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Group Sues U.S. to Reveal Terms of WTO Online Poker, Gambling SettlementTue, May 20th, 2008 @ 12:00am Public Citizen, a U.S. national non-profit public interest organization, announced it has filed a lawsuit yesterday to force the Bush administration to make public the details of its offer accepted by the European Union to bind more sectors of the U.S. economy to World Trade Organization (WTO) jurisdiction as part of the settlement relating to a WTO ruling against the U.S. ban on online poker and Internet gambling. After a Feb. 2007 WTO ruling against the United States for failing to make U.S. gambling laws comply to WTO treaties it had previously signed, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced instead of complying with the ruling it would take the unprecedented step to remove the gambling sector from WTO treaty coverage. By doing so, WTO rules were triggered requiring the U.S. to negotiate compensation for other WTO members, such as the European Union, Canada, Antigua, Macao and Costa Rica, who claimed they would be adversely affected by the U.S. withdrawal of online gambling from WTO treaties. USTR REFUSES TO REVEAL DETAILS OF DEALS Although it announced that deals had been reached with the European Union and other WTO claimants, the USTR has refused to release the details of its compensation agreements. In December, the USTR provided a hint at the scope of the deals by revealing that they involved new U.S. WTO commitments for "warehousing services, technical testing services, research and development services and postal services relating to outbound international letters." Earlier this year, freelance writer Ed Brayton filed an official Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to discover exactly what concessions were made with the European Union, Canada and Japan. Brayton, who frequently writes for the Michigan Messenger, is a fellow with the Center for Independent Media and has written extensively about U.S. online gambling restrictions and their effect on international trade. The USTR denied Brayton's request and his administrative appeal, contending that the settlement was properly "classified in the interest of national security". Public Citizen is representing journalist Ed Brayton, and through their Litigation Group has filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The suit asks the court to find that the USTR is illegally withholding the settlement agreement and to order the agency to provide Brayton a copy of the agreement. "Americans have a right to know what kinds of trade concessions the U.S. government is granting other countries, especially when those deals have a significant impact on domestic policy and may be worth billions of dollars," said Bonnie I. Robin-Vergeer, a Public Citizen attorney. "The Bush administration's decision to withhold the agreement under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has more to do with its desire to prevent public and congressional scrutiny of the settlement before it is enshrined in a new WTO schedule than it does with national security," she added. "FOIA requires the agreement's release." To view a copy of the complaint filed, click here. CONGRESS HAS ASKED FOR DETAILS TOO In addition to Brayton's request, a formal request was also made by Oregon Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) asking for full disclosure of the concessions granted without Congressional approval. "The issue will be whether the USTR abused its authority by granting new market access to the EU without first securing the consent of the trade committees in Congress," said Nao Matsukata, formerly Director of Policy Planning for USTR Robert Zoellick and now a Senior Advisor for Alston & Bird, LLP. "Ultimately, this could invalidate the deal with the EU and cause various WTO Members to revisit the issue of fair compensation from the United States." Read Related Articles:
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Stars Flock to Play Poker to Help Dafur FundRaising Celebrities and poker pros alike turned out this past Wednesday to donate to Darfur charities, and to show their fellow players who the real card sharks were.
World Series of Poker Main Event- July 3 Review, Preview of July 4 (Day 35) The Main Event of the World Series of Poker is off to an explosive start! Day 1B is sure to be even more packed and star-studded than Day 1A. By the end of the day, the 1,297 entrants had been whittled to 657 surviors. They will join those lucky enough to make it through Day 1B on Tuesday July 8th for Day 2A. Poker pros like Brandon Adams, Mark Vos, and Hasan Habib climbed the leader board on Day 1A. Which famous faces will join them from Day 1B? Be sure to stay right here at PokerPages.com as we bring you all of the live wire-to-wire action from the 2008 WSOP Main Event!
David Daneshgar Wins His First World Series of Poker Bracelet in Final $1,500 NLHE Tournament of 2008 Accomplished poker player David Daneshgar took first place in the last of seven $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em tournaments at the 2008 WSOP. The day before the Main Event, Daneshgar beat Scott Sitron heads up to win the bracelet and $625,443. The tournament was the last of the Series to conclude at the ESPN final table, and it was an appropriately difficult group of nine who made it that far from an initial field of 2,693.
World Series of Poker July 2 Review, Preview of Thursday July 3 (Day 34) The last two events before the Main Event of the World Series of Poker begins were played out overnight Wednesday July 2: in Event 52, David Daneshgar won the last $1,500 NLHE tournament, his first WSOP gold bracelet, and $625,443 in prize money which is his eighth time to cash at the WSOP, all since 2005. In Event 53: Limit Hold'em Shootout $1,500, after play continued well into this morning, Matt Graham finally prevailed over Jean-Robert Bellande, winning $278,180 in prize money for his first place finish.
James "POKERPRO33" Campbell is Newest Star Poker Player at UltimateBet UltimateBet just announced that James "POKERPRO33" Campbell will join Cliff "JohnnyBax" Josephy on its month-old Star Players team, where he will play online poker under the name POKERPRO33 and will be featured in a variety of future promotions on the site.
Poker Legend Hellmuth Comes up Short in bid for 12th Bracelet Not one, but three poker tables were up and running to start Day Three of Event 51, $1,500 HORSE. Day Two ended in the early morning hours with 20 players remaining, rather than the target of eight. After another full day at the tables, WSOP newbie James Schaaf was the last player standing.
Irish Poker Pro Marty Smyth is World Champion of Pot Limit Omaha A total of 381 players entered the $10K World Championship of Pot Limit Omaha. Tuesday afternoon, the nine still holding on to chips showed up at the Rio to play for more than $850,000 and a gold bracelet. After more than 11 hours on the final table felt, Marty Smyth was able to grab his first bracelet in a heads-up match that nearly required hearing protection.
World Series of Poker Tuesday Review, Preview of Wednesday July 2 (Day 34) At the World Series of Poker Tuesday, Marty Smyth was crowned the new world champion in Event 50: $10,000 buy-in Pot-Limit Omaha, which set the largest Pot-Limit Omaha tournament prize pool in poker history at $3,581,400. Smyth, the 2007 PaddyPower Irish Open winner, can add the title WSOP winner to his resume and $859,549 USD to his bankroll; and Phil Hellmuth lost a chance for bracelet #12 when James Schaaf captured his first bracelet and the $256,412 first-place prize in Event 51: FINAL: H.O.R.S.E $1,500.
World Series of Poker Europe Announces 2008 Schedule + ESPN Broadcast The schedule for the second annual World Series of Poker Europe presented by Betfair.com (WSOPE) for 2008 was just announced by Harrah's Entertainment, and will feature four bracelet tournaments, including a new addition, the GBP 1,500 No-Limit Hold'em event that will open the tournament. Also, for the first time (and subject to the execution of a definitive agreement) ESPN, the exclusive World Series of Poker telecaster, is scheduled to air eight original hours of coverage of the World Series of Poker Europe in the United States and distribute the tournament globally.
Renowned Cricketer Shane Warne to Teach Poker Players How to Bowl a Flipper Today Fellow World Series of Poker participants, the Las Vegas cricket team, and and area poker players will face the world renowned cricketer 'Spin King' Shane Warne, as he bowls a few overs in the Las Vegas desert, 10.00am PDT today (Wednesday July 2) at Sunset Park. |
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