Snowden hid copies of secret NSA documents in case something happens to him

A trove of classified documents supplied to The Guardian newspaper by NSA leaker Edward Snowden has been copied and shared with several people around the globe, journalist Glenn Greenwald told The Daily Beast on Tuesday.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNZ92UkgCOn_cHWsCT188_yqt4qLH9ZyZwdUXd3psvLLeoI5smFvBWjCui2jmOJIX8qJUHrWOlJ_5ueg5YiB_Pt_oT2yr4DgCh-1QwVNBKcmC6ARsAyVlvaLqpCsrlEJmmOxInczRuZA/s1600/Glenn+Greenwald.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNZ92UkgCOn_cHWsCT188_yqt4qLH9ZyZwdUXd3psvLLeoI5smFvBWjCui2jmOJIX8qJUHrWOlJ_5ueg5YiB_Pt_oT2yr4DgCh-1QwVNBKcmC6ARsAyVlvaLqpCsrlEJmmOxInczRuZA/s1600/Glenn+Greenwald.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Glenn Greenwald</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Greenwald, the Guardian reporter who first began publishing National Security Agency documents earlier this month after meeting with the former intelligence contractor, told journalist Eli Lake that Snowden made arrangements to ensure others around the world have encrypted copies of that information should any circumstances allow the data or its source to be compromised.<br /><br />Snowden “has taken extreme precautions to make sure many different people around the world have these archives to insure the stories will inevitably be published,” Greenwald said. He added that the files are “highly encrypted” and corresponding passwords to render them readable have not yet been distributed.<br /><br />According to Lake, Greenwald said, “if anything happens at all to Edward Snowden, he told me he has arranged for them to get access to the full archives.” Greenwald previously claimed that Snowden provided him with the archives of "thousands" of documents, dozens of which he considered to be newsworthy. Revelations published thus far by The Guardian and attributed to Snowden have generated international headlines and responses from presidential administrations worldwide.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpXQzi9XS1tQYWRtu9pVP5ulMRsYoqtXb3L_pDGigdAgmkHHp2BQkvteCZwHWFq133UllHbztaEXf8UvCF0islJ9v1G27DVOX_8cLg3vEMor5kS3dDErEr93aeklFtrZ9IQiOPGjhvEs/s1600/Edward+Snowden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpXQzi9XS1tQYWRtu9pVP5ulMRsYoqtXb3L_pDGigdAgmkHHp2BQkvteCZwHWFq133UllHbztaEXf8UvCF0islJ9v1G27DVOX_8cLg3vEMor5kS3dDErEr93aeklFtrZ9IQiOPGjhvEs/s1600/Edward+Snowden.jpg" width="320" /></a>The latest news from Greenwald comes in the midst of an international manhunt for Snowden that has made awkward the relations between the United States and other nations around the globe. The US unsealed an indictment against Snowden on Friday, but has been unable to extradite him to the country where he faces charges of espionage.<br /><br />Snowden was reportedly in Hong Kong at the time his indictment went public and was alleged to be in Moscow hours later. Representatives for US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin both say Snowden is in Moscow, and the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks says the leaker has sought asylum from Ecuador, Iceland and perhaps elsewhere.<br /><br />“We are aware of where Mr. Snowden is,” WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange said in a conference call on Monday. “He is in a safe place and his spirits are high. Due to the bellicose threats coming from the US administration we cannot go into further detail at this time.”<br /><br />The US has lambasted Hong Kong with failing to comply with what America considers a lawful arrest, and Russia will not cooperate with attempts for extradition. White House press secretary Jay Carney said earlier this week that Hong Kong’s failure to act has already strained the relationship between the US and China.<br /><br />Another relationship — the one between Snowden and Greenwald — has begun to emerge as a contested topic within the conversation as well in recent days. The possibility of charging Greenwald with publishing the classified documents has been discussed by politicians, pundits and the press, and the he told The Daily Beast that he’s likely having his every move watched by Washington.<br /><br />“I would be shocked if the US government were not trying to access the information on my computer,” Greenwald said. “I carry my computers and data with me everywhere I go.”<br /><br />Elsewhere in his interview with Lake, Greenwald explained that one potential lapse almost led to the loss of the intelligence.<br /><br /><b>“When I was in Hong Kong, I spoke to my partner in Rio via Skype and told him I would send an electronic encrypted copy of the documents,” Greenwald said. “I did not end up doing it. Two days later his laptop was stolen from our house and nothing else was taken. Nothing like that has happened before. I am not saying it’s connected to this, but obviously the possibility exists.” </b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4gaUDf5S7EXyXkaIoTPWNaxQ55-cn3pwcl4FP1FvuUdlRcq0zbyTd8wdmLENdIzgw-gvfw_9Jh8NDLY1aqQROxCvy6ceWtz7oaDZU40t1GHrdYyidWtVyrFHRy0R7KeXIYRRnw9YqtI/s1600/Esp.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4gaUDf5S7EXyXkaIoTPWNaxQ55-cn3pwcl4FP1FvuUdlRcq0zbyTd8wdmLENdIzgw-gvfw_9Jh8NDLY1aqQROxCvy6ceWtz7oaDZU40t1GHrdYyidWtVyrFHRy0R7KeXIYRRnw9YqtI/s1600/Esp.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>

Snowden hid copies of secret NSA documents in case something happens to him

A trove of classified documents supplied to The Guardian newspaper by NSA leaker Edward Snowden has been copied and shared with several peop...

‘We don’t need US military secrets’: Beijing slams White House theft claim

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpHCXowgWHQWK4gG5Qo_YFPOP4sXTpCuMbn_YItM_Dod1RSSN5dTqQkwfaVAtYyaW1QkVe214VMgxsDiQxTJXRnKRxkhXGTwnEVYQujJtMKrML8gCDJQkrBZZLjdlpC_79TzijObft_g/s1600/10a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpHCXowgWHQWK4gG5Qo_YFPOP4sXTpCuMbn_YItM_Dod1RSSN5dTqQkwfaVAtYyaW1QkVe214VMgxsDiQxTJXRnKRxkhXGTwnEVYQujJtMKrML8gCDJQkrBZZLjdlpC_79TzijObft_g/s1600/10a.jpg" /></a>China has dismissed US claims hackers procured blueprints for America’s most advanced weaponry. Beijing stated the allegations underestimate the Chinese people’s intellect and that China is perfectly capable of producing its own weapons.<br /><br />A US Science Board report leaked this week alleged the Chinese hackers had obtained access to the designs of two dozen major US weapons systems in what amounted to “billions of dollars of combat advantage to China.”<br /><br />The Washington Post, who saw a copy of the report, intimated that such information could be used by the Chinese government to speed up the development of their military. An unnamed official told the Post that China had saved themselves “25 years of research and development” by stealing the plans.<br /><br />Beijing reacted with ire, with Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng dismissing the report as ridiculous.<br /><br />"It both underestimates the Pentagon's defensive security abilities and the Chinese people's intelligence," said Geng in a news briefing.<br /><br />He stressed that China had demonstrated on numerous occasions it has the ability “to build the weapons needed for national security."<br /><br />"Recently China's aircraft carrier, new fighter jets and transport aircraft ... have clearly shown this," concluded Geng.<br /><br />The Washington Post wrote that among the designs procured by the Chinese were blueprints for combat aircraft, ships and missiles defense systems for Europe, Asia and the Gulf. These included the advanced Patriot missile system, the F/A-18 fighter jet, the Black Hawk helicopter and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.<br /><br />While Pentagon press secretary George Little told CNN on Tuesday claims that cyber-attacks had weakened US military capabilities were incorrect.<br /><br />"Suggestions that cyberintrusions have somehow led to the erosion of our capabilities or technological edge are incorrect, we maintain full confidence in our weapons platforms," said Little.<br /><br />The White House has accused Beijing repeatedly of hack attacks on US government and military systems. At the beginning of May the US Department of Defense formally condemned Chinese cyber-attacks, “some of which appear to be attributable directly to the Chinese government and military.”<br /><br />“Hacking attacks are transnational and anonymous,” Hong Lei, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said. “Determining their origins is extremely difficult. We don't know how the evidence in this so-called report can be tenable.”<br /><br />The issue of cyber warfare has been a significant bone of contention in Sino-American relations lately, although Beijing has refuted all claims of cyber-attack on the US. Chinese President Xi Jingping is in America this week, where he will conduct talks with his American counterpart Barack Obama.<br /><br />Cyber security is expected to be at the top of the agenda, as well as China’s growing military might and its claim on disputed territory in the East China Sea.<a href="http://rt.com/news/china-need-us-military-secrets-987/" target="_blank">source </a><br /><br /><br /><object allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" data="http://rt.com/s/swf/player5.4.swf" height="388" quality="high" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="690"><param name="menu" value="false"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="flashvars" value="skin=http://rt.com/s/swf/jwplayer/skin.zip&abouttext=RT&aboutlink=http://rt.com/about-us/corporate-profile/&stretching=uniform&controlbar.position=over&file=http://rt.com/files/news/1f/3f/30/00/520648_cyber_wars_for_james.flv&image=http://rt.com/files/news/1f/3f/30/00/10.si.jpg&provider=http"></object>

‘We don’t need US military secrets’: Beijing slams White House theft claim

China has dismissed US claims hackers procured blueprints for America’s most advanced weaponry. Beijing stated the allegations underestimate...

Sherrod lawsuit tests bloggers' freedom of speech rights

Federal employee Shirley Sherrod sued the late blogger Andrew Breitbart and Larry O'Connor, one of his employees, after he posted an edited video that supposedly showed her making racist remarks. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRaE4SKHwo0iwJcKfZD6aByoXeyV6QBXJQK_BmvsFkY09jZwM47QgDV4eNn2Ndfh1AM_WMO-ftnN_OmdkGTV0uhMtTpv8vA4oRGR9D1PmG-wuAdwSAj9XPTB2T6R24YxwW6H-f92KdJhA/s1600/%2540publimetro.us.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRaE4SKHwo0iwJcKfZD6aByoXeyV6QBXJQK_BmvsFkY09jZwM47QgDV4eNn2Ndfh1AM_WMO-ftnN_OmdkGTV0uhMtTpv8vA4oRGR9D1PmG-wuAdwSAj9XPTB2T6R24YxwW6H-f92KdJhA/s1600/%2540publimetro.us.gif" width="320" /></a></div><br />O'Connor is asking that the suit be tossed out.<br /><br />WASHINGTON — A colleague of the late conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart is asking a federal court of appeals to throw out a defamation case brought against him by former government employee Shirley Sherrod, saying the lawsuit violates the blogger's right to freedom of speech.<br />Sherrod was ousted from her job as an Agriculture Department rural development official in 2010 after Breitbart posted an edited video of Sherrod, who is black, supposedly making racist remarks. She sued Breitbart, his employee Larry O'Connor and an unnamed defendant for defamation and emotional distress after USDA officials asked her to resign and the video ignited a racial firestorm. Sherrod's lawyers say the unnamed defendant is the person whom they believe passed the video on to Breitbart, though the person's identity remains unknown.<br />Breitbart died unexpectedly a year ago, and his status in the case is unclear as his family does not appear to have notified the court of an estate that can be sued.<br />The case argued before the court of appeals Friday is one of the first high-profile federal lawsuits to test the freedom of speech rights of bloggers. Backed by large news organizations including the New York Times Co., Washington Post Co. and Dow Jones & Company, Inc., who have filed friend-of-the-court briefs in the case, O'Connor's lawyers argued to have the case dismissed under a District of Columbia statute that aims to prevent the silencing of critics through lawsuits. A federal district court judge rejected their motion to dismiss, citing timing and jurisdictional issues, prompting the appeal.<br />The lawyers told the court of appeals that O'Connor and Breitbart, before he died, stood by the content, saying the blog post was opinion.<br />"What happened here is what happens in journalism every day," said Bruce Brown, a lawyer for O'Connor.<br />Sherrod's lawyers disagree and say dismissal under the District of Columbia statute would violate their right to a trial. <br /><br /><u>The video on Breitbart's website turned out to be edited, and when Sherrod's full speech to an NAACP group earlier that year came to light, it became clear that her remarks about an initial reluctance to help a white farmer decades ago were not racist but an attempt at telling a story of racial reconciliation. Once that was obvious, Sherrod received public apologies from the administration — even from President Barack Obama himself — and an offer to return to the Agriculture Department, which she declined.</u><br /><br />Sherrod's 2011 lawsuit says the incident affected her sleep and caused her back pain. It contends that she was damaged by having her "integrity, impartiality and motivations questioned, making it difficult (if not impossible) for her to continue her life's work assisting poor farmers in rural areas" even though she was invited to return to the department.<br />The video was posted amid ongoing friction between the NAACP and the Tea Party movement, each of which were accusing the other of having racist elements among their ranks. Breitbart said at the time that the video showed the NAACP condoning racist comments from a government official.<br />The full video, however, shows Sherrod explaining to the audience how she eventually became friends with the farmer and helped him save his land from foreclosure.<br />Brown, the lawyer for O'Connor, defended the bloggers' actions and said the suit should be dismissed under the anti-SLAPP law, designed to prevent strategic lawsuits against public participation, because Breitbart's post was opinion. "She was a public official who saw the world through a racial prism," Brown said of Sherrod.<br />The case has been closely watched as a test of the District of Columbia's anti-SLAPP statute.<br />Brown asked the three judges to consider the precedent this case would have.<br />"It is in courts like this where First Amendment law is made," he said.

Sherrod lawsuit tests bloggers' freedom of speech rights

Federal employee Shirley Sherrod sued the late blogger Andrew Breitbart and Larry O'Connor, one of his employees, after he posted an edi...

Teen eyewitnesses testify at Ohio rape trial

Three teens testified Friday about the alleged sexual assault of a drunken girl after receiving immunity from prosecution.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4ttdoC3SiTIvY42oZQS7j1xAAodHK4i77cuf2S9NohOV9fDcmLYWDEffX5iL6l8BI69G7XdsjGDdQjxIST6j5MNn8uPD8xX7-IkoEG0unsRj-7FI5_0sHY0pp60qadQFkvzeL8ix1IAs/s1600/case.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4ttdoC3SiTIvY42oZQS7j1xAAodHK4i77cuf2S9NohOV9fDcmLYWDEffX5iL6l8BI69G7XdsjGDdQjxIST6j5MNn8uPD8xX7-IkoEG0unsRj-7FI5_0sHY0pp60qadQFkvzeL8ix1IAs/s1600/case.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — A judge granted three teenagers immunity from prosecution Friday before they agreed to testify about the alleged sexual assault of a drunken 16-year-old girl after a party in eastern Ohio last summer.<br />Mark Cole, Evan Westlake and Anthony Craig invoked their Fifth Amendment right against testifying for fear of self-incrimination as the trial in Steubenville entered its third day. Testimony from the three is a crucial part of the state's evidence because the West Virginia girl says she doesn't remember what happened.<br />Trent Mays, 17, and Ma'Lik Richmond, 16, are charged with digitally penetrating the girl early in the morning of Aug. 12, first in a car and then in the basement of a house. Mays also is charged with illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material. The two maintain their innocence.<br />Cole testified Friday that he took a video of Mays and the girl in the car, then deleted it. Westlake testified he saw Richmond's encounter with the girl in the basement. The third boy, who has yet to testify, said at a hearing last fall that he took a photo of the alleged basement attack that he also deleted.<br />The case has riveted the small city of Steubenville amid allegations that more students should have been charged and led to questions about the influence of the local football team, a source of a pride in a community that suffered massive job losses with the collapse of the steel industry.<br />If convicted, Mays and Richmond could be held in a juvenile jail until they turn 21.<br />Cole, 17, testified that he filmed Mays digitally penetrate the girl in the car. A prosecutor asked him why he then deleted the video later that morning.<br />"It was one of those moments when you realize you did something stupid and wrong that night, so I deleted it," Cole replied.<br />Cole testified he saw Mays unsuccessfully try to have the girl perform oral sex on him later in the basement of Cole's house. Cole also testified that the alleged victim was intoxicated and slurring her words.<br />On cross-examination, defense attorney Walter Madison suggested that the alleged victim was behaving no differently than anyone else the night of the party.<br />Madison, who represents Richmond, suggested that Cole was remembering events differently because so much attention was now being paid to what happened. Cole agreed with Madison's suggestions.<br />Cole testified he saw Mays and the girl asleep under a blanket on the couch later in the morning.<br />"Did anybody behave in a way to make you think that something was wrong?" Madison asked.<br />"No," Cole said.<br />Related: Opening arguments in Ohio teen rape case<br />Westlake, the second witness granted immunity, testified that he saw Richmond digitally penetrate the girl in the basement of Cole's house.<br />"Was she moving?" special prosecutor Marianne Hemmeter asked.<br />"Not at this time," Westlake said.<br />"Was she talking?" Hemmeter asked.<br />"I didn't hear anything," Westlake said.<br />Westlake said the girl appeared to be "pretty drunk" after a large party earlier that night. But he also testified that before the alleged attack in the basement he saw Mays and the alleged victim cuddling, hugging and kissing in the back seat of Cole's car.<br />Westlake also confirmed that he filmed a 12-minute video — later passed around widely online — in which another student, Michael Nodianos, joked about the attack. Women's rights groups have demanded that Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine charge Nodianos with failure to report a crime. DeWine has so far refused to say what he'll do.<br />Westlake said he deeply regrets his actions that night.<br />Craig testified that he saw Richmond's hand in the "crotch region" of the alleged victim.<br />Craig also confirmed he received a text message from the alleged victim the next day in which she said "I remember hearing Trent's voice telling me to do something, but I said, 'No.'"<br />A 16-year-old Steubenville High School student testified that she tried to persuade the alleged victim to return with her and not stay with several students including the alleged defendants.<br />Farah Marcino said the girl brushed off her attempts. "She actually hit one of my friends and said she did not want to go back," Marcino said.<br />Also Friday, the superintendent of Steubenville city schools responded to evidence presented a day earlier that suggested Steubenville football coach Reno Saccoccia would let the players involved off lightly.<br />The coach "took care of it," Mays said in one text introduced by prosecutors.<br />"Like he was joking about it so I'm not worried," Mays said in another text.<br />McVey told The Associated Press on Friday that the district will wait until after the trial to comment. "We'll get everything down that comes out of trial, look at it and go from there," he said.<br />McVey said it's possible Saccoccia could testify at the trial since he was interviewed earlier by state investigators, who also spoke to other football coaches and McVey himself.<br />Special Judge Thomas Lipps is hearing the case without a jury.<br />The Press normally does not identify minors charged in juvenile court, but Mays and Richmond have been widely identified in news coverage, and their names have been used in open court.

Teen eyewitnesses testify at Ohio rape trial

Three teens testified Friday about the alleged sexual assault of a drunken girl after receiving immunity from prosecution. STEUBENVILLE, Ohi...

Arizona woman reviled for son's murder may go free

Debra Milke was one of the most reviled mothers around, convicted in the murder of her 4-year-old son. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBox0pamJWhBXIhMRyINSOvpFdDxZ9LT4dbIfqLld_MlWv5hef-1Gs1AuaFsooi8__AKYqCJh5tjfbOg1SPO_ZX55BrVQm8Zr5Aogf3RZlnrVFDamAVtjanMqGrih2XeE32iWGRDkNPU_I/s1600/Debra+Milke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBox0pamJWhBXIhMRyINSOvpFdDxZ9LT4dbIfqLld_MlWv5hef-1Gs1AuaFsooi8__AKYqCJh5tjfbOg1SPO_ZX55BrVQm8Zr5Aogf3RZlnrVFDamAVtjanMqGrih2XeE32iWGRDkNPU_I/s1600/Debra+Milke.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />But now the Arizona woman, who has maintained her innocence from death row, could walk free after an appeals court threw out her conviction.<br /><br />PHOENIX  — Debra Milke was once one of the most reviled mothers around, convicted of dressing her 4-year-old son in his favorite outfit and sending him off to visit a mall Santa Claus with two men who shot the boy execution-style in the Arizona desert.<br />Milke said she had nothing to do with Christopher's death, but a detective testified at her 1990 trial that she had confessed to him — and him alone — in a closed interrogation room. Prosecutors said she killed her son to collect on a $50,000 insurance policy.<br />Now, Milke could walk free, leaving death row behind after a federal appeals court threw out her conviction Thursday because prosecutors had not turned over evidence of the detective's history of misconduct, including lying under oath in other cases.<br />The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel concluded that prosecutors' failure to turn over the evidence deprived Milke's attorneys of the chance to question Phoenix Police Detective Armando Saldate Jr.'s credibility before jurors.<br />And because it was the only direct evidence tying her to the killing, that fact could have swayed the jury, the panel ruled.<br />"No civilized system of justice should have to depend on such flimsy evidence, quite possibly tainted by dishonesty or overzealousness, to decide whether to take someone's life or liberty," according to the opinion by Chief Judge Alex Kozinski.<br />The ruling has raised questions about other cases in which the now-retired Saldate gave testimony.<br />The court noted four cases where judges threw out confessions or indictments because Saldate lied under oath and four instances where cases were tossed or confessions excluded because Saldate violated the suspect's constitutional rights.<br />He was also suspended for accepting sexual favors from a female motorist he stopped and then lying about the encounter, it said.<br />Saldate, who was elected to a county constable post after retiring but has now left that post, could not be reached for comment Friday.<br /><br />Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne said he intends to appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court and will argue it himself if they accept the case, saying the decision was the first to raise the issue after decades of court hearings.<br />"This is an outrageous crime," Horne said. "Ms. Milke was convicted of arranging for the death of her own child to improve her social life, and I hope to be able to convince the U.S. Supreme court to reverse this 9th Circuit decision."<br />Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, who will be charged with deciding whether to retry Milke if the ruling stands, said Friday that he will have to review the available evidence and Saldate's credibility himself before deciding how to proceed.<br />He said there may be more evidence that wasn't used at the 1990 trial. "I want to know what the hell happened, after reading the opinion," Montgomery said. "I want to be able to review the available information and understand for myself."<br />But Montgomery said changes in the way rogue officers are monitored had changed greatly since 1990. Now, officers with credibility problems are tracked in a database so that those issues are caught early and disclosed to defense lawyers when necessary.<br />"The basic concerns that are raised in the 9th Circuit opinion, I do not believe that is anywhere near a systemic issue today," Montgomery said. "This is an instance where I need to make sure what we do is what's right rather than what's expedient."<br />Milke's appellate lawyers, Mike Kimerer and Lori Voepel, said the appeals court's decision sends a clear message to police and prosecutors who don't reveal evidence that could help people accused of crimes defend themselves.<br />"It's one of the most scathing opinions I've ever seen the 9th Circuit write, in terms of talking about the credibility of a police officer or a law enforcement official," Kimerer said. "It almost sets the standard in terms of what we need to expect from law enforcement."<br />For Milke, who has always maintained her innocence, the ruling after 23 years on death row came as a shock, Voepel said.<br />"I said, 'Debra, we have good news. We won,'" Voepel said, recalling a phone call Thursday. "And she said, 'you're kidding, you're kidding," and I tried to explain it to her and she said just give me a minute here to feel this. She's elated, to say the least."<br />Milke, 48, is one of three women on death row in the state.<br />The two men convicted in the Milke case, Roger Scott and former Milke roommate James Styers, are also on death row. Scott confessed during a police interrogation and led detectives to the boy's body. Neither Scott nor Styers testified against Milke.<br />The county attorney at the time, Rick Romley, was not so happy. "If she walks, it's a travesty of justice," Romley told KPHO-TV.<br />Christopher Milke's father, Arizona Mark Milke, was just as adamant.<br />"And they let her walk, the most guilty of the three, uh-uh," he told KPNX-TV in Phoenix. "I know she's guilty, I don't think nothing, I know. I've always known. I'm just ready to get back in that saddle, and ride back into court and let's do it again."

Arizona woman reviled for son's murder may go free

Debra Milke was one of the most reviled mothers around, convicted in the murder of her 4-year-old son. But now the Arizona woman, who has ma...

11 dead, dozens hurt in Mexico fireworks explosion

Mexican authorities report that at least 11 people died when a pickup truck carrying fireworks exploded during a village festival.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnkXbY9qAKdnbzJnzPw0aSkHKdulIIV_EwPGVFeQ-Qmwf9ezMBNgSwSRZ5qLkU2hG0ZWakAc2QRHr_gvK-yiNl_Md6y9Qrqp854TMM4yjmi3zCPrbOjwUFoJvmXWCsdsLv9xKQr30HBJh/s1600/seopublimetro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnkXbY9qAKdnbzJnzPw0aSkHKdulIIV_EwPGVFeQ-Qmwf9ezMBNgSwSRZ5qLkU2hG0ZWakAc2QRHr_gvK-yiNl_Md6y9Qrqp854TMM4yjmi3zCPrbOjwUFoJvmXWCsdsLv9xKQr30HBJh/s1600/seopublimetro.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br />MEXICO CITY – A truck loaded with fireworks exploded during a religious procession in a rural village in central Mexico on Friday, killing at least 11 people and injuring dozens more, authorities said.<br />The blast was set off when a firework malfunctioned and landed on the truck, igniting the fireworks it carried, officials said. Seventy people were burned or had other injuries, and at least 45 were taken to hospitals, authorities in the neighboring states of Tlaxcala and Puebla said.<br />"They were in a procession, they were shooting off rockets and it exploded and fell onto the other ones," said Jose Mateo Morales, director of the Tlaxcala state civil protection department. "It was very serious."<br />Human remains and burned clothes were spread around a 100-yard radius, including on rooftops, a photographer at the scene said.<br />The victims were marching in an annual procession in honor of Jesus Christ, the patron saint of Jesus Tepactepec, a village of about 1,000 people, Mateo Morales said.<br />At least one child was among the victims, Tlaxcala Gov. Mariano Gonzalez said.<br />Helicopters, dozens of ambulances and soldiers from the area's military base rushed to the village, about 70 miles east of Mexico City.<br />Tlaxcala Bishop Francisco Moreno said he toured the scene of the blast and went to hospitals to visit the wounded. "I blessed all who died and said a prayer for them," the bishop said in his Twitter account.<br />Fireworks are a typical feature of Mexican holidays and religious celebrations but they often are manufactured, stored and transported under unsafe conditions, and the country sees periodic fatal explosions.<br />Jesus Tepactepec is known for its handicrafts manufacturing, including baskets and wood figures, and its annual religious celebration draws artisans from nearby towns who come to sell their wares.

11 dead, dozens hurt in Mexico fireworks explosion

Mexican authorities report that at least 11 people died when a pickup truck carrying fireworks exploded during a village festival. MEXICO CI...

US senator reverses gay-marriage stance after son’s coming out

Conservative US senator Rob Portman of Ohio said in an opinion piece published Friday that he had dropped his opposition to gay marriage after finding out that his own son was gay. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbg15YOSQUVb1E2-hxrvgD2bQ44TXY2fVvncO3wiYkWlnNp8yjWnwj-xrJj3EF06bw7nFrLQIs37cf4KsrcYNN-ClaRXSOnUOH-siKGluFfCI7nkUvq_EZdtmdoblYskRXCdRiF-TnkSpk/s1600/a1.jpg" width="640" /></div><br />Portman is now the only Senate Republican supporting gay marriage.<br /><br />A conservative U.S. Senator once opposed to gay marriage is now supporting it after learning one of his sons is gay.<br />Sen. Rob Portman disclosed his change of heart in interviews with several Ohio newspapers and CNN. In an op-ed published Friday in The Columbus Dispatch he said the decision came after a lot of thought.<br />“I have come to believe that if two people are prepared to make a lifetime commitment to love and care for each other in good times and in bad, the government shouldn’t deny them the opportunity to get married,” he wrote.<br />As a member of the House in 1996, Portman voted in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman and bars federal recognition of same-sex marriage.<br />Portman’s reversal makes him the only Senate Republican to back gay marriage.<br />Portman said his views on gay marriage began changing in 2011 when his son, Will, then a freshman at Yale University, told his parents he was gay and that it wasn’t a choice but “part of who he was.” Portman said he and his wife, Jane, were very surprised but also supportive.<br />He said it prompted him to reconsider gay marriage from a different perspective, that of a father who wants all three of his children to have happy lives with people they love.<br />Portman told reporters Thursday that his previous views on marriage were rooted in his Methodist faith.<br />“Ultimately, for me, it came down to the Bible’s overarching themes of love and compassion and my belief that we are all children of God,” he wrote.<br />The well-known Ohio conservative, a former U.S. trade representative and White House budget chief, was considered but not chosen as Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s running mate. Portman told the newspapers Romney was informed about Will’s sexuality last year.<br />Portman’s reversal comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments this month in a challenge to a provision of the Defense of Marriage Act.

US senator reverses gay-marriage stance after son’s coming out

Conservative US senator Rob Portman of Ohio said in an opinion piece published Friday that he had dropped his opposition to gay marriage aft...

Thomson Reuters suspends employee accused of aiding hackers

Thomson Reuters Corp. suspended with pay a deputy social media editor for Reuters.com who has been indicted on charges he aided members of the Anonymous hacking collective, a company spokesman said on Friday.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWe53qzMfa2Qgi1deNZByXBQW5W2KufL2q6B2XQ_ITTMF0E1udcnYyEaRuo9_JvWXoLVQpxU029JPY1WXR6nlVIMhxZSj9KwNKLI8eJaSavY6d_g3gSkPzyIeGCoDQPbvyE2hjdRN9GV4/s1600/Matthew+Keys.jpg" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Staff / Reuters <div class="caption">Matthew Keys, deputy social media editor for Reuters.com, is seen in his online profile in this undated photo. </div></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Matthew Keys, 26, was indicted on Thursday by a federal grand jury in Sacramento, Calif., on three criminal counts. The alleged events occurred before he joined Thomson Reuters, the indictment indicated.<br /><br />New York attorney Tor Ekeland said that he has been hired to represent Keys and that his client "maintains his innocence."<br />Ekeland said that he is assembling a legal team and that Keys "looks forward to contesting these baseless charges."<br />On Friday, Keys exchanged tweets with some well-wishers on Twitter, telling one of them: "I'm okay."<br />Thomson Reuters spokesman David Girardin confirmed Keys' suspension on Friday but declined additional comment. Keys did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<br />The indictment accused Keys of giving hackers access to Tribune Co. computer systems in December 2010. A story on the Tribune's Los Angeles Times website was soon altered by one of those hackers, the indictment said.<br />Court filings said Keys had worked for a Tribune-owned television station in Sacramento, operating its Twitter and Facebook feeds. A Federal Bureau of Investigation agent said in a search warrant application that a former colleague told the agency that Keys had been terminated in October 2010.<br />Keys joined Reuters in New York in January 2012. As deputy social media editor, he promoted stories through Twitter and other means. He lives in Secaucus, New Jersey, the Justice Department said.<br />Keys wrote on a personal blog and on a Reuters blog that he had previously obtained access to an elite group of hackers, including one known as Sabu. Sabu, later identified as Hector Xavier Monsegur, became an informant, court records show. Monsegur was publicly identified last year and has pleaded guilty to participating in multiple hacking conspiracies. He is awaiting sentencing.<br />Ekeland represented alleged AT&T iPad email hacker Andrew Auernheimer, aka "Weev," who was convicted last November on hacking conspiracy and identity fraud charges.<br />Keys is scheduled to be arraigned on April 12 in Sacramento, according to the court docket.<br />The case in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, is United States of America v. Matthew Keys, 13-82. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpmtF-XXXFF47LgNPTpS-tN3MrhUlnQM4j8sVlOLvU4BDORHMRcFmompbzaf_DJwkKZF-Srq-GUvkaKyBgKizrRgvfz65bkj97F2-7REtrxcjzAd_lhfAzYlSIcOkA_orjcDKHE0nEljQ/s1600/anon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpmtF-XXXFF47LgNPTpS-tN3MrhUlnQM4j8sVlOLvU4BDORHMRcFmompbzaf_DJwkKZF-Srq-GUvkaKyBgKizrRgvfz65bkj97F2-7REtrxcjzAd_lhfAzYlSIcOkA_orjcDKHE0nEljQ/s1600/anon.png" width="320" /></a></div>

Thomson Reuters suspends employee accused of aiding hackers

Thomson Reuters Corp. suspended with pay a deputy social media editor for Reuters.com who has been indicted on charges he aided members of t...

MLB allows Asian interpreters on mound, but what about Latino?

<div class="abs">Only people who are employed full time by an MLB team are allowed on the field. While Asian interpreters are routine, most teams don't yet have a Latino translator.</div><div class="abs"> </div><section><div class="first" data-class="float1"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0odp0kTk7ZDaUa5UoDvTndQp5hIcnEwHSI0hF6RJo9GBF1A1U6GggRPMvrsNR77lakkmUHLZ_WMm5bqXeMF5Vktll_G5YwSNupZzDAK_4fpRR-ckw6w3QASSpaGFWtcZsSWdaxX0N0CCA/s1600/mlb.jpg" width="640" /></div><br /></div><div><div data-class="abs">TAMPA, Fla. — There were times in the low minors when Mariano Rivera felt totally lost on the mound. That was, before he got a good grasp of his cut fastball — and English. "The manager or coach would tell me something and I didn't understand them," the New York Yankees' closer said. "You nod your head yes, but you have no idea what they are saying."<br />Major League Baseball is trying to ease the language barrier, adopting a new rule that permits interpreters to join mound conferences when pitchers aren't fluent in English.<br />Yet for Latino pitchers, something still might get lost in translation.<br />As it stands, only people employed full time as interpreters can accompany managers and pitching coaches onto the field. And right now most, if not all, are for Asian players. Yu Darvish and Hiroki Kuroda, for example, are routinely provided translators by their teams. But Spanish-speaking players mostly rely on bilingual teammates or coaches to help them, be it on the mound, in the field or in the clubhouse.<br />The reasoning is that Asian players go directly from overseas teams to the majors without time to pick up English in the minors. Also, most linguists consider the transition to be more difficult than it is for Latino players.<br />"It's kind of the same and it's kind of different," Baltimore catcher Matt Wieters said. "For the most part, a lot of the Latin guys that are in the big leagues have been through the minor leagues, have had years of experience in the minor leagues to develop a relationship. Some of the Asian pitchers come over here and it's their first year over here and they haven't had that sort of adjustment time. It's up for debate."<br />Baltimore pitcher Wei-Yin Chen said through Orioles translator Tim Lin that, above all, the rule should be fair.<br />"If I can bring my interpreter, Spanish players should bring their interpreter, too," he said.<br />Rivera agreed.<br />"Yes, that should be allowed," the all-time saves leader said. "Somebody on the team should be allowed to translate for them."<br />Added Pittsburgh general manager Neal Huntington: "There's validity in exploring that idea."<br />The new rule has already been used by the Chicago Cubs in spring training and will extend into the regular season, which begins March 31. It was approved in January at the owners' meeting and later OK'd by the players' union. Pro baseball in Japan already had such a provision. Translators will be dressed like trainers — in sportswear (shirt and long pants), rather than uniforms or street clothes, and be available on the bench.<br />On opening day last year, more than 28 percent of players on big league rosters were born outside the 50 United States, including more than 200 from Hispanic countries.<br />Of course, any club is welcome to hire a Latino interpreter. A team without one could eventually get some leeway with the new rule.<br />"Well, I think there's going to be a designated interpreter for each club, and I don't think it's going to be a coach," MLB executive Joe Torre said Thursday before managing the U.S. team in the World Baseball Classic.<br />"Hopefully, it's going to work well," he said. "Obviously, until we see it happen, we're not going to know for sure. But I think in Major League Baseball we're making an effort to try to make the game better and move along better. With so many international players, to me it made sense."<br />Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda is from the Dominican Republic and has focused on perfecting English since becoming a pro. He gladly does interviews in his second language.<br />"Most teams, they don't have interpreters for Latin guys," he said. "It's very hard for Latin players if they don't learn English. I tell that to the young players. You've got to learn."<br />Former A's pitcher Ariel Prieto works full time for Oakland as an interpreter for Cuban slugger Yoenis Cespedes and former Cy Young winner Bartolo Colon. But that's not a common practice among teams.<br />"You as a club choose whether or not to have an interpreter on staff. You can have two, one for Asian players and one for Latin players and have them on your bench. They would have to be employed for that position," Detroit general manager Dave Dombrowski said. "We don't have the necessity because we have so many bilingual players, but if we didn't, we would get an interpreter because you need to be able to communicate properly."<br />Many teams provide English classes for their minor leaguers, and players from other countries are encouraged by club management and teammates to learn the language.<br />"I tell our young pitchers that the more they know English, the more it will help them on the field and off the field," Rivera said.<br />"You have to know exactly what they're telling you, how they want you to pitch and what they want you to throw. If you are not 100 percent sure, that's no good. It has to be 100 percent," he said.<br />On the Yankees, second baseman Robinson Cano frequently is the go-between for Spanish-speaking pitchers during mound summits — a luxury not enjoyed by most teams. .<br />"Yes, I think someone should be able to translate for them. If it's a coach or teammate, it's someone on the same team," Kuroda said through Yankees interpreter Jiwon Bang.<br />Yankees bench coach Tony Pena, currently managing the Dominican team in the WBC, liked the idea.<br />"Most of the time we want that communication during the game, and I think it's great because some of those kids sometimes, sometimes they feel lost. And we want to be on the same page as much as possible," he said.<br />Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee said he's never had trouble getting his message across. Yet Philadelphia catcher Erik Kratz is ready to help any Hispanic pitchers, if necessary.<br />In the minors, Kratz made an effort to learn Spanish "in a conversational way, and in the baseball sense," he said. He might need it — catcher Carlos Ruiz is suspended 25 games to start the season.<br />Kratz likes the new rule, and could see it evolving.<br />"As players, as a union, we're trying to get it right," he said. "The first time on anything, you might need to tweak it."</div></div></section>

MLB allows Asian interpreters on mound, but what about Latino?

Only people who are employed full time by an MLB team are allowed on the field. While Asian interpreters are routine, most teams don't y...

Rocky's house in South Philly on sale for $139,000

<div class="abs">In "Rocky II," Sylvester Stallone's title character buys a South Philadelphia house after losing a bout. This home is now on the real estate market.</div><div class="abs"> </div><section><div class="first" data-class="float1"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIF8qCGP6GJuqkfsSeCibkhczDo_twgHci5AhTMkoWDUB84D-MeqCQ21ZWtAGI4NQNrZykoWUbrw-IVkC6T4hDP5cQ1Wzs7ojkifHZJVqw99JCeEwaa9lyWV_h_AFyy_JfnrAdidG3UfBS/s1600/rocky.jpg" width="640" /></div><br /></div>PHILADELPHIA— Want to live like Rocky Balboa? The Italian Stallion's house is on the market.<br />The home in South Philadelphia was featured in the 1979 movie "Rocky II." In the sequel to the Oscar-winning smash, the fictional boxer played by Sylvester Stallone buys the house after he loses a bout to Apollo Creed but gains fame.<br />The 1,036-square-foot row house has three bedrooms and 1 1/2 bathrooms. Asking price: $139,000.<br /><br />Real estate agent Joe Bianco says the home is for sale because the woman who lived there since the time of filming recently died.<br />He says the house was picked for "Rocky II" because the filmmakers "happened to like the front of the home and knocked on the door."<br /> </section>

Rocky's house in South Philly on sale for $139,000

In "Rocky II," Sylvester Stallone's title character buys a South Philadelphia house after losing a bout. This home is now on t...

Poll: Christie most competitive Republican vs. Dem for 2016 race

<div class="abs">A new poll finds New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is the Republican who currently does the best in potential matchups with Democratic candidates for the 2016 presidential race.</div><div class="abs"> </div><section><div class="first" data-class="float2"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsxyGkWl1oT1jUZuOxAIj1yoLYWp0fWm0u0SJCUbLlYraIKil7kKOmsbSuFcxQF_Qs7QVHP11VdAEXKIher2vh73R9aMPA6Y-NciW0MluDYxNSVCSKZ6-CJFWS_D3nBZ9YWWFdze3yQ-P1/s1600/christie.jpg" width="640" /></div><br /></div>WASHINGTON — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is the Republican best placed to compete against potential Democratic presidential candidates, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Friday that also underscored Democrat Hillary Clinton's strength should she run.<br />As Republicans gather in the Washington area this weekend to ponder their future after losing the 2012 presidential race, the poll showed how far the party has to go to regain its footing and be competitive at the national level again.<br />The online survey found that Christie is preferred narrowly when matched up against Vice President Joe Biden, 34 percent to 33 percent, and Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, 36 percent to 32 percent.<br />Against Clinton, however, Christie fares far worse. The former secretary of state leads by 48 percent to 28 percent.<br />The brash, portly New Jersey governor has not said whether he will run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.<br /><br />A moderate who was criticized by some Republicans for praising President Barack Obama's response to Superstorm Sandy last year, Christie was not invited to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference this week.<br />"Christie is really the only one in the head-to-heads who gains any ground against the Democratic candidates — not against Clinton, who seems to be the favorite, although we are so far out that these numbers are very soft," said Ipsos pollster Julia Clark.<br />Among possible Republican candidates, the leader of the 2016 pack is Paul Ryan, the chairman of the House of Representatives Budget Committee and 2012 vice presidential running mate for Mitt Romney.<br />Ryan has been in the news lately for proposing a budget blueprint that would make deep cuts in government spending as a way to balance the U.S. budget in 10 years. The Obama White House has denounced the Ryan budget as draconian.<br />When Republican and independent voters were asked about which Republican they would vote for in 2016, Ryan took a 22 percent share. Sixteen percent said Christie and 14 percent backed former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is not believed to be running in 2016 at this stage.<br />Rounding out the field were Florida Sen. Marco Rubio at 9 percent, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at 6 percent and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal at 3 percent.<br /><strong>CLINTON VERY STRONG</strong><br />The poll showed just how strong Clinton's name recognition is less than two months after the former first lady ended her four years as secretary of state.<br />Clinton leads the Democratic field at 51 percent, far outpacing Biden, who was at 12 percent. She leads all potential Republican challengers by wide margins.<br />Cuomo, who is said to be considering a run, is way back at 4 percent, as is Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker (4 percent), Virginia Sen. Mark Warner (2 percent), Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (1 percent) and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (1 percent).<br />Clinton has said she wants some time off to rest after her grueling global travel schedule and consider her next move. Medical issues, including a blood clot in her head, complicated the final weeks of her time at the State Department.<br />A surprisingly strong showing in the poll came from Rice, who was secretary of state for Republican President George W. Bush. She was a well-received speaker at last year's Republican National Convention.<br />The poll found that she was viewed favorably by 71 percent of Americans, including 80 percent of Republicans, 67 percent of Democrats and 61 percent of independents.<br />The survey said 29 percent have an unfavorable view of Rice, who last year was accepted as one of the first women to join the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia where the Masters tournament is played.<br />For the survey, 1,224 Americans aged 18 and over were interviewed online, including 511 Democrats, 447 Republicans and 162 independents.<br />The precision of the Reuters/Ipsos poll is measured by a credibility interval. In this case, the poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points for all, 4.9 percentage points for Democrats, 5.3 percentage points for Republicans, and 8.8 percentage points for independents.</section>

Poll: Christie most competitive Republican vs. Dem for 2016 race

A new poll finds New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is the Republican who currently does the best in potential matchups with Democratic candidat...

NRA chief attacks gun background checks

<div class="abs">The NRA's Wayne LaPierre argues that background checks for gun buyers would let the government tax gun owners or take their weapons. </div><div class="abs"> </div><section><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MuDysjmiNMb3iEq5R3UZcDg84JYN1hh8DRwk070PRtrrKwsCTn904lZw-1qrowT5oeYsjO_NmnAwvPDpZLNGWtXYnpkfo75fWgHAJKk1NisUNK-Kg6UD2Ly7jBs_KLt_biZCl1BUV98i/s1600/nra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MuDysjmiNMb3iEq5R3UZcDg84JYN1hh8DRwk070PRtrrKwsCTn904lZw-1qrowT5oeYsjO_NmnAwvPDpZLNGWtXYnpkfo75fWgHAJKk1NisUNK-Kg6UD2Ly7jBs_KLt_biZCl1BUV98i/s1600/nra.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />OXON HILL, Md. — The head of the National Rifle Association is attacking President Barack Obama's call for mandatory background checks for gun owners.<br />The NRA's Wayne LaPierre says those who favor mandatory background checks may be, in his word, "insane."<br />LaPierre says background checks won't make schools safer. Instead, he says, the checks will let the government tax gun owners or take their weapons. He spoke to activists at the Conservative Political Action Conference Friday in suburban Washington.<br />Obama has called on Congress to tighten gun laws following the Connecticut school shooting that killed 26 children and educators. The president supports a series of reforms, including mandatory background checks and a renewal of the assault weapons ban.<br />Conservatives say they are increasingly confident Congress will reject any reforms.</section><br /><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-XwsyFH0y_s0%2FUUOq29UQLfI%2FAAAAAAAAAr4%2F6Uak_e7hjJs%2Fs1600%2Fnra.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MuDysjmiNMb3iEq5R3UZcDg84JYN1hh8DRwk070PRtrrKwsCTn904lZw-1qrowT5oeYsjO_NmnAwvPDpZLNGWtXYnpkfo75fWgHAJKk1NisUNK-Kg6UD2Ly7jBs_KLt_biZCl1BUV98i/s1600/nra.jpg" -->

NRA chief attacks gun background checks

The NRA's Wayne LaPierre argues that background checks for gun buyers would let the government tax gun owners or take their weapons.   O...

Colorado Legislature OKs expansion of firearms checks

<div class="abs" style="text-align: left;">Colorado's Gov. John Hickenlooper is expected to sign legislation expanding background checks for private and online gun purchases in the state after it passed the state House Friday.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRaE4SKHwo0iwJcKfZD6aByoXeyV6QBXJQK_BmvsFkY09jZwM47QgDV4eNn2Ndfh1AM_WMO-ftnN_OmdkGTV0uhMtTpv8vA4oRGR9D1PmG-wuAdwSAj9XPTB2T6R24YxwW6H-f92KdJhA/s1600/%2540publimetro.us.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRaE4SKHwo0iwJcKfZD6aByoXeyV6QBXJQK_BmvsFkY09jZwM47QgDV4eNn2Ndfh1AM_WMO-ftnN_OmdkGTV0uhMtTpv8vA4oRGR9D1PmG-wuAdwSAj9XPTB2T6R24YxwW6H-f92KdJhA/s1600/%2540publimetro.us.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div class="abs" style="text-align: left;"> </div><ul><li><section>DENVER — Colorado lawmakers have passed expanded background checks for private and online firearm purchases and sent the bill to the governor's desk for his expected approval.</section></li><li><section>The bill was passed Friday in the Democratic-controlled House by a 36-27 vote, with only one Democrat opposing.</section></li><li><section>The bill came in response to the mass shootings last year at a suburban Denver movie theater and Connecticut elementary school.</section></li><li><section>Democrats in the Senate approved the bill earlier.</section></li><li><section>Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper called for the checks during this State of the State address in January. He's expected to sign the bill within two weeks.</section></li><li><section>Republicans say the background-check requirement can't be enforced without universal gun registration, which they oppose.</section></li><li><section>Democrats insist that growing online gun sales and sales outside stores and gun shows have created a big loophole in gun transfers without background checks.</section></li></ul><br />

Colorado Legislature OKs expansion of firearms checks

Colorado's Gov. John Hickenlooper is expected to sign legislation expanding background checks for private and online gun purchases in th...

Number of dead pigs in Shanghai river rises to 8,354

<div class="abs">The increasing total of dead pigs tossed into a river that delivers water to Shanghai shines a light on a Chinese pork industry with few controls.</div><div class="abs"> </div><section><div class="first" data-class="float1"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1LWr_AsB-9t401hLrqu0f1dOktqx1D3s-kOwZ0BAfqmno_zi32IGunk5OsVXOc8wYRKa18Po0y2LkSrFXuNbjvlCV3C2QtxpvWwjaxR8_qegWFOIEzoMsaRMfnM-eqrxiHIgjori6OH8/s1600/shangai.jpg" width="640" /></div><br /></div>SHANGHAI/BEIJING – The number of dead pigs found in a Shanghai river that provides drinking water to the Chinese financial hub has risen to 8,354, after local authorities pulled 809 more pigs out of the river on Friday.<br />The Shanghai municipal government has repeatedly assured the city's 23 million residents that tap water is safe. Shanghai locals, however, remain worried about water contamination from the swollen and rotting pig carcasses in the river.<br />The dead pigs are believed to be from hog farms in the upstream Jiaxing area in neighboring Zhejiang province. A surge in pig dumping has followed police campaigns against the sale of pork products made from diseased pigs.<br />Chinese state media say one Jiaxing hog farmer has admitted to pig dumping and is under investigation.<br /><strong>COMMON PROBLEM</strong><br />The rotting pig bodies in a river that supplies tap water to Shanghai has drawn attention to an ugly truth – China's pig farms are often riddled with disease and one way or another, sick animals often end up in the food chain.<br />Authorities have found traces of a common pig virus in some of the animals floating in the Huangpu River this week, and industry insiders say farmers likely dumped them, common in an industry which has no system of compensation for losses from disease.<br />"There is no mechanism by which, whenever diseases are found among pigs, the government compensates pig breeders so as to control the spread of diseases or compensate pig breeders for losses," said Feng Yonghui, general manager at pig-industry research organization Soozhu.com.<br />To make matters worse, Feng said insurance companies were unwilling to insure pig breeders because the risks were so high.<br />Workers on barges and on the riverbank used pitchforks to drag bloated dead pigs out of the river.<br />Pork is China's staple meat and the swine population is the world's largest at 475 million head at the end of last year.<br />At market, margins on pork are thin and for hog farmers unwilling to spend money to incinerate or bury dead animals, the Huangpu River may have offered a tempting alternative.<br />While there was no proof any sick animals had been butchered and sold for meat in this case, media have reported several scandals involving sick or dead livestock being butchered and sold for meat.<br />Early this year, state media accused a supplier of chicken to KFC and McDonald's of selling them sick poultry. The supplier denied it.<br />While authorities have not confirmed a disease, or the death of unusually large numbers of pigs, talk of pigs dying would seem to suggest an outbreak of some sort.<br />One farmer in the Jiaxing area near Shanghai, 69-year-old Jiang Lie, said about 30 percent of his pigs had died of disease since January.<br /><br /><strong>TOUGH JOB</strong><br /><br />Dumping dead pigs in a river is not unheard of.<br />"We don't think it is individual case. Many similar cases were just not reported," said Wang Xiaoyue, an analyst with Beijing Orient Agri-business Consultant Co Ltd.<br />An unidentified Jiaxing farmer had admitted to dumping dead pigs, the Xinhua state news agency said in a report on xinhuanet.com. The news agency also cited a pollution control official as saying some 7,000 to 8,000 pigs had died every month over the past few months in a pig-raising village.<br />Villager Yan Lan'e said there were always pigs in the Huangpu, and aside from the number, the only difference this week was that authorities were clearing them out along with the trash.<br />"Before, they just cleared out the garbage," she said.<br />Rather than blaming the farmers, Lin Rongquan, a veterinary health expert in Shanghai, pointed the finger of blame at the local government, a major link in the chain of agencies overseeing farms.<br />"It's definitely the problem of the local government, which should bear the main responsibility. They do not regulate the pig business well," he said.<br />On Sunday, the central government unveiled restructuring plans aimed at improving efficiency and cutting out graft. The changes came as parliament sat in Beijing for a session at which complaints of corruption and red tape were common.<br />The restructuring included bundling the responsibilities of several agencies into a ministerial-level General Administration of Food and Drug in response to the scandals.<br />Analyst Wang said that should help but it would not change things overnight given the problems from feed additives, the use of antibiotics and pollution.<br />"It's a tough job to improve things," he said.<br />Many people took to the internet to complain. Others sought solace in grim humour.<br />In one joke posted online, a Beijing resident boasts about the air pollution in the capital, saying if he wanted a smoke, he just had to open the window.<br />A Shanghai resident retorts: "That's nothing, when we turn on the tap, we get free rib soup."</section>

Number of dead pigs in Shanghai river rises to 8,354

The increasing total of dead pigs tossed into a river that delivers water to Shanghai shines a light on a Chinese pork industry with few con...

France finds horse meat in beef imported via Netherlands

<div class="abs">After several weeks of relative quiet in the European horse meat scandal, Horse meat has been discovered in a shipment from Eastern Europe to France through the Netherlands.</div><div class="abs"> </div><section><div class="first" data-class="float1"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJgjueeFC1ZpzF7Js18AUXTa95Bkj2xZx8pYVzY-L6-Devq6l8q66xthRkwJa1lpVh4H9vW7JLSBfS7Q56khBmr4ZouEeIJmrlxoVPHR-5mJrz8xOdYzymR-RF4rjtUwIdVn8DhSd6Hdv6/s1600/france.jpg" width="640" /></div><br /></div>MARSEILLE, France – Horse meat has been found in France in a shipment of 320 tons of meat labeled "pure beef" that was imported from Eastern Europe via the Netherlands, a local prosecutor said on Friday.<br />The horse meat, found during tests in the southeastern city of Cavaillon in meat intended for use in ready-made meals, was the latest in a scandal that has spread across Europe since equine DNA was found in beef products in Ireland in January.<br />"The tests, carried out three weeks ago, have shown the presence of horsemeat in most batches," Vaucluse prosecutor Yannick Blanc told Reuters.<br />The meat came from various eastern European countries and transited through the warehouses of Dutch companies Draap Trading and Windmeijer Meat Trading, the prosecutor said.<br />The firms could not immediately be reached for comment.<br />Last month, after a senior Romanian food safety official identified Draap Trading as a buyer of horsemeat from Romania, a lawyer for Draap official Jan Fasen denied all allegations, including of being a major player in a fraud network.<br />No horse meat was found in one batch that came directly from Romania without going through the Netherlands, Blanc said.<br />A spokesman from the Dutch food safety authority declined to comment about the specific case but said there was a continuing investigation to trace the supply chain for beef potentially containing horsemeat, imported to the Netherlands and then re-exported to France.<br />French President Francois Hollande called last month for compulsory labeling and traceability of meat used in processed foods in Europe to prevent a repeat of the horsemeat scandal.</section>

France finds horse meat in beef imported via Netherlands

After several weeks of relative quiet in the European horse meat scandal, Horse meat has been discovered in a shipment from Eastern Europe t...

9 dead, dozens hurt in Mexico fireworks explosion

<div class="abs">Mexican authorities report that at least 9 people died when a pickup truck carrying fireworks exploded during a village festival.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrky7ZUImKQKym9O9HZeqHYloJr4B5G4JjJq5gWCRVwBj9hRfBnh6x5dmQc2r7XfGUAnGZXk1X_qOSHzReQSSDBXA81lkosRrIQl7CLQYuFQ4BybBf5qihaFPkDRDFSPKzDVb3TpVctf92/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrky7ZUImKQKym9O9HZeqHYloJr4B5G4JjJq5gWCRVwBj9hRfBnh6x5dmQc2r7XfGUAnGZXk1X_qOSHzReQSSDBXA81lkosRrIQl7CLQYuFQ4BybBf5qihaFPkDRDFSPKzDVb3TpVctf92/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" /></a></div><div class="abs"> </div><section>MEXICO CITY – Authorities in central Mexico say at least nine people were killed and dozens injured when a pickup truck carrying fireworks caught fire and blew up during a religious celebration at a small village.<br />Tlaxcala state Civil Protection director Jose Morales says the explosion in Jesus Tepactepec happened as people were in a procession and a firework malfunctioned and landed on the truck carrying the rest of the fireworks.<br />Morales says nine people are known dead and adds that there are also injuries but he doesn't know how many. Authorities in neighboring Puebla state say 45 injured people have been taken to regional hospitals.</section>

9 dead, dozens hurt in Mexico fireworks explosion

Mexican authorities report that at least 9 people died when a pickup truck carrying fireworks exploded during a village festival.   MEXICO C...

Woman killed, child raped in NY mall carjacking

Police say 29-year-old David Renz raped a 10-year-old girl and killed her mother in a Syracuse suburb.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFacODcK0H9TWBF8QaIIlfJj-gL0PqbA5Zw4IN6rFzxkDfJofn-z29PrCZ5uR-1_XWUUhsxkjj8Y-X1uovXD_sjJT3Uy3NmPDBMvUcPqiBrlZwOIWaqBGOro_1E2RTwOFX1oTj4VHQb4Tg/s1600/%2540Publimetro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFacODcK0H9TWBF8QaIIlfJj-gL0PqbA5Zw4IN6rFzxkDfJofn-z29PrCZ5uR-1_XWUUhsxkjj8Y-X1uovXD_sjJT3Uy3NmPDBMvUcPqiBrlZwOIWaqBGOro_1E2RTwOFX1oTj4VHQb4Tg/s1600/%2540Publimetro.jpg" /></a></div><br />CLAY, N.Y. — Police have accused a man of fatally stabbing a school librarian and raping her child after carjacking them at a central New York mall.<br />They say the woman was leaving a gymnastics class with her 10-year-old daughter when the attacker stopped them at the mall in Clay at about 9 p.m. Thursday.<br />Troopers say 29-year-old David Renz raped the girl and killed the woman in the Syracuse suburb. The girl managed to escape.<br />The woman died Thursday night, and the child is hospitalized, Trooper Jack Keller said Friday.<br />Renz, of Cicero, has been charged with murder, rape and kidnapping. It wasn't initially known if he has a lawyer.<br />The Press doesn't publish information that could identify potential sex-crime victims and isn't naming the woman to protect the child's identity.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgauYf3LupDh5KFJP8V5R1KG1dQrmkjpdejfpjd5FHEDpJYLxfpmeD5KBnXdKvh4KYsEx6X_vVgslXi4a2UNOpMngBgkvCo0h31MlBrfgKJUO0LJ_s8xbTGssa6wx7yMFdtOoTaZZZUyH55/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="40" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgauYf3LupDh5KFJP8V5R1KG1dQrmkjpdejfpjd5FHEDpJYLxfpmeD5KBnXdKvh4KYsEx6X_vVgslXi4a2UNOpMngBgkvCo0h31MlBrfgKJUO0LJ_s8xbTGssa6wx7yMFdtOoTaZZZUyH55/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" width="320" /></a></div>

Woman killed, child raped in NY mall carjacking

Police say 29-year-old David Renz raped a 10-year-old girl and killed her mother in a Syracuse suburb. CLAY, N.Y. — Police have accused a ma...

Auction house finds violin bandleader played as the Titanic sank

Auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son say an instrument unearthed in 2006 has undergone rigorous testing that proves it to be the violin played by the bandmaster of the Titanic as the ocean liner sank.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5QwDcGe8SUMNqrzSpIbCog0f8s2yd6PWwIWfxBG29xIkTQF8pOyt2IY33AvM-unnciiUJW741YoSIiDTN23RFTCN1Q-0SDze4M8S4o_mRpjTg09a-wH2GJDhHayPdAqs66i24Gl_KEFi/s1600/violinitanic.jpg" width="640" /></div><br />LONDON — The violin played by the bandmaster of the Titanic as the ocean liner sank has been unearthed, a British auction house said Friday.<br />Survivors of the Titanic have said they remember the band, led by Wallace Hartley, playing on deck even as passengers boarded lifeboats after the ship hit an iceberg.<br />Hartley's violin was believed lost in the 1912 disaster, but auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son say an instrument unearthed in 2006 has undergone rigorous testing and was proved to be Hartley's.<br />"It's been a long haul," said auctioneer Andrew Aldridge, explaining the find had initially seemed "too good to be true."<br />The auction house spent the past seven years and thousands of pounds determining the water-stained violin's origins, consulting numerous experts that included government forensic scientists and Oxford University.<br />The auction house said the rosewood instrument has two long cracks on its body but is "incredibly well-preserved" despite its age and exposure to the sea. It estimated the violin is worth six figures.<br />Hartley was one of the 1,517 people who perished when the Titanic struck an iceberg 350 miles south of Newfoundland on April 15, 1912.<br />Some reports at the time suggested Hartley's corpse was found fully dressed with his instrument strapped to his body, though there was also speculation the violin floated off and was lost at sea.<br />Henry Aldridge & Son said it researched the violin's story with a Hartley biographer as the instrument underwent forensic testing, uncovering documents that showed Hartley was found with a large leather valise strapped to him and the violin inside.<br />The violin apparently was returned to Hartley's grieving fiancée, the auction house said, and later ended up in the hands of the Salvation Army before being given to a violin teacher and ultimately Henry Aldridge & Son.<br />Testing by the U.K. Forensic Science Service showed corrosion deposits were considered "compatible with immersion in seawater," while a silver expert studied a plate on the violin's neck to determine if it fit the time profile.<br />Henry Aldridge & Son said the violin will go on public display at the end of the month at Belfast City Hall, less than a mile from where Titanic was built.

Auction house finds violin bandleader played as the Titanic sank

Auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son say an instrument unearthed in 2006 has undergone rigorous testing that proves it to be the violin play...

Full-figure mannequins spark controversy

<div class="abs">A photo of fuller-figured mannequins reportedly on display in a store in Sweden has sparked Internet debate about obesity. </div><div class="abs"> </div><section><div class="first" data-class="float1"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicubH_eh09W8FjtEKRf59i7omlaplxmRb6BesOJdix59z6h8DJlOmPQmGCZGpOKvaDxRPFfWHmoANdcTCgpykiFw55duSrKTey9wo6-HNIXWzquroPh5EALfNv24pWI87Q6tikCT8stX6-/s1600/maniquin.jpg" width="640" /></div><br /></div>Should store mannequins look like average women or should they conform to contemporary ideals?<br />That question is swirling around the Web in the wake of a photograph of fuller-figured mannequins modeling lingerie in a store in Sweden. "For comparison, most mannequins in the U.S. are between a svelte size 4 or 6—a departure from the <a data-id="yui_3_8_1_1_1363370116575_518" href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=AupY1LOPiqvZw5UwwfDmpjhlbqU5;_ylu=X3oDMTFnaWFnZWRzBG1pdANCbG9nUG9zdEJvZHkEcG9zAzIEc2VjA01lZGlhQmxvZ0JvZHlBc3NlbWJseQ--;_ylg=X3oDMTM0bzJwaGRyBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDMTA4NTA5YTctOGI3OS0zYzcyLWE2ZjgtYzdhOTM4NWNkOGM5BHBzdGNhdAN3ZWxsLWJlaW5nfHBob3RvcwRwdANzdG9yeXBhZ2U-;_ylv=0/SIG=1435qc8m1/EXP=1364579716/**http%3A//abcnews.go.com/Health/fat-mannequin-stirs-reddit-debate-obesity-overweight-consumers/story%3Fid=17820634">average</a> American woman who is a size 14," <a href="http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/swedish-mannequins-cause-a-controversy--192108535.html" target="_blank">Yahoo Shine</a> reported.<br />A photograph of the mannequin was shared by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=510240455685022&set=a.204542062921531.45848.184599864915751&type=1&theater" target="_blank">Women's Rights News</a> on Facebook with the caption: "Store mannequins in Sweden. They look like real women. The US should invest in some of these." As of Friday afternoon, more than 54,000 people had "liked" the photograph, more than 16,500 had shared it and more than 2,800 had left comments. The image has since showed up on other <a href="http://imgur.com/gallery/UOwgN5L" target="_blank">social sharing</a> sites.<br />Some of the comments were positive, like one from <a data-class="UFICommentActorName" data-ft="{"tn":";"}" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=100003933246156" data-id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment510240455685022_1856075}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][0]" href="https://www.facebook.com/Nathalie.L.Negron">Nathalie Negron</a>: "<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment510240455685022_1856075}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span data-class="UFICommentBody" data-id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment510240455685022_1856075}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span data-id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment510240455685022_1856075}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">I love these! Healthy, but curvy. It is about time the media and society loved curves again. Marilyn Monroe was a size 14 and the world loved her. Power to real women with curves! Love it!"</span></span></span><br /><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span data-class="UFICommentBody"><span>Others, however, took jabs at the models for representing overweight women and endorsing obesity. <a data-class="UFICommentActorName" data-ft="{"tn":";"}" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=1439133104" data-id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment510240455685022_1856402}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][0]" href="https://www.facebook.com/kareem.golmez">Kareem Golmez</a><span data-id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment510240455685022_1856402}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][1]"> began his comment with "</span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment510240455685022_1856402}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span data-class="UFICommentBody" data-id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment510240455685022_1856402}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span data-id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment510240455685022_1856402}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]"><span data-id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment510240455685022_1856402}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0].[0]">Its got to stop, When will fat girls stop misidentifying themselves as curvy/thick/voluptuous. Who told these pigs they look good? I wouldn't mind so much if they went back to their traditional Muumuu outfits instead of the tight jeans/spandex they're </span></span><span data-id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment510240455685022_1856402}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3]"><span data-id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment510240455685022_1856402}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0"><span data-id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment510240455685022_1856402}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0.[0]">now wearing."</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />Internet buzz suggested the mannequins were from an H&M store in Sweden, but a spokesperson for the company told Shine that the image was not taken at H&M. "At this time, we are not using this type of mannequin, but we do not rule of the possibility of doing so in the future." </section>

Full-figure mannequins spark controversy

A photo of fuller-figured mannequins reportedly on display in a store in Sweden has sparked Internet debate about obesity.   Should store ma...

Gay marriage: Senator's shift, GOP soul-searching

Sen. Rob Portman's reversal makes him the only Senate Republican to openly back gay marriage.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAR3IGYrZsfMUpFbFnGGRiLGqSMSVcFDI1WnFMqM_PYQhLm-luFVkTjBzshWSMwn_sQubFSg0sg4eV4E_GQcHBqVdKySAhbksb99QgtDbsQ7wcJoXZ0Qnmuz3SH_t_fVoo_f6N8pNL0Qdp/s1600/gop.jpg" width="640" /></div><br />WASHINGTON — A Republican senator's embrace of gay marriage is the latest sign of soul-searching in a party struggling to adapt in a society whose demographics — and views on emotional issues — are changing fast.<br /><br />Gay marriage still divides the party, with the conservative wing strongly opposed. But an increasing number of Republicans, now including Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, are reversing course. Many others simply downplay the subject.<br />With the issue of immigration also shifting rapidly under Republicans' feet, they seem increasingly focused — and united — on one overarching goal: keeping income taxes from rising. Their solidarity on that issue is thwarting President Barack Obama's efforts to find a compromise approach to deficit spending and expensive social programs.<br />These trends raise the possibility that the GOP — reeling after losing the popular vote in five of the last six presidential elections — will lessen its identity with hot-button social issues and sharpen its emphasis on tax and spending matters.<br />Portman announced Friday that he now supports gay marriage, linking his stand to learning that one of his sons is gay.<br /><br />A former U.S. trade representative and White House budget chief, Portman is seen as one of the party's most knowledgeable and effective leaders. Mitt Romney considered him as his running mate last year. Portman says he told Romney of his son Will's sexuality but does not believe it affected Romney's decision not to choose him.<br />As a U.S. House member in 1996, Portman supported the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA. It defines marriage as between a man and a woman and bars federal recognition of same-sex marriage.<br />Portman's reversal makes him the only Senate Republican to openly back gay marriage.<br />"I have come to believe that if two people are prepared to make a lifetime commitment to love and care for each other in good times and in bad, the government shouldn't deny them the opportunity to get married," Portman wrote in an op-ed article in The Columbus Dispatch.<br />He said he had talked to his pastor and others, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who opposes gay marriage, and to former Vice President Dick Cheney, who supports it.<br />Cheney, whose younger daughter is a lesbian, became arguably the best-known Republican to embrace gay marriage with his announcement in June 2009.<br />Portman said his previous views on marriage were rooted in his Methodist faith.<br />However, he wrote, "Ultimately, for me, it came down to the Bible's overarching themes of love and compassion and my belief that we are all children of God."<br />Despite his party's struggles with Americans' increasing acceptance of gay rights, many GOP leaders met Portman's news with silence or a shrug.<br />A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, who shares Portman's Cincinnati background, said the senator "is a great friend and ally, and the speaker respects his position, but the speaker continues to believe that marriage is between a man and a woman."<br />In January, Boehner chastised the Obama administration for dropping its legal defense of the Defense of Marriage Act, which the Supreme Court is to consider this month. Boehner authorized the continued use of public funds to defend the law in courts.<br />Boehner's latest comments reflect the change among many mainstream Republicans, who now deal with gay marriage in largely unemotional, legalistic terms rather than emotional terms about sin and God's will.<br />Congress now has several openly gay members, including a senator, Wisconsin Democrat Tammy Baldwin.<br />At the U.S. House, which was in session Friday, several conservatives had little or nothing to say about Portman's announcement.<br />Gay marriage "is not the most front-burner issue," said Rep. James Lankford, R-Okla. "We still have the same legal issues we've always had with the Defense of Marriage Act," which he supports, he said.<br />Citing Obama's position, he said, "it's more a separation of powers issue than it is anything else." Lankford said other Republicans have supported same-sex marriage, so "this is not anything new."<br />White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Friday: "What is clear is that we are witnessing a pretty significant sociological shift in this country."<br />"It's happening right before our eyes in a way that says a lot about our country, that we have a country where we prioritize equality and fairness," he said.<br />Obama said last year he personally supports gay marriage, a step some liberals called overdue.<br />Polls show that public opinions on gay rights, including same-sex marriage, have shifted perhaps more rapidly than on any other major issue in recent times. In Gallup polling last November, 53 percent of adult Americans said same-sex marriages should be granted the same status as traditional marriages, while 46 percent felt they should not be valid.<br />Those figures were nearly reversed two years earlier. In 1996, when Gallup first asked about gay marriages, 27 percent felt they should be valid.<br />Many social and religious conservatives still oppose gay marriage. Some spoke up at the Conservative Political Action Conference, which was under way Friday in suburban Washington.<br />Randy Smith, a technology entrepreneur from California, said Portman's decision violates key conservative principles.<br />"Conservative values are based on God's word," Smith said. "If he is professing to be a Christian, I'd have no part of him."<br />Arne Owens, a "pro-family movement" activist from Virginia, said Portman's shift "does make it harder to maintain support for traditional marriage. There's no question about that."<br />John Radell, head of the Faith and Freedom Coalition of Delaware, said Portman's personal situation was difficult, "but that doesn't mean you stray from your faith."<br />"I understand loving your son," he said. "But Sen. Portman represents more than his son."<br />Radell said that "without question" Portman's shift would make his political future — particularly any presidential aspirations — more difficult.<br />Curt Steiner, an Ohio GOP consultant who helped run Portman's first House campaign in 1993, disagreed.<br />"I think it's always good to be forthright with your positions," Steiner said. "Some social conservatives will disagree with Rob Portman on this issue, but they understand the life that he leads, they understand his commitment to family, and they understand his commitment to them."<br />Steiner said that with the Supreme Court case nearing, more officeholders will be asked about gay marriage, and more Republicans may side with Portman.<br />The leader of a conservative group that promoted passage of a 2004 amendment in Ohio to ban gay marriage said he has heard from several people upset by Portman's stance.<br />"They feel betrayed," said Phil Burress, president of Citizens for Community Values. "They're not mad. They're sad and betrayed."<br />Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett agreed that some Republicans are unhappy, but he said he received more phone calls Friday about the governor's budget. He said Portman has "taken a great deal of time to think it through and I certainly respect his right to make up his own mind."<br />Richard Socarides, who was President Bill Clinton's top adviser on gay issues, said Portman's son Will "proved once again that the most powerful political act any gay person can take is coming out." He said polls show that "people who know a gay person are far less likely to support discrimination."<br />Other prominent Republicans who have endorsed gay marriage include Sen. John McCain's wife, Cindy, and daughter, Meghan, as well as former first lady Laura Bush.

Gay marriage: Senator's shift, GOP soul-searching

Sen. Rob Portman's reversal makes him the only Senate Republican to openly back gay marriage. WASHINGTON — A Republican senator's em...