Friday, January 30, 2015

George Zimmerman Assault Charges Dropped After Girlfriend Recants Statement

The 31-year-old was arrested in January for allegedly throwing a wine bottle at his girlfriend.


A representative for the Florida State Attorney’s office confirmed to BuzzFeed News that George Zimmerman will not be prosecuted for aggravated assault against his girlfriend, Brittany Brunelle.


A representative for the Florida State Attorney’s office confirmed to BuzzFeed News that George Zimmerman will not be prosecuted for aggravated assault against his girlfriend, Brittany Brunelle.


George Zimmerman was acquitted in the killing of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin on Nov. 19, 2013.


Joe Burbank / Associated Press


At around 10 p.m. on Jan. 9, Zimmerman — the 31-year-old Floridian who made news after fatally shooting 17-year old Trayvon Martin in 2012 — was arrested after reportedly throwing a wine bottle at Brunelle in their Lake Mary home.


He was arrested that night, and a judge set his bail at $5,000.


Zimmerman's girlfriend was later subpoenaed after refusing to attend a meeting at the Florida State Attorney's office. She then denied that Zimmerman had ever thrown the bottle at her, and stated that she was never in fear of him, as police had originally claimed.


In a statement, the office said Brunelle "made it clear that she did not want to proceed with the case" any further.


State Attorney Phil Archer later released a statement saying that "the subsequent recantation by the victim of her initial statement along with new documents provided by the victim and her attorney precludes my office from proceeding further."






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Thursday, January 29, 2015

Reports: Suge Knight Involved In Fatal Hit-And-Run On Movie Set

The hip hop producer drove away after getting into a fight in Compton, California, TMZ reported. As he reversed, he struck bystanders.


The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department responded to a hit and run crash Thursday afternoon in Compton that multiple reports said involved Suge Knight .



The crash took place at the Tam's Burgers near East Rosecrans and North Central avenues in Compton.


instagram.com


Another person was possibly injured, CBS 2 reported.


The crash came after a number of hip hop stars were in the area, according to TMZ, as part of a film shoot.



Dr. Dre, The Game, and Ice Cube revisited their beginnings Thursday as The Game celebrated the recent 10th anniversary of his debut album.


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An Ex-Student Was Cited By Police For Filming Porn In Oregon State's Library

The video quickly went viral on campus and the teen was cited for public indecency, police told BuzzFeed News.



kezi.com


It's not clear if she uploaded the video herself.




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Family Of Man Shot By Police In Brooklyn Stairwell Files $50 Million Claim

The family of 28-year-old Akai Gurley filed the claim — often a precursor to a lawsuit — against New York City on Thursday. Police have called the shooting, which occurred at a housing project, an accident.



Friends and family of Akai Gurley attend his wake at Brown Memorial Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York, Dec. 5, 2014.


Pool / Reuters


The family of an unarmed man shot in the stairwell of a Brooklyn housing project by police has filed a $50 million claim against New York City, often the precursor to a lawsuit.


Kimberley Gallinger, the mother of 28-year-old Akai Gurley's daughter, filed a claim against the city, the New York Police Department, and the two individual police officers, the Associated Press reported. Another claim was filed against the city's housing authority.


"The shooting death of Akai by the police was reckless and should not have happened," Ballinger said at a news conference. "Akai was a great father and a good person who didn't deserve to die like he did."


Ballinger is seeking $50 million plus attorney's fees for Gurley's death, according to the claim.


Eric Sumberg of the New York City Comptroller's Office said the claim will be evaluated on its merits. If a settlement is not reached, Ballinger could file a lawsuit.


"This was a tragic incident and the city will review the claim," the city's law department said in a statement.


Gurley was shot by Peter Liang, a rookie New York police officer, on Nov. 20 in the dimly lit stairwell of a Brooklyn public housing project. Liang and his partner, also a rookie officer, were patrolling the stairwell. Liang shot Gurley as they both entered a landing.


In the claim, Ballinger's attorney said the officer acted recklessly by having his handgun drawn in the stairwell without a reason. The claim also alleges the officers contacted union representatives or other individuals before seeking medical aid for Gurley.


Gurley was unarmed and there were no words exchanged between him and the officers, police said.


Police Commissioner William Bratton has called the shooting "an unfortunate accident."


LINK: Brooklyn DA’s Civil Rights Unit Investigating Unarmed Man Fatally Shot By Police


LINK: Grand Jury To Hear Case Of Unarmed Man Shot By New York Cop In Stairwell




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Students Angered After College Sends Students With High BMIs Invite To Weight Loss Program

One Bryn Mawr student said the email telling her to join a fitness program “horrified” her.


Junior Rudrani Sarma was one of the students who got the email from the health center at the all-women's college, which had the subject line "Give a HOOT!"



Rudrani Sarma


Sarma said she was “extremely horrified” when she read the email.


Sarma said she was “extremely horrified” when she read the email.


“It’s really affected me psychologically. At first I really took this message to heart, thinking … I must need to lose weight,” she said.


Rudrani Sarma / Via facebook.com


Sarma said she was shocked by the insensitivity of the email, particularly because she was treated for an eating disorder at the same health center. She called the email “triggering.”


Sarma said she was shocked by the insensitivity of the email, particularly because she was treated for an eating disorder at the same health center. She called the email “triggering.”


Rudrani Sarma / Via facebook.com




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This Woman Had The Best Date Ever After Finding Tokyo Dinner Companion Online

Who needs Match.com?


A California woman says she had the best date ever after inviting eligible bachelors to apply online to join her for dinner across the globe.



instagram.com


Stephanie Robesky, a 39-year-old San Francisco entrepreneur, scored a reservation earlier this month to a restaurant called Noma in Tokyo to celebrate her birthday.



Robesky was lucky enough to score a reservation out of 60,000 applicants for a seat at the restaurant — a pop-up at the Mandarin Oriental in Tokyo by Rene Redzepi, one of the most influential chefs in the world. He is the purveyor of Michelin-rated Noma in Copenhagen, the highest-rated restaurant in the world.


instagram.com


The only problem? The reservation was for two, and Robesky is single.


The only problem? The reservation was for two, and Robesky is single.


Stephanie Robesky / Via http://NerdGirl.com


Robesky created an application on her blog Nerd Girl and invited eligible bachelors to apply to join her for dinner.




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Texas Court Declines To Stop Execution Of Man With An IQ Of 67

Rober Ladd has too severe an intellectual disability to be executed, his attorneys contend. He is scheduled to be executed in Texas at 6 p.m. CT.



AP Photo/Texas Department of Criminal Justice


After the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday denied a motion to stay his execution, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which is representing Ladd, filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court.


His lawyers said that Ladd has an intellectual disability and an IQ of 67 and would be considered ineligible for the death penalty in any other state.


The Supreme Court ruled in two landmark cases that executing inmates with intellectual disabilities is a violation of the Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment.


However, Ladd does not meet Texas courts' standards for intellectual disability, which, the ACLU said, were based in part on the character of Lennie Small in John Steinbeck's book Of Mice and Men.


"Anywhere else in the country, Mr. Ladd's IQ of 67 would have meant a life sentence, not death," Brian Stull, senior staff attorney with the ACLU's Capital Punishment Project who is representing Ladd, said in a statement.


Stull added that Texas courts "insist on severely misjudging" Ladd's intellectual capacity, citing the intellectual disability standards that were "crafted from Of Mice and Men and other sources that have nothing to do with science or medicine."


"Robert Ladd's fate shouldn't depend on a novella," Stull said.


The ACLU has filed a petition for a writ of certiorari asking the Supreme Court to review the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals' decision.


Ladd is also a defendant in a separate lawsuit that questions the "quality and viability" of Texas' supply of its lethal injection drug, pentobarbital. According to the lawsuit, there were concerns that the state's dwindling supply of compounded pentobarbital was no longer viable and would cause Ladd excruciating pain, violating the Eighth Amendment.


An appeal to grant a temporary stay of execution was rejected by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday, which suggested that the Supreme Court was the best venue to decide the issue, the Associated Press reported.


Garner, 38, was "borderline mentally retarded" and worked at the Andrews Center, which helped people with intellectual disabilities and mental illnesses employment. She was found raped and beaten to death at her home, according to court documents. Her house had also been burglarized and set on fire.


Prior to her death, Garner's legs and wrist had been bound by a cord.


Before Garner's death, Ladd had served 16 years of a 40-year sentence for the 1978 murder of a woman and two children. Their house was also set on fire.


When he was 13, Ladd was first labeled "fairly obviously retarded" by the Texas Youth Commission, his appeal stated. In an affidavit, the psychiatrist confirmed his initial diagnosis of mental retardation after Ladd's IQ test and three interviews. Ladd logged an IQ score of 67.


At age 36, Ladd also qualified for services at the Andrews Center, the ACLU said.


"Robert Ladd's life is full of evidence of his intellectual disability, and he doesn't belong on death row," Stull said.






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NYPD To Create Heavily Armed Counter-Terror Unit That Will Patrol Streets

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said Thursday that the new program is a response to the recent protests and the events in Paris. The program will allow patrol cops to spend more time building ties to the community.



A New York Police Department (NYPD) officer keeps guard during New Year's Eve celebrations in Times Square Dec. 31, 2014.


Stephanie Keith / Reuters


NEW YORK CITY — The New York Police Department will create a new heavily armed unit that will focus on "disorder control and counter-terror," Police Commissioner Bill Bratton announced Thursday.


Speaking at a breakfast given by the Police Foundation at the Mandarin Hotel, Bratton said that the new unit, known as the Strategic Response Group, will consist of 600 officers equipped with "long rifles and machine guns" and will patrol locations around the city at all times, CBS reported.


"It is designed for dealing with events like our recent protests, or incidents like Mumbai or what just happened in Paris," Bratton said of the new unit, referring to recent peaceful protests demanding an end to police brutality and to terrorist attacks in India and France.


Previously, the NYPD responded to crises by deploying cops from local precincts, which Bratton said left the neighborhoods served by those precincts unattended.


The police commissioner also acknowledged that there is a "divide between the police and the public they serve" and that the "racial nature of the divide is undeniable."


Bratton added that a recent survey of more than 11,000 police officers showed "a problem with police morale." Nearly 90% of the surveyed cops said that "threat" of being investigated by the Civilian Complaint and Review Board kept them from "being proactive in the street."


He vowed to address that divide and that morale problem by ensuring that cops spend enough time making connections to the neighborhoods they serve, and by lessening the emphasis on statistics that has defined the NYPD ever since his first term as commissioner.


"For too long there's been a sense that the answer to any policing challenge was 'more' — more stops, more summonses, more arrests," Bratton said. "The problem is, this confused the means with the ends. It ignored creative ways of addressing crime and disorder that went beyond enforcement."


LINK: 11 Highlights From The NYPD’s End Of The Year Report You Need To Know


LINK: Anatomy Of An Eric Garner Protest




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Texas Lawmaker Wants Muslims Visiting Capitol To Pledge "Allegiance To America"

A Muslim group was invited to the Texas Capitol on Thursday to speak with lawmakers in an event to encourage political activism.The event was marred by protests.


Muslim visitors were welcomed to the Texas Capitol on Thursday to discuss issues affecting their community, but one Republican state lawmaker had this to say.


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Facebook: TexansforMolly




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This Astronaut Has The Best Official Portrait You'll Ever See

Meet Leland Melvin, your new favorite spaceman.


Melvin has been working for NASA since 1989. He's assigned to the Astronaut Office Space Station Operations Branch, and the Education Department at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.


According to National Geographic , Scout wandered into Melvin's yard and he's taken care of him ever since.




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A Guy Created A "Sexist Tip Calculator" That Stiffs Female Servers To Highlight The Wage Gap

He says the goal is to enable people to visualize pay inequality.


Whaley built the app with his four-person Miscellaneous Mischief team, one of whom is a woman.



tipthemless.org


The lower number is based on the gender wage gap percentage from the census, Whaley said.


"Now people can experience the gender wage gap in a context everyone can relate to: tipping," he explained.




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Watch Live: Opening Arguments In Aaron Hernandez's Murder Trial

The former New England Patriots star is standing trial for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd. He has pleaded not guilty.



LINK: Here’s What You Need To Know About The Aaron Hernandez Trial



Aaron Hernandez at a pre-trial hearing at Bristol County Superior Court on January 6.


Pool/Epa






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Comcast Changes Guy’s Name To “Asshole” After Wife Tries To Cancel Service

How sweet.


A woman named Lisa Brown wrote to consumer advocate and journalist Chris Elliot this week for help after the name on her husband's Comcast account was changed from Ricardo Brown to "Asshole" Brown.



Chris Elliot / Via elliott.org


Brown told Elliot that when she called to cancel, she was transferred to a retention specialist who tried to convince her to instead sign a new two-year contract. The family later received a bill addressed to "Asshole."


"I was never rude," Brown told Elliot. "It could have been that person was upset because I didn't take the offer."


Comcast confirmed to BuzzFeed News that the incident occurred, and said they are investigating.


"We have spoken with our customer and apologized for this completely unacceptable and inappropriate name change," spokesman Steve Kipp said in a statement.


The company said in a blog post the employee has been fired, and they are using the incident to "reinforce with each employee just how important respect is to our culture."


After conversations with multiple Comcast representatives, Brown was given a full refund of her past two years of service and another two years free.


Elliott said Comcast's treatment of Brown is "unheard of."


"We know they're thinking it. But to put it on paper — that's very, very rare," he told BuzzFeed News.


Keep on with that great customer service, Comcast.


Keep on with that great customer service, Comcast.


http://ift.tt/M4fMFO / Via Giphy




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Some California Students Without Measles Immunization Banned From School

Almost 70 students were dismissed from Palm Desert High School for two weeks or until they show proof of immunization.



Joe Raedle / Getty Images


School is out for 66 students at Palm Desert high School in California who have not been fully vaccinated for measles.


The students were dismissed from classes Wednesday afternoon, and will not be allowed to return for the next two weeks – or until they show proof they've been vaccinated, Mary Perry, spokeswoman for the Desert Sands Unified School District said in a statement. Permission to return to school will be given by the Riverside County Public Health Department.


The ban came after another student was possibly infected with the virus. After being cleared by the Riverside County Public Health Department, the student is now allowed to return to school.


Schools in other districts of California are also taking precautions against the spread of the virus. In Santa Monica High School, a freshman baseball coach was diagnosed with measles. After examining the situation, the school district determined the students were not at risk.


In Huntington Beach, after a student was confirmed with measles, 24 classmates were asked to stay home for three weeks since they couldn't provide proof of immunization.



Joe Raedle / Getty Images


And a father of a 6-year-old with leukemia has asked the Marin County school district to keep unvaccinated children out of school.


"I respect people's choices about what to do with their kids, but if someone's kid gets sick and gets my kid sick, too, that's a problem," the father, Carl Krawitt told the New York Times .


Approximately 7% of children at his son's school are unvaccinated.


The decisions come as the measles outbreak continues to spread in California. The number of confirmed measles cases has risen to 95, with 65 those stemming from Disneyland. The majority of measles cases are still in California, but other confirmed cases include five in Arizona, three in Utah, two in Washington and one each in Nebraska, Oregon, Colorado, and Mexico.


The patients range in age from infants to adults. Some are partially vaccinated and at least two were too young to have been vaccinated. Infants too young to be vaccinated face the highest risk. The first dose of the vaccine is administered at 12 to15 months old. The second dose is given before a child enters school, at 4 to 6 years old.


Symptoms of the virus include fever, cough, red eyes, and a runny nose. Typically, patients develop a rash after being exposed to the virus.




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How A Post-9/11 Law Can Get You Arrested For Your Emoji Choices

A Brooklyn teen was charged, in part, with threatening police officers through his use of emojis. Whether the cartoons can be interpreted as terroristic threats is an open legal question.



Police officers in 2011 leaving at a ceremony honoring those who died on 9/11.


AP Seth Wenig


NEW YORK CITY — Osiris Aristy, a 17-year-old from Brooklyn, does not hold back in his Facebook status updates. He posts about his love for blunts and cough syrup, wanting to buy his mother a bigger home, and his disdain for the police.


Most of Aristy's anti-cop status updates seem tame compared to the vitriol found all over the internet. They are not altogether different from many hip-hop lyrics, where the figure of the cop killer is sometimes an archetype of rebellion and power.


But on the evening of Jan. 15, according to a criminal complaint, Aristy posted a photo of a revolver with bullets beside it, and wrote he felt "like katxhin a body right now." A few minutes later, he posted "nigga run up on me, he gunna get blown down ???." An hour later, he posted, "fuck the 83 104 79 98 73 PCTKKKK ???." (All three of the posts appear to have since been deleted.)


Less than three days later, on Jan. 18, the New York Police Department arrested Aristy at his Bushwick home on a warrant accusing the teenager of "making a terroristic threat," a felony that could carry seven years in prison upon conviction.


None of the Facebook posts that were cited to in the criminal complaint that led to Aristy's arrest appear to include verbal or text-based threat to police officers. The teen's references to law enforcement officers appears to be limited to the use of cartoon representations of police and firearms.


All of which raises a question that almost sounds silly, but is actually very serious: Can emojis be legally interpreted as terroristic threats?


View Video ›


Osiris Aristy.


facebook.com


As with many laws passed in the months after the attacks of Sept. 11, the New York State statute defining "terroristic threats" is remarkably broad. The charge entered the penal code shortly after the attacks, when the state legislature found a need for laws "specifically designed to combat the evils of terrorism."


The statute says that any statement intending to intimidate civilians or the government by threatening to commit a specific offense can be prosecuted as terrorism. It adds that a defendant's unwillingness or inability to actually carry out the threat "shall be no defense."


But the statute does include one important qualifying factor, legal experts who specialize in civil liberties told BuzzFeed News. Namely, it requires prosecutors to prove that the person making the statement intended it as a threat, rather than a boast or a joke.


"Words that could be construed as threatening are enough to make an arrest," said John Elwood, an attorney with Vinson and Elkins in Washington, D.C. "But they shouldn't be enough to convict someone."


Elwood represents Anthony Elonis, a Pennsylvania man who was sentenced to prison in 2010 after he posted rap lyrics threatening his wife and co-workers on Facebook. The Supreme Court is currently hearing the case and may decide to overturn Elonis' conviction.


The Elonis case hinges on a question usually relegated to comparative literature departments — namely, whether the author's intentions should inform the interpretation of a text, or whether meaning is in the eye of the beholder.


Some states — New York included — hold that authorial intention is important, but others employ a less stringent standard. That lesser standard says a message can be considered a threat if a "reasonable person" would find it threatening. (Whether that reasonable person is an elderly judge or a brash teenager remains unclear.) The Supreme Court is expected to decide which of the two standards should apply on a federal level sometime this year.


Unless a prosecutor can prove that the teenager wanted to scare police officers with emojis, the grand jury convened by Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson will likely dismiss that charge. In Elwood's view, that outcome is likely.


As of Wednesday, the grand jury was still hearing evidence to decide whether to indict Aristy on any combination of the charges he faces. During the arrest, police found a revolver and 25 grams of marijuana in Aristy's bedroom, according to the criminal complaint. This added criminal possession of a weapon and a controlled substance to the teen's charges – and a year and three months to his potential sentence.


The teen's attorney, Fred Pratt, told BuzzFeed News that he did not think his client's statements constituted terroristic threats. Aristy didn't return a request for comment.


"When somebody puts an emoji on a message, there's evidence that they were trying to make a joke, that there's no intent to intimidate," the attorney told BuzzFeed News. "Though I guess someone could argued it was intended as a threatening smiley face."




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Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Raging Apartment Fire In San Francisco Kills 1, Injures 6

The blaze began after 7 p.m. Wednesday in San Francisco’s Mission District.



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The fire began after 7 p.m. in a Mission District building that housed dozens of families, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The fire killed one man, and six other people were treated for smoke inhalation, according to NBC 11.



vine.co


Crews also rescued at least 12 people, according to the Chronicle.


After several hours of fighting the blaze, crews appeared to have it under control. However, the fire then spread and by 10 p.m. was still not contained.


"When I got on scene, crews had a very good handle on (the fire), but it immediately ran the attic" Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White told the Chronicle.




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Dismembered Body Found In Suitcase On San Francisco Sidewalk

Police are searching for a suspect who left a suitcase containing human body parts on 11th Street near Mission Street. Authorities later found more body parts within three blocks of the suitcase.


Police were called to 11th and Mission streets in the South of Market neighborhood around 4:15 p.m., ABC 7 reported. Their investigation of the suitcase closed the street to pedestrians and cars.


Police had a rough description of a suspect, the Chronicle reported, and detectives were working to obtain surveillance video in the area.


Authorities later found more body parts within a three block radius of where the suitcase was found.


"There was one crime scene — it was just very large," Police Officer Grace Gatpandan said.


Information about whether the body parts came from one victim was not immediately known.






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Man Who Discovered $400 Million Gold Treasure Nabbed After Two Years On The Run

Tommy Thompson made history in 1988 when he discovered the gold in a famous shipwreck. He went on the run, though, after multiple investors who helped fund the treasure hunt sued.


A treasure hunter turned fugitive accused of cheating his investors out of the millions he scooped up from a shipwreck has been captured after more than two years on the run.


A treasure hunter turned fugitive accused of cheating his investors out of the millions he scooped up from a shipwreck has been captured after more than two years on the run.


Doral Chenoweth III / AP



"Thompson was one of the most intelligent fugitives ever sought by the U.S. Marshals and he had vast financial resources at his disposal," U.S. Marshal Peter Tobin said in a statement. "This investigation and these arrests reflect great credit upon the Deputies of the U.S. Marshals Service and our agency as a whole."



The arrest is just the latest chapter in a strange legal saga involving one of the most famous shipwrecks in U.S. history.


The arrest is just the latest chapter in a strange legal saga involving one of the most famous shipwrecks in U.S. history.


Library of Congress / AP


In 1857, it sank in the Atlantic Ocean during a hurricane with 21 tons of gold in its cargo hold.


The shipwreck, which was the most famous of its century, helped contribute to the economic crisis known as the Panic of 1857.




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What Really Happened During The Blizzard Of 2015, In Two Maps

Here’s where the huge storm was forecast to dump feet of snow, and where it actually did.


Ryan Maue/WeatherBell Analytics




The map on the left was generated Sunday and shows how much snow the National Weather Service expected across the Eastern Seaboard. The teal-colored areas represent the most intense snowfall, and show how forecasters expected nearly 30 inches in New York City.


The map on the right was produced Wednesday and shows what really happened during the storm: the intense snowfall ended up further north and east, near Boston.


Both maps were created by WeatherBell Analytics, an independent weather firm, using NWS data. Ryan Maue, a meteorologist with WeatherBell, explained Tuesday why forecasters were so far off with their predictions.




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Nuclear Scientist Sentenced To Five Years In Prison For Conspiring To Hand Over Weapons Data

Pedro Mascheroni, 79, was arrested after an FBI sting operation in which he offered to help a person he believed to be a Venezuelan intelligence officer develop a nuclear warhead.



This Oct. 22, 2009 file photo shows former Los Alamos National Laboratory nuclear physicist Pedro Leonardo Mascheroni on his back deck in Los Alamos, N.M.


AP Photo/Heather Clark, File


Pedro Leonardo Mascheroni, 79, pleaded guilty in 2013 for conspiring with a man he believed to be a Venezuelan intelligence officer. The man was actually an FBI agent, and authorities presented the court with video of the sting operation.


"That is a nuclear warhead," Mascheroni said in the video, a portion of which was published by ABC News. "I know how to design this."


Though he pleaded guilty, Mascheroni said in an interview with the Associated Press that the U.S. government unfairly targeted him as a spy. He began approaching other countries after the U.S. rejected his ideas for cleaner and more reliable nuclear weapons and power, he told the AP.


His wife, 71-year-old Marjorie Roxby Mascheroni, was sentenced to one year and a day in prison with three years supervised release for conspiring with her husband.


"Our laws are designed to prevent 'Restricted Data' from falling into the wrong hands because of the potential harm to our national security," U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez said in a statement. "Those who work at our country's national laboratories are charged with safeguarding that sensitive information, and we must and will vigorously prosecute anyone who compromises our nation's nuclear secrets for profit."


Pedro Mascheroni, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Argentina, worked for the national laboratory in New Mexico from 1979-1988, when he was terminated. His wife also worked there as a technical writer with a security clearance from 1981-2010.


According to a federal indictment, Mascheroni met with an FBI agent he believed to be working for the Venezuelan government at a Santa Fe hotel. Mascheroni said he could develop nuclear weapons for Venezuela, including a laser capable of blinding satellites.


He also said he could deliver a nuclear bomb within 10 years and described nuclear weapons as a way Venezuela could deter larger countries from engaging in conflict, the indictment said.


After a test of the weapons, Mascheroni said the country could cause an explosion over New York that would not kill anyone, but would destroy all electrical power, the indictment said. He later also said he expected salaries from a Venezuelan university, as well as the country's government, for his work, the indictment said.


In his guilty plea, he admitted to communicating restricted data with reason to believe it would provide an advantage to Venezuela. He also admitted to converting U.S. information to sell, as well as failing to deliver classified information about U.S national defense to authorities. He also admitted to making false statements to the FBI during their investigation.


In a press release, authorities made clear there was no actual attempt by Venezuela to gain U.S. classified information.






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Supreme Court Halts Next Three Oklahoma Executions During Court Case

The court ordered the state to postpone the executions until a legal challenge involving the use of a contested sedative in the lethal injection process is resolved.



The execution chamber at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary as seen from the viewing area.


AP / Sue Ogrocki


The court's order came two weeks after it refused to stop the execution of Charles Warner, who brought a legal challenge against the state along with three other inmates for the state's use of midazolam in executions, and days after the court agreed to hear the remaining three prisoners' challenge to the use of the drug.


Midazolam, a controversial sedative, was used in prolonged and problematic executions in Oklahoma, Arizona, and Ohio.


The order postpones the executions of Richard Glossip, which was scheduled for Thursday, John Grant on Feb. 19, and Benjamin Cole on March 5.


The order postpones the executions of Richard Glossip, which was scheduled for Thursday, John Grant on Feb. 19, and Benjamin Cole on March 5.


supremecourt.gov


Both the state and the attorneys for the three inmates had requested a temporary halt to the executions following the Supreme Court's Jan. 23 order granting review in the case.


The state's application asked for Glossip, Grant, and Cole's executions to be stayed "until final disposition of this appeal; or, alternatively, until ODOC has in its possession a viable alternative to midazolam for use in its executions."


The high court order specifically limited the stay to executions using midazolam, which is the state's currently used protocol and is the issue pending before the justices. The order did not say anything about alternative means of execution.


The underlying case is expected to be argued in April and decided by late June.




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A Brief History Of American Women Not Covering Up In Saudi Arabia

Michelle Obama is just the latest in a long line of powerful American women who have greeted Saudi royalty without wearing a veil.


Some criticized her for not respecting Saudi traditions, while others applauded her for making a "bold political statement" for women's rights.


Some criticized her for not respecting Saudi traditions, while others applauded her for making a "bold political statement" for women's rights.


Saudi Arabia's strict dress code requires women to wear black robes and cover their face and hair in public, however, in practice, Western women and visitors to the country are exempt from the restrictions.


AP Carolyn Kaster


The thing is, every American first lady who's travelled to Saudi Arabia has neglected to cover her face or hair. Laura Bush, pictured here with King Abdullah in May 2008, never covered up on any of her trips to Saudi Arabia.


The thing is, every American first lady who's travelled to Saudi Arabia has neglected to cover her face or hair. Laura Bush, pictured here with King Abdullah in May 2008, never covered up on any of her trips to Saudi Arabia.


ASSOCIATED PRESS / Susan Walsh


First Lady Barbara Bush didn't don a veil when she travelled to Saudi Arabia with her husband in Nov. 1990.


First Lady Barbara Bush didn't don a veil when she travelled to Saudi Arabia with her husband in Nov. 1990.


Time & Life Pictures / Getty Image Diana Walker




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Florida Mom Who Fired Warning Shots Toward Abusive Husband Released From Prison

Marissa Alexander was released Tuesday. In November, she reached a deal with prosecutors in which she would serve three years in exchange for admission of guilt to assault.


Marissa Alexander, the 34-year-old mother who claimed she fired warning shots at her abusive husband, was released from jail Tuesday after she plead guilty to assault. She will remain under house arrest for an additional two years.


Marissa Alexander, the 34-year-old mother who claimed she fired warning shots at her abusive husband, was released from jail Tuesday after she plead guilty to assault. She will remain under house arrest for an additional two years.


Marissa Alexander exits a Florida courtroom on Tuesday, June 10, 2014.


Bob Mack / Associated Press


The Florida mother's case drew nationwide attention. On Aug. 1, 2010, Alexander and her estranged husband Rico Gray entered got into an altercation in her home that resulted in Gray grabbing her neck. Alexander ran to the garage, grabbed a legally registered gun and fired three warning shots in his direction.


She had given birth to her daughter nine days before.


During her 2012 hearing at the Duval County court, Alexander sought protection under Florida's Stand Your Ground laws, which George Zimmerman used, in part,in his acquittal while facing charges for fatally shooting Trayvon Martin.


Her defense strategy was unsuccessful. A jury convicted her in 12 minutes of three felony charges. She was sentenced to 20 years in jail.


In November, Alexander accepted a plea deal during her appeal in order to avoid an increased sentence of 60 years in prison for possession of a deadly weapon with an intent to harm.






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Can You Help Find The Mysterious Person Who Shoveled The Boston Marathon Finish Line?

The internet is searching for an anonymous shoveling hero.




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Judge To Overturn Convictions Of Black Students Who Sat At A Whites-Only Restaurant In 1961

Known as the Friendship Nine, the African-American men staged a protest at a segregated restaurant in South Carolina, and were sent to jail for 30 days.


After 54 years, the criminal records of a group of black men known as the Friendship Nine will be amended to reflect that they were not guilty of any crimes when they sat down at a segregated restaurant in Rock Hill, South Carolina, in 1961.


After 54 years, the criminal records of a group of black men known as the Friendship Nine will be amended to reflect that they were not guilty of any crimes when they sat down at a segregated restaurant in Rock Hill, South Carolina, in 1961.


In a March 2009 photo, Rev. W. T. "Dub" Massey, right, and Willie McLeod, left, return to the lunch counter where they were arrested during a staged sit-in in 1961.


Mary Ann Chastain / AP Photo


As was typical in the segregated South at the time, the then-college students were immediately and aggressively apprehended by the police and taken to the county jail, following their protest at McCrory's Five and Dime restaurant.


"I remember being grabbed up by my belt and thrown to the floor and dragged out of the store," Clarence Graham, a Friendship Nine member, told NBC News.


The group was charged with trespassing and disturbing the peace, and was sentenced to 30 days of manual labor in the prison farm, known then as the "chain gang."


"It was a frightening experience, but the part that got me is when they put me in the cell and closed that door. And that clang, you can still hear it," David Williamson, another group member, said in the NBC interview.


The sit-in was one in a string of protests staged by student and activist civil rights groups throughout the South, but the Friendship Nine (named after the college eight of the nine men attended) soon became known for their decision to employ a "jail, no bail" tactic, in which all nine protesters forewent their bail $100 fees and did their time.


The decision stemmed from a refusal to give money to the people jailing them, as well as the group's awareness of the financial burden the civil rights movement faced from constantly bailing out demonstrators.


"The NAACP, they couldn't afford it any longer; they had to find a method of getting something done without spending the money," Graham told CBS News.


Judge John Hayes signed the order today in South Carolina.


"We cannot rewrite history, but we can right history," he said.


The Friendship Nine was formed by David Williamson, James Wells, Willie McCleod, Willie Thomas "Dub" Massey, Clarence Graham, John Gaines, Thomas Gaither, Mack Workman, and Robert McCullough, who died in 2009.


BuzzFeed News has reached out to a representative from Friendship College for comment.






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This Is The NFL's First Super Bowl PSA For Domestic Violence

“When it’s hard to talk, it’s up to us to listen.”


The NFL is making history on Sunday by airing a PSA about domestic violence for the first time during the Super Bowl:



youtube.com


In the 60-second video, a woman pretends to be on the phone ordering a pizza but is actually calling 911 for help. This way, her abuser doesn't know she's notifying the police.


In the 60-second video, a woman pretends to be on the phone ordering a pizza but is actually calling 911 for help. This way, her abuser doesn't know she's notifying the police.


No More Campaign / Via youtube.com


This is the last image that shows up on the screen during the PSA:


This is the last image that shows up on the screen during the PSA:


No More Campaign / Via youtube.com


According to The Hollywood Reporter , the ad is reportedly based on a real 911 call from a woman experiencing violence in her home.


According to The Hollywood Reporter, the ad is reportedly based on a real 911 call from a woman experiencing violence in her home.


No More Campaign / Via youtube.com




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GoDaddy Had To Pull This Super Bowl Ad After Everyone Thought It Promoted Animal Abuse

It was meant to be a parody of Budweiser’s 2014 “Lost Dog” ad.


Website domain host GoDaddy has decided to pull their #GoDaddyPuppy ad after complaints poured in.



youtube.com


The ad is a parody of the 2014 Budweiser ad "Lost Dog."


The ad is a parody of the 2014 Budweiser ad "Lost Dog."


youtube.com


In GoDaddy's ad, a puppy falls off a truck...


In GoDaddy's ad, a puppy falls off a truck...


youtube.com


...And then has to find his way back home.


...And then has to find his way back home.


youtube.com




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Tuesday, January 27, 2015

"All Their Eggs In The Wrong Basket": Why Forecasters Blew The NYC Blizzard

Meteorologists said a “historic storm” was barreling for New York City, causing officials to effectively shut down the region. Here’s where they went wrong.



AP Julio Cortez


So what happened? Why did the storm appear to be such a clear danger that officials literally shut the city down, yet the dire forecast failed to materialize?


The National Weather Service predicted 20 to 30 inches of snow in the city. In the end, less than half — 9.8 inches — fell in Central Park.


Tuesday evening, after the forecast failure was apparent, meteorologist Ryan Maue of WeatherBell Analytics, a private weather firm, chatted with BuzzFeed News about what happened. Maue described a series of missteps that ultimately led to the wildly overblown New York City snow predictions.


Unlike a hurricane, the storm materialized very quickly. Maue said that in less than 24 hours it grew from basically nothing to a massive system off the coast of New England. That made the storm difficult to predict and offered few opportunities to adjust predictions, a routine procedure with hurricanes.


"Until the event is actually underway the numbers are hard to nail," Maue said. "It was a very difficult forecast."



vine.co




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Sheldon Silver To Resign As New York Assembly Speaker After Arrest

Silver, a longtime player in New York politics, was accused of using his position to bring in millions of dollars in bribes. Fellow Democrats had asked the Manhattan representative to resign his leadership position.



Shannon Stapleton / Reuters


The longtime politician must step down or face removal as speaker, Newsday reported. A new speaker will be chosen Feb. 10, and majority leader Joseph D. Morelle will take over in the interim.




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Man Charged With Sexually Assaulting, Killing His 19-Day-Old Daughter

Matthew Warner had reported his daughter missing Friday night, setting off a massive search that ended when he led authorities to a parked truck where her body was found inside.


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Warner, 30, faces one count each of murder, assault on a child causing death, torture, "oral copulation or sexual penetration with a child 10 years or younger" and aggravated sexual assault of a child, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.


Prosecutors allege that the sex assault and death occurred on Friday, hours before Warner and his wife walked into a local sheriff's station at about 9:30 p.m. to report Ellorah as missing.


The couple, who live in Newhall, north of Los Angeles, was held for questioning as deputies from three area sheriff's stations conducted an all-night search with helicopters and volunteers. The next morning, Warner led authorities to a truck parked not far from the family's home, where Ellorah's body was found inside.


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Later that day, Allison recalled hearing unusual noises coming from the room. When the baby stopped crying, Allison thought she'd fallen asleep.


Hours later, Allison told The Times Warner emerged and appeared hyper. After noticing the baby's milk was still in the refrigerator, she tried calling her daughter, but the phone had been disconnected.


That's when she went to a neighbor's home to call police, but by then, Warner and the baby were gone.


Los Angeles County sheriff's officials told local media that the mother, who has not been arrested, was distraught but cooperating with the investigation.




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Army Prosecutor Found Guilty Of Multiple Sexual Assault Charges

Maj. Erik J. Burris once prosecuted sexual assault cases.


A former Army prosecutor has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment after being convicted of several sexual assault charges, including rape and forcible sodomy, against multiple victims.


A former Army prosecutor has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment after being convicted of several sexual assault charges, including rape and forcible sodomy, against multiple victims.


Fox 40 / Via dailymail.co.uk


He was found not guilty of other sodomy and assault charges.


Burris had been serving as the chief of justice for the 82nd Airborne Division when the allegations against him came to light, a Fort Bragg spokeswoman told BuzzFeed News.


In that role, Burris prosecuted all types of cases, including sexual assault cases.


Burris pled not guilty to all of the charges. In an interview last year, Burris said he was being accused of raping his then-wife and assaulting his children.


Burris pled not guilty to all of the charges. In an interview last year, Burris said he was being accused of raping his then-wife and assaulting his children.


Fox 40 / Via dailymail.co.uk


"She proceeded to make more and more allegations," he told Fox 40. "Each time she spoke to someone new she was accusing me of something else. And generally those accusations became more heinous as the process went on."


Fort Bragg does not reveal the identities of the victims in these types of cases, the spokeswoman told BuzzFeed News.


Burris was sentenced to 20 years in confinement, dismissal from the services, and forfeiture of pay, the Army said.




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Police: Georgia Couple Were Shot To Death After Trying To Buy Car Through Craigslist

Ronnie Adrian “Jay” Towns, 28, has been charged with murder and armed robbery in connection with the deaths of 69-year-old Bud Runion and his 66-year-old wife, June.



June Runion and her husband Elrey "Bud" Runion


AP Photo/Courtesy of the Cobb County Police Department


A Georgia couple who went missing after setting out to buy a classic car through Craigslist were shot to death, authorities said on Tuesday.


Ronnie Adrian "Jay" Towns, 28, has been charged with the murders of 69-year-old Bud Runion and his 66-year-old wife, June, according to the Telfair County Sheriff's Department. The pair went missing on Thursday near the town of McRae, Georgia.


Towns, a McRae resident, turned himself in on Monday after authorities obtained a warrant and began circulating his photo. He was initially charged with giving false statements and criminal attempt to commit theft by deception, the Associated Press reported. In addition to being charged with the pair's murder, Towns has also been charged with armed robbery.



Ronnie Adrian "Jay" Towns


Telfair County Sheriff's Department


According to the Runions' family, the couple left their Marietta, Georgia, home on Thursday to look at a 1966 Mustang they had seen on Craigslist. They failed to return home as expected, and their family failed to contact them.


A search and rescue operation began of the McRae area, and on Monday authorities found their SUV submerged in a lake. Two bodies were found at a separate location, and on Tuesday the bodies were positively identified as the missing couple.


The Telfair County Sheriff's office said robbery appears to be the motive in the couple's killing, the AP reported. Authorities also said Towns does not appear to own the classic car that appeared in the Craigslist ad.


A cellphone that made the last known contact with the couple was traced to Towns, authorities said.


Town's arrest has shocked the small farming community where he grew up, and his family offered their condolences to the Runions' relatives.




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Leaders Of The Mormon Church Endorse LGBT Protection Laws

During a seldom-given news conference, church elders called for an end to sexuality-based discrimination and religious freedom.


Top leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced their support of employment and housing protections for Utah’s LGBT community, as well as protections for people who object to such measures on religious grounds.


Top leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced their support of employment and housing protections for Utah’s LGBT community, as well as protections for people who object to such measures on religious grounds.


Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks during a news conference in Salt Lake City.


Rick Bowmer / Associated Press


In doing so, the Mormon Church became one of the biggest sects in the country to publicly advocate for laws that protect gay rights.


"We call on local, state and the federal government," Elder Dallin H. Oaks said in a news release, "to serve all of their people by passing legislation that protects vital religious freedoms for individuals, families, churches and other faith groups while also protecting the rights of our LGBT citizens in such areas as housing, employment and public accommodation in hotels, restaurants and transportation — protections which are not available in many parts of the country."


Under the legal framework being proposed by the church, the religious liberties of those who work in government or health care would still be protected if their beliefs conflicted with their professional responsibilities. A physician could refrain from performing an artificial insemination procedure for a lesbian couple, and ordained ministers could still refuse to perform the marriage for a gay couple.


Nonetheless, politicians and advocates on both sides of the debate are aware of the impact that the church's support carries, especially in other states like Utah, Idaho, Nevada, and Arizona, where it has significant influence in the civic sphere, and where LGBT protections often lag behind those of other states.


"If the LDS Church gets behind it and gives its blessing, then 81% of the body who are LDS will likely get behind it," Rep. Jacob Anderegg told the Salt Lake City Tribune after the press conference. "And it's not because the church is coming out and saying, 'Vote this way or that way,' but an endorsement from them does carry weight."


The decision was a result of escalating discussions within the church about the intersection of religious freedom and human rights.


"Ultimately, most of society recognized that such treatment was simply wrong, and that such basic human rights as securing a job or a place to live should not depend on a person's sexual orientation," said Neill Marriott, a public affairs representative for the church.


While the endorsement marks a significant step towards smoothing tensions between gay rights advocates and some Mormon church members in Utah, it is not the first time the LDS has pushed for better treatment of LGBT people.


In 2009, the Mormon church came out in support of two ordinances protecting the LGBT community from employment and housing discrimination. Almost immediately, the Salt Lake City Council approved the measure.






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Woman Arrested After Allegedly Drowning Puppy In Airport Bathroom

Cynthia V. Anderson is accused of killing the dog after being told she couldn’t bring it in her carry-on bag.


A Florida woman has been arrested for allegedly drowning a puppy in an airport bathroom after being told she could not bring it on a plane.


A Florida woman has been arrested for allegedly drowning a puppy in an airport bathroom after being told she could not bring it on a plane.


Hall County Department of Corrections / Via hallcountyne.gov


Anderson was carrying two adult dogs that appeared to be Yorkshire Terriers, as well as three puppies thought to be a Doberman mix.


The puppies were so young, they "didn't even have their eyes open yet," Elliot said.


After being denied at the airport, Anderson took two of the three puppies to her parents' house in Nebraska. She then returned to the airport on Friday with the two adult dogs in proper carriers and one puppy in her carry-on.


Anderson was stopped again for having the puppy in her bag. According to witnesses, she then went into a women's bathroom, Elliot said.


About 15 minutes later, another woman went into the bathroom and found the puppy in a toilet, Elliot said. Authorities determined the pup had drowned.


Anderson, 56, is being held on felony animal cruelty charges and faces a maximum of five years in prison.


She is originally from Nebraska, but is currently living in Edgewater, Florida. Authorities are not sure where she got the dogs, Elliot said.






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A Yeti Is Wandering Around Boston During The Blizzard

Welcome to 2015. There’s also a “Snowst.”




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15 Eeerily Beautiful Photos Of Snowy And Deserted New York Streets

New Yorkers were told to stay indoors because of the blizzard, but some intrepid Instagrammers headed out.


As dawn broke, one of the busiest cities in the world was practically a ghost town.


In midtown Manhattan there was not a car on the road.



instagram.com


The roads outside Grand Central Station were covered in snow.



instagram.com


As morning broke, the Upper West Side was empty.



instagram.com




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Ontario Is Banning The Breeding And Buying Of Orcas In Captivity

The controversies surrounding orca whale captivity have been an ongoing issue. Ontario has announced plans to address some of them.


The Ontario government has announced that they will overhaul conditions and standards of care for marine mammals in captivity — this includes a ban on breeding and buying killer whales.


The Ontario government has announced that they will overhaul conditions and standards of care for marine mammals in captivity — this includes a ban on breeding and buying killer whales.


A 125-page report led by biologist David Rosen of the University of British Columbia finds the current standards of care in regards to "the most humane treatment" of captive marine mammals to be "insufficient." In fact, the report states that there are no additional provisions protecting these creatures other than the provincial Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, which applies to all animals.


In response, a provincial-wide ban on the acquiring and breeding of orcas is included in the report.


The overhaul will also introduce new standards of care for whales, dolphins, walruses, seals, and other marine animals in Ontario. Provisions include changes to noise levels, pool sizes, water quality, and appropriate social interactions with other animals.


Ontario government officials believe stronger protections of captive mammals are imperative. "This is something that Ontarians expect and these animals deserve,” Community Safety Minister Yasir Naqvi, who announced the ban, told The Toronto Star. "[It's] the right thing to do."


Mike Blake / Reuters



Below is the entire report:






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Georgia Denies Clemency To Intellectually Disabled Man Facing Execution

Warren Hill is set to be executed Tuesday night.


Georgia's Board of Pardons and Paroles voted Tuesday to deny clemency to Warren Hill, a death row inmate set to be executed this evening despite numerous findings that he suffers from an intellectual disability.


Georgia's Board of Pardons and Paroles voted Tuesday to deny clemency to Warren Hill, a death row inmate set to be executed this evening despite numerous findings that he suffers from an intellectual disability.


AP Photo/Georgia Dept. of Corrections


Hill, who has an IQ of approximately 70, was serving a life sentence for the 1985 murder of his girlfriend when he killed fellow inmate Joseph Handspike in 1990. He was then sentenced to death for Handspike's murder.


The Parole Board met on Monday to consider his last minute appeal, but announced Tuesday it had voted to deny clemency. He is set to be executed by lethal injection at 7 p.m. ET at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson.


"The clemency board missed an opportunity to right a grave wrong," Hill's attorney Brian Kammer said in a statement.


"According to every doctor who has ever examined him, Mr. Hill has intellectual disability. Mr. Hill's disability means that he has the emotional and cognitive functioning of an 11 year old boy," Kammer said.


In the 2002 case of Atkins v. Virginia, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that executing intellectually disabled inmates violates the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. However, Georgia has an exceptionally high burden of proof, with defendants required to prove "beyond a reasonable doubt" that they have an intellectual disability.


Kammer called this burden of proof "unscientific" and "extreme."


"Mr. Hill's execution cannot be permitted to proceed," Kammer said. "It is illegal, and it is a violation of the fundamental rights of persons with developmental disabilities to society's protection."


Kammer said has filed a petition for a writ of certiorari and a motion for stay of execution in the U.S. Supreme Court.






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Principal Announces Snow Day With Adorable "Let It Go" Cover

The cold never bothered him anyway.


A Rhode Island school principal announced that students had a snow day in an adorable fashion by performing a cover of “Let It Go.”



Moses Brown School / Via youtube.com


Matt Glendinning, the head of Moses Brown School, stars in the Frozen-inspired video “School Is Closed,” posted to YouTube on Monday.


Matt Glendinning, the head of Moses Brown School, stars in the Frozen-inspired video “School Is Closed,” posted to YouTube on Monday.


Moses Brown School / Via youtube.com


After observing the gloomy skies, Glendinning declares that students will have the day off.


After observing the gloomy skies, Glendinning declares that students will have the day off.


Moses Brown School / Via youtube.com


The kids are happy...


The kids are happy...


Moses Brown School / Via youtube.com




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Gunman Dead After Shooting Two Cops At Minnesota City Hall

The shooting was captured on a video camera filming a city council meeting in the town of New Hope. “Get down!” one council member said to several others.



Some of the incident was captured on a video camera that was filming the city council meeting in the town of New Hope.


Some of the incident was captured on a video camera that was filming the city council meeting in the town of New Hope.


In it, the members of the city council are seen hurrying under their desks after the shots ring out. One of the councilmen yells at his colleagues to get down, and draws a gun.


City of New Hope / Via kare11.com


The councilman, John Elder, is a member of the Minneapolis Police Department, according to KARE.


The councilman, John Elder, is a member of the Minneapolis Police Department, according to KARE.


The gunman was shot and killed after he opened fire on a group of police officers leaving the city hall after a swearing-in ceremony, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department told KARE.


Two officers were injured by the gunfire but are in good condition and are expected to recover, officials said.


City of New Hope / Via kare11.com




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This Is What Measles Actually Looks Like

Dozens have been infected in a recent measles outbreak that started at Disneyland. Here’s what you need to know about this disease.


In December, measles broke out at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. The virus infected 42 people at the park, five of whom were Disney employees.


So far this year, measles has infected 68 people in 11 states (and counting), aged from 7 months to 70 years. Although we've had a measles vaccine since 1963, most of these new infections hit unvaccinated people.


In the U.S., the measles vaccination rate is nearly 95%. This is generally high enough to keep the virus in check when it comes in from other countries. Outbreaks happen when clusters of unvaccinated people gather in the same area (such as in an amusement park), allowing the disease to spread rapidly.


Vaccinated people protect those who can't get a jab, such as young babies and people with certain allergies.


But some parents believe, despite loads of scientific research to the contrary, that vaccinations will increase their child's risk of autism. Some of them argue that there's nothing to fear, that measles is a mild disease and not worthy of a vaccination.


"Why is it that people are making this choice? I think the answer is that they don't fear the disease," Dr. Paul Offit, a professor of pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, told BuzzFeed News. "They haven't lived through an epidemic."


The last big U.S. outbreak was 1989–1991, so most people — even most doctors — don't remember how bad it was, he added.


So just how bad is it? Here are the basics.


Measles spreads through the air.


Measles spreads through the air.


James Gathany/CDC / Via en.wikipedia.org


When someone infected with the measles coughs or sneezes, they spew droplets of virus that can live for up to two hours. "Small droplets hang in the air, like a ghost," Offit said.


If you breathe them in, the virus lodges itself in your throat and lungs. There it multiplies and spreads through the rest of the body.


Symptoms typically begin with a runny nose, 104+ degree fever, a cough, and red, watery eyes.


Symptoms typically begin with a runny nose, 104+ degree fever, a cough, and red, watery eyes.


CDC/ Barbara Rice / Via phil.cdc.gov




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