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Community unrest simmers after Denver teen shot by police

February 7, 2015 By William Bland Leave a Comment

A funeral mass for a 17 year old teen will be held on Saturday at a church North of Denver. Jessica Hernandez was fatally shot on January 16^th after she drove a stolen car towards a police officer. Friends and well wishers are planning to gather for the funeral of a 17 year old girl shot to death by Denver police officers.

According to police account, Jessica was shot on January 16 after she drove a stolen car towards an officer in a residential alley in Denver. Police Chief Robert White said that the officers repeatedly asked Hernandez and four other teens to get out of the vehicle before two officers opened fire.

A teen co-passenger spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of safety concerns said that Jessica had lost control of the vehicle since she was already shot and was unconscious. The passenger also said the officers did not yell commands until after the shots were fired.

The shooting led to angry protests and came amid a national debate about police conduct and use of force which has been aggravated by the racially charged episodes in Ferguson, Missouri and New York City. Hernandez’s family and others have demanded an outside prosecutor to investigate what happened.

Hernandez said last week, speaking inside the trailer home where her daughter lived with five siblings, “I want another autopsy on my daughter so we can know how much damage they did. I want to know, how did this happen? I want to know everything.”

The US Supreme Court has ruled consistently that police officers may not use deadly force to stop a fleeing suspect unless the suspect is believed to be a significant physical threat. The definition of significant physical threat varies from department to department and policies vary considerably. The Albuquerque Police Department, for example, ordered officers in June to stop shooting at moving vehicles after a Justice Department report found a pattern of excessive force.

District Attorney Mitch Morrissey’s office has promised a quick and thorough investigation and has asked protesters for patience. Hernandez’s relatives meanwhile say that they do not foresee the office to do a fair and timely investigation, and that the department has a history of exonerating its officers.

Jordan’s king vows revenge for pilot’s blood”, to personally fly sorties to bomb ISIS

February 5, 2015 By William Bland Leave a Comment

While the nation woke up to the news that ISIS has killed the captured Jordanian pilot, the manner in which the pilot was killed has evoked a keen sense of disgust and horror across the civilized world. The Jordanian government has declared an all out war against ISIS and the Jordanian King , himself a trained Cobra helicopter pilot has vowed that he will personally lead the strikes against the ISIS targets.

A report in Arabic-language news site said, “The Jordanian King Abdullah II will participate personally on Thursday in conducting air strikes against the shelters of the terrorist ISIL organization to revenge the execution of the Jordanian pilot by the ISIL.”

In what is seen as a determination of Jordan’s king to exact revenge for the brutal manner in which ISIS murdered a pilot of his Air Force, the king will be co-piloting a warplane and wage anti-ISIS airstrikes. King Abdullah II was a Major General in charge of Jordanian Special Forces, before being crowned as the monarch.

The gruesome manner in which the Jordanian pilot was killed has evoked intense revulsion across the Arab World and the Jordanian monarch has promised a relentless war against the Islamic Caliphate and vowed that the pilot’s blood will not be in vain. The Jordanian government has said that the nation is even more determined to combat the ISIS than ever before. The king called the war against ISIS as a war of principles and ISIS was not only against Jordan but also against Islam and its pure values.

ISIS had released a 22 minutes video which showed the captured Jordanian F-16 pilot being burnt alive in a cage.

Eric Holder, Obama Administration Will Petition Supreme Court On Gay Marriage

January 17, 2015 By Jac Hardy Leave a Comment

According to Attorney General Eric Holder the Obama administration will will petition the Supreme Court for marriage equality when it hears the case in April .

“The Department of Justice will remain committed to ensuring that the benefits of marriage are available as broadly as possible,” he said in a statement. “And we will keep striving to secure equal treatment for all members of society — regardless of sexual orientation.”

The Justice Department has already chosen not to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court and will file a “a friend of the court” brief that would urge the Supreme Court to allow gay marriage.

“It is time for our nation to take another critical step forward to ensure the fundamental equality of all Americans — no matter who they are, where they come from or whom they love,” Mr. Holder said.

Holder resigned his position in September, but announced he will remain on the job until a successor is named.

Democrats Could Face Low Turnout From Poorer Americans

January 8, 2015 By William Bland Leave a Comment

A study conducted recently by the Pew Research Center quantified that generally, rich Americans are more apt to vote Republication while if the poor vote at all, it is for the Democratic Party.

Ultimately, that means democrats will face a major challenge because of a low turnout by people considered “poor”.

As stated by Scott Keeter, director of survey research with Pew and the study’s lead author, financial security correlates most with virtually every measure of engagement from a political standpoint. For instance, last year, 94% of the most financially secure Americans confirmed they were registered voters. However, only 54% of people considered not to be financially secure were legal voters.

That same pattern also looks at people who are most likely to vote. Estimates from Pew are that before last year, 63% of financially secure individuals during mid-term would vote, compared to only 20% of people in the least financially secure group.

Keeter also pointed out that people in the least financially secure group said they preferred a candidate from the Democratic Party but even so, the majority admitted that they will not vote. For Democrats, this creates a very serious challenge of low turnout rates.

The non-partisan research organization discovered that in 2014, significantly fewer potential votes were left than Republicans. Interestingly, of those in the least financially secure group, more than 50% favored a Democratic candidate but only 12% said they would actually vote.

During contests mid-term, the challenges of turnout faced by the Democratic Party are the most severe. It is at this time that the electorate is typically whiter and older than seen in presidential elections.

To come up with the figures disclosed in the study, Pew conducted interviews from September 9 through October 3 with over 3,150 adult Americans. Included in the interview process were specific questions relevant to insecurity and economic security, to include different means of financial hardship such as getting more assistance from the government and having trouble paying debt. This information was then used to create a financial security index.

In most cases, Americans considered to be financially insecure are not as engaged in politics, with barely 14% admitting to having reached out to an elected official within the past two years. In comparison, of American adults in the most financially secured group, 42% had contacted an official.

Specific to the political landscape and awareness, 61% of Americans who are more financially secure had the ability to correctly identify House and Senate parties in control whereas only 26% of individuals deemed least financially secure could. For the upcoming presidential election, Democrats will have to pull out all the stops in order to encourage poorer Americans to make it to the polls to cast a vote.

New Diet Pill Tricks the Body’s Metabolism

January 7, 2015 By William Bland Leave a Comment

Researchers with California-based Salk Institution for Biological Studies developed a new diet pill compound capable of tricking the metabolism into thinking a meal had been consumed. Based on the design of the drug, fat is burned, which in turn creates room for new calories. However, there are a number of experts who caution consumers about using so-called miracle drugs for weight loss alone.

One of the unique aspects of the drug known as Fexaramine is that it works within the intestine only so at no point does it get into the bloodstream. As such, the diet pill is deemed to be a much safer product when compared to diet pills produced prior such as Fen-Phen. These earlier drugs cause the heart to beat faster, not to mention unpleasant side effects.

At this time, this new diet pill, Fexaramine, has been tested only in laboratory mice. As reported by Ronald Evans, lead author of the study and director of the Gene Expression Laboratory linked to Salk Institution in the recent Nature Medicine journal, if the same benefits are proven in studies involving primates, then within a few years clinical trials can begin on humans.

With Fexaramine, a genetic switch within the body connected to metabolic and eating control is switched. As explained by Evans, the diet pill is taken orally at which time it tricks the body into thinking a meal had been consumed. Interestingly, the mice tested did not have less appetite and in fact, they ate the same amount of food when on the pill versus off yet they lost weight.

In the paper written by Evans, there could come a day when Fexaramine becomes a nonsurgical choice to vertical sleeve gastrostomy surgery, which has been widely used in the fight against obesity. Currently, statistics show that roughly 33% of people in the US are in the “obese” category.

Almost two decades ago, Evans was involved with laboratory studies whereby the molecular switch that turns off responses in the body to eating were conducted. As part of these studies, absorption, nutrient transfer, and digestion were also researched.

While waiting for Fexaramine FDA approval, tests in mice shows this switch can be flipped, which produces much the same reactions as what Evans discovered previously but without producing side effects. In addition to the work being done at Salk, there are a number of other experts working on approaches very similar but so far, Fexaramine surpasses all others.

In a statement Evans said with this new diet pill, it is as if the body goes through the entire process of consuming a meal but without eating anything. As a result, people are expected to lose weight. In addition, this drug reduces cell inflammation, contributes to brown fat that burns calories, and cuts down insulin resistance.

Jameis Winston Will Enter The 2015 NFL Draft

January 7, 2015 By Jac Hardy Leave a Comment

According to his father FSU quarterback James Winston will forgo his final college eligibility and enter the 2015 NFL draft. Just yesterday, Antonor Winston said that his son would wait until after the College Football Playoff National Championship to announce his decision.

Antonor also spoke to al.com reporter Natalie Pierre on Wednesday morning, confirming the initial report.

Depending on who you talk to, Winston is either the top-rated or second rated quarterback coming out of college this year.

Winston wrapped up his redshirt sophomore season with a loss to Oregon in the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual. He was 26-1 as a starter at Florida State. Winston ranks fourth in touchdown passes (65), fourth in passing yards (7,964) and second in passes of 20 yards or more (124) since the start of the 2013 season.

Almost no one disagrees with his on the field ability, it’s his off the field issues that have raised the red flags of many pro scouts and NFL teams.

X-Men Spinoff “Gambit” Release Date Finally Set

January 6, 2015 By William Bland Leave a Comment

After a lot of anticipation, the release date for “Gambit”, the X-Men spinoff has finally been announced. According to a Fox spokesperson, the action movie will premiere in theaters on October 7, 2016. It was also announced that Channing Tatum will play the role of the titular Cajun.

In the “Origins” film, Gambit was played by Taylor Kitsch and while most people agree he did good job, executives felt someone else was needed to play the part. Channing Tatum was a clear choice, having proven his unrivaled talent in numerous films but in particular, “Foxcatcher”, as well as his appeal to audiences.

In 1990, Remy Etienne Lebeau made his debut in X-Men. His character originated from New Orleans, had an extremely thick Cajun accent, and was able to manipulate and control kinetic energy. Prior to joining the X-Men, Gambit was known for being a professional thief.

As the story goes, as a baby LeBeau was abandoned because of his bright red eyes. However, the New Orleans Thieves Guild kidnapped him from the hospital, believing his was the child prophesized to having the ability to bring all of the thieves of different guilds together.

Interestingly, it was Wolverine that every character of the X-Men movie connected to. Recognizing that certain characters are more in demand by viewers than others, 20th Century Fox and Marvel decided to have some of them return next year.

The first will be in February 2016 with the movie “Deadpool”, followed up in May with “X-Men: Apocalypse”. However, it is the “Gambit” movie that has fans buzzing. In a statement from an insider, at some point LeBeau, as well as Professor X played by Patrick Steward, will be brought back by Storm into the X-Men.

In recent years, there has been a huge increase in comic book film trends with fans looking for unique characters and storylines that may not have been the most featured in the DC and Marvel universes. For this reason, the “Gambit” movie will work perfectly. A large number of movies in recent years have focused primarily on villains, the ocean, and space but “Gambit” will be different by keeping the attention on New Orleans.

Release dates have been unveiled for several other films besides “Gambit”, all of them highly anticipated. The one that most people know about is “Fantastic Four 2”, which will hit theaters on August 7, 2015 but there will also be a sequel to the “Planet of the Apes” set for June 2, 2017 and a film based on “Assassin’s Creed”, a video game franchise, scheduled for December 21, 2016, among others.

Stuart Scott, ESPN Anchor Succumbs to Cancer

January 6, 2015 By William Bland Leave a Comment

At just 49 years old, ESPN anchor, Stuart Scott, has passed away from stomach cancer. Although he had undergone multiple surgeries, radiation, chemotherapy, and even various clinical trials after begin diagnosed with cancer in 2007, he finally lost the battle. However, he never looked at his battle as losing.

While fighting for his life, Stuart made a profound statement that will inspire and encourage other people dealing with cancer for many years to come. “You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and the manner in which you live. So live. Live. Fight like hell”.

In 1993, Stuart joined the ESPN family, quickly reaching the top spot on the SportsCenter program. He was full of life, always enthusiastic and best known for his colorful phrases and descriptions of stories that pertained to sports. As explained by Dan Patrick, former ESPN anchor and sports radio host, Scott did not push the envelope but bulldozed it.

Since his passing, millions of people to include family, friends, celebrities, professional sports figures, and even government officials such as Former US President Bill Clinton and President Barak Obama, have expressed their sadness over this great loss.

Commonly referred to as “Stu”, he did not just report on sports but provided viewers with pure entertainment. Forever, he will leave a legacy of being an exceptional anchor but also for his many catch-phrases such as “As cool as the other side of the pillow” and “Boo-ya”.

Throughout his long career, Stuart covered a wide range of professional and college sporting events to include the Super Bowl, the World’s Series, the NBA Finals, and the NCAA Final Four, among many others. However, for many, it was also Stuart’s love for inner city kids that earned him so much respect.

Over the years, Stuart worked hard to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to help organizations in their quest to find a cure for cancer. In honor of such an amazing man, both players and fans throughout the country stopped for a moment of silence on Sunday.

Tiger Woods summed up the emotions surrounding Scott Stuart’s death best when he said, “Stuart was not covering champions and heroes – it was the other way around”.

There is no question that virtually everyone in the world of sports lost an inspirational person and genuine friend. Even while going through difficult chemotherapy treatments, he never quit, walking out of the hospital to get back to the ESPN set or participate in mixed martial arts training.

Stuart leaves behind 15 and 19-year old daughters, a supportive girlfriend, his parents, two sisters, and one brother who together have thanked the world for their outpouring of kindness and love.

Game of Thrones: Heading to IMAX Theaters

January 6, 2015 By William Bland Leave a Comment

The “Game of Thrones” movie along with the trailer for season five is being released by HBO into IMAX theaters sometime later this month. As reported, the screening will hit 150 theaters for a single week starting on January 23, marking the first time in history a television series has been shown in this particular type of format.

Receiving mega big screen treatment will be 2014’s “Battle of Castle Black” episode, as well as the finale, “The Children”, which was nominated for an Emmy. Showing the movie and trailer in IMAX theaters is a rare occurrence, something that moviegoers and fans are excited about.

Because “Thrones” is the network’s most popular series ever with an average of 19 million viewers for every episode, it makes perfect sense that it would be given this incredible opportunity. In order for the episodes to be compatible with the IMAX format, episodes will be digitally re-mastered.

According to Pamela Levine, chief marketing officer with HBO, the combination of the massive scope of the series and cinematic genius make this ideal for the IMAX format. HBO is constantly on the hunt for new ways to make viewing experience greater for fans and with this, that goal will be accomplished.

To date, only brief teases have been released by HBO in an effort to promote the upcoming Thrones season, which for the most part has consisted of footage viewed previously.

The series is scheduled to return this coming April so as Greg Foster, senior executive vice president of IMAX Corporation said, there was no other series to present. Game of Thrones was always at the top of the list. As imagined, both production quality and scope are incredible, which will be highlighted further in a limited number of IMAX theater locations.

With this, fans will have the ability to participate in the world created by author George R.R. Martin, D.B. Weiss, and David Benioff. This series offers a remarkable storyline, lots of actions, and an epic environment that people look for in IMAX releases so as expressed by Foster, by teaming with Warner Brothers and HBO will provide moviegoers with an experience like none other.

Martin, as well as a number of other executives associated with the Thrones series at one time pushed to end the seven-year production of the original “Games of Throne” feature film but with HBO being focused on building a stronger subscriber base using television content, this was a prospect with no interest.

Cameron Diaz, Benji Madden Set to Wed

January 5, 2015 By William Bland Leave a Comment

Cameron Diaz, former model and actress best known for her roles in “The Mask”, “My Best Friend’s Wedding”, “There’s Something about Mary”, “Charlie’s Angels”, “Shrek” series, “The Green Hornet”, and “Bad Teacher”, among others, is reportedly getting married to American vocalist and guitarist, Benji Madden, tonight.

Although Diaz was named the highest paid actress over the age of 40 in Hollywood in 2013, Madden has also had a successful career in “The Madden Brothers” and “Good Charlotte” bands, cofounded along with Joel Madden, his identical twin brother and husband to Nicole Richie.

Diaz and Madden first started dating seven months ago and since that time have been inseparable. To some, it seems tonight’s reported wedding is too quick but for close friends and family members, they are not surprised. Diaz who is 42 and Madden 35, were set up on a date by Richie. Following a whirlwind courtship, the couple formally announced their engagement last month.

Apparently, the rehearsal dinner was held in Beverly Hills last night and this evening, the couple will exchange wedding vows at the home of Diaz. Although there are still a number of details being investigated since information about the wedding was just leaked, it appears there are a number of high-profile vendors involved with preparations to include Beverage Warehouse, The Velvet Garden florists, and Classic Party Rentals.

Reporters have been sticking close to Diaz’s mansion all day and confirm along with the mentioned vendors there are many others going in and out. Interestingly, Diaz has never been too excited about marriage, even downplaying its importance in a number of interviews but after meeting Madden, she has obviously had a change of mind and heart.

According to a source extremely close to Diaz, she is beyond happy and never in her life imagined this day would come. She has been romantically linked to numerous well-known men such as Alex Rodriguez, Justin Timberlake, Jared Leto, Matt Dillon, Tyrese Gibson, Kelly Slater, and others but when it came to true love Benji Madden offered something she never had before.

Teresa Giudice Begins 15-Month Prison Sentence

January 5, 2015 By William Bland Leave a Comment

After being found guilty on a number of fraud charges, 42-year-old Teresa Giudice, cast member of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey”, started her 15-month prison sentence this morning. According to officials, Teresa turned herself in at 3:00 a.m. to the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut where she will serve out her time for tax and financial fraud.

Of the 15 months, she will most likely complete about 13 but only if she follows all the rules and regulations just as other inmates are required to do. Upon her release next year, her husband Joe Giudice will start his own sentence of 41 months for the same charges, as well as a few others. When he gets released, there is a good chance he will also be deported back to Italy since he never obtained US citizenship.

In her absence, Joe will be responsible for caring for the couple’s four children, Gia 13, Gabriela 10, Milania 8, and Audriana 5. Many people believe that both Teresa and Joe got off too light, especially considering that the two were initially indicted on 39 counts of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, bankruptcy fraud, bank fraud, and making false statements on several loan applications, each.

For Joe, he had additional charges pertaining to federal income tax fraud for the years 2004 through 2008. Of all the charges, Joe pled guilty to five while Teresa pled guilty to four. Together, the couple is also required to make a significant amount of restitution to the people who were scammed.

Since being found guilty, Teresa has drawn a lot of attention but not in a good way. In the past couple of months, she has been spotted shopping at high-end boutiques, taking lavish vacations, carrying a $2,000 purse, and reportedly, funding her eldest daughter’s video in the tune of $10,000.

When asked how she had prepared her four daughters for her long-term absence, she said the girls were told she was going to jail to work on a book. Teresa also admitted that only the two oldest girls actually know where she is going and why. Up until the very end, she was looking for ways to make money and get out of her prison sentence, claiming her attorneys did not properly advise her.

The fact that Teresa surrendered seven hours ahead of her scheduled time to some is a good sign that she is now taking responsibility for her actions and ready to make a major change. However, even some close family members and friends are doubtful.

After all, people have been trying to help her prepare for her stint behind bars but Teresa seemed to be in denial about everything. Only time will tell if she and her husband have in fact learned their lesson and can move on to a life without crime.

Jury Selection Begins In Boston Marathon Bombing Trial

January 5, 2015 By Dean Frazier Leave a Comment

The trial of the man accused of planting bombs at the Boston Marathon last year has begun with the selection of the jury to be empaneled for the trial. The jurors are being chosen from a pool of 3,000 citizens – an unusually large jury pool, but necessary in this type of death penalty case. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the man charged with the terror attack, appeared in court as the Judge addressed the first batch of prospective jurors.

Tsarnaev, 21, is charged with 30 criminal counts in relation to the Boston Marathon attack and in the murder of MIT campus police officer Sean Collier a few days after the bombing. In the attack, two bombs concealed in backpacks were detonated by the bombers, exploding with tremendous force near the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon. The bombings killed three people and injured 260 others. Tsarnaev’s older brother Tamerlan, also believed to be involved in the crimes, died in a shootout with police the same night that the younger Tsarnaev was captured.

The younger Tsarnaev has been held at Federal Medical Center Devens, a prison facility on a decommissioned U.S. Army base, since shortly after the bombings. The facility is located about 40 miles west of Boston. The trial is being held in a federal courthouse less than two miles from where the attacks occurred. Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In court, the judge said that he expects that the trial will last three or four months and that opening statements will begin around Jan. 26. Defense lawyers lost repeated bids to have the trial delayed or moved out of Boston, stating that it would be impossible for their client to receive a fair trial there. The city of Boston has refused to be cowed by the attacks on its citizens. Last year’s Boston Marathon drew a crowd of nearly 1 million people to watch, which was twice the number of spectators at the event in previous years.

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