Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Legendary Singer Joni Mitchell Hospitalized In Los Angeles

Mitchell reportedly was rushed from her Los Angeles home to a hospital Tuesday. Little was known about her condition.

Canadian folk singer and songwriter Joni Mitchell outside The Revolution club in London on Sept. 18, 1968.

Central Press / Getty Images

Mitchell was taken to the hospital around 2:30 p.m., TMZ first reported.

When asked about Mitchell Tuesday evening, the Los Angeles Fire Department told BuzzFeed News paramedics transported a woman from the 600 block of Funchal Road. The woman was in fair condition, meaning she would have been conscious while en route.

TMZ reported that Mitchell was alert while being transported, but that paramedics had responded to a call of an unconscious woman. Mitchell was in intensive care Tuesday night, the site said.

Representatives for Mitchell did not respond to BuzzFeed News' requests for comment Tuesday.

Originally hailing from western Canada, Mitchell eventually moved to the U.S. and ultimately settled in L.A. In 1970, she wrote "Woodstock" about the eponymous festival that took place a year earlier.

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Andrew Getty, Heir To Oil Fortune, Found Dead In Los Angeles

Andrew Getty was found dead Tuesday afternoon in his Hollywood Hills home. Police said the cause of death is under investigation.

The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to BuzzFeed News officials were investigating a death at Getty's address, but did not confirm that it was Getty.

TMZ reported that Getty had been found with a gunshot wound to the face:

Police arrived at the home after receiving a call at 2:20 p.m. about a man in distress, Officer Jack Richter said.

No one had been arrested Tuesday afternoon and the cause of death was still unknown. Police would not say if the death was suspicious, citing the earliness of the investigation.

Getty is the son of Gordon Getty and the grandson of J. Paul Getty, who made a fortune in the oil industry.

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Indianapolis Tourism Website Shows Solidarity With LBGT Community

“All are welcome in Indy.”

visitindy.com

Horrified by a new Indiana state law that opponents say will enable discrimination against LGBT individuals, the city of Indianapolis is flying the rainbow flag in solidarity with the LGBT community.

The home page of the Visit Indy website was altered on Monday to feature the words "All are welcome in Indy" emblazoned over a prominent rainbow flag. The page links to a LGBT guide to the city that has been a part of the website for more than five years, officials said.

"What you're seeing is one method we are using to promote our stance on this bill," Visit Indy's Senior Communications Manager Morgan Greenlee told BuzzFeed News.

"One of our best selling points as a city is our Hoosier hospitality. It's almost a brand," she said. "Now there's a perception that not everyone is welcome here."

visitindy.com

Greenlee said the city has already lost one major convention as a result of the law, after the AFSCME Women's union cancelled a three-day conference scheduled for October because of the law, which Union President Lee Saunders described as "un-American."

"It is an embarrassment and cannot be tolerated," Saunders said. "The 1.6 million members of AFSCME cannot in good conscience make such a sizeable financial investment in Indiana knowing that women and men in that state are deliberately being targeted for discrimination."

Greenlee said the AFSCME conference was expected to bring in more than 700 women to the Indianapolis and inject an estimated half million dollars into the city's economy.

"We're currently reaching out to other conventions to reassure them that we will be welcoming all their convention goers to the city," she said.

The opposition to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act has been widespread across many levels of the Indianapolis administration, with Mayor Greg Ballard tweeting his objections to the law on Monday.

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Obama Grants Clemency To 22 People In Prison For Drug Offenses

The White House announced on Tuesday that President Obama lowered the sentence for 22 people in prison on drug offenses.

President Barack Obama speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, March 31, 2015.

Susan Walsh / AP

President Obama commuted the sentences of 22 inmates serving time for drug-related charges, the White House announced on Tuesday.

The inmates granted clemency Tuesday were all imprisoned for intent to distribute an illegal drug, with 14 of those cases involving possession or distribution of cocaine. Eight of the individuals were sentenced to life in prison, and would have died behind bars.

All 22 inmates will now be released on July 28.

The organization Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) commended the President's decision on Tuesday.

"We are thrilled that President Obama is making good on his promise to use the powers granted him by the Constitution to provide relief for federal prisoners serving excessively long mandatory minimum sentences," Julie Stewart, the president and founder of Families Against Mandatory Minimums, said in a statement.

"We hope and expect to see more commutations granted through the end of his term."

One of granted clemency is FAMM member Donel Marcus Clark, a first time offender who has served over two decades of a 30-year prison sentence for involvement in a nonviolent drug conspiracy.

· Terry Andre Barnes – East Moline, IL

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine base; supervised release violation (distribution of cocaine base) (Southern District of Iowa)

Sentence: 246 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (July 25, 2005)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

· Theresa Brown – Pompano Beach, FL

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine (Southern District of Florida)

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (Mar. 29, 1995)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

· Donel Marcus Clark – Dallas, TX

Offense: Conspiracy; use of a communication facility (five counts); distribution and/or possession of cocaine or manufacturing in or near a school facility, aiding and abetting (Northern District of Texas)

Sentence: 420 months' imprisonment; four years' supervised release (Nov. 12, 1993); amended to 360 months' imprisonment (August 20, 2008)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

· Ricky Bernard Coggins – Tallahassee, FL

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base (Northern District of Florida)

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (May 3, 1993)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

· Samuel Pasqual Edmondson – Junction City, KS

Offense: Conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (Eastern District of Texas)

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (Sep. 24, 1997)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

· Amado Garcia – Fresno, CA

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine; aiding and abetting the possession of methamphetamine; aiding and abetting the possession of heroin (District of Wyoming)

Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release; $2,000 fine (Nov. 29, 2001)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

· Dwight Anthony Goddard – Decatur, GA

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (Middle District of Georgia)

Sentence: 235 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (Feb. 7, 2002)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

· Lionel Ray Hairston – Ridgeway, VA

Offense: Distribution of cocaine base (three counts) (Western District of Virginia)

Sentence: 262 months' imprisonment; eight years' supervised release (May 27, 1999)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

· Francis Darrell Hayden – Loretto, KY

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 1,000 or more marijuana plants or 1,000 or more kilograms of marijuana; manufacture of 1,000 or more marijuana plants (Eastern District of Michigan)

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (Apr. 2, 2002)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

· Harold Kenneth Herring – Havana, FL

Offense: Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (Northern District of Florida)

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (Jan. 22, 1998)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

· Tommie Lee Hollingshed – Memphis, TN

Offense: Distribution of a controlled substance (two counts) (Western District of Tennessee)

Sentence: 324 months' imprisonment; four years' supervised release (May 1, 1996)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

· Derrick DeWayne Johnson – Birmingham, AL

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine; possession with intent to distribute cocaine (Northern District of Alabama)

Sentence: 360 months' imprisonment; four years' supervised release (Nov. 18, 1998)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 262 months.

· Robert Martinez-Gil – San Antonio, TX

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin (Western District of Texas)

Sentence: Life imprisonment (July 9, 1992)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

· David Navejar – Brooksville, FL

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine (Middle District of Florida)

Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (Jan. 27, 2003)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

· Rudolph Norris – Washington, D.C.

Offense: Unlawful distribution of cocaine base; unlawful possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of cocaine base (District of Columbia)

Sentence: 360 months' imprisonment; eight years' supervised release (Apr. 5, 1993)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

· Tracy Lynn Petty – Shelby, NC

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (Western District of North Carolina)

Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (Mar. 30, 2006); amended to 204 months' imprisonment (February 25, 2008)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

· Luis Razo – Davenport, IA

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine (Southern District of Iowa)

Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (Jan. 3, 2003)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

· Antwon Rogers – Cleveland, OH

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 139.8 grams of cocaine base (Northern District of Ohio)

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (Jan. 30, 1995)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

· Herman Rosenboro –Kingsport, TN

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine and over 50 grams of cocaine base; distribution of a quantity of cocaine base (two counts); distribution of a quantity of cocaine (two counts) (Eastern District of Tennessee)

Sentence: Life imprisonment; six years' supervised release (Dec. 3, 2001)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

· Lawrence Elmo Scott – Lynchburg, VA

Offense: Distribution of crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school (Western District of Virginia)

Sentence: 283 months' imprisonment; six years' supervised release; $4,000 fine (Apr. 8, 2003)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

· Levar V. Wade – Chicago, IL

Offense: Possession of 50 or more grams of crack cocaine with intent to distribute (Central District of Illinois)

Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (May 28, 2004)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

· Eugene Winters – Cedar Rapids, IA

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine base (Southern District of Iowa)

Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (Feb. 23, 2005)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

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Defense Rests After Two Days In Boston Marathon Bombing Trial

Tsarnaev’s lawyers called only four witnesses in their attempt to convince the jury that his older brother Tamerlan masterminded the April 2013 attacks.

Defense lawyers for admitted Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev rested Tuesday, after their first full day presenting their case and after calling just four witnesses to testify.

The witnesses, called Monday and Tuesday, were FBI fingerprint examiner Elena Graff; digital forensic analyst Mark Spencer; Gerald Grant, a computer forensics expert from the New York federal public defender's office; and FBI photographer Michelle Gamble.

Their fourth and final witness, Graff, testified Tuesday that a large portion of the bomb making materials and gun-cleaning equipment recovered from the Tsarnaev home in Cambridge, Mass. had older brother Tamerlan's fingerprints on it and not the younger Tsarnaev.

Graff also told the jury that the FBI only found Tamerlan's prints on the hundreds of items taken from the bomb sites on Boylston St. However, on cross-examination, Graff said that the heat and force of the explosions might have destroyed other fingerprints.

Graff was preceded on the witness stand by Spencer, who spent more than 400 hours analyzing three Tsarnaev computers. Spencer highlighted both Tsarnaev brothers' search history. He also told the jury that Tamerlan uploaded a full copy of Inspire Magazine, the English-language online magazine published by al-Qaeda, to Dzhokhar's laptop one day before traveling to Russia in 2012.

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Grandparents Are Taking It All Off For This Nursing Home Charity Calendar

The calendar made by residents from Pleasant Pointe Assisted Living in Ohio is going viral.

A group of residents at an assisted living facility in Ohio are going viral after they stripped down for a calendar to raise money for a local charity.

Pleasant Pointe Assisted Living

The residents, who are all in their 80s and 90s, had the idea after seeing another calendar made by a group of seniors in Florida, Matt Morris from Pleasant Pointe Assisted Living told BuzzFeed News.

Pleasant Pointe Assisted Living

Morris said the residents "were all totally on board, very excited," even the ones who didn't pose for the calendar. "They were just laughing and having a great time doing it," he said.

Pleasant Pointe Assisted Living

Morris said the participants told him it was a way for them to feel young again.

Pleasant Pointe Assisted Living

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Here Are The Celebrities, Businesses, And Governments Boycotting Indiana And Protesting Its Religious Freedom Law

The bill, passed March 26, could allow businesses to discriminate against LGBT people. Amid the national backlash, Governor Mike Pence said the bill needs a “fix.”

Aaron P. Bernstein / Getty Images

Celebrities, companies and local and state governments have taken a stand against Indiana's religious freedom law.

Critics of Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act call the law discriminatory, allowing businesses to refuse service to LGBT people.

Some governments have banned the use of taxpayer money to fund city employees' travel to Indiana while some celebrities have canceled upcoming appearances in the state.

Connecticut

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Watch Live: Indiana Governor Addresses Controversial Religious Freedom Law

Gov. Mike Pence has come under fire for signing a bill that allows businesses to turn away LGBT customers.

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Monday, March 30, 2015

The 8 Most Important Moments So Far From The Boston Marathon Bombing Trial

After calling 92 witnesses over 15 days, the government rested its case against 21-year-old defendant Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in the Boston Marathon bombing trial. Now it is the defense’s turn to present its case. Here are eight key moments from the trial.

Defense attorney Judy Clarke’s says “it was him” during her opening statement.

Jane Flavell Collins / AP

"It was him." That one succinct sentence helped Tsarnaev's star death-penalty defense attorney grab headlines on day one of the Boston bombing trial. She punctuated this admission of guilt with three more words: "He did this."

This guilty declaration helped Tsarnaev's team make it clear to the jury what their strategy is: They want to prove that their client doesn't deserve a death sentence, not to try to get the Boston bomber acquitted (because he's guilty and that would unreasonable).

Could an equally compelling closing statement from Clarke could save Tsarnaev's life?

Bill Richard gives harrowing testimony about the death of his son Martin.

AP / Jane Flavell Collins

On day two, the the father of Martin Richard, the 8-year-old boy killed during the second bombing, testified.

Bill Richard's gripping appearance closed out the day and the first week of testimony at the trial. When he was finished, it was clear that his eyes are the lens that the government hopes the jurors will see the rest of the case from.

Richard spoke calmly — pausing at times to keep his composure — as he brought the jury to tears with his story about how he left Martin laid out on the pavement next to his injured wife to go and save their 6-year-old daughter whose foot had been blown off.

"I saw Denise and other people hovering over, trying to help Martin. I knew that I needed to get back and help Jane. When I saw Martin's condition I knew that he wasn't going to make it," Richard said.

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This Small Illinois Town Had To Erect A Sign To Stop A Pooping Bandit

Some men just want to watch the world burn.

Welcome to the small town of Hampton, Illinois, where the locals love nothing more than cycling and jogging along the pristine shores of the mighty Mississippi River.

instagram.com

But all is not right in this picturesque little town...

instagram.com

Someone keeps shitting all over the damn place.

Did you really need to click that? You should know what poop looks like.

Don Bayley / Getty Images / Thinkstock

For two years city workers have been receiving reports of a mysterious poop bandit who keeps taking dumps on the Hampton bike path, officials told local media.

ABC7 / Via abc7chicago.com

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Cards Against Humanity's New Pack Will Pay For Women To Study Science Fields

The company behind the card game released the new “science pack” on Monday.

Cards Against Humanity, the self-described "party game for horrible people," announced Monday it has released a new "science pack" that will fund a scholarship for women studying in scientific fields.

Cards Against Humanity, the self-described "party game for horrible people," announced Monday it has released a new "science pack" that will fund a scholarship for women studying in scientific fields.

store.cardsagainsthumanity.com

"Our hope is that this scholarship makes a tremendous impact in someone's life, and creates more visibility for women working in science," spokesperson Jenn Bane said in a press release.

store.cardsagainsthumanity.com

A panel of more than 40 women who work in "STEM" fields will review the applicants, the company said.

That decision to use only women on the board was criticized by Janet Koster, the head of a group called Association for Women in Science.

Koster told the Chicago Tribune she believed men should be involved in the decision as well.

"What we know from social science research is that diversity and diverse teams make more successful decisions," she said.

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Federal Agents Facing Fraud Charges In Silk Road Case

The two former agents with the Drug Enforcement Agency and Secret Service were involved in the investigation into the illegal website.

The homepage to Silk Road 2.0, a second iteration of the black market website, after it was seized by U.S. authorities on Nov. 6, 2014.

Reuters Staff / Reuters

Two former federal agents are facing charges of stealing money while investigating the underground drug website Silk Road, according to court documents.

Carl Mark Force IV, who served 15 years with the Drug Enforcement Agency, and Shaun Bridges, who worked for the Secret Service for six years, are facing federal charges of wire fraud and money laundering. Force is also facing charges of theft of government property and conflict of interest, according to the affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco.

From 2012 to 2013, the pair worked on an investigation in Baltimore into Silk Road, a website described in the affidavit by Internal Revenue Service Special Agent Tigran Gambaryan as "an underground black market that allowed vendors and buyers to conduct illegal transactions over the internet."

Bridges served as a computer forensics agent during the investigation, Gambaryan said, while Force served as the lead undercover agent and communicated regularly with the site's lead administrator, Ross William Ulbricht, who used the online alias "Dread Pirate Roberts." Ulbricht, 30, was found guilty last month and is awaiting sentencing.

"Force and Bridges abused their positions as federal agents and engaged in a scheme to defraud a variety of third-parties, the public, and the government, all for their own financial enrichment," Gambaryan said in the affidavit.

Force allegedly created unauthorized "fictitious personas" in order to communicate with Ulbricht and extort $250,000 from him in return for not providing the government with certain information. He is also alleged to have deposited approximately $100,000 in bitcoin into his personal accounts after offering to provide him with information in the government's investigation in return for payment, while allegedly laundered payments through accounts in Panama.

Gambaryan said Force illegally used his position as a DEA agent to serve as the "de facto chief compliance officer" for a digital currency exchange company, CoinMKT, in which he had invested approximately $110,000 worth of bitcoin. He also allegedly used his supervisor's signature stamp to send an official Department of Justice subpoena to Venmo to unfreeze his personal account. Force allegedly told Venmo not to contact the DEA and asked an IRS agent to help seize Venmo's bank accounts when the company refused to comply.

Ex-Secret Service Special Agent Bridges is alleged to have transferred some $820,000 stolen from Silk Road on Jan. 25, 2013 into an account owned by a company he established.

The investigation into the two former federal agents was handled by the U.S. Attorney's office in San Francisco and the Public Integrity Section of the Justice Department in Washington, according to the affidavit.

Read Gambaryan's affidavit here:

LINK: Silk Road Founder Convicted Of Facilitating Internet’s Largest Black Market

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Harvey Weinstein Under Investigation For Alleged Groping

The New York Police Department confirmed to BuzzFeed News that a complaint was made against the famous producer.

Weinstein in 2014

Christopher Polk / Getty Images

Harvey Weinstein is under investigation for allegedly groping a woman Friday night in New York City, a spokesman for the New York Police Department confirmed Monday to BuzzFeed News.

A complaint against Weinstein has been filed, police said, and that the investigation is ongoing. The NYPD referred BuzzFeed News to the Manhattan District Attorney's office, which declined to comment.

The allegation was first reported by the New York Daily News , which identified the woman who made the report against Weinstein as 22 and Italian. The woman — who "didn't know who he was until he approached her" — reportedly told police Weinstein "touched her private area and her breasts."

According to The Hollywood Reporter , the woman made her report at 8:30 p.m. on March 27, "roughly two hours after the alleged incident." The NYPD declined to confirm these details.

A spokeswoman for Weinstein didn't immediately return a request for comment.

According to both reports, the incident occurred at Tribeca Film Center in Manhattan. But a woman who answered the phone at the venue Monday said she didn't know of any events held at Tribeca Film Center on the night in question.

It's possible instead that the incident occurred at the nearby Tribeca Cinemas, which hosted the Colombian Film Festival from March 24 to March 29. According to a report on the festival by Colombian newspaper El Tiempo , The Weinstein Company was present at the festival and met with some of the filmmakers.

A representative for Tribeca Cinemas said Harvey Weinstein wasn't at the theater Friday night. The Colombian Film Festival could not be reached for comment.

Should charges be brought against Weinstein, groping is considered a misdemeanor.

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Church Van Crash On Florida Highway Leaves 8 People Dead, 10 Injured

The van from the Independent Haitian Assembly Of God in Fort Pierce ran a stop sign, crossed all lanes of U.S. Route 27, and landed in a ditch partly filled with water.

A church van careened across a highway in Florida on Monday and slammed into a ditch, killing eight people and injuring 10 others.

Luis M. Alvarez / AP

A report on the incident from the Florida Highway Patrol said that the van from the Independent Haitian Assembly Of God in Fort Pierce ran a stop sign, crossed all lanes of U.S. Route 27, and landed in a ditch filled partly with water.

The driver and seven other people – five men and three women – were killed. The ten other occupants of the vehicle were injured, including a 4-year-old-girl.

Their injuries ranged from mild to critical condition, according to authorities.

The church group was returning from a convention in Fort Meyers, the News-Press reported.

Luis M. Alvarez / AP

Members began gathering at the church as word of the crash spread, the newspaper reported.

One man said that his father-in-law and cousin were passengers in the van, and he had to help identify some of the bodies.

"I was there trying to be a man," Phillipe Dorce told the News-Press. "But at the same time, I'm crying too."

The Florida Highway Patrol said the crash is under investigation.

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Government Rests Case Against Boston Bomber With Gruesome Autopsy Photos Of 8-Year-Old Victim

The prosecution called 92 witnesses over 15 days of testimony, closing its case with Boston’s chief medical examiner describing the death of 8-year-old Martin Richard.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, pictured in a white hat, standing behind 8-year-old Martin Richard just before the second bomb exploded at 2013 Boston Marathon.

USAMA

The last question Assistant U.S. Attorney and lead prosecutor in the Boston Marathon bombing case Bill Weinreb asked before resting the government's case: "How old was Martin Richard?"

"He was eight years old," replied Boston's Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Henry Nields, who performed the autopsy on the youngest victim killed in the 2013 bombing.

The government concluded its presentation of evidence Monday after calling 92 witnesses over 15 days of testimony in the guilt phase of the trial.

Their final witness spent close to an hour describing the horrific destruction that was done to Richard's body as the child stood on metal barrier along the marathon course on Boylston St. in front of the Forum restaurant.

USAMA

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Shots Fired Outside N.S.A. Headquarters At Fort Meade, Maryland

Shots were fired after car tried to ram the gate of the National Security Agency, according to multiple reports.

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How The Internet Reacted To Trevor Noah As "The Daily Show's" New Host

Who?

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Here's What You Need To Know About New "Daily Show" Host Trevor Noah

Who is Trevor Noah? The new “Daily Show” host has been a comedian comedy for more than a decade. Check back here for updates throughout the day.

Getty Images

Comedy Central announced Monday, through the New York Times, that Trevor Noah will replace Jon Stewart as the host of "The Daily Show."

"You don't believe it for the first few hours," Noah told The New York Times from Dubai, where he is currently on tour. "You need a stiff drink, and then unfortunately you're in a place where you can't really get alcohol."

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Video Captures Roof Collapse That Drops Firefighter Into A Blaze

A video shot by an eyewitness in Fresno, California shows the moment a garage roof collapsed beneath a firefighter, engulfing him in the flames below. The firefighter was badly burned, and is in a critical condition.

The horrifying moment the firefighter — a 25-year veteran who has yet to be publicly identified — plunged into the inferno was captured on video by Sooji Lee, who lives near the property on Cortland and Del Mar avenues in Fresno.

The firefighter climbed onto the roof of the building's garage in an attempt to ventilate the blaze, which broke out 1:30 p.m. local time, NBC News said.

vine.co / Via Facebook: video.php

But the roof gave way, dropping the firefighter into the blaze below.

vine.co / Via Facebook: video.php

He was engulfed by towering flames, prompting distressed screams from bystanders.

vine.co / Via Facebook: video.php

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Arizona Bill Would Delay Identifying Police Officers Who Shoot People

Gov. Doug Ducey is expected Monday to either sign or veto the bill, which has elicited protests and raises concerns about trust between police and the communities they serve.

Ducey in February

Ross D. Franklin / AP

A controversial bill that could prohibit law enforcement from releasing the names of officers involved in shootings until 60 days after the incident is expected to be signed or vetoed Monday by Gov. Doug Ducey.

Both Arizona's largest newspaper, The Arizona Republic, and the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police wrote letters to Governor Doug Ducey last week, urging him to veto Senate Bill 1445, which would apply to officers involved in shootings that result in death or injury.

The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Steve Smith, passed in his chamber last week with a 20-8 vote. The bill initially asked for 90 day waiting period, but the House of Representatives decreased it to two months. During the 60 day period, an officer's record and disciplinary hearing can be released, but all personal information must be withheld.

Proponents of the bill argue that it will help protect officers from harassment and threats after fatal police shootings.

"The simple fact remains that we live in a world where misinformation can put everybody in jeopardy, especially police officers," Sen. John Kavanagh said on Thursday while debating the bill. "And until we get those facts straight, we need to shield those cops and their families from being assassinated by lunatics or political zealots."

In Arizona's Pinal County, a deputy received threats after he was involved in a fatal shooting in Jan. 2014, Pinal County sheriff's Chief Deputy Steve Henry told BuzzFeed News. The deputy's home was placed under 24-hour watch for two weeks.

"There tend to be a lot of inaccuracies in early reports," Henry told BuzzFeed News. "If we could have kept that deputy's name out of the media for a certain amount of time, for at least for a cooling-off period, then some of the negative publicity would have been mitigated and we could have focused entirely on the investigation" said Henry.

Opponents of the bill said if it become law, it will significantly increase tensions and potential mistrust between the police and the communities they are sworn to protest, especially minorities.

Adriana Garcia-Maximiliano, of the Center for Neighborhood Leadership, works with low-income people, minorities, and immigrant communities in Phoenix on community oriented policing and problem solving. The bill, she fears, will strain the relationship between police and local communities that she and her colleagues work to maintain.

"Waiting 60 days to give communities information about a shooting or violent police encounter will not be an effective 'cooling-off period,'" Garcia-Maximiliano told BuzzFeed News. "The secrecy will only escalate the problem."

Donald Harris, the President of Arizona's Maricopa County NAACP branch, told BuzzFeed News that the bill was "an encroachment on our rights that is taking away the freedoms we fought for in the country."

The bill has drawn protests of hundreds of people.

Last week, "well over 200 people showed up to protest in front of the capital," Harris said.

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Sunday, March 29, 2015

Coachella And Lollapalooza Are The Latest Venues To Ban Selfie Sticks

You’re gonna have to work for that perfect Instagram shot.

Selfie sticks — like weapons, fireworks, and drugs —will not be allowed at this year's Coachella or Lollapalooza music festivals.

Chris Pizzello / AP

According to NME, major venues in the U.K., including O2 Academy Brixton, O2 Arena, and the SSE Wembley Arena have banned selfie stick for months. At issue was their tendency to block other concert goers' views as well as the possibility for the sticks to hit bystanders in the head.

International tourist attractions have also taken a stand against the sticks. The Palace of Versailles banned them citing a need to protect artwork and visitors. Museums including the Albertina in Austria, the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. and the Museum of Modern Art in New York no longer allow selfie sticks, and Brazilian sports stadiums have feared the rods could be used as weapons by groups of rival fans.

Coachella specifically called out any would-be selfie stick users by additionally banning "narsisstics."

By the way, you'll want to leave your drones at home too.

Coachella

Lollapalooza additionally banned other professional photo equipment such as tripods from general admission. Selfie sticks, sometimes called monopods, didn't make the cut.

Lollapalooza

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Police Arrest Michigan State Fans For Rioting In The Streets And Throwing Bagels

Michigan State beat Louisville during overtime in a NCAA tournament game Sunday and fans went wild throwing bagels and setting things on fire. At least four people were reportedly arrested.

Michigan State beat Louisville 76-70 in overtime and is expected to play against Duke in the next game.

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Deadline Editor Apologizes For "Insensitivity" In "Ethnic Castings" Article

“We will move forward determined to do better,” editor Mike Fleming Jr. wrote in a column Sunday.

Deadline last week published an article by Nellie Andreeva that asked if the number of recent "ethnic castings" on TV was too much of a good thing.

Deadline.com

The publication later changed the headline, after backlash from a number of people in the entertainment industry.

Deadline.com

My co-editor-in-chief Nellie Andreeva's goal was to convey that there was such an uptick of TV pilot casting of people of color that it pinched white actors who've historically gotten most of the jobs, and to question if this could last if it was being treated as a fad. All this was undermined by that headline (which we changed after the fact) and a repetition of the word "ethnic" that came off cold and insensitive.

The only appropriate way to view racial diversity in casting is to see it as a wonderful thing, and to hope that Hollywood continues to make room for people of color. The missteps were dealt with internally; we will do our best to make sure that kind of insensitivity doesn't surface again here. As co-editors in chief, Nellie and I apologize deeply and sincerely to those who've been hurt by this. There is no excuse. It is important to us that Deadline readers know we understand why you felt betrayed, and that our hearts are heavy with regret. We will move forward determined to do better.

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People Are Taking Smiling Selfies At The Scene Of The NYC Explosion That Killed 2 People

The New York Post and others blasted the trend, calling them “village idiots.”

On Thursday, two people were killed and over two dozen were injured after an explosion leveled buildings in New York City's East Village neighborhood.

Suzanne Mitchell / AP

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This Man Created An Incredible Time-Lapse Video By Taking 2,600 Selfies On The Pacific Coast Trail

Andy Davidhazy lost about 50 pounds during his five-month hike, and took a photo at every mile.

davidhazy.com

Davidhazy put all of the photos in a time-lapse video, which captures his whole journey from Mexico to Canada in four minutes.

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This Florida Hotel Wakes Up Hungover Spring Breakers By Blasting The "Circle Of Life" From "The Lion King"

“And it moves us allllllllll.”

A Holiday Inn in Panama City Beach, Florida, is inspiring its hungover guests to soldier on for another day of Spring Break partying by waking them up with the "Circle of Life."

The hotel has played the song during Spring Break in the mornings since 2012, WJHG reported.

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Just as all the animals on the Pride Lands came out to honor the birth of Simba, the youths head to their balconies to honor another day of partying.

youtube.com

"There's more to see than can ever be seen... More to do than can ever be done."

youtube.com

"Look, Simba. Everything the light touches is our kingdom."

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Saturday, March 28, 2015

It Snowed In New York Today And It's Spring And We Just Can't

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA KILL ME.

It's been a snowy, freezing cold winter in the Northeast. While Boston may have experienced record-breaking snowfall, the winter has not been easy for New York City either.

Spencer Platt / Getty Images

With it came hopes of warmer temperatures, the prospect of sunshine, and the excitement of finally swapping our down jackets for something that doesn't resemble a sleeping bag.

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Seven Injured In Florida Spring Break Party Shooting

Deputies described a “chaotic” scene early Saturday money when gunfire broke out at a Spring Break party in Panama City.

Seven people were shot during a Spring Break party in Panama City, Florida, early Saturday morning, authorities said.

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David Jamichael Daniels, 22, of Mobile, Alabama, was identified by authorities as the suspected shooter and arrested on seven counts of attempted murder.

The seven shooting victims, all of them in their early 20s, were taken to nearby hospitals to be treated.

Multiple 911 calls were made early Saturday morning reporting the shooting at 5312 Thomas Drive, Sheriff officials said in a statement.

When deputies arrived, they found three victims inside the home, one in front of the house, one on the street median along Thomas Drive, and two across the street, the statement read.

They were identified by Sheriff's officials as Kearria Freed, 20; Anesia Powell, 20; Devanta Moore, 21; Jacole Young, 22; Kelli Curry, 22; Tykeria Ethridge, 22, and Henton Franklin, 22.

Freed, Moore, and Franklin remained in critical condition as of Saturday afternoon.

Officials did not release any information regarding what may have prompted the shooting at the Spring Break party.

Witnesses provided a description of the shooter, and deputies took Daniels into custody after searching the area. A .40 caliber handgun was also found in the backyard of a home nearby.

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Michigan Rep. Issues "Agenda Alert" After Gay Man Is Promoted To News Editor

This Michigan politician wants to make sure you’re aware that openly gay people are working in the media.

Rep. Gary Glenn.

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On Sunday, Michigan newspaper Midland Daily News announced that it had promoted reporter Tony Lascari to the position of news editor. In an article detailing the promotion, Lascari was praised for his news judgment, his organization skills, and lengthy experience. In an attempt to inject some color, the piece concluded with some small details of Lascari's passions, which include nature and his family.

"I enjoy spending time with my nieces and my nephew, I'm an occasional runner and I love spending time in Midland's parks," Lascari said. "I live in Midland with my husband, Mark."

The revelation that the Midland Daily News had appointed an openly gay man to the position of news editor prompted Michigan State Representative Gary Glenn to issue an "agenda alert" on Facebook and Twitter.

"Agenda Alert -- Midland Daily News' new news editor: political science major who "lives in Midland with (his) husband,'" the Republican wrote.

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Facebook: gary.glenn.73

Glenn did not respond to requests for comment from BuzzFeed News, but told MLive.com that he believed the community needed to be aware of Lascari's sexuality so they could judge the paper for its reporting and question if its staff "represent our community's values."

"I posted the paper's own report -- without comment or criticism -- except to alert readers to the reasonably observed possibility that the new position might be used to promote a political agenda or bias that's at odds with our community's values," he said.

Glenn serves as the president for the Michigan chapter of the American Family Association, a conservative group which warns of the "homosexual agenda."

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Two More Women Accuse Bill Cosby Of Sexual Assault

Margie Shapiro and Sunni Welles join more than 30 other women who have publicly accused the comedian of drugging and assaulting them.

Sunni Wells, Gloria Allred, and Margie Shapiro.

Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images

Two more women came forward Friday to accuse legendary television star Bill Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting them several decades ago, Reuters reported.

Speaking from attorney Gloria Allred's office on Friday, Sunni Welles and Margie Shapiro joined the more than 30 women who have publicly accused the 77-year-old comedian of sexual assault.

Shapiro claims Cosby sexually assaulted her in 1975. The two met in Santa Monica, California, Shapiro said, where she worked at a doughnut shop. Shapiro, who was 19 years old at the time, said the comedian invited her to his film set where they spent the afternoon. She claims he later invited her to Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion, but instead of going there, Shapiro said they entered a "rec place" or "game house," which had a pool table and pinball machines.

Shapiro said that Cosby made a bet with her: whoever lost the game of pinball had to take a pill. After losing the game, Shapiro complied. She claims she was not drinking alcohol that evening.

She continued to say that when she woke up, both she and Cosby were naked and he was inside of her. Shapiro said she was in and out of consciousness and every time she was awake, Cosby was allegedly inappropriately touching her.

Welles said she first met Cosby through her mother, who was a story editor at Paramount, and said she considered him a family friend. One day in the mid-1960s, when Welles was 17, her mother took her to the set of Cosby's I Spy. Welles said Cosby invited her to go see jazz, to which she agreed because she was an aspiring singer at the time.

"My mom was sure I'd be in safe hands with Bill," Welles said, according to The Wrap .

At the jazz club, Welles recalled ordering a Coke and that "things began to come blurry," after drinking it. She said she later woke up in an apartment without Cosby. She said she felt like she had sex.

"I did not want to believe that a family friend would do that to me," Welles said.

Cosby has yet to publicly address the accusations against him but his lawyers have issued statements dismissing the women's claims.

Cosby "appears to be treating the allegations of so many women who have spoken out previously as a joke," Allred, who represents a number of the accusers, said according to Reuters.

LINK: Here Are All The Women Who Have Accused Bill Cosby Of Sexual Assault

LINK: Another Woman Comes Forward Accusing Bill Cosby Of Rape

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Apple's Tim Cook Pledges To Donate Personal Fortune To Charity

Tim Cook, the chief executive of Apple, has announced he will give away his personal wealth before he dies.

Stephen Lam / Getty Images

Apple CEO Tim Cook pledged to donate all of his personal fortune to philanthropic cause before he dies.

The technology chief made the commitment to bequeath his fortune of hundreds of millions of dollars to charities during an interview with Fortune magazine on Thursday.

AIDS, human rights, and immigration reform are all issues close to Cook's heart, however he did not divulge which organizations would be the beneficiaries of his personal wealth.

"You want to be the pebble in the pond that creates the ripple for change," Cook told Fortune .

The California technology company is the world's most profitable corporation, and Cook is believed to be worth some $800 million: He holds Apple stock worth an estimated $120 million and restricted stock worth $665 million, according to Fortune.

Cook is the latest in an exclusive list of wealthy business leaders to pledge a large sum of his fortune to charity. In 2010, Microsoft founder Bill Gates launched The Giving Pledge Campaign, in an effort to convince billionaires or multimillionaires like Cook, to give away at least half of their fortunes. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and billionaire investor Warren Buffet have both made a commitment to the campaign.

But before he parts away with his money, the Apple boss promised to put his 10-year-old nephew through college.

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Friday, March 27, 2015

Boston Officer Who Saved Lives During Marathon Attacks Gunned Down

The 34-year-old officer was shot in the face during a traffic stop Friday night. Previously he was credited with helping save the life of a transit officer wounded during a shootout with the Boston Marathon bombers.

A decorated Boston police officer who helped the wounded in the aftermath of the 2013 Boston Marathon attacks and was later honored at the White House was critically injured Friday night after a suspect opened fire during a vehicle stop.

Officer John Moynihan, 34, was shot in the face just below the right eye and was "fighting for his life" in a medically induced coma, police Commissioner William Evans said.

Officers had pulled over a car Friday evening and were approaching when a suspect exited and opened fire. Police returned fire, killing the suspect at the scene, Evans said.

A third person, a female bystander, also suffered a gunshot wound to the arm and was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. Three other officers were also hospitalized for stress.

The names of the suspect and injured were not released. Police said two additional suspects were also taken into custody on unrelated matters.

National Association of Police Organizations

Moynihan, a decorated military veteran, was honored last year by President Obama in a White House ceremony with the Top Cops award after coming to the aid of transit officer Richard H. Donohue Jr., who was injured during a shootout with Boston Marathon bombers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in April 2013.

Donohue was shot in the leg and nearly bled to death while authorities hunted the Tsarnaev brothers, the Associated Press reported.

The 34-year-old former Army ranger was also credited with aiding the wounded at the Boston Marathon finish line after the two bombs detonated, a law enforcement official told the Boston Globe .

Moynihan is "the absolute best type of soldier and police officer," the official told the Globe. He is "selfless, courageous, and giving."

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Alabama Officer Indicted For Using Unreasonable Force On Indian Grandfather

A federal grand jury has charged former Madison, alabama police officer Eric Parker for the beating of unarmed 57-year-old Sureshbhai Patel, who sustained a serious spinal injury from the incident.

ABC 33/40 News

Chirag Patel / AP Photo

"Parker's actions deprived the man in Madison of his right under the U.S. Constitution to be secure from unreasonable seizures, which includes the right to be free from unreasonable force by someone acting under color of law," the a DOJ said in a news release.

On February 6, 57-year-old Sureshbhai Patel went on a walk through the neighborhood while he was visiting his son and newborn grandson. His son Chirag's neighbors phoned the police about a "suspicious person" who was walking up driveways and looking inside garages, according to a statement by the Madison Police Department.

Officers arrived at the scene and approached Patel, who was on his second visit to the U.S. and spoke limited English. The communication barrier led to officer Parker forcing Patel to the ground, causing him to sustain serious spinal injuries. He was hospitalized after the incident.

On February 12, the India government made a public request to United States law enforcement to investigate the incident and "expressed concern at what appears from media reports as the excessive use of force by police."

Officer Parker was arrested and charged with assault on February 13.

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University Of Oklahoma To Announce Outcome Of Fraternity Investigation

University of Oklahoma president David Boren is expected to discuss the results of the probe into the racist fraternity chant.

Brett Deering / Getty Images

LINK: Watch the press conference here

University of Oklahoma president David Boren is expected friday to discuss the results of the probe into the racist Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity chant that was caught on video and any resulting disciplinary actions against members.

The University of Oklahoma chapter of SAE has already been shut down and two students who lead the chant, which was caught on film, were expelled.

Earlier this week, one of the students, Levi Pettit, publicly apologized for the racist chant.

"I will be deeply sorry and deeply ashamed for what I have done for the rest of my life," Pettit told reporters in Oklahoma City.

A lawyer for the SAE chapter said an agreement was reached and no other members of the fraternity will be expelled, according to the Associated Press.

LINK: University Of Oklahoma Student “Deeply Sorry” For Racist Chant

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Manhattan Building That Exploded Was Undergoing Renovations Without A Permit

The explosion appears to have been caused by gas and plumbing work done by private contractors at 121 2nd Avenue. The New York City Department of Buildings has not issued a permit for work at that address since September 2014.

Susan Watts/NY Daily News via Getty Images

The East Village building that exploded on Thursday was undergoing gas and plumbing renovations without a permit, according to public records.

Thursday's explosion, which injured at least 19 and left two people missing, appears to have originated from a gas leak at the corner of Second Avenue and 7th Street, Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a press conference Thursday.

"The initial impact appears to have been caused by plumping and gas work that was occurring inside 121 2nd Avenue," the mayor said. "Con Ed inspectors arrived at the site earlier for a separate reason entirely, found the work to be unacceptable, gave instructions as to what changes were needed – and that was an hour or more before the explosion."

The New York City Department of Buildings requires all major renovations to request a permit to ensure the safety of workers and residents. As of Friday, the last permit authorizing work at 121 Second Avenue dates from August 2014. The permit, issued to Doric Consultants Inc, allowed for mechanical and plumbing work to be done on all five floors of the century-old tenement.

Sowkon Im, a project manager for Doric Consultants, told BuzzFeed News that his company had only done the engineering work in the building and had not actually been involved in the construction.

"We only worked in the residential portion of the building," Im said. "Yesterday's incident was in the commercial part. I don't know who did the work, but it wasn't my company. Yesterday's work must have been done without a permit, because mine is the latest permit, and I singed off the project on September 2014."

A Department of Building's spokesperson confirmed to BuzzFeed News that the project for which Doric Consultants had been granted a permit was finished in September 2014, and that no further permits had been issued for 121 Second Avenue.

"If there had been a permit, it would be on our website," the spokesperson said, adding that he could not give any further details because the investigation is still ongoing.

Sushi Park, Inc, the restaurant in the commercial section of the building registered owner of at least part of the lot, could not immediately be reached for comment.

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