All Records

The Cyber Ninjas have been ordered to turn over all records related to the Arizona Audit pursuant to the state's freedom of information act. The Arizona state senate fought this FOI request all the way to the state supreme court and lost. The records will show who paid for the audit and internal communications about the audit process. State senate president Karen Fann has asked the ninjas to comply with the court order. So far silence from the ninjas:

https://news.yahoo.com/arizona-senate-asks-cyber-ninjas-204100563.html

Summer's Gone - The Beach Boys

Question about the Murdaugh Assisted Suicide case.

One thing is starting to bother me about that Murdaugh Assisted Suicide claim. There were seven bullet casings found at the scene. And the guy only ends up with one non life threatening wound. Does he even lose conciousness? How could he not be dead with seven chances to take him out (and supposedly that's what he wants)? Very strange.
Any thoughts DU crime buffs?