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7 years ago · by · 255 comments

Denver Gunmen Kills One, Wounds Six

 

 

 

 

A gunman in Denver, Colorado used a rifle to fire at least 100 rounds in an “ambush-style attack” at police who were responding to a disturbance. The suspect, Iraq veteran Matthew Riehl, shot and killed Sheriff Deputy Zackari Parrish, 29, and injured four other officers and two civilians.  The gunman used a rifle and fired at least 100 rounds. The gunman, a 37-year-old former soldier and lawyer, was killed in a shootout with SWAT officers.

Douglas County Deputies were called to the apartment in the Copper Canyon Apartment Complex at 3 a.m. on a report of a verbal disturbance between two males.  Riehl’s roommate told the four officers that arrived that the suspect was acting bizarre and might be having a mental breakdown.   Deputies cleared the scene at 3:40 a.m. and left because no crime had been committed.  Officers were called back to the scene at 5:14 a.m. on a domestic disturbance call and all four officers were there by 5:35 a.m.  Riehl’s roommate returned to the apartment, gave deputies a key and permission to enter the apartment but left before the gunman opened fire at 5:56 a.m.

After the officers entered the suspect’s apartment, they found that he had barricaded himself inside a bedroom.  The officers talked with Riehl through the door and determined it to be a mental health call.  In the officers body cam footage Parrish is heard saying “It’s deputy Parrish, DougCo Sheriff’s Office.” “Hey, Matt, it’s Zack. Yes we can help you. I’m with the sheriff’s office. Right here man. We can talk out here. I just want to make sure you’re OK.”  Deputies talked to Riehl and tried to help him until 5:35 a.m.  Parrish is then heard  “He’s going through a manic episode,” “We’re going to take him for an M1.”  M1 stands for a mental health hold.

Between 5:35 a.m. and 5:57 a.m. deputies were developing a plan to get medical and mental health aid to Riehl, until he opened fire.  All the officers were wearing bulletproof vests but were struck in unprotected parts of their bodies.  During a news conference, Sheriff Tony Spurlock said all four officers went down within seconds of each other.  Deputy Zackari Parrish was shot several times and the wounded officers tried to pull him out but were unable to because of their injuries.  The wounded deputies then crawled away while other officers responded to the shots fired call.

SWAT team members entered the apartment at 7:30 a.m. and exchanged gunfire with the gunman.  The gunman was killed and another officer was wounded by the suspect.   Riehl’s roommate was not injured and has been cooperating with investigators.  The injured deputies are Michael Doyle, 28; Taylor Davis, 30; and Jeff Pelle, 32. Castle Rock police officer Thomas O’Donnell, 41, was also wounded. All were listed in stable condition at area hospitals.  Two people in adjacent apartments were also wounded, but their injuries were not life-threatening.

During the press conference, Sheriff Spurlock said Riehl was an Iraq war veteran that at one time worked as a lawyer in Rawlins, Wyoming.  He had no criminal history but was well known to law enforcement.   Spurlock said Riehl has posted a number of anti-law-enforcement videos on YouTube and other social media.   Deputy Parrish, who had been a deputy for about 7 months, was rushed to the Littleton hospital but he had suffered mortal wounds.  A motorcade of officers from various police agencies accompanied the fallen officer from the hospital to the coroner’s office.  Parrish is survived by a wife and two young daughters.

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7 years ago · by · 0 comments

Daily HI4E.org Trivia Contest Winners For The Week Ending: Sunday, January 7th, 2018.

In an effort to broaden the company’s “social interaction” with our clients and FaceBook fans, Daily Trivia Questions are posted on both of our business pages. Here are the weekly standings for this past week, and the winner of the Sunday night Weekly Drawing for an AmEx gift card!            

Congratulations  – To this past week’s Trivia Contest Winner!!   Our latest contest winner for the weekly FaceBook HealthInsurance4Everyone/Health & Life Solutions, LLC Trivia Contest, drawn randomly by computer late Sunday evening, January 7th, 2018 was:

 

SUSANNE  KILLION

Bedford, VA

Winner Of A $25.00 AmEx Gift Card

 

Each day, fans who have “liked” either of our company FaceBook pages (HealthInsurance4Everyone  or Health & Life Solutions LLC) are able to test their skills with our Daily TRIVIA QUESTION.  The first 20 winners who post the correct answer to the TRIVIA QUESTION, will then get entered into the weekly drawing held late on Sunday evenings for a $25.00 Am Ex Gift Card.


Weekly Gift Card winners will be posted in our blog at this site.  Remember to become a FaceBook “fan” on either of our company pages to enter and post your answers. 

 

Here are the daily contestants from last week’s Trivia Contest that were entered into the Sunday drawing:

 

 

01/01/18

 

Jill Nauyokas

Jenifer Garza

Dean Bruss

Wendy Messer-Brinnon

Eleazar Ruiz

Alysia Jackson

Luis Y Katie Santos

Jessica Davis

Brandi K Chaney

Darlene Whyte

Kelly Ann Hammond

Jenn Anthony

Rebecca Fauteux

Kathleen Hickman

Stacy Lynn Nelson

Diane Hamric

Tina Kaiser

Amy Chavis

Mike Adamski

Amanda Saltsman

Joann Tompkins-Winborn

 

1/2/18

 

Susanne Killion

Jennifer Mason

Trish Hysell

Sheri Boydston

Melissa Ann Stura-Bassett

Kathi Taylor

Adaria Johnson

Kari Reed

Dave Mcpheron

 

 

1/3/18

 

Kathy Rubio

Brittany Light

Chelsie Nicole

Jill Nauyokas

Annette Broxton

Jenifer Garza

Cheryl Hall

Diane Hamric

Kathleen Marks

Sunney Michelle Johnson

Jennifer Downing

Kizzy Alvarez DeSantis

Jennifer Kinner

Preeti Chand

Paula Rousseau

Christy Hawkes

Pamela Gonzalez

Nyeasia Pippin

Karen Ann Hinkle

Desire Kightlinger Swarm

Kristina Rosson

Kari Reed

Wendy Messer-Brinnon

Trish Musgrave

Beth Meemo

 

 

 

1/4/18

 

Kathleen Marks

Carol Scheive

Jenifer Garza

Amanda Rosario

Brittany Light

Misty Flanigan

Debbie Burke Garretson

Christina Montes

Beth Meemo

Jill Nauyokas

Diane Hamric

Mary Ann Cody

Kacie Rogers

Amy Conyers

Wilma Mast

Deborah Farris

Susanne Killion

Mike Adamski

Anna Nichols

Be Schwerin

Annette Broxton

 

 

 

1/5/18

 

Wilma Mast

Marilyn Wall

Jill Nauyokas

Brian Fulop

Anggie Marie

Michelle Cervantes

Jenifer Garza

Sheila Vives

Dale Fish

Jennifer Saavedra

Betsey Riddle

Debbit Burke Garretson

Tina Mimick

Eleazar Ruiz

Paula Rousseau

Laura Del Robertson Dougherty

Trish Musgrave

Dean Bruss

Amy Chavis

Amanda Peters

 

 

1/6/18

 

Sara Biason

Jenifer Garza

Trish Musgrave

Jill Nauyokas

Kimberly Snyder

Kim Floyd

Luis Y Katie Santos

Misty Flanigan

Jennifer Lang

Kayla Clemons

Mary Pettiford

Emily Rice Bowersock

Dean Bruss

Helen Saez Deverter

Beeg Reeb

Denise Hauer

Darlene Whyte

Diane Hamric

Hollie Jahnke

Jodi Stevens

Sheila Carvell

Kizzy Alvarez DeSantis

 

 

1/7/18

 

Melissa Ann Stura-Bassett

Brandi K Chaney

Crystal Young

Jean Simmons Homfeld

Jackie Poole

Sarah Harrison

April Ashcraft

Jill Nauyokas

Betsy Riddle

Christy Hawkes

Trish Musgrave

Amy Chavis

Jenifer Garza

Chelsie Nicole

Sunney Michelle Johnson

Eleazar Ruiz

Chris Maxwell

Rebecca Fauteux

Luis y Katie Santos

Isis Sample

Aaron Chambers

Stacy Lynn Nelson

Mike Adamski

 


Be sure to watch both of our FaceBook pages for your chance to win and enter again next week, with questions posted daily on HealthInsurance4Everyone or at Health & Life Solutions, LLC!!

Remember that if you try your hand at answering the Trivia Question several days each week, your odds of winning the Sunday weekly drawing are much better.  Also note that a number of the posted answers each day are from contestants who have forgotten to “Like” one of our pages, so their names WILL NOT be entered at the end week drawing for the gift card, giving our fans a better chance!

You may also find that if you “Like” BOTH of the business pages, you will receive faster notifications of the other players as they post their answers to compete with you!  

—————————————————————-

At Health Insurance 4 Everyone, we not only want to improve our customer service but also interact with our customers on a social media level that wasn’t available before. Interested in connecting with us?  Look us up on….

 

Twitter: Healthinsurane4  (Follow Us On Twitter To Receive Faster Notifications When Daily Trivia Questions Posted, & To Be Immediately Notified When Weekly AmEX Gift Card Winners Are Announced!!)

 

 

Click-On for LinkedIn To Follow Our Posts: LinkedIn

 

Like us on facebook: HealthInsurance4Everyone or Health & Life Solutions, LLC

 

Over 54,000 Combined Fans/Followers To Our Social Media Sites, & We’re Growing Daily!

 

Follow Mark Shuster, Founder/Owner at Health & Life Solutions, LLC for daily health tips!

news to healthy living and current events!

 

Company Blogs

 

Find out more about LegalShield, our corporate partner which gives you the power to talk to an attorney about any legal issue, and offering high-quality Identity Theft plans.

 

LegalShield

 

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7 years ago · by · 0 comments

Daily HI4E.org Trivia Contest Winners For The Week Ending: Sunday, December 31st, 2017.

In an effort to broaden the company’s “social interaction” with our clients and FaceBook fans, Daily Trivia Questions are posted on both of our business pages. Here are the weekly standings for this past week, and the winner of the Sunday night Weekly Drawing for an AmEx gift card!            

Congratulations  – To this past week’s Trivia Contest Winner!!   Our latest contest winner for the weekly FaceBook HealthInsurance4Everyone/Health & Life Solutions, LLC Trivia Contest, drawn randomly by computer late Sunday evening, December 31st, 2017 was:

 

CRYSTAL  YOUNG

Dallas, PA

Winner Of A $25.00 AmEx Gift Card

 

Each day, fans who have “liked” either of our company FaceBook pages (HealthInsurance4Everyone  or Health & Life Solutions LLC) are able to test their skills with our Daily TRIVIA QUESTION.  The first 20 winners who post the correct answer to the TRIVIA QUESTION, will then get entered into the weekly drawing held late on Sunday evenings for a $25.00 Am Ex Gift Card.


Weekly Gift Card winners will be posted in our blog at this site.  Remember to become a FaceBook “fan” on either of our company pages to enter and post your answers. 

 

Here are the daily contestants from last week’s Trivia Contest that were entered into the Sunday drawing:

 

 

 

 

12/25/17

 

Brittany Light

Jill Nauyokas

Jenifer Garza

Aaron Chambers

Alicia Johnson

Katrina Worford

Ashley Stamey Phillips

Eleazar Ruiz

Anggie Marie

Jennifer Lee Clack

Paula Rousseau

Kelly Ann Hammond

Amanda Peters

Abby Cox

Kelly Hanley

Melissa White

Betsey Riddle

Dale Fish

Sheila Carvell

Sunney Michelle Johnson

 

 

12/26/17

 

Siobhain Perez

April Ashcraft

Alysia Jackson

Amanda Saltsman

Christina Montes

Anna Fruzzetti-mcdearmond

Beth Cleveland

Tina Mimick

Amanda Peters

Kathy Rubio

Rondi Clark-Conn

Crystal Gipson

Jade Good

April Walrath

Katrina Worford

Amanda Rosario

Mikey Mellor

Luis Y Katie Santos

Deborah Farris

Christina Domingue

Diane Hamric

Maria Bouchard

Sheila Vives

Dawna McKnight

 

 

12/27/17

 

Alexis Maureen

Jenifer Garza

Kathleen Hickman

Alysia Jackson

Cheryl Hall

Amanda Peters

Alisa Jones

Althea Thomas

Sheila Carvell

Heather Jacques

Kimberly Snyder

Wayne Gallas

Holly Cajigas

Michelle R. Carlino

Marcia Cruz

Summer Brown II

Phillip Jimenez

Betsey Riddle

Ashley Stamey Phillips

Geri Rus

 

 

12/28/17

 

Kim Floyd

Sheila Carvell

Paula Rousseau

Betsy Riddle

Diane Hamric

Jill Nauyokas

Tina Kaiser

Jenifer Garza

Stephanie Beckwith

Carole Jacobs

Brittany Light

Kathleen Marks

Tracy Smith

Tammy Dolby

Sherry Lilly

Crystal Young

Amber Chandler

Wendy Messer-Brinnon

Mary Alice Ford

Crystal Gipson

 

12/29/17

 

Jill Nauyokas

Annette Broxton

Teena Sierson

Deborah Farris

Kimberly Taylor Hall

Nicole Blaha

Brian Fulop

Jennifer Vega

Eleazar Ruiz

Christina Montes

Kayla Hernandez

Amber Chandler

Diane Hamric

Stephanie Beckwith

Isis Sample

Joanie Waterman

Lori Capobianco

Nitasha Shank

Alicia Johnson

Tina Kaiser

 

 

 

12/30/17

 

Kathi Taylor

Deborah Farris

Dean Bruss

Tiffany Greene Elliott

Luis Y Katie Santos

Rachael Dakota-Two-Feather Smith

Sarah Harrison

Jenifer Garza

Jill Nauyokas

Nai Merri

Katrina Worford

Chris Maxwell

Taschia Miller

Anggie Marie

Lauren Bradley

Kimberly Taylor Hall

Kayla Hernandez

Melinda Dreier

Jennifer Leffler

Hayley Cordaro

 

 

 

12/31/17

 

Michelle Cervantes

Brittany Light

Darlene Whyte

Tiffany Greene Elliott

Isis Sample

Krissy Rouse Higgins

Mary Alice Ford

Abby Cox

Amy Marie Wilkinson

Bethany Henry

Crystal Young

Rachael Dakota-Two-Feather Smith

Robin Brewer Porter

Mike Adamski

Russell Henninger

Damrie Nylin-Terrell

Adaria Johnson

Nicole Banks

Patti Wolf

Anggie Marie

Paula Rousseau

Kelsey Staples


Be sure to watch both of our FaceBook pages for your chance to win and enter again next week, with questions posted daily on HealthInsurance4Everyone or at Health & Life Solutions, LLC!!

Remember that if you try your hand at answering the Trivia Question several days each week, your odds of winning the Sunday weekly drawing are much better.  Also note that a number of the posted answers each day are from contestants who have forgotten to “Like” one of our pages, so their names WILL NOT be entered at the end week drawing for the gift card, giving our fans a better chance!

You may also find that if you “Like” BOTH of the business pages, you will receive faster notifications of the other players as they post their answers to compete with you!  

—————————————————————-

At Health Insurance 4 Everyone, we not only want to improve our customer service but also interact with our customers on a social media level that wasn’t available before. Interested in connecting with us?  Look us up on…. 

 

Twitter: Healthinsurane4  (Follow Us On Twitter To Receive Faster Notifications When Daily Trivia Questions Posted, & To Be Immediately Notified When Weekly AmEX Gift Card Winners Are Announced!!)

 

Click-On for LinkedIn To Follow Our Posts: LinkedIn

 

Like us on facebook: HealthInsurance4Everyone or Health & Life Solutions, LLC

 

Over 54,000 Combined Fans/Followers To Our Social Media Sites, & We’re Growing Daily!

 

Follow Mark Shuster, Founder/Owner at Health & Life Solutions, LLC for daily health tips! 

 

 

Mark Shuster FaceBook Link

 

Follow our word press blog and read about everything from health insurance and reform news to healthy living and current events!

 

Company Blogs

 

Find out more about LegalShield, our corporate partner which gives you the power to talk to an attorney about any legal issue, and offering high-quality Identity Theft plans. 

LegalShield

 

Read more

7 years ago · by · 289 comments

Disney’s Bid To Buy 21st Century Fox

 

 

 

Disney is set to buy a major part of 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billion.  Both sides have  said it will likely take 12 to 18 months to complete.  They will still have to sell the deal to government regulators, who must review the merger to determine its effects on competitors and consumers.   That task will likely fall to the Justice Department, which weeks ago took the rare step of suing companies in a different blockbuster deal: AT&T’s bid for Time Warner.

Members of Congress have already stated that they want to hold hearings on Disney’s billion dollar bid to buy 21st Century Fox.  Key voices on competition and consumer protection fear the deal will only solidify Disney’s dominance in entertainment — granting it too many major box-office franchises and too much power over regional sports networks and streaming video services.  Lawmakers don’t actually have a say in major mergers but they tend to scrutinize them anyways since the Department of Justice investigations happen outside of public view.  Hearings-sometimes featuring testimony from major chief executives — can ultimately shape public opinion about the companies’ plans.

If the deal goes through, Disney will own the rights to everything from the Avatar movies to FX’s The Americans.  They will also own the film rights to the Marvel comics characters associated with the X-Men and Fantastic Four, which Marvel sold off to Fox long before either was a Disney subsidiary.  Federal Communications Commission regulations state that no one company can own more than one broadcast network and since Disney already owns ABC, Fox broadcast network was off the table.

Fox, will maintain the rights to Fox News, Fox Sports 1, the Fox broadcast network and the Fox studio lot in Los Angeles.  Fox broadcast network is home to everything from The Simpsons to New Girl to The X-Files. The network launched in 1986 and by the mid-’90s, it was a mainstay in most American homes, competing with ABC, CBS, and NBC.

The massive deal would consolidate two of the biggest players in Hollywood and would reshape the media and entertainment industries.  Disney will also get Fox’s 30 percent share of ownership of Hulu in this deal.  Disney already owns a 30 percent share so Fox’s share will now make Disney the majority shareholder in Hulu.  NBC still owns a 30 percent stake and Warner Bros. owns the remaining 10 percent.

Disney already announced plans for its own streaming business in 2019, which will feature films from Disney and Pixar, content that specifically won’t be available on Netflix.  Hulu already has 12 million subscribers so it remains to be seen whether Disney will piggyback their own streaming business with Hulu or just convert Hulu into Disney’s streaming service.  Disney’s Marvel and Lucas film franchise will still appear on Netflix as part of a multiyear agreement, but that runs out in a few years and will almost certainly be exclusive to their own streaming service.

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7 years ago · by · 3 comments

Grenfell Tower Memorial

 

 

Around 1,500 people including, bereaved family and survivors of the deadly Grenfell Tower fire gathered at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London for a memorial service, along with British Prime Minister Theresa May, Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn and the royal family.   The fire killed 71 people when it swept through a poorly built public housing tower and was the worst fire in Britain since World War II.  The memorial ceremony lasted just over an hour and at the end of the service, a Grenfell banner was carried out of the cathedral, followed by mourners, who held white roses and photographs of their loved ones.

Of the 293 people believed to be in the 27 story building, 222 escaped; 65 of those survivors were rescued by firefighters.  Some residents appear to have moved up the building to escape the flames, only to become trapped in the apartments of friends and neighbours on the upper floors. Twenty one people died on the top floor of the tower block and the fire to raged for 60 hours before finally being contained.

Two days after the disaster, the Prime Minister promised families would be rehoused within three weeks.  Six months after the fire, according to a report published by the government, of the 395 households displaced by the fire, 300 were living in hotels, 75 were in apartments, nine were living with friends and family on a temporary basis and only 11 had found new permanent accommodation by the end of September.

Maxine Holdsworth, the official responsible for rehousing the people who lost their homes in the Grenfell Tower fire says Theresa May made and unachievable commitment in the aftermath of the fire.  The current promise is that everyone will be rehoused within a year.  The number of staff working on rehousing Grenfell tenants has increased since the summer from five to 20.   They have been given a budget of $235 million to replace the homes lost in the tower. They are currently in the process of buying 300 new homes, at a rate of two a day, and hope to have done that by Christmas.

A review of building regulations ordered after the Grenfell Tower fire found the system is “not fit for purpose” and open to abuse by those trying to save money.  The report into building safety called for an overhaul of the construction industry to put safety above cutting costs.  The report called for an end to cost-cutting on materials. It is suspected that an attempt to drive down the price of refurbishing the tower in west London led to cheaper, flammable material being installed on its exterior.

The tower was built in 1974 but was remodeled in 2016.  Fire safety experts have pointed to cladding on the building as a possible reason the blaze spread so quickly.  New cladding was fitted as part of the refurbishment of the tower in May of last year.  Footage has shown the fire travelling up one side of the building, before engulfing the entire block.

 

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7 years ago · by · 0 comments

New York City Bombing Attack

 

 

 

New York City police have identified the suspect in the bombing attack in a Midtown Manhattan subway station that took place during the busy Monday morning commute.  The accused attacker was identified as 27-year-old Brooklyn resident and Bangladeshi immigrant Akayed Ullah.  Ullah was carrying a pipe bomb strapped to his body with Velcro and zip ties whe he detonated it in a tunnel connecting the busy Port Authority and Times Square terminals.   Five people were treated for minor injuries at area hospitals, while the suspect was said to be seriously injured.

Investigators have been pouring over surveillance footage of the area.  Ullah was first spotted on a security camera as he climbed the subway station stairs to the 18th Avenue F. train platform in Brooklyn at 6:25 a.m.  He then switched to the A train at Jay St./MetroTech stop in Brooklyn before exiting the train at the Port Authority Bus Terminal stop in Manhattan.

The blast detonated around 7:20 a.m. in an underground walkway connecting two subway lines beneath the Port Authority Bus Terminal, near Times Square, which accommodates 220,000 passenger trips a day.  Surveillance footage shows commuters walking through a tunnel when a burst of smoke erupts into the hallway, quickly filling it.  Commuters flinch and take cover, and when the smoke clears, an injured man, Ullah, can be seen lying on the ground in the hallway.

Law enforcement officials say Ullah was inspired to set off a bomb in retaliation for U.S. attacks against ISIS in Syria.  He faces five federal terrorism-related charges and three state terrorism-related charges after he allegedly detonated the homemade device made of a battery, wires, metal screws and a Christmas tree lightbulb during the busy morning commute.  According to Department of Homeland Security, Ullah is a Bangladeshi immigrant who has been living in the United States since 2011 on an F43 family immigrant visa.  He is a legal permanent resident living in Brooklyn and has no criminal record in the United States.

According to a federal complaint, Ullah admitted to investigators that he built and detonated the device and said he was inspired to do so by ISIS.  He said that he was prepared to die and told investigators he was motivated in part by pro-ISIS Christmas attack propaganda circulated about a month ago online with an image of Santa Claus over Times Square.  Investigators recovered a passport in his name with a handwritten message: “O America, die in your rage.”  Investigators say Ullah’s ISIS radicalization began in 2014 and he began researching how to build improvised explosive devices about a year ago.  He began collecting the necessary items to make the device two to three weeks ago, and built the bomb in his home a week ago.

According to law enforcement officials, Ullah had two homemade devices with him but they did not elaborate on the second device.  Andrew Cuomo said in an interview that the device was an amateur, “effectively low-tech device” that partially detonated.  The explosive chemical ignited, but the pipe itself did not explode, lessening its impact.  Cuomo added “Fortunately for us, the bomb partially detonated, he did detonate it, but it did not fully have the effect that he was hoping for.”

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7 years ago · by · 0 comments

Ex-Officer Michael Slager Sentenced To 20 Years

 

 

 

Former South Carolina police officer Michael Slager, 36, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for the deadly shooting of unarmed motorist Walter Scott-who was pulled over for a broken tail-light.  U.S. District Judge David Norton ruled that Slager committed second-degree murder and obstruction of justice, when he shot and killed 50-year-old Scott on April 4, 2015. The second-degree murder ruling came with a recommended 19 to 24 year sentence.  Slager has 14 days to appeal.

Slager initially claimed self-defense, but witness cellphone video that surfaced shortly after the encounter showed the officer fatally shooting Walter Scott five times in the back as he ran away. He was fired from the force after the shooting.  Slager was charged in South Carolina with murder and pleaded not guilty. During the state murder trial, Slager’s attorney said his client shot Walter Scott because he was in fear for his life.

Federal prosecutors sought a life sentence, arguing Slater, had committed second-degree murder and also should be punished for obstructing justice by providing the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division with false statements.  In 2016, the case ended in a mistrial. The state retrial and federal trial were expected to take place this year, but in May, Michael Slager pleaded guilty to violating Walter Scott’s civil rights in federal court, ending the federal case against him and also resolving the state charges that were pending after the mistrial.

Before the sentence was announced, Scott’s family addressed the court and gave the judge their victim impact statements.  Judy Scott broke down in tears as she recalled the memory of her son.  Speaking to Slager, Scott also said she forgave the former officer, a sentiment echoed by Walter Scott’s brother, Anthony Scott.  Scott’s family has repeatedly expressed forgiveness to Slager, saying they needed to in order to let go of the pain of losing Walter.

Before hearing his sentence in federal court, Michael Slager called each family member out by name and apologized, thanking them for forgiving him. “I wish this never would have happened,” he said. “I wish I could go back to the day and change the events, but I can’t.”  For the past 31 months, he said, he had thought about the moment he opened fire.  “Walter Scott is no longer with his family, and I’m responsible for that,” Slager said, adding the Scott family would be forever changed without Walter.

The Scott family said at the subsequent press conference that Slager had sought to make amends with them.  “He apologized to the family,” said Rodney Scott, one of Walter’s brothers. “He called each and every last one of our names in court today and apologized. So who are we not to forgive?”

He said his family is “thankful for the justice system that worked on our behalf,” but added that “a lot of work” still needs to be done in the justice system.  Another one of Walter Scott’s brothers, Anthony Scott, thanked Feiden Santana, the witness who filmed the shooting, for being “brave” enough to film what he saw that day.

 

 

 

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7 years ago · by · 1 comment

Mosque Attack In Eygpt

 

 

 

The death toll in a bomb and gun attack on a Sufi mosque in northern Sinai has risen to 305, with 27 children among the dead and another 128 people wounded.  The deadly assault began when between 25 to 30 men arrived at the al Rawdah Sufi mosque in Bir al-Abed in five all-terrain vehicles and were armed with automatic machine guns.

The attackers positioned themselves at the main door and all of the mosque’s 12 windows.  They also torched seven cars parked outside the mosque, which belonged to worshiper’s inside.  After an explosion went off in a building adjacent to the mosque – worshippers began to flee.  Gunmen fired on people fleeing after explosions took place at the mosque.  The gunmen then went inside the mosque and began shooting people.  The attackers used their vehicles to cut off escape routes and opened fire on ambulances as they reached the scene.

Survivors say some of the attackers were masked and those who were not- had heavy beards and long hair. All of the shooters wore camouflaged pants and black T-shirts.  They spoke of worshippers jumping out of windows, a stampede in a corridor leading to the washrooms and of children screaming in horror as the shooting began.  Everyone laid down on the floor and kept their heads down.  Witnesses say the shooting was random and hysterical at the beginning and then became more deliberate as the attackers shot anyone they weren’t sure was dead.  The attackers were shouting Allahu Akbar, or God is great as they shot.

The gunmen appear to have escaped from the scene after the massacre before Egyptian security forces could arrive.  No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but suspicions fall on ISIS and the Levant’s (Isil) affiliate in the Sinai desert, which has waged a bloody insurgency against the Egyptian military and the country’s Christian minority. The Egyptian military kicked off a hunt for the attackers,  combing the area in their search.  The attack is thought to be the deadliest terror attack on the country’s soil.  President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi declared three days of national mourning, vowing to restore security and avenge those killed.

The mosque is known as the birthplace of Sheikh Eid al-Jariri, a Sufi cleric considered the founder of Sufism in the Sinai Peninsula.  Sufism is a mystical branch of Islam that some ultra-orthodox Muslims consider heretical because of their less literal interpretations of the faith.

Egyptian security forces have been battling ISIS-aligned militants in northern Sinai for years.  Suicide bombers attacked two Christian churches as worshipers were gathering on Palm Sunday in April of this year. At least 45 people were killed in the two attacks in Alexandria and and the city of Tanta.   Four months before that, a suicide bomber killed 29 people in a chapel next to a Christian cathedral in Cairo.

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7 years ago · by · 1 comment

White House Asks Congress To Approve $44 Billion In Disaster Relief

 

 

The White House requested Congress approve $44 billion in disaster relief in what would be the largest single round of disaster aid to address the widespread damage inflicted by hurricanes and wildfires over the last three months.  It is the third request since hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria slammed the Gulf Coast and Caribbean.  The new request would add another $24 billion to the disaster relief this fall and bring the total close to $100 billion.  It would also establish a new $12 billion grant program for flood risk mitigation projects. Smaller amounts would go to small business loans and to aid farmers suffering crop losses.

The White House is proposing the increased funding be offset by cuts to federal programs in hopes to deter members from Congress who might not vote for a disaster assistance package that adds to the deficit.  Two previous disaster relief bills totaling nearly $51.8 billion that Congress approved earlier this year had no such offsets.

And that’s before most of the money to rebuild Puerto Rico’s devastated housing stock and electric grid is added in.  Puerto Rican Gov. Ricardo Rosselló has asked the federal government for $94.3 billion in disaster relief funds to help repair critical infrastructure and rebuild housing following Hurricane Maria.  He said the sum will help the U.S. territory adequately recover from Hurricane Maria.  Over half of Puerto Rico is still without power almost two months after Hurricane Maria made landfall.  More than 10 percent of the island is still without running water.

The largest chunk of Rosselló’s request, $31 billion, goes to housing assistance with $17.7 billion to rebuild the island’s power grid and $14.9 billion for health care.  “This is a critical step forward in the rebuilding of Puerto Rico where we’re not only looking to rebuild as was before but we want to make it much stronger and much more resilient and make Puerto Rico a model for the rest of the Caribbean,” Rosselló said.  Ricardo Rosello also urged Congress to adopt a tax overhaul plan that addresses the territory’s specific needs to avoid an exodus of the companies that currently generate 42% of the island’s gross domestic product.

The relief request is over $30 billion more than a $61 billion relief request from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott after Hurricane Harvey flooded parts of metro Houston and East Texas.  The Florida congressional delegation has asked for $27 billion.  It is likely that Congress will pare down the amount as they did after Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

 

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7 years ago · by · 405 comments

5 Dead In California Shooting Spree

 

Authorities say a shooting rampage in California that left 5 people dead and injuring at least 10 others could have been much worse.  The gunman, Kevin Janson Neal, 43, shot randomly at people and homes as he drove toward Rancho Tehama School in the town of Corning, 130 miles north of Sacramento.  Teachers heard gunfire and ordered a lockdown shortly before the gunman rammed a fence with a pickup truck and entered the grounds with a semi-automatic rifle.  He roamed the grounds for about 6 minutes and shot out windows but left, apparently frustrated, after he was unable to access classrooms.  Police say he fired shots in at least seven locations before he was killed by police.

Police believe the motive was a bizarre revenge plot against his neighbors following a dispute in January.  At a news conference, Tehama County, California, Assistant Sheriff Phil Johnston said Neal’s wife had been found dead in their home on Tuesday night.  Authorities suspect she was fatally shot on Monday, after which Neal hid her body under the floor.  Police had been at the home earlier that day in response to a domestic violence call.

The shooting spree began on Tuesday at about 8 a.m. in Neal’s neighborhood.  Both neighbors who filed charges against him —a man and a woman—were killed at the start of Tuesday’s rampage.  Police say after Neal shot his neighbors, he stole the unidentified male neighbor’s white pickup truck and drove it through town, doing several random drive-by shootings of residences in the community of about 1,500 people.  Authorities say a 6-year-old boy was shot in the chest and foot at the school and is in stable condition.  Other students were injured by glass from the windows but no students or teachers were killed because of the quick thinking staff at the school.

Rancho Tehama resident Salvador Tello, who was taking his three children to school, described seeing the gunman open fire, killing a woman.  Tello said he saw bullets strike the truck in front of him and he put his children down to protect them and put his truck in reverse to get away.  As he left, he saw a woman lying dead in the street and her wounded husband next to her.  At one point, the shooter crashed the truck and carjacked a driver for his small sedan. The suspect then drove past a woman taking her children to school and fired gunshots ‘without provocation’ into their truck.  The woman and her son were injured and both are recovering.

Neal was being prosecuted on charges of assault with a deadly weapon that occurred in January.  Tehama County District Attorney Gregg Cohen said “Neal had a long-running dispute with his neighbors and during the January incident, he allegedly shot through a wooden fence at two female neighbors as they walked along the fence. Neal then jumped the fence, confronted the women, stabbed one and took a cellphone from the other.”  Neal was also involved in an assault on a male neighbor in February.

Neal’s mother says she posted his $160,000 bail after the January assault charge.   She said her son was a marijuana farmer and was in a dispute with neighbors he believed were cooking methamphetamine. She says when she spoke to him Monday and he said he felt like he was on a “cliff” and people were trying to “execute” him. She says he told her “Mom, it’s all over now. I have done everything I could do and I am fighting against everyone who lives in this area.”  Neal’s sister described him as becoming extremely paranoid, spending hours on the phone with his mother who try to calm him down.

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