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AMERICA

The United States emerged from 13 British colonies located along the Atlantic seaboard. Disputes between Great Britain and the American colonies led to the American Revolution. On July 4, 1776, delegates from the 13 colonies unanimously issued the Declaration of Independence, which established the United States of America. The American Revolutionary War ended with the recognition of independence of the United States from Great Britain.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_of_America

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THIS, TOO, IS AMERICA but not beautiful.

Students banned from graduation after prank: They leave dead animal and urine in school halls http://bit.ly/1cILpmO 

9 June 2015

A vile prank at a Tennessee high school left 100 seniors banned from graduation. According to Local 8 Now, the idea for a senior prank at Sequoyah High School was conceived in a Facebook group involving nearly half of the graduating class.

The plan was to litter the halls with glitter, balloons, toilet paper and fishing lines. Students gathered at the school, which has security cameras, around midnight last Thursday to find the doors to the gym unlocked.

Numerous sheriff’s deputies were standing guard, but they allowed the students in after warning them they’d be kicked out if anything was damaged, reports Elite Daily.
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The prank proceeded as planned until around 1 am when a second, more mischievous group of kids arrived. These students covered the walls with urine, baby oil and ketchup, and they let chickens and crickets loose in the hallways. Lockers were looted, posters were torn down and marbles were placed in front of several doorways so teachers would fall.
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CBS  Cleveland

Sick Of The Snow, Kentucky Town Issues Arrest Warrant For Queen Elsa

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FROZEN: NIAGARA FALLS!

http://nypost.com/2015/02/18/niagara-falls-freezes-over/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPTwitter&utm_medium=SocialFlow#8

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Mail Online

By Chris Spargo For Dailymail.com

Published: 17:11 GMT, 18 February 2015

Niagara Falls has frozen over as extreme winter weather continues across the East Coast – and it is going to get even colder

Extreme winter weather has been causing problems for millions across the East Coast, but it has also made for some beautiful sights.

Among those beautiful sights is Niagara Falls, which has now frozen over due to temperatures which dropped to 16F on Wednesday.

And it looks like the popular tourist destination may stay frozen, as temperatures are expected to drop even lower come Thursday.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2958849/Niagara-Falls-frozen-extreme-winter-weather-continues-East-Coast-going-colder.html

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NO ONE HAS CLAIMED THE BAG OF CONDOMS…

Bag filled with 1000 condoms sparks bomb scare at bus station http://ind.pn/1zqzqTE 

Sniffer dogs were called to investigate

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/silver-bag-filled-with-1000-condoms-sparks-bomb-scare-in-new-york-bus-station-10016658.html

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YOU WILL HAVE HEARD OF THE BURGLAR WHO FELL ASLEEP ON THE BED IN THE MASTER BEDROOM BUT THIS IS RIDICULOUS!

This burglar enjoyed a hot bath in the first house, and then went next door STARK NAKED, where he was caught!

A burglar in the US took off all his clothes and treated himself to a dip in a hot tub and a shower in the master bathroom of a home he broke into.

He also helped himself to the alcohol.

And when he was done, he ventured butt naked into another house in the neighbourhood.

But unlike the previous home, this residence wasn’t empty.

A woman, who was helping the home owner watch the house, was awoken by noises from the laundry room, stated a press release from Keizer Police Department.

When she went to investigate, the room door suddenly slammed shut.
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Guillermo Brambila Lopez was found to have entered both houses through the windows.

He was charged with burglary and criminal mischief, and his bail was set at US$82,500 (S$110,000).

Source: Keizer Police Department

http://www.tnp.sg/news/burglar-who-used-hot-tub-and-shower-caught-naked-laundry-room

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DOES HE EVEN LOOK NORMAL?

He shot his mother with a gun and then arrows, and then stabbed her! She was found slumped forward in a chair with arrows protruding from her head.

US man killed mother using bow-and-arrow, saying she stole diamonds and gave father cancer. http://yhoo.it/1vyrSvL 

MARY ESTHER, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man told police he shot his mother with a gun and a bow-and-arrow and then stabbed her Sunday because he claimed she “stole his diamonds and also gave his father cancer,” authorities said.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office received a call at 2:48 a.m. Sunday reporting a man knocking over Christmas decorations and yelling at another person. When deputies arrived, they found 65-year-old Gloria Watkins slumped forward in a chair with arrows protruding from her head.

Her son, Michael Watkins, 42, admitted to the killing, according to an arrest report.

“You see that, that’s death,” Watkins said as he pointed to his mother, according to the report.

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OHP: “Follow the law in the first place” to avoid cop rape

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Published on Sep 18, 2014

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Don’t Want to Get Raped by a Cop? Police Chief’s Advice, “Obey the traffic laws” http://po.st/gNiwPQ  via @po_st

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A dog may be man’s best friend but this criminal’s dog was his worst enemy and the policemen’s best friend!

This man’s best friend instinctively ratted him out.

Police in Alabama found a suspected drug dealer who was hiding in tall grass near his home after his dog, tail wagging enthusiastically, led officers to him, police said on Thursday.

Edward Melvin Henderson fled his home in Prattville as officers pulled up to the residence with a search warrant on Tuesday, said Paula Barlow, spokeswoman for the Prattville Police Department.

Henderson ran, jumped off a ravine and continued running.

As officers approached the ravine, a mixed breed pit bull/husky later identified as Bo came running up, she said.

Henderson had run into a wooded area and was hiding.

Two officers looked at Bo and pointed in the direction Henderson had run and told the dog to go and get him.

Investigators trailed Bo, who was wagging his tail after locating his owner lying in high grass, Barlow said.

http://www.tnp.sg/news/go-get-him-us-police-tell-dog-which-promptly-leads-them-its-drug-suspect-owner

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THERE’S NOTHING YOU CAN DO WHEN YOUR PSYCHO-SON ATTACKS YOU!

Man in #NewYork beheads mum, kicks severed head across road, then jumps in front of train #US http://bit.ly/104CjKw 

Derek Ward allegedly decapitated his 66-year-old mother, Patricia Ward at her apartment building in Long Island, and dragged her out into the street where he kicked her severed head, reported the New York Post.

Police said that her body was discovered outside the building at about 8pm on Tuesday, with her head 6m away across the road. The victim, a professor who taught language arts at Farmingdale State College, was wearing only a bra and a pair of pants.

Derek Ward, who was psychologically disturbed and lived with his mother, later killed himself by jumping in front of a Long Island Rail Road train. His body was found about 1.6km from the murder scene.

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/world/united-states/story/son-new-york-beheads-mother-kicks-severed-head-across-road-then-jumps

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Son Beheads Mother, Then Jumps in Front of LIRR Train: New York City – http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Man-Kills-Beheads-Woman-Suicide-LIRR-Train-Farmingdale-280731252.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_NYBrand …

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Man-Kills-Beheads-Woman-Suicide-LIRR-Train-Farmingdale-280731252.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_NYBrand

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NYPD Officer attacked by ax-wielding man in Queens

TERROR: A man with suspected Islamic State links has been shot dead after attacking New York police with an axe http://tinyurl.com/lrvdw5p

Some news outlets are reporting the axe attack has possible ties to Islamic extremism. The attacker’s social media profiles feature hate-filled posts aimed at the US government.

Weapon … Police Commissioner Bill Bratton holds a picture of the axe used in the attack.

The violence began at 2pm New York time, when four cops tried to break up a shouting dispute between the axeman and a woman at the corner of Jamaica Avenue and 160th Street.

“The cops yelled ‘Drop it!’” said rattled eyewitness Larry Bethune, 44, of Hollis, Queens, recalling the moment the psycho pulled a small hatchet from his jacket.

“And he lunged at one of them,” the witness remembered. “He raised his arm up high and brought it straight down on the cop’s head.

“The cop went down to the ground, face first. It was horrible. I’ve never seen anything like that on Jamaica Avenue,” he added. “The cop’s just lying there with blood pouring down his face. He didn’t move.”

Another witness, Kelli Reddica, 24, recalled hearing seven shots ring out as the crazed man was brought down, and seeing the downed cop’s horrible injury.

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ANOTHER MAN JUMPS WHITE HOUSE FENCE!

JUST IN: White House on lockdown after man jumps fence, reports Reuters http://cna.asia/ZHzQpo 

– Agencies/nd

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NEW YORK, RAT CITY

A new study has found that New York City’s rats are hosts to at least 18 new viruses, never before encountered and unknown to science. There is a risk of a “a public health nightmare.”

The research was conducted by a team from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, who analyzed viruses in Manhattan rats.

“Everybody’s looking all over the world, in all sorts of exotic places, including us. But nobody’s looking right under our noses,” Ian Lipkin, a professor of neurology and pathology at Columbia, told the New York Times.

The initial report was published in mBio magazine on Tuesday and focused on 133 rats scientists had analyzed that had demonstrated a variety of pathogens. Some of them transmit food-borne diseases, and some, like Seoul Hantavirus, have never been seen in New York before. Finally, there are at least 18 completely new pathogens to science.

Two pathogens are similar to one that causes Hepatitis C and could help the researchers fight the disease.

“We … identified a wide range of known and novel viruses from groups that contain important human pathogens,” the researchers said in their study.

“Rats are sentinels for human disease. They’re all over the city; uptown, downtown, underground. Everywhere they go, they collect microbes and amplify them. And because these animals live close to people, there is ample opportunity for exchange,” Lipkin said.

Read more:

http://rt.com/usa/197268-rat-ny-viruses-pathogens/

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“I went to a restaurant up in New York during the UN General Assembly and my credit card was rejected. It turned out I guess I don’t use it enough, so they thought there was some fraud going on,” he explained, as he signed as executive order to tighten security on debit and credit cards that transmit federal benefits. “Fortunately, Michelle had hers.

“I was trying to explain to the waitress, ‘No, I really think that I’ve been paying my bills,’” he joked.

“See, even I’m affected by this.”

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2014/10/obama-admits-his-credit-card-got-rejected/

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Having your credit card rejected is something that happens to everyone – even the president of the United States.

Barack Obama was quoted as saying on Friday that he had it rejected last month while out in New York with his wife Michelle. He was in the city to attend sessions at the United Nations.

Speaking at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau while he signed executive orders to tighten security on federal debit and credit cards, he said:

“I went to a restaurant up in New York during the UN General Assembly and my credit card was rejected. It turned out I guess I don’t use it enough, so they thought there was some fraud going on… Fortunately, Michelle had hers.

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WILL MALAYSIA BE TURNED INTO A BR1M-DEPENDANT NATION, a smaller version of America’s foodstamp-dependants?

A new form of Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) will be introduced in the future, possibly in the form of food stamps or recipients using MyKad to purchase groceries and household items.

This was so that the aid could be distributed evenly throughout the year, said Finance Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah.

Expressing hope that it could be implemented for Budget 2016, he said the mechanism could involve the use of the MyKad to purchase groceries and household items.

He said it could also be in the form of food stamps like how it was given out in the United States.

http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/10/14/New-form-of-BR1M-to-be-introduced-says-secgen/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

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On @SBSNews 6.30pm, my story from Atlanta on America‘s increasing reliance on food banks to feed 46.5m ppl annually

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National Geographic News

Study Sheds Light on Broadening U.S. Hunger Problem

In daily scramble for food, about 1 in 7 Americans now rely on local aid programs.

About one in seven Americans—more than 46 million people—rely on such programs to get by, according to the study, which involved confidential surveys of more than 60,000 recipients of food aid from groups affiliated with Feeding America, a network of 200 food banks that distribute donated food to programs in all 50 states.

The ranks of the hungry include 12 million children and 7 million seniors, plus millions more among the working poor, military families, the unemployed, and young college graduates. Those in each group said their reliance on food aid stemmed from a daily struggle to put healthy and nutritious food on the table when all that many can afford is inexpensive processed food that fuels a cycle of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity.
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“Feeding America is feeding more people than ever before,” said Maura Daly, a spokeswoman for the group. “The public-private partnership in addressing hunger in America is essential.”

Did you know: In daily scramble for food, about 1 in 7 Americans now rely on local aid programs. http://bit.ly/1vZViR0  @futureoffood

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Police release video of smoke bomb attack on New York restaurant – video http://gu.com/p/42e7v/tw  @GuardianUS

WATCH: NYC Restaurant Smoke Bomb Attack, Suspect Disappears Underground

http://youtu.be/nx8tfsl0OQE

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Bizarre Smoke Bomb Attack On Restaurant Rattles NYC Diners

http://youtu.be/axja5F7vAi4

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#1 North Auburn Gresham Chicago, IL

Chicago, Illinois has a murder rate that seems to be increasing yearly and a major reason is because of the crime that happens in the North Auburn Gresham neighborhood. This neighborhood which occupies the 60620 zip code has a violent crime rate of 73.5 per 1,000 residents. The chances of becoming a victim in this section are 1 in 14, which is actually on the low side for many of Chicago’s rougher areas. The entire south side of Chicago seems to be an evil playground that won’t stop its madness until the whole city is engulfed in violence.

#2 Northeast Auburn Gresham Chicago, IL

The neighborhood of Northeast Auburn Gresham in Chicago is by far one of the most dangerous places in America. The zip code of 60620 in Illinois has a violent crime rate of 116.56 per 1000 people. There is a 1 in 9 chance that you will become a victim in this neighborhood. This is another prime example of why the murder and crime rates are so high in this major American city.

#3 Washington Park Chicago, IL

#4 Northeast of East Atherton and South Dort Highway in Flint, MI

#5 North Lawndale Chicago, IL

#15 Harlem Near St. Nicholas and 125th in New York

Select the Next: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

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Video: Ebola Scare on US Airways Flight 845 from Philadelphia to Punta Cana – October 8th 2014

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California U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter made the alarming claim Tuesday that at least ten fighters for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have been apprehended trying to enter the U.S. at the southern border.

“ISIS is coming across the southern border,” Hunter told Fox News host Greta Van Susteren.
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“I know that at least 10 ISIS fighters have been caught coming across the Mexican border in Texas,” said Hunter, who received the information from a confidential border patrol source.

“They caught them at the border, therefore we know that ISIS is coming across the border,” Hunter continued. “If they catch five or ten of them then you know there’s going to be dozens more that did not get caught by the border patrol.”

Hunter is not the first lawmaker to report such disturbing news.

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Doctors treating Thomas Eric Duncan at a hospital in Texas have said he is now in critical condition after flying to the US from west Africa.

Mr Duncan spent six days in isolation and health officials said he lied on his health forms in Liberia, saying he had not been in contact with an Ebola patient.

Four of Mr Duncan’s flatmates sharing his apartment following his return were escorted to a safer location, although US officials have attracted criticism for moving too slowly to contain the virus – it took three days before a hazardous materials crew was sent to disinfect the apartment.

But US officials have defended their response, saying that while the government was confident of containing the virus, the Mr Duncan’s situation in Dallas had been “rocky”.
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US health officials have looked into about 100 potential cases of Ebola since the first patient with the deadly virus was identified in the United States, but no new infections have been discovered.

Health officials in Dallas have narrowed their focus to about 50 people who had direct or indirect contact with an infected Liberian visitor, including 10 at high risk who are being checked for symptoms twice daily.

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SOMEONE SENT AN E-MAIL THREATENING TO SHOOT ALL HARVARD STUDENTS! An apology has been received by recipients of the earlier email.

After threat to Harvard students, apology comes from same email account http://dlvr.it/76LYKr  #fox25

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) – Hundreds of students and other people affiliated with Harvard University who got an email containing death threats have received a second message with an apology that apparently came from the same email account.

The author of the second email that went out Saturday apologized and told recipients that the threatening email sent Friday was written by her younger brother and he didn’t mean it. She insisted she isn’t a killer.

Friday’s message threatened a mass shooting at Harvard on Saturday and appeared to target Asian Americans. Harvard police tightened security around campus, a campus safety advisory was issued and a public event about the experiences of Asian Americans at Harvard was postponed.

Campus police believe the messages came from the same overseas email account. Authorities continue to investigate the messages.

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SOMEONE SENT AN E-MAIL THREATENING TO SHOOT ALL HARVARD STUDENTS!

SECURITY WILL BE TIGHT!

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Addressed to “All students at Harvard,” the text of both emails included what appeared to be racist language. The emails referred to their intended recipients as “slit-eyes.” Many, but not all, of the emails’ intended recipients appear to have Asian surnames.

The emails were not anonymous. In the emails, the author or authors self-identified as Stephanie Nguyen and claimed to live in Boston. The address from which the first email was received, however, identified the sender as Eduardo Nguyen. The second identified the sender as Huy Dinh.

Harvard Police have notified the FBI and local law enforcement agencies of the threat, according to a community advisory email sent to Harvard affiliates early Friday evening by Harvard University Police Department spokesperson Steven G. Catalano. Though he wrote that “we cannot verify at this time that this is a real threat,” he added that HUPD plans to increase its campus presence this weekend.

In a copy of the racially charged email forwarded to The Crimson, its author claimed that he or she would come to Harvard on Saturday at “11 clock” and “shoot all of you” and “kill you individually.” The email’s time stamp indicates that it was sent at 4:44 p.m. Friday from a “hotmail.de” email address.

At least some Harvard students received a second email with the same text at 4:50 p.m. from a different Google Mail address.

In the community advisory message, Catalano advised Harvard affiliates to familiarize themselves with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s active shooter safety guidelines.

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EBOLA

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Two female US high school teachers have been arrested on charges of engaging in group sex with a 16-year-old male student who then bragged to classmates, authorities say.

Rachel Respess, 24, and Shelley Dufresne, 32, are accused of having sex with the boy in Respess’ apartment in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner, Louisiana, after a Friday night football game on September 12, Kenner Police Chief Michael Glaser said.

Dufresne also is accused of having sex with the student at her home in Montz, about 32 km west of New Orleans.

The boy, who has since turned 17, told authorities that the sex was consensual, but he was not of legal age to consent, Glaser said.

“If this was two male teachers and a female student, the community would be outraged,” Glaser said. “It should have the same outrage.”

The two Destrehan High School teachers were booked on Wednesday on charges of felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile, indecent behaviour with a juvenile and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile, Glaser said.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/61662324/two-female-teachers-accused-of-group-sex-with-teen.html

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#BlakeAndWylde: A man is rolling a giant *ahem* ball, across America: http://www.kiss1027.fm/2014/09/17/meet-the-new-terry-fox-mr-ballsy/ …

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What is amazing is not that Ebola is in America but why it took so long!

The first case of Ebola diagnosed in the U.S. has been confirmed in a man who recently traveled from Liberia to Dallas.
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• CNN Breaking News ‏@cnnbrk 14m14 minutes ago

  For the first time, a patient in an American hospital has been diagnosed with Ebola. Should Americans be concerned? http://cnn.it/1DYu9nt

The first case of Ebola diagnosed in the US was confirmed on Tuesday in a patient who recently traveled from Liberia to Dallas – a sign of the far-reaching impact of the out-of-control epidemic in West Africa.

The unidentified man was critically ill and has been in isolation at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital since Sunday, federal health officials said. They would not reveal his nationality or age.

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DALLAS (AP) — The first case of Ebola diagnosed in the U.S. has been confirmed in a man who recently traveled from Liberia to Dallas, sending chills through the area’s West African community whose leaders urged caution to prevent spreading the virus.

The unidentified man was critically ill and has been in isolation at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital since Sunday, federal health officials said Tuesday. They would not reveal his nationality or age.

Authorities have begun tracking down family, friends and anyone else who may have come in close contact with him and could be at risk. Officials said there are no other suspected cases in Texas.

At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Director Tom Frieden said the man left Liberia on Sept. 19, arrived the next day to visit relatives and started feeling ill four or five days later. Frieden said it was not clear how the man became infected.

“I have no doubt that we’ll stop this in its tracks in the U.S. But I also have no doubt that — as long as the outbreak continues in Africa — we need to be on our guard,” Frieden said, adding that it was possible someone who has had contact with the man could develop Ebola in the coming weeks.
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Stanley Gaye, president of the Liberian Community Association of Dallas-Fort Worth, said the 10,000-strong Liberian population in North Texas is skeptical of the CDC’s assurances because Ebola has ravaged their country.

“We’ve been telling people to try to stay away from social gatherings,” Gaye said at a community meeting Tuesday evening. Large get-togethers are a prominent part of Liberian culture.

“We need to know who it is so that they (family members) can all go get tested,” Gaye told The Associated Press. “If they are aware, they should let us know.”

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WASHINGTON DC POLICE TO WEAR BODY CAMERAS!

“This will make our officers safer,” said Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Cathy Lanier, as cited by AP. “It will make our department more transparent. It will reduce the amount of time that supervisors have to spend investigating allegations.”

The DC police have announced a million-dollar pilot program that will see 165 officers wear body cameras for six months, with a prospect of the practice embracing the whole of the department in two to three years.

Starting October 1, officers who volunteered to participate will start wearing cameras either attached to the front of their shirts or mounted on sunglasses frames, as displayed at a news conference on Wednesday.

There are five different models, ranging in price from $400 to $700, and the participants of the program will try them in order to single out the most efficient one.

http://rt.com/usa/190464-dc-police-body-cameras/

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The scene at Dolphin Lake Point was quiet this morning. More on the investigation into Tong Shao‘s disappearance: http://icp-c.com/1wOediy

Police want to talk to missing ISU student’s boyfriend

Police have confirmed that the main person of interest in a Chinese student’s disappearance, previously identified as her boyfriend, has left the country.

“We have reason to believe that the person of interest is in China at this time,” said Sgt. Scott Gaarde, public information officer with the Iowa City Police Department. “At this time we have just one person of interest that we’re following up leads.”

Gaarde said he was not entirely sure what that will mean for the investigation but added that at this point the main priority in the case remains identifying a body found in a car’s trunk Friday night in Iowa City.

“That remains to be seen, obviously that’s a unique twist in a normal investigation, but right now it’s a step-by-step process such as identifying the deceased and then making the proper notifications to the family members,” he said.

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YAHOO! NEWS MALAYSIA

Police seeking Chinese student find a body in car

Associated Press

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Police searching for a missing Iowa State University student from China found a body in the trunk of a car that had been linked to her and said Saturday that they believe a possible suspect in the case has already left the country.

An autopsy was being performed Saturday, but police declined to comment on whether they believe the body belonged to Tong Shao, 20, who was last heard from Sept. 8.

Police did say they believe the body in the car was a victim of homicide.

On Friday, police found a car they earlier had said was connected with Shao, a junior chemical engineering. Investigators then found a body in the trunk.

https://my.news.yahoo.com/photos/photo-provided-ames-police-department-shows-tong-shao-photo-034834818.html

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#MISSING !!!!
A 20-year-old Iowa State University student has gone missing after she told people she was going to Minnesota to visit friends, police said.
Tong Shao, a junior chemical engineering major was last contacted Sept. 8, while she was in Iowa City, according to a post on the Ames Police Department’s Facebook page. Since then, family and friends have not had contact with Shao and her phone has been disconnected.
“At this point, we have done everything we can do to locate her,” according to the post.
Shao is originally from China. People are encouraged to contact the Ames Police Department at 515-239-5133 if they have information regarding Shao’s whereabouts.

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Map of area where search is underway for missing Iowa State University student http://bit.ly/dCJ9Fq via @kcrg #missing #iowastate

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IN OKLAHOMA, A MUSLIM CONVERT CUT OFF THE HEAD OF A WOMAN, AND WAS ATTACKING ANOTHER WOMAN BEFORE HE WAS SHOT.

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On Friday, the Daily Caller and others reported that Alton Alexander Nolen, the man suspected of beheading one woman and stabbing another multiple times in Moore, Oklahoma, celebrated terrorists on what appears to be his Facebook page while disparaging non-Muslims. In one picture, Nolen, who uses the name “Jah’Keem Yisrael,” is seen giving the one-finger salute often used by ISIS terrorists.

The New York Times said Nolen recently converted to Islam. References to Islam began appearing on his page in April 2013, and he frequently criticized American culture while warning those who do not follow his religion. His Facebook page is topped by a picture that appears to be of Taliban fighters, Patrick Howley said.

“This is the last days,” he wrote on Tuesday. In July, he called America and Israel “wicked” and encouraged Muslims to “wake up.” In another post, he said Muslims do not celebrate holidays normally recognized in the United States. In March, he posted a photo of a demonstrator holding a sign reading: “Islam Will Dominate the World. Freedom Can Go To Hell.”

The local McCurtain Gazette said Nolen was fired Thursday after telling coworkers of an Islamic teaching that said women should be stoned for an offense. The statement reportedly sparked an argument which apparently led to his termination.

He returned Thursday and, reports say, beheaded 54-year-old Colleen Hufford and stabbed 43-year-old Traci Johnson multiple times. Mark Vaughan, a reserve sheriff’s deputy who serves as the chief operating officer for Vaughan Foods, shot Nolen as he was attacking the second victim.

The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office praised Vaughan for his actions in a statement released Friday. According to the statement, Vaughan’s heroic actions “saved the lives of several other employees.”

“Mark put an end to the threat by shooting the suspect and saving the life of a second victim who was being actively attacked by the suspect,” the statement added. “There is every reason to believe that the lives of untold others were saved who would have been targeted by the suspect if it hadn’t been for Deputy Vaughan’s actions.”

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The New York subway system bans canines unless they can fit in a small bag, so this guy trained his pit-bull to calmly sit in his small bag.

Do you think Singapore MRTs should start allowing small pets that are in bags to be allowed to board the train?

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The U.S. struck an al Qaeda offshoot called Khorasan in Syria, but some fear the group will still attack U.S. interests.

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This week’s strike against Islamic State militants in Syria by the United States marked the first time that the Pentagon has deployed its F-22 Raptor jets into combat, the Defense Department acknowledged on Tuesday.

Lt. Gen. William Mayville, the director of ops for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged during a Department of Defense briefing on Tuesday morning that the strikes launched by the US hours earlier were the first ever to involve F-22s — a fifth-generation aircraft that’s capable of dropping precisions bombs on targets from 15 miles away.

http://rt.com/usa/189984-pentagon-f22-combat-first-syria/

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$143 million F22 Raptor…1st time in battle over Syria hitting IS targets Our tax dollars at work! Annihilate ’em! pic.twitter.com/b2YkH91uov

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F22 Raptor ($143 million EACH ) used for first time in combat tonight in Syria. pic.twitter.com/4JxibdsDi6

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Attacking in #Siria with F16, F15E, B-1, F/A18, and the new Raptor F22, used in Combat for the first time. pic.twitter.com/dJGkSddabt“

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White House security raised after breach and second arrest http://tgr.ph/1uO4dqi 

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White House intruder had knife, says he is Iraq Vet, feds say http://abcn.ws/ZxUPeK

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JUST IN: Video shows man breaching security perimeter, running to White House: “This dude just jumped the fence right in front of me! He made it pretty far; didn’t see them catch him.” – http://abcn.ws/1BVmBQn

VIDEO: Brandon Pawlinski

Facebook video:

UPDATE: Man breaches White House security perimeter: http://abcn.ws/1BVmBQn  – VIDEO: http://on.fb.me/1v1srvg  pic.twitter.com/WgtoLcSxdW

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FOR THOSE IN THE GRIP OF POVERTY BUT WHO WON’T GIVE UP, LIFE IS A CONSTANT STRUGGLE TO MAKE ENDS MEET. SOMETIMES, IT ENDS IN A MEANINGLESS DEATH.

A New Jersey woman who worked four jobs, who sometimes “wouldn’t sleep for five days,” according to a co-worker, died Monday while napping between shifts in her car on the side of the road.

Maria Fernandes died in her 2001 Kia Sportage after inhaling carbon monoxide and fumes from an overturned gas container she kept in the car, according to the New York Daily News.

The 32-year-old Newark woman pulled into a WAWA convenience store lot in Elizabeth, New Jersey for a nap early Monday. She left the car running. The carbon monoxide and gasoline fumes were the likely cause of death, authorities said.

Fernandes was found dead in the car around eight hours later when EMTs responded to a 911 call of a woman found in a vehicle with closed windows and doors. Emergency workers sensed a strong chemical odor upon entering the vehicle, authorities said.

“This sounds like someone who tried desperately to work and make ends meet, and met with a tragic accident,” Elizabeth police Lt. Daniel Saulnier said, according to NJ.com.
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Fernandes emigrated to the United States from Portugal. She was beloved by co-workers at the Penn Station Dunkin’ Donuts in Manhattan, who called her a model employee.

“She used to work like three shifts every day,” Parth Patel told NJ.com. “Sometimes she wouldn’t sleep for five days.”

Fernandes also logged shifts at the chain store’s Linden and Harrison, New Jersey locations, co-workers said.

“She was a very sweet person. A hardworking person,” said Ravina Ramjit. “She was always joking around with everybody.”

Co-workers said Fernandes often sang Michael Jackson songs at work, mimicking his dance moves on the job. She had planned to take a break from her jobs this Friday to celebrate Jackson’s birthday at a Central Park memorial, according to NJ.com.

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USA Hikes Fee To Renounce Citizenship By 422%… http://drudge.tw/1qNH1qx 

MANY PEOPLE SAY, “I WANT TO GO TO AMERICA!”

But there are also those who renounce American citizenship! To so so, they must pay up on their taxes!

Over the last two years, the U.S. has had a spike in expatriations. It isn’t exactly Ellis Island in reverse, but it’s more than a dribble. With global tax reporting and FATCA, the list of the individuals who renounced is up. For 2013, there was a 221% increase, with record numbers of Americans renouncing. The Treasury Department is required to publish a quarterly list, but these numbers are under-stated, some say considerably.

The presence or absence of tax motivation is no longer relevant, but that could change. After Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin departed for Singapore, Senators Chuck Schumer and Bob Casey introduced a bill to double the exit tax to 30% for anyone leaving the U.S. for tax reasons. That hasn’t happened, but taxes are still a big issue for many.

To leave America, you generally must prove 5 years of U.S. tax compliance. If you have a net worth greater than $2 million or average annual net income tax for the 5 previous years of $157,000 or more for 2014 (that’s tax, not income), you pay an exit tax. It is a capital gain tax as if you sold your property when you left. At least there’s an exemption of $680,000 for 2014. Long-term residents giving up a Green Card can be required to pay the tax too.

Now, the State Department interim rule just raised the fee for renunciation of U.S. citizenship to $2,350 from $450. Critics note that it’s more than twenty times the average level in other high-income countries. The State Department says it’s about demand on their services and all the extra workload they have to process people who are on their way out.

For more, click on: http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2014/08/28/u-s-hikes-fee-to-renounce-citizenship-by-422/

*Click on the following link for the list of Americans who lost/renounced their citizenship in the quarter up to 30 June 2014. There are about 600.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2014-18712.pdf

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America, Land of the Brave, is also Land of the Burger!

FOR ALL 30, CLICK ON THE LINK: http://eater.com/archives/2014/08/29/30-best-new-burgers-in-the-usa.php

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Video: Magnitude 6.1 earthquake hits American Canyon | Napa Valley California 8/24/2014!!!

http://youtu.be/dB6SWXRlVg0

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Strong Earthquake Rocks California

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• CNN International ‏@cnni 1h

  The strongest earthquake in 25 years struck Northern California early Sunday, injuring more than 100 people http://cnn.it/1nrTIT2

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Sunday’s 6.0-magnitude earthquake is the most damaging in San Francisco Bay Area since 1989 http://on.wsj.com/1qEje8r  pic.twitter.com/iTXmPFphAW

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California is so chill, they just has a huge earthquake and they’re like pic.twitter.com/RHor0XXj4u

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One BILLION dollars! Fed peanuts. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_E8BpJEni77I/SYxvuSMYqcI/AAAAAAAAIBg/rQpfxpMWTLc/s400/evil.jpg// … Damage From California Quake Could Top $1 Billion http://nyti.ms/1npIEWn

NAPA, Calif. — Early Sunday morning, Franz Oehler’s house blew apart.

“My girlfriend and I were thrown straight in the air, and the windows exploded,” said Mr. Oehler, a 44-year-old creative director, whose home is nestled among some of the country’s most celebrated vineyards.
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At least 120 people had been treated at the emergency room at Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, said Vanessa deGier, a hospital spokeswoman. Most of the injuries were minor lacerations or abrasions caused by falling debris. But three patients were in critical condition, including a child who had been crushed by a falling fireplace. No deaths had been confirmed as of Sunday evening.

Continue reading the main story

The shaking was felt as far off as Salinas, almost 120 miles away, and the United States Geological Survey estimated damage could be up to $1 billion.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/25/us/strong-earthquake-shakes-bay-area-in-california.html?_r=0

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FED  EX SHOOTING; EMPLOYEE SHOOTS 6!

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Eyewitness Describes Georgia FedEx Shooting

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Mass shooting at Georgia FedEx facility

http://youtu.be/gTdywnl70Do

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Suspect Dead in Atlanta FedEx Shooting

http://youtu.be/aR5Q05q8pwg

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13WMAZ

Kennesaw FedEx shooting suspect dead

WXIA 10:31 a.m. EDT April 29, 2014

KENNESAW, Ga. — Police say the suspect in a shooting at a Kennesaw FedEx facility has died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He has not yet been named, but witnesses said he worked as a baggage handler for the company.

The suspect’s body was found in a loading bay. Police say he was armed with pistols and a shotgun.

The shooting happened at around 5:45 a.m. Tuesday. Cobb County Police Sgt. Dana Pierce said the suspect arrived at the facility at 1675 Airport Road and started shooting, striking six people.

The victims were taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital; one is in critical condition. No names were released.

http://www.13wmaz.com/story/news/local/georgia/2014/04/29/shooting-in-kennesaw/8449063/

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abcnews

Georgia FedEx Gunman Used Shotgun to Injure Six, Shoot Himself, Police Said

An employee armed with a shotgun injured six people at a FedEx warehouse in Georgia early this morning before he ended the carnage by shooting himself, police said.

Three of the injured are listed in critical condition and two were in surgery, a hospital said. Two of the injuries were described as “life threatening.”

The shooting erupted at 5:54 a.m. at a warehouse 1675 Airport Road, Kennesaw, near the Cobb County Airport, said police spokesman Sgt. Dana Pierce. He said the police were alerted by a numerous 911 calls that there was an active shooter in the building.

More than 100 police and federal officers arrived at the sprawling FedEx hub and surrounded the building, but shortly before 9 a.m. police said the man suspected of carrying out the shooting was dead.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/georgia-fedex-gunman-injures-shooting/story?id=23511924

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I thought you might need something to laugh about today..

HAVE A GOOD LAUGH!

This scientist says that humans evolved after a chimpanzee and a pig mated.

MailOnline

‘Humans evolved after a female chimpanzee mated with a pig’: Extraordinary claim made by American geneticist

The human species began as the hybrid offspring of a male pig and a female chimpanzee, a leading geneticist has suggested.

The startling claim has been made by Eugene McCarthy, of the University of Georgia, who is also one of the worlds leading authorities on hybridisation in animals.

He points out that while humans have many features in common with chimps, we also have a large number of distinguishing characteristics not found in any other primates.

Dr McCarthy says these divergent characteristics are most likely the result of a hybrid origin at some point far back in human evolutionary history.

What’s more, he suggests, there is one animal that has all of the traits which distinguish humans from our primate cousins in the animal kingdom.

‘What is this other animal that has all these traits?’ he asks rhetorically. ‘The answer is Sus scrofa, the ordinary pig.’

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News World

Boy, 11, found chained to porch with dead chicken around his neck

Reuters

First posted: Saturday, November 16, 2013 02:58 PM EST | Updated: Saturday, November 16, 2013 03:09 PM EST

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C- A North Carolina social worker has been charged after her 11-year-old foster child was found chained to the porch of her home with a dead chicken hanging around his neck, a sheriff’s official said on Saturday.

Wanda Sue Larson, 57, was arrested and charged with child abuse and false imprisonment on Friday after a deputy found the boy shivering and handcuffed by his ankle to the front porch, the Union County, North Carolina, sheriff’s office said.

Larson, a supervisor at the county’s social services department, was not home when the child was discovered but is accused of being complicit in the mistreatment, according to sheriff’s officials.

Authorities also arrested Dorian Lee Harper, 57, who along with Larson was serving as a foster parent to the child. The couple also has four adopted children.

Boy, 11, found chained to porch with dead chicken around his neck …

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The News International

US child found chained to porch with dead chicken around his neck

November 17, 2013 – Updated 329 PKT
From Web Edition

WASHINGTON: A North Carolina social worker has been arrested after her foster child was found chained to the porch of her home with a dead chicken around his neck, police in the southeastern US state said.

The 11-year-old boy was discovered, shivering and alone, restrained by a handcuff around his ankle, the Monroe deputy sheriff said in a statement.

Sheriff Eddie Cathey called the incident “shocking” and pledged to pursue the investigation “to its fullest extent.”

The officer was responding to a complaint next door when he noticed the child and initiated an investigation, ultimately removing five children from the home.

One man, Dorian Lee Harper, 57, was arrested at the scene, and a woman, Wanda Sue Larson, 57, who also lived there, was charged later.

“While not present at the time the children were discovered, Larson is accused of being complicit in the ongoing mistreatment of the children,” authorities said.

US child found chained to porch with dead chicken around his neck

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The Washington Post
Style

Billy Graham gets an all-star tribute for his 95th birthday

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CNN Belief Blog

Billy Graham turns 95 at star-studded birthday

By Phil Gast, CNN

(CNN) – The Rev. Billy Graham took people to church, perhaps for the last time, as hundreds joined the iconic evangelist Thursday evening for his 95th birthday.

A guest list that included former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Rev. Rick Warren and businessmen Rupert Murdoch and Donald Trump came to pay tribute to a man beloved for his humility and faithfulness.

Because the frail Graham no longer has the strength to speak behind a lectern, his enduring message of salvation through Jesus Christ came in the form of “The Cross,” a 30-minute DVD that made its debut at the celebration.

Click on the link for the fill article:

Billy Graham turns 95 at star-studded birthday

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Cnn Belief Blog

How Billy Graham became an American icon

Opinion by Molly Worthen, special to CNN

(CNN) Under ordinary circumstances, Donald Trump and Rupert Murdoch are probably not in the habit of attending the birthday parties of elderly Christian preachers in the North Carolina mountains.

But they were both among the hundreds of well-wishers at the party on Thursday marking Billy Graham’s 95th birthday.

Graham spent his career leading revivals around the globe, following a long tradition of evangelists who have traveled far and wide to urge sinners to accept Christ. But his birthday guest list shows that he is no ordinary preacher. He is a cultural icon, the most famous face of traditional Protestant Christianity.

“We need Billy Graham’s message to be heard, I think, today more than ever,” former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin told the crowd.

Click on the link below for the full article:

How Billy Graham became an American icon

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BREAKING NEWS!

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http://youtu.be/6_RFu-a44VQ

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http://youtu.be/nPV6DPCrdn0

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http://youtu.be/L9lwUzUyPr0

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Published on Nov 1, 2013

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Foxnews.com

TSA employee dead, at least 6 injured in LAX shooting; gunman wounded and in custody, officials say

A gunman with an assault rifle opened fire in a crowded terminal at Los Angeles International Airport Friday, killing a TSA employee and injuring at least six before being wounded and taken into custody.

The suspect was identified by federal authorities late Friday as Paul Ciancia, 23, a Los Angeles resident, Fox News reported.

The FBI said it had not interviewed him because he was hospitalized but expected to speak to him as soon as possible.

A note was recovered from a bag he dropped at a security checkpoint. It was described to Fox News as containing threatening language directed at the TSA and anti-government rants.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said the gunman had an additional 100 rounds of ammunition he did not fire.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/11/01/passengers-evacuated-from-terminal-at-los-angeles-international-airport-after/

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On a tip from Harcharan Singh.

Some US Textbooks Say Muslims Discovered America!

INFILTRATION OF AMERICA BY SAUDI $$$: THEY START BY RE-WRITING THE HISTORY TEXTS…

It did not begin recently. It has been going on for at least a decade.

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Muslims discovered America first?

The 3 ships to first arrive in America:  The Mina, the Mecca and the Swastika Muhammad

Were you taught that Columbus discovered America?  Well, apparently you were taught wrong.  According to a recently conducted study of US Textbooks and curriculum, America’s K-12 students are being taught that the Muslims discovered America.  These students are also being taught how to read al-Qur’an, to memorize and recite scriptures and how to make prayer rugs.

Saudi Arabia is funding this ‘re-writing’ of history which also includes things such as: ‘..Christianity was discovered by a Palestinian boy named Jesus..’ and ‘..Israel did not exist as a nation in history..’  This is all part of a ‘Title 6′ Program that allows Middle Eastern Islamic scholars to write the lesson plans for American students.

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Published on Jul 15, 2013

Video: US Textbooks Say Muslims Discovered America

http://youtu.be/mn5k_qSla5o

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American Thinker

April 16, 2004

Your children may learn that Muslims discovered America

By Ed Lasky

A Native American tribe has forced distributors of an Arab studies guide for American teachers to remove an inaccurate and absurd passage that Muslim explorers preceded Columbus to North America, and eventually became Algonquin chiefs named Abdul—Rahim and Abdallah Ibn Malik!

The Middle East Policy Council, a Washington advocacy group that promotes this curriculum to school districts in 155 U.S. cities have apparently been somewhat unresponsive and dismissive of complaints. Ridiculous as this example is, it is illustrative of a far more disturbing development: the placement of propaganda in our schools by Muslim extremist groups. As the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation pointed out in a report issued this week titled, “The Stealth Curriculum:Manipulating America’s History Teachers” these efforts are intended “to use America’s public school classrooms to shape the minds of tomorrow’s citizens by manipulating what today’s teachers introducing into the lessons of today’s children”

The American Textbook Council  has played a leading role in resisting Arab efforts to supply propaganda to our schools, and recently published a report, “Islam and the Textbooks”, by Gilbert T. Sewall, which reports this phenomenon. It can be found here.

Your children may learn that Muslims discovered … – American Thinker

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These are good Posts. Read them!

1 History News Network | Did Muslims Visit America Before Columbus?

2 US Textbooks: Muslims Discovered America – Patriot Update

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Winds of Jihad

Civilisational jihad. Let Saudi savages drop a few million bucks at an institution of higher learning and you’ll get a curriculum that make your head spin.

US Textbooks Say Muslims Discovered America – Winds Of Jihad

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IN AMERICA, EVEN THE ALLIGATORS GO SHOPPING! But they wouldn’t let this big one in…

Video: Alligator Shows Up At Florida Walmart, Forces Staff To Lock Doors

http://youtu.be/PTGbgf8TBoU

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AMERICANS AND THE NOBEL PRIZE

Why are Americans so smart, winning so many Nobel Prizes?

Best Answer – Chosen by Asker

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20131010221643AADXPWt

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READ ABOUT THE MAN WHO HUNTED AN OCTOPUS BAREHANDED, CAUGHT IT AND TOOK IT HOME!

October 20, 2013

Mark Saiget
Dylan Mayer holding the giant Pacific octopus that he caught in Puget Sound.

The New York Times

The Octopus That Almost Ate Seattle

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And as he scanned the bay, he could already imagine searing the marine morsels on high heat and popping them, rare and unctuous, into his mouth. He soon spotted his prey. “That’s a big [expletive] octopus,” he scribbled on his underwater slate.

The giant Pacific octopus was curled inside a rock piling, both its color and texture altered by camouflage. Mayer judged it to be his size, about six feet, and wondered if he could take it on alone. He lunged at the octopus, grabbing one of its eight arms. It slipped slimily between his fingers, its suckers feeling and tasting his hand. He reached for it again, and again it retreated. Able to squeeze its body through a space as small as a lemon, the octopus was unlikely to succumb to his grip. He poked it with his finger and watched it turn brighter shades of red, until finally, it sprang forward and revealed itself to be a nine-foot wheel charging through the water.

The octopus grabbed Mayer where it could, encircling his thigh, spiraling his torso, its some 1,600 suckers — varying in size from a peppercorn to a pepper mill — latching onto his wet suit and face. It pulled Mayer’s regulator out of his mouth. His adrenaline rising, he punched the creature, and began a wrestling match that would last 25 minutes.

Eventually, he managed to pull the animal to the surface, where a number of divers couldn’t help noticing a teenager punching an 80-pound octopus.

Read the full story:

The Octopus That Almost Ate Seattle

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Octopus Catch Outrage: Dylan Mayer Sent Death Threats For Eating …www.ibtimes.com – 630 × 409 – Search by imagePage by Maria Vultaggio

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Is the Government Shutdown Bush’s Fault?

http://youtu.be/DTZT8i5e2Rs

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Osun Defender

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Govt. Shutdown: House begins Obama’s impeachment proceedings

Republicans in the House of Representatives have scheduled impeachment proceedings against President Obama, claiming his inability to halt the federal government shutdown makes him unfit for office.

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann introduced a resolution to impeach Obama this morning and referred the matter to the House Judiciary Committee. Senior aides close to judiciary chairman Bob Goodlatte say hearings will begin Thursday.

“I think it’s high time President Obama be held accountable for his crimes,” explains Bachmann. “For two weeks now, vital government services have been disrupted, federal workers have gone without pay and national memorials have been closed, all because of the president’s refusal to negotiate over Obamacare.

“This isn’t just poor leadership. The Obama administration is corrupt to the core. The scandals surrounding the IRS, Benghazi, the Fast and the Furious (sic) and Solyndra have shown us this cabal will do anything to stay in power.

“But in shutting down the government President Obama has committed economic treason against the United States of America, and he must be removed before it’s too late. The Constitution provides us the mechanism of impeachment. It’s time to end this dictatorial regime and return the presidency back to the American people.”

http://www.osundefender.org/?p=126906

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LAND OF THE POSSIBLE!

From Minneapolis to Las Vegas! A 9 year-old boy accomplishes Mission Impossible!

Published on Oct 10, 2013

9-year-old stowaway’s dad: We asked for help

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MailOnline

Boy, 9, who snuck on flight to Las Vegas ‘to see a gaming friend he met online’ recently stole a car, had a history of truancy and his mother worked at the airport

• Boy took Delta flight from Minneapolis to Las Vegas on Thursday morning
  
• He passed three levels of checks before flight crew got suspicious mid-air
  
• Nine-year-old said he was visiting an online gaming friend in Las Vegas
• Boy’s parents did not know he was missing and had to be told by police
• The family has been subject of four child protection assessments this year
• Tuesday last week the boy stole a car and made it onto the highway
• His mother worked at the airport and her possible involvement investigated

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2449496/Was-runaway-boy-9-flew-Las-Vegas-visiting-online-friend.html#ixzz2hlKqIaYl
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

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The New York Times

Books

Why America Is Called America

By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD

Published: March 25, 2013

A DECADE AGO, the Library of Congress paid $10 million to acquire the only known original copy of a 1507 world map that has been called “the birth certificate of America.” The large map, a masterpiece of woodblock printing, has been a star attraction at the library ever since and the object of revived scholarly fascination about the earliest cartography of the New World. The research has also rescued from obscurity a little-known Renaissance man, the 16th-century globe maker Johannes Schöner, who was responsible for saving the map for posterity.

We call ourselves Americans today because of the map’s makers, Martin Waldseemüller and Mathias Ringmann, young clerics in the cathedral village of St.-Dié, France. By incorporating early New World discoveries, their map reached beyond the canonical descriptions of Old World geography handed down from Ptolemy in the second century. On a lower stretch of the southern continent, the mapmakers inscribed the name “America” in the mistaken belief that Amerigo Vespucci, not Columbus, deserved credit for first sighting a part of that continent, South America.

Or possibly they favored Vespucci because he held more firmly to the growing consensus that this was indeed a New World, not the Indies (as Columbus so wanted to believe), and because he wrote more colorfully than Columbus about the people he encountered.

Read more:  Why America Is Called America – The New York Times

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The biggest news from the USA today is the US SHUTDOWN.
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At the end of August, U.S. money market funds held almost $100 billion of T-bills that mature between mid-October to mid-November, accounting for about 17 percent of the holdings of Treasuries in money market funds, according to J.P. Morgan Securities.

Star

Tuesday October 15, 2013 MYT 6:56:59 AM

A mad dash for more than US$100 billion in cash

NEW YORK:  It sounds like the plot of a pulpy Hollywood thriller: a mad dash for more than $100 billion in cash in the 48 hours before the clock runs out.

Except in this case, the U.S. government is racing, and the money would come from normally staid, uneventful sales of short-dated Treasury bills.

While President Barack Obama said on Monday that lawmakers appear to have made progress on a deal to reopen the government and avert a looming debt default, it is unclear how willing investors will be to fork over money in exchange for Treasury bills until an agreement has been passed by both theSenate and the House of Representatives.

The Treasury Department said it cannot guarantee the U.S. government will be able to pay its bills past October 17 if Congress does not raise the $16.7 trillion debt ceiling by then.

Concerns about a possible default caused investors to pull more money from short-term money market funds last week than at any time since the last debt ceiling crisis in August 2011. Overnight costs for loans secured with these bills have also risen, straining a key source of ongoing funding for banks.

The nervousness will likely result in the Treasury paying higher interest rates for this week’s borrowing.
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The Treasury Department will sell $35 billion in three-month bills and $30 billion in six-month bills on Tuesday. It will auction $22 billion of one-year bills and a yet-to-be announced amount of one-month T-bills on Wednesday, which in recent weeks has ranged from $30-$35 billion.

A mad dash for more than US$100 billion in cash

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The Sun Daily

Obama pressures Republicans to raise debt ceiling, end shutdown

WASHINGTON (Oct 12, 2013): President Barack Obama pressured Republican lawmakers on Saturday to agree to raise the U.S. debt ceiling for longer than they would prefer, as their fiscal impasse dragged into the weekend with five days left to find a deal.

The budget battle between Obama and Republicans who control the House of Representatives has idled hundreds of thousands of government workers hit by a 12-day government shutdown and put the United States at risk of a historic debt default, possibly by next Thursday, unless the borrowing limit is raised.

With the potential of an economic calamity looming, Obama and his Republican opponents are trying to agree on how long to extend the debt ceiling, with Republicans wanting to limit the extension to six weeks to try force more concessions out of the president.

Obama made clear in his weekly address Saturday that he wants a longer debt ceiling extension to get the U.S. economy through the holiday shopping season without a convulsive shock.

Republicans want a commitment to broader deficit-reduction talks from the White House.

Obama pressures Republicans to raise debt ceiling, end shutdown

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The biggest news from the USA today is the US SHUTDOWN. Below are excerpts from an article in The Guardian.

The Guardian

• Graeme Wearden
• The Guardian, Tuesday 1 October 2013

The US government has begun shutting its non-essential services. Hundreds of thousands of workers are waking up to the news that they are on unpaid leave, and they don’t know how long it will last. The shutdown, triggered at midnight Washington time, will bring a range of services to a standstill across the world’s largest economy.
.
Why?

The Federal government had no choice. The US financial year ended on 30 September, and politicians on Capitol Hill have failed to agree a new budget for the 2013-2014 financial year. Even a ‘stopgap’ funding deal proved beyond them. Without a budget deal approved by both parts of Congress, the House of Representative and the Senate, there’s no legal agreement to pay non-essential staff.
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Why couldn’t they agree a deal?

Under the US constitution, the president cannot unilaterally bring in legislation…

The House of Representatives is controlled by the Republican Party, whose Tea Party movement remain deeply opposed to Obamacare. They tried to use the budget as leverage to crowbar changes to the Act. The Senate, which is under the control of Obama’s Democrats, has stood firm.
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How does the US shutdown row tie in with the debt ceiling battle?

They are separate issues, but the shutdown is raising fears over the debt ceiling.

America has a legal limit on its borrowing of $16.7tn dollars, and it’s likely to hit that point in mid-October.

If a deal isn’t reached, then America would run out of borrowing room, meaning the world’s biggest economy would default on its debts. Both problems need solving – and a shutdown is now eating into valuable time to fix the debt ceiling.

US shutdown: a new guide for non-Americans | World news | The …

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The Independent

China, the biggest foreign creditor of the United States, has waded into the American budget crisis, warning Congress that it must resolve the political impasse over the debt ceiling without further delay.

The Chinese Vice Foreign Minister, Zhu Guangyao, told America’s deadlocked politicians on Monday that “the clock is ticking” and called on them to approve an extension of the national borrowing limit before the federal government is projected to run out of cash on 17 October.

“We ask that the United States earnestly takes steps to resolve in a timely way the political issues around the debt ceiling and prevent a US debt default to ensure the safety of Chinese investments in the United States,”  Mr Zhu told reporters in Beijing. “This is the United States’ responsibility,” he added.
…

In September 2008 China eclipsed Japan to become the biggest single foreign creditor of the US federal government. The US administration estimates that the China government holds at least $1.3 trillion of its bonds. The total could be higher because Beijing is known to hold American debt through intermediaries. And, in total, the Beijing authorities have $3.5trn of dollar-denominated assets, which would also be hit hard in the event of a default.

Get your fiscal house in order: China warns US as Asia expresses concern for $1.3tn of investments

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The Guardian

US shutdown talks: White House and Republicans fail to agree deal

No deal emerges but observers note warmer language after Barack Obama and House speaker John Boehner meet

• Dan Roberts in Washington and Dominic Rushe in New York
• The Guardian, Friday 11 October 2013

White House talks with Republicans failed to reach an agreement to end the budget crisis on Thursday evening, but a marked change in tone from the particiants suggested a deal to end the protracted standoff could finally be in sight.

Discussions between Barack Obama and House speaker John Boehner broke up after 90 minutes with no specific agreement, but both sides said discussions would continue to prevent the US defaulting on its debt obligations.

US shutdown talks: White House and Republicans fail to agree deal

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