James Boyd, Keith SandyThe Fifth Column – by Alex Freeman

Albuquerque, NM (TFC) –Lawyers for two Albuquerque police officers are citing the failure of non-lethal weapons as a legitimate defense in the murder of a homeless man camping in the mountains outside the city.  In January, the Albuquerque District Attorney charged Dominique Perez and Keith Sandy with “open murder” in the death of James Boyd, as the DA is still unsure of which degree of murder to assess.  The incident went viral and sparked massive protests against the Albuquerque Police Department because of the overwhelming use of force by members of the department.  Now that they are facing trial, the officers are blaming the results of the day on the failure of equipment discontinued by the manufacturer.   Continue reading “APD Officers Blame Taser Failure in Defense of Boyd Murder”

Obama Solar PanelsIB Times – by Maria Gallucci

President Barack Obama will sign an executive order Thursday requiring the federal government to slash its greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate its use of renewable energy sources, the White House told reporters. The mandate marks Obama’s latest effort to confront the challenge of climate change during his final two years in office.

Obama’s order will direct the government to curb its emissions by 40 percent over the next decade, compared with 2008 levels, the Associated Press reported. The White House said the move could save U.S. taxpayers up to $18 billion in avoided electricity costs. About 30 percent of the government’s energy consumption must come from renewable supplies such as solar and wind power.   Continue reading “Obama Climate Change Order Will Require Federal Government To Slash Its Greenhouse Gas Emissions”

Unknown-1Cop Block – by Joshua H.

An investigation has revealed the two NYPD officers responsible for making questionable edits (trolling) to the Wikipedia entry for Eric Garner, Sean Bell and Amadou Diallo. The two officers, who have been identified but not publicly named, used NYPD computers to make changes and amendments to the article. The changes were made in a manner that attempts to provide justification for the events that led to the murders of citizens by NYPD officers. The two officers have been admonished, but will not face consequences.   Continue reading “NYPD Cops Who Trolled Wikipedia Will Not Face Consequences”

iHLS

Israeli RT has successfully completed all the levels of the AEWE 2014 program.

The company’s Skystar 180 was chosen to be one of the approved technologies for purchase in the annual AEWE (Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiment) conducted by the US Army.

The Skystar 180 system, showcased at the AEWE, includes a Multi Sensor Miniature Stabilized TR STAMP Payload of the Israeli company CONTROP and a communication relay of both HARRIS and THALES. The Skystar 180 is ideal for defense missions, operating from company level to brigade level.   Continue reading “Israeli company clinches US Army contract”

The New York Times – by Nick Bilton

In 1946, a new advertising campaign appeared in magazines with a picture of a doctor in a lab coat holding a cigarette and the slogan, “More doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette.” No, this wasn’t a spoof. Back then, doctors were not aware that smoking could cause cancer, heart disease and lung disease.

In a similar vein, some researchers and consumers are now asking whether wearable computers will be considered harmful in several decades’ time.   Continue reading “The Health Concerns in Wearable Tech”

Reuters/Benoit TessierRT

Agrochemical giant Monsanto has settled class action lawsuits with farmers in seven states over genetically modified wheat incident in 2013. Without any admission of liability the company will pay some $350,000 in donations to agricultural schools.

The agricultural biotechnology corporation announced donations of $50,000 to agricultural schools in Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. The St. Louis based company also promised to reimburse a portion of the costs associated with the case. Monsanto said it can’t disclose how much that will cost.   Continue reading “Monsanto settles 7 lawsuits after 2013 GMO-wheat scare”

Mail.com

LONGMONT, Colo. (AP) — A 34-year-old woman was accused of stabbing a pregnant woman in the stomach and removing her baby, while the expectant mother visited her home to buy baby clothes advertised on Craigslist, Colorado authorities said.

Officers called to the residence Wednesday afternoon found the 26-year-old victim, who was seven months pregnant, stabbed and beaten, Longmont police Cmdr. Jeff Satur told the Daily Times-Call newspaper (http://bit.ly/1BzW1ZZ ).   Continue reading “Woman accused of cutting baby from pregnant woman’s womb”

Eh Lar Doh HtooMail.com

NEW BERN, N.C. (AP) — A frantic and bloodied mother whose three sons were killed in a knife attack jumped from an upstairs window and ran across the street for help, according to neighbors.

A couple, who, like the suspect and victims, were Burmese refugees, was startled Tuesday night by pounding on their door by the mother. They said she was bleeding from a wound in her back and asking for help.   Continue reading “Deadly knife attack stuns North Carolina neighborhood”

Mail.com

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Marcus Johnson Jr.’s parents figured a sunny day at a city park was just what their son, a 6-year-old kindergartner, needed while recovering from heart surgery the previous week and a doctor’s visit that same day.

Instead, the family will bury Marcus on Thursday after the child was shot in the chest and killed in an attack his mother and father said stemmed from a traffic dispute. The boy’s 15-year-old brother and a 69-year-old family friend were also wounded by the occupants of a car who shot at the family’s minivan as it left O’Fallon Park on the city’s north side on March 11. Marcus Johnson Sr. said he returned fire in self-defense as the rolling shootout continued for several blocks, with three other children — ages 8, 10 and 11 — in the car.   Continue reading “6-year-old heart patient’s shooting death rattles St. Louis”

CalPERS buildingLA Times – by Melody Peterson

As millions of private employees lost their pension benefits in recent years, government workers rested easy, believing that their promised retirements couldn’t be touched.

Now the safety of a government pension in California may be fading fast.

Feeling the heat is the state’s huge public pension fund, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, known as CalPERS.   Continue reading “California public workers may be at risk of losing promised pensions”

A self-designed T-Shirt reads The Telegraph – by Justin Huggler

A woman in Germany could face up to five years in prison for inciting hatred after she was filmed at an anti-Islam rally wearing a T-shirt that compared the Auschwitz concentration camp to a university.

The woman, who has not been named under German privacy laws, was filmed at a demonstration last October wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the words “University Auschwitz, est. 1941”.

Continue reading “German protester who wore ‘University of Auschwitz, 1941’ T-shirt faces prison”

John Cody, center, his wife, Maricruz and their children, Abigail, 15, left, Celeste, 11, and Sarah, 8, came from their home in La Porte to the rodeo. The family was detained and questioned about shoplifting, then later cleared. Photo: Melissa Phillip, Staff / © 2014 Houston ChronicleChron – by St. John Barned-Smith

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is a tradition for John Cody and his family.

“For the most part, we always try and go,” said Cody, a 35-year-old Houston firefighter and Army veteran.

He and his wife, Maricruz, like to take their three daughters to check out the animals at the petting zoo, munch on greasy carney food and ride the festival rides.   Continue reading “Family rodeo outing turns to “hellish nightmare””