Mainstream News

Doctors caught on video using household drills in Moldovan state-run children’s hospital

"Doctors at a Moldovan state-run hospital used household tools, including an electric drill and pliers, to perform surgery in a video leaked to local press and published on the Internet, prompting outrage among the public and government officials. Prime Minister Iurie Leance ordered Healthcare Minister Andrei Usatii on the same day to investigate the incident. Usatii, in turn, told local television that while the use of household tools was allowed in certain circumstances, the hospital in question had adequate specialized equipment. Moldova, a former Soviet republic of 4 million, is one of the poorest nations in Europe with an average monthly wage of about $300." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDoctors caught on video using household drills in Moldovan state-run children’s hospital

Criminals can’t escape the cameras

"Inventors are continuing to tap into the power of surveillance cameras, and capabilities that might have seemed like James Bond tricks are now reality, such as face-recognition software and license-plate readers. One such invention aims to 'see' potential crime before it happens. AISight is software that uses artificial intelligence to learn over time what normal behavior the camera records, so it can recognize when there is abnormal behavior. The system will send an alert to whoever is monitoring the cameras, such as a security guard, who can then decide how to react to the situation." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCriminals can’t escape the cameras

Levi Chavez, ex-New Mexico police officer, acquitted of wife’s murder

"A jury acquitted Levi Chavez of murdering his wife and trying to make the hairdresser's death look like a suicide. Prosecutor Bryan McKay, who told jurors during closing arguments that Chavez used his department-issued gun to commit 'cold-blooded, calculated, planned-out murder,' declined to comment after the verdict. A wrongful death lawsuit from the family of Tera Chavez alleges the former officer killed his wife to keep her from disclosing an alleged staged theft of a truck for insurance money. Chavez acknowledged having a string of mistresses, searching a website on how to kill someone with martial arts moves, and ignoring his wife's calls for help." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLevi Chavez, ex-New Mexico police officer, acquitted of wife’s murder

Police raid on wrong address felt like home invasion

"He was claiming to be a police officer, but the man she had seen looked to her more like an armed thug. Her boyfriend, Dorris, was calmer, and yelled back that he wanted to see some ID. But the man just demanded they open the door. The actual words, the couple say, were, 'We're the f------ police; open the f------ door.' Then, to the couple's horror — and as Goldsberry huddled in the hallway with gun in hand — the front door they had thought was locked pushed open. A man edged around the corner and pointed a gun and a fiercely bright light at them, and yelled even more. 'Drop the f------ gun or I'll f------ shoot you,' he shouted, then said it again and again." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPolice raid on wrong address felt like home invasion

Obama Co-Sponsored 2004 Bill Strengthening Self-Defense in Illinois

"President Barack Obama has questioned the wisdom of 'Stand Your Ground' laws, which in many states provide that a person using justified force in self-defense against an attacker has no duty to retreat before using that force. However, in 2004, then-State Senator Obama co-sponsored a bill that strengthened an Illinois law providing for the use of lethal force in self-defense, making the use of such force more likely. Though Obama had made gun control a signature issue early in his career in the state capitol representing the urban, liberal district of Hyde Park, the need to appeal to voters statewide may have prompted Obama's co-sponsorship of the self-defense legislation." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama Co-Sponsored 2004 Bill Strengthening Self-Defense in Illinois

German Intelligence Worked Closely with NSA on Data Surveillance

"Chancellor Angela Merkel has repeatedly said she knew nothing about American surveillance activities in Germany. But documents show that German intelligence cooperates closely with the NSA and even uses spy software provided by the US. The shift to a more offensive German security policy began in 2007. Since then, there have been 'regular US-German analytic exchanges and closer cooperation in tracking both German and non-German extremist targets.' The German foreign intelligence agency went even further in its effort to please the Americans, 'working to influence the German government to relax interpretation of the privacy laws'." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGerman Intelligence Worked Closely with NSA on Data Surveillance

Turkish court gives go-ahead to demolish Gezi Park

"Istanbul’s administrative court gave a green light to demolish city’s Gezi Park, which was at the center of heated nationwide protests sparked by the decision to get rid of the park and turn it into a monument to the Ottoman Empire. The protests against the construction spread nationally since late May, growing into a larger opposition by those unhappy with Erdogan’s 'authoritarian style of rule.' The park has turned into a cradle of anti-government unrest, where the protests quickly became violent as police used teargas and water canon to disperse protesters. The demonstrations resulted in the death of four people and around 7,500 injured." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTurkish court gives go-ahead to demolish Gezi Park

Death toll rises in Egypt following clashes

"At least six people were killed in overnight clashes in Cairo between supporters and opponents of ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, the health ministry has confirmed to Al Jazeera. The clashes late that night saw the use of birdshot, gunfire and molotov cocktails, witnesses said. Police then intervened, firing tear gas to disperse the crowd. Earlier in the day, Adly Mansour, Egypt's interim president, renewed appeals for reconciliation. 'We want to turn a new page in the country’s book with no hatred, no malice, no division,' he said in a pre-recorded speech that also highlighted the importance of the army in Egypt's history." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDeath toll rises in Egypt following clashes

How will Obama defend secret NSA program in court? Letter offers clue.

"The letter continues, 'the Government is prohibited ... from indiscriminately sifting through the data. The data-base may only be queried for intelligence purposes by NSA analysts where there is a reasonable, articulable suspicion (RAS), based on specific facts.' If the government wants to take a closer look, any data gleaned must be associated with people or phone numbers already identified and approved by the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. In 2012, the letter revealed, the court approved fewer than 300 'query terms' that would allow intelligence analysts to pursue a phone call further." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHow will Obama defend secret NSA program in court? Letter offers clue.

Obamacare, Simplified

"The process for determining subsidy eligibility could require 21 different steps, involving at least five separate entities—the Social Security Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Internal Revenue Service, and state exchanges—and utilizing a process called the Income and Family Size Verification Project. Yet the Obama Administration believes spending more money will solve the problem. Just for the IRS implementation of Obamacare, the Administration requested $439.6 million for nearly 2,000 bureaucrats." Continue reading →

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