2018 ~ World Technology

Friday, 23 February 2018

Fed agency now serves 'Americans,' not 'nation of immigrants': report

By Unknown February 23, 2018 ' not 'nation of immigrants': report, Fed agency now serves 'Americans

America a "nation of immigrants"? Not anymore. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service has eliminated the phrase from its mission statement, according to an internal memo.

The document, obtained by the Washington Post, also says that those seeking immigration benefits will no longer be called “customers.”

The new mission statement reads:

“U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services administers the nation’s lawful immigration system, safeguarding its integrity and promise by efficiently and fairly adjudicating requests for immigration benefits while protecting Americans, securing the homeland, and honoring our values.”

By contrast, the old statement claimed that “USCIS secures America’s promise as a nation of immigrants by providing accurate and useful information to our customers, granting immigration and citizenship benefits, promoting an awareness and understanding of citizenship, and ensuring the integrity of our immigration system.”

Source: foxnews

Fact-checking Trump, NRA claims on gun background checks

By Unknown February 23, 2018 Fact-checking Trump, NRA claims on gun background checks

Sifting through the gun rhetoric since the mass shooting in a Florida high school Feb. 14, we noticed politicians and groups on all sides of the debate often turn to the same topic: background checks.

Federally licensed firearms dealers have been required to run background checks on gun buyers since 1994, when the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act took effect. Almost all of these searches are done through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), a database launched by the FBI in 1998 as part of the Brady law.

According to FBI data, more than 253 million background checks were conducted from Nov. 30, 1998, when the NICS launched, through the end of 2016. Nearly 27.5 million checks, or 11 percent of the historical total, were done in 2016 alone.

A separate report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics shows that more than 3 million, or 1.5 percent, of gun applications were denied between the Brady law’s effective date in 1994 and the end of 2015.

Source: washingtonpost

Modi Hugs Trudeau Amid Indo-Canada Invitation Embarrassment

By Unknown February 23, 2018 Modi Hugs Trudeau Amid Indo-Canada Invitation Embarrassment

New Delhi (AP) -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau on Friday with a hug, one day after embarrassed Canadian diplomats had to revoke a party invitation for a man convicted of attempting to kill an Indian politician.

The invitation was the latest blunder in Trudeau's eight-day visit, which has included everything from criticism of his colorful wardrobe to questions about whether his government is sufficiently critical of Sikh extremists.

Jaspal Atwal, a Canada-based former member of a banned Sikh separatist group, had been invited by a Canadian member of Parliament to a Thursday evening party for Trudeau at Canada's High Commission in New Delhi.

Atwal was convicted of trying to kill an Indian Cabinet minister during a 1986 visit to Canada. The minister was shot but survived. Atwal was imprisoned, and became a businessman after his release.

Canada quickly withdrew the invitation once it was discovered, with Trudeau telling reporters: "Obviously we take this situation extremely seriously. The individual in question never should have received an invitation."

Source: bloomberg

Australian deputy prime minister resigns after new harassment claim

By Unknown February 23, 2018 Australian deputy prime minister resigns after new harassment claim

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia’s deputy prime minister said on Friday he will resign as leader of his party after weeks of pressure over an affair with a staffer that brought him into open conflict with his premier and a new allegation of sexual harassment emerged.

Barnaby Joyce said he will step down on Monday as leader of the National party, the junior partner in Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s centre-right coalition, after resisting earlier calls to quit over the affair with his former media secretary, with whom he is expecting a child.

He will remain in parliament, safeguarding Turnbull’s shaky one-seat majority.

Joyce’s decision came after a falling-out with Turnbull, who is in the United States for meetings with President Donald Trump and who declined to leave him in charge while he is out of the country.

Turnbull called Joyce’s affair a “shocking error of judgment” last week, to which Joyce responded by calling Turnbull “inept”.

Joyce, a practising Catholic, has been married for 24 years and has campaigned on family values. He said he decided to quit after the new allegation of sexual harassment emerged on Friday.

Source: reuters

Ivanka Trump, US charmer-in-chief, touches down in South Korea

By Unknown February 23, 2018 Ivanka Trump, touches down in South Korea, US charmer-in-chief

(CNN)Ivanka Trump, eldest daughter of US President Donald Trump, arrived in South Korea Friday as part of a charm offensive in the closing days of the 2018 Winter Olympics.
While Trump told waiting reporters in Seoul she was looking forward to cheering on US Olympians at the Games, analysts said her chief task will be shoring up diplomatic relations with South Korea.
"Given the universe of dignitaries in this administration that the president could have sent to South Korea, Ivanka Trump is probably the best of the lot in terms of a relatively good reputation, having a fair amount of charisma and star power," said Evan Resnick, coordinator of the US Program at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, told CNN.

"In purely symbolic terms, she's probably the best face of this administration."

Closing ceremony
Resnick said sending Trump could be an attempt to regain face after US Vice President Mike Pence's "dud" of an appearance at the Opening Ceremony, in which he was overshadowed by the presence of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister and did not stand for a joint Korean team as it entered the stadium.
After months of nuclear tensions between Pyongyang and Washington, the US delegation led by Pence sat just meters from Kim Yo Jong.

Source: edition.cnn

More bombs fall on Syria's eastern Ghouta ahead of U.N. vote

By Unknown February 23, 2018 More bombs fall on Syria's eastern Ghouta ahead of U.N. vote

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A new wave of bombs struck Syria’s eastern Ghouta on Friday, which a witness in one town described as the worst yet, ahead of a U.N. Security Council vote to demand a 30-day ceasefire across the country.

For a sixth straight day, warplanes have pounded the densely populated agricultural pocket east of the capital, the last rebel bastion near Damascus. The escalation has killed at least 417 people and injured hundreds more, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group says.

Medical charities say jets have hit more than a dozen hospitals, making it near impossible to treat the wounded.

The Britain-based Observatory said government warplanes and artillery hit Douma, Zamalka, and other towns across the enclave in the early hours on Friday. A witness in Douma, who asked not to be identified, said by phone the early morning bombing was the most intense so far.

The bombing of eastern Ghouta since Sunday night has been among the fiercest of the war, now entering its eighth year.

The Civil Defense in eastern Ghouta said its rescuers rushed to help the wounded after strikes on the town of Hammouriyeh on Friday morning. The emergency service, which operates in rebel territory, says it has pulled hundreds of people from under the rubble in recent days.

Source: reuters

Man who plotted his family's murder will not be executed, governor says

By Unknown February 23, 2018 governor says, Man who plotted his family's murder will not be executed

The governor of Texas decided today to spare the life of a convicted killer who carried out a plot to kill his parents and his brother.

About 40 minutes before the scheduled execution, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced he would grant clemency to 38-year-old Thomas "Bart" Whitaker. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, in a rare recommendation, voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of the "lesser penalty" of commuting Whitaker's death sentence to life behind bars without the possibility of parole.

“In just over three years as governor, I have allowed 30 executions. I have not granted a commutation of a death sentence until now," Abbott said in a statement. “The murders of Mr. Whitaker’s mother and brother are reprehensible. The crime deserves severe punishment for the criminals who killed them. The recommendation of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, and my action on it, ensures Mr. Whitaker will never be released from prison."

Bart Whitaker was convicted of capital murder for the shooting deaths of his mother, Tricia Whitaker, and his younger brother, Kevin Whitaker, in an attack he devised at the family's Sugar Land, Texas, home in December 2003. Bart's father, Kent Whitaker, was also shot during the attack, but survived.

Source: go

Florida man screams, yells 'murderers!' as he's put to death

By Unknown February 23, 2018 Florida man screams, yells 'murderers!' as he's put to death

As the execution drugs were being administered, inmate Eric Scott Branch let out a blood-curdling scream. Then he yelled "murderers! murderers! murderers!" as he thrashed on a gurney as he was being put to death for the 1993 rape and slaying of a college student.

The drugs included a powerful sedative Thursday evening and the 47-year-old inmate, following the outburst, gave a last guttural groan and turned silent. Minutes earlier, he had just been addressing corrections officers, saying it should fall to Florida Gov. Rick Scott and his attorney general to carry out the death sentence — not to those workers present.

"Let them come down here and do it," Branch said. "I've learned that you're good people and this is not what you should be doing."

Branch was pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m. Thursday after receiving the injection at Florida State Prison in Starke. The governor's office made the announcement.

Asked later whether Branch's scream could have been caused by the execution drugs, Department of Corrections spokeswoman Michelle Glady said "there was no indication" that the inmate's last actions were a result of the injection procedure. She said that conclusion had been confirmed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Branch was convicted of raping and fatally beating University of West Florida student Susan Morris, 21. Her naked body was found buried in a shallow grave — a crime whose brutality was noted by the Florida Supreme Court in denying one of Branch's appeals.

"She had been beaten, stomped, sexually assaulted and strangled. She bore numerous bruises and lacerations, both eyes were swollen shut," the justices wrote.

Evidence in the case shows Branch approached Morris after she left a night class on Jan. 11, 1993, so he could steal her red Toyota and return to his home state of Indiana. He was arrested while traveling there.

Source: go

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens indicted

By Unknown February 23, 2018 Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens indicted

Washington (CNN)Missouri GOP Gov. Eric Greitens was indicted on Thursday amid looming allegations of sexual misconduct and blackmail following an admission of an affair last month.
He was charged in St. Louis with a first-degree felony invasion of privacy, according to the Missouri court system.
In a statement Thursday, Greitens denied committing any crime and instead called the situation "a personal mistake" from his time prior to taking office.

"As I have said before, I made a personal mistake before I was Governor. I did not commit a crime," his statement read. "With today's disappointing and misguided political decision, my confidence in our prosecutorial system is shaken, but not broken. I know this will be righted soon. The people of Missouri deserve better than a reckless liberal prosecutor who uses her office to score political points. I look forward to the legal remedies to reverse this action. This will not for a moment deter me from doing the important work of the great people of Missouri."
CNN affiliate KMOV published a report last month where a man said his now-former wife had an affair with Greitens in 2015. The report included details of a recording of a woman saying Greitens had tried to blackmail her to keep quiet about their sexual encounter.
Greitens denied he resorted to blackmail, but admitted to an affair, and the circuit attorney for St. Louis, Kimberly M. Gardner, said they had launched a formal investigation.
In a statement, Gardner said the alleged incident took place in March 2015 and vowed to "hold public officials accountable in the same manner as any other resident."
Greitens' attorney, Edward Dowd Jr., said in an email to KMOV: "In forty years of public and private practice, I have never seen anything like this. The charges against my client are baseless and unfounded. My client is absolutely innocent. We will be filing a motion to dismiss."
Susan Ryan, a spokeswoman with the Circuit Attorney's Office released a statement saying the governor's lawyers had requested a "secret" meeting with her office prior to the indictment as they wanted to share the "human" side of Greitens' story.

Source: cnn

Latest Trump tirade is threat to pull immigration officials out of California

By Unknown February 23, 2018 Latest Trump tirade is threat to pull immigration officials out of California

President Trump unleashed a tirade Thursday against California and its supposedly lax stance on illegal immigration, ending with a seemingly spontaneous threat to remove federal immigration authorities from the state.

His remarks, made during a meeting about gun control, were in stark contrast to the public position of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, who have dramatically increased activity in California in recent months and said repeatedly that federal authorities need to have a stronger presence in cities and states that have sanctuary policies.

Trump said in the meeting, “If I wanted to pull our people from California you would have a crime nest like you’ve never seen in California. ... You’d be inundated, you would see crime like no one’s ever seen crime in this country.”

“If we ever pulled our ICE out and said, ‘Hey, let California alone, let them figure it out for themselves,’ in two months they’d be begging for us to come back. They would be begging,” Trump said. “And you know what? I’m thinking about doing it.”

defend the state and its immigration sanctuary policies, many pointing out that California has relatively low crime rates and that there is little evidence associating illegal immigration with increased violent crime.

“The president’s obsession with our state is growing more outrageous by the day,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., in a statement released less than an hour after Trump’s remarks aired on TV. “The president’s attacks are not only mean-spirited, they’re patently false.”

Immigration experts expressed some skepticism that Trump would follow through on the threat. “I’m not sure what to make of his comment. It doesn’t seem to be the product of any sustained study of the matter. It seemed like an off-the-cuff remark,” said Pratheepan Gulasekaram, a professor at Santa Clara University School of Law.

Source: sfgate

Special counsel Mueller files new charges against Manafort, Gates

By Unknown February 23, 2018 Gates, Special counsel Mueller files new charges against Manafort

Paul Manafort was using fraudulently obtained loans and tax-cheating tricks to prop up his personal finances as he became chairman of the Trump campaign in 2016, according to a new 32-count indictment filed against him and his business partner Thursday.

The indictment ratchets up pressure on Manafort and his deputy, Rick Gates, who were already preparing for a trial in the District that could come later this year on fraud and money-laundering charges.

The additional charges had been expected in special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s prosecution of Manafort and Gates. Manafort joined the Trump campaign in March 2016 and was campaign chairman from June to August of that year. Gates also served as a top official on Trump’s campaign.

Mueller accused the men of lying on their income-tax returns and conspiring to commit bank fraud to get loans. The indictment was filed in federal court in Virginia — a technical requirement because that was where the accused filed their tax returns.

A court filing indicates that prosecutors initially sought to combine the new charges with the preexisting indictment in federal court in Washington, but Manafort declined to agree, leading to the possibility of separate trials in neighboring jurisdictions.

Source: washingtonpost

As Gunman Rampaged Through Florida School, Armed Deputy ‘Never Went In’

By Unknown February 23, 2018 Armed Deputy ‘Never Went In’, As Gunman Rampaged Through Florida School

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The only armed sheriff’s deputy at a Florida high school where 17 people were killed took cover outside rather than charging into the building when the massacre began, the Broward County sheriff said on Thursday. The sheriff also acknowledged that his office received 23 calls related to the suspect going back a decade, including one last year that said he was collecting knives and guns, but may not have adequately followed up.

The deputy, Scot Peterson, resigned on Thursday after being suspended without pay after Sheriff Scott Israel reviewed surveillance video.

“He never went in,” Sheriff Israel said in a news conference. He said the video showed Deputy Peterson doing “nothing.”

“There are no words,” said Sheriff Israel, who described himself as “devastated, sick to my stomach.”

Two other deputies were placed on restricted duty on Thursday because they may have mishandled tips called in to the sheriff’s office over the past two years warning that the suspect, Nikolas Cruz, appeared intent on becoming a school shooter, Sheriff Israel said.
Continue reading the main story
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The revelations added to a growing list of failures and missed signs by the authorities that might have helped prevent one of the deadliest school shootings in American history.

The F.B.I. received a tip last month from someone close to Mr. Cruz that he owned a gun and had talked of committing a school shooting, the bureau revealed last week, acknowledging that it had failed to investigate. The tip about Mr. Cruz appeared to be the second in four months, after another person told the bureau about an online comment apparently posted by Mr. Cruz that he wanted to become “a professional school shooter.”

Source: nytimes

As gun debate roils on, teachers in this Texas school are already armed

By Unknown February 22, 2018 As gun debate roils on, teachers in this Texas school are already armed

In the days since a 19-year-old gunman stormed onto his former high school campus in Parkland, Fla., killing 17 people with an AR-15 assault rifle, the nation has been embroiled in a debate over what to do about school violence: How do you make it stop?

Here at Argyle High School, they already have an answer to that question: The teachers are packing handguns.

A sign outside campus warns: "Please be aware that the staff at Argyle [Independent School District] are armed and may use whatever force is necessary to protect our students."

Among those arriving Thursday was teaching assistant Theresa Locastro, who said the school board's decision to allow staff to be armed after the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in 2012 "set an example for various schools that we mean business."

"I know there's a lot of controversy, and people who don't want to arm them," said Locastro, 44. But she thinks armed staffers can deter attacks like the Parkland gunman. "Hopefully, it will make them think twice," she said.

In about two dozen states, including California, schools can allow staff to carry guns on campus, although some require concealed-carry licenses, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Experts say it's not clear whether such policies reduce the likelihood of school shootings or the death toll. But President Trump and other lawmakers have voiced support for arming teachers — on Thursday the president suggested giving bonuses to school staff members who carry guns. Officials at Argyle and other districts say the policies deter shooters and provide peace of mind, and that other schools should follow their lead. Scores of Texas school districts allow teachers to carry arms.

Source: latimes

Billy Graham Will Lie in Honor At U.S. Capitol Rotunda Before Private Funeral

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Billy Graham Will Lie in Honor At U.S. Capitol Rotunda Before Private Funeral

Legendary Rev. Billy Graham will lie in honor for two days next week, starting February 28, at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

“Members of the public and Capitol Hill community are invited to pay their respects to the late reverend while he lies in rest,” said a statement released by House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Known as "America’s pastor,” Graham died Wednesday at his home in North Carolina at the age of 99.

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Graham will be the fourth person ever to lie at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. The last time a private citizen was given the honor was civil rights hero Rosa Parks, in 2005.

An evangelical minister who became one of the most influential preachers of the 20th century, Graham also served as a counsel to 12 consecutive U.S. presidents, from Harry Truman to Barack Obama.

In recent years, Graham had been in poor health and turned his international ministry over to his son Franklin.

The statement from Ryan described Graham's legacy as "touching the lives of many and forever changing the course of the world’s spiritual health.”

Tributes have poured in from all over the world, marking Graham's influence on millions of preachers. President Donald Trump also called him "a very special man" on Wednesday, and has ordered American flags to be flown at half-staff at the White House and other U.S. public buildings and facilities on the day of Graham's interment.

Source: newsweek

Convicted killer spared lethal injection hour before execution

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Convicted killer spared lethal injection hour before execution

HUNTSVILLE, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday spared the life of a convicted killer shortly before the man’s scheduled execution for masterminding the fatal shootings of his mother and brother.

In sparing the life of Thomas “Bart” Whitaker about an hour before he was scheduled for lethal injection, Abbott accepted the state parole board’s rare clemency recommendation. Whitaker’s father, Kent, also was shot in the 2003 plot at the family’s suburban Houston home but survived and led the effort to save his son from execution. Abbott commuted the sentence to life without parole.

“I’m thankful not for me but for my dad,” Bart Whitaker told prison officials after getting the word in a tiny holding cell a few feet from the death chamber. “Any punishment that I would have or will receive is just, but my dad did nothing wrong. The system worked for him today. And I will do my best to uphold my role in the system.”

The seven-member Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, whose members are appointed by the governor, recommended unanimously Tuesday that Abbott commute the sentence. Abbott, a Republican had the option of accepting the recommendation, rejecting it or doing nothing.

“Mr. Whitaker’s father, who survived the attempt on his life, passionately opposes the execution of his son. Mr. Whitaker’s father insists that he would be victimized again if the state put to death his last remaining immediate family member,” Abbott said in a proclamation issued Thursday evening, adding that Whitaker had also agreed to waive all further rights to parole.

Abbott, also citing the parole board’s recommendation, added: “The totality of these factors warrants a commutation of Mr. Whitaker’s death sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole.”

Source: nytimes

Trump Promotes Arming Teachers With Guns, but Rejects Active Shooter Drills

By Unknown February 22, 2018 but Rejects Active Shooter Drills, Trump Promotes Arming Teachers With Guns

WASHINGTON — President Trump on Thursday enthusiastically embraced a National Rifle Association position to arm highly trained teachers to fortify schools against mass shootings like the one last week. Mr. Trump, who said the armed teachers should receive extra pay as an incentive, promoted his idea as demands for stronger gun control intensified across the country.

“You give them a little bit of a bonus, so practically for free, you have now made the school into a hardened target,” Mr. Trump said. The president estimated that 10 percent to 40 percent of school employees would be qualified to handle a weapon — he offered no data for the claim — and said he would devote federal money to training them.

Mr. Trump has cycled through a number of proposals — including some gun limits deemed unacceptable by the N.R.A. — in the days since the rampage killed 14 students and three adults last week at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. On Thursday, he returned to an idea championed by the gun rights group.

“I don’t want teachers to have guns, I want certain highly adept people, people that understand weaponry, guns — if they really have that aptitude,” Mr. Trump said during his second White House meeting in two days to discuss how to respond to the latest school shooting in the United States. He promoted the idea even as a sheriff’s deputy who had been the only armed guard at the high school resigned on Thursday after surveillance video showed that he never tried to enter the school to confront the shooter.

Source: nytimes

After war cabinet, Britain's May to set out 'way forward' on Brexit

By Unknown February 22, 2018 After war cabinet, Britain's May to set out 'way forward' on Brexit

Offering little insight into how or whether the rifts that have hobbled talks to unravel more than 40 years of union had been healed, her office said her team had spoken for eight hours on subjects ranging from the car sector to digital trade.

But one source close to the meeting at Chequers said May had accepted the argument of those ministers who wanted to move away from EU rules and regulations more quickly than others.

“Divergence has won,” the source told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

May’s meeting with her so-called Brexit war committee at her 16th-century country residence was called to try to reach agreement on a preferred vision for Britain outside the EU, opening the way for May to make the final speech in what the government has called the “Road to Brexit” series of addresses.

Twenty months after Britons voted to leave the bloc in a referendum, May’s government has yet to put flesh on the bones of her vision for future ties - plans which were dealt a blow earlier on Thursday when EU sources ruled out her proposal for “managed divergence” from the bloc’s rules as “cherry picking”.

Source: reuters

The Latest: Russia’s amended Syrian UN resolution circulated

By Unknown February 22, 2018 The Latest: Russia’s amended Syrian UN resolution circulated

BEIRUT — The Latest on Syria related developments (all times local):

2:10 a.m.

Russia’s amended U.N. resolution would rule out an immediate 30-day cease-fire in Syria to deliver aid and evacuate the critically ill proposed by Sweden and Kuwait and backed by most of the U.N. Security Council.

Instead, the Russian draft circulated Thursday to the U.N. Security Council demands that all parties “stop hostilities as soon as possible” and “work for an immediate and unconditional de-escalation of violence” and “humanitarian pause” for at least 30 days.

It would also condemn the “relentless shelling” of Damascus from the rebel-held suburbs of eastern Ghouta, and deplore “the ongoing attempts by terrorist groups to retake areas and attack civilians and civilian objects.”

In a provision that appears aimed at U.S.-backed forces fighting against the Islamic State extremist group and al-Qaida affiliate, the Russian draft also stresses that “foreign military forces can operate in Syria only in coordination with official authorities.”

Source: washingtonpost

India's Modi meets Canada PM Trudeau amid controversy

By Unknown February 22, 2018 India's Modi meets Canada PM Trudeau amid controversy

The meeting comes a day after Canada withdrew an invitation to an alleged Sikh extremist to attend an official dinner with Mr Trudeau in Delhi.

The Canadian PM has been fending off criticism that his government is soft on Sikh extremists.

His visit has been largely ignored by senior members of India's government.

The two leaders met at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the presidential palace, in Delhi where they are expected to discuss trade, defence, climate change and cooperation over civil nuclear energy.

There has been speculation that the Canadian PM has received a lukewarm reception in India, a charge both countries have denied.

Mr Modi has, on many occasions, personally received visiting government leaders at the airport. But he welcomed Mr Trudeau on Twitter a day before the two were scheduled to meet.

Source: bbc

Australian deputy prime minister resigns after new harassment claim

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Australian deputy prime minister resigns after new harassment claim

The rise and fall of Eric Greitens, the GOP star whose career is crumbling amid scandal

By Unknown February 22, 2018 the GOP star whose career is crumbling amid scandal, The rise and fall of Eric Greitens

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens’s booking in a St. Louis jail on Thursday on charges that he photographed a woman nude and attempted to blackmail her marked a stunning low point in a political career that had, until then, followed a sharply upward trajectory.

Though Greitens, a Republican, has so far resisted resigning, the career of the man many considered to be a rising star in the party is on life support. His national ambitions are likely vanquished.

It wasn’t always this way. Greitens’s sharp fall contrasts with his staggering rise to the national political scene. Here is his story.

Greitens’s outsize career plans were evident from his earliest days. He even had a lofty professional goal in mind as a kindergartener, according to a former teacher.

“When I would read the little kindergarten books, ‘What I want to be when I grow up,’ and at the end, I would go around the circle and ask the children what they wanted to be, I remember this: He wanted to be president,” Anne Richardson, Greitens’s kindergarten teacher, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 2016. “He was the only kid I ever remember saying that.”

Source: washingtonpost

Trump accuses California police of being soft on street gangs, and cops fire back

By Unknown February 22, 2018 and cops fire back, Trump accuses California police of being soft on street gangs

President Trump on Thursday accused California law enforcement of being soft on street gangs and suggested he might pull immigration agents out of the state, prompting a strong rebuke from local officials who said the president doesn't understand their war on gangs.

Trump's remarks are an escalation of a yearlong battle between his administration and California on a variety of topics including illegal immigration and law enforcement. Trump has criticized California for being a "sanctuary" for those here illegally, and federal officials have vowed immigration crackdowns in the state.

On Thursday, Trump stepped up the war, predicting that gang members would wreak havoc if federal authorities withdrew from Los Angeles and other parts of the state.

"I mean, frankly, if I wanted to pull our people from California, you would have a crime mess like you've never seen in California," Trump said. "You'd be inundated. You would see crime like no one's ever seen crime in this country. And yet we get no help from the state of California. They're doing a lousy management job, they have the highest taxes in the nation, and they don't know what's happening out there."

Los Angeles officials expressed puzzlement and concern over Trump's comments, saying local police have made significant strides against gang violence in recent years.

"Nobody takes gang enforcement more seriously than I do or the Los Angeles Police Department does," LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said in an interview Thursday. "I believe that we're better at it than anybody in the nation."

Los Angeles was the birthplace of infamous gangs like the Crips and the Bloods, inspiring countless movie renditions. Today, it is far safer than it was during the height of the gang wars.

Street gangs are still active, with more than 60% of the city's homicides classified as gang-related last year.

Source: latimes

Is America a ‘Nation of Immigrants’? Immigration Agency Says No

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Is America a ‘Nation of Immigrants’? Immigration Agency Says No

LOS ANGELES — The federal agency that issues green cards and grants citizenship to people from foreign countries has stopped characterizing the United States as “a nation of immigrants.”

The director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services informed employees in a letter on Thursday that its mission statement had been revised to “guide us in the years ahead.” Gone was the phrase that described the agency as securing “America’s promise as a nation of immigrants.”

The original mission statement said: “U.S.C.I.S. secures America’s promise as a nation of immigrants by providing accurate and useful information to our customers, granting immigration and citizenship benefits, promoting an awareness and understanding of citizenship, and ensuring the integrity of our immigration system.”

The new version says: “U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services administers the nation’s lawful immigration system, safeguarding its integrity and promise by efficiently and fairly adjudicating requests for immigration benefits while protecting Americans, securing the homeland and honoring our values.”

Source: nytimes

Special counsel Mueller files new charges against Manafort, Gates

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Gates, Special counsel Mueller files new charges against Manafort

NRA backlash: Major bank and car-rental giant are ending partnerships

By Unknown February 22, 2018 NRA backlash: Major bank and car-rental giant are ending partnerships

Companies may be starting to rethink their ties to the National Rifle Association in the wake of last week’s massacre at a Florida high school, with a major bank and car-rental giant announcing Thursday they were dropping partnership programs with the NRA.

First National Bank of Omaha, the nation’s largest privately owned bank, said Thursday it will not renew its contract with the NRA for a branded Visa card.

“Customer feedback has caused us to review our relationship with the NRA,” a bank spokesman said in a statement. “As a result, First National Bank of Omaha will not renew its contract with the National Rifle Association to issue the NRA Visa Card,”

The bank had a relationship with the NRA for more than a decade, and the card touted a $40 cash-back bonus, enough to reimburse a one-year NRA membership.

Later Thursday, privately held Enterprise Holdings Inc. — the parent company of the Enterprise, Alamo and National car rental brands — said it will end its partnership with the NRA, which gave NRA members discounts. In tweets, Enterprise Holdings said that program will end next month.

Source: marketwatch

Armed school resource officer stayed outside as Florida shooting unfolded, sheriff says

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Armed school resource officer stayed outside as Florida shooting unfolded, sheriff says

The armed school resource deputy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, waited outside the school building as the shooting unfolded last week, officials said.
Scot Peterson never went in after taking a position on the west side of the building, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said at a Thursday afternoon news conference.

Peterson resigned after he was suspended without pay by Israel pending an internal investigation into his actions during the shooting that left 17 people dead, Israel said. Peterson was eligible for retirement.
Israel made the decision to suspend Peterson -- who was armed and in uniform at the time of the shooting -- after interviewing the deputy and reviewing footage and witness statements, he said.
"What I saw was a deputy arrive at the west side of building 12, take up a position," Israel said of the video. "And he never went in."
Israel told reporters Peterson should have "[w]ent in. Addressed the killer. Killed the killer." Instead, the deputy waited outside for about four minutes. During that time, Israel said, Peterson got on his radio and took a position where he could see the western entry of the building.

Source: cnn

Stocks rise as rate hike jitters subside

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Stocks rise as rate hike jitters subside

Stocks posted gains Thursday after investors put aside concerns that the Federal Reserve will accelerate its timeline for lifting interest rates.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 164.70 points, or 0.66%, to 24,962.48. The S&P 500 lost 2.63 points, or 0.1%, to 2,703.96. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite shed its early gains, falling 8.14 points, or 0.11%, to 7,210.09.

Minutes from the Fed’s January policy meeting revealed Wednesday that officials were less hawkish than previously thought. After wage growth picked up last month, investors grew worried that the central bank would hike interest rates more than three times in 2018. In the January minutes, Fed officials said there were few signs that inflation would rise faster than anticipated.

Investors also parsed a new reading on U.S. jobs. The Labor Department on Wednesday said the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits dipped to a near 45-year low last week, falling 7,000 to a seasonally adjusted 222,000.

The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield retreated from a fresh four-year high of 2.957%, hitting 2.918% Thursday afternoon.

Source: foxnews

Broward sheriff visits hospitalized Florida school shooting victim who was shot 5 times

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Broward sheriff visits hospitalized Florida school shooting victim who was shot 5 times

The Broward County Sheriff on Sunday visited one of the victims still in the hospital after the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Sheriff Scott Israel visited 15-year-old Anthony Borges at Broward Health. The teen, according to a photo posted to Twitter, was shot five times.

“Fortunately, he is recovering, but has a long road ahead with more surgeries needed,” the sheriff’s office stated. “Please join us in praying for the swift recovery of Anthony and all others from #StonemanDouglas.”

Four other people injured in the shooting remain hospitalized at Broward Health in fair condition.

President Trump and First Lady Melania paid a visit to Broward Health North on Friday to pay their respects to survivors and medical professionals.

Source: foxnews

Tax reform windfall: These companies are hiking pay, delivering bonuses

By Unknown February 22, 2018 delivering bonuses, Tax reform windfall: These companies are hiking pay

J.M. Smucker Co. will offer one-time $1,000 bonuses to thousands of its employees, joining other major companies in rewarding employees due to savings tied to the recent passage of GOP-backed tax reform.

The Ohio-based company, which is also known as Smucker, said last week that nearly 5,000 employees will receive bonuses. In addition, Smucker announced $1 million in charitable donations and $20 million in investments toward employee pension plans.

The $1.5 trillion tax bill reduces the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and changes the way the U.S. government taxes companies that also operate internationally.

FOX Business is keeping track of the tax benefits that have reached over 3 million Americans so far.

Source: foxnews

Fitness blogger called out for ‘damaging’ workout videos targeting children

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Fitness blogger called out for ‘damaging’ workout videos targeting children

A fitness blogger has been accused of promoting “damaging” body images in children after releasing workout videos aimed at kids as young as one.

Ashy Bines has acquired 901,000 followers on Instagram by posting swimsuit pictures showing off her toned body. Through her social media platform, Bines has built an Australian fitness empire. However, her newest venture, Ashy and Friends, is not receiving the same praise.

Ashy and Friends is a “fun packed music, fitness and education show for 1 to 6 year olds,” according to the website.

FITNESS BLOGGER ATTACKED FOR SAYING CANCER IS 'YOUR BODY TRYING TO SAVE YOU'

The “highly interactive experience” uses animated characters to teach children how to eat healthy and exercise. The cartoons also teach kids about “geography, language, [and] music.”

Though Bines feels her program is “CRITICAL to inspire a love of health and fitness in our children,” others think the video series has gone “too far.”

Christine Morgan, CEO of The Butterfly Foundation, an organization supporting people affected by eating disorders and negative body image, told Mamamia she believes the DVDs are a bad idea.

Source: foxnews

On Black History Month, an African-American civil rights pioneer reflects on today's political landscape

By Unknown February 22, 2018 an African-American civil rights pioneer reflects on today's political landscape, On Black History Month

February marks Black History Month, when we honor the many achievements of African- Americans and their important contributions to our nation throughout our history.

In the past year, African-Americans – like all Americans – have benefitted in many ways from the policies and actions of President Trump. When he took office just over a year ago, the president promised to fight for the wellbeing and prosperity of all the American people and our nation’s diverse communities. Since then, he has delivered.

The biggest tax cut in a generation – approved by a Republican Congress and signed into law by President Trump – has led more than 4 million Americans to receive bonuses and benefits from hundreds of companies. Tax cuts are spurring job creation, which is a boon to African-American workers everywhere.

Since President Trump was sworn into office, African-American unemployment has reached a record low. The president is creating more opportunities, empowering all Americans to build up their communities and protect their families.

Democrats have taken African-American support for granted for far too long. As we approach midterm elections in November, voters should know that the Republican Party has been fighting for their interests all along.

The Republican National Committee will celebrate African-Americans’ contributions to our party at our Trailblazer Awards next week. Our honorees are remarkable individuals who embody the principles that make America great, much like those who came before them.

Source: foxnews

Lindsey Vonn gets emotional about leaving her grandfather's ashes in South Korea

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Lindsey Vonn gets emotional about leaving her grandfather's ashes in South Korea

Lindsey Vonn came to South Korea with the goal of taking home an Olympic medal and leaving behind something even more special.

She did both.

The American ski great said Thursday she recently scattered some of the ashes of her grandfather, who served during the Korean War, on a rock near the mountain where the downhill races were run.

"I know that it would mean a lot to him to be back here, a part of him is in South Korea always," said Vonn, who shared her story with The Associated Press and the Chosun Ilbo newspaper.

Vonn said she sprayed parts of Don Kildow's ashes "just a few days ago" on a rock that she was told was special when she visited South Korea last year to be named a Pyeongchang Olympic ambassador. She described the location as "right by the men's downhill start."

Vonn burst into tears when she was asked about her grandfather during a news conference in Pyeongchang this month before the Olympics. He lived in Milton, Wisconsin, and died in November.

"I miss him so much," she said. "He's been such a big part of my life. And I really had hoped that he would be alive to see me (at this year's Olympics). But I know he's watching, and I know that he's going to help me and I'm going to win for him."

Vonn won a bronze medal in the downhill, but skied out of Thursday's slalom leg of the Alpine combined in what was likely her last Olympic race. Later in the day, a group of elderly South Korean men gave her family some gifts and a letter of thanks to mark her grandfather's service during the 1950-53 Korean War.

Source: foxnews

Taylor Swift's neighbors not happy about living on same block: 'We don't need celebrities here'

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Taylor Swift's neighbors not happy about living on same block: 'We don't need celebrities here'

Tribeca residents better be nice, or Taylor Swift might write a vindictive song about them.

As The Post recently revealed, the singer has been building up her downtown real estate collection, adding a $9.75 million apartment at 155 Franklin St. — the address where she already owns an 8,000-square-foot penthouse duplex created from two units. And this past fall, it was reported that she purchased a three-story townhouse next door, at 153 Franklin, for $18 million.

Total worth of her block domination? A cool $47.7 million.

KATE MIDDLETON SAYS SHE HAS IKEA FURNITURE IN KENSINGTON PALACE

But not all of Swift’s neighbors in Tribeca — home to the city’s most expensive zip codes — are happy for her.

“We don’t need celebrities here that will draw the focus [of] the paparazzi or extra fan attention. [There’s already a] small swarm of teenage girls lurking and swooning outside [Swift’s home regularly],” said an entrepreneur who lives in the neighborhood. “Yes, we have celebrities living here — [but] we like not having conspicuous celebrities here. That’s why we live in Tribeca. Because the flashier famous people are clustered [in neighborhoods] like the West Village.”

Source: foxnews

YouTube star who claims veganism healed her breast cancer dies from disease

By Unknown February 22, 2018 YouTube star who claims veganism healed her breast cancer dies from disease

A YouTube star who had claimed a vegan diet and spiritual lifestyle cured her of breast cancer died of the disease, her niece confirmed.

Liz Johnson said her aunt Mari Lopez died in December after the cancer recurred. The two women hosted a YouTube channel together titled “Liz & Mari.”

Johnson posted a video Sunday explaining her aunt stopped her vegan diet after her cancer returned. She attributed Lopez’s death to undergoing radiation, chemotherapy and eating meat again.

WOMAN SAYS SHE WAAS PARALYZED AFTER DOING A SIT-UP AT THE GYM

“My aunt passed away in December because her cancer came back,” Johnson posted on the YouTube channel. “My aunt was inconsistent in her diet and spiritual life ... I never pushed my aunt to do anything or stay away from doctors."

In the video, Johnson said Lopez asked her to take down videos of her speaking about a vegan lifestyle after she realized she would die from the disease, but she refused, KSDK reported. She believed the videos could help others.

In 2016, the two women uploaded a video titled, “Stage 4 cancer natural transformation.” In the video, Lopez shared how she cured herself of cancer through a vegan diet, juicing and a lot of praying. The video has more than 370,000 views.

Source: foxnews

'Snapchat Dysmorphia' causing young people to seek plastic surgery

By Unknown February 22, 2018 'Snapchat Dysmorphia' causing young people to seek plastic surgery

Snapchat and Instagram filters are changing the way young people look at themselves.

A new phenomenon of using filtered selfies as a guide for plastic surgeons is on the rise, and has been coined “Snapchat Dysmorphia” by Dr. Matthew Schulman, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City.

The filters – an effect that can transform the users facial features, typically by smoothing skin and enlarging eyes and lips – have been accused of making people forget what they truly look like.

MOM BLAMES PLASTIC SURGERY ADDICTION ON 'SELFIE DYSMORPHIA'

“There’s an issue with losing perspective on what you actually look like, and it’s not something we talk about much,” Renee Engeln, professor of psychology at Northwestern University, and author of Beauty Sick: How the Cultural Obsession with Appearance Hurts Girls and Women, said to the Huffington Post.

“It’s not enough [to] have to compare yourself to these perfected images of models, but now you’ve got this daily comparison of your real self to this intentional or unintentional fake self that you present on social media. It’s just one more way to feel like your falling short every day,” Engeln added.

Source: foxnews

Consumer Reports picks Genesis as top auto brand

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Consumer Reports picks Genesis as top auto brand

Toyota has four of the 10 vehicles on Consumer Reports' annual top picks, the most of any brand.

The Toyota Corolla and Toyota Camry are the magazine's choice for best small and midsize cars. The Toyota Sienna led the minivan category and the Toyota Highlander is the best midsize SUV.

The Chevrolet Bolt electric car is best small green car, a new category. The Ford F-150 is the top full-size pickup truck.

The rankings are based on driving tests as well as reliability and satisfaction scores from Consumer Reports' subscribers. Top picks also must have standard automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning systems.

Consumer Reports' rankings are closely watched by the industry since many buyers make decisions based on its advice.

Here are some more details of the 2018 rankings:

— Hyundai Motor Co.'s luxury Genesis brand was the top performer in Consumer Reports' brand rankings, which are sorted by the number of models per brand that Consumer Reports recommends. But the magazine noted that it tested only two vehicles from the relatively new Genesis brand. Audi, BMW, Lexus and Porsche rounded out the top five brands. Electric car brand Tesla was eighth, with two of its four models recommended. Toyota was tenth, with 15 of its 20 models recommended.

Source: foxnews

'Hero' cow escapes slaughterhouse and hides on island for a month

By Unknown February 22, 2018 'Hero' cow escapes slaughterhouse and hides on island for a month

A cow briefly escaped death by ramming a fence and swimming to an island in southern Poland.

The cow was being led toward a truck bound for the slaughterhouse on January 23, BBC reports, when she broke free and ran through a metal fence.

The cow’s owner, Mr. Lukasz, advised workers to tranquilize the large farm animal before transport, but they failed to do so and were overpowered by the bovine. One farm worker sustained a broken arm and bruised rib during the cow’s escape.

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOG ON SOUTHWEST FLIGHT INJURES CHILD

The cow swam out to the nearby Polish islands of Lake Nyskie where she remained for weeks, thwarting capture.

Mr. Lukasz said he tried to capture her from the island, but each time he went to retrieve her, the cow would swim off, BBC reported.

"I saw her diving under water," Mr. Lukasz told Wiadomosci of when he would come to the island.

When firefighters came to rescue her, the cow swam out to a nearby peninsula on the island to escape them, BBC reports.

Mr. Lukasz eventually gave up on returning her to the farm and instead visited the island to leave food for the animal.

Source: foxnews

Hit a bullet with a bullet: New defensive missile could prevent close range attacks

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Hit a bullet with a bullet: New defensive missile could prevent close range attacks

Threats to the United States are evolving everyday and the technology is getting significantly more advanced.

A new missile in development that was recently tested in rural New Mexico takes the technology of THAAD (Thermal High Altitude Area Defense), which can knock an intercontinental ballistic missile out of the sky, and puts it into a five pound, two-and-a-half foot projectile.

“It’s a very advanced technology, very complicated rocket science. It’s like hitting a bullet with a bullet,” said Michaela Dodge, a missile defense specialist for the Heritage Foundation. “But we can do it and it’s great news for us.”

US NAVY DESTROYER TESTS NEW DEFENSE SYSTEM, TAKES OUT BALLISTIC MISSILE

The system is called the Miniature Hit to Kill Missile (MHTK), and it's being developed by Lockheed Martin. The missile travels twice as fast as sound as it hones in on incoming threats and destroys them with kinetic energy. It targets the incoming projectile using a radar system, and continuously adjusts its course in flight.

Source: foxnews

Jason Chaffetz: Are we doing enough to prosecute gun crimes?

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Jason Chaffetz: Are we doing enough to prosecute gun crimes?

In the clamor to tighten gun restrictions following the horrific massacre at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last week, one important fact has been overlooked. Gun laws are only as good as their implementation. Before we talk about new gun laws, perhaps it’s time we started to enforce the ones we’ve already passed.

A remarkable drop in gun crime prosecutions and convictions marked President Obama’s eight years in office. Mother Jones reported that “under Obama, federal weapons prosecutions have declined to their lowest levels in nearly a decade,” citing a 2013 report from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.

Remember, it was during this same period that Attorney General Eric Holder’s Justice Department deliberately and willingly sold drug cartels nearly 2,000 guns under Operation Fast and Furious.

In Chicago, the U.S. attorney filed only one gun prosecution for every 25 cases of gun violence, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive. The report found similar disparities in other major American cities, including St. Louis, Philadelphia, Detroit and Houston.

Prosecutors have told me gun laws are difficult cases to prosecute, without much jury appeal. Consequently, there aren’t many prosecutions. In 2015, only 6,000 convictions were won nationwide – a 15 percent drop from five years earlier.

Although anyone failing a background check to purchase a weapon can technically be prosecuted, they seldom are. During my service in Congress as chairman of the House Oversight Committee, I asked the Justice Department to provide specific numbers of gun prosecutions. I got delays, questions, and ultimately convoluted answers about how many gun crimes the department actually prosecuted.

Source: foxnews

Hackers hijack Tesla system in bold cryptocurrency attack

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Hackers hijack Tesla system in bold cryptocurrency attack

Tesla has become the latest target of hackers attempting to “mine” cryptocurrency, according to cloud security company RedLock.

RedLock reports that hackers gained access to Tesla compute resources to carry out so-called “cryptojacking,” where computers are hijacked to mine cryptocurrencies. The mining process involves making compute power available to authenticate, for example, bitcoin transactions. The “miners” then receive a financial reward for making the systems available. Digital Trends has compared the mining process to being “a bitcoin bank teller.”

While individuals can opt to use their own PCs to mine cryptocurrency via specialist software, hackers have also been surreptitiously hijacking computers to steal compute power for the same purpose. They then reap the financial benefits of the cryptocurrency mining.

HACKERS INVADE YOUTUBE ADS TO MINE CRYPTOCURRENCY

By stealing compute resources, hackers avoid the energy costs of powering the systems that are doing the work.

The Tesla intrusion involved accessing a cloud system, according to RedLock. “In this case the hackers not only gained unauthorized access to non-public Tesla data, but were also stealing compute resources within Tesla’s Amazon Web Services (AWS) environment for cryptojacking,” RedLock said, in a statement. “The researchers immediately informed Tesla of its findings, and the vulnerabilities have already been addressed.”

Source: foxnews

Maintenance just in Consumer Reports picks Genesis as top auto brand

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Maintenance just in Consumer Reports picks Genesis as top auto brand

Doctors successfully remove 4-pound brain tumor, bigger than head itself

By Unknown February 22, 2018 bigger than head itself, Doctors successfully remove 4-pound brain tumor

Surgeons in India successfully removed what they think is the largest brain tumor in record, weighing in at 4 pounds.

Ever since he was the age of one, Santlal Pal lived with swelling of the scalp, heaviness, headaches and poor vision in both eyes.

Leading up to surgery, scans revealed the tumor had invaded the brain on both sides of the midline through his skull bone. The patient's scalp had swelled up so much, he appeared as if he had two heads.

"Such large tumors are rare and are a surgical challenge,” Dr. Trimurti Nadkarni, the lead surgeon, told news service SWNS.

During the seven-hour surgery, doctors removed the massive tumor along with skull bone which had moved into the brain.

The cloth seller, who is 31 years old, has made a remarkable recovery following a transfusion of 11 units of blood and three days on life support.

"There was a heavy blood loss and this required great team skill in perioperative monitoring for a successful result," Nadkarni said.

Source: foxnews

Oprah responds to Trump's 'insecure' comment: 'I don't like giving negativity power'

By Unknown February 22, 2018

Oprah has weighed in on Donald Trump calling her "very insecure" in a recent tweet, following her "60 Minutes" segment about the presidency.

“I woke up and...I don't like giving negativity power, so I just thought, 'What?'" Winfrey told Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show on Thursday.

On Sunday, the "Wrinkle in Time" star appeared on CBS’ “60 Minutes” leading a discussion about the 2016 election with 14 people from Grand Rapids, Mich. Half of the people from the group voted for Trump in the 2016 presidential election, the other half did not. The same group was interviewed on the program last year.

"One year into Donald Trump's presidency, Americans remain divided, often unwilling to listen to what the other side has to say," Winfrey said.

After the special aired, Trump took to Twitter to share his reaction about the segment.

“Just watched a very insecure Oprah Winfrey, who at one point I knew very well, interview a panel of people on 60 Minutes. The questions were biased and slanted, the facts incorrect,” he tweeted, then addressed the rumors of Winfrey's 2020 presidential bid. “Hope Oprah runs so she can be exposed and defeated just like all of the others!”

Source: foxnews

Hawaiian Airlines flight attendant soothes passenger's baby

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Hawaiian Airlines flight attendant soothes passenger's baby

Parents of young children know that extended air travel can be exasperating for little ones, which makes one Hawaiian Airlines flight attendant’s thoughtful gesture all the more sweet.

Passenger Rachel Yuen Nihi told KHON2 that during a recent late-night flight to Los Angeles, a mother traveling alone with her three small children struggled to comfort her youngest, a “crying toddler, tossing and turning” for 45 minutes.

“A couple in front of her kept turning around; giving her a stink eye. As if she was purposely trying to inconvenience them. I watched the woman in front turn around and snicker something at her children and all I could think of was, 'You wait until this seatbelt sign comes off,'" she wrote on Facebook.

Yuen Nihi, who was traveling with her husband without their children, felt frustrated and was about to give the rude passenger a piece of her mind when an aircrew member intervened.

“Right before I could get out of my seat … a flight attendant walks over and asked to hold her son. The mother seemed reluctant, embarrassed and at her wits' end. She had tried for at least 45 minutes and nothing worked,” Yuen Nihi wrote. “The toddler reached out and the flight attendant rocked him ... Up and down the aisle until he finally gave in. This is true Aloha spirit.”

Source: foxnews

Lindsey Vonn gets emotional about leaving her grandfather's ashes in South Korea

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Lindsey Vonn gets emotional about leaving her grandfather's ashes in South Korea

Emotional support dog on Southwest flight injures child, further fueling debate over airline rules

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Emotional support dog on Southwest flight injures child, further fueling debate over airline rules

A child was injured by an emotional support dog on a Southwest Airlines flight from Phoenix to Portland, Oregon Wednesday night, fueling the debate over regulations regarding animals on airplanes.

The dog’s teeth scraped the child’s forehead after the passenger approached the animal during the boarding process, according to a spokesperson for Southwest.

The child received minor injuries and was examined by an EMT before continuing on the flight, which departed 20 minutes behind schedule. The dog and its owner did not stay on the plane and instead remained in Phoenix, the spokesperson said.

Another passenger on the same flight, Todd R., took a photo of the support animal and shared it on Twitter in a post that’s since been deleted, arguing that dogs should not be on planes and he would no longer be flying Southwest.

In another tweet, the passenger wrote: “When dogs are biting 6 year old kids on planes, it may be time to reconsider rewriting your 'safety' policy and procedure manual,'' AZ Central reported.

Source: foxnews

Teen uses 3-D printing to build a new arm for his veteran dad

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Teen uses 3-D printing to build a new arm for his veteran dad

An ambitious teen used his ingenuity, know-how and a little technology to build a new arm for his veteran dad, who was wounded in Iraq.

St. Louis high school student Robbie Frei built a custom-made robotic prosthetic arm for his dad, who is an amputee, according to Fox 2 St. Louis.

Frei, who has said he wants to go into robotics when he hits college, built the arm for his father in about 3 months. Frei's father was injured in an RPG attack in 2003 in Iraq.

HOW 5,000 PENCIL-SIZE ROBOTS MAY SOLVE THE MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE

But first, he built an arm adapter for the Nintendo Switch video console to allow his dad to play video games again.

“When my dad was injured in the Marines he wasn't able to play video games with us for about 10 years, and after I created that 3D printed adapter he was able to play with us full speed,” Frei said.

Eventually, he created a custom scanned prosthetic, using his dad's left hand and then mirrored it to be able to used for his right hand. Robbie's father can now throw a ball using the prosthetic.

This isn't the first time Robbie has exemplified his talents, according to those who know him.

Source: foxnews

Todd Starnes: The Left Wants to Confiscate All of Your Firearms

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Todd Starnes: The Left Wants to Confiscate All of Your Firearms

A few days ago, I warned you on my radio program that the Left would use the survivors of the Florida school shooting as propaganda pawns in a nationwide gun grab.

I warned you to be prepared because they were about to mount an ugly assault on the Second Amendment – smearing every law-abiding gun owner as bloodthirsty monsters.

And that’s exactly what happened Wednesday night during CNN’s repulsive town hall meeting.

Click here for a free subscription to Todd’s newsletter: a must-read for Conservatives!

CNN shamefully exploited a terrible, terrible tragedy in an attempt to smear the National Rifle Association as a domestic terrorist organization and law-abiding gun owners as child killers.

Sen. Marco Rubio and NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch were subjected to a verbal flogging. They tried to engage in a thoughtful discussion, but they were shouted down by the angry crowd.

“I had to have a security detail to get out,” Loesch told a sympathetic crowd at CPAC. “I wouldn’t be able to exit if I didn’t have a security detail.”

Others in the crowd screamed that she was a murderer and a bad mother to her two children. It was, quite frankly, repulsive.

“There were people rushing the stage and screaming, ‘burn her,’” she said.

Let’s be clear about something – Sen. Rubio and Ms. Loesch had absolutely nothing to do with the school shooting in Parkland, Florida. They are not the bad guys.

Source: foxnews

Mattis expected to back transgender troops -- if they can deploy, official says

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Mattis expected to back transgender troops -- if they can deploy, official says

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is expected to recommend to President Trump that transgender people can serve in the U.S. military if they can deploy overseas, a U.S. official with knowledge of the secretary’s thinking on the issue told Fox News Thursday.

The official said Mattis did not want to go against recent federal court orders which ruled Trump’s proposed ban on transgender people serving in the military is unlawful.

FLASHBACK: MATTIS FREEZES TRUMP BAN ON TRANSGENDER TROOPS PENDING REVIEW

Mattis' expected decision was first reported by The Washington Post.

Officials tell Fox News that Mattis' thinking has also been shaped by his recently announced policy that any service member unable to deploy with his or her unit for more than 12 months must leave the military.

Mattis has not yet given his recommendation to the president. Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White told reporters Thursday the secretary's recommendation would be given to the president later "this week."

FLASHBACK: TRUMP ANNOUNCES BAN ON TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS SERVING IN MILITARY

The official announcement about transgender policy is expected from the White House no later than March 23, according to officials. The Pentagon was caught by surprise this past July when Trump tweeted that transgender people were no longer welcome in the military "in any capacity."

Source: foxnews

Ben Shapiro tells CPAC the 'era of political correctness is over'

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Ben Shapiro tells CPAC the 'era of political correctness is over'

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro on Thursday told activists that the “era of political correctness is over” in the age of Donald Trump as president, while encouraging conservatives to fight liberalism with the “truth.”

“The era of political correctness is over,” Shapiro said at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference outside Washington. “Political correctness is dying a slow, painful, bloody, agonizing death. And all I can say is hell, yeah.”

Like other speakers here, Shapiro addressed the recent school shooting in Florida, and accused the media of unfairly treating conservative views on guns.

He asked the audience to raise their hands if they care about the people murdered in Parkland, Fla. He also asked them to raise their hands if they believe in Second Amendment rights.

“See, both things can go together, media,” Shapiro said.

At one point during his speech, Shapiro celebrated Trump’s defeat of Democrat Hillary Clinton in the presidential race and the crowd began chanting “lock her up, lock her up.”

Shapiro went on to encourage the young conservatives in the audience to stay truthful when debating liberals.

“There’s nothing wrong with poking fun at the left,” he said. “Just make sure that what you say can be backed up with evidence.”

Shapiro added: “We need to show that they are liars and we are the truth tellers. And that means telling the truth about everything. It means that when our own side fails, we have to call it out.”

Earlier in the day, Vice President Mike Pence and NRA leader Wayne LaPierre delivered speeches to the activists. CPAC, known for attracting a large number of college students, also held a panel on liberal bias on college campuses titled “Kim Jong Un-iversity: How college campuses are turning into reeducation camps.”

Source: foxnews

Quincy Jones sorry for wild interviews, blames 'word vomit'

By Unknown February 22, 2018 blames 'word vomit', Quincy Jones sorry for wild interviews

Famed music producer Quincy Jones has "learned [his] lesson" after facing flack over a recent interview where he claimed to know who killed John F. Kennedy and that he dated Ivanka Trump.

On Thursday afternoon, Jones issued a detailed statement on Twitter regarding the "silly" information he revealed in the now-infamous interviews.

The music mogul tweeted, "A couple of weekends ago, my six daughters (who I am beyond proud of) took me aside for a surprise 'family intervention' because of some of the silly things I've said in two recent interviews and...I have learned my lesson!"

The 85-year-old music producer, who referred to himself as an "imperfect human," admitted that his "word vomit and bad-mouthing" was "inexcusable," but added that his intentions were misunderstood.

"I tried to relay about racism, inequality, homophobia...you name it," he explained. "I have already reached out to my friends privately, but when you live a public life, you have a responsibility to be an example, and since I do lead a public life, I wanted to make a public apology," his statement continued.

Source: foxnews

ICE Director Hits Back at California Dems: 'I'm Enforcing Laws That They Enacted'

By Unknown February 22, 2018 ICE Director Hits Back at California Dems: 'I'm Enforcing Laws That They Enacted'

'Stop Lying to Us': Ingraham Blasts Durbin for 'Tired Trope' About Jobs Americans Won't Do

'Angel Mom' Calls Out McCain, Flake, Dems: Get Rid of Criminal Aliens & Protect Americans

Acting ICE Director Thomas Homan responded Wednesday to criticism from California's Democratic senators, who expressed concern over his agency's increased enforcement of immigration laws in the Golden State.

In a letter last month, Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris wrote:

We write to request we be immediately briefed on the troubling reports that ICE is targeting raids in California. Please ensure we are provided with a full accounting of how ICE raids are being prioritized and conducted, including all relevant documents, memorandums, and email exchanges regarding these raids in California.

We firmly believe that law enforcement must prioritize dangerous criminals, not undocumented immigrants who do not pose a threat to public safety. Diverting resources in an effort to punish California and score political points is an abhorrent abuse of power, not to mention a terrible misuse of scarce resources.

The senators took particular issue with an interview by Homan on Fox News in which he said California "better hold on tight” after the sanctuary state law went into effect.

Source: foxnews

Manafort, Gates indicted on new tax and bank fraud charges

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Gates indicted on new tax and bank fraud charges, Manafort

Special Counsel Robert Mueller filed a 32-count indictment Thursday hitting former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and aide Rick Gates with fresh charges of tax evasion and bank fraud.

Manafort is specifically charged with five counts related to filing false income tax returns and four counts of failure to report foreign bank and financial accounts. Gates is accused of 11 counts related to filing false income tax returns and three counts of failure to report foreign bank and financial accounts. Both men are accused of nine counts of bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

Prosecutors claim the men doctored financial documents, lied to tax preparers and defrauded banks -- using money they cycled through offshore accounts to spend lavishly, including on real estate, interior decorating and other luxury goods.

The new indictment comes a week after Mueller filed charges against 13 Russians, accusing them of a vast conspiracy to undermine the U.S. presidential election.

The charges against Manafort and Gates don't relate to any allegations of misconduct related to Trump's campaign, though Mueller is continuing to investigate potential ties to the Kremlin.

Manafort spokesman Jason Maloni said in a statement that the former Trump campaign chairman is innocent and stressed that the charges "have nothing to do with Russia and 2016 election interference/collusion."

Manafort "is confident that he will be acquitted of all charges," Maloni said.

Manafort and Gates were initially charged in a 12-count indictment last October that accused them of a multimillion-dollar money-laundering conspiracy tied to their foreign lobbying work. They are accused of directing a covert Washington lobbying campaign on behalf of pro-Russian Ukrainian interests. Manafort and Gates pleaded not guilty to the initial charges.

Source: foxnews

Ex-Playboy model's notes on alleged Trump affair written a decade later

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Ex-Playboy model's notes on alleged Trump affair written a decade later

EXCLUSIVE: The centerpiece of a New Yorker story on Karen McDougal, who says she had an affair with Donald Trump, is scribbled notes kept by the former Playboy playmate.

These notes, obtained by journalist Ronan Farrow, are presented as her personal reflections on the relationship –“later memorialized in an eight-page, handwritten document provided to the New Yorker.”

Readers could easily get the impression, as many journalists have, that McDougal wrote these notes during what she describes as a consensual relationship that began in 2006. But that is not the case.

A telltale marking on the entries, reproduced by the magazine, shows that McDougal wrote these pages either during or since the 2016 campaign—relying on memories that were at least a decade old.

The New Yorker does not dispute that McDougal's notes were written many years after the alleged relationship. Instead, the magazine attempted to tie them to McDougal's eventual deal with the National Enquirer's parent company, American Media Inc.

“The article does not present Karen McDougal’s written account as being made simultaneously with the events themselves,” a New Yorker spokesperson told me. “Rather, the article makes clear that the idea to sell her story to American Media Inc. first occurred in 2016. Furthermore, her written account is supported by additional sourcing and documentation referenced in the article.”

Source: foxnews

Chevy Chase gets into roadside fight with young drivers who had to look up who he was

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Chevy Chase gets into roadside fight with young drivers who had to look up who he was

A Long Island man said he kicked Chevy Chase in self-defense on an upstate highway when the unhinged actor lunged at him and warned, “I am going to ruin your lives!”

Michael Landrio, 22, a UPS worker from East Patchogue, told The Post that he and his girlfriend and another couple were headed north to go snowmobiling Feb. 9 when a blue Mercedes flashed its lights at them and pulled next to them at the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.

“We were in the right lane and as we came up to the bridge we went to the middle lane,” he said in his parents’ home in Suffolk County. “It was an old guy yelling – something we couldn’t hear – super pissed-off. … We just tried to get the heck away from him. He followed us the whole length of the bridge, driving crazy.”

Landrio said the pursuing driver weaved in and out of traffic until they pulled over in South Nyack in Rockland County after crossing the span.

“My friend opened his window and just said, ‘I apologize, we were just trying to go upstate,’” he said, adding that the Mercedes blocked their vehicle.

“You know who the f— I am?” Landrio said Chase screamed. “Then he started cursing at me for no reason and said, ‘I am going to ruin your lives!’ I said, ‘F— you!’

Then he yanks open their car door and yells, ‘I’m going to punch you in the nose’ and he came after me and had his hands in my face,” he continued. “I said, ‘Get the f— away from me!’”

Source: foxnews

Texas killer granted clemency, halting scheduled execution

By Unknown February 22, 2018 halting scheduled execution, Texas killer granted clemency

A convicted killer’s execution Thursday was overturned shortly before he was scheduled for lethal injection when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott granted him clemency.

Thomas “Bart” Whitaker, 38, was set to die Thursday night for masterminding the fatal shooting of his mother, Tricia, and brother, Kevin, at their Houston home in 2003. His father, Kent, was also shot in the same attack but survived and led the effort to save his son from execution.

Just an hour before Whitaker was to be executed, Abbott accepted the rare clemency recommendation from the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, which was a unanimous. Abbott commuted the convict’s sentence to life without parole.

Abbott had the option of accepting the recommendation, rejecting it, or doing nothing.

"Mr. Whitaker's father, who survived the attempt on his life, passionately opposes the execution of his son. Mr. Whitaker's father insists that he would be victimized again if the state put to death his last remaining immediate family member," Abbott said in a proclamation issued Thursday evening.

It was only the fourth time since the state resumed executions in 1982 that the parole board has recommended clemency within days of an inmate's scheduled execution.

Whitaker’s commutation came as two other executions — in Alabama and Florida — were scheduled for Thursday evening.

Eric Branch, 47, was executed Thursday evening at Florida State Prison in Bradford County, authorities said.

Source: foxnews

Turkish offensive in Kurdish-held Syrian enclave sets up collision course with US

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Turkish offensive in Kurdish-held Syrian enclave sets up collision course with US

Civilians have been killed, their neighborhoods destroyed and at least one water treatment plant heavily damaged in the Turkish military offensive against the Kurdish-held Syrian enclave of Afrin, according to video, photos and on-the-ground accounts reviewed by Fox News.

Some of the reporting, which included the apparent deaths of children, is too graphic to publish. Some of the accounts of what is happening in Afrin also cannot be independently verified.

The Turkish intervention, called “Operation Olive Branch,” began in late January and, according to national security specialists, further complicates the conflict in Northern Syria involving Kurdish forces that worked with the United States to rout the Islamic State (ISIS).

The Turkish attempt to drive the Kurds from Afrin places the U.S. in a very difficult position," said Tara Maller, a former military analyst for the CIA who is now a senior policy adviser with the Counter Extremism Project. "If the U.S. is seen as abandoning the Kurds, its allies and the most effective fighting force against ISIS, it could result in the loss of credibility and an unwillingness for others to cooperate with the U.S. in the future against ISIS and other terrorist groups.”

While some 2,000 U.S. forces are in the region, Turkey has threatened to clear the Kurds from its border with Syria. The strategy could impact the town of Manbij, widely reported to be a base for U.S. troops.

Source: foxnews

Loesch: I Wouldn't Have Made It Out of CNN Town Hall Without Security Detail

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Loesch: I Wouldn't Have Made It Out of CNN Town Hall Without Security Detail

Student Claims CNN Rewrote Town Hall Question, Told Him to 'Stick to the Script'

FL School Shooting Survivor: Media Not Listening to Conservative Side

NRA CEO LaPierre: 'Ridiculous' to Say Armed Security Makes People Less Safe

NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch joined Sean Hannity live at CPAC Thursday night to react to CNN's Wednesday night town hall on gun violence.

During the event -- which was organized in the wake of the deadly Florida school shooting -- Loesch was confronted by victims' families and survivors, in addition to an extremely hostile crowd.

“You heard that town hall last night, they cheered the confiscation of firearms,” Loesch said at CPAC Thursday morning, noting there were thousands in attendance. "I had to have a security detail to get out. I wouldn’t have been able to exit that if I did not have a private security detail. There were people rushing the stage and screaming 'burn her.' And I came there to talk solutions.”

On "Hannity," Loesch said walking to the town hall stage at BB&T Center made her feel like boxer Floyd Mayweather making his way to the ring for a match.

Source: foxnews

Husband of Alabama double-life mom arrested in her murder

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Husband of Alabama double-life mom arrested in her murder

An Alabama man has been arrested in the blunt-force slaying of his wife, Kat West, who led a provocative double life as a skimpily clad online exhibitionist, according to various news reports.

After a weeks-long investigation that has brought national attention to the small Alabama town of Calera, authorities charged William "Jeff" West, 44, with murder, Police Chief Sean Lemley said Thursday morning. according to a report on the news website AL.com.

According to the site, Lemley said there were few details he could release about the homicide and what, specifically, made Jeff West their main suspect in the Jan. 13 killing of Kathleen Dawn West, 42, who was West's wife and the mother of their preteen daughter.

"We know exactly what happened that night,'' Lemley said. "And we do have evidence to support that."

Kat West touted herself on social media as a stay-at-home mom but had a subscription-only website, where she went by the name Kitty Kat West, according to news reports. Her Twitter and Instagram accounts, which appeared under the same tittilating name, featured revealing photos of West, who by many accounts had a deep fascination with screen seductress Marilyn Monroe, and directed viewers to a paid adult website of sexy selfies.

Jeff West is former military, AL.com said, and he now works as an unsworn police officer at Birmingham Southern College in the campus police department, where he has been on leave since his wife's slaying. AL.com quoted college officials as saying he is in the process of being fired.

Source: foxnews

Major biblical discovery: Archaeologists may have found the Prophet Isaiah's 'signature'

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Major biblical discovery: Archaeologists may have found the Prophet Isaiah's 'signature'

Archaeologists in Israel say that they have found a clay seal mark that may bear the signature of the Biblical Prophet Isaiah.

The 2,700-year-old stamped clay artifact was found during an excavation at the foot of the southern wall of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. In ancient times a seal stamp, or bulla, was used to authenticate documents or items.

“We found the eighth-century B.C.E. seal mark that may have been made by the prophet Isaiah himself only 10 feet away from where we earlier discovered the highly-publicized bulla of King Hezekiah of Judah," said Dr. Eilat Mazar of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, in a statement.

MYSTERIOUS POOL AND FOUNTAIN DISCOVERED AT ANCIENT CHRISTIAN SITE IN ISRAEL

Dr. Mazar led the team that the found the seal mark linked to the Biblical prophet. The artifact was found among undisturbed Iron Age remains outside an ancient royal bakery.

The half-inch wide oval-shaped piece of clay is inscribed with the name Yesha’yah[u] (Isaiah) in ancient Hebrew script. This is followed by the word nvy, the end of which is slightly damaged. As a result, experts do not know whether the word ended with the Hebrew letter aleph. That letter “would have resulted in the Hebrew word for ‘prophet’ and would have definitively identified the seal as the signature of the prophet Isaiah,” explained Dr. Mazar. “The absence of this final letter, however, requires that we leave open the possibility that it could just be the name Navi.”

Source: foxnews

Indicted Missouri governor blasts 'reckless liberal' prosecutor

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Indicted Missouri governor blasts 'reckless liberal' prosecutor

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens lashed out against a St. Louis prosecutor Thursday, hours after a grand jury indicted him on a felony invasion-of-privacy charge related to an extramarital affair.

"I know this will be righted soon," Greitens wrote in a Facebook post. "The people of Missouri deserve better than a reckless liberal prosecutor who uses her office to score political points."

The governor was referring to Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner, whose office announced Greitens' indictment Thursday. The charge stems from an incident that allegedly occurred in March 2015, she said.

Greitens, 43, was booked at the St. Louis Justice Center, officials told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He was released on his own recognizance, St. Louis Circuit Attorney spokeswoman Susan Ryan told the Associated Press.

According to Gardner's news release, the grand jury "found probable cause" that Greitens broke a state law.

The indictment said Greitens allegedly took a photo of a person - who was identified only by initials - "in a state of full or partial nudity" without their knowledge or consent and "in a place where a person would have a reasonable expectation of privacy," according to the Post-Dispatch.

Source: foxnews

Student Claims CNN Rewrote Town Hall Question, Told Him to 'Stick to the Script'

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Student Claims CNN Rewrote Town Hall Question, Told Him to 'Stick to the Script'

A Florida student claims that CNN rewrote his question for the network's Wednesday night town hall debate on gun violence.

Colton Haab, a junior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 people were shot and killed last week, says he did not attend the event when he realized it would be a "total waste of [his] time."

CNN denies that it scripted questions for any of the participants at the town hall, which was attended by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch.

On "Tucker Carlson Tonight" on Thursday, Haab said he was contacted several days ago by a CNN producer who asked him to write a speech to deliver at the event, in addition to questions to ask.

Source: foxnews

Deputy assigned to Florida school 'never went in' during shooting, sheriff says

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Deputy assigned to Florida school 'never went in' during shooting, sheriff says

The school resource deputy who was on patrol at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14 resigned Thursday after video surveillance showed he never entered the school, even though he "clearly" knew there was a shooting taking place, officials said.

Deputy Scot Peterson, of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, was stationed on the school’s campus when Nikolas Cruz opened fire with an AR-15 rifle, leaving 17 people dead and others wounded.

TIMELINE OF FLORIDA SCHOOL SHOOTING

Sheriff Scott Israel during a press conference Thursday said video showed Peterson arriving at the west side of the building where the shooting took place. Peterson, Israel said, took up a position but "never went in."

Peterson, according to the sheriff, "was absolutely on campus through this entire event." The deputy was armed and in uniform during the shooting, but never entered the building despite "clearly" knowing a shooting was happening, Israel said.

The sheriff said he believes Peterson remained outside of the building for roughly four minutes, while the shooting in total lasted around six minutes. Israel said the officer never fired his weapon.

Source: foxnews

Bermuda’s Same-Sex Marriage Reversal Sparks Fears Others Will Follow

By Unknown February 22, 2018 Bermuda’s Same-Sex Marriage Reversal Sparks Fears Others Will Follow

HAMILTON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Bermudian Joe Gibbons and his Canadian partner were ecstatic last year when the wealthy Atlantic island legalized same-sex marriage after a long struggle for gay equality - but their joy only lasted nine months.

For the British overseas territory of 60,000 people - known for low taxes and stunning pink-sand beaches - this month became the first jurisdiction in the world to reverse a law allowing same-sex marriage.

It was cause for celebration for many church leaders and thousands of Bermudians who gathered outside parliament on the usually sleepy island last year to protest the gay marriage law.

Yet the reversal sparked fears for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights activists that it may reverberate far beyond Bermuda and set a dangerous precedent for a gay rights rollback after years of gains across the Western world.

“This could open the door to undo marriage equality elsewhere,” said Jordan Sousa, founder of Bermuda’s Gay Straight Alliance, one of several local advocacy groups for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights, with 1,200-odd members.

Same-sex marriage has become legal in 26 nations since the Netherlands led the way in 2001. Austria and Taiwan are set to join this list following court rulings on the matter in 2017.

Source: huffingtonpost

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