The Anti-Defamation League has decided that, despite its stated purpose of fighting for religious equality, it just doesn't think the Muslims should build their mosque and community center two blocks from ground zero. In a tortured statement, the League says that, though "freedom of religion [is] a cornerstone of the American democracy," and though "proponents of the Islamic Center may have every right to build at this site, and may even have chosen the site to send a positive message about Islam," and though "the bigotry some have expressed in attacking them is unfair, and wrong," it does not support the mosque because "building an Islamic Center in the shadow of the World Trade Center will cause some victims more pain."

When the North Korean soccer team returned home from a disastrous performance in the World Cup earlier this month, it was not greeted with a "Hey, you did the best that a malnourished group of soccer players who trained in a country with no grass ever could. We're proud of you for trying." Instead, they were subjected to a public shaming in front of hundreds of people.

If you were thinking of heading up to Rhinebeck this weekend — not to try to crash the Most Important Wedding in the World, of course, but merely to take a gander at the heifers in the town's annual cow-judging contest or bend yourself into strange positions at the Omega Institute, good luck getting up there. Chelsea Clinton and Mark Mezvinsky have reportedly only invited 400 guests to their wedding, but the town is locked down like they're expecting something akin to the Siege of Leningrad.

Respected Dallas billionaires Sam and Charles Wyly and two of their employees, Michael French and stockbroker Louis Schaufele III, have been charged by the SEC with hiding $550 million in profits using an "elaborate sham system" of offshore accounts. What kind of "elaborate sham system," you ask? According to the complaint filed yesterday in Manhattan, the brothers and their accomplices set up seventeen offshore trusts in places like the Cayman Islands and the Isle of Man to hide their assets and trading. And then they apparently covered them with some kind of magic cloak.

50 Cent brought 50 guests to the Twelve premiere last night in the East Village, arriving late because the street was closed off for Obama's motorcade. President Obama, meanwhile, skipped out on the steak or salmon at Anna Wintour's house in favor of dining solo at The Four Seasons. Julia Roberts was forced to eat delicious Italian food for Eat Pray Love, and she "loved every pound" she gained. But Demi Moore's on a three-week cleanse, and Sarah Ferguson owes her personal trainer 65,000 pounds. Ed Westwick showed off his chest hair at the Beverly Hilton. Zoe Saldana stripped down to her lingerie for Calvin Klein. And Diddy is taking singing lessons.

Both the Times and the Journal today tell us that Donald Graham and the Washington Post Company are leaning toward the bid of stereo magnate Sidney Harman, rather than that of hedge fund Avenue Capital, when it comes to unloading Newsweek. The wariness about the latter comes from Avenue's recent interest in combining back offices with American Media, the publisher of Star and the National Enquirer (Avenue owns a 20 percent stake in that company already). Harman, on the other hand, has promised to keep the majority (250) of the magazine's 325 employees and will take on Newsweek's "considerable financial liabilities" with a purchase price of just $1. There are also still at least two other groups with outstanding bids for the mag.

Post Co. Balks at a Newsweek Bidder's Ties to National Enquirer [WSJ]
Audio Tycoon’s Newsweek Bid Said to Be Favored [NYT]