Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Gableman changes his mind about that Rindfleisch appeal #JohnDoe #JohnDoeII #JohnDoe2
“A Wisconsin Supreme Court justice on Tuesday withdrew his unusual request asking for his colleagues on the state’s highest court to review its decision not to hear an appeal of a felony conviction from a former aide to Gov. Scott Walker.” – source Interesting. I feel loathe to speculate about this turn of events because more »
Here’s how much money Jeb Bush made in the last 30 years
In a single 1,150-page swoop, Presidential candidate Jeb Bush released 33 years of his tax returns on Tuesday. The figures and facts show that he and his wife paid an overall average tax rate of 36% and that the last years in particular have been booming. Bush earned nearly $29 million dollars from 2007-2013, the eight years following his tenure as Florida governor. But in previous years, the middle Bush son saw some big ups and downs in income. (Note: this is his earned income, separate from any inheritance already in the bank.) Starting with the $43,498 he earned in 1981, here is a rare single-graph look at three decades in a well-known politician’s income.
The post Here’s how much money Jeb Bush made in the last 30 years appeared first on PBS NewsHour.
Newly Released Emails Show Obama Aides Knew Of Hillary Clinton's Private Email As Early As 2009
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senior Obama administration officials knew as early as 2009 that Hillary Rodham Clinton was using a private email address for her government correspondence.
White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel requested Clinton's email address on Sept. 5, 2009, according to one of some 3,000 pages of correspondence released by the State Department on Tuesday evening. His request came three months after top Obama strategist David Axelrod corresponded with Clinton, now a Democratic presidential contender, at her private address.
But it's unclear whether the officials realized Clinton was running her email from a server located in her Chappaqua, New York, home — a potential security risk and violation of administration policy.
Clinton's emails have become a major issue in her early presidential campaign, as Republicans accuse her of using a private account rather than the standard government address to avoid public scrutiny of her correspondence. As the controversy has continued, Clinton has seen ratings of her character and trustworthiness drop in polling.
The newly released emails show Clinton sent or received at least 12 messages in 2009 on her private email server that were later classified "confidential" by the U.S. government. Those emails were censored because officials said they contained activities relating to the intelligence community, or had discussed the production and dissemination of U.S. intelligence information.
At least two dozen emails were also marked "sensitive but unclassified" at the time they were written, including a December 2009 message from top Clinton aide Huma Abedin about an explosion in Baghdad that killed 90.
In April 2009, Clinton's chief of staff, Cheryl Mills, sent a preview of a "sensitive but unclassified" memo to Hillary Clinton's private email address concerning the State Department's preparation for the upcoming Summit of the Americas at the Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago.
Though Clinton has said her home system included "numerous safeguards," it's not clear if it used encryption software to communicate securely with government email services. That would have protected her communications from the prying eyes of foreign spies or hackers. When nearly 900 pages of her emails were released in May, Clinton said the information in those messages — also classified by the FBI before being released — "was handled appropriately."
Still, the roughly 3,000 pages of Clinton's correspondence from 2009, her first year as the nation's top diplomat, newly released Tuesday by the agency leave little doubt that the Obama administration was aware that Clinton was using a personal address.
"The Secretary and Rahm are speaking, and she just asked him to email her — can you send me her address please?" Amanda Anderson, Emanuel's assistant, wrote.
Abedin passed along the request to Clinton. "Rahm's assistant is asking for your email address. U want me to give him?"
Less than a minute later, Clinton replied that Abedin should send along the address.
Axelrod wrote Clinton in June 2009 to express his condolences about an elbow fracture she suffered after slipping on her way to a White House meeting and call her "an all-star player."
Clinton replied: "Thank you for your too kind words which were a greatly welcome addition to my healing and rehab. My word of advice is to watch where you step and stay grounded!"
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said last spring that President Barack Obama emailed with Clinton at her private account, though he was "not aware of the details" of her system.
The White House counsel's office was not aware at the time Hillary Rodham Clinton was secretary of state that she relied solely on personal email and only found out as part of the congressional investigation into the 2012 Benghazi, Libya, attacks, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Once the State Department turned over some of her messages in connection with the Benghazi investigation after she left office, making it apparent she had not followed government guidance, the White House counsel's office asked the department to ensure that her email records were properly archived, according to the person, who spoke on a condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak on the record.
The emails, covering March through December 2009, were posted online as part of a court mandate that the agency release batches of Clinton's private correspondence from her time as secretary of state every 30 days starting June 30.
Separately, the State Department on Tuesday provided more than 3,600 pages of documents to the Republican-led House committee investigating the deadly 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, including emails of Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations at the time, and former Clinton aides Cheryl Mills and Jake Sullivan.
The regular releases of Clinton's correspondence all but guarantee a slow drip of revelations from the emails throughout her primary campaign, complicating her efforts to put the issue to rest. The goal is for the department to publicly unveil 55,000 pages of her emails by Jan. 29, 2016 — just three days before Iowa caucus-goers will cast the first votes in the Democratic primary contest. Clinton has said she wants the department to release the emails as soon as possible.
Clinton turned her emails over to the State Department last year, nearly two years after leaving the Obama administration. She has said she got rid of about 30,000 emails she deemed exclusively personal. Only she and perhaps a small circle of advisers know the content of the discarded communications.
Much of the correspondence reflects the mundane logistics of high-level public service, scheduling secure lines for calls, commenting on memos and dealing with travel logistics.
In one email with the subject "Don't laugh!!" Clinton asked her longtime aide, Capricia Marshall, about carpets in China.
"Can you contact your protocol friend in China and ask him if I could get photos of the carpets of the rooms I met in w POTUS during the recent trip?" Clinton wrote. "I loved their designs and the way they appeared carved. Any chance we can get this?"
___
Associated Press writers Jack Gillum, Eileen Sullivan, Stephen Braun and Matthew Daly contributed to this report.
White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel requested Clinton's email address on Sept. 5, 2009, according to one of some 3,000 pages of correspondence released by the State Department on Tuesday evening. His request came three months after top Obama strategist David Axelrod corresponded with Clinton, now a Democratic presidential contender, at her private address.
But it's unclear whether the officials realized Clinton was running her email from a server located in her Chappaqua, New York, home — a potential security risk and violation of administration policy.
Clinton's emails have become a major issue in her early presidential campaign, as Republicans accuse her of using a private account rather than the standard government address to avoid public scrutiny of her correspondence. As the controversy has continued, Clinton has seen ratings of her character and trustworthiness drop in polling.
The newly released emails show Clinton sent or received at least 12 messages in 2009 on her private email server that were later classified "confidential" by the U.S. government. Those emails were censored because officials said they contained activities relating to the intelligence community, or had discussed the production and dissemination of U.S. intelligence information.
At least two dozen emails were also marked "sensitive but unclassified" at the time they were written, including a December 2009 message from top Clinton aide Huma Abedin about an explosion in Baghdad that killed 90.
In April 2009, Clinton's chief of staff, Cheryl Mills, sent a preview of a "sensitive but unclassified" memo to Hillary Clinton's private email address concerning the State Department's preparation for the upcoming Summit of the Americas at the Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago.
Though Clinton has said her home system included "numerous safeguards," it's not clear if it used encryption software to communicate securely with government email services. That would have protected her communications from the prying eyes of foreign spies or hackers. When nearly 900 pages of her emails were released in May, Clinton said the information in those messages — also classified by the FBI before being released — "was handled appropriately."
Still, the roughly 3,000 pages of Clinton's correspondence from 2009, her first year as the nation's top diplomat, newly released Tuesday by the agency leave little doubt that the Obama administration was aware that Clinton was using a personal address.
"The Secretary and Rahm are speaking, and she just asked him to email her — can you send me her address please?" Amanda Anderson, Emanuel's assistant, wrote.
Abedin passed along the request to Clinton. "Rahm's assistant is asking for your email address. U want me to give him?"
Less than a minute later, Clinton replied that Abedin should send along the address.
Axelrod wrote Clinton in June 2009 to express his condolences about an elbow fracture she suffered after slipping on her way to a White House meeting and call her "an all-star player."
Clinton replied: "Thank you for your too kind words which were a greatly welcome addition to my healing and rehab. My word of advice is to watch where you step and stay grounded!"
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said last spring that President Barack Obama emailed with Clinton at her private account, though he was "not aware of the details" of her system.
The White House counsel's office was not aware at the time Hillary Rodham Clinton was secretary of state that she relied solely on personal email and only found out as part of the congressional investigation into the 2012 Benghazi, Libya, attacks, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Once the State Department turned over some of her messages in connection with the Benghazi investigation after she left office, making it apparent she had not followed government guidance, the White House counsel's office asked the department to ensure that her email records were properly archived, according to the person, who spoke on a condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak on the record.
The emails, covering March through December 2009, were posted online as part of a court mandate that the agency release batches of Clinton's private correspondence from her time as secretary of state every 30 days starting June 30.
Separately, the State Department on Tuesday provided more than 3,600 pages of documents to the Republican-led House committee investigating the deadly 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, including emails of Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations at the time, and former Clinton aides Cheryl Mills and Jake Sullivan.
The regular releases of Clinton's correspondence all but guarantee a slow drip of revelations from the emails throughout her primary campaign, complicating her efforts to put the issue to rest. The goal is for the department to publicly unveil 55,000 pages of her emails by Jan. 29, 2016 — just three days before Iowa caucus-goers will cast the first votes in the Democratic primary contest. Clinton has said she wants the department to release the emails as soon as possible.
Clinton turned her emails over to the State Department last year, nearly two years after leaving the Obama administration. She has said she got rid of about 30,000 emails she deemed exclusively personal. Only she and perhaps a small circle of advisers know the content of the discarded communications.
Much of the correspondence reflects the mundane logistics of high-level public service, scheduling secure lines for calls, commenting on memos and dealing with travel logistics.
In one email with the subject "Don't laugh!!" Clinton asked her longtime aide, Capricia Marshall, about carpets in China.
"Can you contact your protocol friend in China and ask him if I could get photos of the carpets of the rooms I met in w POTUS during the recent trip?" Clinton wrote. "I loved their designs and the way they appeared carved. Any chance we can get this?"
___
Associated Press writers Jack Gillum, Eileen Sullivan, Stephen Braun and Matthew Daly contributed to this report.
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
'Guardians Of The Galaxy' Sequel Gets Official Title
2014's "Guardians of the Galaxy" was a massive hit. Even before the movie managed to pull in close to $800,000,000 at the box office worldwide, we knew there was going to be a sequel (even before the movie hit theaters we knew there was going to be a sequel). Now that sequel has a name.
On Monday, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige let it slip to Collider that the much-anticipated sequel will be called "Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2," and filming is set to start sometime around February or March 2016.
Details surrounding the sequel have been kept hush, hush, but "Guardians of the Galaxy" director James Gunn confirmed the title via Twitter later in the day:
"Vol. 2" seems to be a reference to the mix tape that Peter Quill aka Star-Lord’s (Chris Pratt) mother gave him as a child. And it seems fitting since Gunn told Collider that the sequel would "focus more intensely on some of the characters," and that fans could expect to "learn a lot about fathers."
"Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2" is currently set to hit theaters May 5, 2017.
On Monday, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige let it slip to Collider that the much-anticipated sequel will be called "Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2," and filming is set to start sometime around February or March 2016.
Details surrounding the sequel have been kept hush, hush, but "Guardians of the Galaxy" director James Gunn confirmed the title via Twitter later in the day:
Yes, the official title for the @Guardians sequel is GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2. Nice detective work, @colliderfrosty, etc! You got us!
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) June 29, 2015"Vol. 2" seems to be a reference to the mix tape that Peter Quill aka Star-Lord’s (Chris Pratt) mother gave him as a child. And it seems fitting since Gunn told Collider that the sequel would "focus more intensely on some of the characters," and that fans could expect to "learn a lot about fathers."
"Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2" is currently set to hit theaters May 5, 2017.
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Obama proposal would make 5 million more eligible for overtime
President Barack Obama announced a plan that would raise the overtime availability to salaried employees earning less than $50,440 a year, up from the current $23,660 a year. Photo by Yuri Gripas/Reuters
WASHINGTON — Salaried workers who earn nearly $1,000 per week would become eligible for overtime pay under a proposal President Barack Obama unveiled Monday, lamenting that too many Americans are working too many hours for less pay than they deserve.
The long-awaited overtime rule from the Labor Department would more than double the threshold at which employers can avoid paying overtime, from the current $455 a week to $970 a week by next year. That would mean salaried employees earning less than $50,440 a year would be assured overtime if they work more than 40 hours per week, up from the current $23,660 a year.
“We’ve got to keep making sure hard work is rewarded,” Obama wrote in an op-ed in The Huffington Post. “That’s how America should do business. In this country, a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.”
To keep up with future inflation and wage growth, the proposal will peg the salary threshold at the 40th percentile of income, individuals familiar with the plan said. They requested anonymity to discuss the proposal ahead of the official announcement.
The president was to promote the proposal during a visit Thursday to La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Obama’s proposal aims to narrow a loophole that the president has long said some employers exploit to avoid paying overtime.
Employees who make above the salary threshold can be denied overtime if they are deemed managers. Some work grueling schedules at fast food chains and retail stores, but with no overtime eligibility, their pay may be lower per hour than many workers they supervise.
The existing salary cap, established in 2004 under President George W. Bush, has been eroded by inflation and now relegates a family of four making just above the cap into poverty territory. Obama has long charged that the level is too low and undercuts the intent of the overtime law.
The proposed changes will be open for public comment and could take months to finalize. They can be enacted through regulation, without approval by the Republican-led Congress.
Although the Labor Department’s estimates suggest the proposal would raise wages for 5 million people, other estimates are far higher. The Economic Policy Institute, a liberal think tank, recently estimated that a threshold of $984 a week would cover 15 million people.
“This is by definition middle-class people. This reverses decades of neglect,” said EPI President Larry Mishel, adding that the proposal would also likely create jobs for hourly workers.
Under the current threshold, only about 8 percent of salaried workers are eligible for 1½ times their regular pay when they work overtime. The EPI estimates that doubling the salary level would make up to 40 percent of salaried workers eligible.
Yet many Republicans have opposed Obama’s plans to increase the threshold, arguing that doing so would discourage companies from creating jobs and dampen economic growth. Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, who chairs the Senate’s labor panel, has derided the idea as designed “to make it as unappealing as possible” for companies to create jobs.
Obama, in his op-ed, argued the exemption was intended for highly paid, white-collar employees but now punished lower-income workers because the government has failed to update the regulations. He said the proposal would be good not only for workers but also for employers that pay their employees what they deserve, because they will no longer be undercut by competitors who pay their workers less.
“Will we accept an economy where only a few of us do exceptionally well? Or will we push for an economy where every American who works hard can contribute to and benefit from our success?” Obama said, setting up a populist argument that Democrats are likely to embrace in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.
The beneficiaries would be people like Brittany Swa, 30, a former manager of a Chipotle restaurant in Denver. As a management trainee, she started as an entry-level crew member in March 2010. After several months she began working as an “apprentice,” which required a minimum 50-hour work week.
Yet her duties changed little. She had a key to the shop and could make bank deposits, but otherwise spent nearly all her time preparing orders and working the cash register. She frequently worked 60 hours a week but didn’t get overtime because she earned $36,000.
The grueling hours continued after she was promoted to store manager in October 2010. She left two years later and has joined a class-action lawsuit against Chipotle, charging that apprentices shouldn’t be classified as managers exempt from overtime. A spokesman for Chipotle declined to comment on the case.
Associated Press writer Jim Kuhnhenn contributed to this report.
The post Obama proposal would make 5 million more eligible for overtime appeared first on PBS NewsHour.
Monday, June 29, 2015
Explosion at Taiwan water park injures nearly 500
People carry an injured victim from an accidental explosion during a music concert at the Formosa Water Park in New Taipei City, Taiwan, June 27, 2015. Photo by Wu Chia/Reuters
Special effects color powder at a water park near Taipei, Taiwan, suddenly ignited into a fireball and blasted into a crowd on Saturday. 498 people attending the “Color Play Asia” party at Formosa Water Park were reportedly injured.
Some victims sustained skin burns covering up to 80 percent of their bodies, Reuters reported.
Taipei health official Lee Lih-jong told Agence France-Presse that many suffered damage to their respiratory organs by inhaling the flammable colored powder.
Nearly 200 people remain in intensive care, but so far there have been no fatalities.
Taiwan’s president Ma Ying-jeou (L) meets with family members of the victims injured in a fire at the Formosa Fun Coast water park at Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, June 28, 2015. Almost 200 people remain in intensive care, with some injured victims sustaining burns covering up to 80 percent of their body. Photo by Pichi Chuang/Reuters
Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou visited injured victims and their families at Taipei Veterans General Hospital on Sunday.
Deputy fire chief Chen Chung-yueh told AFP he suspects the powder may have been ignited by sparks from nearby machinery.
The organizer of the party and the hardware engineer responsible for lighting are both being held for questioning, CNN reported.
Eric Chu, the mayor of New Taipei, told reporters he has ordered the park to be closed until further notice.
The post Explosion at Taiwan water park injures nearly 500 appeared first on PBS NewsHour.
Governor Says Puerto Rico's Debts 'Not Payable': NYT
June 28 (Reuters) - Puerto Rico is set to release a key financial stability report by former IMF economists on Monday, officials said on Sunday, in a crucial week for the island as bond deadlines come due and investor concerns increase about the possibility for debt restructurings and a limitation on government services.
The New York Times on Sunday said the report would propose a bond exchange with new bonds offered with a longer or lower debt service. The newspaper cited Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla saying in an interview that the island's debts were not payable and that creditors would probably have to take significant concessions such as five year payment deferrals.
Puerto Rico is struggling with a $73 billion debt load and faltering economy while its Government Development Bank is running low on cash. The island is facing crunch time this week with several bond payments such as a July 1 deadline to make a $655 million payment on its general obligation debt while its struggling utility PREPA is in talks to avoid a possible default.
"We have to recognize we have a very serious problem with the fiscal situation of the island," House speaker Jaime Perello told press on Sunday.
Puerto Rico in February engaged a group of former International Monetary Fund economists to analyze its economic and financial stability and growth prospects. A separate report was also commissioned by consulting firm Conway MacKenzie.
Perello said that after the report is presented on Monday, work groups should be established. House minority leader Jenniffer Gonzalez said the governor would meet with mayors and lawmakers to discuss the report.
"(Next week is) the tipping point," said Adam Weigold, senior portfolio manager at Eaton Vance, on Friday.
Puerto Rico's debt problems could lead to a reduction in government services, investors said. However, a source familiar with the situation said on Friday the island is not contemplating a partial or full shutdown of government services.
Daniel Hanson, analyst at Height Securities, said the reports would allow the island to give an "opening bid" to creditors regarding a possible restructuring of the debt.
"Next week is probably a good buying opportunity," Hanson said. "We expect a lot of downside in all the bonds."
Puerto Rico's benchmark general obligation bonds issued in March 2014 slid on Friday to close at a record low of 77 cents on the dollar to yield 10.84 percent. (Reporting by a contributor in San Juan and Megan Davies in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis, Toni Reinhold)
The New York Times on Sunday said the report would propose a bond exchange with new bonds offered with a longer or lower debt service. The newspaper cited Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla saying in an interview that the island's debts were not payable and that creditors would probably have to take significant concessions such as five year payment deferrals.
Puerto Rico is struggling with a $73 billion debt load and faltering economy while its Government Development Bank is running low on cash. The island is facing crunch time this week with several bond payments such as a July 1 deadline to make a $655 million payment on its general obligation debt while its struggling utility PREPA is in talks to avoid a possible default.
"We have to recognize we have a very serious problem with the fiscal situation of the island," House speaker Jaime Perello told press on Sunday.
Puerto Rico in February engaged a group of former International Monetary Fund economists to analyze its economic and financial stability and growth prospects. A separate report was also commissioned by consulting firm Conway MacKenzie.
Perello said that after the report is presented on Monday, work groups should be established. House minority leader Jenniffer Gonzalez said the governor would meet with mayors and lawmakers to discuss the report.
"(Next week is) the tipping point," said Adam Weigold, senior portfolio manager at Eaton Vance, on Friday.
Puerto Rico's debt problems could lead to a reduction in government services, investors said. However, a source familiar with the situation said on Friday the island is not contemplating a partial or full shutdown of government services.
Daniel Hanson, analyst at Height Securities, said the reports would allow the island to give an "opening bid" to creditors regarding a possible restructuring of the debt.
"Next week is probably a good buying opportunity," Hanson said. "We expect a lot of downside in all the bonds."
Puerto Rico's benchmark general obligation bonds issued in March 2014 slid on Friday to close at a record low of 77 cents on the dollar to yield 10.84 percent. (Reporting by a contributor in San Juan and Megan Davies in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis, Toni Reinhold)
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
GOP 2016 hopefuls sound off against gay marriage ruling
Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee speaks during a campaign event in Boone, Iowa June 6, 2015. Huckabee told conservatives Saturday that the Supreme Court tried to “unwrite the laws of nature and the laws of nature’s God” when it legalized gay marriage across the nation. Photo by Dave Kaup/Reuters
DENVER — Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee told conservatives Saturday that the Supreme Court tried to “unwrite the laws of nature and the laws of nature’s God” when it legalized gay marriage across the nation.
The former Arkansas governor suggested that people in the United States flout the ruling, as President Abraham Lincoln did in the wake of the justices’ 1857 decision that blacks could not be citizens. Huckabee also pointed out that President Barack Obama opposed gay marriage until 2012.
“He was either lying in 2008, or he’s lying now, or God has rewritten the Bible and only Barack Obama has gotten the new edition,” Huckabee told the crowd at the Western Conservative Summit.
Huckabee was among the GOP presidential hopefuls at the gathering, which followed a week in which the high court also upheld Obama’s signature health care law. The Republicans offered few suggestions on what to do about the gay marriage ruling, highlighting the party’s challenges on social issues ahead of the 2016 elections.
Joining Huckabee at the conference was Republican hopeful Carly Fiorina, who said she supports civil unions. She said opponents of the ruling should now focus efforts on religious freedom in public accommodations, such as cases of bakers facing penalties for refusing to serve gay couples.
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry derided the ruling but didn’t suggest a next step.
“These decisions need to be made in the states,” said Perry, who noted that his states’ rights plank extends even to Colorado legalizing recreational marijuana in defiance of federal drug law.
“I defend the right of Colorado to be wrong on that issue,” Perry said. The crowd chuckled.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who has called for a constitutional amendment to undo the marriage ruling, did not mention the ruling in his remarks late Saturday. He did talk broadly about judicial appointments when asked afterward by a moderator.
“The sole role of the judiciary … is to uphold the Constitution of the United States and those laws duly enacted, no more, no less,” Walker said to applause.
On Friday, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum said the gay marriage ruling was “based on a lie” that gay-marriage opponents are motivated by discrimination.
“We have a Supreme Court that says the only reason that you could possibly oppose changing marriage laws in America is because you hate people who want to marry people of the same sex. That is not true,” Santorum said.
The post GOP 2016 hopefuls sound off against gay marriage ruling appeared first on PBS NewsHour.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
A Big, Scary Whirlpool Forms In Lake Texoma
On Lake Texoma along the Texas-Oklahoma border, boaters have to be very careful or they could wind up going down the drain--literally.
That's because a giant vortex measuring eight feet across formed recently in the overflowing lake. The swirling waters got going when engineers opened the floodgates of the Denison Dam to drain the lake, which was flooded from four weeks of heavy rain.
A video of the vortex (above) posted to the YouTube page of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Tulsa District on June 5, 2015 shows just how big the vortex is--and how powerful. Officials warned in the video's description that it's capable of sucking in a full-sized boat.
(Story continues below.)
The vortex that formed at Lake Texoma.
“I always compare it to when you fill up your bathtub and then pull the plug. When the water level gets low enough, you’ll see an apparent vortex,” B.J. Parkey, assistant project manager at the lake, told ABC News. “Obviously we don’t have a plug like that in the dam, but the concept is the same."
The Weather Channel reported that officials plan to keep the floodgates open for now and the lake should reach normal levels by the end of July.
That's because a giant vortex measuring eight feet across formed recently in the overflowing lake. The swirling waters got going when engineers opened the floodgates of the Denison Dam to drain the lake, which was flooded from four weeks of heavy rain.
A video of the vortex (above) posted to the YouTube page of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Tulsa District on June 5, 2015 shows just how big the vortex is--and how powerful. Officials warned in the video's description that it's capable of sucking in a full-sized boat.
(Story continues below.)
The vortex that formed at Lake Texoma.
“I always compare it to when you fill up your bathtub and then pull the plug. When the water level gets low enough, you’ll see an apparent vortex,” B.J. Parkey, assistant project manager at the lake, told ABC News. “Obviously we don’t have a plug like that in the dam, but the concept is the same."
The Weather Channel reported that officials plan to keep the floodgates open for now and the lake should reach normal levels by the end of July.
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
If I Find an Abandoned Baby, Can I Keep It?
Welcome to the new FindLaw series, "If I Find," where we'll discuss the rule of finders keepers as it applies to different topics. We hope you'll check back regularly! When Quasimodo was left on the doorstep of Notre Dame,...
Fire at Trump Place in Manhattan
In Manhattan this (Saturday) afternoon a fire at Trump Place on the Upper West Side.
Billowing black smoke was seen pouring out of the 21st floor of the high-rise building on West End Avenue near 65th Street just before 1 p.m.
The FDNY confirmed that the fire started on the terrace and was quickly contained.
huge fire on west side highway (I took this video) pic.twitter.com/Q11sw1Bru5
— sophie morello (@sophiee_annee_) June 27, 2015
Fire at #TrumpTower on Upper West Side http://t.co/C2IVxN4yFF #NewYork #UpperWestSide pic.twitter.com/CoqvQieT8Z
— Alan Smithee (@Negation2010) June 27, 2015
BREAKING: Fire on 21st floor of Trump Towers apartments on Manhattan’s upper west side via @FDNY #NYFire pic.twitter.com/RIfTasmxne
— John Bell (@NewsBell) June 27, 2015
Virtual reality shows how dangerous it is to drive drunk and stoned
Looking inside the dome of the National Advanced Driving Simulator -1. Photo by University of Iowa National Advanced Driving Simulator
Virtual reality is shedding light on the dangers of driving stoned.
Currently in the U.S., police officers have limited resources to assess just how high a person is when driving under the influence of marijuana. Also unclear is the degree to which driving both drunk and stoned – the most common combination of substances seen among DUI cases — impairs one’s ability to pilot a vehicle.
Marilyn Huestis, a scientist at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, used the National Advanced Driving Simulator to tackle these issues one virtual road trip at a time.
The simulator consists of a car surrounded by a dome. Inside the dome is a 360-degree screen displaying the outside virtual world. The dome can tilt and move, mimicking the sensation of accelerating and braking.
This study was the first to record people’s saliva, blood and breath samples before, during and after driving under the influence. In the U.S., the only way to identify the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, in a driver’s body is through blood samples. These samples are typically taken 90 minutes to four hours after being pulled over. However, other countries use saliva samples, which provide more rapid results.
The team began by asking occasional marijuana and alcohol users to participate in a 45-minute driving simulation. Each participant drove the simulator multiple times under various states of inebriation: sober, after inhaling THC, after drinking alcohol, and under the influence of both THC and alcohol. The route changed each session, but always included interstate driving and city driving at nighttime.
Among the researcher’s findings: THC impairs the ability to stay within traffic lanes.
“A concentration of 13.1 nanograms per milliliter THC was an equivalent impairment to that of the illegal limit for alcohol at 0.08 percent at the time of driving,” said Huestis, lead author of the study, which was published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
To put that in perspective, THC levels peak around 100 to 200 nanograms per milliliter within minutes of inhalation, but drop drastically into the single digits within a couple hours. Because of this plummet, the THC concentration measured while driving is much higher than what you would find in blood drawn hours after being suspected of driving under the influence.
This study found that the effects of driving both high and drunk were additive, meaning that if you smoke a joint and drink a beer, you are more impaired than if you had only smoked.
A view from inside the dome of the National Advanced Driving Simulator – 1. Photo by University of Iowa National Advanced Driving Simulator
Researchers also studied the effectiveness of roadside exams at detecting THC. In the U.S., if an officer suspects someone is driving while high, they are required by law to take the driver to a hospital to secure a blood sample. However, in Belgium, officers take an oral swab during the arrest that gets tested at the scene and later in a lab. Meanwhile In Germany, if someone tests positive for THC during a roadside saliva test, they have to submit a blood sample to confirm.
The team found that two saliva tests for THC — Dräger DrugTest® 5000 and Alere DDS2 — were as accurate as blood testing. The saliva tests remained accurate when participants were under the influence of both THC and alcohol.
A view from the outside of the National Advanced Driving Simulator – 1. The virtual screen and car sit inside the dome. Photo credit: University of Iowa National Advanced Driving Simulator
They also found that alcohol increases the body’s ability to absorb THC, meaning that you get more stoned if you smoke while drinking versus if you smoke while sober.
“When alcohol was present with cannabis, you had a significantly higher of peak THC,” Huestis said.
Cannabis also slows the rate at which alcohol is metabolized, dulling concentration. If you smoke before you drink, you’ll have to wait longer to sober up.
The post Virtual reality shows how dangerous it is to drive drunk and stoned appeared first on PBS NewsHour.
Supreme court to rule on lethal injection, Mercury emissions
Interns with media organizations run with the decision that the U.S. Constitution provides same-sex couples the right to marry at the Supreme Court in Washington June 26, 2015. With a 5-4 vote, the court ruled that same-sex marriage will be legal in all 50 states. Photo by Joshua Roberts/Reuters
Meeting on Monday for the final time until the fall, the Supreme Court has three cases remaining to be decided:
-Lethal injection: Death-row inmates in Oklahoma are objecting to the use of the sedative midazolam in lethal-injection executions after the drug was implicated in several botched executions. Their argument is that the drug does not reliably induce a coma-like sleep that would prevent them from experiencing the searing pain of the paralytic and heart-stopping drugs that follow sedation.
-Independent redistricting commissions: Roughly a dozen states have adopted independent commissions to reduce partisan politics in drawing congressional districts. The case from Arizona involves a challenge from Republican state lawmakers who complain that they can’t be completely cut out of the process without violating the Constitution.
-Mercury emissions: Industry groups and Republican-led states assert that environmental regulators overstepped their bounds by coming up with expensive limits on the emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants from power plants without taking account of the cost of regulation at the start of the process. The first-ever limits on mercury emissions, more than a decade in the making, began to take effect in April.
The justices also could say Monday whether they will take on important cases for the term that begins in October on abortion, affirmative action and the power of unions that represent government workers.
The post Supreme court to rule on lethal injection, Mercury emissions appeared first on PBS NewsHour.
The presidential clown car: Trump trumps Walker, Bernie’s coming to WI, Jill Stein is in, and More
TRUMP ON TOP A FOX poll puts Jeb at #1 and Trump at #2 in New Hampshire. Scott Walker is not in the top. This Politico article says that the numbers are too good to be true and quotes pollsters who say “Everybody should calm down“. Whatever the case, I’m still going to take pleasure more »
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Fire At Black South Carolila Church Investigated
WARRENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Federal and state investigators are looking into a fire that destroyed a predominantly black church in South Carolina.
Local media outlets report the fire destroyed the Glover Grove Missionary Baptist Church in the small town of Warrenville on Friday morning.
Aiken County sheriff's deputies and agents from the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are looking into the fire.
Capt. Eric Abdullah, public information officer for the Aiken County Sheriff's Office, said no cause has been determined, and his office has given the case to investigators from SLED.
Recent fires have already caused damage to predominantly black churches in Charlotte, North Carolina and Macon, Georgia. In those instances, investigators say the fires were deliberately set.
Warrenville is 15 miles northeast of Augusta, Georgia.
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Raw video from two-alarm house fire in Texas
Video by SCOTT ENGLE taken at a house fire handled by the Cypress Creek Fire Department on Laneview Drive in Harris County, Texas. A second-alarm was called on arrival around 2:00 Friday morning.
Obama's Grace
I think Barack Obama’s eulogy yesterday at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston was his most fully successful performance as an orator.
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Update: Bystander stabbed two San Diego firefighters during EMS call
There is new information on the stabbing of two San Diego firefighters Wednesday during a medical call. The man arrested, 34-year-old Ryan Allen Jones, apparently had no connection to the ill man being treated by Firefighter Ben Vernon and Firefighter Alex Wallbertt. Police and fire officials say Jones had been asked multiple times to step back but continued to interfere and then pulled out a knife and stabbed Vernon and Wallbertt.
Previous coverage of this story
Jones allegedly attacked Vernon with a folding knife, prompting Wallbertt to come to his colleague’s aid. During the ensuing struggle, both firefighters suffered multiple stab wounds to their upper bodies.
Medics took Vernon to Scripps Mercy Hospital for treatment of stab wounds to his back, one of which resulted in a collapsed lung, Mainar said. Wallbertt was admitted to UCSD Medical Center with less severe injuries to his upper body.
Wallbertt was likely to be released Thursday afternoon or evening, while Vernon was expected to remain under medical care for another day or two, Mainar said.
Greece Parliament Approves Referendum On Bailout
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece's parliament voted early Sunday in favor of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' motion to hold a July 5 referendum on creditor proposals for reforms in exchange for loans, with the country's future in the eurozone looking increasingly shaky.
Tsipras' surprise call stunned Greece's international debt negotiators, and the country took a big step closer to falling out of the euro currency union after fellow eurozone member states refused to extend its bailout program past its expiry date on Tuesday, leaving Greece on the brink of financial chaos.
In the streets of Greece, worried people queued outside banks for cash from dawn to dusk after Tsipras' announcement in the early hours of Saturday, after billions of euros had already been emptied in the preceding weeks.
Greece has a 1.6 billion euro ($1.8 billion) debt due to the International Monetary Fund on Tuesday and its bailout program expires the same day, after which it is unclear how the country might survive financially.
The referendum is set for next Sunday with the question on whether to accept proposed reforms needed to get bailout loans from other eurozone countries and the IMF. The government is advocating a rejection of the proposals.
The radical left-wing leader accused the creditors of using blackmail and ultimatums against his proud but struggling people. European officials and all Greek opposition parties except the extremist far-right Golden Dawn party called his move for a vote a foolish and rash gambit that effectively ended negotiations to keep Greece financially afloat.
The sudden move comes after five months of stalemated negotiations, with Tsipras accusing creditors of trying to strong-arm his country into taking harsh austerity measures he says would hammer an economy already on its knees after five months of creditor-demanded spending cuts and tax hikes.
"They didn't ask us to agree, they asked us to surrender our political dignity," Tsipras said during a tumultuous and nearly 13-hour parliamentary session that cumulated in a vote just before 3 a.m. Sunday. Out of parliament's 300 lawmakers, 178 voted in favor and 120 against, with two people absent.
He insisted the Greek side had "exhausted every limit of concessions so there could be an agreement, adding that "perhaps some saw that as a weakness."
The referendum move further crumbled already strained relations between Greece and its European partners.
Tsipras said the Greek people would vote against a deal next Sunday.
"This no will also be a big yes, a big yes to the decision of the Greek government to reject an ultimatum that insults the Greek people."
Tsipras dismissed harsh criticism from other European countries on his decision.
"The referendum will take place as scheduled, next Sunday, whether our partners want it or not," he said.
Eurozone finance ministers earlier rejected Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis' request for a one-month extension to the bailout program, with Varoufakis then leaving the meeting.
"It's a sad day for Europe, but we will overcome it," he said.
The other 18 finance ministers then huddled without him to assess how to minimize the damage from the Greek crisis on their currency.
"Our institutions are and will be prepared to take any action if needed," said top eurozone official Jeroen Dijsselbloem of fears that financial turbulence might extend to the rest of the currency bloc. Fellow ministers spoke candidly about the risks of a Greek exit from the euro in a way that would have been inconceivable only weeks ago.
The ministers stressed Greece remained in the eurozone for now, and Dijsselbloem said "the eurogroup stands ready to reconvene to take appropriate decisions where needed, in the interest of Greece as euro area member."
Without a bailout program extension or more loans from creditors, Greece is likely to be in arrears on a debt payment due the same day. Its banks face the risk of collapse.
"The Greek authorities have asked for a month extension. But in that month there can be no disbursements," Dijsselbloem said. "How does the Greek government think that it will survive and deal with its problems in that period? I do not know."
France's finance minister, Michel Sapin, stressed a deal was still possible and that he was ready to act as a go-between among Greece and the creditors after relations neared a breaking point.
Dijsselbloem refused to slam the door full shut. "The door is open. It was not the institutions that walked away from the last talks last night."
Now much will depend on whether the European Central Bank will accept to continue to prop up Greek banks even after the country's bailout program expires. It would be under huge pressure to stop using eurozone taxpayer money to keep alive the banks if there is no prospect for a deal.
The eurozone finance ministers suggested Greece should take steps to stabilize its financial system — code for putting limits on cash withdrawals and money transfers.
If Greece's banks collapse, the government would have to support them itself. Penniless, it would have to revert to printing a new currency, effectively drawing the country out of the euro union.
The ECB's governing council will meet "in due course" to assess the situation, most likely this Sunday, officials said.
While the government is recommending a "no" vote, Varoufakis noted "the high possibility that the Greek people will vote against the advice of the Greek government."
What would happen in that case — whether Greece would have to leave the euro or try to renegotiate with creditors — is unclear.
An exit from the euro would put Greece through a new era of economic pain. With the new currency less valuable than the euro, the government would have to write off a chunk of its foreign loans — mainly owed to eurozone countries — and many companies and households would go bankrupt. Experts predict a long and deep recession in a country that has already been through five years economic depression.
The uncertainties of all this would roil European and global markets, though experts are divided on the extent. Some say Europe is better equipped to handle a Greek euro exit, but others say it is unclear what might happen. The euro dropped in value slightly on international markets after the referendum was called.
___
Casert reported from Brussels. Demetris Nellas, Thanassis Stavrakis and Paris Ayiomamitis in Athens, Greece, and Derek Gatopoulos and Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed.
Tsipras' surprise call stunned Greece's international debt negotiators, and the country took a big step closer to falling out of the euro currency union after fellow eurozone member states refused to extend its bailout program past its expiry date on Tuesday, leaving Greece on the brink of financial chaos.
In the streets of Greece, worried people queued outside banks for cash from dawn to dusk after Tsipras' announcement in the early hours of Saturday, after billions of euros had already been emptied in the preceding weeks.
Greece has a 1.6 billion euro ($1.8 billion) debt due to the International Monetary Fund on Tuesday and its bailout program expires the same day, after which it is unclear how the country might survive financially.
The referendum is set for next Sunday with the question on whether to accept proposed reforms needed to get bailout loans from other eurozone countries and the IMF. The government is advocating a rejection of the proposals.
The radical left-wing leader accused the creditors of using blackmail and ultimatums against his proud but struggling people. European officials and all Greek opposition parties except the extremist far-right Golden Dawn party called his move for a vote a foolish and rash gambit that effectively ended negotiations to keep Greece financially afloat.
The sudden move comes after five months of stalemated negotiations, with Tsipras accusing creditors of trying to strong-arm his country into taking harsh austerity measures he says would hammer an economy already on its knees after five months of creditor-demanded spending cuts and tax hikes.
"They didn't ask us to agree, they asked us to surrender our political dignity," Tsipras said during a tumultuous and nearly 13-hour parliamentary session that cumulated in a vote just before 3 a.m. Sunday. Out of parliament's 300 lawmakers, 178 voted in favor and 120 against, with two people absent.
He insisted the Greek side had "exhausted every limit of concessions so there could be an agreement, adding that "perhaps some saw that as a weakness."
The referendum move further crumbled already strained relations between Greece and its European partners.
Tsipras said the Greek people would vote against a deal next Sunday.
"This no will also be a big yes, a big yes to the decision of the Greek government to reject an ultimatum that insults the Greek people."
Tsipras dismissed harsh criticism from other European countries on his decision.
"The referendum will take place as scheduled, next Sunday, whether our partners want it or not," he said.
Eurozone finance ministers earlier rejected Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis' request for a one-month extension to the bailout program, with Varoufakis then leaving the meeting.
"It's a sad day for Europe, but we will overcome it," he said.
The other 18 finance ministers then huddled without him to assess how to minimize the damage from the Greek crisis on their currency.
"Our institutions are and will be prepared to take any action if needed," said top eurozone official Jeroen Dijsselbloem of fears that financial turbulence might extend to the rest of the currency bloc. Fellow ministers spoke candidly about the risks of a Greek exit from the euro in a way that would have been inconceivable only weeks ago.
The ministers stressed Greece remained in the eurozone for now, and Dijsselbloem said "the eurogroup stands ready to reconvene to take appropriate decisions where needed, in the interest of Greece as euro area member."
Without a bailout program extension or more loans from creditors, Greece is likely to be in arrears on a debt payment due the same day. Its banks face the risk of collapse.
"The Greek authorities have asked for a month extension. But in that month there can be no disbursements," Dijsselbloem said. "How does the Greek government think that it will survive and deal with its problems in that period? I do not know."
France's finance minister, Michel Sapin, stressed a deal was still possible and that he was ready to act as a go-between among Greece and the creditors after relations neared a breaking point.
Dijsselbloem refused to slam the door full shut. "The door is open. It was not the institutions that walked away from the last talks last night."
Now much will depend on whether the European Central Bank will accept to continue to prop up Greek banks even after the country's bailout program expires. It would be under huge pressure to stop using eurozone taxpayer money to keep alive the banks if there is no prospect for a deal.
The eurozone finance ministers suggested Greece should take steps to stabilize its financial system — code for putting limits on cash withdrawals and money transfers.
If Greece's banks collapse, the government would have to support them itself. Penniless, it would have to revert to printing a new currency, effectively drawing the country out of the euro union.
The ECB's governing council will meet "in due course" to assess the situation, most likely this Sunday, officials said.
While the government is recommending a "no" vote, Varoufakis noted "the high possibility that the Greek people will vote against the advice of the Greek government."
What would happen in that case — whether Greece would have to leave the euro or try to renegotiate with creditors — is unclear.
An exit from the euro would put Greece through a new era of economic pain. With the new currency less valuable than the euro, the government would have to write off a chunk of its foreign loans — mainly owed to eurozone countries — and many companies and households would go bankrupt. Experts predict a long and deep recession in a country that has already been through five years economic depression.
The uncertainties of all this would roil European and global markets, though experts are divided on the extent. Some say Europe is better equipped to handle a Greek euro exit, but others say it is unclear what might happen. The euro dropped in value slightly on international markets after the referendum was called.
___
Casert reported from Brussels. Demetris Nellas, Thanassis Stavrakis and Paris Ayiomamitis in Athens, Greece, and Derek Gatopoulos and Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed.
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Caught on video: Brawl between family of cops, firefighters & medic at t-ball game
Investigations are underway by both the fire department and police department are underway in Gary, Indiana after a fight between police, firefighters and medics took place during a t-ball game. Those fighting are all connected to one family.
An argument between a boy’s father and his mother’s fiance launched a brawl at a T-ball game that left his parents and their significant others reporting injuries, police said. All four are Gary city employees.
Gary police Lts. Nelson Otano and Thomas Pawlak are investigating the criminal complaints filed Wednesday evening by Gary police Cpl. Shirletta Montgomery, 41, the boy’s stepmother; her husband and the boy’s father, Danielle Montgomery, 46, a Gary firefighter; Brandi Smith, 33, Gary Fire Department medic and the boy’s mother; her fiance, Larry Banks, also a Gary firefighter.
Some areas resist issuing marriage licenses following court’s decision
In face of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on Friday that the Constitution guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry in all 50 states, some parts of the country have not started to issue marriage licenses.
Hopeful couples have been turned away in parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Texas and Louisiana. Officials have said they are waiting for lower courts to officially lift bans on same-sex marriage.
Graphic by Lisa Overton/NewsHour Weekend
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood said on Friday that the court’s ruling is not immediately effective in the state.
“It will become effective in Mississippi, and circuit clerks will be required to issue same-sex marriage licenses, when the 5th Circuit lifts the stay of Judge Reeves’ order,” he said in a statement. “The 5th Circuit might also choose not to lift the stay and instead issue and order, which could take considerably longer before it becomes effective.”
Graphic by Lisa Overton/NewsHour Weekend
In Alabama, Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore has advised county judges to delay issuing the marriage licenses, saying the ruling “destroyed the foundation of our country, which is family.”
In an interview with the New York Times, Moore said he would continue to push for an amendment banning same-sex marriage.
Graphic by Lisa Overton/NewsHour Weekend
In Texas, some county clerks did issue licenses, but Governor Greg Abbot said no Texan will be required by the court’s ruling to act “contrary to his or her religious beliefs” when it comes to marriage.
Graphic by Lisa Overton/NewsHour Weekend
Louisiana Governor and Republican presidential candidate Bobby Jindal also came out against the court’s decision, saying that the ruling “tramples” on states’ rights.
In a statement on his campaign website, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was more staid in his critique of the ruling:
Guided by my faith, I believe in traditional marriage. I believe the Supreme Court should have allowed the states to make this decision. I also believe that we should love our neighbor and respect others, including those making lifetime commitments. In a country as diverse as ours, good people who have opposing views should be able to live side by side. It is now crucial that as a country we protect religious freedom and the right of conscience and also not discriminate.
Learn more about how other GOP presidential candidates are reacting to the court’s decision here.
The post Some areas resist issuing marriage licenses following court’s decision appeared first on PBS NewsHour.
Friday, June 26, 2015
Miss Universe Contract Dispute: Univision Angered by Trump Comments
Many politicians have strong feelings about undocumented immigrants coming to the United States. However, Donald Trump took things too far, and now it's backfiring on him. Mexican language television company Univision announced that it has cut all ties with...
Raw video: 7-alarm fire burns abandoned mill & homes in Massachusetts
NECN:
Two firefighters were injured fighting a massive 7-alarm fire at the Anglo Mill Complex in Webster, Massachusetts, on Thursday afternoon.
The fire tore through the abandoned mills at 103 N. Main St. and spread to some nearby homes, fire officials confirmed.
Webster Fire Chief Brian Hickey said two firefighters were taken to the hospital. One had a high fever and the other was suffering chest pains.
Webster Fire Chief Brian Hickey said the vacant mill was “on my radar” and was slated for demolition soon. Three buildings are on fire. There was never a chance for an interior attack, it was all “defensive mode” keeping firefighters outside and battling the blaze using master streams from ladder and tower trucks.
The fire sent embers blowing all around town and started several small fires. Some homes nearby were evacuated after embers burned the roofs.
Video from #Webster fire. Engines from Upton Douglas and Grafton on this side. pic.twitter.com/bhL1UQ9yj8
— Brad Petrishen (@BPetrishenTG) June 25, 2015
Fire in #Webster, D7 Strike Teams have been activated @auburnmassfire on scene with other companies from the district pic.twitter.com/AjoylW5bNf
— Auburn Fire Rescue (@auburnmassfire) June 25, 2015
Webster MA – fire chief Brian Hickey tells us firefighters never got inside burning mill. “It was all defensive ops.” pic.twitter.com/yZaM2Duoel
— Kim Ring (@KimRingTG) June 25, 2015
Raging fire in Websterz pic.twitter.com/BZ6NsTKRfb
— Christine Peterson (@ChrisPetersonTG) June 25, 2015
Webster Fire. pic.twitter.com/nL2njPZJP5
— Christine Peterson (@ChrisPetersonTG) June 25, 2015
Webster Fire. @telegramdotcom pic.twitter.com/T8R0aRhsYl
— Christine Peterson (@ChrisPetersonTG) June 25, 2015
The back side of the building collapsed. pic.twitter.com/dUUMw2SstE
— Christine Peterson (@ChrisPetersonTG) June 25, 2015
Pope Francis addresses marriage, says separation is sometimes ‘morally necessary’
The Pope recently said that marital separation can be “inevitable.” Photo by Max Rossi/Reuters
Speaking to the masses in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis articulated a more accepting tone toward marital rifts.
“There are cases in which separation is inevitable,” Francis said. “Sometimes, it can even be morally necessary.”
Francis emphasized that marriages involving abuse, exploitation and neglect were clear reasons to separate.
Still, he tempered his comments by saying the separation of couples created “so called irregular families, even if I don’t like this word,” but also said it could help children “avoid becoming hostages of daddy or mommy.”
Last year, Francis echoed similar reformist comments on gay marriage, saying he would tolerate some same-sex civil unions, though not marriage.
In both areas, he emphasized individual circumstances rather than advocating for systemic alterations in the Catholic Church.
“A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. I replied with another question. ‘Tell me: when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’ We must always consider the person.”
As of now, the church states that divorced members must obtain an annulment, a formal declaration that a marriage was never valid since the Church does not recognize “civil” divorces. This process can take anywhere from 12 to 18 months. The Pope’s comments come ahead of the upcoming bishop’s conference in Rome where they will discuss issues affecting the church, such as the annulment process for ending marriages.
However, the Vatican released a working paper earlier this week which suggested that no such changes are planned on being implemented.
The post Pope Francis addresses marriage, says separation is sometimes ‘morally necessary’ appeared first on PBS NewsHour.
3 Legal Questions Every Small Business Owner Should Ask
Do you have a small business lawyer? If no, why not? When there are countless rules, regulations, and laws governing the operations of a business, small business owners can't afford to ignore the legal aspects of running a business....
St. Louis Fire Department ambulance struck by bullet
The crew on the St. Louis Fire Department ambulance heard what they thought were either gunshots or fireworks Tuesday night as they drove in the 5900 block of Romaine in North St. Louis. They discovered this morning that it wasn’t fireworks.
Click here if the video above fails to play
The emergency crew contacted police to report the shots at approximately 11:45 p.m., but no victims or suspects were located.
On Wednesday morning, the crew discovered the ambulance they were in Tuesday night had ballistic damage, according to police.
Federal college ratings plan fizzles
The Department of Education . Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
The Obama administration is backing off plans to sort the country’s college and universities into categories based on how data like student debt load, graduation rates and graduate earnings, according to Inside Higher Ed and the Chronicle of Higher Education.
The Department of Education has been working to develop a system to rate colleges since 2013, when President Obama announced his plan to create a system that would let students and their families compare schools across the country based on cost, student outcomes and other factors.
Most college and university leaders were never enthusiastic about the plan.
Instead of labeling schools as high or low performing, the Department of Education announced in a blog post today that it will release new, online tools this summer students and families can use to compare schools and “reach their own conclusions about a college’s value.”
The department hasn’t announced what information will be part of those tools except to say that some of the data has not been available publicly before.
PBS NewsHour coverage of higher education is supported by the Lumina Foundation and American Graduate: Let’s Make it Happen, a public media initiative made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
The post Federal college ratings plan fizzles appeared first on PBS NewsHour.
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Gableman hopes to reel Rindfleisch (and Scott Walker’s secrets) back to Wisconsin
Dear Readers: We have some John Doe II news to talk about. I’m not absolutely positive what’s up – but I have some strong suspicions, which I will go into. Whatever’s going down, the timing of this could not be more threatening to Scott Walker’s impending presidential campaign. First you need to know that the more »
Sightseeing Plane Crashes In Alaska, Killing All 9 On Board, Authorities Say
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Authorities say all nine people aboard a sightseeing airplane died when it crashed Thursday in southeast Alaska.
Clint Johnson, head of the National Transportation Safety Board's Alaska office, confirmed weather is preventing the recovery of bodies Thursday evening off a cliff about 20 miles northeast of Ketchikan.
Attempts to recover the bodies will resume Friday.
The plane was carrying eight cruise ship passengers and a pilot. It went missing Thursday afternoon and was crashed against the granite rock face of a southeast Alaska cliff.
Clint Johnson, head of the National Transportation Safety Board's Alaska office, confirmed weather is preventing the recovery of bodies Thursday evening off a cliff about 20 miles northeast of Ketchikan.
Attempts to recover the bodies will resume Friday.
The plane was carrying eight cruise ship passengers and a pilot. It went missing Thursday afternoon and was crashed against the granite rock face of a southeast Alaska cliff.
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Watch Obama Discuss Climate Change With Naturalist Sir David Attenborough
President Barack Obama is a major fan of Sir David Attenborough, the celebrated British naturalist and TV host who has created and narrated numerous science and nature documentaries for the BBC.
According to The Guardian, Obama invited Attenborough to the White House in May to celebrate Attenborough's 89th birthday. While there, the two taped an interview, in which Obama turned the tables and interviewed Attenborough, telling him that he grew up watching Attenborough's programs.
"I’ve been a huge admirer of your work for a very long time," Obama told Attenborough. "You’ve been a great educator as well as a great naturalist.”
The two discussed climate change, and Obama lamented what he sees as slow progress toward combating the issue.
“We’re not moving as fast as we need to, and part of what I know from watching your programs, and all the great work you’ve done, is that these ecosystems are all interconnected," Obama said. "If just one country is doing the right thing, but other countries are not, then we’re not going to solve the problem. We’re going to have to have a global solution to this."
Obama asked Attenborough what he thinks needs to be done in the fight against climate change.
“If we find ways of generating and storing power from renewable resources, we will make the problem with oil and coal disappear because economically, we’ll wish to use these other methods," Attenborough said. "If we do that, a huge step will be taken in solving the problems of the Earth. I think what’s required is an understanding and a gut feeling that the natural world is part of your inheritance. This is the only planet we’ve got and we’ve got to protect it. And people do feel that, deeply and instinctively, it is after all where you go in moments of celebration and in moments of grief.”
Obama also discussed during the interview how growing up in Hawaii and Indonesia gave him a greater appreciation of the environment.
Attenborough, a Cambridge-educated naturalist, has been creating and hosting science and nature-related programming since 1954. His shows have won numerous awards, and he has become a vocal environmentalist. He is known for his distinctive voice as a narrator.
The Guardian reported that despite his long career, Attenborough had never visited the White House, and he said Obama's invitation was "a considerable surprise." The interview will air simultaneously on BBC 1 in the United Kingdom and BBC America in the United States on Sunday.
This is not the first time Obama has turned the tables on a notable television figure he admires. In March, he interviewed David Simon, creator of HBO's "The Wire," about criminal justice reform, and told Simon that "The Wire" is his favorite TV show.
Watch a clip of Obama's interview with Attenborough above.
According to The Guardian, Obama invited Attenborough to the White House in May to celebrate Attenborough's 89th birthday. While there, the two taped an interview, in which Obama turned the tables and interviewed Attenborough, telling him that he grew up watching Attenborough's programs.
"I’ve been a huge admirer of your work for a very long time," Obama told Attenborough. "You’ve been a great educator as well as a great naturalist.”
The two discussed climate change, and Obama lamented what he sees as slow progress toward combating the issue.
“We’re not moving as fast as we need to, and part of what I know from watching your programs, and all the great work you’ve done, is that these ecosystems are all interconnected," Obama said. "If just one country is doing the right thing, but other countries are not, then we’re not going to solve the problem. We’re going to have to have a global solution to this."
Obama asked Attenborough what he thinks needs to be done in the fight against climate change.
“If we find ways of generating and storing power from renewable resources, we will make the problem with oil and coal disappear because economically, we’ll wish to use these other methods," Attenborough said. "If we do that, a huge step will be taken in solving the problems of the Earth. I think what’s required is an understanding and a gut feeling that the natural world is part of your inheritance. This is the only planet we’ve got and we’ve got to protect it. And people do feel that, deeply and instinctively, it is after all where you go in moments of celebration and in moments of grief.”
Obama also discussed during the interview how growing up in Hawaii and Indonesia gave him a greater appreciation of the environment.
Attenborough, a Cambridge-educated naturalist, has been creating and hosting science and nature-related programming since 1954. His shows have won numerous awards, and he has become a vocal environmentalist. He is known for his distinctive voice as a narrator.
The Guardian reported that despite his long career, Attenborough had never visited the White House, and he said Obama's invitation was "a considerable surprise." The interview will air simultaneously on BBC 1 in the United Kingdom and BBC America in the United States on Sunday.
This is not the first time Obama has turned the tables on a notable television figure he admires. In March, he interviewed David Simon, creator of HBO's "The Wire," about criminal justice reform, and told Simon that "The Wire" is his favorite TV show.
Watch a clip of Obama's interview with Attenborough above.
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How to Deal With Suspected Shoplifters (Legally)
I'm sure there are a million things you'd like to do to a shoplifter in your store. That's your merchandise (and hard earned revenue) walking out the door. But you don't want to get in trouble yourself, right? So...
Tax Subsidies for All: SCOTUS Rules in Favor of Obamacare
Obamacare lives to fight another day! The health care law, more formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), withstood yet another attempt to negate it today after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the...
Some Republicans Compare Taking Down Confederate Symbols To ISIS Destroying Cultural Monuments
Republicans opposed to removing the Confederate flag and other Confederate symbols in the South are falsely equating it to ISIS demolishing cultural artifacts in Iraq and Syria.
In Tennessee, Democratic lawmakers are advocating renaming Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park, named after the first head of the Ku Klux Klan. But Republican state Sen. John Stevens, who represents the district where the park is located, told a local newspaper that the renaming efforts were similar to ISIS's destruction.
"What separates us from ISIS? Because that's what they do, they go around and tear down history in those nations that they've conquered," Stevens said. "If that's what America is about now, then it concerns me."
ISIS, the so-called Islamic State, has destroyed major cultural artifacts in Iraq and Syria and has looted and bulldozed museums where these artifacts are housed. Some of the sites are among the world's oldest cities, dating back 3,000 years.
But the artifacts being destroyed by ISIS are historically and archeologically important treasures, not offensive symbols of white supremacy lacking any historical significance.
Stevens is not opposed to renaming the park, but said that "it's a slippery slope when you start changing names and taking down statues."
He is not the only one attempting to connect ISIS with the controversy over Confederate markers in the South. Later Wednesday, right-wing radio host Todd Starnes claimed that removing the Confederate flag from public places and products amounted to "cultural cleansing."
"You know who else has been doing some cultural cleansing these days? These guys, the Islamic State — bulldozing their way through history, turning Iraq's heritage into rubble," Starnes said.
Starnes added that he thought the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin "would be bursting with pride."
In Tennessee, Democratic lawmakers are advocating renaming Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park, named after the first head of the Ku Klux Klan. But Republican state Sen. John Stevens, who represents the district where the park is located, told a local newspaper that the renaming efforts were similar to ISIS's destruction.
"What separates us from ISIS? Because that's what they do, they go around and tear down history in those nations that they've conquered," Stevens said. "If that's what America is about now, then it concerns me."
ISIS, the so-called Islamic State, has destroyed major cultural artifacts in Iraq and Syria and has looted and bulldozed museums where these artifacts are housed. Some of the sites are among the world's oldest cities, dating back 3,000 years.
But the artifacts being destroyed by ISIS are historically and archeologically important treasures, not offensive symbols of white supremacy lacking any historical significance.
Stevens is not opposed to renaming the park, but said that "it's a slippery slope when you start changing names and taking down statues."
He is not the only one attempting to connect ISIS with the controversy over Confederate markers in the South. Later Wednesday, right-wing radio host Todd Starnes claimed that removing the Confederate flag from public places and products amounted to "cultural cleansing."
"You know who else has been doing some cultural cleansing these days? These guys, the Islamic State — bulldozing their way through history, turning Iraq's heritage into rubble," Starnes said.
Starnes added that he thought the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin "would be bursting with pride."
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Must see: Motorcycle crashes head on into fire truck
Jesse Lopez’s GoPro captured what could easily been the end of Lopez’s life. But it wasn’t. Now Lopez is sharing the video of his April 1 collision with a truck from the Los Angeles County Fire Department that occurred in the Angeles National Forest.
In Jesse Lopez’s raw video above the collision occurs around 2:35. Lopez’s friend picks up the camera around 11:10 and you can see firefighters working on Jesse Lopez.
GoPro video shows 24-year-old Jesse Lopez racing up Glendora Ridge Road on April 1 with another biker, when he came to a blind curve and crashed into the firetruck. His GoPro camera went flying off his helmet and captured him laying on the ground as it flew in the air.
Lopez’s friend picked up the camera, nervously pacing as crew members rushed to help Lopez, who suffered two compound fractures in his left leg and a severely broken arm. He was later airlifted to a trauma center.
He wants to share the video in hopes of saving other riders from his life-changing lesson.
Protest Again Delays Hawaii Giant Telescope Construction
Work on the controversial Thirty Meter Telescope on the Big Island of Hawaii was delayed again Wednesday after construction vehicles were blocked by hundreds of protesters, who say the giant telescope is being built on land sacred to Native Hawaiians.
Protesters pushed boulders into the road to the construction site atop Mauna Kea and stood in the way of vehicles, forcing construction crews to retreat and cancel work for the day.Ten people were arrested.
Work on what will be among the world's largest telescopes had been set to resume Wednesday after April protests led Gov. David Ige (D) called for a "timeout" on construction so that developers and protesters could discuss stewardship of the mountain. Ige has since announced his support for the project's legality.
The telescope debate has been emotional for both sides.
A state Department of Land and Natural Resources agent addressed protesters Wednesday with tears in his eyes. He apologized to the crowd, clearly familiar with him, saying, "You may not accept it, but I got to do my job." He then told them, "Our number one thing right now is public safety. We're not going up." He was met by cheers of "mahalo" (thank you) and hugs.
According to Hawaii News Now, protesters moved large rocks into the road to block the construction vehicles on Wednesday. West Hawaii Today reports that the construction vehicles, which were being escorted by police, "were stopped repeatedly by more than 300 protesters who set up about two dozen 'lines of defense' across the Mauna Kea access road."
Many Native Hawaiians believe Mauna Kea is where the Hawaiian islands originated, making it sacred land. They refer to themselves as "protectors" of the mountain, rather than protesters.
Story continues below...
Protesters were prepared for the confrontation. Kahookahi Kanuha, one of those arrested, told The Associated Press earlier in the day, "We're bracing ourselves mentally, spiritually for the battle ahead. I don't mean a physical battle. It's brain against brain."
Story continues below...
Once complete, the $1.4 billion project will be one of the world's largest telescopes. Scientists say that such a powerful telescope ideally located on Mauna Kea's summit will allow astronomers to see "forming galaxies at the very edge of the observable Universe, near the beginning of time," according to the TMT website.
An artist's rendering of TMT.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Protesters pushed boulders into the road to the construction site atop Mauna Kea and stood in the way of vehicles, forcing construction crews to retreat and cancel work for the day.Ten people were arrested.
Work on what will be among the world's largest telescopes had been set to resume Wednesday after April protests led Gov. David Ige (D) called for a "timeout" on construction so that developers and protesters could discuss stewardship of the mountain. Ige has since announced his support for the project's legality.
#BREAKINGNEWS: Hawaii DLNR (Department of Land and Natural Resources) agents just informed the hundreds of protestors who have gathered to prevent the Thirty Meter Telescope construction, that officers & TMT workers will be turning around and no longer asking anyone to leave or make any further arrests. More than 700 people gathered to stand in what they say is protection of a sacred Native Hawaiian space. Seven hours after protestors began lining up to prevent construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on the on the summit of Mauna Kea, only 10 people have been arrested and the TMT crew only made it about 1.5 miles up the road. More details tonight on Hawaii News Now Developing details: http://bit.ly/1Ie7Tcn#HawaiiNewsNow #HINews #BehindTheScenes #WeAreYourSource
Posted by Mileka Lincoln on Wednesday, June 24, 2015
The telescope debate has been emotional for both sides.
A state Department of Land and Natural Resources agent addressed protesters Wednesday with tears in his eyes. He apologized to the crowd, clearly familiar with him, saying, "You may not accept it, but I got to do my job." He then told them, "Our number one thing right now is public safety. We're not going up." He was met by cheers of "mahalo" (thank you) and hugs.
According to Hawaii News Now, protesters moved large rocks into the road to block the construction vehicles on Wednesday. West Hawaii Today reports that the construction vehicles, which were being escorted by police, "were stopped repeatedly by more than 300 protesters who set up about two dozen 'lines of defense' across the Mauna Kea access road."
Many Native Hawaiians believe Mauna Kea is where the Hawaiian islands originated, making it sacred land. They refer to themselves as "protectors" of the mountain, rather than protesters.
Story continues below...
Protesters were prepared for the confrontation. Kahookahi Kanuha, one of those arrested, told The Associated Press earlier in the day, "We're bracing ourselves mentally, spiritually for the battle ahead. I don't mean a physical battle. It's brain against brain."
Story continues below...
#BREAKING: First arrest on Mauna Kea as hundreds of protestors try to block TMT construction crews access #HINews pic.twitter.com/55cMn4akOW
— Mileka Lincoln (@MilekaLincoln) June 24, 2015Once complete, the $1.4 billion project will be one of the world's largest telescopes. Scientists say that such a powerful telescope ideally located on Mauna Kea's summit will allow astronomers to see "forming galaxies at the very edge of the observable Universe, near the beginning of time," according to the TMT website.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
A New Kind Of Mobility
“It’s critical that people with disabilities have access to opportunities in the digital economy. Uber is opening doors for people with disabilities to earn a living with a completely flexible schedule.”
Tony Coelho, former U.S. congressman and primary sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Meet Gabriel
Gabriel, an Austin resident and Uber partner, likes to dream big. He works full-time as a bookkeeper for a national student housing company, and like most Uber partners, he uses the platform when he needs or wants to make some extra cash. But unlike most partners, Gabriel has had to overcome some very serious mobility challenges of his own, ever since an accident left him without the use of his legs.
Gabriel drives a modified Cadillac Escalade with an electric lift that enables him to access the driver’s seat and store his wheelchair. He even had his car retrofitted so it is compatible for a rider in a wheelchair.
For Gabriel, being in his car gives him a sense of freedom. Beyond using Uber as a flexible earning opportunity, he feels that by giving people a safe ride home, he is making a meaningful contribution to his community.
Learn more about Gabriel’s experience in our interview with him.
Meet Luigi
Luigi, a Connecticut uberX partner hailing from Italy, first learned about Uber from his teenage son. Looking to make some extra income while managing his jewelry business, Luigi started driving with Uber half a year ago.
Remarkably, it was only four years ago that Luigi wasn’t able to drive at all. A skiing accident left him with no use of his legs and limited upper body mobility. After deciding he wanted to start driving again, Luigi opted for a modified vehicle equipped with the appropriate ramp and steering capabilities.
Now, Luigi drives with Uber on the weekends in Fairfield County, CT. He loves getting out of the house, exploring new neighborhoods, and meeting his passengers.
Learn more about Luigi’s experience on the platform.
Meet Bob
Bob is a Vietnam veteran and Ohio native who moved recently with his wife to North Carolina to escape the chilly Midwest winters.
Like too many veterans with mobility restrictions, Bob struggled to find employment. When Bob first discovered Uber, he was excited to hear that he was able to drive on the platform with his modified vehicle. This July will mark one year since Bob has been on the platform. He drives almost every day, and on weekend nights. After moving to Charlotte, Bob didn’t have many connections to the community, but Uber has enabled him to get out and about and meet people in the Charlotte area.
In Bob’s own words, “Uber is a way for a lot of vets to get out — especially disabled vets — who are stuck at home trying to find something to do. It’s a good way to try to break down the barriers that are still left for people with disabilities.”
Learn more about Bob’s experience driving with Uber.
Opportunities for People with Disabilities
Bob, Luigi, and Gabriel have all been able to overcome the adversity faced by people with disabilities in the job marketplace. But there are still significant barriers to earning a stable income for most people with a disability — especially among those with limited mobility.
Unemployment rates for this community are astronomically high. Last month, unemployment for people with disabilities in the United States was twice as high as the unemployment rate for the nondisabled workforce. Just 17.4% of working-age wheelchair users have a job.
Ridesharing technology, coupled with the access provided by modified vehicles, presents a possibility to help change the status quo, which has failed to create gainful employment options for people with disabilities.
Gabriel, Luigi, and Bob are a testament to this change. The supplemental income and flexible schedules that are the hallmarks of the Uber platform are helping them do the things that matter most: Bob is building his network and community in a new home, Gabriel has the chance to play with his wheelchair rugby team, and Luigi is spending more time with his son. And instead of being limited by what makes them unique, all three are redefining mobility — for themselves and their communities.
Have a modified vehicle, or know someone who does?
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