Author Topic: In The News  (Read 75995 times)

Gregzs

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Re: In The News
« Reply #25 on: March 23, 2014, 04:23:20 PM »
http://www.today.com/moms/mom-insane-pumping-skills-sets-guinness-record-breast-milk-donation-2D79408678?__source=xfinity|mod&par=xfinity

Mom with 'insane' pumping skills sets Guinness record for breast milk donation

Amelia Boomker is a mom of four who has nourished thousands of children, even as she had trouble breast-feeding her own.

Boomker has just set the Guinness World Record for breast milk donation by giving 16,321 fluid ounces of milk, more than 127 gallons, to the Indiana Mothers' Milk Bank in Indianapolis between 2008 and 2013.

That’s the breast milk equivalent of 816 Venti lattes at Starbucks or 241 2-liter bottles of Coke, the milk bank has calculated, calling it a rare feat.

Boomker, who lives in Bolingbrook, Ill., said she’s proud she’s been able produce plenty of milk for her kids, and have plenty to share.

“We joke that there was probably a wet nurse somewhere in the family tree,” Boomker, 36, told TODAY Moms.

“I hope that the record continues to get beaten because frankly that means much more milk is getting donated.”

She’s actually broken that record already – unofficially – since she previously donated 7,000 ounces to another milk bank, though that donation wasn’t documented.

For all of that abundance, Boomker was never able to successfully breast-feed her own four boys. Her oldest son Danny was born with a heart condition nine years ago and had to be tube-fed, so she spent lots of time in the hospital’s lactation room to provide milk.

Liam, 6, had a high palate and couldn’t latch. Ryan, 4, never took to breastfeeding, while Connor, who is 18 months old, was only able to do it for a few weeks.

Boomker pumped after each pregnancy to ensure the boys were fed with her breast milk and she donated any excess. She’s planned her life around pumping and said consistency is the key to keep her supply up.

Experts are in awe. The Indiana Mothers' Milk Bank approves some 500 moms for donation each year and only about 1 percent of them are as skilled as Boomker, said spokeswoman Carissa Hawkins.

“Our goal is for our moms to be pumping in a healthy manner. So it’s not as though we encourage moms to pump an excess amount of milk to go for something like the world record,” Hawkins noted.

“It just so happens that Amelia — she has some pumping skills… it’s just insane.”

Indiana Mothers’ Milk Bank provides pasteurized donor human milk by prescription or physician order to hospitals throughout the Midwest, with priority given to premature and ill infants in neonatal intensive care units. The milk is processed and dispensed according to guidelines established by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America.

Boomker’s collective donation translates into 4,000 milk bottles, helping save lives and feeding thousands of children, Hawkins said.

Meanwhile, Boomker — who is an IT professional — credits her employer’s flexibility and understanding for the continued donations. She’s been able to work while pumping in a lactation room, she said, and continues to express milk three times a day for her youngest son.

The previous Guinness World Record holders for breast milk donation were Karen Merheb of Dallas, Texas, who gave more than 14,200 ounces and Alicia Richman of Granbury, Texas, who donated 11,115 ounces.

Gregzs

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Re: In The News
« Reply #26 on: March 25, 2014, 11:34:44 AM »
http://laughingsquid.com/an-incredible-point-of-view-video-of-a-base-jump-from-one-world-trade-center-at-3am/

On September 30, 2013, three men — now identified as James Brady, Andrew Rossig, and Marco Markovich — climbed to the top of One World Trade Center and performed a BASE jump from it at 3:00 AM. In this video recorded by Brady’s helmet camera during the act, he watches as one of his fellow jumpers takes the leap, and then jumps himself before quickly opening his parachute to land safely on the street below. The group, including lookout Kyle Hartwell, surrendered to authorities on March 24th, 2014.

NYC Freedom Tower B.A.S.E. Jump


Gregzs

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Re: In The News
« Reply #27 on: April 02, 2014, 02:16:15 PM »
http://foxnewsinsider.com/2014/04/02/pennsylvania-tree-cutter-survives-after-chain-saw-gets-stuck-his-neck

PA Tree Cutter Survives After Chain Saw Gets Stuck in His Neck

As Martha MacCallum said this morning: Angels must have been watching over this Pennsylvania man. In a horrifying accident, a tree cutter was rushed to the hospital after his chain saw became embedded in his neck.

According to AP, 21-year-old James Valentine was in a harness working in a tree when his saw slipped and struck him.

As you can see in the X-ray above, the saw was lodged in Valentine's chest and neck when he arrived at the hospital. He underwent emergency surgery and is now recovering.

Doctors said the blade struck mostly muscle, missing Valentine's major arteries. Police said Valentine is lucky that his co-workers reacted as quickly as they did.

Watch the segment from America's Newsroom above.

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Re: In The News
« Reply #28 on: April 11, 2014, 03:21:42 PM »
http://guyism.com/weird-news/angelina-jolie-lookalike-knifepoint.html

Woman claiming to look like Angelina Jolie forces cabbie to have sex at knifepoint

A woman claiming to look like Angelina Jolie is being charged with forcing a cabbie to have sex with her at knife point.

Luminita Perijoc, 31, reportedly pounced on Nicolae Stan after he delivered wine to her apartment in Tulcea, eastern Romania, back in 2012. She forced the guy to go down on her and then got pissed that his sexual prowess wasn’t that of a porn star.


The woman pulled a 4-inch blade on the shocked cabbie and forced him to undress. He then performed oral sex and had intercourse with Perijoc at knife point. Things turned foul for Stan when he was unable to perform a third time. Perijoc took her knife and stabbed the taxi driver six times before he managed to escape and lock himself in the bedroom.

A third time! I’m not sure what’s more unfair — the fact she wanted him to go three times or that she’s passing herself off as an Angelina lookalike.

A Romanian court found her guilty this week. They tossed her a four-year suspended sentence. She claimed in court that she’d been taking strong medication at the time of the attack.

Stan feels she got off easy. In an interview with a Romanian news agency Stan said he had “been given a life sentence because of the teasing he’s endured since the attack.

“It is terrible. I am now a local celebrity, everyone is talking about me. They don’t understand why I refused her, but they do not know what it is like to have a mad woman yelling at you at knife point.”

Noted.

Gregzs

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Re: In The News
« Reply #29 on: April 14, 2014, 02:34:02 PM »
http://foxnewsinsider.com/2014/04/14/utah-woman-megan-huntsman-arrested-after-bodies-7-babies-were-found-garage

Utah Woman Arrested After Bodies of 7 Babies Were Found in Garage

A Utah neighborhood was left in shock this weekend after the arrest of a woman who police say had the remains of seven dead babies at the home where she used to live. The gruesome discovery was made by 39-year-old Megan Huntsman's ex-husband.

Neighbors were at a loss after hearing of Huntsman's arrest, with one woman saying she "loved" the family and believed them to be good people.

Investigators believe that Megan Huntsman, 39, who lived in the Pleasant Grove home until 2011, gave birth to the babies before killing them at various times between 1996 and 2006.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported that police were called to the house Saturday by Huntsman's ex-husband, who had discovered the body of a newborn infant who appeared to be at full term. Police obtained a search warrant for the house and discovered the bodies of six more babies packed in boxes in the garage.

Police Capt. Michael Roberts told the paper that investigators are still working on DNA tests, but Huntsman's ex-husband, identified by family and neighbors as Darren West, is believed to be the father of all seven children. The Associated Press reported that West discovered the bodies while cleaning out the garage after recently getting out of prison. Authorities do not believe West was aware of the killings and is not a person of interest at this time.

Roberts said police believe West and Huntsman were together when the babies were born.

"We don't believe he had any knowledge of the situation," Roberts told The Associated Press

Asked how the man could not have known about the situation, Roberts replied, "That's the million-dollar question. Amazing."

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Re: In The News
« Reply #30 on: April 23, 2014, 02:57:12 PM »
http://foxnewsinsider.com/2014/04/22/prep-school-grads-busted-allegedly-running-pa-drug-ring

Prep School Grads Busted for Allegedly Running PA Drug Ring

Prep school grads were arrested in a massive drug ring operation in Pennsylvania. The accused drug dealers supplied marijuana, cocaine and ecstasy to students at three colleges and five high schools in Philadelphia’s affluent Main Line suburbs.

The two suspected ringleaders, 25-year-old Neil Scott and 18-year-old Timothy Brooks, even peddled drugs to their alma mater, Haverford School, an all-boys prep school that costs $35K a year.

Nine "sub-dealers" working for the men at the various schools were also arrested. Each dealer was reportedly told to move at least one pound of marijuana per week. The goal was to create a monopoly on the drugs sold to local schools, police say.

Scott was said to be in charge of getting the drugs from California, while Brooks allegedly oversaw the dealers.

The 18-year-old reportedly told police he got into the drug business because he had trouble finding pot as a student. According to the court affidavit, Scott outlined his business plan for investigators and told them it was successful “because everyone between 15 and 55 loves good weed.”

In one text message conversation, Brooks says, “I’m trying to start a business and learning how to run this.” To which Scott replied, “Just keep finding customers and we’ll both make more than enough money.”

The arrests came after four months of investigation. Police had confidential informants inside all of the schools. In addition to drugs, authorities also discovered guns, ammunition and bags of cash.

District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said in a press conference, “This is a dangerous business. This was not a game. These people were … in business to make money and they were going to do whatever they needed to do to make sure that no one threatened their business.”

Ferman said Scott worked in a medical marijuana dispensary in San Diego after he left college. He later moved back to Pennsylvania and began having drugs mailed to his home in 2013. Brooks’ attorney says he was depressed after leaving college.

Both ringleaders and the dealers are said to be facing significant jail time.

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Re: In The News
« Reply #31 on: May 12, 2014, 10:40:38 PM »
http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelzarrell/coke-turns-terrible-working-conditions-in-the-middle-east-fo?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=BuzzFeed+510&utm_content=BuzzFeed+510+CID_2e5891594202c2e6c66a6ed78bd09945&utm_source=Campaign%20Monitor&utm_term=and%20a%20lot%20of%20people%20are%20angry%20about%20it

Coke Uses Terrible Working Conditions In Dubai For PR Opportunity

In an ad posted by Coca-Cola this week, the company shows how they installed a phone booth in Dubai so that poor South Asian workers could pay for a three-minute international phone call home using Coke bottle caps.

The polarizing ad has caused people to criticize the soft drink company for capitalizing on an area known for terrible working conditions, where men trying to earn a meager wage die in the hundreds.

The men like those shown in the ad are brought into the Middle East in large groups, working in scorching weather in an attempt to earn a higher wage than what they would make at home, and send money back to their families.

The laborers fit into a broader culture of wealthy Gulf Countries importing jobs from Southeast Asia, specifically Filipino women flown in to work as maids, and South Asia, but ultimately often work in conditions that have been described as “21st century slavery,” according to the International Trade Union Confederation.

This isn’t the only intersection with questionable international conditions Coke has attempted this week — another recent project had drones dropping cans of Coke on guest workers at construction sites around Singapore. An ad last month encouraged people in Bangladesh to use coke bottles for an arcade game.

Many commenters on Coke’s phone booth ad are unaware of the human rights issues at play while the company romanticizes the Gulf’s exploited laborers, and are lauding their efforts as admirable.


Gregzs

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Re: In The News
« Reply #32 on: May 16, 2014, 02:04:56 PM »
http://foxnewsinsider.com/2014/05/15/caught-tape-ohio-teacher-barb-williams-grabs-kindergartner-face

CAUGHT ON TAPE: Teacher Grabs Boy By Face, Slams Him Into Wall

An Ohio kindergarten teacher is under investigation after surveillance video showed her violently grabbing a six-year-old boy by the face and slamming him against a wall.

The incident happened months after Ian Nelson's parents had confronted officials at the Riverdale Schools about the teacher, Barb Williams.

“We asked for him to be moved to a different classroom. ... The principal told us at the time that she’s a highly recommended teacher and they are unwilling to transfer him to a different class,” said Anthony Nelson said.

The school superintendent, Eric Hoffman, said he suspended the teacher for 10 days without pay.

“To tell you the truth we haven’t dealt with this much at Riverdale and first of all I apologize to the parents. This should not happen to students,” Hoffman said.

The Nelson family, however, argues that the punishment is not severe enough and police are looking into criminal charges. Williams has reportedly hired an attorney.

Fox News legal analyst Lis Wiehl weighed in on The Real Story and highlighted the fact that corporal punishment is illegal in Ohio.

“You cannot do that if you’re a teacher in that position. It’s breaking the law,” Wiehl said. 

Watch the tape above and hear Wiehl’s full legal analysis, including on why the school chose not to fire Williams after seeing the video.

Gregzs

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Re: In The News
« Reply #33 on: May 22, 2014, 06:58:11 PM »
http://www.nerdist.com/2014/05/new-order-of-marine-creatures-found-masquerading-as-sea-anemones/

New Order of Marine Creatures Found Masquerading as Sea Anemones

When you see this beautiful creature unfurling its six foot-long tentacles near the seabed like ribbons in the current, you’d be forgiven in thinking that it was an extraordinary sea anemone and moving on. You’d miss an entirely new order of animals.

Reporting in PLOS ONE, an international team of researchers has uncovered a new order of Cnidaria—a group that includes coral, sea anemones, and jellyfish—using DNA analysis. Originally, the researchers set out on a four-year study to classify species of sea anemones according to their evolutionary connections. But when the team looked at 112 species’ DNA, it turned out that one wasn’t a sea anemone at all.

Originally discovered in 2006, the species Boloceroides daphneae (pictured above) was classified as one of the largest anemones known. The new genetic evidence instead shifts the creature outside of Actiniaria (where sea anemones are placed) and into the sub-class Hexacorallia, which includes stony corals. Now named Relicanthus daphneae, the creature is the only species in its own order, separate and no longer able to impersonate anemones. (Here’s a chart to get your phylums, classes, and orders straight.)

Moving a creature that basically looks and acts like a sea anemone into a new order may seem pointless, but the re-ordering is actually a big deal.

“The discovery of this new order…is the equivalent to finding the first member of a group like primates or rodents,” said Estefania Rodriguez, an assistant curator in the Museum’s Division of Invertebrate Zoology and the lead author of the new publication in a press release.

Putting Relicanthus daphneae in a new order is like putting a chameleon in the same order as crocodiles or finding the first species of primate, only more difficult. If it’s squishy, round, and has stinging tentacles, it’s probably a sea anemone, right?

Not so fast. Because anemones are very simple creatures, they have been grouped by what they lack, instead of what they share. Anemones don’t have skeletons or build colonies, for example (unlike another order such as corals). While sea anemones and Relicanthus daphneae both lack the same characteristics, Relicanthus daphneae never had the characteristics that sea anemones lost in the first place.

“Putting these animals in the same group would be like classifying worms and snakes together because neither have legs,” said Rodríguez.

When animals adapted to life in the deep sea—animals that are often alien and inaccessible to us—aren’t easily classified based on how they look, we need more sensitive methods. New forms of DNA analysis are making this possible, allowing us to see species on a molecular level. Without these methods, we are bound to group organisms together that don’t belong.

Because what creates branches on the tree of life isn’t something you can always see, who knows how many new species are out there, hiding in plain sight.

Gregzs

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Re: In The News
« Reply #34 on: May 27, 2014, 08:19:12 PM »
http://news.yahoo.com/red-sox-broadcasters-son-pleads-guilty-murder-142710031.html?soc_src=mediacontentstory

Red Sox broadcaster's son pleads guilty to murder

WOBURN, Mass. (AP) — The son of longtime Boston Red Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy pleaded guilty Tuesday to first-degree murder for fatally stabbing his girlfriend last year while the couple's 4-year-old daughter screamed and three neighbors tried to stop him.

Jared Remy, 35, was sentenced to a mandatory life without parole for killing Jennifer Martel, 27.

Remy admitted he killed Martel on Aug. 15 at their Waltham apartment and said he wanted to take responsibility for what he had done.

He described himself as "the bad apple" and called Martel "an angel," but also appeared to blame Martel.

"I would like you to know that I always told Jen she could leave, but don't threaten me with my daughter," he read from a hand-written statement. "That night, Jen had a knife in her hand and threatened me with my daughter, so I killed her."

His father, a former Red Sox second baseman who has been a color analyst on team broadcasts on the New England Sports Network since 1988, was not in court. Remy's lawyer, Edward Ryan Jr., said Remy had asked his parents not to attend the hearing.

Remy defended his parents against criticism leveled at them since Martel's killing and a Boston Globe article earlier this year detailed Remy's long criminal record and minimal punishment.

"I would like to say blame me for this and not my family," he said.

Remy said his family members did everything they could to help Martel, whom he said "helped me clean up my act," but ultimately could not cure him of his "love of drugs." Remy was referring to his use of steroids and painkillers, his lawyer said after the hearing.

Remy also said, "If you ask my family, they'd rather have me dead than her."

Remy, a former Red Sox security staffer, was fired by the team in 2008 during a steroid investigation.

"We continue to be heartbroken over Jenn's death. That will never change," Remy's parents, Jerry and Phoebe, said in a statement issued through Ryan.

"No words can express the sorrow we feel for the Martel family," they said. "We are now focusing our attention on our grandchildren and doing what is best for them."

Besides the murder charge, Jared Remy pleaded guilty to assault and battery and violating a restraining order. He also pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon for lunging at a man who tried to help Martel as Remy was stabbing her.

Assistant District Attorney Lisa McGovern said the attack came minutes after Martel changed her status on Facebook to read "in a complicated relationship." She said it is unclear whether Remy saw her posting but, shortly afterward, a neighbor heard the couple's young daughter scream.

The neighbor said she saw Martel crawling on the patio outside their apartment, with Remy behind her, and heard her say, "Help me, please help me," McGovern said. Three neighbors tried to stop him, but he fended them off, the prosecutor said.

Remy stabbed Martel in the throat, legs, arms and torso, and punched her in the face, McGovern said.

Martel's parents, who attended the hearing, said in a statement read by an attorney that they hope to help others recognize the signs of domestic violence. They said Remy would call Martel repeatedly in what they now see was "more like an obsession than love."

The family also asked for privacy for themselves and the Remy family.

"Together we will do our best to raise our granddaughter as her mother would have raised her," they said in a statement read by a family spokeswoman. Martel's brother and sister-in-law are raising the girl.

Remy was initially arrested Aug. 13 after he allegedly pushed Martel into a mirror. He was released on his own recognizance and stabbed Martel on Aug. 15.

The case prompted questions about whether Remy's violent history had been overlooked by the criminal justice system. It led state lawmakers to propose an overhaul of the state's domestic violence laws, including new bail guidelines and tougher penalties for abusers.

Also, an independent review criticized prosecutors' handling of abuse allegations against Remy.

Since Remy has been in jail, he has been accused of attacking another inmate, throwing hot coffee in his face, hitting him with a plastic chair and punching him.

Gregzs

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Re: In The News
« Reply #35 on: May 28, 2014, 11:12:59 AM »
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Buzzsaw-Hits-Pedestrian-Midtown-Manhattan-Hells-Kitchen-260821381.html?partner=xfinity1

Pedestrian Hit by Flying Buzzsaw in Midtown Manhattan

A woman walking past a crew tearing up a Manhattan street was struck by a flying buzzsaw Tuesday, police said.

The construction company, which was doing work for the city, was tearing up the roadway to fix a water main at 48th Street and Ninth Avenue when the saw flew into the air.

Matthew Bisi was walking by when the 3-foot blade "came shooting down the sidewalk."

"I was on the right side of the sidewalk, suddenly everyone started yelling 'Get down! Move!'" he said. "It was just like crazy chaos. People screaming, all the construction workers."

"I just turned, kinda ducked, put my head down," he said. "Thing came flying right by my head, missed me by that much. You could hear it coming and it went right by me," he said.

Another witness, Sean Kuilan, also recalled the sound of the blade.

"I hear the blade and see the blade literally coming off the machine," he said. "It was huge. It looked like it was from a horror flick. I couldn't believe it."

It traveled about 100 feet before hitting a tree and then sliced into a woman "straight on," according to Bisi.

"It took her right down, gashes on the side of the thigh," he said. "The force of that coming in was pretty hard."

Kuilan said the woman was knocked to the ground screaming. She was taken to Bellevue Hospital with a gash on her leg, police said.

"It was scary," said Bisi. "I'm like twitching now just thinking about it. You don't expect to see that or have that happen to you."

Gregzs

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Re: In The News
« Reply #36 on: June 12, 2014, 09:45:36 PM »
It would probably not have made news if it had been the finger.

http://www.guy-games/

Thailand Protestors Using Salute from THE HUNGER GAMES

If you’ve seen The Hunger Games, you’re familiar with the three fingered salute from District 12. The gesture appeared in the story by Suzanne Collins in the first book and film after Katniss Everdeen volunteers as tribute for the Hunger Games. Katniss explains the meaning of the sign in the book:

“It is an old and rarely used gesture of our district, occasionally seen at funerals. It means thanks, it means admiration, it means goodbye to someone you love.”

The residents of District 12 send Katniss off with that sign and she later performs the salute in front of all of Panem while on screen during the games after another tribute’s death. That moment sparked an uprising in District 11 where the dead tribute, Rue, was from. In Catching Fire (the second book/film) when Katniss and Peeta visited District 11 during their victory tour, the citizens made the sign and the man who did it first was shot.

The sign became associated with rebellion in the series, and now, residents of Thailand are using the gesture as a symbol of peaceful protest against the May 22nd Thai military coup. Time reports that some using the salute have been dragged away by troops which is uncomfortably like the scene in fictional District 11.

In an opinion piece on The Bangkok Post, Atiya Achakulwisut writes that protestors are using the symbol to get the word out: “They are creating signs of resistance which pique people’s interest and look good on Facebook and Instagram. They try to draw attention from members of the press, especially foreign media, so that they an expose the junta as being heavy-handed and totalitarian in its lining up of thousands of armed soldiers to fight small groups of peaceful protesters.”

If the sign from The Hunger Games is indeed being used for that purpose, the protestors are successful. Branding their actions with a recognizable symbol from a popular pop culture franchise is effective, and it just so happens that District 12′s salute is suited for their cause.

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Re: In The News
« Reply #37 on: July 02, 2014, 10:24:24 PM »
http://www.guy-hurricane-warnings-place-along-coast-n147101

As Arthur Grows Stronger, Hurricane Warnings in Place Along Coast
 
As Tropical Storm Arthur steadily moved north along the East Coast Wednesday, gathering strength and nearing hurricane force, several warnings were in place across North Carolina and residents of one barrier island in the Outer Banks were ordered to evacuate. Arthur is expected to become a Category 1 hurricane by Thursday, according to The Weather Channel, and hit the coast the hardest late Thursday into Friday.

Arthur has already registered maximum winds of 70 mph. Hurricane warnings covered four counties: Carteret, Onslow, Dare and Hyde. Dare County emergency officials ordered a mandatory evacuation of Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks scheduled to begin at 5 a.m. Thursday.

"Coastal areas will likely see periods of heavy rains and gusty winds Thursday and Friday," Pamela Walker of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety said in a statement. "Coastal flooding, dangerous rip currents, heavy surf, and moderate beach erosion are also expected."

Late Friday or early Saturday, Arthur is expected to make its closest approach to Massachusetts' Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket Island.

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Re: In The News
« Reply #38 on: July 08, 2014, 08:10:00 PM »
http://foxnewsinsider.com/2014/04/14/utah-woman-megan-huntsman-arrested-after-bodies-7-babies-were-found-garage

Utah Woman Arrested After Bodies of 7 Babies Were Found in Garage

A Utah neighborhood was left in shock this weekend after the arrest of a woman who police say had the remains of seven dead babies at the home where she used to live. The gruesome discovery was made by 39-year-old Megan Huntsman's ex-husband.

Neighbors were at a loss after hearing of Huntsman's arrest, with one woman saying she "loved" the family and believed them to be good people.

Investigators believe that Megan Huntsman, 39, who lived in the Pleasant Grove home until 2011, gave birth to the babies before killing them at various times between 1996 and 2006.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported that police were called to the house Saturday by Huntsman's ex-husband, who had discovered the body of a newborn infant who appeared to be at full term. Police obtained a search warrant for the house and discovered the bodies of six more babies packed in boxes in the garage.

Police Capt. Michael Roberts told the paper that investigators are still working on DNA tests, but Huntsman's ex-husband, identified by family and neighbors as Darren West, is believed to be the father of all seven children. The Associated Press reported that West discovered the bodies while cleaning out the garage after recently getting out of prison. Authorities do not believe West was aware of the killings and is not a person of interest at this time.

Roberts said police believe West and Huntsman were together when the babies were born.

"We don't believe he had any knowledge of the situation," Roberts told The Associated Press

Asked how the man could not have known about the situation, Roberts replied, "That's the million-dollar question. Amazing."

Motive Given to Utah Mom Accused of Killing Six Babies
 
A Utah mother's motive for killing six of her newborns and storing them in a garage was that she was addicted to methamphetamine and other drugs and didn't want to deal with the responsibility, authorities said Tuesday.

Megan Huntsman, 39, was heavily into a meth addiction when she strangled or suffocated the infants from 1996 to 2006, Pleasant Grove Police Capt. Mike Roberts told The Associated Press. She wasn't worried about potential health problems caused by her drug abuse while pregnant, she simply didn't want to care for them, he said.

"It was completely selfish. She was high on drugs and didn't want the babies, or the responsibility," Roberts said. "That was her priority at the time."

Authorities think a seventh baby found in her Pleasant Grover garage was stillborn. Police had previously declined to discuss a motive, which they say was uncovered during interviews with Huntsman. Huntsman is in jail on $6 million bail, charged with six counts of first-degree murder. She is due back in court in Provo on July 21 and has not yet entered a plea. Her lawyer, public defender Anthony Howell, declined comment Tuesday. He said office policy precludes him from discussing open cases.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/motive-given-utah-mom-accused-killing-six-babies-n151216


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Re: In The News
« Reply #39 on: August 23, 2014, 07:14:22 AM »
http://guyism.com/weird-news/man-arrested-after-multiple-jars-of-penises-found-in-his-home.html

Man arrested after multiple jars of penises found in his home

Grab your junk in sympathy pain for this tale of “whoa!”

A 52-year-old Croatian man was arrested last week after authorities found jars of human penises soaking in formaldehyde throughout his apartment.

The man, now nicknamed “the penis collector” because Croatians aren’t stellar at nicknames, works as a registered nurse at a local hospital. The penis collector has no previous criminal record. He’s been described as “a family man” by those who knew him well but a few coworkers claim the man often showed up for shifts drunk.

“On behalf of all employees of the hospital, I have to say that we are very unpleasantly surprised by an event that threw a shadow over this hospital,” a hospital spokesperson said. “Our apologies to families of the deceased.”

And exactly how would those people know they’re loved one is missing a dong?

Authorities aren’t sure how the man got so many penises. I don’t think we care to know anyway.

If you’re interested in seeing a shelf full of dicks in a jar, here’s a photo of the man’s collection.



Gregzs

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Re: In The News
« Reply #40 on: September 28, 2014, 08:01:19 PM »
http://www.history.com/news/amphipolis-tomb-may-belong-to-alexander-the-greats-mother/?cmpid=Social_Facebook_HITH_09272014_1

Amphipolis Tomb May Belong to Alexander the Great’s Mother

Speculation has been running wild in recent weeks over who might be buried in the massive tomb complex currently being excavated at Amphipolis, located in the region of Macedonia in northern Greece. Now, in a breakthrough discovery, archeologists excavating the site have exposed two 7-foot-tall marble statues inside the tomb, guarding the entrance to its main chamber. According to some scholars, the presence of these sculpted female figures, known as caryatids, strongly suggests that the tomb may belong to Olympias, the mother of the great warrior-king Alexander the Great.

The Kasta Hill archeological site at Amphipolis, located some 370 miles north of Athens and 65 miles east of the city of Thessaloniki, is believed to be the largest burial site ever discovered in Greece. Dating to between 325-300 B.C., near the end of the reign of Alexander the Great, the burial mound and tomb complex was partially destroyed during the Roman occupation of Greece, but then appears to have survived without looting for more than 2,000 years.

A team of archeologists led by Katerina Peristeri began work at the site in 2012. Last month, they announced that they had unearthed a 1,600-foot-long marble wall encircling the tomb complex, a size that dwarfs the burial site of Philip II, Alexander’s father, in Vergina. Along with a long vaulted corridor leading to the tomb, the archeologists discovered two headless, wingless sphinxes guarding its entrance. They believe the tomb was originally crowned by a 16-foot-tall marble statue known as the Lion of Amphipolis, which was discovered a few miles away in the bed of the Strymonas River in 1912.

Speculation has been running wild as to the occupant of the tomb, including claims that it might actually be Alexander the Great himself. Archeologists and historians have joined forces in dismissing this possibility, however, as the historical record indicates that Alexander died in Babylon (modern-day Iraq) in 323 B.C. and was most likely buried in Egypt after Ptolemy, one of his former generals, stole the corpse while it was en route to Macedonia. (Alexander’s sarcophagus was later moved from Memphis to Alexandria, the capital of his kingdom, but by the fourth century A.D., its exact location was unknown.)

The discovery of the two caryatids, which virtually mirror one another on either side of a marble doorway, is now fueling claims that the tomb belongs to a prominent female figure from Alexander’s time: specifically, Olympias, Philip II’s wife and the mother of the celebrated warrior-king. Caryatids, a common feature of Greek and Roman architecture, are pillars formed from sculptures of female figures. The ones flanking the entrance in the Amphipolis tomb stand more than seven feet tall, and are clothed in sleeved tunics and thick-soled shoes. Each caryatid has one arm outstretched, as if to block entrance to the tomb’s main chamber.

According to Andrew Chugg, author of “The Quest for the Tomb of Alexander the Great,” the figures may not depict ordinary women, but Klodones, priestesses of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine. As Chugg writes in the Greek Reporter, the ancient Greek historian Plutarch recorded in his “Life of Alexander” that Olympias used to participate in Dionysiac rites and orgies with these Klodones. The baskets on their heads, Chugg recounts, held Olympias’ pet snakes, which would often rear their heads out to scare the men participating in the rites. To further support his argument, Chugg points out that the archeologists excavating at Kasta Hill found a marble block painted with rosettes that resemble those on the coffin of Philip II at Vergina.

Apart from Olympias, the most likely candidate to have been buried in the massive tomb at Amphipolis appears to be Roxana, Alexander the Great’s wife. The Macedonian general Cassander murdered Roxana in 311 B.C., along with her son Alexander IV, his father’s rightful heir to the throne. Other possible candidates include Alexander’s admirals Androsthenes, Laomedon and Nearchus; his generals Hephaestion and Antigonus Monophthalmus; and even Cassander himself. Chugg disagrees with these latter possibilities, arguing that the presence of the caryatids as guardians of the tomb means the occupant could not be male.

The discovery of the caryatids, though suggestive, has done little to end the debate surrounding the true purpose of the Amphipolis site. Olga Palagia, chair of the archaeology department at Athens University, tells Discovery News that caryatids of the style and scale found guarding the tomb were not used until the first century B.C. As such, she believes the burial mound at Amphipolis is “not a Macedonian tomb, because such tombs disappear in the mid-second century B.C. when Macedonia was conquered by the Romans.” In fact, Amphipolis is not far from the site where, in 42 B.C., the forces of Octavian, later known as Augustus, and Mark Antony defeated those of Brutus and Cassius, Julius Caesar’s assassins. The tomb, Palagia argues, could very well hold cremated remains of Roman generals killed in that battle.

Other observers suggest that it could not be a tomb at all, but a cenotaph, a tomblike monument built to commemorate Alexander, even though his body’s final resting place is elsewhere. Meanwhile, the team of archeologists continues their excavations at Amphipolis, hoping that further discoveries will shed more light on the questions that have captivated the world’s attention.

Gregzs

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Re: In The News
« Reply #41 on: October 22, 2014, 08:18:47 PM »
http://insider.foxnews.com/2014/10/22/dc-drivers-getting-thousands-dollars-fines-small-e-zpass-violations

Man Gets $17K E-ZPass Fine for $30 in Missed Tolls and He's Not Alone

E-ZPass is supposed to make life easier for commuters, but that doesn't appear to be the case for some in the D.C. area.

Emily Miller of FOX's WTTG-TV has been reporting extensively on drivers who are being hit with amazingly high fines for much small violations.

Miller reported this morning on "Fox and Friends" on the case of Joe Mischler, who received $17,000 in fines for $36 in missed tolls!

"They don't care," said Mischler, alleging that in his eyes, it's all about "shaking down" ordinary citizens.

Mischler argued that his transponder wasn't being read properly, causing the violations to add up.

Mischler tried to resolve it on his own, but when he was summoned to appear in a Virginia civil court, he contacted WTTG.

The company that manages E-ZPass lanes and violations, Transurban, called the case "rare" and eventually agreed to reduce the fines to a few hundred bucks.

But Miller reports that Mischler's ordeal is not rare at all because when her story aired, she began getting calls from many others who have dealt with similar predicaments.

Elise Pizarro, for example, was facing more than $9,500 in fines for $28 in missed tolls. She says the issue is again related to the E-ZPass transponders failing to read her tag in express lanes.

“This is happening all the time. I'm not the only one it's happening to. Obviously it happened to Joe Mischler. It's happened to other people," she said.

Pizarro accepted an out-of-court settlement with the company, agreeing to pay $2,000 and had to take out a loan on her 401(k) to pay for it.

Transurban maintains the cases are rare and almost all of these cases are resolved before court.

"About 96 percent of our customers are using the Express Lanes and not having issues -- 99.9 percent of them are solving any issues before court,” said a Transurban spokesperson.

But Pizarro notes that 96 percent sounds like a good figure until you realize that about a million drivers use E-ZPass on the D.C. area's 495 express lanes, meaning around 4,000 people could be experiencing these problems.

Watch Miller's full report above, and if this has happened to you, contact "Fox and Friends" at friends@foxnews.com.

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Re: In The News
« Reply #43 on: November 21, 2014, 06:34:56 PM »
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/buffalos-roofs-creak-after-winter-storm-dumps-seven-feet-snow-n252401[/url]

Buffalo's Roofs Creak After Winter Storm Dumps Seven Feet of Snow

welve deaths are now blamed on a massive snowstorm that dumped up to seven feet of snow on western New York, leaving roofs creaking and raising concerns about potential flooding.

The latest victims of the historic storm were two residents of a Cheektowaga nursing home who passed away after they were evacuated because of worries about a sagging roof, NBC News affiliate WGRZ reported.


A second band of lake-effect snow battered cities and towns near Buffalo on Thursday, heaping more misery on people whose cars and even houses were buried. The looming threat of rain and higher temperatures through the weekend could mean melting, which could, in turn, cause floods. The specter of roofs collapsing under the heavy loads was also a worry.

Speaking to Reuters, Erie County Deputy Executive Richard Tobe warned that "there are buildings that are in danger."

The storm had already dumped more snow than many places see in a full season ? even in wintry western New York. Some homes had the equivalent weight of two or three pickup trucks bearing down on their roofs.

"It's getting heavier," Cheektowaga resident Thomas Mudd Jr. told The Associated Press as he spent several hours with his wife shoveling 4 to 5 feet off their roof. "It's supposed to warm up and we're supposed to get rain on the weekend, which will make it even heavier. So I didn't want my roof collapsing."

Because the Buffalo area is so snowy, building codes require homes and businesses to be able to handle up to 50 pounds per square foot on their roofs, which would be about as heavy as a slab of concrete 4 inches thick, structural engineer Mark Bajorek told The Associated Press.


Little or no snow was expected in the area on Friday, and the forecast called for a chance of rain on Saturday and more on Monday along with temperatures approaching 60 degrees.

NBC News meteorologist Bill Karins warned that "rapid snowmelt and localized flooding" was likely in parts of western New York into early next week.

Meanwhile, authorities said Thursday that a 60-year-old man with a history of heart problems had a fatal heart attack while retrieving his snowblower in Cheektowaga and that two other people died outside their homes from apparent exposure to the cold, one in the Erie County town of Boston and the other in Niagara County. The early winter blast had been linked to a total of 10 deaths by early Friday.

States of emergency were in effect for 10 counties.

The storm dumped an estimated 220,000 tons of snow on Ralph Wilson Stadium outside Buffalo, piling it halfway to the crossbar in each end zone and forcing the National Football League to move Sunday's game between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets. The league said Thursday that a new location hadn't yet been determined.


"If you ask me today, right now, my two cents would be it's impractical to do the game because it could jeopardize public safety," Cuomo told reporters. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said he couldn't guarantee that the usual complement of law enforcement officers and emergency vehicles would be available for the game.

The Bills had offered $10 an hour and free tickets to the game to anyone who volunteered to shovel out the stadium.

Gregzs

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Re: In The News
« Reply #44 on: January 03, 2015, 05:27:51 PM »
Which Country Is The Happiest In The World? Hint: It's Not The U.S.

Ever consider packing up and moving to a different country, whether to get away from it all or simply to try something new? If so, you may want to seriously consider Costa Rica as your getaway destination. MoveHub recently used the Happy Planet Index (HPI) to create maps charting the level of contentment in various countries around the world, and according to the data, Costa Rica is officially the happiest country on Earth.

As MoveHub explains, the maps were created using the latest statistics from HPI, a global measure of sustainable well-being that advocates the premise that happiness is not about wealth, but about “living long lives with a high experience of well-being within the environmental limits of the planet.” As reflected in the maps, the countries are ranked by their overall index scores, which are factored from three main components: life expectancy, experienced well-being, and ecological footprint.

Based on that method, Costa Rica has been named the happiest country with an index score of 64.6, followed by Vietnam (64.0), Colombia (59.8), and Belize (59.3). On the lower end of the spectrum are several African nations, like Botswana (22.6), Chad (24.7), and Central African Republic (25.3), as well as several places in Asia and the Middle East, including Qatar (25.2), Mongolia (26.8), and Kuwait (27.1).

Where does the U.S. fall on the list? Per MoveHub, it ranks as the 105th happiest country in the world, with an index score of 37.3 — significantly lower than neighboring Canada (43.6) and Mexico (52.9).

An interesting map from MoveHub reveals how happy people are around the world.

http://www.bustle.com/articles/50585-which-country-is-the-happiest-in-the-world-hint-its-not-the-us?utm_source=FBTraffic&utm_medium=fijifrost&utm_campaign=CMfacebook

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Re: In The News
« Reply #45 on: January 07, 2015, 09:36:36 PM »
http://laughingsquid.com/state-of-california-begins-construction-of-a-high-speed-rail-system-that-will-link-los-angeles-and-san-francisco/

State of California Begins Construction of a High-Speed Rail System That Will Link Los Angeles and San Francisco

Tuesday marked the official groundbreaking of California’s high-speed rail, a $68 billion project to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco with passenger trains capable of traveling at 200 MPH. Supporters of the system say the electric trains, powered by renewable energy, will provide a greener alternative to road and air travel. The trains, managed by the California High-Speed Rail Authority, are also expected to cut transit time on the 520-mile trip between downtown Los Angeles and downtown San Francisco to three hours. Present-day rail service takes 11 to 19 hours, while a flight takes one hour and 15 minutes (plus, of course, transit to and from airports, security lines, etc.). Ticket prices are projected to be comparable to air travel. California’s high-speed rail system is set to open in 2029.


dr.chimps

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Re: In The News
« Reply #46 on: January 10, 2015, 06:04:08 AM »
I can`t breath.

Gregzs

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Re: In The News
« Reply #47 on: February 14, 2015, 08:25:48 PM »
Ice Shards Are Falling From the Top of the World Trade Center

Oh, what a season it's been!

Sure, we haven't had as much snow as Chicago, but we did have a city-crippling blizzard, slush puddles of doom, and manholes are exploding all over the place (read: Park Slope). And in a great new twist, SHARDS OF ICE fell from the top of the World Trade Center on Monday.

 According to the Daily News, foot-long ice shards started falling from 7 and 4 World Trade Center at noon, Monday Feb. 2. Officials noted that the walkways around 4 World Trade Center and parts of Vesey St were shut down for a number of hours. Panic ensued, because... shards of ice... falling... but thankfully, no injuries were reported. Though, just to be safe, maybe we should all stop going places and doing things until like, July.

http://www.thrillist.com/news/new-york/financial-district/shards-of-ice-fall-from-world-trade-center

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Re: In The News
« Reply #48 on: March 02, 2015, 09:11:47 PM »
Baltimore's creaking real-time tracking system for city buses just got a major upgrade thanks to a group of civic-minded hackers who figured out a way to convert the city's tortured transit data into a machine-readable application programming interface. That feat, which Baltimore officials had said would cost $600,000, was completed gratis by the hackers in an afternoon, allowing the data to be fed into existing smartphone transit-tracking apps.

https://medium.com/@transitapp/how-we-saved-baltimore-600-000-in-one-day-f8311e487e58

sync pulse

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Re: In The News
« Reply #49 on: March 03, 2015, 01:35:49 AM »
Ice Shards Are Falling From the Top of the World Trade Center

Oh, what a season it's been!

Sure, we haven't had as much snow as Chicago, but we did have a city-crippling blizzard, slush puddles of doom, and manholes are exploding all over the place (read: Park Slope). And in a great new twist, SHARDS OF ICE fell from the top of the World Trade Center on Monday.

 According to the Daily News, foot-long ice shards started falling from 7 and 4 World Trade Center at noon, Monday Feb. 2. Officials noted that the walkways around 4 World Trade Center and parts of Vesey St were shut down for a number of hours. Panic ensued, because... shards of ice... falling... but thankfully, no injuries were reported. Though, just to be safe, maybe we should all stop going places and doing things until like, July.

http://www.thrillist.com/news/new-york/financial-district/shards-of-ice-fall-from-world-trade-center

Buildings with edges and projection on which ice can form and fall  are supposed to have heating elements to preclude ice forming.