Author: Sunfire

RT

Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson has lost its second legal battle in a row over its talcum powder, which has been alleged to cause cancer. The company must now pay $55 million to a woman who says she got ovarian cancer after using the product.

Less than four months after losing a $72 million case in the same St. Louis, Missouri, courthouse, Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay $5 million in compensation and $50 million in punitive damages to Gloria Ristesund.   Continue reading “Johnson & Johnson loses second ovarian cancer case, must pay $55mn”

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BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian opposition fighters on Tuesday shelled government-held parts of Aleppo, killing at least 12 people, as the army claimed it was repelling a wide offensive by the rebels in the country’s largest city. Activists, meanwhile, said government forces were also shelling rebel-held parts of the city, killing two people and wounding several.

The escalation came as the diplomatic focus moved to Moscow where the U.N. envoy for Syria started talks in efforts to restore a piecemeal cease-fire that would also include the contested northern city.   Continue reading “Violence in Syria’s Aleppo kills more than a dozen people”

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — A serial killer preying on vulnerable young black women on the rough streets of South Los Angeles eluded police for two decades until someone rifling through a dumpster in 2007 noticed red fingernails poking out of a garbage bag.

Inside was the body of Janecia Peters, providing clues connecting her slaying to nine others and eventually leading to the arrest of a suspect in the “Grim Sleeper” slayings. A prosecutor displayed charts, diagrams, photos and DNA test results to jurors Monday to make her case that Lonnie Franklin Jr. was a killer hiding in plain sight, shooting and strangling women — many prostitutes — and dumping their bodies in alleys not far from his home.   Continue reading “Prosecutor: Same gun, same DNA in ‘Grim Sleeper’ slayings”

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DETROIT (AP) — Nearly all of Detroit’s public schools were closed for a second consecutive day Tuesday after hundreds of teachers called out sick over concerns that many may not get paid if the financially struggling district runs out of money.

But a top Republican lawmaker said teachers are “going to get paid” and that lawmakers have never indicated they will not solve the financial problems in the district, which is being operated by the state. The Michigan Legislature is considering a $720 million restructuring plan that would pay off the district’s enormous debt.   Continue reading “Teacher sick-outs close most Detroit schools for a 2nd day”

RT

Australian businessman Craig Wright has revealed he is the man behind the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, ending years of speculation.

Bitcoin’s code was released in 2009 under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, and the true identity of Nakamoto was increasingly hard-sought as the virtual currency gained traction.

Bitcoin was the top performing currency last year, according to The Money Project, and one Bitcoin is currently worth about $456.   Continue reading “Bitcoin creator finally revealed? Australian Craig Wright outs himself as ‘Satoshi Nakamoto’”

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WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — An American exchange student and her mother were rescued over the weekend in the New Zealand wilderness, where they were lost for five days after setting off on a day hike. A helicopter pilot spotted the large “help” signs they had made from fern fronds.

After thinking she would die, 22-year-old Rachel Lloyd is now recovering in Wellington Hospital with her mother, Carolyn Lloyd, by her side. The pair recounted their ordeal to The Associated Press.   Continue reading “North Carolina pair survive 5 days in New Zealand wilderness”

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NEW YORK (AP) — A U.S. senator is calling for a federal investigation into an outdoor advertising company’s latest effort to target billboard ads to specific consumers. New York Sen. Charles Schumer has dubbed Clear Channel Outdoor Americas’ so-called RADAR program “spying billboards,” warning the service may violate privacy rights by tracking people’s cell phone data via the ad space.

“A person’s cellphone should not become a James Bond-like personal tracking device for a corporation to gather information about consumers without their consent,” Schumer, a Democrat, said in a statement ahead of a planned news conference Sunday in Times Square, where the company operates billboards.   Continue reading “Schumer: Probe billboards using phone data to track shoppers”

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HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — One of America’s largest troves of political and campaign memorabilia is headed for the auction block, spurring protests from some who do not want to see it divided up and sold to private collectors.

The University of Hartford plans to hire an auction house and sell off more than 70,000 items, many of them donated by the late J. Doyle DeWitt, a former chairman of The Travelers Cos. who spent decades amassing letters from presidents, campaign posters, and pins and advertisements dating to the 18th century.   Continue reading “Outrage over college’s plans to sell political memorabilia”

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HONOLULU (AP) — A church in Hawaii looking to address the state’s ongoing homelessness crisis has settled on a solution that on first look appears better suited for the frigid winters of Alaska than the islands’ tropical climate: igloos.

There’s no risk of the dome-shaped structures melting. They are made of fiberglass and their construction keeps the interior about 10-15 degrees cooler when the hot sun is blazing down, officials at First Assembly of God in Honolulu said.   Continue reading “Hawaii church deploying igloos to house homeless families”

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BAGHDAD (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Thursday to implore the country’s leaders to resolve a crippling political crisis that has hindered efforts to defeat the Islamic State group.

Biden landed in Baghdad mid-afternoon after a secret, overnight flight from Washington on a military plane. Stepping onto the tarmac in blistering heat, he greeted the U.S. ambassador and Lt. Gen. Sean McFarland, the U.S. commander heading the fight against IS, as swirling dust masked the skyline behind them.   Continue reading “On surprise Iraq visit, Biden urging end to political crisis”

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DETROIT (AP) — A dozen Detroit principals and an administrator are accused of finding a way to bleed their struggling public schools of $900,000 — ordering chairs, writing paper and other supplies that in most cases were never delivered, even as investigators doggedly battled fraud in a district that lacks textbooks and even toilet paper.

Federal authorities say the bribery and kickback scheme started as early as 2002 and ended earlier this year. It is the latest in a string of embarrassing public corruption cases where elected officials and workers succumbed to the temptation of an easy dime left in a too-often unguarded public till.   Continue reading “Some principals charged with kickbacks faced financial woes”

RT

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden’s revelations on government mass surveillance have apparently scared a significant number of people away from searching for terrorism-related information on Wikipedia, as a new study shows readers are afraid of being investigated.

The conclusions come as the online encyclopedia giant showed a 30-percent drop in searches on terrorism-related topics – the most direct evidence yet of something called the “chilling effect,” described by University of Oxford and Toronto’s Jonathon Penney as the measure of the negative impact on legal conduct that arises out of the leaks by the former NSA contractor who exposed the PRISM program.   Continue reading “People too afraid to search privacy-sensitive topics after Snowden revelations – Oxford study”

RT

Several computer viruses have been detected in a German nuclear power plant in Bavaria, the station operator said. The malware can steal login credentials and allow a remote attacker to access the cracked computer.

The incident took place at Gundremmingen plant about 100km from Munich.

“In Gundremmingen nuclear power plant so-called office-malware has been found during … testing work in Unit B,” a statement released by the power plant said.   Continue reading “German nuclear plant in Bavaria infected with malware, logins compromised”

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Hecklers who shout down speakers on North Carolina’s college campuses could be punished under a proposal being floated before lawmakers that would make this state the newest battleground over free speech at U.S. universities.

Lt. Gov. Dan Forest is proposing that the state’s 17-campus public university system create a policy that includes punishments for “those who interrupt the free expression of others.” With their annual legislative session opening this week, North Carolina lawmakers are expected to join a half-dozen states that have taken up free-speech legislation for public campuses.   Continue reading “College free speech: Hecklers on NC campuses under scrutiny”

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ANTIOCH, Calif. (AP) — There was an emergency in Room 14. Three girls injured, one with a broken thighbone and maybe something more serious. Snapping on sterile gloves and kneeling before the worst-off patient, two 17-year-olds went to work.

The pair cut open the girl’s pant leg, pinched her toes to see if she had feeling and fit her with a neck brace. Sweat flecked their faces by the time they had the patient — a perfectly healthy classmate — strapped to a back board 12 minutes later.   Continue reading “Career education making a comeback in US high schools”

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ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Supporters and opponents of Donald Trump clashed Tuesday outside City Hall, and five people, including two little girls, were pepper-sprayed by a demonstrator during the heated confrontation, police said.

No serious injuries and no arrests were reported in the clash as about 50 people confronted each other in the Orange County community. Backers waving U.S. flags and pro-Trump signs were met by opponents and a shouting match began before a City Council meeting where an anti-Trump resolution had been proposed that the council eventually chose to take no action on.   Continue reading “Pepper spray flies during Trump protest clash in California”

RT

A new report examining the devastating toll of incarcerated parents on children, families and their community has found that over five million children have a parent in jail, leading to poor education outcomes, economic strife and psychological problems.

“The saying is all too familiar: Do the crime, do the time. But in America’s age of mass incarceration, millions of children are suffering the consequences of their parents’ sentences and our nation’s tough-on-crime practices,” stated the report, A Shared Sentence released on Monday by The Annie E. Casey Foundation.   Continue reading “Over 5 million American children have a parent in jail – report”

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A friend of the white man accused of fatally shooting nine black parishioners in Charleston last year is set to plead guilty to two federal charges, according to an agreement signed by federal prosecutors and filed online Monday.

The plea would mark the first conviction in a mass killing that stunned the country, reignited discussions about race relations and led to the removal of a Confederate battle flag from the South Carolina Statehouse. Dylann Roof, who is charged with the slayings, had previously posed for photos with a rebel flag.   Continue reading “Church shooting suspect’s friend to plead”