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Scarlett Johansson: Hacker who stole nude photos 'perverted'

Label: Business

Actress Scarlett Johansson said she was "truly humiliated and
embarrassed" by a Florida man who hacked into celebrity email accounts
and procured naked images of her, actions she called "perverted and reprehensible."

Johansson, whose then-husband Ryan Reynolds' email was hacked, videotaped a statement that was played in U.S. District Court on
Monday as Judge S. James Otero sentenced Christopher Chaney, 35, to 10
years in prison.

Chaney, who has maintained he made no money from his actions, had
already pleaded guilty in Los Angeles federal court to nine counts of
computer hacking and wiretapping for the unauthorized access of email
accounts of 50 people in the entertainment industry.

Once Chaney got photos of the celebrities and other information, he
forwarded the material to another hacker and two celebrity websites that
made them public, according to a plea agreement.

Singer Christina Aguilera, whose email also was hacked, taped a
similar message to the court, saying, "That feeling of security can never be
given back and there is no compensation that can restore the feeling one
has from such a large invasion of privacy."

Actress Renee Olstead, the 23-year-old star of ABC Family Channel's
"The Secret Life of the American Teenager," appeared in court and
described how much the stolen naked images hurt her.

"I just really hope this doesn't happen to someone else," Olstead
said, sobbing. "You can lose everything because of the actions of a
stranger."

Olstead said she comes from a conservative family and worked for a
family network. She said she considered suicide after the photos were
released.

Chaney has admitted that from at least November 2010 to October 2011,
he hacked into the email accounts of Johansson and others by
taking their email addresses, clicking on the "Forgot your password?"
feature and then resetting the passwords by correctly answering their
security questions using publicly available information he found by
searching the Internet.

Most victims did not check their account settings, so even after they
regained control of their email accounts, Chaney's alias address
remained in their settings, the plea agreement said. He continued to
receive copies of thousands of their incoming emails, including
attachments, for weeks or months without his victims' knowledge.

Prosecutors said Chaney began using a proxy service to "cover his tracks" and avoid detection by authorities. Even after investigators took his home computers, they said, Chaney used another computer to hack into another victim's email account.

Though his celebrity victims might have drawn the most attention, prosecutors said Chaney stalked two non-celebrities for more than a decade.

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— Richard Winton

E1 on West Bank is Empty but Full of Meaning

Label: World

Rina Castelnuovo for The New York Times

Khaled al-Saidi, right, said his family bought land in E1, between East Jerusalem and Maale Adumim, in the 1990s. The Israelis have told him to leave.

AL ZAYYEM, West Bank — They buried Rabi al-Essawy 14 months ago on land his family owns not far from this village, between East Jerusalem and the large Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim. Mr. Essawy, 65, was a member of an important clan, and thousands attended his funeral.

Rina Castelnuovo for The New York Times

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accelerated planning for housing units inside E1, but so far the only significant building is a police station.

But Mr. Essawy’s grave is in a parcel of land known as E1, a largely empty patch of the West Bank that is among the most sensitive pieces of real estate in an intractable conflict that is fundamentally about the land. The Israelis mean to annex E1 — short for East 1 — and they do not want Muslim graves to complicate future plans to build more settlements here.

Israeli authorities have ordered the family to remove Mr. Essawy’s remains and bury him in the village cemetery, just outside E1.

The fight over Mr. Essawy’s grave is a tiny skirmish in the long, intensifying battle over this parcel of land, a fight that speaks to the seemingly insurmountable differences, hostility and distrust between the Israelis and the Palestinians. It also stands as a symbol of the failure of negotiations as each side tries to outmaneuver the other with unilateral actions, and the international community is left on the sidelines to do little more than express discontent.

“It’s a big deal because for both sides, it looks like it’s in the heart of their dreams,” the columnist Nahum Barnea wrote in the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. “Nobody’s innocent here. Everybody’s trying to force his will on the other side.”

Israel sees E1, only 4.6 square miles and largely rocky desert, as the stone in the arch that connects East Jerusalem, which Israel has annexed, to Maale Adumim, one of the biggest of the so-called settlement blocs, with a population of 40,000. Israel says it intends to keep Maale Adumim in any peace settlement, hoping to swap land with any future Palestinian state. In fact, it was Yitzhak Rabin of the Labor Party who in 1994 attached E1 to the municipality of Maale Adumim.

For the Palestinians, E1 is seen as essential if they are ever to achieve a viable independent state with East Jerusalem as their capital. Palestinians say they need the land to preserve a workable, practical connection between East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and to build housing for Palestinian refugees and their descendants. As important, the Palestinians contend, E1 is central to a crucial north-south route through the West Bank from Ramallah to Bethlehem.

Israeli officials argue that a system of protected roads and tunnels through E1 could allow Palestinians passage. Palestinians say that Israelis could instead use such roads to travel between Maale Adumim and Jerusalem, where many of the settlers work. Israeli officials also argue that the West Bank is not obstructed farther to the east, and that Palestinians can drive north-south closer to the Jordan River; Palestinians say that the Jordan Valley is too far out of their way and that Israel has said it will demand a security presence there in any case.

And of course the Palestinians, like the United States and most other nations, regard all Israeli settlements beyond the 1967 boundaries, including in East Jerusalem itself, as illegal or as “obstacles to peace.” They regard Israeli assertions of “consensus” on keeping three main settlement blocs in the West Bank as self-delusion. Washington, however, does accept the principle of land swaps to accommodate demographic changes on the ground, but always subject to final agreement between the parties.

E1 has been contentious for years, with Washington warning various Israeli governments not to start building there. But E1 burst back into the forefront recently after Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, won United Nations General Assembly approval to recognize Palestine as a nonmember observer state. Mr. Abbas pressed ahead despite warnings from the United States and Israel that such an action would be a unilateral step in violation of the 1993 Oslo Accords that set up the supposedly interim Palestinian Authority.

Mr. Abbas won handily in the General Assembly on Nov. 29, in a 138 to 9 vote. Even Germany, a strong Israeli ally, abstained. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel responded with a three-part riposte. He withheld taxes collected on behalf of the Palestinians to pay down their electricity debt to Israel. He announced final approval for the construction of 3,000 more housing units in East Jerusalem and existing settlement blocs — beyond the 1967 borders, but within current settlement lines. And finally, he accelerated planning for the construction of up to 3,400 housing units inside E1.

Jodi Rudoren contributed reporting from Jerusalem.

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Label: Technology

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Adam Lanza's Mom 'Didn't Like to Leave Him Alone'

Label: Lifestyle

12/18/2012 at 11:30 AM EST

As divorces go, the one between Peter and Nancy Lanza appeared to be as amicable as possible under the circumstances, with agreement on generous alimony and custody.

But when the Lanzas finalized their split in 2009, they did have concerns about the care of their then-17-year-old son Adam, according to the pair's divorce mediator.

"The only two things I remember them saying is that she really didn't like to leave him alone and I know they went out of their way to accommodate him," their divorce mediator, Paula Levy, tells the Associated Press.

According to Levy, the Lanzas said their son had been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder.

"They worked together about it," Levy adds. "The mom, Nancy, pretty much said she was going to take care of him and be there as much as he needed her, even long-term."

The issue of whether Adam has Asperger's is a heated one, with many mental-health experts suggesting there is no connection between autism and a propensity for violence – even though Adam, three years after the divorce, killed his mother and shot 26 others during the school massacre in Connecticut.

Many experts say the idea that people on the autism spectrum are incapable of empathy is oversimplified and often flat-out false. They are said to be no more likely to commit violent crime than other people, and in fact are vastly more likely to be the victims of violent crime than others.

The divorce papers came to light as police continued to search for a motive. New information from investigators reveals that Adam smashed the hard drive of at least one of his computers at home before he set off on his rampage. It is not clear if information could be retrieved

According to court papers, Nancy Lanza filed for divorce on Dec. 9, 2008, in Stamford, Conn., with the legal boilerplate reason that "the marriage has broken down irretrievably and there is no possibility of getting back together."

Nancy and Peter Lanza had been married for more than 27 years and had two sons. Adam's older brother Ryan was born in 1988.

The action was finalized on Sept. 23, 2009, with Peter, an executive making $8,556 a week, agreeing to pay $240,000 a year in alimony, with built-in increases yearly.

Nancy would have primary custody of Adam in their Sandy Hook home, but Peter would get "liberal visitation and vacations" and pay the college costs of both his sons, the papers say. Peter has since remarried.

Peter said in a statement over the weekend after the shooting, "No words can truly express how heartbroken we are. We are in a state of disbelief and trying to find whatever answers we can."

Experts: No link between Asperger's, violence

Label: Health

NEW YORK (AP) — While an official has said that the 20-year-old gunman in the Connecticut school shooting had Asperger's syndrome, experts say there is no connection between the disorder and violence.

Asperger's is a mild form of autism often characterized by social awkwardness.

"There really is no clear association between Asperger's and violent behavior," said psychologist Elizabeth Laugeson, an assistant clinical professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Little is known about Adam Lanza, identified by police as the shooter in the Friday massacre at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school. He fatally shot his mother before going to the school and killing 20 young children, six adults and himself, authorities said.

A law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss the unfolding investigation, said Lanza had been diagnosed with Asperger's.

High school classmates and others have described him as bright but painfully shy, anxious and a loner. Those kinds of symptoms are consistent with Asperger's, said psychologist Eric Butter of Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, who treats autism, including Asperger's, but has no knowledge of Lanza's case.

Research suggests people with autism do have a higher rate of aggressive behavior — outbursts, shoving or pushing or angry shouting — than the general population, he said.

"But we are not talking about the kind of planned and intentional type of violence we have seen at Newtown," he said in an email.

"These types of tragedies have occurred at the hands of individuals with many different types of personalities and psychological profiles," he added.

Autism is a developmental disorder that can range from mild to severe. Asperger's generally is thought of as a mild form. Both autism and Asperger's can be characterized by poor social skills, repetitive behavior or interests and problems communicating. Unlike classic autism, Asperger's does not typically involve delays in mental development or speech.

Experts say those with autism and related disorders are sometimes diagnosed with other mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder.

"I think it's far more likely that what happened may have more to do with some other kind of mental health condition like depression or anxiety rather than Asperger's," Laugeson said.

She said those with Asperger's tend to focus on rules and be very law-abiding.

"There's something more to this," she said. "We just don't know what that is yet."

After much debate, the term Asperger's is being dropped from the diagnostic manual used by the nation's psychiatrists. In changes approved earlier this month, Asperger's will be incorporated under the umbrella term "autism spectrum disorder" for all the ranges of autism.

AP Writer Matt Apuzzo contributed to this report.

___

Online:

Asperger's information: http://1.usa.gov/3tGSp5

Man kills grandmother with barbeque fork, police say

Label: Business

Police are trying to determine a motive after a 22-year-old man allegedly killed his grandmother Sunday using a barbecue fork.

Los Angeles Police Department Lt. Paul Vernon called the incident in Mission Hills "especially sad and tragic."

The suspect, identified as Joe Calderon, was raised by his
grandparents and stabbed his grandmother at their Mission Hills home
Sunday morning, police said.

Investigators believe Calderon fought with his grandparents Saturday
night and, after his grandfather went to work Sunday, again argued with
his grandmother, Vernon said. This time, the suspect allegedly began
beating his grandmother, who called her daughter for help.

When the daughter arrived at the home in the 11100 block of Rincon
Avenue, Calderon "confronted her" outside the home "with a long metal
stick," Vernon said. She went around the corner and called police about 9
a.m.

Responding officers detained Calderon, whom Vernon said had blood on his hands.

The grandmother was found dead in the kitchen, Vernon said. Her name
has not been released, though authorities described her as a woman in
her 70s. It was unclear what relationship her daughter is to the suspect.

Vernon said investigators found several possible weapons at the
scene, including the barbecue fork that "appeared to have blood on the
prongs." Forensic tests will be conducted to determine if the utensil
was in fact the murder weapon, he added.

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— Andrew Blankstein and Kate Mather

Gérard Depardieu Says He Is Giving Up French Citizenship

Label: World

PARIS — Gérard Depardieu, the famous French actor, will be French no more, so exasperated is he with French taxes and the French government, he declared in an angry open letter to France’s prime minister on Sunday.

Mr. Depardieu, who has been accused by France’s Socialist government of abandoning the country to avoid paying taxes, will be giving up his French citizenship and taking up residence over the border in Belgium, he wrote. Mr. Depardieu insisted that his move was not solely for tax reasons, but also because he felt the government believed that “success, creation, talent — difference, in fact — must be punished.”

Mr. Depardieu’s decision to leave France, where the Socialist government has created a 75 percent marginal tax rate for incomes above $1.3 million amid stagnating growth, rising unemployment and a contracting budget, has drawn reprobation from politicians of all ideological stripes, as well as the news media and a good number of ordinary citizens. Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has called the actor’s departure unpatriotic and “pathetic,” while the labor minister, Michel Sapin, deemed it the sign of a “form of personal degeneration.”

In his letter, published in the newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche, Mr. Depardieu said he had paid an 85 percent tax rate on his 2012 revenue and a total of 145 million euros, or $190 million, in taxes over his working life.

“I am neither to be pitied nor to be praised, but I refuse the word ‘pathetic,’ ” Mr. Depardieu wrote.

Mr. Depardieu, 63, who has been in almost 200 films and has won numerous awards, has drawn attention in recent years for his love of drink and several related episodes that caused him embarrassment.

“Who are you to judge me so, I ask you, Mr. Ayrault?” he wrote in his letter. “Despite my excesses, my appetite and my love of life, I am a free being, sir, and I will remain polite.”

On Friday, President François Hollande took up the subject, calling for “ethical behavior” by French taxpayers and suggesting that France may renegotiate its fiscal conventions with Belgium. He also joked that French residents of Néchin, the Belgian border village where Mr. Depardieu has bought a home, should not get too comfortable. Mr. Hollande noted that the mayor there is also a Socialist.

While several wealthy French citizens have reportedly departed for other fiscal shores since Mr. Hollande’s election in May, Sunday brought the unanticipated return to France of the writer Michel Houellebecq, who had been living in Ireland, where tax rates are relatively low.

“The major reason is that I want to speak my language, once again, in everyday life,” Mr. Houellebecq wrote in an e-mail to Agence France-Presse, insisting that taxes and politics had little to do with his repatriation.

Mr. Depardieu, too, will be able to speak his native tongue in his new home. Though many Belgians speak Flemish, Mr. Depardieu’s neighbors in Néchin speak French.

Honey Boo Boo Reveals Her Celebrity Crush - It's Justin Bieber!

Label: Lifestyle

We asked – and she answered!

Talking to PEOPLE TV, pint-sized reality star Honey Boo Boo (a.k.a. Alana Thompson) offered a glimpse into her small but decisive world, sharing her celebrity crush on Justin Bieber – as well as many other favorite things.

What's her favorite item of clothing? "My jeans," she offers. If she could be anyone else in the world, she tells PEOPLE, it would be singers Pink or Nicki Minaj.

Recently named one of Barbara Walters's 10 most fascinating people, her culinary sensibilities lean toward finger foods, with Alana citing chicken nuggets as tops. And if she could travel anywhere in the world where would she go? With her mom to Walmart, natch.

After her recent HOLLADay specials, new episodes of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo will begin airing on TLC in January.