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Colorado Cinema Massacre Case Delayed by Judge

October 28, 2014 By Deborah Cobing Leave a Comment

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The judge who is presiding over the Colorado cinema massacre case has delayed the murder trial on Monday. The trial of indicted gunman, James Holmes, has been delayed by six weeks, to January. The same judge, Carlos A. Samour, has denied a request made by the defense lawyers to postpone the murder trial longer.

James Holmes is 26 and he has pleaded not guilty by motive of insanity. He shot to death 12 people and injured 70 inside a movie theater during a midnight viewing of Batman: The Dark Night in July of 2012.

Holmes was identified as being the only shooter in the attack, but he and his lawyers are stating that he was not well at the time and that he was in the throes of a psychotic break when the shooting occurred.

There have been two psychiatric evaluations of the young man that have caused trial dates to be pushed back. Two weeks ago, the second round of psychological testing has caused Holmes’ lawyers to ask for more time to analyze the results of the evaluation. The prosecutors did not oppose a small delay of the trial and said that the request was reasonable.

Judge Carlos A. Samour, Arapahoe County District Court Judge, revealed that the jury selection for the murder trial will start at the beginning of December and it will end on January 20. The lawyers’ opening statements should commence on June 3, as the Colorado cinema massacre case was delayed.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Holmes if the man is convicted. James Holmes is charged with attempted murder and multiple counts of first-degree murder. The first mental evaluation of Holmes was found deficient by Judge Samour, so he ordered the second evaluation that happened two weeks ago.

Colorado cinema massacre case was delayed by judge Samour who also revealed that potential jurors should be screened to see if they are willing to give the death penalty. It also needs to be determined that they have not been influenced by the news media coverage of the case and that they can be fair and impartial in the Holmes case which involves an insanity defense.

Hawaii Island: Pahoa Residents Prepare to Evacuate as Lava Approaches

October 27, 2014 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

On June 27, a new vent opened inside Kilauea volcano and lava started flowing. The volcano, has been erupted for 31 years, but its lava is threatening the small city of Pahoa. Pahoa residents prepare to evacuate, as the lava makes its way through the city’s cemetery.

Earlier on Saturday, the lava poured through an inhabited forest outside the village of Pahoa, 20 miles southwest of Hilo. The lava then crossed the Apa’a Road threatening around 55 buildings, only to flow through a cemetery on Sunday evening.

Right now, the lava flow front is moving at 10 yards per hour and is 35 feet wide. If it continues at this speed rate, it is going to cross the Pahoa Village Road which is the village’s main street, in a couple of days. In a week or two, it would cover Highway 130.

If the lava crosses the only highway in the lower Puna district, it would isolate around 9,000 who are living there. This is why measures have been taken for evacuation to begin. Escape roads have been built and the evacuation notice was issued by the Hawaii County Civil Defense Director on Saturday. The director, Darryl Oliviera, released the notice for about 50 residents who are nearest to the front of the flow. He revealed that the people should be prepared for evacuation.

The current timelines are based on the current flow rates, and that could change. That could speed things up, as well as it could slow things down. The key is that we will be watching the flow 24/7.

Another important concern, is electricity poles being destroyed by the lava. Pahoa residents prepare to evacuate and the scientists from the Hawaii Volcanoes Observatory have developed an innovative strategy to keep the power going in the city. The poles are wrapped in insulated foil and then an 18-foot-high ring of fencing is placed around them. The fence is then filled with cinders and rock, creating great insulation.

Pahoa residents prepare to evacuate, but they are calm. Robert Shioshita, Pahoa resident, said:

I know how the other people feel because I’m in it this time. No can do nothing. It hurts, but it’s Pele’s land and she’s reclaiming.

Pele is the Hawaiian deity of Kilauea.

California Robber Returns Cash and Apologizes

October 27, 2014 By Troy Rubenson Leave a Comment

In the city of Eureka, California, police were taken by surprise when a man who robbed a gas station returned hours later to give back the money he had stolen and offered an apologize to go along with his peculiar act. California robber returns cash and sets a precedent for the city of Eureka, California.

Cyle Warren Abbott Jr. is a 23 year old man who, by his accounts, needed some money to leave the city of Eureka and start fresh. On Sunday morning, he decided to rob a gas station on the 100 block of Broadway, but after doing it, he felt remorseful and decided to turn himself in to the police and return the money. California robber returns cash and also offers an apology to the gas station owner and the police.

At around 6:14 a.m. police officers were called by an employee at the gas station who reported a male suspect entered the station holding a semi-automatic handgun. The employee said to the police that the man started demanding cash while waving the gun. He proceeded to give Abbott some money and as the robber made his out, he also got two bottles of beer.

The police officers arrived as soon as possible, but the suspect was no longer on the premises. It was three hours later, at 09:06 a.m. that the man returned with all the money and an apology at the gas station. Officers arrested the suspect without any incidents.

Police officers booked the young man at the Humboldt County Correction Facility of robbery and probation violation charges. Abbott’s bail was set at $50,000.

The gas station employee said that after California robber returns cash, he also offered an apology and he revealed that his gun wasn’t real, that is was only but a BB gun. Police officers haven’t yet found the gun in question.

When the police were called for the second time, officials have revealed that the suspect was waiting for them in the bathroom of the gas station to surrender. He told the officers that he was sorry for what he had done and that he was trying to turn his life around and start doing the right thing for once.

Philadelphia: SEPTA Union Workers to Go on Strike

October 27, 2014 By Deborah Cobing Leave a Comment

SEPTA, or the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, has voted to authorize a strike which could take effect at the end of this year or beginning of 2015. The bus drivers, trolley and subway operators have voted unanimously for the strike inside the Columbus Boulevard meeting hall where over one hundred SEPTA union workers attended.

SEPTA serves around 3.9 million people in the city and county of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, as well as the suburban counties of Delaware, Bucks, Chester and Montgomery.

Willie Brown, the president of Transport Workers Union Local 234, said:

There wasn’t a nay in the room. Members don’t want to strike, but they are willing to fight for what we need. If we are still as far apart as we are now, we will have no choice but to strike, but we will see if we can get a little closer.

The vote that happened on Sunday did authorize the strike, but did not set any dates or schedule for when or if SEPTA union workers stop working. Brown assured the people of Philadelphia that SEPTA was not going to commence the strike this week and that the union would meet again to reevaluate the situation at the end of the current week.

Jerri Williams, SEPTA spokesperson, said the vote for strike was no surprise. She also revealed that the management remained dedicated to try and avoid service disruption. Williams said:

We’ve had several meetings last week and the week before, and we hope to be able to continue discussing the issues and to be able to come to an agreement.

Negotiations are set to resume of Tuesday after being stuck for more than six months. TWU Local 234 is the largest of SEPTA’s unions (SEPTA has a total of 17 unions). TWU Local 234 represent about 5,000 drivers, mechanics, cashiers, operators and other workers.

One of the main reasons for strike is the fact that SEPTA union workers have been working without a contract ever since the five-year pacts expired in March and April. If an agreement is reached for TWU Local 234 then it sets the patter for the rest of SEPTA’s 16 labor contracts.

The last TWU Local 234 strike happened in 2009, seven months after the workers’ contracts expired. New SEPTA bus drivers earn $33,887 per year and bus drivers with four or more years of experience earn $55,620 a year.

FCC Spectrum Auction Postponed Due to Legal Hiccups

October 25, 2014 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

The United States’ Federal Communications Commission had to postpone its major auction over low-frequency airwaves until 2016 because of ongoing legal issues surrounding it. This auction, which should have originally taken place in the middle of 2015, will be postponed due to the complexity of the matter as well as the court challenges currently pending.

Gary Epstein, the Incentive Auction Task Force chairman of the FCC, has made the postponement public in a written post.

“Earlier this week, the court issued a briefing schedule in which the final briefs are not due until late January 2015. Oral arguments will follow at a later date yet to be determined, with a decision not likely until mid-2015. “

Epstein wrote in his post.

Within the incentive auction, wireless carriers will be allowed to acquire airwaves tagged as “beach front property”, which is a very desirable location for both their strength and reach. The auction is seen as the FCC’s most complicated project to date and as such, several economic, political and engineering considerations need to be balanced before commencing. Moreover, there is something else that the FCC needs to address: broadcasters must be convinced to give up the aforementioned airwaves.

“We are confident we will prevail in court, but given the reality of that schedule, the complexity of designing and implementing the auction, and the need for all auction participants to have certainty well in advance of the auction, we now anticipate accepting applications for the auction in the fall of 2015 and starting the auction in early 2016. Despite this brief delay, we remain focused on the path to successfully implementing the incentive auction.”

he added.

In the meantime, T-Mobile will have time to push to place bidding restrictions on Verizon and AT&T while the FCC will also have more time to convince TV station owners to also participate in the auction. The National Association of Broadcasters has filed a petition to the U.S. Court of Appeals, asking that the District of Columbia Circuit begin reviewing components of the postponed auction.

While the final briefs have been pushed back to the end of January 2015, the National Association of Broadcasters denies that the lawsuit had anything to do with the delay in the auction.

“We look forward to a speedy resolution of our legal challenge and a successful auction that preserves access to free and local TV for every American,”

Dennis Wharton, spokesman for the National Association of Broadcasters said.

Hatchet NYPD Attacker Acted Alone, Police Says

October 25, 2014 By Deborah Cobing Leave a Comment

The man who attacked a group of New York Police Department officers is believed to have acted alone, Police Commissioner assured. The man was shot dead by officers.

“We at this time believe that he acted alone. We would describe him as self-radicalized. We would describe him as self-directed in his activities.”

Bill Bratton, Police Commissioner said in a Friday statement.

The police commissioner was then asked by reporters if Zale Thompson, the man in question, could be considered a homegrown terrorist or what reporters called “a lone wolf”. At this point, investigators replied, it seems that terror was Thompson’s only intent. However, police highlighted the fact that the investigation is still in its preliminary stages.

Two officers were injured in Thursday’s assault in Queens. Officer Kenneth Healy is in critical (yet stable) condition after having suffered a head injury, while Officer Joseph Meeker is being treated for his wounded arm.

In light of the attack, Police obtained a search warrant so that further clues could be sought on Thompson’s computer. According to his social media activity, Thompson was a convert to Islam. Many comments included rants about injustices occurring in the American society as well as oppression abroad. However, there was nothing that indicated a direct connection to any of the known terror groups, investigators said.

“The common thread going through those conversations are anti-western, anti-government, and in some cases anti-white,”

John Miller, NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counter-terrorism said.

Miller added that in recent days, Thompson had visited:

“websites that are focused on designated terrorist groups — al-Qaida, ISIS and al-Shabaab — as well as looking at different acts of violence.”

Thursday’s attack involved Thompson charging towards the four officers with an 18-inch hatchet. The officers had been posing for a photograph by a freelance artist. One of the officers was struck in the head and another in the arm. Immediately, the two other officers opened fire, killing the attacker. Everything happened in less than 10 seconds, Bratton claims.

“Those officers exhibited extraordinary bravery and skill in not only taking down an individual who was intent on killing them but also rendering first aid immediately to their fallen comrade,”

he added.

The attack, was described by Mayor de Blasio as a vicious act by a troubled individual.

During the crossfire, a 29-year-old woman was hit by police and is now also recovering at the hospital. Her condition: critical, but stable.

This Year Hunters are Killing Wisconsin Wolves Faster

October 24, 2014 By Jack M. Robinson Leave a Comment

It was revealed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that the hunters are killing Wisconsin wolves faster this year and that 70% of wolf hunt quota has already been met. The fact that the hunters are killing Wisconsin wolves faster this year means that another wolf hunt season can be pushed towards an early end.

The wolf killing season began on October 15 and was supposed to last until February 28. During that time hunters should not kill more than 150 wolves. But not even 10 days later after the wolf hunt season opened, hunters had already killed 103 wolves or 70% of the limit. As a result of this, Wisconsin wildlife officials have closed four of the six wolf-hunting designated area.

Last year, it took hunters two weeks to reach the 70% mark, revealed Dave MacFarland, from the Department of Natural Resources. It’s true that the kill limit was higher (251 wolves), but the Department issued about 1,000 more tags than it did this year.

In 2012, which was the inaugural wolf-hunting season, 1,160 tags were issued, and it took hunters 34 days to reach the 70% mark.

The reason behind the fact that this year the hunters are killing Wisconsin wolves faster is because hunters are heading out into the woods earlier, knowing that a particular zone could close down faster than predicted. Most hunters will trap and not shoot the wolves. This practice is becoming more and more popular of late. Out of all the wolves that were killed this year, 85% of them were trapped compared to 52% in 2012.

The upper Midwest grey wolf population is still on the rise, even after three sates (Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin) have begun allowing the killing of grey wolves. A recent report has revealed that in the past year, the wolf population has grown to 3,719 from 3,670.

The wolf hunts in Minnesota will begin between November 8-23 and November 29 and it will end on January 31, 2015. The Department of Natural Resources is permitting the killing of 250 wolves, 30 more than last year.

Maryland: 3 Dead after Helicopter Plane Collision

October 24, 2014 By Jack M. Robinson Leave a Comment

A helicopter, plane collision happened in Maryland left 3 dead and one injured. The airplane and helicopter collided in midair before crashing near an airport in Maryland. Three men were killed and two managed to escape after the plane after it deployed a parachute meant to slow the fall.

The Federal Aviation Administration revealed that the Robinson R44 helicopter was doing a training exercise and the Cirrus SR22 plane was on its way to the Frederick Municipal Airport when the collision happened. The statement said that the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating the helicopter plane collision.

The police has revealed the name of the men who died and they are: Christopher D. Parsons (29) from Westminister, Maryland, William Jenkins (47) from Morrison, Colorado and Breandan J. MacFawn from Cumberland, Maryland.

The owner of the helicopter was not identified in the statement and police still do not know who was flying the helicopter. What is known is that the helicopter was leased to a flight school at the airport, the Advanced Helicopter Concepts. A news conference will be held by the company officials on Friday morning to reveal more information about the helicopter, plane collision.

What helped save two of the two of the men inside the plane was a red-and-white parachute that was deployed following the helicopter, plane collision and it was still attached to the plane when the firefighters arrived on the scene. It is attached to the airplane’s frame in order to lower the machine safely when the pilot cannot do so.

The first reports from the scene reveal that the plane appears to be largely intact, but the helicopter is demolished.

The plane survivors are being questioned by the police and investigators from the NTSB. Air traffic controllers from the Frederick tower will also be interviewed so that the cause of the helicopter, plane collision.

LiveATC.net provided a transcript of the control tower conversation, which shows that the control tower was indeed working with both the helicopter and the plane shortly before the crash.

The controller is heard telling the airplane: I have three helicopters below you in the traffic pattern. And the pilot responds: I have two of ‘em in sight.

Shortly after this conversation ends, the controlled gives clearance to the airplane to land. The following audio is of someone screaming Oh, God! Oh, God!

Thousands Protest Acid Attacks on Women in Iran

October 23, 2014 By James Faulkner Leave a Comment

On Wednesday, thousands of Iranian took to the streets in the city of Isfahan to protest against acid attacks on women in Iran. Of late, many women were disfigured after acid was poured on them for not wearing a veil.

A local official put the number of women who had been attacked with acid to eight or nine during the past three weeks. Some of them were blinded and all were disfigured.

Isfahan is a top tourist destination in Iran and is located just 280 miles South of Tehran. All the victims were attacked in Iran’s capital and Isfahan by men on motorcycles. The latest acid attacks on women in Iran shocked the nation that took to the streets to express its deep frustration over the issue.

According to the Fars news agency, there were around 2,000 protestors. According to the IRNA news agency, the men and women protesting against acid attacks on women in Iran gathered outside the city’s judiciary building and chanted Isfahan is our city, security is our right and We do not want to propagate virtues by acid and even Death to extremists.

Following the 1979 Islamic revolution, all women in Iran must wear loose clothing and a hijab, or a veil that covers their head and neck and also conceals their hair. Nowadays, many women simply wear a headscarf a coat instead of a chador that is meant to cover the body from head to toe. In order to permanently enforce this rule, there is a thing called Morality Police that patrols the streets of Iran to make sure women are respecting the law and are as covered as possible.

The current demonstration on acid attacks on women in Iran was initiated on local social media. These types of protests aren’t common at all in Iran, especially after a protest before the 2009 elections where people were beaten and mistreated by the police.

The protests and the latest acid attacks on women in Iran were all sparked by a new Parliament law that passed on Sunday. It is aimed at protecting the people of Iran who take it upon themselves to correct those who do not respect the country’s social laws. Naturally, subjectivism plays a big part in adhering to the law when talking about these Islamic vigilantes.

President Hassan Rouhani criticized the law and said that he feared it would divide the Iranian society.

Man Caught Jumping White House Fence

October 23, 2014 By Jack M. Robinson Leave a Comment

In Washington, a 23-year-old man from Maryland was caught after jumping White House fence and landing on the North Lawn on Wednesday. He was quickly taken into police custody by Secret Service agents. The man caught jumping White House fence was unarmed.

Only a month ago, on September 19, there was another man caught jumping White House fence and carrying a knife. He had managed to get passed all the security and even enter the White House before getting caught in the East Room and taken into police custody.

This September 19 event caused many ripples in the way security works at the White House and exposed other serious breaches of the Secret Service. This incident directly led to the resignation of the director of the agency, Julia Pierson, after being in the position for only 18 months.

Brian Leary, Secret Service spokesperson, revealed that the man caught jumping White House fence is named Dominic Adesanya and he is from Bel Air, Maryland. The young man climbed the north fence at around 7 in the evening. Once he was apprehended, he was taken into custody by the K-9 teams and uniformed agents that patrol the grounds of the White House.

President Barrack Obama was inside the White House when the incident took place. Fortunately, Adesanya wasn’t carrying arms at the moment of his arrest. Charges against Dominic Adesanya are still pending.

The dogs that had a big part in the apprehension of the man caught jumping White House fence sustained injuries during the incident. Leary reported that the dogs were taken to the veterinarian and that they are out of danger.

TV news camera recorded the event; the recordings show a man on the lawn inside the fence wearing white shorts. When the Secret Service agents and K-9 team see him, the man caught jumping White House fence pulls up his T-shirt to show that he is unarmed. He is also seen punching and kicking the dogs, after they were released on him.

After the incident Adesanya was also taken to a local hospital, but Leary didn’t reveal any more information about his state of health.

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