Bernie Madoff

Kyra Sedgwick isn't holding back: "I love Obama," she proclaimed to Piers Morgan. And she's very definitely voting for him. And here we thought her heart belonged only to Kevin Bacon? OK, apples and oranges. "I think that he's done some extraordinary things," Sedgwick said of the president on Morgan's CNN show Friday. "I think he's had a really, really hard time of it. I think he's been blamed for things that were not on his watch, and I think that given a second term he would be bolder.

How does an author of seriously literary fiction discover one of his books was owned by Bernie Madoff, the investor who defrauded his clients of billions of dollars? He sees it listed in an auction on EBay. That's how Rick Moody came to know that Madoff's library included his novel "Purple America . " Parts of the Madoff library collection is appearing piecemeal on eBay from a seller who won the books (Lots 750, 751 and 752) in a U.S. Marshall's auction of some of Madoff's Florida possessions.

Even though Kyra Sedgwick and her husband Kevin Bacon were among the hundreds of investors swindled by Bernie Madoff, on Tuesday night she told CNN's Piers Morgan that she doesn't harbor any ill feelings toward the Ponzi schemer. However, that doesn't mean she was eager to discuss the subject. “God, are we still on that, is that still a topic of interest?” the actress, who was promoting the upcoming final season of her long-running drama, “The Closer,” asked wearily in response to a question about Madoff.

Kyra Sedgwick isn't holding back: "I love Obama," she proclaimed to Piers Morgan. And she's very definitely voting for him. And here we thought her heart belonged only to Kevin Bacon? OK, apples and oranges. "I think that he's done some extraordinary things," Sedgwick said of the president on Morgan's CNN show Friday. "I think he's had a really, really hard time of it. I think he's been blamed for things that were not on his watch, and I think that given a second term he would be bolder.

Beverly Hills financial advisor Stanley Chais, accused of steering hundreds of millions in investor dollars to Bernard L. Madoff's Ponzi scheme, was sued this morning by California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, seeks restitution for victims and at least $25 million in civil penalties. Chais operated three exclusive funds that offered returns of up to 25%. He told clients that he achieved the returns using a complex combination of derivatives, stock, currency and futures trading, Brown said.

Three days. That's how close Bernard Madoff's $65-billion Ponzi scheme came to collapsing back in November 2005. The high-profile Bayou hedge fund had failed, and droves of newly anxious investors were pulling money out of investment businesses such as Madoff's. He owed $105 million in redemption checks to investors, but the fraudulent investment business' JPMorgan bank account had just $13 million. As Diana Henriques documents in her new book, "The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust," Madoff was able to cover the difference only by pulling money from his legitimate brokerage business and by appropriating client assets to get a $95-million loan.

The many faces of Lily Tomlin are well known to television audiences, and with her current gig on the FX legal thriller "Damages," there's one more just as compelling. Tomlin, 70, plays Marilyn Tobin, the dispossessed wife of the Bernie Madoff figure, Louis Tobin, and a dark departure from the classic characters she introduced on "Laugh-In" 40 years ago. Ernestine and others are alive and kicking in Tomlin's concert tour and her Las Vegas show, "Not Playing With a Full Deck," which is returning to the MGM Grand from April 29 to May 5. She's also working on a "Desperate Housewives" spinoff, a mystery comedy featuring her character, Roberta Simmons, and Kathryn Joosten's Karen McCluskey character.

Tangled Webs How False Statements Are Undermining America: From Martha Stewart to Bernie Madoff James B. Stewart The Penguin Press: 474 pps., $29.95

Re "Bernanke the enforcer," editorial, March 11 We all know what happens in times like these: There are loud protests of disgust and new regulations, and then when the economy improves, we go back to ignoring the problem -- greed. I have another solution. Let's take a Bear Stearns building on Wall Street and turn it into a white-collar prison. Put a big plasma screen TV beside the doorway with a scrolling list of the inmates, their photos and descriptions of their crimes. Start with Bernie Madoff.

Re: "Investors cry foul after real estate deals go bust," Feb. 18: As an independent futures trader, my daily due diligence is a routine part of my overall strategy. Sadly, what is missing from your article -- and from all the coverage regarding Bernie Madoff and all the mini-Madoffs like Mr. Harkey -- are any comments on the lack of due diligence on the part of the investors. How someone can give all or part of his savings over to a single investment or investor is beyond my comprehension.

Even though Kyra Sedgwick and her husband Kevin Bacon were among the hundreds of investors swindled by Bernie Madoff, on Tuesday night she told CNN's Piers Morgan that she doesn't harbor any ill feelings toward the Ponzi schemer. However, that doesn't mean she was eager to discuss the subject. “God, are we still on that, is that still a topic of interest?” the actress, who was promoting the upcoming final season of her long-running drama, “The Closer,” asked wearily in response to a question about Madoff.

She is described by people who hired her as modest, generous, pleasant and so ordinary they struggle to recall anything about her. Her lifestyle showed no sign of extravagance. Quite the opposite. The politicians and consultants who trusted Kinde Durkee with millions of dollars saw little to hint that she might become vilified as "the Bernie Madoff of campaign finance treasurers. " The 1950-vintage house she owns with her husband on a tidy street in Long Beach's Bixby Knolls is distinguished by its neglect.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said her campaign is among those that may have been "wiped out" by a Burbank-based Democratic campaign treasurer who was arrested on federal fraud charges earlier this month. Kinde Durkee is accused of taking thousands of dollars from the campaigns of several elected officials, including Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove), Rep. Susan A. Davis (D-San Diego) and Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-Santa Ana). The Los Angeles County Democratic Party reported that more than $200,000 had been taken from its fund.

Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi, contending the Edmonton Oilers had twice misrepresented the health of a traded player, said Friday the Kings will "look at our legal avenues" for a remedy. "The bottom line for me, I would have rather invested my money with Bernie Madoff than invest in Edmonton's word," Lombardi said. Lombardi agreed to take forward Gilbert Brule in exchange for Ryan Smyth but balked after the Kings determined Brule hadn't been procedurally cleared following a concussion.

Three days. That's how close Bernard Madoff's $65-billion Ponzi scheme came to collapsing back in November 2005. The high-profile Bayou hedge fund had failed, and droves of newly anxious investors were pulling money out of investment businesses such as Madoff's. He owed $105 million in redemption checks to investors, but the fraudulent investment business' JPMorgan bank account had just $13 million. As Diana Henriques documents in her new book, "The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust," Madoff was able to cover the difference only by pulling money from his legitimate brokerage business and by appropriating client assets to get a $95-million loan.

New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon said his team is "bleeding cash" and could lose as much as $70 million this year. Wilpon told Sports Illustrated in its current issue that he has made a lot of poor judgments. He says trusting Bernard Madoff was his biggest regret. The Mets were caught up in Madoff's Ponzi scheme. Wilpon told the magazine that the Mets "became in jeopardy" after a court-appointed trustee wanted the team's owners to repay $1 billion to Madoff's victims.

Re: "Madoff victims push for tax relief," April 27: The investors who gave money to Bernie Madoff did so in spite of the fact that he promised returns that were literally "too good to be true." Sure enough, his Ponzi scheme collapsed and some investors lost millions. In your article, Gordon Bennett, who lost $1.5 million, says, "I was victimized once by Mr. Madoff. I don't want to be victimized a second time by the state of California." Mr. Bennett, you were a victim of your own greed, and I fail to see why the taxpayer should pick up the tab for your poor judgment.

I really enjoyed the interview with Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox. ("SEC's Cox defends approach," Dec. 27.) His steady-as-she-goes attitude during the worst financial crisis in this country is illuminating. All banks being systematically crushed and destroyed by short sellers, Bernie Madoff with a $50-billion Ponzi scheme and Mr. Cox is proud of his steady-as-she-goes-do-nothing managing. He even criticizes Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke for taking action.

Tangled Webs How False Statements Are Undermining America: From Martha Stewart to Bernie Madoff James B. Stewart The Penguin Press: 474 pps., $29.95

Not the retiring type When Johnny Damon became a free agent last winter, there were few suitors for his services. "The Yankees were trying to get me back," he said Saturday. "I heard the Angels were talking. I don't think I got an offer from them, but I knew they were interested. " But it was the Tampa Bay Rays who showed the most love, offering a one-year, $5.25-million deal and the prospect of ample playing time. So far that decision has proven to be one of the best acquisitions of the season, with Damon hitting .266 and leading the majors with six game-winning hits and leading all designated hitters with 20 runs batted in. Passing up two contenders for a team that looked to be rebuilding was a curious move for a 37-year-old in the twilight of his career.