The Ouachita Citizen – by Zach Parker and Sam Hanna Jr.

UPDATED: Congressman Vance McAllister issued a statement Monday afternoon “asking for forgiveness” after The Ouachita Citizen first reported McAllister was captured in a video recording passionately kissing and embracing a member of his congressional staff.

“There’s no doubt I’ve fallen short and I’m asking for forgiveness,” McAllister said in a statement. “I’m asking for forgiveness from God, my wife, my kids, my staff, and my constituents who elected me to serve. Trust is something I know has to be earned whether your a husband, a father, or a congressman. I promise to do everything I can to earn back the trust of everyone I’ve disappointed.”   Continue reading “Congressman McAllister caught in extramarital encounter, issues apology”

Wild HorsesKCSG TV – by wildhorsepreservation.org

(HILLSBOROUGH, NC) -The American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign (AWHPC), a national coalition and its founding organization, Return to Freedom (RTF), today warned the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Iron County Commissioners that any removal of wild horses from federal lands would be in violation of federal laws. The warning came in response to a threat and ultimatum made by the Iron County Board of Commissioners to the BLM that local officials would roundup federally-protected wild horses if the BLM did not.    Continue reading “Advocates Warn Ranchers and BLM: Removal of Wild Horses Violates Federal Laws”

St. George Utah News – by Mori Kessler

IRON COUNTY – Earlier this week Iron County Commission sent a letter to the Bureau of Land Management regarding the agency’s activity in Clark County, Nev., versus its apparent lack thereof in Iron County concerning an ongoing problem of feral horses and burros within the county.

Addressed to Neil Kornze, the BLM’s principal deputy director, and Amy Lueders, the BLM Nevada state director, the letter begins: “Please be advised that the decision of the BLM in Clark County Nevada to force trespass on private citizens has triggered our interest in Iron County, Utah and has spillover ramifications.”   Continue reading “Range war: County resolves to solve wild horse problem if BLM prioritizes Bundy cattle”

The Daily Beast – by Kyle Mizokami

The Air Force’s secret space plane has been up in orbit for nearly 500 days—a space endurance record. But nearly a year and a half into the mission, the Pentagon still won’t say what the X-37B is doing up there, or when it might come back.

The U.S. Air Force boosted the robotic X-37B atop the nose of an Atlas-5 rocket in December 2012. Since then it’s orbited the Earth thousands of times, overflying such interesting places as North Korea and Iran.     Continue reading “Will The Pentagon’s Secret Space Plane Ever Return to Earth?”

Image Associated PressThe Wire – by Philip Bump

Democratic Rep. Jim Moran of Virginia wants you to know that, at $174,000 a year,members of Congress are underpaid. Because Jim Moran, like others, doesn’t understand actual economic hardship and, frankly, isn’t that great at politics either.

Moran is not the only public official to make a dubious claim about salary hardship in the past 24 hours. Larry Schwartz is secretary to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a position that’s a sort of like chief of staff in the state. Schwartz was discussing a proposal backed by Cuomo that would freeze property taxes on people at certain income levels. After all, middle class folks like those making $500,000 shouldn’t pay exorbitant taxes. Yes, that’s right. Middle class. “I would consider someone making up to $500,000 as upper middle-class,” Schwarz said, according to The Journal-News. “I wouldn’t classify them as rich.” OK.   Continue reading “Your Political Leaders Are Unsurprisingly Terrible at Empathizing with Your Salary”

fort hood guns galoreThe Guardian

Guns are wall-to-wall at the Guns Galore shop near Fort Hood, and so are posters: No Idiots Allowed. This Isn’t a Place for Children to Play. Firearm Trafficking is Illegal.

But now that a second mass shooting at the Texas military base has been linked to guns bought at the squat brick store, which promises “3,000 Guns In Stock,” the message Guns Galore clerks are emphasizing is don’t blame them.   Continue reading “Fort Hood: Guns Galore reportedly sold guns to both shooters”

WTLX 19

Killeen, TX (KVUE/KENS/WFAA)

Update at 8:10pm: CBS News has confirmed with law enforcement officials that there are four dead, including the shooter.

KENS 5 reports that CBS News sources have identified the Fort Hood shooter as 34-year-old Ivan Lopez, and the incident began as a dispute involving soldiers.   Continue reading “Reports: 4 Dead, 14 Inured in Ft. Hood Shooting”

Widespread: The scale of the devastating Oso mudslide can be seen from this satellite image taken on MondayDaily Mail – by JESSICA JERREAT

A newly released satellite image shows the shocking scale of destruction caused by the Washington state landslide that struck the small town of Oso on March 22.

Google Earth had been trying to get a clear view of the landslide since it first happened, but overcast skies prevented a clear view until March 31.    Continue reading “A community wiped out: New satellite image shows true scale of devastation caused by Washington landslide that killed at least 27”

Huffington Post – by Alexandra Zaslow

Since the devastating mudslide hit Washington on March 22, rescue dogs have been tirelessly searching for buried victims.

Rescue crews announced Sunday that some dogs are taking a two-day break, the Associated Press reported. The dogs who arrived more recently from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will continue their search.     Continue reading “Meet The Unsung Heroes Of The Mudslide Search: These Brave Rescue Dogs”

KOAT 7 News – by Mike Springer

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —A protest over the Albuquerque Police Department’s use of force stretched late into Sunday night.

The protest finally ended just before midnight.

Around 9 p.m., police used tear gas in an attempt to put an end to the demonstration.   Continue reading “APD protest ends after 12 hours, tense moments”

AOL

The state of Mississippi has moved to execute its first female death row prisoner in 70 years.

According to WXVT, Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood requested earlier this week that Michelle Byrom be executed by lethal injection.

The state Supreme Court has the final say on executions, according to the Mississippi Department of Corrections, so if it confirms the date, Byrom will be the first woman to be put to death in Mississippi since 1944.   Continue reading “Woman to be executed for a murder that her son allegedly confessed to committing on four different occasions”

, who owned up to $1 million worth of Russia's Lukoil at one point, appears to be Congress' biggest single investor in Russian stock. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)Huffington Post

WASHINGTON — As members of Congress and the Obama administration scramble to respond to the increasing threat posed by the Russian military in Ukraine, economic sanctions are emerging as the United States’ preferred method of exercising its leverage.

Late Monday, the Senate moved ahead on approving President Barack Obama’s request to enact broad penalties in the future against Russian officials and business people who are engaged in what the Treasury Department deems corruption, bribery or misuse of public funds. The House has passed a similar measure and is considering further steps in legislation scheduled for a markup Tuesday in the House Foreign Affairs Committee.   Continue reading “Six Members Of Congress Have Financial Stake In Russian Sanctions”

Cleanup vessels are surrounded by a sheen on the water in the Port of Galveston on Sunday, March 23, 2014, in Galveston, Texas. Dozens of ships are in evolved in clean-up efforts to remove oil that spilled into Galveston Bay after a ship and barge collided near the Texas City dike on Saturday afternoon. Photo: Smiley N. Pool, Houston ChronicleChron

The Texas Attorney General’s Office has dispatched investigators and staff from its Environmental Protection Division to the Galveston Bay oil spill site.

In response to the spill, Attorney General Greg Abbott on Monday said, in part: “The damage inflicted by this spill is a blow to small businesses, fishing, recreation, and the overall economy – but its ripple effects will be felt much wider. While emergency workers race to get the spill contained and cleaned, the attorney general’s office will assist with the coordinated state response and has opened a civil investigation into this disaster.   Continue reading “Around Galveston Bay: oil spill updates”

Fox Promotes KXL Pipeline With Galveston SpillMedia Matters – by CRAIG HARRINGTON

Fox Business personalities seized on reports of an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to push for approval of Keystone XL, ignoring the fact that the pipeline could lead to increased risk of spills near the Gulf Coast.

On March 23, Reuters reported that cleanup crews had quarantined a portion of the heavily trafficked Houston Ship Channel in response to a significant oil spill. The spill, estimated to be roughly 4,000 barrels (or 168,000 gallons), began after a tanker vessel carrying heavy fuel oil collided with a cargo ship in Galveston Bay, an estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico.   Continue reading “Fox Uses Galveston Bay Oil Spill To Push For Keystone XL Pipeline”

AOL – by Accuweather

Despite the official arrival of spring, temperatures over the next several days will feel more like January across the Midwest and East and will set the stage for snow in some communities.

The passage of a cold front will pave the way for fresh arctic air to erase the mild start to spring in the Midwest and East.   Continue reading “Arctic Cold Returning to Midwest, East Despite Spring”

Boulder Weekly – by Jefferson Dodge and Joel Dyer

The oil and gas industry has a dirty little secret, make that a dirty big secret … no, make that one of the biggest, dirtiest secrets in U.S. history.

What is no secret these days is that the potential for negative environmental and health impacts as a result of oil and gas exploration and production activity is very real.   Continue reading “America’s dirtiest secret”

Low Track #3: Low ImpactThe Weather Channel 

The feel of winter is going to carry over into the first week of spring if you live east of the Rockies. Not only are temperatures going to plunge below average, but we are also watching for the potential of an East Coast winter storm.

Here’s what we know right now regarding this potential storm and the uncertainties.    Continue reading “East Coast Winter Storm Next Week?”

Special bond: The giraffe approached the man's hospital bed, and appeared to give the 54-year-old a kiss goodbyeDaily Mail – by ANDREW CHESTERTON

This is the touching moment a giraffe bid a sad farewell to a dying worker who had spent his entire adult life cleaning the animal’s enclosure at a Dutch zoo.

The 54-year-old maintenance worker, who has terminal cancer, asked that his hospital bed be wheeled into the giraffe enclosure at Rotterdam’s Diergaarde Blijdorp zoo.

In a heartbreaking scene, one of the giraffes then approached the man, known only as Mario, and gave him a tender kiss goodbye.   Continue reading “A kiss from a giraffe for dying zookeeper as he is wheeled in his hospital bed to say a final farewell to the animals he cared for”