Power Logic

Democrats Clinton, Sanders split nominating contests in Oregon, Kentucky

2016-05-17T23:14:00.003-07:00

Democrats Clinton, Sanders split nominating contests in Oregon, Kentucky. WASHINGTON, MAY 18: Democrat candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders each picked up primary wins on Tuesday in yet another demonstration of how divided the party is in the drawn-out national race to win the nomination for November's general election.

Clinton narrowly defeated Sanders in Kentucky, a state where she was not expected to win. Sanders bested her in Oregon, a state that played to his strengths.

In Kentucky, the two candidates will likely split the 55 delegates up for grabs. In Oregon, Sanders will take only a handful more of the 61 delegates that were awarded.

Clinton's sizeable lead in delegates means it is likely she will eventually be her party's nominee, but she remains more than 100 delegates short of sealing the deal. The Democratic primary now hits a two-week lull, with the final set major contests, including California, scheduled for June 7.

Clinton, who spent the past two days campaigning in Kentucky, would like to lock up the nomination and turn her attention to the Nov. 8 general election and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Trump has begun to organize his general election campaign. On Tuesday, he signed a joint fundraising agreement with the Republican National Committee. The agreement allows him to raise $449,400 from a single donor by splitting the funds between his campaign, the RNC and state Republican parties.

Trump, who eschewed donations in the political system through the primary, has thus far insisted on mostly self-funding his campaign. The shift to a more traditional fundraising approach could draw the ire of some supporters.

Trump, in an interview with Megyn Kelly that aired on Fox News Tuesday night, said he did have regrets about his actions during the Republican primary process.

“I could have used different language in a couple of instances, but overall I'm happy with the outcome,” Trump said.

Nevada still rankles

Sanders supporters became angry when Nevada state party officials chose to end their convention and block efforts to award the US senator from Vermont more delegates than he initially won in the February caucus. Clinton won the caucus.

The Nevada incident was a warning about the potential for fireworks at July's Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Clinton's campaign continued to express confidence that she would be able to unify the party.

“Hillary Clinton is grateful to the thousands of Nevadans who came out to participate in the caucuses and convention process,” Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said. “She believes every voice should be heard and no one should be intimidated, harassed or threatened in this process.

When the primary process is complete, our party must come together and ensure a Democrat is elected to serve as our next president," Mook said. Sanders on Tuesday joined his supporters in criticising the Nevada Democratic Party after Saturday's events.

One Sanders supporter threw a chair, unhappy about being blocked in a rules vote that was part of the effort to help the senator win more delegates to the national convention. Others drew chalk graffiti on a party building, while the state's party chairwoman has been receiving death threats. Sanders framed Nevada's incident as a warning.

“If the Democratic Party is to be successful in November, it is imperative that all state parties treat our campaign supporters with fairness and the respect that they have earned," Sanders said in a statement on the Nevada incident.

Sanders who said he condemns violence and personal harassment of individuals levelled some of the same complaints his supporters did, arguing that state party Chairwoman Roberta Lange did not allow a headcount on a disputed rules change.

He also argued that 64 delegates to the state convention were not given a hearing before being ruled ineligible.

Threats of violence

The state party disputed the Sanders campaign's interpretation of the events. It said some delegates did not show up at the convention and others were disqualified because they were not registered as Democrats in time.

“The Sanders campaign is continuing to be dishonest about what happened Saturday and is failing to adequately denounce the threats of violence of his supporters,” the Nevada Democratic Party said in a statement.

Sanders supporters began circulating a picture of Lange on the internet that included her cellphone number and encouraged others to contact her to express their unhappiness.

Lange said on MSNBC she had been receiving death threats, including many containing vulgar language. Public messages sent to her Twitter account included a barrage of derogatory statements.

MSNBC played some of the voicemails, including one saying "people like you should be hung in a public execution.”

“What you heard is a few of the thousands of e-mails and texts and Facebook messages and Twitter messages that I've gotten,” Lange said on MSNBC. “Threats to my family, to my grandson, to my husband.

Sanders' continued presence in the race is prompting concerns among Clinton allies that he will damage her ability to take on Trump and hurt her in the fall.

But Sanders’ supporters shrug off that worry, arguing that Trump is such a flawed candidate that Clinton will easily dispatch with him if she faces him in the November 8 election. Clinton's camp seems to agree.

“Ultimately, we are confident that the passion and energy from the primary will be united in a common purpose to move forward the ideals of our party and keep the White House out of Donald Trump's hands,” her campaign manager Mook said.

Editorial: Be wary of the Avakian train

2016-05-17T23:05:00.001-07:00

Editorial: Be wary of the Avakian train. Expect to see the same game plan that Brad Avakian followed to win the Democratic primary for secretary of state in the November general election. The only unknown is whether voters will fall for it again.

The secretary of state serves as Oregon's top elections official and oversees an audits division that ensures public dollars are being spent wisely. But you wouldn't know that from Avakian's campaign in which he pledged to go after private companies, sniff out unequal pay for women and otherwise use the office in ways that go beyond the responsibilities articulated in the Constitution and state law.

Avakian trumpeted endorsements from abortion rights advocates, helping to sway voters who are either unfamiliar or indifferent to the actual responsibilities of the secretary of state. And he plugged the office's position on the State Land Board to argue that he will help combat climate change.

Voters who are rightly concerned that Avakian will distort the office to fit his Hulk-sized ambitions should take a close look at the winner of the Republican primary, Dennis Richardson, for November.

Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian

Sheriff's nephew wanted in Florida triple homicide

2016-05-03T10:44:00.001-07:00

Sheriff's nephew wanted in Florida triple homicide. Investigators were on the hunt for a former sheriff’s nephew accused of shooting and killing three people including a pregnant woman – in Florida Tuesday morning.

Officials are looking for Murray Lancaster, 40, in connection with the murders, News4Jax reported. Lancaster is the nephew of ex-Clay County Sheriff Scott Lancaster. He may be traveling in a pickup truck.

Lancaster allegedly killed his ex-wife, girlfriend and girlfriend’s father, ActionNewsJax reported, citing sources. A witness said Lancaster came into a local salon in Green Cove Springs, held everyone at gunpoint, grabbed his girlfriend and said, “We’re going to get your father.” He’s accused of shooting his ex-wife while she worked at a landfill.

One of the women was pregnant, News4Jax reported, but it was not clear which woman it was. Authorities told Jacksonville.com there were two shooting scenes.

Green Cove Springs is about 30 miles south of Jacksonville. Schools in the area were locked down as the manhunt for Lancaster continued.

Hijacked a Metrobus in Washington D.C

2016-05-03T10:28:00.003-07:00

Hijacked a Metrobus in Washington D.C. At least one person is dead after police say a man hijacked a Metrobus in Washington, D.C., after stabbing the driver with a pair of pliers.

“It’s a bizarre incident, very uncharacteristic for someone to take a bus and attack a bus driver,” Metro Police Chief Cathy Lanier told The Hill.

Police described the unidentified suspect, who is now in custody, as a “very distraught and violent” adult male. Lanier confirmed that “he did have a weapon of some sort.” The incident happened just before 11 a.m.

Tuesday and lasted less than three minutes, WRC-TV reported. Police say the man got on the bus at one stop and then waited until the next stop to try to stab the bus driver with pliers and gain control of the wheel.

The driver and other passengers managed to get off the bus. The driver suffered a back injury and was expected to survive. There were no known injuries to the other passengers, according to Metro Transit Police.

The accused hijacker eventually crashed the bus near a gas station after causing several accidents and striking at least one pedestrian along the way, WRC-TV reported.

The pedestrian, whose identity was not disclosed, later died, according to multiple outlets.

Tupac's mum, has died at 69 Afeni Shakur, revolutionary

2016-05-03T06:59:00.002-07:00

Tupac's mum, has died at 69 Afeni Shakur, revolutionary. Afeni Shakur Davis, a former Black Panther Party activist and mother to Tupac Shakur, has died. The Marin County sheriff’s office say they responded to a report of a “possible cardiac arrest” on Monday night, arriving at her home and transferring her to hospital where she died at 10.30pm. An examination to determine the exact cause is under way and more details will be provided once further information has been gathered.

Afeni Shakur was born Alice Faye Williams but changed her name after moving to New York and joining the Black Panthers.

She is best-known as the mum of Tupac and the inspiration for his track Dear Mama, but she’ll also be remembered as a philanthropist, political activist and businesswoman.

Following her son’s 1996 death, Afeni Shakur took control of his estate, which reportedly earns $900,000 (£615,000) a year. Afeni Shakur founded the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation a year later, a programme determined to offer young people opportunities through the arts whether that be dance, drama, or writing.

More recently, she co-produced Holler If Ya Hear Me, a musical featuring Tupac’s works, and served as an executive producer on All Eyez On Me, a film about her son scheduled for release later this year. Through her words she offered a lot of wisdom, and we’ll leave you with this from 2011: “My personal message for Tupac fans would be for them to live brightly, strongly out loud. To sing, to write, to dance, to play, to create music, to create plays, to create poetry, just to create. To live.

“I want his fans to live giving us everything that they have because I sincerely believe those young people and other people who want freedom and justice in the world, that they will be able to give us that but only if we encourage them to be wrong sometimes, if we encourage them to make mistakes sometimes.”

Texas high school student "inadvertently" shoots self

2016-05-02T11:08:00.001-07:00

Texas high school student "inadvertently" shoots self. DALLAS A Dallas high school student was wounded Monday morning when a gun he brought to school went off, according to officials.

A shelter-in-place was put into effect at Kimball High School in Dallas on Monday morning, but was lifted early in the afternoon. The school district said the student's injuries are non-life threatening and he has been taken to a local hospital.

"The student was injured when he inadvertently shot himself with a single-shot revolver after the first class period had ended," the Dallas Independent School District said in a statement released on Twitter Monday afternoon. "The student arrived at school today with this for (an) unplanned conference with school administrators. Because of the circumstance, the procedures for the metal detectors was not applied."

It is not clear why the gun was in the student's possession or whether it was related to the conference with administrators.

The incident remains under investigation, according to officials Texas high school student "inadvertently" shoots self

SUVs, Electric Cars the latest models at the Beijing Auto Show

2016-04-28T08:56:00.000-07:00

SUVs, Electric Cars the latest models at the Beijing Auto Show. Sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and electric cars are expected to be the crowd drawers for the 2016 Beijing Auto Show, which opened on Monday.

Major Chinese car manufacturer Great Wall Motors is set to unveil its Haval H7 SUV. The company's earlier H6 model, which was also introduced during the auto show, is considered as one of the biggest sellers in the Chinese SUV market for the past few years.

International brands including Ford, Honda, Mercedes, General Motors and Volkswagen are also expected to reveal their new SUV models.

Several of the anticipated models, such as Volkswagen's T-Prime Concept GTE, are concept cars meant to showcase new technologies, such as plug-in hybrids, that are yet to be included in public mass-production models, CNBC reported.

The Chinese SUV market has experienced a significant amount of growth in recent years, with sales increasing by 52 percent in 2015. Prices have also steadily decreased, mainly due to domestic car makers releasing budget models in an effort to get a larger share of the market, though foreign brands still have a firm hold.

However, new emission regulations are expected to affect the SUV market significantly. China's government has announced its intent to enact tighter car emission standards in an effort to curb air pollution. The new rules are expected to cut the allowed emissions by half.

China has also encouraged the growth of the electric vehicle market in recent years as a cleaner alternative to gasoline-powered vehicles.

Both local and foreign manufacturers will also be showcasing their latest electric concepts during the auto show, with 147 models confirmed to be on display, the Global Times reported.

Local company Guangzhou Automobile Group will debut its GS4 electric SUV, while Internet streaming provider Le Holdings is set to present its LeSEE electric concept.

The Beijing Auto Show, which is held every two years, runs until May 4.

Protesters ransack Muslim prayer hall on Corsica

2015-12-25T19:26:00.001-08:00

Protesters ransack Muslim prayer hall on Corsica. Demonstrators ransacked a Muslim prayer hall and attempted to burn copies of the Koran on the French island of Corsicay, police said, following a night of violence that left two firefighters injured.

Tensions had mounted in Ajaccio on Christmas Day after two firefighters and a police officer were wounded overnight in Jardins de L'Empereur, a low-income neighbourhood of the city when they were "ambushed" by "several hooded youths", authorities said.

On Friday afternoon around 150 people had gathered in front of police headquarters in the island's capital in a show of support for the police and firefighters, officials said in a statement.

But some in that crowd broke away to join as many as 600 who headed for the housing estate where the violence took place the night before.

They shouted slogans in Corsican meaning "Arabs get out!" or "This is our home!", an AFP correspondent reported.

Nearby was a Muslim prayer room and a small group smashed the glass door and entered the place of worship, ransacking it and partially burning books including copies of the Koran, said regional official Francois Lalanne.

"Fifty prayer books were thrown out on the street," Lalanne said, adding that some of the pages were burnt.

Police were to remain present on the housing estate overnight on Friday, with a security presence around five Muslim places of worship in Ajaccio, Lalanne told AFP.

They would receive reinforcements in the coming days, he added.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls wrote on Twitter that the break-in was "an unacceptable desecration", while also condemning the "intolerable attack" on the wounded firefighters.

Anouar Kbibech, president of the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM), said he had learnt of the mosque attack and the burning of "several copies of the Koran" with "distress".

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said the attack on the Muslim prayer hall showed signs of "racism and xenophobia".

He also condemned the assault on law enforcement and safety officers in Corsica, saying he hoped "the authors of the violence would be identified and arrested as soon as possible." -

Far-right, nationalist gains -

Local authorities including Christophe Mirmand, the prefect or top official of Corsica, also vowed to arrest those responsible for the outbreak of violence over two days on the Mediterranean island.

The Christmas violence came amid heightened security measures for the season in France after the November 13 attacks by jihadists in Paris that killed 130 people.

Dalil Boubakeur, the rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, said he was "dismayed and saddened" by the events on Corsica in an appearance on France's BFMTV, calling for "calm and cool heads".

Around 120,000 French police, members of armed units and soldiers were mobilised on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Corsica is a department of France which held regional elections earlier this month, which had seen the far-right anti-immigrant Front National make unprecedented gains in the first round of the vote.

On Corsica the nationalists won the regional election there taking power for the first time.

Sarah Hyland Teen Choice Awards 2015

2015-08-18T22:44:00.001-07:00

Sarah Hyland Teen Choice Awards 2015. Actress Sarah Hyland speaks onstage during the Teen Choice Awards 2015 at the USC Galen Center on Aug. 16, 2015, in Los Angeles.

Little Mix Teen Choice Awards 2015

2015-08-18T22:34:00.001-07:00

Little Mix Teen Choice Awards 2015. Singers Perrie Edwards (L) and Jade Thirlwall of Little Mix perform onstage during the Teen Choice Awards 2015 at the USC Galen Center on Aug. 16, 2015, in Los Angeles.

Britney Spears Teen Choice Awards 2015

2015-08-18T22:29:00.000-07:00

Britney Spears Teen Choice Awards 2015. Britney Spears accepts the Choice Style Icon Award onstage during the Teen Choice Awards 2015 at the USC Galen Center on Aug. 16, 2015, in Los Angeles.

Click through for pics of Lea Michele, Ellen DeGeneres, "Pretty Little Liars" cast and more.

Critics Choice Television Awards 2014 Nominees and Live Stream Updates

2014-06-19T10:05:00.002-07:00

Critics Choice Television Awards 2014. The FX guides the network company in suggestion with 19, pursued intimately by HBO which acquired 18. Pinnacle the listing of designated sequence are The Big Bang Theory (CBS), Fargo (FX), The Good Wife (CBS), Masters of Sex (Showtime) and The Normal Heart (HBO) with 5 suggestion both. Added top-nominated sequence comprised The Americans (FX), Breaking Bad (AMC), Orange Is the New Black (Netflix) and Sherlock: His Last Vow (PBS), which both established 4 selections.

Walton Goggins, Allison Janney and Martin Freeman were all selected for their presentations in 2 dissimilar concerts. Goggins received a Best Supporting Actor in a theater sequence selection for Justified, while Janney take the Best Supporting Actress in a humor Series selection for Mom. The 2 will struggle alongside each additional in the most excellent Guest Performer in a Drama sequence class for Sons of Anarchy and Masters of Sex, correspondingly. Freeman was selected in the top Actor in a film or Mini-Series class for Fargo as well as top Supporting Actor in a film or Mini-Series for Sherlock: His Last Vow.

The televised Television press Association proclaimed that the selection for the fourth yearly Critics’ Choice Television Awards, which will be televised, aired on The CW from the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Thursday, June 19, 2014 (8:00pm ET/8:00pm PT).
Here is the list of the nominated:

BEST COMEDY SERIES
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
• Broad City (Comedy Central)
• Louie (FX)
• Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
• Silicon Valley (HBO)
• Veep (HBO)

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
• Louis CK, Louie (FX)
• Chris Messina, The Mindy Project (FOX)
• Thomas Middleditch, Silicon Valley (HBO)
• Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
• Adam Scott, Parks and Recreation (NBC)
• Robin Williams, The Crazy Ones (CBS)

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
• Ilana Glazer, Broad City (Comedy Central)
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep (HBO)
• Wendi McLendon-Covey, The Goldbergs (ABC)
• Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer (Comedy Central)
• Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation (NBC)
• Emmy Rossum, Shameless (Showtime)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
• Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX)
• Keith David, Enlisted (FOX)
• Tony Hale, Veep (HBO)
• Albert Tsai, Trophy Wife (ABC)
• Christopher Evan Welch, Silicon Valley (HBO)
• Jeremy Allen White, Shameless (Showtime)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
• Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
• Laverne Cox, Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
• Kaley Cuoco, The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
• Allison Janney, Mom (CBS)
• Kate Mulgrew, Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
• Merritt Wever, Nurse Jackie (Showtime)

BEST GUEST PERFORMER IN A COMEDY SERIES
• Uzo Aduba, Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
• Sarah Baker, Louie (FX)
• James Earl Jones, The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
• Mimi Kennedy, Mom (CBS)
• Andrew Rannells, Girls (HBO)
• Lauren Weedman, Looking (HBO)

BEST DRAMA SERIES
• The Americans (FX)
• Breaking Bad (AMC)
• Game of Thrones (HBO)
• The Good Wife (CBS)
• Masters of Sex (Showtime)
• True Detective (HBO)

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
• Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad (AMC)
• Hugh Dancy, Hannibal (NBC)
• Freddie Highmore, Bates Motel (A&E)
• Matthew McConaughey, True Detective (HBO)
• Matthew Rhys, The Americans (FX)
• Michael Sheen, Masters of Sex (Showtime)

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
• Lizzy Caplan, Masters of Sex (Showtime)
• Vera Farmiga, Bates Motel (A&E)
• Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife (CBS)
• Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black (BBC America)
• Keri Russell, The Americans (FX)
• Robin Wright, House of Cards (Netflix)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
• Josh Charles, The Good Wife (CBS)
• Walton Goggins, Justified (FX)
• Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad (AMC)
• Peter Sarsgaard, The Killing (AMC)
• Jon Voight, Ray Donovan (Showtime)
• Jeffrey Wright, Boardwalk Empire (HBO)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
• Christine Baranski, The Good Wife (CBS)
• Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad (AMC)
• Annet Mahendru, The Americans (FX)
• Melissa McBride, The Walking Dead (AMC)
• Maggie Siff, Sons of Anarchy (FX)
• Bellamy Young, Scandal (ABC)

BEST GUEST PERFORMER IN A DRAMA SERIES
• Beau Bridges, Masters of Sex (Showtime)
• Walton Goggins, Sons of Anarchy (FX)
• Allison Janney, Masters of Sex (Showtime)
• Joe Morton, Scandal (ABC)
• Carrie Preston, The Good Wife (CBS)
• Diana Rigg, Game of Thrones (HBO)

BEST MOVIE
• An Adventure in Space and Time (BBC America)
• Burton and Taylor (BBC America)
• Killing Kennedy (National Geographic Channel)
• The Normal Heart (HBO)
• Sherlock: His Last Vow (PBS)
• The Trip to Bountiful (Lifetime)

BEST MINI-SERIES
• American Horror Story: Coven (FX)
• Bonnie & Clyde (A&E/History/Lifetime)
• Dancing on the Edge (Starz)
• Fargo (FX)
• The Hollow Crown (PBS)
• Luther (BBC America)

BEST ACTOR IN A MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
• David Bradley, An Adventure in Space and Time (BBC America)
• Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock: His Last Vow (PBS)
• Chiwetel Ejiofor, Dancing on the Edge (Starz)
• Martin Freeman, Fargo (FX)
• Mark Ruffalo, The Normal Heart (HBO)
• Billy Bob Thornton, Fargo (FX)

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
• Helena Bonham Carter, Burton and Taylor (BBC America)
• Minnie Driver, Return to Zero (Lifetime)
• Whoopi Goldberg, A Day Late and a Dollar Short (Lifetime)
• Holliday Grainger, Bonnie & Clyde (A&E/History/Lifetime)
• Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Coven (FX)
• Cicely Tyson, The Trip to Bountiful (Lifetime)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
• Matt Bomer, The Normal Heart (HBO)
• Warren Brown, Luther (BBC America)
• Martin Freeman, Sherlock: His Last Vow (PBS)
• Colin Hanks, Fargo (FX)
• Joe Mantello, The Normal Heart (HBO)
• Blair Underwood, The Trip to Bountiful (Lifetime)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
• Amanda Abbington, Sherlock: His Last Vow (PBS)
• Kathy Bates, American Horror Story: Coven (FX)
• Ellen Burstyn, Flowers in the Attic (Lifetime)
• Jessica Raine, An Adventure in Space and Time (BBC America)
• Julia Roberts, The Normal Heart (HBO)
• Allison Tolman, Fargo (FX)

BEST REALITY SERIES
• Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (FOX/National Geographic Channel)
• Deadliest Catch (Discovery)
• Duck Dynasty (A&E)
• Mythbusters (Discovery)
• Top Gear (BBC America)
• Undercover Boss (CBS)

BEST REALITY SERIES – COMPETITION
• The Amazing Race (CBS)
• Project Runway (Lifetime)
• Shark Tank (ABC)
• Survivor (CBS)
• Top Chef (Bravo)
• The Voice (NBC)

BEST REALITY HOST
• Tom Bergeron, Dancing With the Stars (ABC)
• Carson Daly, The Voice (NBC)
• Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance (FOX)
• Gordon Ramsay, MasterChef (FOX)
• RuPaul, RuPaul’s Drag Race (Logo)
• Neil deGrasse Tyson, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (FOX/National Geographic Channel)

BEST TALK SHOW
• Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC)
• The Ellen DeGeneres Show (Time Telepictures)
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)
• The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)
• Conan (TBS)

BEST ANIMATED SERIES
• Archer (FX)
• Bob’s Burgers (FOX)
• The Simpsons (FOX)
• Family Guy (FOX)
• Phineas and Ferb (Disney XD)
• Adventure Time (Cartoon Network)

In South Korea By 27,000 iPhone Users Over Location Tracking

2011-08-17T08:44:00.000-07:00

In South Korea By 27,000 iPhone Users Over Location Tracking. A group of some 27,000 South Koreans is suing Apple for $26 million for what they claim are privacy violations from the collection of iPhone user location information.

Each person in the suit is seeking 1 million won ($932) in damages, Kim Hyeong-seok, one of their attorneys, said Wednesday. He said they are targeting Apple Inc. and its South Korean unit to "protect privacy" rights.

Apple spokesman Steve Park in Seoul declined to comment.

Apple has faced complaints and criticisms since it said in April that its iPhones were storing locations of nearby cellphone towers and Wi-Fi hot spots for up to a year. Such data can be used to create a rough map of the device owner's movements.

Apple also revealed that a software bug caused iPhones to continue to send anonymous location data to the company's servers even when location services on the device were turned off.

The company has said it will no longer store the data on phones for more than seven days, will encrypt the data and will stop backing up the files to user computers. It also has fixed the bug with a free software update.

Kim, the lawyer, took Apple to court earlier this year over iPhone privacy and was awarded 1 million won.

The Korea Communications Commission, South Korea's communications regulator, earlier this month ordered Apple's local operation to pay a 3 million won fine for what it said were violations of the country's location information laws.

Oh Byoung cheol, a professor of information technology law at Seoul's Yonsei University law school, said that the KCC ruling is likely to bolster the plaintiffs' allegations of illegality by Apple and that could have an impact on possible cases in other countries.

But any South Korean court decision on damages is unlikely to have much effect elsewhere given differences in international tort law, he said.

South Korean courts "tend to be stingy with damages for mental suffering," he said.

If the court in the southern city of Changwon rules in favor of the plaintiffs, the total award could come to about 27.6 billion won ($25.7 million). Cupertino, California based Apple the most valuable company in the United States earned $7.31 billion in its fiscal third quarter.

Kim said he expected the first hearing in the new case to take place in October or November.

Jung Ogk taek, an official at the Changwon District Court, said it was not clear how much time would be needed to reach a verdict.

Kim said 26,691 plaintiffs were listed in the civil suit filed Wednesday. Another 921 are minors and lawyers need to obtain the consent of their parents before they can join, Kim said. He expects that to take about two weeks.

Capybara spotted in California Photos

2011-08-17T07:45:00.000-07:00

Capybara spotted in California Photos. A wastewater treatment plant has gained some notoriety after workers spotted a capybara three weeks ago.

The animal came out of a wastewater pond at the plant in Paso Robles in San Luis Obispo County and paddled around in the water before reaching the Salinas River.

Capybaras are the world’s largest rodents they can reach the size of a small dog and are often described as a mix between a rat and a guinea pig. They’re nocturnal and semi-aquatic, and prefer habits with dense vegetation and access to water. They are illegal to own as a pet in California.

The rodents aren’t dangerous, “just weird looking,” said Department of Fish and Game spokesman Andrew Hughan.

“Somebody probably brought it in as a pet and they either got away or people couldn’t deal with it anymore,” Hughan said. “It’s no harm. It’s just going to root around.”

It's not the first time a capybara has been spotted in Paso Robles, said Lt. Todd Tognazzini of the Department of Fish and Game. Game wardens received a report about three years ago of a capybara in a pond near Hunter Ranch Golf Course, but because there were no other sightings and beavers live in the area, they thought it was a mistaken report.

Eight months later, a man who was feeding his horses said a large rodent-like creature came up, scared his horses away, ate some hay and then chased after a dog. The man fired a shotgun at the animal to protect his dog, and called wildlife officials after it left the property. Wardens confirmed footprints at the scene were that of a capybara, but traps they set caught nothing, and no other sightings were reported.

Until a few weeks ago. Wardens looked at photographs taken by workers at the wastewater plant and confirmed the animal in the pictures was an adult capybara weighing 100 to 120 pounds. Tognazzini thinks the same animal was responsible for the previous sightings.

Workers at the wastewater plant are still talking about the discovery.

Streaming Offline For Many Users Netflix Down

2011-06-20T01:29:00.000-07:00

Streaming Offline For Many Users Netflix Down. If you've had problems accessing Netflix.com and the company's streaming services, you're not alone.

Users have taken to the web to gripe about issues they've had loading Netflix's site to both order and stream content. Netflix's movies.netflix.com is reportedly up and running for many, though subscribers say that they cannot access Netflix via their iPad or Apple TV.

Gigaom's Om Malik writes, "For past hour or so, I have been trying to access the service but I have been unable to watch it on my iPad or on my Apple TV. It is about 8.40 PST."

The company recently announced that it would be pulling Sony movies from its streaming service due to what Netflix described as a "temporary contract issue between Sony and Starz ."

Is Netflix down for you? On what devices and beginning at what time? Let us know in the comments below.

Man Taken Into Custody Near Department Of Defense Headquarters Pentagon Arrest

2011-06-17T10:40:00.000-07:00

Man Taken Into Custody Near Department Of Defense Headquarters Pentagon Arrest. Authorities say one person has been taken into custody in connection with an investigation into a suspicious vehicle near the Pentagon.

Pentagon police spokesman Chris Layman says the person was taken into custody early Friday and that one or two other people may be involved. Layman says the car is in bushes near the Pentagon's north parking lot.

No other details about the investigation were immediately available.

The investigation has caused road closures near the Pentagon.

In another incident earlier this week, a motorist found with a gun and what appeared to be a suspicious package near the Pentagon was taken into custody.

"Planking" goes viral despite death, injury

2011-05-19T12:11:00.001-07:00

"Planking" goes viral despite death, injury. SYDNEY (Reuters) Planking, the Australian craze of lying face down stiff in often bizarre places for a photo op, claimed another victim when a man was critically injured after being thrown from the roof of a moving car when his planking went bad.

The 20-year-old New South Wales man was in an induced coma after falling head first in Invernell, Channel 9 news reported.

He is still luckier than a Brisbane man who fell to his death from a seventh floor balcony in a planking stunt on the railings on Sunday.

The fad took off when rugby league star David "Wolfman" Williams a renowned planker showed off his skills on live television after a try in March, lying stretched out on the ground. The scene has been taken up by YouTube, where it has gotten nearly 100,000 views. For added emphasis, he repeated the stunt on Channel 9's anchor desk.

"People are trying to out-do each other by planking on structures or in precarious positions, putting themselves and others at risk," said Queensland police in a statement.

"The potential for disaster increases as more and more risks are taken to get the ultimate photo." The obsession started off innocently enough, with plankers targeting landmarks, parked police cars, dishwashers or each other. But they gradually got extreme, with smokestacks, industrial machinery, animals and railway tracks all becoming planking sites.

Despite the accidents, the craze shows no signs of abating.

The Planking Australia Facebook page has 141,000 followers, a remarkable figure for a country of just 22.5 million. By contrast, the "100,000 that Hate Planking" page has managed to find just six followers.

As one fan put it on Facebook: "Planking... No brains or skill required!!!"

What's next? Some say "pillaring," the vertical version of planking.

Miami man dies on plane, flight diverted to Va

2011-05-19T12:09:00.001-07:00

Miami man dies on plane, flight diverted to Va. NORFOLK, Va. A 73-year-old passenger who was complaining of feeling ill died on board an American Airlines flight.

Norfolk Airport Authority executive director Wayne Shank said the New York-to-Miami flight landed at Norfolk International Airport shortly before 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The passenger had complained he wasn't feeling well about 20 minutes after the flight took off from John F. Kennedy International Airport. Crew members' efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.

Shank says the state medical examiner's office will determine what caused his death. He declined to release the man's name, but said he was a Miami resident.

Bodies of 5 clam diggers found off Alaska

2011-05-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

Bodies of 5 clam diggers found off Alaska. ANCHORAGE, Alaska The bodies of all five clam diggers who were reported missing from their 20-foot skiff as they returned from a day of harvesting have been found, authorities said Wednesday.

They were long-time contract workers for Pacific Alaska Shellfish, which was notified Tuesday that the crew was missing in an area in Cook Inlet where they were digging for razor clams. Three of their bodies were found later that day.

The remaining two bodies were spotted Wednesday by a Coast Guard helicopter crew on the mudflats well off a beach, less than a mile from where the other bodies were found near Polly Creek, southwest of Kalgin Island.

The three found Tuesday had on life jackets, while the two recovered Wednesday did not, the Coast Guard said. The skiff was also recovered.

"We don't know what led up to the individuals being in the water," Petty Officer David Mosley said.

The weather was clear with relatively light winds and moderate waves when the clam diggers went missing, he said.

One of the bodies was found Tuesday by employees of the company, which issued a statement calling it the "most tragic event in the history of our company."

"These hard-working and experienced individuals have contracted with our company for many years and are considered close friends and family," Frank Dulcich, president and CEO of Pacific Alaska Shellfish, said.

The Alaska State Troopers were withholding the workers' names until relatives were notified.

Pacific Alaska Shellfish is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pacific Seafood Group, headquartered in Clackamas, Ore. The company has a seasonal plant in Nikiski, about 60 miles south of Anchorage where it processes razor clams, according to the company's website said.

The clams are harvested on a 6-mile stretch of beach between Polly Creek and the Crescent River.

Militants Kill At Least 35 Workers Galaxy Sky, Afghan Company

2011-05-19T11:57:00.000-07:00

Militants Kill At Least 35 Workers Galaxy Sky, Afghan Company. KABUL, Afghanistan Insurgents firing heavy machine guns, rocket propelled grenades and assault rifles killed 35 workers and guards in an attack on a NATO funded road construction site in a remote area of eastern Afghanistan, authorities said Thursday.

More than 100 fighters carried out the assault in Wazei Zadran in a mountainous region of Paktia province near neighboring Pakistan's lawless tribal areas, said Galaxy Sky construction company owner Noorullah Bidar.

He described the assailants as Taliban fighters, though there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack late Wednesday.

The region is thought to be controlled largely by the Haqqani network, a fiercely independent branch of the Afghan Taliban and a major enemy of U.S. and NATO forces. The al-Qaida-affiliated network, led by ailing Jalaluddin Haqqani and his son Sirajuddin, is based in neighboring Pakistan's tribal belt.

U.S. officials say that Pakistan has not done enough to go after insurgent safe havens in the restive area, especially in North Waziristan where the Haqqanis are thought to be based. The issue is a sore point between the two countries and the area has been the target of repeated U.S. drone strikes.

About 85 people were at the construction site at the time of the attack, including some 65 guards recruited from surrounding villages, Bidar said. He said the firefight lasted about two hours and the insurgents shot down at the camp from a nearby hill. The fighting also destroyed a number of construction vehicles.

"This was a brutal attack," Bidar said.

Rohullah Samon, a spokesman for Gov. Juma Khan Hamard, said 35 workers were killed and 20 were wounded. He said eight insurgents also died in the attack, which ended around midnight when the fighters retreated after stealing some trucks.

"It is a very remote area and there is no police presence there and we are investigating," said provincial police chief Gen. Abdul Ghafar Safi.

Galaxy Sky had a contract to build a 27-kilometer (18-mile) stretch of road through the mountainous area that was being funded by a NATO provincial reconstruction team, said Abdullah Durani, head of the public works department of Paktia province.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the attack. "The terrorists once again make clear their hostility against the development and progress of Afghanistan," he said in a statement Thursday.

The new top U.S. commander in eastern Afghanistan, Maj. Gen. Daniel B. Allyn, said Thursday that securing the nation's border with Pakistan remains a priority.

"We will work in close cooperation with our Pakistan military partners across the borders," Allyn told reporters after formally assuming command. "They continue to conduct complementary operations and we remain in daily dialogue ... to ensure that we can provide stability and security ... against the common enemies of both Pakistan and Afghanistan."

Insurgents declared the start of a spring offensive against NATO and the Afghan government last month. NATO has been expecting the Taliban to stage a series of spectacular and complex attacks, and the group has already carried out a number of them recently

On Wednesday, a suicide bomber crashed a car into a police bus in eastern Afghanistan, killing 14 people and wounding 16, the Interior Ministry said. Most of the casualties were police officers. The bus was traveling to a police academy in the city of Jalalabad.

There was no claim of responsibility for that attack, but it matched the pattern of Taliban attacks against government workers and security forces.

In southern Kandahar city, a roadside bomb killed a child and wounded eight others, including several children, the governor's office said Thursday, adding that the target of the explosive was unclear.

In the northern city of Taloqan, demonstrators took to the streets for a second day Thursday to protest a nighttime NATO raid that left four people dead. NATO later said the dead were insurgents, while Afghan officials said they were civilians.

Provincial Gov. Abdul Jabbar Taqwa said that about 100 demonstrators gathered outside his office to protest the deaths and set fire to two shipping containers being used to sell books. Meanwhile, provincial police chief Gen. Shah Jahan Noori said about 400 people chanting slogans against NATO had gathered outside police headquarters Thursday, setting small fires and hurling stones. He said 15 people were arrested.

Residents often charge that international forces go after the wrong people or mistreat civilians as they search compounds

The effectiveness of the Taliban's long-awaited spring campaign, code-named Badr after one of the Prophet Muhammad's decisive military victories, could affect the size of President Barack Obama's planned drawdown of U.S. troops in July. Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, has said the size of the withdrawal will depend on conditions on the ground.

The alliance has committed itself to handing over control of security in the country to Afghans by 2014.

Dies In Apparent Suicide Inayatullah, Afghan Detainee At Guantanamo

2011-05-19T11:53:00.000-07:00

Dies In Apparent Suicide Inayatullah, Afghan Detainee At Guantanamo. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico An Afghan detainee at the Guantanamo Bay prison died Wednesday in an apparent suicide, the U.S. military said.

The prisoner, known only by the name Inayatullah, was not conscious or breathing when guards checked on him in the morning, and they immediately tried to resuscitate him, U.S. Southern Command said in a statement.

"After extensive lifesaving measures had been exhausted, the detainee was pronounced dead by a physician," the statement said.

The apparent suicide was under investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which is standard practice for the death of a detainee at the U.S. Navy base in Cuba, said spokesman Bob Appin said in a phone interview from Miami.

Navy Lt. Cmdr. Heidi Lenzini said the military would not immediately disclose any details about the circumstances of the death, including the method of the apparent suicide or in which section of Guantanamo the prisoner was detained. There are about 170 men held at Guantanamo, most on suspicion of links to al-Qaida or the Taliban.

Inayatullah had been held without charge at Guantanamo since September 2007. The military said he was an admitted planner for al Qaida terrorist operations, and acknowledged facilitating the movement of foreign fighters. Inayatullah met with local operatives, developed travel routes and coordinated documentation, accommodation and vehicles for smuggling al-Qaida militants through Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Iraq, according to the statement.

His remains would be treated with respect for Islamic culture and traditions with the assistance of a cultural adviser, the military said, with his body being be sent to Afghanistan after an autopsy.

He is the eighth prisoner to die at the detention center since January 2002, when the U.S. began using the U.S. Navy base to hold captured detainees. Five of the deaths were declared suicides. Two others were from apparently natural causes, including a 48 year old Afghan who collapsed and died while exercising in February. Inayatullah is the eighth.

The end of the world Is May 21, 2011

2011-05-11T12:21:00.000-07:00

The end of the world Is May 21, 2011. Billboards nationwide proclaim doomsday is coming May 21, 2011.

But before you start selling off your belongings, you might want to check your math. The real earth ending won’t arrive for another five billion years from now, when the sun runs out of hydrogen, evolutionary biologist and author Richard Dawkins claims.

In On Faith, our forum for news and opinion on religion and politics, Dawkins and others roundly debunk the May 21 end date, which was calculated by Family Radio evangelist Harold Camping.

Dawkins writes:

Science knows approximately how, and when, our Earth will end. In about five billion years the sun will run out of hydrogen, which will upset its self regulating equilibrium; in its death-throes it will swell, and this planet will vaporise.... In the nearer future, it is pretty likely that human life will become extinct the fate of almost all species that have ever lived.

Washington Post reporter Elizabeth Tenety points out that Camping previously (and wrongly) predicted the rapture would occur “between September 15 and 27, 1994.”

Even if Camping is right, Fuller Theological Seminar President Richard Mouw clarifies that May 21 is Rapture Day the day Christians, dead and alive will meet Jesus in the sky. According to Camping, the world won’t end until Oct. 21, 2011.

Rabbi David Wolpe said we believe Camping because we like endings:

The critic Frank Kermode pointed out that we assume clocks go “tick-tock” but they do not. They go “tick-tick” but we supply the “tock” in our minds because we feel the need to have an ending. Every song, every story, every life, has an ending so must the world.

Washington Post columnist John Kelly writes about the downside and upside of the end of the world. Downside: A missed Red Sox game on the 22nd. Upside: No more “Jersey Shore.”

Of course, Doomsday was also supposed to come April 19, 2011, when Skynet became self aware.

Or you can stick with the Mayan end of the world, slated for 2012. This countdown calculator will tell you how many days you have left on Earth according to their deadline. Enjoy them while you can!

Magnitude 5.3 Temblor Kills 4 Spain Earthquake 2011

2011-05-11T11:47:00.000-07:00

Magnitude 5.3 Temblor Kills 4 Spain Earthquake 2011. At least four people were killed when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit the small town of Lorca in the southern Spanish region of Murcia Wednesday, the town's mayor said in a radio interview.

"Unfortunately, we can confirm four deaths due to cave-ins and falling debris," the mayor of Lorca, Francisco Jodar, told radio station Ser.

In Rapes Murders South Africa Lesbians Targeted

2011-05-11T11:24:00.000-07:00

In Rapes Murders South Africa Lesbians Targeted. EKURHULENI, South Africa They found Noxolo Nogwaza's body in a drainage ditch choked with trash and high reeds. The lesbian activist had been repeatedly stabbed with broken glass, and beaten so severely with chunks of concrete that her teeth had been knocked out.

The neighborhood where the 24 year old mother of two was slain once was known as a haven for black gays and lesbians, but activists say her death here late last month highlights an alarming rise in homophobic violence in some of the country's most impoverished areas.

"If the police and other state officials do not act swiftly, it will only be a matter of time before they have to account for their failure to the family and friends of the next lesbian who is beaten and killed in Kwa-Thema," Human Rights Watch researcher Dipika Nath said in a statement.

No arrests have been made in Nogwaza's death, one of dozens that happen each day in a country with high rates of violent crime. Authorities are also investigating whether she had been raped.

In the days leading up to her funeral, friends, family and colleagues held several marches in her honor, traveling from the ditch where her body was found through the streets of the Kwa-Thema neighborhood in this community just east of Johannesburg.

Some union leaders and politicians also have offered support, with one union noting Nogwaza's children in particular.

"We hope that they will one day manage to see beyond the horror of what has happened, and recognize and be proud of the wonderfully warm and courageous person their mother was," it said in a statement.

South Africa's Ministry of Justice announced last week that it wants to open special shelters for people who fear for their lives because of their sexual orientation. But the governing party's women's league says the government must go further, and wants lawmakers to classify these attacks as hate crimes.

Same-sex marriage is legal in South Africa and the country has among the most liberal laws on sexual orientation on a continent where many other countries punish gay sex with fines and jail terms. But cultural attitudes don't always match the progressive constitution approved in 1996 after the end of apartheid.

"We've been so confident here in South Africa, thinking the law will protect us," said Bontle Khalo, a friend of Nogwaza's who worked with her in a group fighting for the rights of gays and lesbians in Kwa-Thema. "We're facing the same struggles all over this continent and all over this world."

South African lesbians say they are particularly vulnerable in a society where conservative attitudes, especially among the black majority, have strong influence on how women are seen and treated. The attacks on lesbians have all taken place in townships the communities where black South Africans were forced to live under apartheid that remain predominantly black and poor.

The assaults on lesbians have been called "corrective rapes," and are meant to humiliate and punish women who don't fit the norm. Some attackers have reportedly said they believed they could "cure" women of being lesbians by raping them, said Vasu Reddy, a researcher at the government's Human Science Research Council.

Victims are even believed to include a 13-year-old girl who was assaulted in Pretoria last week.

Some 30 attacks have been documented since 2003, and they have steadily increased over the years, Reddy said. But the real number is likely higher because victims can be reluctant to come forward for fear of being stigmatized or blamed, and because the motives of murders aren't always immediately known or recorded.

The drafters of South Africa's constitution, with its clauses banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, wanted a document that countered the restrictions and inequities of the apartheid era.

Activists have used the charter to push for more in the courts, overturning anti-sodomy laws, and securing guarantees that gay parents have equal child custody and adoption rights. But such success can lead to backlash.

"There is a mismatch between the constitutional protections and the mindset of people on the ground," Reddy said.

Kwa-Thema, where Nogwaza lived and died, had long been known as being gay-friendly, drawing people from across the country.

Then in 2008, Eudy Simelane, an openly lesbian star on South Africa's women's national soccer team and a Kwa-Thema resident, was gang-raped, beaten and stabbed. Another lesbian, Girlie Nkosi, was stabbed a dozen times in a Kwa-Thema club in 2009.

Those deaths led to the founding of Ekurhuleni Pride Organizing Committee known as EPOC. One of its first events was a gay pride march through Kwa-Thema in 2009 that was endorsed by religious and traditional leaders, Khalo said.

About 500 people marched in 2009, and even more turned out last year. Khalo, EPOC's spokeswoman, thought the marches and discussions helped for a time. Then came Nogwaza's death in late April.

Nogwaza, whose first name means peace, had been active in the group. Colleagues said she was ready to help out with the unglamorous work of putting up posters and knocking on doors to spread the word about events, and came to meetings regularly.

Her family reportedly accepted her homosexuality an aunt told a local newspaper she used to buy her niece men's clothes.

Khalo believes the violence in Kwa-Thema comes from a small group of people, and that it can be overcome. She plans another gay pride march this year, though she acknowledges it could stir anger among those who want gays and lesbians to keep quiet.

"We are afraid," she said. "But I think sitting down and not doing anything doesn't help."

Attacked Every Hour Congo Rape Rate Equal To 48 Women

2011-05-11T11:20:00.000-07:00

Attacked Every Hour Congo Rape Rate Equal To 48 Women. DAKAR, Senegal The central African nation of Congo has been called the worst place on earth to be a woman. A new study released Wednesday by the American Journal of Public Health shows it's even worse than previously thought: 1,152 women are raped every day, a rate equal to 48 per hour.

That rate is 26 times more than the previous estimate of 16,000 rapes reported in one year by the United Nations.

Michelle Hindin, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health who specializes in gender-based violence, said the rate could be even higher. The source of the data, she noted, is a survey that was conducted through face-to-face interviews, and people are not always forthcoming about the violence they have suffered when talking to strangers.

"The numbers are astounding," she said.

Congo – a nation of 70 million people that is equal in size to Western Europe has been plagued by decades of war. Its vast forests are rife with militias that have systematically used rape to destroy communities.

The study found that 29 Congolese women out of 1,000 were raped. That means that even in the parts of Congo that are least affected by the war, a woman is 58 times more likely to be raped than a woman in the United States, where the annual rate is 0.5 per 1,000 women.

Previous estimates of the number of rapes were derived from police and health center reports in the nation's troubled east where the conflict is concentrated. The authors of the study, "Estimates and Determinants of Sexual Violence Against Women in the Democratic Republic of Congo," used data from a government health survey and pooled data from across the country.

The highest frequency of rape was found in North Kivu, the province most affected by the conflict, where 67 women out of 1,000 have been raped at least once.

The analysis which will be published in the medical journal in June shows that more than 400,000 women had been raped nationwide during a 12 month period between 2006 and 2007.

The message is important and clear: Rape in (Congo) has metastasized amid a climate of impunity, and has emerged as one of the great human crises of our time," said Michael VanRooyen, the director of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative.

Associated Press Writers Saleh Mwanamilongo in Kinshasa, Congo and Mike Stobbe in Atlanta contributed to this report.