| Pennsylvania GOP Pleads With SCOTUS Again To Let Them Use Gerrymandered Map Posted: 21 Feb 2018 05:16 PM PST  Pennsylvania Republicans again asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block Pennsylvania's new, court-ordered congressional map on Wednesday, marking the latest in a series of attempts to halt a plan that would make congressional elections more competitive in the state by reducing the impact of gerrymandering.
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| Autopsy confirms Virginia woman was mauled to death by her own pit bulls Posted: 22 Feb 2018 07:42 AM PST  An autopsy has confirmed that a Virginia woman believed to have been mauled to death by her own pit bulls in December did indeed die from "trauma due to mauling by animals."
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| The public role of psychoanalysts in the Trump era: 'We live in ominous times' Posted: 21 Feb 2018 02:00 AM PST  Psychoanalysts Jonathan Lear, Kerry J. Sulkowicz and Jerrold Post addressed the ethical and psychological implications of commenting publicly on national figures, including President Trump, at the American Psychoanalytic Association's 2018 national meeting.
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| More Cops In Schools Means More Black Kids In The Criminal Justice System Posted: 22 Feb 2018 09:19 AM PST  When President Donald Trump held a listening session with survivors of gun violence, their family members and the parents of murdered students on Wednesday, much of the discussion focused on ways to enhance school security.
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| Republican congresswoman: Many mass murderers are Democrats Posted: 21 Feb 2018 08:17 PM PST  ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A Republican congresswoman from upstate New York said Wednesday that "many" people who commit mass murder turn out to be Democrats.
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| NRA chief slams 'shameful politicization' of Florida tragedy Posted: 22 Feb 2018 08:22 AM PST  The head of America's National Rifle Association lashed out Thursday at critics of the powerful gun lobby, accusing them of exploiting last week's deadly school shooting in Florida for political advantage. In his first public comments since the Parkland shooting that left 17 dead, NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre accused gun control advocates within the Democratic Party of seeking to roll back the constitutional right to bear arms. "They hate the NRA.
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| Fourth fortune hunter dies looking for Fenn's Treasure Posted: 21 Feb 2018 12:34 PM PST  A fourth fortune hunter has died in the pursuit of a treasure chest containing more than $1 million worth of gold coins and jewels which is reputedly hidden somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. Jeff Murphy, 53, perished in June but the details of his death were only revealed eight months later. He was looking for Fenn's Treasure and died after going hiking up a trail within the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park, and falling 500ft down a rocky slope. Fenn's Treasure is said to have been deposited in 2010 by Forrest Fenn, an eccentric, octogenarian millionaire art dealer and former Vietnam fighter pilot. Mr Fenn, who is still alive, has said he set the task of finding it in order to encourage people to "get off the couch" and see nature. According to him the bounty is inside a 22lb Romanesque bronze chest and includes 265 gold coins, diamonds, emeralds and ancient Chinese figurines. He published a 24-line poem which contains the clues to locating it. Jeff Murphy, 53, perished in June but the details of his death were only revealed eight months later. Over the last eight years tens of thousands of people are believed to have searched for the loot, mostly in New Mexico where clues have pointed. However, Mr Murphy, a vice president of the International Housewares Association, had headed for the Wyoming-Montana border area. When he went missing a huge search operation was launched including rescuers on horseback, others with dogs, and a helicopter. Erica Murphy, his widow, said he had first read about Fenn's Treasure in an airplane magazine. He then read Mr Fenn's book The Thrill of the Chase, which contains the full 24-line poem. The poem includes lines like "Begin it where warm waters halt. And take it in the canyon down". Mrs Murphy told the Albuquerque Journal: "It was his pastime. He loved anything that caused him to use his brain, and he loved being out in nature." The death was expected to lead to renewed calls to end the controversial treasure hunt. But Mrs Murphy said she did not blame Mr Fenn, and her husband knew the risks. She said he "would not have wanted to hinder" others from searching. As rescuers looked for her husband Mrs Murphy emailed Mr Fenn to say: "I hope your quest won't be adversely affected by these current events." According to a report by Yellowstone National Park into his death Mr Murphy had also emailed Mr Fenn before setting out. When he went missing Mr Fenn then offered to pay for a helicopter to look for him. Mr Fenn also said he had never been to the area where Mr Murphy was searching, so he was looking in the wrong place. Last summer, fortune hunter Paris Wallace, 52, a pastor from Colorado was found dead north of Santa Fe, New Mexico after trying to traverse a river. Separately, Eric Ashby, 31 died after his raft overturned on the Arkansas River. In 2016, Randy Bilyeu, 54, died on the Rio Grande while looking for the treasure. His former wife Linda Bilyeu has called the hunt "madness". Mr Fenn has previously indicated the treasure is hidden somewhere not hard to reach and that, even at his advanced age, he could himself go back to the spot. Supporters of the treasure hunt have argued that it has achieved its aim of getting Americans into the Great Outdoors, and has led to people meeting spouses and parents bonding with their children.
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| Shaken but unbowed, Florida survivors recount horrific stories as they lobby for change Posted: 21 Feb 2018 03:08 PM PST  Untold stories from the high school shooting in Florida a week ago came tumbling out, alongside the anger their horrific experiences had fuelled, as students came to their state capital to lobby for change on Wednesday. Lorenzo Prado, 17, wept as he told how he had at first been mistaken for the shooter during the rampage that killed 14 of his fellow students and three teachers, including his sports coach. "The Swat team came in and I thought they were here to rescue me ... but I find I am wrong.
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| Dad who survived son's murder plot that killed mom, brother wants his life spared Posted: 22 Feb 2018 05:13 AM PST  Kent Whitaker said he forgave his son Bart Whitaker, who is on death row and scheduled to be executed this week.
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| Hem Is Having a 20% Off Sale and We're Freaking Out Posted: 22 Feb 2018 12:41 PM PST |
| New York University issues public apology for 'racially insensitive' meal served during Black History Month Posted: 22 Feb 2018 07:40 AM PST  New York University has issued a public apology and fired their director of food service after students pointed out the watermelon-flavoured water and collard greens the school was serving during Black History Month were racially insensitive. College of Arts and Science sophomore Nia Harris noticed the offensive meal when she walked into Weinstein Passport Dining Hall - before alerting the deans of the school and NYU's President Hamilton of the insensitive and "stereotypical" meal. "Not only was this racially insensitive, this was just ignorant.
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| Florida Rep’s Aide Fired After Saying Parkland School Shooting Survivors Are Actors Posted: 21 Feb 2018 08:46 AM PST  The untrue conspiracy theory has been pushed by the far-right website, The Gateway Pundit.
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| Armed deputy at Florida high school resigns after failing to engage shooter Posted: 22 Feb 2018 04:43 PM PST ![Armed deputy at Florida high school resigns after failing to engage shooter]( "Armed deputy at Florida high school resigns after failing to engage shooter") The armed sheriff's deputy assigned to the Florida high school where 17 people were shot and killed has resigned rather than face suspension after an internal investigation showed he failed to enter the school to confront the gunman during the attack, the county sheriff said on Thursday. Deputy Scot Peterson, who was on duty and in uniform as the resource officer posted at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, was the only law enforcement officer present at the campus during the six-minute rampage last Wednesday, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said. Peterson's actions were caught on video during the massacre, which ranks as the second-deadliest shooting ever at a U.S. public school, carried out by a lone gunman wielding a semiautomatic AR-15-style assault rifle.
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| 'We Just Had a Gun to Our Heads.' The Florida Shooting Survivors Are Transforming America’s Gun Debate Posted: 21 Feb 2018 02:53 PM PST  The massive youth uprising is a shift from the typical gun violence debates
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| Wife of lawmaker who killed himself loses election bid Posted: 21 Feb 2018 05:34 AM PST  SHEPHERDSVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The wife of a former Kentucky Republican lawmaker who killed himself last year after facing sexual assault allegations has lost her attempt to fill the remainder of her husband's term in a special election that ended up being a referendum of sorts on the #metoo movement.
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| The AR-15 and America's love of military-style weapons Posted: 21 Feb 2018 12:41 PM PST  Time and again, America's worst mass shootings have featured a common thread: the killer's use of a military-style assault rifle that is inexpensive, easy to use and deadly efficient. The type of weapon, commonly known as the AR-15, is once again under scrutiny with critics calling for a ban after last week's massacre at a Florida high school that left 17 people dead. The AR-15 is a semi-automatic weapon, meaning a user can fire off multiple shots in quick succession.
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| Secular and religious leaders pay tribute to Billy Graham Posted: 21 Feb 2018 11:45 AM PST  Leaders expressed admiration and respect for evangelist Billy Graham, who died at his North Carolina home Wednesday morning.
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| Police officer shot dead by murder suspect during standoff Posted: 21 Feb 2018 07:44 AM PST  Officer Justin Billa, a former officer of the month, was fatally injured in the city of Mobile, after trying to detain a man wanted in connection with a murder. The dead officer joined the force in January 2016 and won the Mobile Police Department's Officer of the Month award in June 2016, Mobile Police Department Chief Lawrence Battiste told reporters, according to the Associated Press. The suspect was identified as Robert Hollie.
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| NRA’s Wayne LaPierre: ‘Elites’ don’t care about school safety Posted: 22 Feb 2018 07:54 AM PST  On Thursday, Feb. 22, the National Rifle Association's executive vice president and CEO Wayne LaPierre spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference amid the nation's heated debate about gun control following the Parkland, Fla., school shooting. During his speech, LaPierre said "elites" don't care about school safety, and he called for more guns in schools.
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| 9 Converted Barn Homes: Beautiful Barn Style Home Inspiration Posted: 21 Feb 2018 10:47 AM PST |
| Parkland Student Says Arming Teachers With Guns Is A 'Terrible Idea' Posted: 22 Feb 2018 07:10 AM PST  Alfonso Calderon is not here for President Donald Trump's idea to arm teachers with guns.
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| These Surprising Countries Now Have the Most Powerful Passport in the World Posted: 21 Feb 2018 09:53 AM PST  European countries no longer top the charts
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| Supreme Court forbids seizure of ancient Persian artifacts Posted: 21 Feb 2018 01:01 PM PST  The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that Americans injured in a 1997 suicide bombing in Jerusalem cannot seize ancient Persian artifacts from a Chicago museum to satisfy a $71.5 million court judgment against Iran, which they had accused of complicity in the attack. The justices, in an 8-0 ruling, upheld a lower court's decision in favor of Iran that had prevented the plaintiffs from collecting on the judgment, which Tehran has not paid, by obtaining antiquities held at the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute.
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| Malaysia holds Filipinos seeking to set up extremist cell Posted: 21 Feb 2018 12:18 AM PST  Ten suspected Islamic militants who were trying to establish a Malaysian cell of a Philippine kidnap-for-ransom group have been arrested in Borneo island, police said Wednesday. The alleged extremists, mostly Filipinos, are also accused of trying to help fighters linked to the Islamic State (IS) group travel to the Philippines to join up with militants there, they said. The southern Philippines has long been a pocket of Islamic militancy in the largely Catholic country.
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| The Latest: Sweden, Kuwait call for UN vote on Syria Posted: 21 Feb 2018 02:30 PM PST  BEIRUT (AP) — The Latest on the Syrian civil war (all times local):
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| Ex-Arkansas judge sentenced to 5 years in sexual favors case Posted: 21 Feb 2018 04:57 PM PST  LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A federal judge sentenced a former Arkansas judge Wednesday to five years in prison — a stiffer punishment than prosecutors recommended — after he admitted giving young male defendants lighter sentences in return for personal benefits that included sexual favors.
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| It turns out Neanderthals painted art inside these European caves, not humans Posted: 22 Feb 2018 12:33 PM PST  Ancient sketches of Ice Age animals, stenciled hands, and symbols painted on walls inside three Spanish caves were long suspected to have been left by humans. But with enhanced dating techniques, scientists now believe our thick-browed and extinct evolutionary cousins, Neanderthals, were truly responsible for the art. This would mean that we've been giving our hominid ancestors too little credit for their abilities. Researchers found these paintings are at least around 65,000 years old, predating the arrival of humans in Europe by some 20,000 years. Assuming the dating is accurate, then these paintings would be the earliest known cave art in the world. SEE ALSO: The accidental library: Why Elon Musk launched books to space that could last 14 billion years The research, published Thursday in the journal Science, concludes that in the absence of humans, Neanderthals must have created the advanced art, underscoring that these hominids were quite smart — perhaps even matching our own intelligence. "These papers simply confirm what has been evident in other aspects of the archeological record and their biologies, that there are no evident differences between the Neanderthals and modern humans in terms of basic cognition, symbolic behavior, sociality, or communication," said Erik Trinkaus, a biological anthropologist at Washington University in St. Louis who was not involved in the study. Red ochre painting on a La Pasiega cave wall in Spain.Image: P. SauraIn another Spanish cave, detailed in a related study also released Thursday, researchers dated marine shells that had been dyed and then stored in larger shell containers. These artifacts were dyed some 70,0000 years before humans ever stepped foot in the region. Some scientists might disagree that it was Neanderthals who painted such humanistic, advanced art, said Wil Roebroeks, a paleolithic archaeologist at Leiden University who was not involved in the study, in an email. But the evidence in favor of Neanderthal artwork is strong. A replicated drawing of some of the cave art. It's more difficult to see the symbols, animals, and detail on the calcified cave wall, shown in the image above.Image: Breuil et al.The cave painting "dates are solid," said Roebroeks. The researchers dated calcite minerals both below the paint and the calcite that had crusted on top to establish a window in time for when the painting likely was done. Roebroeks noted that the sample and dating work was done "carefully" by experienced archeologists. "Neandertals made 'cave art' — deal with it," he said, using a spelling popular in the scientific literature. The Neanderthals used a red ochre paint on the cave walls, "an activity hitherto thought to be an exclusive 'modern human' phenomenon," noted Roebroeks. In fact, it seems that by the time humans finally arrived in Europe, "indigenous Neandertals had been producing red ochred motifs on cave walls for at least a thousand generations already," he said. This cave art might provide compelling evidence for Neanderthals' advanced intellect, but anthropologists already knew that Neanderthals were culturally advanced, even fashioning their own jewelry. David Frayer, an anthropologist at the University of Kansas, suspects Neanderthals caught eagles and used their sharp talons to make this jewelry. The talons, discovered near a rock shelter in Croatia, had been smoothed out around 130,000 years ago, long before other Neanderthal clans painted the walls of Spanish caves. Three hand stencil drawings in Maltravieso Cave. The hands can be seen in the top left, center (facing down), and center-right of the image.Image: H. ColladoEven having held and inspected these Eagle talons, Frayer, who had no role in either study, finds the cave art impressive. "Yet, even me as a Neanderthal appreciator, would not have predicted they could have done these," he said via email. Of course, once humans arrived in Europe, they too began ornately painting cave walls. Lascaux Cave, in France, is covered in hundreds of detailed animals, including horses, deer, and bulls. But before Neanderthals went extinct — for unknown reasons — they proved their artistic and cultural prowess was similar to ours, even though their skulls were flatter and shaped differently. "This does not mean Neandertals were identical to modern humans, just behaviorally and mentally equivalent," said Trinkaus. "And it should put to rest the paleophrenoloigcal arguments about Neandertal abilities derived from their skulls." WATCH: This beetle "farts" inside a toad's stomach to escape
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| What Billy Graham's Death And His Son Franklin's Rise Reveal About America Posted: 21 Feb 2018 12:46 PM PST  Billy Graham died Wednesday at 99
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| Florida school shooting: Conspiracy theory about victims heads to the top of YouTube Posted: 21 Feb 2018 07:08 AM PST  One of YouTube's most popular videos is pedalling a conspiracy theory about the deadly Parkland school shooting. The post – currently at the top of YouTube's "Popular Right Now" playlist – shows David Hogg, one of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students who has led the push for gun reform in the wake of the shooting at the school. Mr Hogg became well-known in the wake of the shooting when it emerged he had interviewed class mates while the shooting was taking place, and gave an interview where he looked into the camera and called for politicians to bring change.
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| Ivanka Trump To Lead U.S. Delegation At Olympic Closing Ceremony Posted: 22 Feb 2018 04:32 AM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump, a senior White House adviser, will meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday as part of a weekend trip to lead the U.S. delegation to the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics.
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| 'Black Panther' Is Breaking An Insane Number Of Box Office Records Posted: 21 Feb 2018 02:57 PM PST  The King of Wakanda is still conquering the box office.
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| Corgi comforts stranger who recently lost his own dog Posted: 21 Feb 2018 12:27 PM PST  Cora, a therapy dog in training sought out a man at the airport who'd lost his own pet the day before.
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| White powder and 'racist' letter sent to Meghan Markle Posted: 22 Feb 2018 09:48 AM PST  A package containing white powder and an allegedly racist message sent to Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle is being treated as a hate crime, police said on Thursday. Officers from the Metropolitan Police's counter-terrorism command were called in after the package was received on February 12 at a sorting office in St James's Palace in central London. Contacted by AFP, Prince Harry's press service at Kensington Palace declined to comment on the report.
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| Police: Officer shot, killed intervening in domestic dispute Posted: 21 Feb 2018 02:34 PM PST  BRANDYWINE, Md. (AP) — An off-duty police officer who answered a neighbor's request for help in a domestic dispute was shot and killed Wednesday in Maryland, officials said.
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| Florida shooting: Student survivors call on Marco Rubio to turn down NRA campaign donations Posted: 22 Feb 2018 02:33 AM PST  A survivor of the Parkland school shooting has challenged Florida senator Marco Rubio to turn down campaign donations from the National Rifle Association (NRA). The town hall audience erupted in cheers, before Mr Rubio went on to argue that voters buy into his agenda, not the NRA's, and that he supports laws to keep guns out of the hands of "deranged" people.
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| Crews to leave Puerto Rico as $750M Fluor contract nears end Posted: 21 Feb 2018 03:25 PM PST  SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Crews who are helping restore power in Puerto Rico as part of a $750 million federal contract will leave the U.S. territory soon as nearly a quarter of a million customers remain in the dark more than five months after Hurricane Maria, officials said Wednesday.
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| Models Carried Their Own Severed Heads At Gucci's Nightmarish Milan Fashion Show Posted: 21 Feb 2018 02:03 PM PST  Things got extra freaky at Gucci's Milan Fashion Week show on Wednesday when designer Alessandro Michele sent models down the runway carrying replicas of their own heads.
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| Trump threatens to pull law enforcement from California Posted: 22 Feb 2018 10:35 AM PST  US President Donald Trump threatened to pull immigration and other federal law enforcement agents from California on Thursday, a warning shot to the country's richest and most populous state. Complaining that California was not complying with his hardline position on migrants, Trump warned he could cut vital help from Washington and prompt a crime wave. "We are getting no help from the state of California," Trump continued, claiming the state was protecting members of the violent MS13 gang.
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| 'Walking Dead' Star Admits To That Eye-Opening Mistake Posted: 22 Feb 2018 09:27 AM PST  At this point in "The Walking Dead" timeline, longtime zombie hunter Carl Grimes (Chandler Riggs) could probably fire a weapon with his eyes closed, so the question is, uh, did he?
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| The Sad Story of the Tucker 48 Killed in a Fire Posted: 21 Feb 2018 10:00 AM PST  Tucker 1023 was burned beyond recognition.
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| Prince William Is Looking for Adventure on a Motorcycle Because Future Kings Can Have Fun Too Posted: 21 Feb 2018 08:36 AM PST  This week the Duke of Cambridge popped by Triumph Motorcycles to take a photo atop one of the classic rides.
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| India gives Trudeau list of suspected Sikh separatists in Canada Posted: 22 Feb 2018 04:43 AM PST  India has handed Canada a list of nine people in Canada who are suspected of trying to revive a Sikh separatist movement in the Indian state of Punjab, a state official said on Thursday. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is visiting India and on Wednesday he traveled to Punjab where he told state leaders his country would not support anyone trying to reignite the movement for an independent Sikh homeland called Khalistan.
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| 13 Genius Ways To Use Ground Lamb Posted: 22 Feb 2018 01:49 PM PST |
