TGI Fridays locations in New Jersey have been accused of selling cheap booze as premium liquor.

State authorities busted 29 bars and restaurants in a sting dubbed “Operation Swill.” These establishments reportedly filled empty bottles of premium liquor with less expensive brands. These fake products were then sold to customers.

Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control said these restaurants, including several TGI Fridays locations, were attempting to increase their profits by selling the cheaper products at higher prices. According to The Star-Leger, the investigation into the bogus booze was launched after authorities received numerous complaints from customers.

Investigators managed to pinpoint the culprits through the use confidential informants and undercover detectives. New technology reported aided authorities in their quest to bust the perpetrators. The investigation took over a year to complete.

Authorities have yet to reveal which premium liquor brands were being faked by these restaurants. However, officials stated that inventories and records were confiscated during the sting.

Thirteen TGI Fridays locations were included in recent bust. The Associated Press reports that the company was working with the New Jersey franchisee accused to passing off cheap booze as premium liquor. A spokesperson for the restaurant described the allegations as “serious.”

“We have one of the most extensive bar and beverage programs in the industry, which sets a very high standard in the quality and service of our beverages,” TGI Fridays said in a statement.

The restaurants in New Jersey are owned and operated by The Briad Group. The company reportedly owns around 70 locations across seven states. Although several news organizations have reached out for comment, reps for The Briad Group have yet to comment on the situation.

Here’s a complete list of the restaurants accused of selling fake liquor.

Railroad Café, East Rutherford
The Brick House, Wyckoff
Sunset Tavern, Burlington
Graziano’s Ristorante, Chesilhurst
Villari’s Lakeside, Gloucester Township
Yesterday’s, Marmora
TGI Fridays, West Orange
Italian Affair, Glassboro
Bell’s Tavern, Lambertville
TGI Fridays, East Windsor
Brunswick Grove, East Brunswick
TGI Fridays, Old Bridge
TGI Fridays, North Brunswick
TGI Fridays, Piscataway
TGI Fridays, Freehold
TGI Fridays, Marlboro
TGI Fridays, Hazlet
Murray’s, Dover
TGI Fridays, East Hanover
Sona Thirteen, Morristown
Blackthorn Restaurant, Parsippany
Ruby Tuesday, Bridgewater
TGI Fridays, Linden
Café 34, Matawan
Applebee’s, Kearny
Cucina Calandara, Fairfield
TGI Fridays, Hamilton
TGI Fridays, Springfield
TGI Fridays, Clifton

What do you think about TGI Fridays getting busted for selling fake liquor to customers in New Jersey?

[Image via Shutterstock]

TGI Fridays Accused Of Selling Fake Premium Liquor In New Jersey is a post from: The Inquisitr

Texas Republican Senator and frequent Rachel Maddow whipping boy Ted Cruz made strange admission on Wednesday: He doesn’t trust Republicans.

Speaking on the floor of the U.S. Senate and engaged in a heated dispute with Arizona Senator John McCain, Cruz said that he doesn’t trust Democrats (obvious) but that he also doesn’t trust Republicans.

Cruz, as well as Senators Marco Rubio, Mike Lee and Rand Paul, were called out by McCain, who wanted them to allow the Senate to get a band together in order to work out a federal budget alongside the House of Representatives. This would be the first time they have done their jobs this in four years.

However, Tea Party members have made a strict set of demands or pre-conditions that they want met before such a group is put together. Primarily, they want the conferees barred from raising the debt limit.

McCain balked this condition because he says the group needs room to negotiate. He also said that their resistance made it pretty clear that they don’t exactly trust their fellow Republicans.

You’re damn right, they don’t!

“Let me be clear. I don’t trust the Republicans,” Cruz said. “And I don’t trust the Democrats. And I think a whole lot of Americans likewise don’t trust the Republicans and the Democrats because it is leadership in both parties that has gotten us in this mess.”

“Unfortunately,” Cruz continued, “one of the reasons we got into this mess is because a lot of Republicans were complicit in this spending spree and that’s why so many Americans are disgusted with both sides of this house. … And every Republican who stands against holding the line here is really saying, let’s give the Democrats a blank check to borrow any money they want with no reforms, no leadership to fix the problem.”

You can’t write a face-off this good! You can check out video of Cruz’s comments to McCain below:

Ted Cruz Doesn’t Trust Republicans is a post from: The Inquisitr

Tesla Motors announced today that it has fully paid off the $465 million federal loan it received from the government in 2010.

According to CNN Money, the company made its first payment last December and was planning on taking another 10 years to completely pay back the loan. Well, the plan has changed. Tesla said that it has paid back the $465 million nine years early.

CEO Elon Musk said: “I would like to thank the Department of Energy and the members of Congress and their staffs that worked hard to create the [loan] program, and particularly the American taxpayer from whom these funds originate. I hope we did you proud.”

The Contra Costa Times reports that the Department of Energy loaned out $34 billion for clean energy projects. Some companies, like Solyndra and electric car maker Fisker, have failed to pay back their loans. As of today, Tesla Motors is the only company to fully repay back its loan.

Still, U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz was optimistic about the the electric vehicle industry.

Moniz said: “Tesla employs more than 3,000 American workers and is living proof of the power of American innovation. This is another important contribution to what the Obama Administration has done to preserve and promote America’s auto industry. This announcement is also good news for the future of America’s growing electric vehicle industry. While the market has taken longer than predicted to get going, sales of electric vehicles in the U.S. tripled last year and are continuing to increase rapidly in 2013. Tesla and other U.S. manufacturers are in a strong position to compete for this growing global market.”

Tesla Repays $465 Million Federal Loan Nine Years Early is a post from: The Inquisitr

A cashier in Missouri sold herself a $1 million winning lottery ticket this week.

According to the Daily Mail, Mary Jane Hart works at the Hartland Pit Stop in Doniphan, Missouri. She sold herself two winning tickets this week. The first was for $500 and the second was for $1 million.

Hart said that news about the winning ticket traveled fast through the town of just 2,000 people. The cashier said that she got a call from a friend saying that the Hartland Pit stop had sold a $1 million ticket. Hart stopped at a convenient store to check her ticket, and then, in a state of disbelief, stopped at another store just to make sure.

The Missouri woman said that she didn’t truly believe until she was standing in the lottery office.

Hart said: “I still didn’t believe it until we got to the lottery office and the guy started shaking his head and said congratulations. Then I knew it was real.”

Hart currently works two jobs to support her three children. The lottery winner said that she didn’t plan on quitting her jobs but did say that she was going to make a few changes in her life. For one, she is going to attend more NASCAR races. Hart also said that she has always wanted to go to Hawaii.

Hart said: “I’ve always wanted to win a jackpot so that I could go to way more NASCAR races than I go to [now], which is a lot … That’s a lifelong dream to want to go [to Hawaii] … I think I can do that now.”

Cashier Sells Self $1M Ticket In Missouri is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Philadelphia faith-healing couple has been charged with third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and other charges in the death of their 7-month-old son.

Brandon Scott Schaible died on April 18 from bacterial pneumonia, severe dehydration, and strep. His parents, Catherine and Herbert Schaible, withheld medical care because they believed in God’s power to heal the baby.

The couple are members of a Juniata Park church that refuses almost all modern health care and safety procedures, including glasses, toothpaste, and seat belts. When Brandon grew sick, the couple called an assistant pastor to their Rhawnhurst home to pray for and anoint the baby. They never sought appropriate medical care, even though they were obligated to under the terms of their probation in relation to the 2009 death of their 2-year-old son, Kent.

A report by Assistant Medical Examiner Gary Collins said Brandon had difficulty breathing, irritability, and little appetite for three days before he died.

In addition to the murder and manslaughter charges, the Schaibles were also charged with conspiracy and endangering the welfare of a child. Their pastor, Nelson Clark, questioned the murder charge, saying, “There isn’t really any guarantee that he would have lived if they took him to a medical practitioner.”

First Assistant District Attorney Ed McCann said the couple was charged with murder because of their “extreme indifference to the value of human life.”

Clark said he did consider whether he would also be charged in Brandon’s Schaible’s death, but said he wouldn’t stop preaching what he believed.

“We have to obey God rather than man,” he said.

The Schaibles have seven other children, ranging in age from 8 to 17. They have been placed in temporary foster care, and have been allowed to have supervised visits with their parents. They were also allowed to attend a recent church service.

Catherine and Herbert Shaible are scheduled for a probation hearing next month. If it is found that they violated the terms of their probation, they could face five to 10 years in prison.

Faith-Healing Couple Charged With Murder In Infant’s Death is a post from: The Inquisitr

Phoenix Police officer Daryl Raetz was tragically killed in the line of duty just days ago, and, in a show of support, hundreds of his fellow cops attended the Kindergarten graduation of his small daughter, Tatum Raetz.

While Officer Daryl Raetz’s little girl has to live with the loss of her father (killed in a hit-and-run incident) for the rest of her life, Tatum Raetz does have one impressive memory from this terrible year — her dad’s co-workers in a sea of blue, all showing up to honor her on her first big school milestone.

Phoenix Police tweeted about the graduation of Raetz’s daughter, but even with the massive turnout, the department didn’t expect the gesture to be quite so large.

Fellow Officer James Holmes told a local news source:

“[Tatum] had 300, 400 parents up here for her this morning … It was absolutely amazing. It was bittersweet and it was a bit overwhelming for all of us.”

Holmes continued:

“We tried to keep this small. We tried to keep this to Daryl’s squad and his precinct. But the word got out that this was happening and it went viral within the department and there was absolutely no way that you could keep officers who could be here away from here. they came, even with their families.”

Sara Garza is both a Phoenix Police member and Raetz family friend, and she said of the outpouring of support for Raetz’s widow and daughter:

“Usually we come together as a police family in sad times, so for something like this to happen on such a happy occasion … this is wonderful. It’s uplifting. … We honor his memory, but we’re there and we celebrate and we’re with his family. That’s the most important thing we can do … We’ll support his family forever, and this is just the first step.”

Dad would be so proud…as are we! twitter.com/SgtMartos/stat…

— Steve Martos (@SgtMartos) May 22, 2013

Officer Raetz’s daughter graduates kindergarten. He couldn’t be here so his PD family made it a point to be. twitter.com/phoenixpolice/…

— Phoenix Police (@phoenixpolice) May 22, 2013

Raetz, 29, died Saturday while on duty.

Phoenix Police In The Hundreds Attend Fallen Cop’s Daughter’s Kindergarten Graduation is a post from: The Inquisitr

CNN pundit Piers Morgan has inked a deal with Simon & Schuster to write a tell-all book about his career at the troubled network, which he described as “The Newsroom on steroids,” referencing the popular HBO series of the same name.

Morgan’s book will go behind-the-scenes recounting his career at CNN “warts and all,” according to a statement released by his publisher on Wednesday.

The sometimes-controversial pundit’s book will be published in October under the title: Shooting Straight: Guns, Gays, God, and George Clooney.

The book will detail Morgan’s “adrenaline-fueled life at CNN as host of ‘Piers Morgan Live’ including the real time drama of covering huge breaking news stories.”

Such topics will include the death of Osama bin Laden, the Newtown massacre, the controversy generated by his own aggressive gun control coverage, as well as the garden-variety “trials and tribulations of anchoring a nightly cable news show in the world’s most ruthless, competitive, and pressurized media marketplace; and the unpredictable, fascinating, and often hilarious challenge of interviewing the world’s biggest stars and world leaders.”

While that sounds like quite a lot of ground to cover, Morgan will be presenting the book in diary format, hoping that will make the tome a bit more focused and inviting to readers.

Since Morgan is still employed by CNN (so far as we know), it doesn’t sound like his new book will be some sort of scandalous insider expose on the network, but rather more about Morgan’s own quirky and at-times stressful career there.

Publisher Jennifer Bergstrom said of the new book: “I fully expect ‘Shooting Straight’ to enlighten some readers and enrage others. Either way, it will be a thought-provoking book that I’m thrilled to publish.” Gee, that doesn’t sound like Piers Morgan at all.

[Image via: Pete Riches / Wikimedia Commons]

Piers Morgan To Write CNN Tell-All, Calls His Life ‘The Newsroom On Steroids’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal has been blamed for a rise in sexual assaults in a recent post from Family Research Council (FRC) president Tony Perkins.

Citing a Pentagon report that showed the number of sexual assaults on men (14,000) was higher than those experienced by women (12,000), Perkins stated, “President Obama is finally admitting that sexual assault is a serious problem in the military — but what he hasn’t conceded is that his policy on homosexuality helped create it.”

Asking how such a statistic could occur, Perkins concluded that “the Obama administration ordered military leaders to embrace homosexuality [through the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal blamed] — completely dismissing the concerns that it could be a problem to have people attracted to the same sex, living in close quarters.”

He also warned, citing a WSJ article from Marine Captain Lindsay Rodman, that “the statistics aren’t reliable and may be hiding thousands more cases of service-based abuse.”

“‘The truth is,’ she writes in the Wall Street Journal, ‘that the 26,000 figure [of victims] is such bad math — derived from an unscientific sample set and extrapolated military-wide — that no conclusions can be drawn from it,’” Perkins quotes. “Except one, perhaps, which is that groups like FRC were right to be concerned about the overturning of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’”

Salon‘s Katie McDonough took issue with the FRC head’s conclusion, referring to Perkins as a “noted homophobe and famous banana brain.”

While McDonough agreed that the underreporting of sexual assault in the military is a real issue, she found Perkins’ conclusion “woefully incorrect (and clearly motivated by homophobic bulls***),” adding that it was “an affront to the very survivors of military sexual assault — gay and straight — who [Perkins] pretends to support.”

The Pentagon estimate of 26,000 sexual assaults in 2012 was a sharp increase from 19,000 for 2011.

Still, the New York Times noted, recorded cases were considerably lower at 3,374 in 2012 and 3,192 in 2011, “suggesting that many sexual assault victims continue not to report the crimes for fear of retribution or a lack of justice under the department’s system for prosecuting them.”

Compared to a similar report in 2010, the percentages of sexual assaults on both military men and women have risen, though the steeper percentage increase was for women. In 2010, approximately 4.4 percent of active duty women were victims compared to around six percent in 2012. For men, the number rose from 0.9 percent in 2010 to just under 1.2 percent last year.

There are currently 203,000 women on active duty and 1.2 million men.

Earlier this month, an Air Force sex scandal broke when the lead investigator looking in to allegations of sexual abuse was arrested and charged with grabbing a civilian woman by the breasts and buttocks.

President Obama said he has “no tolerance” for military sexual assault. “If we find out somebody’s engaging in this, they’ve got to be held accountable — prosecuted, stripped of their positions, court martialed, fired, dishonorably discharged. Period.”

Given the stats, what do you think about the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal being blamed for the rise in sexual assaults?

[Image via Wikipedia Commons]

‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Repeal Blamed For Rise In Sexual Assaults is a post from: The Inquisitr

Donald Rumsfeld’s gay marriage position is unclear — the former Bush administration big shot admits that he suspects acceptance of marriage equality is a slippery slope to polygamy.

Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s gay marriage view is, he admits, not very solid either way — but Rummy said to Larry King recently that he can’t seem to separate marriage equality from other, more transgressive relationships.

Rumsfeld’s gay marriage position may be evolving because the 80-year-old told King that he certainly supported the repeal of the military’s controversial “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy — which made it okay to be gay in the armed forces as long as no one knew.

But when it comes to marriage, Rumsfeld is not as cogent on where he stands — he said to King while speaking on Ora TV:

“You know, I’m, I guess, of a generation that I don’t … I listened to some of the Supreme Court justices and one of them said, ‘Well what’s next after that? Is it two people, three people?’ ”

The argument that polygamy (or polyamorous marriage) is the next logical step is a cornerstone of opposition to marriage equality despite any evidence that such a measure is being seriously tabled politically.

Larry King made reference to the former Secretary’s civil rights advocacy, but Rumsfeld’s gay marriage stance was one he didn’t seem to be able to reconcile with the other forms of equal treatment.

Rumsfeld elaborated, vaguely:

“I guess I just don’t equate the two … It’s not a subject I’m knowledgeable about. I guess the Rumsfeld rule here is: I don’t know.”

In an earlier interview, Rumsfeld’s gay marriage position was more tied to his old boss’ official party line, and he’d said:

“The administration has positions on these things … And if you’re part of the administration, you’re supportive of the administration.”

Do you think Rumsfeld’s gay marriage stance is evolving, or is marriage equality a lost cause for some more set in their ways politicians?

Rumsfeld’s Gay Marriage Worry: Polygamy Is Next is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Pets On Trains Act of 2013 would allow pets to travel with their owners on Amtrak. If signed into law, the Act will overpower current Amtrak rules that disallow animals unless they are designated as service animals.

Representative Steve Cohen of Tennesse, and Representative Jeff Denham of California co-sponsored the Act, which would require Amtrak to revise their existing policy. The policy would include an allowance for pet cats and dogs “on certain Amtrak trains.”

As stated in the Pets On Trains Act, the new policies are to include several new rules for traveling pets. Trains with more than one passenger car would designate one car to be used by passengers traveling with pets.

Each cat or dog must be kept inside kennel or carrier at all times. They would be handled as carry-on luggage if the passenger is travels less than 750 miles and has paid an extra fee.

The pets could be handled as cargo as long as they are secured inside a container and the passenger will travel a distance of less than 750 miles. Additionally, the cargo containment area must be climate controlled.

The Pets On Trains Act also allows for extra fees to cover the cost of transporting the pets. The Act specifies that the new policy would not change any existing policies allowing service animals.

Lastly, the bill clarifies that Amtrak is not expected to add additional trains or train cars to accommodate the pets.

Amtrak’s current pet policy specifies that only service dogs are allowed on their trains, and their specific task must be explained by the passenger. The policy explicitly excludes “comfort animals,” pets, search and rescue dogs, and police dogs.

As reported by Huffington Post, Representative Denham was inspired to sponsor the bill as “allowing families to bring their animals with them will facilitate transportation and efficiency while also providing a much-needed source of revenue for Amtrak.”

Both sponsors of the Pets On Trains Act of 2013 point out that pets can travel on planes but not trains.

[Image via Flickr]

Pets On Trains Act Would Allow Pets On Amtrak is a post from: The Inquisitr

In Josephine County, Oregon, a disturbing result of cuts to police forces was profiled on public radio after a woman was raped by a former boyfriend — and a 911 dispatcher was unable to send units to prevent the attack.

NPR covered the situation in Josephine County, where the unidentified woman had called police to report an imminent assault after her former boyfriend came to her home to attack her.

In a call transcript, the terrified woman explains over and over that the man, a parole violator, was attempting to enter her home and rape her — and the 911 operator is unable to dispatch police to the scene of the impending attack.

The call was placed on a Saturday night last August, and, in it, the woman pleads as the man — identified as Michael Bellah — attempts to break in to her house. She says in part:

” … my ex-boyfriend is trying to break into my house. I’m not letting him in but he’s like, tried to break down the door and he’s tried to break into one of the windows.”

While the woman was raped and that alone is horrific, it’s also very chilling to realize that she was incredibly lucky to escape with her life.

In addition to local police inability to respond, state police in Oregon — to whom the woman was transferred eventually — also refused to send units to prevent the rape and assault. Before the woman was choked and violated, a state police dispatcher responded to her pleas:

“I don’t have anybody to send out there. You know, obviously, if he comes inside the residence and assaults you, can you ask him to go away? Do you know if he’s intoxicated or anything?”

Josephine County Sheriff Gil Gilbertson did not comment on the case — but acknowledging that each day brings new victims of the cuts, he also said in an earlier press release that victims of domestic violence should “consider relocating to an area with adequate law enforcement services.”

Woman Raped After Cuts To Police Force Leave Residents Unprotected is a post from: The Inquisitr

Wolf Blitzer’s atheist interview has sparked a huge debate online, with many praising the interviewee and condemning the veteran CNN anchor.

On Tuesday, Blitzer was interviewing survivors of the devastating EF-5 tornado that struck Oklahoma Monday afternoon.

Standing in front of the destruction in Moore, Blitzer asked survivor Rebecca Vitsmun, who was holding her 19-month-old son, if she had thanked the Lord for surviving the twister.

There’s a short pause, and Vitsmun replied “I’m actually an atheist,” with an awkward laugh.

Blitzer stumbled, offering a pat on the back and a weird “you made the right call,” before Vitsmun very diplomatically responded:

“We are here, and you know, I don’t blame anybody for thanking the Lord.”

It was a pretty touching moment despite … well … everything, but it sparked a huge debate online over whether it was appropriate for Blitzer to have asked such a question in the first place.

Many on Twitter criticized Blitzer, saying that he’s no better than Glenn Beck or the folks at The 700 Club.

@wolfblitzer Is this CNN? I thought we were in the 700 Club for a moment.

— Chris Dashiell (@cdashiell) May 22, 2013

@thesuperficial wolf blitzer is poor man’s Glenn Beck. it’s only a matter of time til he’s slangin holy water for cash

— Shan Haque (@shan_haque) May 22, 2013

Others chose to focus on Rebecca Vitsmun, applauding her for such a measured and graceful response despite the circumstances.

I wonder if that atheist interviewed by Wolf Blitzer knows that she’s a Twitter hero?

— Ozark Atheist (@OzarkAtheist) May 22, 2013

Though CNN saw a boost in viewership on Monday night due to the storms, Nielsen put the network behind Fox News during Tuesday’s aftermath coverage.

You can watch the video of Wolf Blitzer’s atheist interview below, and let us know what you think: Did the veteran CNN reporter cross the line?

Wolf Blitzer’s Atheist Interview Sparks Huge Debate Online [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

A well known pastor in Virginia was arrested this week after two warrants connected him to Fort Worth child sexual assaults from the 1990s.

According to NBC12, pastor Geronimo Aguilar from the Richmond Outreach Center was taken into custody at his Richmond, Virginia home Tuesday on charges filed by Fort Worth police.

The 43-year-old Aguilar, known to his congregation as “Pastor G,” faces two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14.

The women are now in their 20s but were underage at the time of the alleged incidents.

The alleged crimes took place in 1996 and 1997 in Texas, reports the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The charges are felonies in Texas and could carry five and 99 years in prison as well as up to a $10,000 fine if Aguilar is convicted.

Pastor Aguilar founded the Richmond Outreach Center in 2001. It quickly caught on and was even named one of the fastest growing churches in America.

The ROC outgrew its Warwick Road space in 2008 and moved into a new home. Finished in 2009, the church says 11,000 worship here each week.

Update: Prosecutors in Texas have now formally charged Richmond Outreach Center Pastor Geronimo “G” Aguilar with seven felony counts in two child sex abuse cases.

Those charges are first degree felonies that could carry life in prison.

Pastor G also faces three counts of sexual assault of a child from the two alleged incidents. Those charges are second degree felonies that could carry up to 20 years in prison.

Aguilar must now report to Texas authorities by Friday at 4:30 pm.

Here is a video on ROC pastor Geronimo Aguilar’s child sex abuse case:

Virginia Pastor Geronimo Aguilar Arrested On Child Sex Charges [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Susan Powell’s dad is hiring a private investigator to review the case file on her disappearance after the official investigation turned up little.

Police say they’ve given finding missing Utah mother Susan Powell their best go, but her dad isn’t about to give up on his daughter that easily. With the case file released, he is hoping to bring it to a private investigator with the hope that one might spot something the police missed.

Chuck Cox told reporters Tuesday that a private eye has offered to review the tens of thousands of pages of detective reports, maps, interviews and more that make up the massive case file.

“That’s one of the reasons we wanted it: to find out what (the police) really had, because that would point us in a different direction and give us a place to search for my daughter,” Cox said.

Susan Powell disappeared in late 2009, and husband Josh Powell was a prime suspect in the case. He killed himself last year, along with the couple’s two young sons, in a house fire in Washington state.

Investigators then turned their attention to Michael, Josh Powell’s brother. They now believe that Michael helped Josh dispose of Susan’s body.

Michael committed suicide himself by jumping off a Minneapolis parking garage three months ago. With no direct suspects left, authorities announced this week that they had decided to close the active investigation.

Despite bizarre alibis and other circumstantial evidence pointing to Josh and Michael Powell, authorities said they never had enough hard evidence to prove their involvement, even while they were alive.

But a fresh look from a private eye might be able to connect just enough of the dots for Susan Powell’s family to at least have some closure.

“In some ways, circumstantial evidence is the best evidence,” said Cox’s attorney,  Anne Bremner. ”With direct evidence, you can have a witness lie. With forensic evidence, you can have problems with collection. But circumstantial evidence never lies and you can’t change it.

“They could have arrested him, and they should have, based on that evidence,” she concluded.

What do you think? Will a private investigator be able to solve the Susan Powell case?

Susan Powell’s Dad Turns Case Over To Private Eye is a post from: The Inquisitr

Following the London attack, a man with bloody hands and holding knives was filmed apparently attempting to justify the assault on a British solder today in the Woolwich section of the city. See embed below.

Two men reportedly attacked and killed the solder near the Royal Artillery Barracks where the soldier was stationed with meat cleavers in broad daylight. The British government is considering it a terrorist attack.

On the video from ITV News, a man who reportedly may be one of the alleged attackers says, “I apologize that women have had to witness this today, but in our land our women have to see the same. You people will never be safe. Remove your government, they don’t care about you.” While the narrator is speaking, the man also seems to be saying “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”

Mediaite reports that the man also said, “We swear by Almighty Allah, we will never stop fighting you until you leave us alone. The only reasons we killed this man is because Muslims are dying daily.”

The victim was reportedly wearing a “Help for Heroes” T-shirt. Witnesses to the London attack described what they saw:

“We saw clearly two knives, meat cleavers, they were big kitchen knives like you would use in a butcher’s, they were hacking at this poor guy, we thought they were trying to remove organs from him … These two guys were crazed, they were not there, they were just animals. They then dragged him from the pavement and dumped his body in the middle of the road.”

Two assailants were shot by responding police and are in the hospital. The BBC reports that “According to senior Whitehall sources the people carrying out the attack were heard to say Allahu Akbar [God is Great], said our political editor.”

Prime Minister David Cameron, who is cutting short his trip to Paris because of this incident, said that “Police are urgently seeking the full facts about this case but there are strong indications it is a terrorist incident … I’ll be returning to London later tonight so I can chair a Cobra meeting again in the morning. Tonight our thoughts should be with the victim, with their family and their friends.”

A Cobra meeting is crisis response committee in the British government chaired by a senior official to coordinate a national emergency situation.

London Attack: Man Filmed With Bloody Hands and Knives [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Authorities say up to 30 people were injured Tuesday when a commercial bus and a car collided in northwest Ohio.

According to ABC News, the crash happened around 10:35 pm near Bowling Green on Interstate 75.

Police say the car, a 1995 Toyota Camry, was rear-ended by a bus transporting employees of the Consolidated Biscuit Company.

Initial reports said that the passengers of the two vehicles were transported to local hospitals but did not sustain life threatening injuries.

One of the bus passengers, a 19-year-old man, was reportedly seriously injured and had to be transported from the crash site by a medical helicopter.

Two adults and three children — including two infants in car safety seats — in the Camry suffered minor injuries.

Following the crash, state police closed down the southbound lanes of I-75.

The Bowling Green crash wasn’t the only accident this week where involving a bus and a Toyota Camry.

On Wednesday one man was killed and three students were injured when a car drifted into oncoming traffic and collided with a school bus in northeast Texas.

The crash happened at around 7:30 am Wednesday about 45 miles east of Dallas when a green Toyota Camry drifted into the path of the oncoming bus, which was loaded with students on their way to classes for the day.

CBSDFW notes that of the 36 students who were on board the bus at the time of the accident, 3 kids were taken to the hospital.

They were treated for injuries like a broken nose and cuts.

The driver of the Camry, identified as 33-year-old Fernando Rios, died at the scene of the accident.

More on the Texas bus crash in the video below:

Ohio Bus Crash: 30 Injured After Car Collides With Commercial Bus In Bowling Green is a post from: The Inquisitr

A man found a vintage Lady and the Tramp movie poster at a local Goodwill and thought it was a good deal for $5. He was right.

When Minnesota resident Tom Glenn got home and looked up the poster on the internet, he found a website selling a similar one for $53,900. For the amateur treasure hunter, it was hard to believe what he’d actually found.

That site Glenn found advertises its Lady and the Tramp poster as being in mint condition (Tom’s was not), but also denotes the poster’s importance in Disney history.

“Other than Mickey himself this is probably the most recognized and loved movie Produced by The Walt Disney Company,” the site notes. “Truly a very important piece of DISNEY HISTORY.”

Glenn said he had a hard time believing what he’d found.

“There was this little voice in my head that kept saying, ‘This isn’t real. This isn’t real. You’re going to find out it’s a phony or a reprint,’ ” Glenn said.

So to check out the $5 poster he found at Goodwill, Glenn brought it to a nearby antique shop. The verdict — it was authentic.

Rick Leistico, the manager of the Goodwill where the Lady and the Tramp poster was purchased, said the store tries to research items, but every once in a while a gem slips in.

“We pride ourselves on telling people they can find a treasure here, and that’s the beauty of Goodwill,” he said. “With thousands and thousands of items hitting the floor every day, we’re bound to miss some things — and that’s the benefit for our shoppers.”

But Leistico added that there’s never been anything of that value before. He added that he’s glad that it was snagged by Glenn, who spends hours searching for treasures.

Other Goodwill treasure hunters have made big finds. Recently a woman bought a Nintendo game for $7.99 at a Goodwill store, only to find later that it was worth $15,000.

Glenn admitted that when he first saw the $5 poster, he thought it might be worth a couple of hundred dollars, not several thousand.

“I saw it out of the corner of my eye,” he said. “It’s an original 1955 Walt Disney Lady and the Tramp movie poster.”

The poster isn’t in perfect condition, Glenn said. But he estimates the $5 Lady and the Tramp could get  him somewhere between $20,000 and $40,000.

Man Buys ‘Lady And The Tramp’ Poster At Goodwill For $5, Finds It’s Worth $40,000 is a post from: The Inquisitr

An escaped goat halted New Jersey traffic for over an hour yesterday. The goat likely escaped from a vehicle transporting her to a slaughterhouse. Embracing her freedom, the goat proceeded to run around and jump back and forth over the Pulaski Skyway divider.

The goat escaped around 7 am, stopping rush hour traffic until just before 9 am. The small brown goat eluded officers, with the New Jersey police department, as she frolicked in and out of the west and east-bound lanes.

As reported by Yahoo News, the escaped goat halted traffic heading to the Holland Tunnel, on the way to New York. New Jersey police report that the escaped goat caused a minor accident involving four vehicles. Luckily nobody was injured.

New Jersey spokesman Stan Eason points out that this is not the first time an animal has tied up traffic in Jersey City:

“We had full-sized bucked deer running around in the metropolis downtown of Exchange Place about two years ago … so nothing surprises us.”

The goat eventually relaxed, and slowed down, long enough for officers to catch her in a noose. They have not yet identified where she came from but assume she escaped on her way to a slaughter house.

The escaped goat has an ear tag from the Department of Agriculture, but she has not been claimed. The goat is considered private property and will have to be returned by law.

As reported by MSN, is nobody claims her, the goat will be sent to live on a farm owned by an animal welfare organization. Eaton expressed that it would be upsetting for the goat to be slaughtered after escaping and avoiding injury on the crowded highway.

As reported by Fox Houston, several goats escaped slaughter when they scaled an fence at a slaughterhouse in Norway. The seven goats were eventually found grazing in a park. Their owner granted them a reprieve, saving their lives. The owner said the goats earned it after their clever escape.

The fate of the escaped goat in New Jersey remains unknown. If the owner has not realized she is gone, or is not interested in retrieving her, she will likely be granted a pardon.

[Image via Wikimedia]

Escaped Goat Halts New Jersey Traffic For Over An Hour is a post from: The Inquisitr

A green gown-wearing bank robber is raising some eyebrows in Stuart, Iowa. The bare-faced robber didn’t bother to wear a mask during the late afternoon robbery on Monday.

Instead, she selected a distinctive green dress with a very sheer skirt that pretty much exposes everything from the waist down.

As the Stuart police statement dryly noted: “The dress that she is wearing is bright green and would have been noticed.”

And the whole episode was caught on surveillance camera.

I guess our leggy bank robber was going for the Eva Longoria visits Cannes look — no, not the first dress, where Longoria lifted her skirt too high to reveal that she was going commando.

I’m talking about the second one that the Desperate Housewives alum tweeted to prove that she’d remembered her underpants for the next night’s outing. Her sheer skirt was black, not green, and it was probably a lot more expensive, but it’s the same basic idea — see-through all the way up.

Anyway, the Stuart, IA police department responded to the call from the First State Bank, but the robber had already escaped with an undisclosed amount of money. A witness told police that the green gown-wearing robber climbed into the trunk of a dark sedan that an accomplice drove away from the scene.

Now, we all realize that bank robbers can be really bad guys — or, perhaps, really bad gals — but even the local press can’t report this one with a straight face.

Des Moines Register blogger Regina Zilbermints couldn’t resist this title for her article: “Nice dress! Bank robber wows in green floor-length gown.”

I’m not sure that “wows” is the word I’d use. I feel like I’m seeing way more of the bank robber’s legs than I usually care to.

But it’s a change from gangsters lost in the 90s who reveal their underwear by wearing old school saggy pants.

There’s a rumor floating around that the green gown-wearing bank robber may have been nabbed, but there’s no official statement yet.

[surveillance photo of green gown bank robber by Stuart Police Department via Facebook]

[bank robbery note photo by Robynrg via Shutterstock]

Green Gown Bank Robber Goes A Little Too Sheer in Bare-Faced Robbery [Photo] is a post from: The Inquisitr

In a terrifying London attack, a man was beheaded with a machete and “hacked at” with meat cleavers by two other men.

The London attack, which may be considered terrorism, happened in Woolwich near the Royal Artillery Barracks, where the active duty soldier was stationed.

A witness to the horrifying London attack explains that two “dark skinned” men were seen dragging a victim, adding:

“They started slashing him up with the knife and hitting him in the stomach with the machete. I don’t think it took long before he was dead. There were people passing by who were screaming and running away. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Witnesses to the London attack report that the assailants allegedly shouted “allahu akbar” as they assaulted the victim, and one explains:

“We saw clearly two knives, meat cleavers, they were big kitchen knives like you would use in a butcher’s, they were hacking at this poor guy, we thought they were trying to remove organs from him … These two guys were crazed, they were not there, they were just animals. They then dragged him from the pavement and dumped his body in the middle of the road.”

The man, named James, says police did not arrive on scene for more than a quarter of an hour after the soldier was brutally killed in broad daylight:

“They took 20 minutes to arrive, the police – the armed response.”

Witnesses say the men responsible for the London attack behaved bizarrely and did not attempt to flee the scene — when police eventually arrived, the pair reportedly ran at cops before they were shot down.

A witness recalls:

“They were oblivious to anything, they were more worried about having their photo taken, running up and down the road … They had no intention of running off or leaving or anything … In my opinion, they were waiting for the police to arrive to be shot by the police. That’s the only thing I can think … It’s horrendous what they were doing to that guy.”

Authorities have indicated the London attack may have been “Islamist” in nature. The condition of the two suspects is not currently clear, but one was reportedly airlifted from the scene while the other was taken away by ambulance.

London Attack: Man Beheaded With Machete In Woolwich is a post from: The Inquisitr

27-year-old Ibragim Todashe was shot and killed by an FBI agent after he was interrogated about his suspected part in the Boston bombings.

Todashev, much like the Boston bombers, is a Chechen-born Muslim. Todashev was introduced to Tamerlan Tsarnaev shortly after he moved to the United States. The men became acquaintances because of their shared interest in the world of mixed martial arts.

Todashe was questioned for hours and then released from FBI custody in Orlando, Florida on early Wednesday morning.

According to law enforcement officers Tamerlan was shot and killed 10 miles from Walt Disney World. The FBI led shooting took place at an apartment complex just after midnight.

During its original statement the FBI said the agent ”encountered the suspect while conducting official duties. The suspect is deceased.”

Following its original statement an FBI official later claimed that Ibragim Todashe “became violent” during questioning and an agent was forced to shoot him in self defense. The agency did not explain Todashe’s “violent actions” which required an FBI agent to open fire.

Speaking to WESH-TV a friend of Todashev said he was interviewed by the FBI for three hours on Tuesday night. Among questioning the FBI agent asked about Todashev’s political views and his feelings about the Boston bombings attack and the innocent lives that were taken.

The bombing suspects friend says Todashev believed he was being “set up” and expressed to him concerns that his life may be in danger because of agent actions being taken against him.

According to Todashev’s friend the two men had previously been followed by the FBI following the Boston bombings. He claims that the FBI contacted Todashev the day after the Boston bombing was completed.

The FBI has not issued any further statements regarding the FBI shooting of Ibragim Todashe at this time.

Todashev had recently been arrested for aggravated assault, however his friend says that arrest simply involved a fight after he was attacked in a parking lot. That arrest his friend says was a simple act of self- defense.

FBI Update:

“The FBI is currently reviewing a shooting incident involving an FBI special agent. Based on preliminary information, the incident occurred in Orlando, Florida during the early morning hours of May 22, 2013. The agent, two Massachusetts State Police troopers, and other law enforcement personnel were interviewing an individual in connection with the Boston Marathon bombing investigation when a violent confrontation was initiated by the individual. During the confrontation, the individual was killed and the agent sustained non-life threatening injuries. As this incident is under review, we have no further details at this time.”

Update from NBC News:

It is now being reported hat Todashev attacked the FBI agent with a knife. The news agency also claims that the FBI was investigating Todashev for an unsolved triple-murder case that Tamerlan Tsarnaev was also wanted for.

As with all Boston bombing reports the updated listed above are pure speculation at this time.

FBI Agent Shoots And Kills Boston Bombing Suspect After Short Interrogation is a post from: The Inquisitr

We’ve gotten used to seeing her face on near everything, so the Hello Kitty melon that joins toasters, personal massagers, bathrobes, wallpaper, phone cases, and t-shirts isn’t entirely a surprise.

The Hello Kitty melon comes from (of course) Japan, and the (not sure if Sanrio sanctioned) fruit is emblazoned with the cartoon cat’s ubiquitous mug.

A Hello Kitty melon obviously doesn’t spring from the ground (or vine, or wherever melons come from) fully branded — the character’s likeness is carved into the still green young melon before it develops the dry, weird, net-like coating honeydew melons have on the outside.

If you’re enough of a Sanrio fan to need a Hello Kitty melon, there are a few things you should know about the special fruit made just for fans of the brand.

First, they’re not cheap. How much would you expect to pay for a Hello Kitty melon? Does $49, or 4,980 yen sound about right?

In addition to being $50 a pop, the melons are not a new addition to the Hello Kitty world of products. Hello Kitty melons first hit the internet’s big fruit salad back in 2010, and apparently were enough of a hit to come back for this summer’s harvest.

Not a lot of Hello Kitty melons are available for fruit-loving Sanrio collectors, either — just 300 will be sold by Belluna gourmet shopping for very dedicated Kitty-chan fans.

Hello Kitty Hell adds a bit of Sanrio fan-frustration to the mix:

“The sad, sad part is that you know the people at Sanrio are now desperately trying to figure out how to turn the inside of the melon pink to better reflect the brand image and their effort to further increase my (and everybody else’s) Hello Kitty Hell…”

Do you think a Hello Kitty melon is worth $50, even though there’s no way it can be added to a permanent collection of kitty trinkets?

Hello Kitty Melon A Bargain At Just $50 is a post from: The Inquisitr

A dog guarded its owner’s body for hours after the man was killed by the Oklahoma tornado on Monday.

The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office happened upon the small, mud-covered dog in the wake of the tornado that tore through Moore, a suburb of Oklahoma City. The dog was guarding the dead body of its owner, who had been trapped under the debris of his destroyed home.

Deputies snapped a picture of the small dog and posted it on Facebook along with the comment: “scared, this little pup survived.” But the next day they learned why the dog was so attached to the small plot of debris — underneath the rubble was its owner.

“Man’s best friend to the end,” the Sheriff’s Office added to its Facebook page on Tuesday.

The full extent of the tornado is still being uncovered as crews dig out from the destruction and try to uncover the death toll. Officials initially said that 51 people were killed in the tornado, but it was later revised to 24 when it was learned that several people had been counted more than once.

The tornado is being called the worst of all time, surpassing the storm that struck a nearly identical path in Moore back in May 1999. While the Moore tornado does not rank as the biggest in circumference, wind speed, or duration, it has a large combination of these three measures to make what many believe to be the worst-ever.

Animal rescues have been a major story in the wake of the tornado. On Monday an older woman being interviewed about her leveled home told a reporter about the loss of her dog. During the interview, the reporter noticed movement in the rubble and realized it was the dog believed to have been killed.

A video of the tearful reunion has since gone viral.

The dog that guards its owner’s body has been taken to a shelter. The deputy who found the pup said he hopes to adopt it.

Dog Guards Owner’s Body For Hours After Tornado is a post from: The Inquisitr

Bacon lured a pit bull back to her foster home on Monday after the puppy ran away this past Friday. Is there anything bacon can’t do? The pit bull puppy was abused in a dog-fighting ring and was placed in a foster home before she went missing over the weekend.

On Monday, after a weekend-long search in Riverdale, New Jersey didn’t lead to any signs of the puppy, the volunteers at the foster home decided to cook bacon in the backyard and it actually led little “Misty” straight back to the house.

The adorable little pit bull was recovering from injuries due to the dog-fighting abuse for a few months before she disappeared on Friday. She was originally placed in the foster home after being rescued from a city shelter, and Misty’s story immediately hit the web, which led to national attention.

According to the New Jersey Star-Ledger, Misty’s foster parent, Erin Early-Hamilton, was in complete disbelief when the puppy appeared back at the house.

“The whole thing is unbelievable,” Early-Hamilton told the Star-Ledger. Before Misty returned home, Early-Hamilton went to desperate measures to find her puppy, and there was even a $2,000 reward set in place if anyone could find Misty, who is now known as the “bacon pit bull.”

An online fundraiser raised over $4,500 for search efforts, but the smart little puppy managed to find her way home without any help, except for the sweet scent of bacon of course.

When Misty appeared back at the house, Early-Hamilton couldn’t hold back her excitement.

“I screamed,” she said about the pit bull’s return. “It was a yelp that just came out of me. It kind of made her jump back. But then she came right up to us, looking for bacon.”

The nine-month old pit bull was in good condition after her instinctive return, and she even has the quite the following on Facebook. All 16,000-plus supporters will be pleased to know their favorite bacon pit bull has returned safely.

[Image via Kenneth Hung]

Bacon Lures Pit Bull Back Home After Desperate Search is a post from: The Inquisitr

Think your friend’s knot-tying is getting out of hand? What about a wedding with 25,000 guests?

It may sound nuts, but such a thing actually happened in Jerusalem, where a wedding and 25,000 guests flooded the city Tuesday night. (An incredibly impressive feat for a weekday wedding, can you imagine how many were unable to make it?)

While a wedding of 25,000 guests may seem a bit excessive, the teens getting hitched were from pretty connected families.

Shalom Rokeach, 18, and new wife Hannah Batya Penet, 19, married Tuesday night in Jerusalem in front of the massive hoard of guests.

As the UK’s Independent explains, Rokeach may be a kid at just 18 — but he is expected to assume a prominent position in his community as he gets older:

“Mr Rokeach is the grandson of the leader of the Hasidic Belz Rebbe dynasty – an ancient aristocratic family that has its roots in the 14th Century Poland. He is also the only male heir to the dynasty, and as such he is one day expected to head the community – one of the largest in Judaism.”

The ultra-Orthodox wedding of 25,000 guests raged until dawn in the city, with members of the Belz Rebbe sect from across the globe descending on the city to celebrate the marriage.

Roads were closed and barriers erected to contain the massive crowd of revelers.

The Jerusalem Post explained a bit about how the wedding of 25,000 guests was logistically managed:

“It is difficult enough at a regular wedding to see the ceremony under the huppa, but with so many people, even members of the family would have missed out – but for the many video screens placed in the area around the synagogue. This enabled the hordes of well-wishers to see the continuation of what many in hassidic circles consider a post-Holocaust miracle.”

MT @belznies Machnivka Rebbe’s Son R’Yisochor Dov Rokeach Sitting On The Oivenoon At Belz Chasina Photo: twitter.com/BELZERMACH/sta… #belzwedding

— Belzer Wedding (@Belzernews) May 21, 2013

The wedding, in addition to 25,000 guests, also boasted a command center with police and EMS on site due to the massive size of the party and number of attendees.

Jerusalem Wedding: 25,000 Guests Flood City For Marital Shindig is a post from: The Inquisitr

Lois G. Lerner plead the fifth in today’s House hearing, stating that she has done nothing wrong. The House Committee on Oversight is exploring allegations that the Internal Revenue Service’s tax-exempt organizations department, unfairly targeted conservative groups.

As head of the tax-exempt organizations department, Lerner was called to testify about her knowledge of the targeting. As reported by the Washington Post, she stated:

“I have not done anything wrong. I have not broken any laws. I have not violated any IRS regulations. And I have not provided false information to this or any other committee.”

Lerner refused to speak further, invoking her Fifth Amendment rights, upon the advise of her attorney. The Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution protects witnesses from testifying against, or incriminating, themselves in court.

Committee chairman Darrel Issa questioned her decision, but eventually dismissed Lerner from the hearing. Committee member Trey Gowdy objected to her dismissal, pointing out that she already waived her Fifth Amendment rights, when she opened with remarks about her innocence.

Issa stated that the Oversight Committee will discuss the matter at a later date. He reminded Lerner, and her attorney, that she may be recalled to testify if the committee decides she waived her rights.

Lerner was required to make an appearance at today’s hearing despite her intention of pleading the fifth.

Other witnesses testifying today include Douglas Shulman, former head of the IRS, J. Russell George, inspector general for the Treasury, and Neal Wolin, Deputy Treasury Secretary.

Deputy Treasury Secretary Neal Wolin testified that, in 2012, he knew the IRS was under investigation, but he had no idea why. He maintains that he did not do anything to interfere with or hinder the investigation.

The details of the scandal were revealed when Lerner publicly stated that the IRS unfairly investigated non-profit organizations, known to be conservative. As reported by Politico.com, it has become “biggest public relations debacle to face the IRS in years.”

Lerner plead the fifth at today’s hearing, but she may have to testify at a later date. She continues to deny any involvement in the scandal.

Lerner Pleads The Fifth: ‘I Have Not Done Anything Wrong’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

A trio of sisters ejected from a mall in Pennsylvania are mourning the recent death of their mother from cancer — but the three chose a forcefully worded yet common anti-cancer sentiment that offended mall security.

The sisters ejected from the mall in King of Prussia are Makia Underwood, 32, Zakia Clark, 29, and Tasha Clark, 27. The girls’ mother, Jackie Underwood, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 — and Jackie sadly passed away with her daughters by her side on May 14.

Makia, Zakia and Tasha explain their mother’s death was not an easy one, and the sisters ejected from the mall in suburban Philly expressed some of their anger with the anti-cancer slogan — “f*** cancer.”

While the four-letter word is perhaps the most heavily sanctioned of all profanities, the phrase is given somewhat of a pass on social media forums due to the prevalence of cancer and the sheer number of people who lost someone too soon due to the horrors of the illness.

Jackie Underwood was young, too young, when she died at 51 of the disease, and the sisters ejected from the mall have worn hats and t-shirts bearing the slogan since as a way of coping with their mom’s untimely passing.

Zakia explains why the “f*** cancer” shirts and hats are cathartic for the sisters:

“That’s how we feel. It took our mom away. It’s a demon. It’s the devil … There are no other words you can use to explain how you feel. You want cancer to get cancer and die.”

The sisters were ejected from the mall Sunday, as they shopped for a dress for Zakia’s daughter, 9, to wear to Jackie’s funeral. After two and a half hours of shopping, the group stopped for food in the food court, and security approached, demanding the hat be removed inside the mall.

Zakia recalls:

“He said, ‘Since you don’t want to take your hat off, you can leave my mall.’ … He stood there while we ate and threatened to call the cops.”

Seven guards cornered the women, and Zakia says”

“I was very embarrassed … My daughter was so scared she was crying.”

Police were summoned, and an officer ejected the sisters from the mall:

“The officer said, ‘I find it offensive that you even have that hat that says ‘F— CANCER.’ … He said, ‘It’s their mall, they want you out, you have to get out.’ ”

Makia adds:

“I just wanted to tell them the whole story. I wanted to tell them a monster came into our house, got into my mother and we had to watch that until the day it took her, so don’t tell me it’s offensive to say, ‘F— CANCER.’ ”

Makia describes the trauma of watching their mother slowly slip away, saying:

“It was gruesome to watch … When I watch monster movies, that’s the image I have of cancer – the zombie movie or the movie when Will Smith was the only person left alive. That’s what the clinics look like.”

Tiffany Wade is a friend to the sisters ejected from the mall in King of Prussia, and Wade created the “f*** cancer” garments to raise money for the cause.

Wade says:

“When you watch your mother turn from a super-strong woman to a woman who can’t walk, can’t talk, can’t breathe, you get so frustrated … You really feel like, ‘F— CANCER.’ That’s how you feel in your heart … I felt so bad they had to be the family to get thrown out. What’s the odds that the one I started it for gets thrown out of the mall?”

After the story got out, Simon Property Group spokesman Les Morris apologized for the women’s treatment, later adding:

“Certainly this could have been handled in a much more empathic and sensitive manner. We’re very sorry about her loss and wanted to apologize for the way her party was treated.”

Do you think the sisters ejected from the mall were wrong to wear the “f*** cancer” hats and shirts in a family-friendly environment, or is it appropriate considering their grief?

Sisters Ejected From Mall Over Cancer Hats is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Oklahoma tornadoes are already being politicized with Democrats blaming Republicans and policies related to global warming.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, the Oklahoma tornado was politicized by the Daily Show co-creator early on, making bad jokes like, “This tornado is in Oklahoma so clearly it has been ordered to only target conservatives,” and “How long has Obama known about this Tornado?”

Even the Westboro Baptist Church blamed others for the Oklahoma tornado, but that’s almost to expected. On Tuesday, Rhode Island Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse blamed the Oklahoma tornado on Republicans and global warming:

“So, you may have a question for me. Why do you care? Why do you, Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat of Rhode Island, care if we Republicans run off the climate cliff like a bunch of proverbial lemmings and disgrace ourselves? I’ll tell you why. We’re stuck in this together. We are stuck in this together. When cyclones tear up Oklahoma and hurricanes swamp Alabama and wildfires scorch Texas, you come to us, the rest of the country, for billions of dollars to recover. And the damage that your polluters and deniers are doing doesn’t just hit Oklahoma and Alabama and Texas. It hits Rhode Island with floods and storms. It hits Oregon with acidified seas, it hits Montana with dying forests. So, like it or not, we’re in this together.”

To blame the Oklahoma tornado on global warming or climate change is a difficult position to take, since scientists say they “just don’t know whether there will be more or fewer twisters as global warming increases. Tornadoes arise from very local conditions, and so they’re not as influenced by climate change as much as larger weather systems like hurricanes and nor’easters. They’re not easy to incorporate in the large computer simulations scientists use to gauge the impact of global warming.”

You can’t also say global warming increases events like the Oklahoma tornado because 2012 happened to be the lowest number of tornadoes ever on record. Only 882 tornadoes touched down last year, whereas most years see thousands of tornadoes. So far the number of US tornadoes in 2013 has only reached 231.

What do you think about people politicizing the Oklahoma tornado and blaming Republicans and global warming?

My thoughts tonight are with the too many Americans without homes, whether because of unthinkable tornadoes or unjust foreclosures.

— Sally Kohn (@sallykohn) May 21, 2013

Oklahoma Tornado Blamed On Republicans, Global Warming is a post from: The Inquisitr

What was John McCain’s last, most burning question to CEO Tim Cook in yesterday’s Senate panel investigation of Apple’s tax avoidance policies? Check out the video I’ve posted below to see for yourself.

Some people might feel that the 76-year-old chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations was experiencing a senior moment when he burst out with this important issue of the day:

“[W]hat I really wanted to ask was why the hell I have to keep updating apps on my iPhone all the time and why you don’t fix that,” McCain (R-AZ) spluttered.

True, McCain seemed to be laughing — and now we’re laughing too — but does it seem a little weird to anybody else that a meeting on accounting practices would end on a humor note?

But other senators on the panel also wanted Apple CEO Tim Cook to hear how they felt about his company’s products. Not everybody wants to be that old guy who fumbles a simple app upgrade.

Sen. Clair McCaskill (D-MO) reportedly gasped, “I love Apple! I love Apple!” Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) revealed that he had an iPad. So does Kelly Ayotte (R-NH). Good, I guess.

But Levin did take time from the Apple product love-in to point out that Apple was exploiting tax loopholes that cost the US treasury billions of dollars every year.

Apple CEO Cook responded by telling Levin that he too would like to see changes in the tax code.

To McCain he said that Apple keeps “improving our products all the time,” which I think we can take as “no” to McCain’s request to halt the upgrades.

Talking Points Memo TV posted the chuckle-worthy outburst:

Will you stand with good old boy McCain to get Apple to stop nagging us to update our apps?

Or will you join me in asking both Apple’s Tim Cook and Sen. John McCain to get off my lawn?

[John McCain photo by Dan Bennett via Wikimedia Commons]

John McCain Asks Apple To Stop Nagging Him To Update Apps [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

An Alabama illness remains a mystery. The respiratory illness has struck seven Alabama residents, killing two. The other five victims remain hospitalized, as state health officials search for the origin of the mysterious and deadly disease.

All seven residents presented with similar symptoms, including coughing, shortness of breath, and fever. Samples taken from all seven patients were tested for known influenza strains. One patient tested positive for H1N1 influenza A. However, officials state that it may simply be a coincidence.

As reported by NBC News, the patients do not appear to have any known deadly strains of influenza. H7N9 has been responsible for severe illness and death in China, and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, has caused similar problems in the Middle east.

Doctors have determined that it is unlikely the patients contracted either of those, as they have not traveled outside of the US.

The Alabama illness is being called “a respiratory illness of unknown origin” by officials. Hospital staff treating the patients are required to take precautions that prevent the spread of infectious disease.

The Alabama Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control continue to analyze samples from all seven patients. As reported by ABC News, officials hope to have some conclusive results before the end of the week.

The mystery illness seems to be concentrated in southeast Alabama. Officials are investigating whether patients, with similar symptoms, have been treated elsewhere. Until the origin of the illness is known, authorities are urging medical staff to use caution when treating any patient displaying symptoms of respiratory illness.

The sudden appearance of an unknown illness is frightening. Unfortunately, it takes time to analyze and determine the origin of a mysterious sickness. Realistically, the origin may never be proven conclusively. Precautions by medical staff may be the most important step in preventing new cases.

The mysterious Arizona illness has killed two and left five others hospitalized. Two government agencies are currently working toward an explanation, and hopefully a solution.

[Image via Wikimedia]

Alabama Illness Remains A Mystery: Blamed In Two Deaths is a post from: The Inquisitr

Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s friend, killed in Orlando following questioning about the Boston bombing, expressed fear to a fellow Chechnyan pal in Florida.

The Tsarnaev friend killed in Orlando had been one of several acquaintances of Tamerlan (the elder brother killed in a standoff at MIT) living in the area. The Chechnyan men knew one another through the MMA community.

Khasuen Taramov was taken in for questioning along with Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s friend killed in Orlando, identifying the young man as Ibragim Todashev, 27.

Taramov says that he and Todashev (who had lived in Boston and made Tsarnaev’s acquaintance) had been followed by the FBI after the bombings.

According to Taramov, Tsarnaev’s friend killed in Orlando “wasn’t like real close friends (with Tsarnaev), but he just happened to know him.”

Taramov said, “… he had no idea that they were up to something like that, like bombings and everything, you know what I mean?”

After Tsarnaev’s friend was killed in Orlando, Taramov explained that he and Todashev had been taken in for hours of questioning by the FBI Tuesday night, adding somewhat eerily that his friend ”felt inside he was going to get shot” that evening.

Taramov said:

“(The FBI) took me and my friend [Todashev], the suspect that got killed … They were talking to us, both of us, right? … and they said they need him for a little more, for a couple more hours, and I left, and they told me they’re going to bring him back. They never brought him back.”

Before the bombing, Todashev had planned a trip back to Chechnya, for which he was scheduled to leave this week — and the 27-year-old opted not to go due to the intensity of FBI interest in himself and Taramov.

Taramov said after Todashev was killed:

“He cancelled the tickets because, the FBI had been like, I don’t know, they’ve been pushing him, you know what I’m saying … They’ve been pushing him they say ‘don’t leave, don’t leave’ so he decided to stay. But we had a feeling, worst case scenario something like that was going to happen.”

After Tsarnaev’s friend was killed in Orlando, the FBI said that an agent shot in self-defense and that further details were forthcoming.

Tsarnaev Friend Killed In Orlando Feared Getting Shot By FBI is a post from: The Inquisitr

A record-setting pigeon sold for a cool $400,000 at a racing pigeon auction earlier this month, according to the Pipa auction house. Its motto is “Pigeons in Paradise,” and the prices ascended to heavenly heights indeed in a recent sale that resulted in an entire racing pigeon collection of 530 birds being sold for a world-shattering $5.6 million.

Pipa CEO Nikolaas Gyselbrecht admitted to being shocked by the final prices, although he knew that the champion Belgian-bred birds would be highly sought after by serious collectors.

Belgian diamond merchant Leo Heremans  decided to sell out his world class collection of top quality racing pigeons. His birds had won many important titles during his time in the sport, a success Pipa credited to Heremans applying the same level of detail to their breeding and training that he applies to polishing a fine diamond.

Bolt, the most valuable pigeon sold, is named after the famous Olympic gold sprinter Usain Bolt. The Heremans pigeons as a whole have been celebrated for “their amazing performances of the sprint pigeons.”

The previous record-setting pigeon sold for a mere $322,000, so that’s quite a leap in value for the world-class racers. Nine of the ten most valuable birds were purchased by Chinese or Taiwanese investors.

So what does a $400K pigeon look like? Well, I hope I’m not disappointing anyone, but racing pigeons are bred for speed, not looks. They can look shockingly like a fit, athletic street pigeon to most of us.

The valuable Bolt was crowned Belgium’s 2012 National Ace Pigeon in the Young Birds category. However, according to Gyselbrecht, the lightning-fast winner will not race again.

Instead he will be placed into a breeding program that will allow him to father his own line of highly competitive racing pigeons.

What do you think of the price paid for the record-setting pigeon?

[racing pigeon photo by Calle via Wikimedia Commons]

Record-Breaking Pigeon Sells For $400K, May Never Race Again is a post from: The Inquisitr

Kellie Pickler has won ABC’s 16th season of Dancing With the Stars. She and dance partner Derek Hough, claimed the victory on Tuesday’s season finale.

The two hour finale started out with four final dance teams. Included in the other three teams were NFL player Jacoby Jones, Zendaya from the Disney Channel, and former Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman. The celebrities were each partnered with professional dancers for the competition.

As reported by Reuters, Aly Raisman and her partner were the first team eliminated in the finale. The judges and audience were not impressed with their performance on Monday’s show, eliminating them before the final round.

The final round was an “instant” round, giving the three remaining teams an hour to prepare their dance routines. Each of  the three teams received a perfect score on their final performance.

Kellie Pickler won Dancing With the Stars based on the number of fan votes, she and her partner received, for their performance on Monday.

Pickler’s fans also voted for an encore of Monday’s freestyle dance performance. Fans and judges praised the routine for the grace, simplicity, and emotion.

On Tuesday’s finale, Picker and her partner chose a trickier routine, dancing to the song “Rockin’ Robin.” The routine included some more complicated moves than Monday’s. However, Pickler and her partner were praised for their precision and flawless execution.

Tuesday’s finale was hosted by Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke Charvet. Musical performances included Psy, Jessica Sanchez from American Idol, and Wynonna Judd, who was eliminated earlier in the season.

As reported by Mcall.com, Pickler got her start on he fifth season of American Idol. Pickler left the singing talent show in sixth place. Moving forward, Pickler released two albums that hit number one on the country charts.

Pickler is scheduled to perform on June 1, at the debut of Mount Airy Casino’s Sherman Theater Summer Stage series. The series will feature outdoor musical performances in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania.

Kellie Pickler can now add winning Dancing With the Stars to her long list of accomplishments. At the age of 26, Pickler has become famous worldwide for her talent.

[Image via Wikimedia]

Kellie Pickler Wins Dancing With The Stars is a post from: The Inquisitr

Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s friend was killed in Orlando, Florida by an FBI agent in an apartment complex early Wednesday morning, not too far from Universal Studies. John Miller of CBS News, a former FBI assistant director, took to CBS This Morning and revealed that Ibragim Todashev, 27, was a friend of the Boston Bombing suspect who was shot and killed just days after the horrific attack.

Miller went on to report that the incident occurred after FBI agents visited Todashev’s apartment after midnight early Wednesday to question him. The reasoning behind the shooting has yet to be released, though Miller did go on to shed some light as to why the FBI was focused on the specific suspect.

“He had been interviewed along with a number of other people in the apartment complex, but the interest in him was higher because of a couple of factors: He was in contact with Tamerlan Tsarnaev. He had been to Boston to visit him, and he was planning a trip to Chechnya,” Miller stated on the show.

Khusn Taramiv, a friend of the victim, also admitted that Todashev was friends with Tsarnaev when he spoke with the Orlando Sentinal. Taramiv went on to spread the word through multiple television outlets in the area and also revealed that Todashev was a mixed martial arts boxer just like his friend Tamerlan.

After Tsarnaev’s friend was killed in Orlando, the FBI failed to return phone calls from the Associated Press and they have yet to comment on the relationship between Todashev and Tsarnaev. Though they haven’t responded to the connection, they did release a statement Wednesday.

“We are currently responding to a shooting incident involving an FBI special agent. The incident occurred in Orlando Florida. The agent encountered the suspect while conducting official duties. The suspect is deceased. We do not have any further details at this time. We expect to have more information later this morning,” the FBI said about the shooting.

As Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s friend was killed in Orlando early Wednesday, do you believe he was linked to the Boston Bombing tragedy?

[Report] Tsarnaev Friend Killed By FBI In Orlando Apartment is a post from: The Inquisitr

An IRS official who was reportedly involved in the Tea Party targeting scandal is now overseeing the implementation of Obamacare.

This has prompted one US Senator to recommend putting Obamacare, a.k.a. the Affordable Care Act, on “pause” while all of the IRS misconduct is sorted out.

The IRS has apologized for wrongfully profiling Tea Party and other politically conservative groups when they applied for tax-exempt status. An FBI criminal investigation is underway along with a probe by Congress into these inappropriate activities.

Sarah Hall Ingram reportedly was in charge of the IRS office that processed tax-exempt organizations from 2009 to 20012. Her successor has already announced his resignation. The IRS, however, claims that she took over the Affordable Care Office full time by the end of 2010. Ingram also received over $100,000 in bonuses from the IRS. “Bonuses as large as those awarded to Ingram typically require presidential approval, according to federal personnel regulations.”

As a result of the IRS scandal, US Sen. John Thune (R – S.D). says that the implementation of Obamacare should be suspended. In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, the senator wrote: “[P]lease confirm whether Ms. Hall Ingram is a subject of the Department of Justice’s investigation into whether IRS employees broke criminal laws by singling out conservative groups for special review and inappropriate questions.

The letter continued: “Additionally, until there are sufficient answers as to her involvement, I request that the IRS refrain from issuing or enforcing any regulations that have been drafted under the supervision of Ms. Hall Ingram in her current capacity as director of the IRS’s Affordable Care Act office, which is responsible for implementing the health care law. The IRS should also immediately cease work on additional Affordable Care Act regulations until the Department of Justice confirms that Ms. Hall Ingram is not a subject of the criminal investigation, Ms. Hall Ingram is removed from this office, or Ms. Hall Ingram is exonerated by an investigation by the Department of Justice.”

In another one of her epic rants, FNC’s Judge Jeanine Pirro addressed herself to the president requiring the resignation of the Acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller  “who wasn’t even there when the wrongdoing occurred but you give Sarah Ingram, the tax-exempt commissioner who was there implementing this abuse of power a plumb assignment in charge of the tax agency that oversees the Obamacare office … And you want her to oversee my healthcare? You want my health and my life in her hands?”

Under Obamacare, the tax agency will gain access to Americans’ personal medical records.

Do you think Obamacare should be put on hold until the IRS scandal is resolved?

[Top image via Andrew F. Kazmierski / Shutterstock.com]

Obamacare Official Linked To IRS Tea Party Targeting is a post from: The Inquisitr

Dayton, IA – Amidst an investigation surrounding the abduction of and still missing Iowa teenager, authorities have found their primary suspect, a local sex offender, dead.

Reports indicate 15-year-old Kathlynn Shepard, a sophomore at Southeast Webster-Grand, apparently accepted a ride from a stranger along with a 12-year-old friend. They were abducted Monday afternoon while walking home from school. Shepard has been missing ever since, but the unidentified 12-year-old managed to escape shortly after.

She provided authorities with details of their kidnapping, explaining they’d been taken to an agricultural facility after being picked up. Thereafter, the unnamed girl somehow evaded their captor and fled to a nearby residence for help.

Police believe the ride was with registered sex offender Michael James Klunder, 42. He was found dead Monday evening from an apparent suicide, several hours after the girls were taken. No other details surrounding the man’s death have been released. Klunder spent several years in prison, stemming from a 1991 abduction and assault.

A massive hunt – incorporating federal, state, and local law enforcement – is still underway in hopes of finding the girl.

Investigators didn’t openly speculate as to whether or not they feel the girl is still alive, but time is never a good indicator in these circumstances. They’ve narrowed their search within 20 miles of Klunder’s residence.

The abduction of the two girls comes less than a year after the disappearance of two cousins in Evansdale, about 90 miles east of Dayton. Lyric Cook, 10, and 8-year-old Elizabeth Collins disappeared while riding their bikes last July. Their bodies were discovered by hunters in a remote wooded area that December. Investigators are looking into whether Klunder may have been involved in cousins’ kidnappings and deaths.

Kathlynn is 5-feet-6-inches tall, 160 pounds, with blond hair, blue eyes, and has braces. She was last seen wearing blue jeans, a gray hooded sweatshirt, and a Minnesota Vikings baseball cap. Authorities are asking anyone who may have any details pertaining to the case to come forward.

[Image Missing Girl/Suspect from Iowa Sex Offender Registry]

Hunt For Missing Iowa Girl Continues, Suspect Found Dead is a post from: The Inquisitr

Will Jodi Arias ever stop talking? Her Twitter account is gone, but she bent the ear of Phoenix Fox 10 news reporter Troy Hayden on Tuesday night. After she argued in front of a Phoenix jury Tuesday that she should be spared the death penalty, she still had time to get a professional make-up job so that she could smirk, smile, and rationalize on camera for a visibly frustrated Hayden.

As The Inquisitr reported yesterday, Jodi Arias stood in front of the jury Tuesday morning and argued that she should be spared the death penalty because of all the useful things she could do in prison, such as start a recycling program. Or maybe a literacy program.

Or maybe she could cut off her beautiful hair and make wigs for children with cancer.

But, in an infamous interview two weeks ago, she told Troy Hayden that she wanted the “ultimate freedom” of death. He asked her outright, “Let’s talk about lies. Were you lying to me?”

Arias replied that she didn’t lie. The lady simply changed her mind after her family members implored her to think of them.

If she had asked for the death penalty, it would be like asking for “assisted suicide,” Jodi Arias told Hayden.

You can catch the whole interview on the Phoenix Fox 10 site. It’s worth seeing just for the expert gold highlights in her eye makeup alone.

It only takes one juror’s vote to spare Jodi Arias from the death penalty.

But it’s probably a good thing that Twitter isn’t making the life or death decision for Jodi Arias.

Is this #JodiArias thing over yet? Just put her down already. The world could use less crazy people.

— Ryan Gramza (@gramza08) May 22, 2013

#jodiarias said she didn’t want to drag his skeleton out of the closet, yet she did that both in the bathroom AND at trial… DP

— Ali McDougall (@AliMcDougall1g) May 22, 2013

Its adorable that a convicted killer got 2request makeup 4 her new interviews with networks bc she clearly hasn’t done enough yet #jodiarias

— Princess Jamie (@JMSocialQueen) May 22, 2013

[judge's gavel photo by Chris Potter via Wikimedia Commons]

Jodi Arias Won’t Stop Talking In Tuesday Night Jailhouse Interview As Jury Mulls Death Penalty is a post from: The Inquisitr

McKinney, TX – A Texas judge has ruled that, due to a morality clause in one of the women’s divorce papers, a lesbian couple will not be permitted to co-habitate.

The morality clause, typically applied in the cases of divorce with children, bars romantic partners from spending the night while kids are at home. But, if a couple marries, they can be relieved of the restrictive decree.

However, as gay unions are not legally recognized or considered, the rule has created unforeseen and difficult hurdles in the intermingling of homosexual couples and their ability to dwell in the same residence.

Fox News reported that during a divorce hearing last month for Carolyn and Joshua Compton, Collin County District Judge John Roach Jr. enforced the terms detailed in their 2011 divorce papers, ordering Carolyn’s lesbian partner, Page Price, to move out of the home.

The two women had been sharing the dwelling with the Comptons’ two daughters, ages 10 and 13, which based on the terms of the court papers was unacceptable. The judge gave Price 30 days to find another place to live.

The Compton’s had been married for 11 years until Carolyn filed for divorce in September 2010. Joshua Compton had his attorney Paul Key enforce the action for the sake of their children.

Carolyn and Page conveyed that the stipulation, although noted as gender neutral by the judge, is unconstitutional given there is no option recognizing gay marriage as a possible release. Therefore, they are seemingly permanently bound to it.

In the case of the Compton’s divorce, there is no expiration date on the clause. The couple finds the morality law a burden, regardless of sexual orientation, as it places unreasonable limits on parental decisions.

With no other available legal recourse at this time the couple intents to comply with the order. However, they are considering whether to file an appeal.

Do you think there should be an amended provision allowing for homosexual cohabitation in these types of decrees? Or should the morality clause stand as is unless appealed?

[Image via Shutterstock]

Lesbian Couple Can’t Live Together According To Texas Judge is a post from: The Inquisitr

Marion County, FL – An educator at North Marion High School has been put on unpaid leave for allegedly touching a female student in an inappropriate manner during a sex ed-related discussion as part of a district-approved Freudian psychology lecture.

Jonathan Hampton was temporarily relieved of his teaching position while the district investigated claims, filed three months after the alleged incident, asserting Hampton crossed the line and touched a female student with a banana while discussing the Freudian implications of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, specifically lecturing about “cylinder objects, phalluses and/or sex symbols.”

The discipline letter, dated May 13, 2013, stated the man used poor judgment when he rubbed the student in the head and neck with the prop – thus resulting in the three-day suspension. However, other than the girl’s belated complaint filed on her behalf by her parents, there is no additional proof any type of intentional touching or contact with a sexual connotation was made.

It was noted other students felt that particular lecture in Hampton’s class had veered over the line several times; causing them to feel discomfort, and the complaint had been filed because the female student felt awkward and embarrassed over the incident.

The teacher’s stepfather, Mark Fiedelholtz, a South Florida lawyer, was quoted by Local 6 News as saying, “According to my son … he doesn’t recall ever touching the student with a banana, but if he did it would be to get their attention.” Fiedelholtz suggested it was likely Hampton tapped the girl with his lunch-packed banana to emphasize a point during the lecture. Therefore, the situation has been completely blown out of proportion.

Regardless, several parents are disgusted and outraged over what they feel is very unprofessional behavior displayed by a teacher.

Hampton has since returned to his job, completing the term of his brief dismissal.

[Image via Shutterstock]

Teacher Suspended Over Allegedly Touching A Student With His Banana is a post from: The Inquisitr

Moore, OK — The first tornado victim to be identified is nine-year-old Ja’Nae Hornsby. The third grader was hunkered down at Plaza Towers Elementary during the EF-5 rated twister, which tore apart the school and killed at least seven students.

Hornsby was confirmed as a victim by her family, who gathered on Tuesday at a Baptist church in Oklahoma City to mourn for the bright little girl.

The family spent an agonizing night waiting for news of their precious girl, only to have their hopes shattered with a call from the medical examiner’s office, confirming Ja’Nae was gone. The young girl’s aunt, Angela Hornsby, stated that her niece spent last weekend at her house, playing with her cousins. She added:

“They like to play dress-up. My daughter puts jewelry on them and I took pictures of them dancing together and they took video. they were just happy. She was always happy, always smiling.”

But young Ja’Nae Hornsby will smile no more. The young girl went off to school Monday morning while her father, Joshua, went to work in Oklahoma City. But as the massive storm bore down on Moore, the father of two rushed back home to get Ja’Nae and her two-year-old sister, Jia.

But the highways were jammed. By the time Joshua got to Moore, the tornado was already gone. He arrived at Plaza Towers Elementary to find a triage center in the parking lot but found no sign of nine-year-old Ja’Nae Hornsby. Angela phoned all the hospitals in the area but couldn’t find her niece.

Joshua Hornsby went to St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church as night fell to join a few other parents also waiting for reunions. Angela added:

“He would not leave until he found out what happened to his baby. They received a call while they were at the church this morning. My sister called to tell me. They were just sobbing.”

The loss of Ja’Nae is devastating to the family, which lost the young girl’s mother to lupus last year. The third grade girl doted on her baby sister, according to family members. Joshua Hornsby also lost his house in the killer twister. Ja’Nae’s little sister is okay, having been picked up from school by her grandmother.

While Ja’Nae Hornsby has been identified as a Moore tornado victim, there are still at least 23 other victims to be officially identified.

First Moore Tornado Victim Identified As Nine-Year-Old Ja’Nae Hornsby is a post from: The Inquisitr

Anthony Weiner is officially running for mayor of New York City. The announcement from the disgraced politician came on Tuesday night after weeks of speculation over his possible return to politics.

Weiner’s political career imploded two years ago after he posted a series of raunchy tweets showing off his genitals. But in his mayoral bid announcement, the former congressman has said he is back.

The politician first hinted at the possibility last month, but confirmed it in a YouTube video. Anthony Weiner explained:

“I made some big mistakes and I know I let a lot of people down, but I also learned some tough lessons. I’m running for mayor because I’ve been fighting for the middle class and those struggling to make it my entire life. And I hope I get a second change.”

The Democrat is jumping into a packed field of candidates, all hoping for victory during September’s primary. But Anthony Weiner is arriving to the mayoral candidate party with a few significant advantages. One of those is a $4.8 million campaign war chest. Another? The possibility that he could get $1 million more in public matching money.

Polls show Weiner is ahead of all but one other Democrat in the race. That also means that his decision to enter the fray could end in a runoff. And several analysts believe he could have a shot at being New York City’s next mayor.

But Anthony Weiner still has baggage related to the 2011 scandal, the biggest of which is questions about his character. The disgraced politician initially claimed his Twitter was hacked when a photo appeared of a man’s bulging, underwear-clad groin appeared. But more photos emerged, including one of him shirtless in his congressional office.

He recently admitted he shouldn’t have lied about the situation, but he did so to protect his pregnant wife, Huma Abedin. Weiner confessed to sending several racy messages to women he’d never met. Abedin has said that she forgives her husband for what happened.

Do you think Anthony Weiner has a shot at being the mayor of New York City?

[Image via lev radin / Shutterstock.com]

Anthony Weiner Running For Mayor Of New York City is a post from: The Inquisitr

The two elementary schools that took direct hits from Monday’s EF-5 Oklahoma tornado apparently did not have reinforced tornado shelters, according to an emergency official.

The official added that more than 100 schools in Oklahoma do have storm shelters for children. However, Plaza Towers Elementary and Briarwood Elementary lacked them.

Seven children were killed at Plaza Towers as they sheltered in above-ground classrooms. Albert Ashwood, director of the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, explained that each jurisdiction decides which schools receive funding for safe rooms.

Ashwood added that tornado shelters at the two elementary schools may not have helped, considering the devastation the massive tornado caused. He explained:

“When you talk about any kind of safety measures … it’s a mitigating measure, it’s not an absolute. There’s not a guarantee that everyone will be totally safe.”

Despite lacking tornado shelters, several school safety experts have said that the teachers and students in Moore, Oklahoma, were as prepared as they could have been for Monday’s killer tornado. The Oklahoma City suburb is no stranger to devastating twisters.

A tornado struck on May 3, 1999, ripping through the community and killing 36 people. The May 21 tornado that ripped a path from Newcastle to Moore left at least 24 people dead, nine of which were children.

Despite the horror and devastation, school teachers and other officials are being labeled as heroes for shielding their students from debris and responding exactly how they had during countless routine disaster drills. School officials already knew the storm that hit the region on Monday would be bad.

The warning helped them prepare for what could, and did, happen. Ken Trump, a Cleveland-based national school-safety consultant, added:

“When you have any loss of life, especially children, it rips our hearts out. But had the community not had that history, the preparedness lessons learned right in their own back yard, the losses could have been worse.”

Moore Public Schools Superintendent Susan Pierce added that administrators at every school in the storm’s path immediately took action when they heard the severe weather warnings. Moore was given a tornado warning 16 minutes before the killer tornado struck. She added, “When it was time to shelter, we did just that. When our children are at our schools, they are in our care.” The district holds more tornado drill each year than is required.

[Image via Ks0stm]

Schools Hit By Oklahoma Tornado Lacked Shelters is a post from: The Inquisitr

O.J.’s ex-girlfriend, Christine Prody, admitted during an exclusive interview with Inside Edition she was afraid of him . She also revealed she was surprised at Simpson’s appearance in court last Monday.

O.J. Simpson appeared heavier with gray hair he never had before. But Prody, who met the former football player when she was 21 and he was 38, recalled that even then, he was worried about losing his athletic build.

Of seeing him on Monday, O.J.’s ex-girlfriend stated, “I had to take a double take. I can’t believe he’s gotten a lot bigger and very grey since I last saw him.” She added:

“He was always worried about that, about gaining weight. Image was the most important thing to him. Being good-looking was important to him. And even more so, the girl on his arm had to be good-looking.”

But Prody talked about more than just her ex-boyfriend’s appearance to Inside Edition. She also revealed how she was afraid of him and that he compared her to his ex-wife, Nicole Brown, every day.

O.J. Simpson and Christine Prody began dating in 1996, after the former football player was acquitted of killing Nicole and her friend Ronald Goldman in Los Angeles. The couple dated for 12 years, until Simpson was arrested again, this time for armed robbery in Las Vegas.

But during their longtime relationship, Prody recalled, “I was so young and so he could try to shape me, mold me, into what he wanted.” She added that Simpson did so by having her dye her hair blonde, like Nicole’s was. She added:

“It was very hard to deal with that everyday, comparing me to Nicole. ‘Nicole did this, Nicole did that. You should do this, that’s what she did.’ ”

O.J.’s ex-girlfriend also revealed Simpson threatened her using Brown’s name. She recalled, “He would say things to me like, ‘You better watch out so something bad doesn’t happen to you like Nicole.”

O.J.’s Ex-Girlfriend Christine Prody Was Afraid Of Him is a post from: The Inquisitr

An Iowa letter carrier who nicknamed himself “The Bishop” was sentenced to 37 years in prison for sending dud pipe bombs in an odd and potentially deadly incident.

“The Bishop,” or John Tomkins, 48, showed little emotion during the sentencing hearing on Tuesday. He later smiled as his attorney patted his shoulder, before being led away by marshals.

Federal Judge Robert Dow in Chicago imposed the 37 year sentence after praising Tomkins for taking some responsibility for the potentially deadly attacks.

However, Dow added that “The Bishop,” a father of three, also “engaged in a reign of terror” in his mailings of dud pipe bombs to investment firms and advisers. The judge added:

” ‘Horrific’ is the single best word I’ve heard to describe this crime. ‘Terrifying’ is another good word.”

Tomkins signed his letters “The Bishop” after a novel where a criminal leaves a chess piece as his calling card for the crime. The 48-year-old’s letters read, “BANG! YOU’RE DEAD!” It added that the only reason the person receiving the package wasn’t dead was because one wire wasn’t attached.

Dow added that “The Bishop” took risks that “nobody in their right mind” would take with the public’s safety, despite the fact that he seemed so normal.

The sentence comes after Tomkins gave a long and emotional speech in court last month, saying that he is “incredibly sorry” for the crimes he committed. He attributed them to a mental breakdown brought on by his nephew’s suicide, as well as the murder of a friend.

Prosecutors asked for a sentence of 42 to 45 years, but the judge settled on 37. If he behaves in prison and gets credit for time already served, Tomkins will be eligible for parole when he is in his 70s. ‘The Bishop” faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years. Tomkins has already been in jail for six years.

[Image via ShutterStock]

‘The Bishop’ Gets 37 Years For Attempted Bombing is a post from: The Inquisitr

A federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday that Osama bin Laden’s death photos can stay a secret. The US government currently has more than 50 images marked classified that were taken of the al Qaeda leader after his death.

The ruling was unanimous by three judges on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The judges ruled that the photographs do not have to be released.

The ruling came in light of a lawsuit by Judicial Watch, which sued for photographs and videos taken during the May 2011 raid where US Special Forces killed bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

The organization’s lawsuit was based on the Freedom of Information Act, which guarantees public access to some government documents. However, the unsigned opinion by the panel stated that the images are so potent that releasing them to the public could cause riots and put Americans abroad at risk.

The assertion has also been made by the Obama administration. The opinion added:

“It is undisputed that the government is withholding the images not to shield wrongdoing or avoid embarrassment, but rather to prevent the killing of Americans and violence against American interests.”

The appeals court added that the CIA properly withheld publication of the images. The ruling goes against the conservative watchdog, who argued it was unlikely that images showing Osama bin Laden after he died would cause any harm to US national security. The photographs show bin Laden’s body being prepared for burial, as well as the burial itself.

During oral arguments in January, the group’s lawyer asserted that graphic photos of the al Qaeda leader’s corpse should be made available to the public, because they will distinguish somber images of bin Laden’s burial at sea. But the panel did not agree.

Do you think the US government should release the photos of Osama bin Laden after he died, or is the court’s ruling in the public’s best interest?

Court Rules Bin Laden Death Photos Can Stay Secret is a post from: The Inquisitr

Chelsea Clinton has quietly taken an NYU job leading interfaith efforts, one that has been in the works for about a year but kept secret from the public.

The former first daughter was named co-chair of the Of Many Institute for multifaith leadership. Clinton is also a co-founder of the institute, which aims to create a groundbreaking academic and programmatic model for multifaith education at the university level. “The Institute supports a new generation of religious and civic leaders who, deeply rooted in their own religious and spiritual traditions, reach across faith boundaries to solve social problems together,” the institute says in its mission.

Chelsea Clinton’s NYU job at the center entails creating academic courses and eventually a minor in Multifaith and Spiritual Leadership, all of which are designed to help young people develop a greater sense of understanding and empathy.

The center also aims to foster multifaith relationship-building and dialogue and transforming the national discourse on faith to “reflect the work of religious peacemakers on campus through sustained engagement with community organizations and other colleges seeking consultation and replication.”

This kind of level-headed discourse is sorely needed, the institute notes in its mission statement:

“The September 11th attacks, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and the Park 51 controversy are all occasions that required institutions in the US to lead nuanced public discussions guided by well-informed multifaith leaders dedicated to building bridges, promoting peace and coexistence and forging a shared future. From these times of crisis, far too few of these leaders have emerged as a sustained presence, and even fewer institutions have become equipped to support such multifaith action. The result has been ongoing misunderstanding, divisiveness, and outright hostility between faith groups worldwide.”

Clinton already had a role at NYU as vice provost, but the new job was kept largely a secret for the past year.

Chelsea Clinton Takes Secret NYU Job is a post from: The Inquisitr

Speaking before a sold-out New Hampshire Republican Party dinner on Monday, Senator Rand Paul highlighted the need for GOP supporters to embrace diversity if they want to win the White House in 2016.

“We need to be like the rest of America,” Paul said. “We’re going to win when we look like America.

“We need to be white, we need to be brown, we need to be black, we need to be with tattoos, without tattoos, with ponytails, without ponytails, with beards, without.”

Paul also advocated a reshaping of the party image. In front of New Hampshire Republicans, Paul called for the GOP to become the “party of opportunity.”

“We need to be that party that can express it in a way that shows that we care about people,” Paul continued.

“We need to care about people even if they are on government assistance.”

Paul also donated $10,000 to the New Hampshire GOP, which was announced publicly hours before the Monday night event.

This appearance, coupled with a handful of others in recent weeks, further stoked speculation that Paul is himself eyeing a run for the Republican nomination to face off against Hillary Clinton a Democratic opponent in 2016.

Paul also made news recently over his increased interest in the IRS scandal plaguing the Obama administration this past week.

The depth of the scandal is not yet known, but Paul said on Sunday that he believes there exists “written policy” which would prove that the IRS was “targeting people who were opposed to the president” as a specific directive under President Obama.

Such a memo, if it does exist, has not materialized.

What do you think of Rand Paul? Do you think he’s angling for a run in 2016?

[Image via: Gage Skidmore]

Rand Paul Pushes Diversity With New Hampshire GOP is a post from: The Inquisitr

Child abuse is a serious matter … but unintentional parent abuse, in which a tot injures their mom or dad through inadvertent lack of motor skills or temper tantrum, is not something we talk about often.

Sure, they look cute, but how many in the terrible twos bracket are repeat unintentional parent abuse offenders? If you’re reading this and have raised toddlers, chances are, you haven’t escaped unscathed.

My own son was four when I experienced my most severe instance of unintentional parent abuse. Sharing a bed at my mother’s house, we were both sound asleep when in a moment of restlessness, he yanked a wooden birdhouse off a windowsill and clocked me in the eye with it.

I told my co-workers I’d walked into something, but they knew … perhaps some victims of unintentional parent abuse themselves.

Dr. Benjamin Hoffman, medical director of the Tom Sargent Children’s Safety Center at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon, spoke to the New York Times about unintentional parent abuse.

Hoffman explains that the tiny wee tyrants often can’t temper their impulses and don’t know their own strength — a bruise and fracture situation waiting to happen:

“You’re dealing with wonderful human beings who can’t be reasoned with, who are impulsive, who are stronger and faster than you think they are, and don’t understand consequences of their actions.”

The Times itself paints a frightening picture of untold scores of unintentional parent abuse going unreported, saying:

“According to emergency room physicians, pediatricians and other experts, U.P.A. is no laughing matter. With unpredictable infants and toddlers, meals, bath time or even cuddles can go terribly wrong. Though statistics for injuries caused by young children are difficult to find, parents routinely suffer concussions, chipped teeth, corneal abrasions, nasal fractures, cut lips and torn earlobes, among other injuries.”

One expert speaking to the paper advised victims of unintentional parent abuse to “children’s fingernails and to keep potential weapons out of reach.” Are you a silent sufferer of U.P.I.?

Unintentional Parent Abuse A Quiet Threat is a post from: The Inquisitr

A James Bond watch sold at a garage sale has been set for auction, and, according to representatives of Christie’s auction house, it’s expected to fetch as much as $91,000.

The Breitling Top Time Watch was used to detect nuclear weapons during the famous underwater sequences of Thunderball, the fourth entry in the popular film franchise.

It was worn by the quintessential 007 himself, Sean Connery. Metro News noted that the watch was thought to have come from someone who worked on the film at Pinewood Stuidos.

In an official statement, Christie’s wrote, “It was the first watch to be modified by the famous Q Branch and is equipped with a ‘Geiger counter’ which in the film detects the emission of nuclear radiation. Made by Breitling in 1962 it was adapted by the James Bond art department and was the only example produced for the movie. This is a great opportunity for collectors to acquire a unique piece of James Bond memorabilia.”

The auction is slated for South Kensington, London, on June 26, so, if you’ve got the extra capital, there isn’t much time to waste.

The James Bond watch sold at garage sale isn’t the only low-dollar purchase to likely fetch big bucks. In January, an 1865 baseball card was picked off for less than $100. It was expected to go for six figures.

In March of this year, a “ding” bowl from China’s Northern Song Dynasty (about 1,000 years old) sold for $3 and was later auctioned by Sotheby’s for $2.2 million.

By comparison that makes the Breitling look pretty pathetic, but you never know how these things might turn out either. With the close 007 connection, the timepiece/world-saver could end up fetching a lot more than its $91,000 estimate. (Or less.)

Moral of the story: next time you want to buy a lottery ticket, go to a garage sale instead. As for Thunderball, here’s the opening title sequence in case you haven’t had a chance to check it out:

What do you think the James Bond watch sold at garage sale will end up going for? How much would you pay?

James Bond Watch Sold At Garage Sale, Expecting $91K At Auction is a post from: The Inquisitr

Wolf Blitzer had an awkward moment with an atheist on Tuesday afternoon.

The CNN anchor was surveying the damage in Oklahoma and interviewed a woman who had survived the tornadoes. The woman, named Rebecca, managed to escape her home with her 19-month-old son Anders shortly before it was destroyed by the tornado.

To Blitzer, this was obviously a work of God.

The interview is actually kind of cute for the first few minutes as the CNN veteran tries to get the little boy to play reporter. But during his closing comments, Blitzer goes on a blessing bing and asks the woman if she “thanked the lord” after escaping the house unharmed.

Blitzer said: “You’re blessed. Brian your husband is blessed. Anders is blessed… I guess you got to thank the lord, right? … Do you thank the lord for that split-second decision?”

Rebecca told Blitzer that she was an atheist but then added: “I don’t blame anybody for thanking the lord.”

Are you surprised that Blitzer asked the tornado survivor about God? Do you think Rebecca handled the situation well?

Here’s the video from Mediate?

Wolf Blitzer wasn’t the only one to have an interesting on screen experience in the aftermath of the Oklahoma tornadoes. Veteran Oklahoma reporter Lance West was so overcome with emotion while covering the devastation that he broke down on air in tears.

Wolf Blitzer Asks Atheist If She ‘Thanked God’ After Surviving Tornado In Oklahoma [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr