ABC News

A Southern California elementary school student has been found to have leprosy, public health officials said Thursday, though they emphasize that the student’s school and community remain safe.

Two children from Indian Hills Elementary School in Jurupa Valley had initially been diagnosed by a local doctor with the condition known medically as Hansen’s disease, Riverside County health officials said. But this week they received results from the National Hansen’s Disease Laboratory Research Program in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and they showed that only one of the children had tested positive.   Continue reading “Southern California Child Tests Positive for Leprosy”

Reuters

Drivers from Tennessee and Georgia to New Jersey may soon breathe a collective sigh of relief as service is restored on Colonial Pipeline, cutting gasoline prices that have surged following a leak on the key line.

Still, the 12-day disruption on Colonial, the main artery that flows about 1.3 million barrels per day of fuel from the refining hub on the Gulf Coast to cities all the way up to the East Coast illustrates the impact even a relatively brief disruption can have on gasoline prices.   Continue reading “Gasoline shortages highlight U.S. dependence on Colonial pipeline”

BBC News

Rebel-held areas of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo saw the heaviest air strikes in months overnight, activists say, as a week-old truce collapsed.

An AFP news agency journalist reported that his entire street in the Bustan al-Qasr district was left burning after warplanes dropped incendiary bombs.

At least seven people, including three children, are believed to have died.   Continue reading “Syria conflict: Warplanes set rebel-held Aleppo ablaze”

Washington Post – by Elise Viebeck

A House committee on Thursday is expected to begin the process of holding a former Hillary Clinton aide in contempt of Congress for his failure to appear before the panel under subpoena.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee announced it will mark up a contempt of Congress resolution if the ex-State Department aide, Bryan Pagliano, does not attend its 10 a.m. hearing to testify about his role in setting up Clinton’s private email server in 2009.   Continue reading “House panel expected to move forward with contempt resolution against Clinton aide”

Seattle Times

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon State Police trooper testified a government informant was driving Ammon Bundy when the Oregon standoff leader was arrested on his way to a community meeting north of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

Trooper Jeremiah Beckert said Wednesday that informant Mark McConnell alerted police that Bundy and other occupiers were traveling Jan. 26 and provided their location.   Continue reading “Trooper: Driver for refuge occupier a government informant”

The Hill – by Lisa Hagen

Republicans in critical down-ballot races are taking a page from the Democrats’ playbook: They are talking up gun control measures.

Republican incumbents have faced increasing pressure from both their Democratic opponents and colleagues in the Senate to act on gun control legislation, particularly in the wake of several mass shootings that have occurred since late last year.   Continue reading “Swing-state Republicans play up efforts for gun control laws”

Sent to us by a reader.

WWMT – by Brittany Gray

COLDWATER, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – A Branch County mother says her son was suspended from school for doing the right thing.

Kyler Davies, a 7th grade student, found a pocket knife in his backpack. His mom tells us she bought the bag at Goodwill and never checked it. When her son found it, he told a counselor, and was suspended.   Continue reading “Branch Co. mother says son was suspended from school after reporting knife”

Politico – by Josh Gerstein

A federal judge lashed out at the State Department on Monday over what he charged was foot-dragging over Freedom of Information Act requests relating to Hillary Clinton’s service as secretary of state.

“You have a client that, to say the least, is not impressing the judges on this court, myself included. … It is in your client’s interest to start being more obviously cooperative,” U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon warned Justice Department lawyers representing State during a hearing Monday. “The State Department is at risk of being perceived as obstreperous. [They] need to get with the program.”   Continue reading “Judge gives State Department tongue-lashing over Clinton classification training records”

Yahoo News

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government has mistakenly granted citizenship to at least 858 immigrants from countries of concern to national security or with high rates of immigration fraud who had pending deportation orders, according to an internal Homeland Security audit released Monday.

The Homeland Security Department’s inspector general found that the immigrants used different names or birthdates to apply for citizenship with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and such discrepancies weren’t caught because their fingerprints were missing from government databases.   Continue reading “More than 800 immigrants mistakenly granted citizenship, Homeland report says”

Yahoo News

Authorities are urgently searching for a “person of interest” in the New York City explosion, identified as 28-year-old Ahmad Khan Rahami, according to a memo circulated by the NYPD.

The FBI also released a wanted poster for Rahami with his photo, saying he is “wanted for questioning” related to the bombing. Rahami is a U.S. citizen originally born in Afghanistan, the FBI said. He is considered armed and dangerous.   Continue reading “Police on Manhunt for ‘Person of Interest’ in Manhattan Bombing”

Yahoo News

A massive sinkhole at a fertilizer plant in Mulberry, Florida, has caused about 215 million gallons of radioactive water to drain down into the Floridian aquifer system, according to ABC affiliate WFTS.

The aquifer system supplies drinking water to millions of Florida residents, according to the St. Johns Water Management District’s website. Additionally, water that escapes from the aquifers create springs used for recreational activities like snorkeling and swimming.   Continue reading “Florida Fertilizer Plant Sinkhole Reportedly Leaks 215 Million Gallons of Radioactive Water Into Aquifer”

Sent to us by the author.

My objections to the “science” behind mankind driven climate change:

The greenhouse effect theory, i.e. upwelling/down welling/”back” radiation violates conservation of energy and thermodynamic laws. Yes, it really does! Not that it matters because the theory actually does not do anything, i.e. no net change in radiative balance at the ToA, per NASA 100 km.   Continue reading “Climate Change”

AL.com

Gov. Robert Bentley issued an executive order Thursday declaring a state of emergency in Alabama over concerns about fuel shortages in the wake of a gasoline pipeline spill that released about 250,000 gallons of gasoline south of Birmingham and shut down a major pipeline connecting refineries in Houston with the rest of the country.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal issued a similar executive order for his state on Tuesday.   Continue reading “Alabama, Georgia declare state of emergency after pipeline spill”

Free Thought Project – by John Vibes

Blacksburg, VA – Pharmaceutical company Mylan has made news recently by raising the price of a popular and important drug. Mylan acquired a product by the name of EpiPen in 2007. At the time, the price of the product was approximately $100 per unit. However, the price quickly shot up to $600 after Mylan’s acquisition.

EpiPen is an injection containing epinephrine, a chemical that narrows blood vessels and opens airways in the lungs. These effects can reverse severe low blood pressure, wheezing, severe skin itching, hives, and other symptoms of an allergic reaction. This product is popular among people with life threatening allergies.   Continue reading “Pharmacist Finds A Way Around Govt-Protected Drug Maker — Makes EpiPen Alternative For $20”

Fox News – by Malia Zimmerman, William Lajeunesse

Federal lawmakers seeking to pinpoint the number of illegal immigrants who successfully sneak across the southern border ordered up a report from the Department of Homeland Security, but the agency refuses to release it and instead cites a misleading statistic that overstates the number who are nabbed, sources told Fox News.

DHS denied it is holding back the report, but sources say it was completed in November and that it shows roughly half of adults who attempt to cross the border make it – approximately 250,000 in total.   Continue reading “DHS accused of sitting on damning border report as immigration issue drives presidential race”

Fox News

Missouri on Wednesday joined a growing list of states allowing most adults to carry concealed weapons without a permit, as the state’s Republican-led Legislature used its supermajority to loosen existing gun laws.

The measure, described by supporters as “constitutional carry,” allows people to carry hidden guns anywhere they can currently carry weapons openly, effective January 1. Missouri will join 10 other states with laws that allow most people to carry concealed guns even if they haven’t gone through the training required for permits, according to the National Rifle Association, which supported the legislation.   Continue reading “Missouri joins states allowing concealed carry without permit”