Texas man, Bart Whitaker, was granted clemency just an hour before execution.

On Thursday, Texas Governor, Greg Abbott announced that he has decided to spare the life of a convicted killer who masterminded the death of his parents and brother.

Abbott granted clemency to 38-year-old, Thomas “Bart” Whitaker, a mere hour before he was scheduled for lethal injection.

The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles voted unanimously Tuesday to grant Whitaker a “lesser penalty” which meant commuting the man’s death sentence to life behind bars without the possibility of parole.

“In just over three years as governor, I have allowed 30 executions. I have not granted a commutation of a death sentence until now,” Governor Abbott said in a statement.

Bart Whitaker was convicted of capital murder for the shooting and killing of his mother, Tricia Whitaker, and his younger brother, Kevin Whitaker, an attack carried out at the family’s suburban Houston home. His father, Kent Whitaker, was also shot during the attempt but survived.

Kent Whitaker forgave his son and led the effort to save him from execution.

Prosecutor Fred Felcman who initially prosecuted Bart Whitaker’s case, expressed his disappointment on Tuesday after he heard of the parole board’s recommendation.

“I guess the 12 jurors’ opinion means nothing to the parole board,” Felcman said.

The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles is made up of seven members appointed by the governor. Abbott, who is a Republican, had the option of accepting, rejecting or not acting on the parole board’s recommendation.

However, he agreed to commute Whitaker’s sentence due to Kent Whitaker’s stern opposition to the death penalty. Bart’s father felt that he would have been victimized again if the state of Texas would have put down his last remaining immediate family member, according to Abbott.

This is the fourth time since 1982 that the parole board had recommended clemency within days of an inmate’s execution.

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Nancy Pelosi pushed for firmer immigration laws by holding the House floor for eight hours.

House Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi, commandeered the House Floor for eight hours straight in an attempt to persuade Republicans into voting on immigration laws involving Dreamers.

The 77-year-old’s lengthy monologue was confirmed to be the longest continuous speech in the chamber, dating to at least 1909.

Nancy Pelosi started her speech shortly after 10 a.m. ET, and finished shortly after 6:10 p.m. ET.

According to a source with knowledge on the matter, the California Democrat thought of holding the House floor a night before the event. More, so the source claims that Pelosi was wearing four-inch-heels during the record monologue and only drank water.

The speech came as a response to the Republican’s latest decision to pass legislation to keep the government open. She fought against this decision due to the GOP’s reluctance to pass legislation that would protect young immigrants known as Dreamers from deportation. These people were brought into the United States illegally as children and have been shielded from deportation by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), an initiative started by President Obama and suspended by President Trump.

“The young people are our future and these dreamers are part of that. They’ve been enriched… by the greatness of our country,” said Ms. Pelosi during her eight-hour discourse.

House Democrats will most likely spend the next 24 hours trying to get House Speaker, Paul Ryan, to consider a definitive solution to the DACA program.

Ms. Pelosi was able to keep the House floor for such a long time thanks to a loophole that permits the majority leader, the minority leader and the House speaker to talk as long as they like. The last person to commandeer the House floor in a similar manner was Representative Champ Clark of Missouri, who spoke for 5 hours and 15 minutes in 1909 to protest a tariff overhaul, according to a House historian.

The minority leader read numerous testimonies from Dreamers who have written their representatives about their experiences in the US as well as several Bible passages.

It remains to be seen if Pelosi’s pleas will stir Paul Ryan. A spokeswoman for the House Speaker claims that he intends to pass a DACA and immigration reform bill, one which the president supports.

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The employee responsible for the false missile alert in Hawaii has been fired.

Officials of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency have announced that the employee who sent a false missile alert to over one million people has been fired.

According to the Tuesday report, the emergency worker had a history of questionable behavior over his 10-year employment at the agency. The investigation was conducted by Brig. Gen. Bruce E. Oliveira, who issued the report on behalf of the agency.

In his report, Oliveira claims that the worker was unable to take initiative and waited for his superiors to give him directions, More so, the worker found it increasingly difficult to discern between real-life events and drills, having failed to do so on two separate occasions.

The employee’s co-workers have also shared their experience with the man stating that they felt uncomfortable working with him as “ supervisor, two-man team, or as a part of the (State Warning Point) in general”.

“…they felt he was not capable of doing his job,” Oliveira said during a press conference on Tuesday.

Such questionable work ethic prompted reporters to ask why the man hadn’t been fire before issuing the false missile alert. Maj. Gen. Joe Logan, director of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, said that the worker’s supervisor thought he had counseled and mentored him appropriately to abstain from making other poor decisions. Logan added that Maj. Gen. Vern Miyagi resigned Tuesday from his position as administrator of the agency following the incident.

In addition to the worker’s firing, another employee had resigned before any disciplinary action was taken and another worker face suspension without pay, according to Logan.

Hawaii was on full alert after the unnamed worker had sent a public safety alert after mishearing a message that was part of an unscheduled drill.

The drill involved a night shift supervisor pretending to be US Pacific Command and issued an emergency alert of an incoming nuclear attack to all emergency workers who were on shift. While the recording included the phrase “exercise, exercise, exercise”, it also announced that it was not a drill, something that prompted the worker to pass on the broadcast to 1 million people. The reports state that the recording did not follow usual protocols contained in the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency’s standard operating procedure.

More than 1 million people were suddenly looking for shelter or calling their loved ones after the alert hit appeared on their cellphones. It took approximately 40 minutes for the state’s emergency agency to issue a second alert notifying people of the false alarm.

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President Trump is “looking forward” to testifying under oath in Mueller’s Russia investigation.

On Wednesday, President Trump said that he is “looking forward” to testify in special counsel, Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in the 2016 election.

“There has been no collusion whatsoever, there has been no obstruction whatsoever.” President Trump told reporters on Wednesday.

Trump also said that he is willing to testify under oath, however, he would leave the logistics of the sit-down to his lawyers. A possible date for the meeting is said to be in “about two or three weeks.”

The president boasted his willingness to testify under oath to federal prosecutors, questioning if his former 2016 rival, Hillary Clinton, had been interviewed under oath.

“She didn’t do it under oath, but I would do it under oath,” Trump said.

When asked if Mueller would be fair to him in the investigation, Trump reportedly said that they were going to find out soon.

The president previously expressed his reticence in a possible interview with Mueller, calling the testimony unnecessary and a “hoax” pushed by the Democratic party.

One of the key talking points in the interview would be Trump’s influence over the firing of FBI Chief, James Comey, who had written memos describing his meetings with the president.

According to Comey’s testimony to Congress, Trump pressured him to drop the FBI’s investigation into his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn. Trump later acknowledged that the firing was due to the poor handling of the Russia investigation.

More so, the president will likely be questioned about his reasons for firing The ex-chief adviser reportedly lied to Vice President Mike Pence about pre-inaugural meetings with Russian Ambassador, Robert Kislyak. Flynn pleaded guilty last month to lying to the FBI about his contacts with the ambassador and had agreed to cooperate with Mueller’s team.

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The Republican tax bill is said to boost the U.S. economy by 2.7 percent, according to a report.

According to a report conducted by the International Monetary Fund, the economy of the United States is projected to expand 2.7 percent in 2018 thanks to the Republican tax bill. The tax reform was signed into law by President Trump at the end of last year, cutting corporate taxes in an effort to boost US growth. It is the largest overhaul of the US tax code in over three decades. However, the IMF believes that this increase is just a temporary symptom of the bill and will not last long.

“There are still too many people who are left out of that recovery and acceleration,” said Christine Lagarde, head of the IMF on Monday.

Before the Republican tax bill was passed, the IMF estimated that the US economy would grow by 2.3 percent. The reform slashed the corporation tax rate from 35 percent tohttps://www.flickr.com/photos/gopleader/4056192500 21 percent, which would stimulate business investment and growth, according to the IMF. America as a whole is poised to benefit from the tax bill, as it will increase trade and purchases of US products. According to the report, an estimated 120 countries have recovered economically in 2017. This simultaneous global surge was last reported in 2010.

American banking conglomerate, Well Fargo, echo IMF’s positive forecast by predicting a 3 percent growth this year.

IMF, however, warns that the surge will be temporary. The World Economic Forum organization states that the growth alone will not solve the inequality issue. According to a recent report by the charity organization Oxfam, 42 billionaires amassed 82 percent of the world’s wealth in 2017. More so, middle-class incomes have not registered any change for twenty years.

IMF foresees the tax bill to boost the US economy for only two years. The surge will then disappear due to an increased budget deficit and the government will have to deal with spending reductions or raising more revenue.

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Surfers are three times likelier to be exposed to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, claims new study.

A UK study revealed that surfers are at a higher risk of harboring antibiotic-resistant E.coli bacteria than non-surfers.

Researchers from the University of Exeter asked 300 people to submit rectal swabs for analysis. Half of the subjects regularly surfed England’s and Wales’ coastlines while the other half were non-sea swimmers and acted as a control group.

The study found that nine percent of the surfers had bacteria that were resistant to antibiotics, six percent higher than the control group. In addition, the researchers found that surfers were three times likelier to have antibiotic-resistant E.coli in their stool than people who didn’t surf. To offer a bigger picture to the overall threat, the researchers also analyzed a number of samples taken from 97 locations along the UK’s coast. They found antibiotic-resistant bacteria in 11 of the samples.

“Antimicrobial resistance has been globally recognized as one of the greatest health challenges of our time,” said lead author of the study, Anne Leonard.

Surfers tended to be viable E.coli carriers due to the large amounts of seawater they ingested during a surf session.

As for how antibiotic bacteria got in the water, the researchers believe the source of the bacteria comes from water run-off locations such as farms crops treated with manure and sewage. The E.coli strain found in the surfers is resistant to an antibiotic called cefotaxime, which commonly prescribed by doctors.

The World Health Organization states that antibiotic-resistant bacteria are one of the biggest threats to “global health, food security, and development today”.

While the authors do not want to discourage people from coastal activities they stress the need to keep waters clean. They urge policy-makers and beach managers alike to improve water quality for the benefit of public health.

The study was published in the journal, Environment International.

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Roy Moore took a lie detector test to disprove the multiple sexual allegations.

American politician and jurist, Roy Moore, says he took a lie detector test after the Alabama Senate election came to a close, to prove the allegations of sexual harassment surrounding him were false. This announcement comes in the wake of Moore’s loss in the face of Democrat, Doug Jones. More so, the Republican has filed an election complaint to disrupt Jones’ transition to Senator of Alabama claiming that election fraud occurred.

On Wednesday, Moore’s campaign issued a press release announcing the politician’s contention to the election’s results as well as his polygraph test affidavit.

„ (Roy Moore) succesfully completed a polygraph test confirming the representations of misconduct made against him during the campaign are completely false,” said Moore’s campaign in the press release.

While Alabama has been a particularly Republican-oriented state for decades, Moore was unable to shake off the numerous allegations of sexual misconduct. Multiple women have accused Moore throughout the election campaign of touching them sexually when they were teenagers and the politician was in his 30s.

The Alabama Supreme Court chief justice is adamant on a vote recount, claiming that there was a potential voter fraud that tipped the race in favor of Jones. Moore filed the election complaint hours before state officials were scheduled to certify the victory of the Democrat. He also asked Alabama Secretary of State, John Merill, to postpone the meeting until an investigation will be able to reveal that the election was rigged against him. Moore has also reportedly told his supporters to call Merrill as well as Governor of Alabama, Kay Ivey, and Attorney General, Steve Marshall, to postpone Jone’s certification.

While President Trump initially supported the Alabama justice, he is now urging Moore to accept the results and concede. Moore lost the election by more than 20 thousand votes, with Jones winning by a gap of 1.5 percent.

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A weekly fish consumption was tied to a higher IQ by a new study.

A recent study led by Professor Adrian Raine of the University of Pennsylvania strongly supports the idea that a steady fish consumption should become a regular part of a child’s diet. Other sources of omega-3 fatty acids should be added as well.

What is the Relation Between a Regular Fish Consumption and a Higher IQ?

Dr. Raine polled over 500 Chinese families with children between the ages of 9 and 11. This questionnaire sought information pertaining to how often the children ate fish, which is the most common source of omega-3 fatty acids. The parents were also asked questions concerning the children’s sleep patterns.

After analyzing this information, Dr. Raine and his fellow researchers gave the children an in-depth IQ test. This measured math, communication, information processing, and other academic skills.

The study results showed a definite correlation between a higher fish consumption and a better academic performance. At the same time, the team also noted a similar link between the diet and sleep.

Eating fish is believed to stimulate the body’s production of hormones associated with sleep regulation. Children who ate fish once a week or more were found to have nearly a 5 point advantage on the IQ tests administered by the research team. These results were obtained over their non-fish consuming classmates.

Furthermore, researchers found that even children who only ate fish two to three times a month showed a significant advantage over their classmates who had no fish in their diets at all.

Children who ate fish more infrequently but maintained it as a part of their regular diet tended to score at least 3 points higher than their non-fish eating counterparts.

Despite the health and academic benefits of a diet rich in seafood, many children claim to dislike the taste of fish. Researchers suggest introducing the flavor early on in a child’s development so as to create a natural affinity for this food later in life.

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Automation will affect 73 million people in the US by 2030.

Robots will replace as many as 800 million workers worldwide by 2030, according to The McKinsey Global Institute. The report covered 46 countries and more than 800 different occupations.

Automation has become a serious threat for people who have physical jobs such as operating machinery or preparing fast food. Robots will also be flexible enough to target back-office employees and the majority of data processing.

The institute states that both developed and emerging countries will be affected and the changes will start to become noticeable in the next 13 years. During this interval, 400 million workers could be replaced by automation, according to the study.

Flexibility is key, as The McKinsey Institute recommends that people embrace retraining in different fields and be ready for potential transitions. Fortunately, there will be other occupational categories available once the robots take over, such as health-care providers for aging populations, technology specialists, and plumbers. The authors of the study do not expect automation to affect people who are involved in managing people or social interactions.

The problem with such a large scale reorientation falls on the government as well as on the employers.

„The model where people go to school for the first 20 years of life and work for the next 40 or 50 years is broken,” says Susan Lund, a partner for the Mckinsey Global Institute and co-author of the report. „We’re going to have to think about learning and training throughout the course of your career.”

Such a massive transition hasn’t been seen since the early 1900s when agriculture started to become industrialized and farmers shifted to factory workers. According to the consulting company, an effort on this scale will be akin to the Marshall Plan, when the US spent billion to rebuild Western Europe after World War II.

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A doctor has lost her license to practice medicine because she doesn’t use a computer.

A judge decided not to give a doctor her license back because she can’t use the computer. An 84 years old doctor wants to regain her license after having surrendered it. One of the reasons for which she had to separate from it is her not using a computer.

Doctor Unable to Practice Medicine Because of Her not Using Technology

Due to the fact that Dr. Anna Konopka doesn’t know how to use the computer, a judge decided that she is unable to practice anymore. The judge mentioned that this doctor is unable to keep records of her patients and prescribe medicine. Her limited computer use prevents her from using the mandatory electronic drug monitoring program.

This program is used in an effort to reduce opioid overdoses. The US is still suffering from the opiate crisis. So some believe that this might be one reason for the judge’s refusal.

Dr. Anna Konopka asked the judge, once again, to reconsider his decision and to let her practice medicine even though she has limited computer use. On Wednesday, the judge will need to respond to this request. For now, the doctor can’t see the 25 patients that she once used to treat weekly.

Dr. Konopka mentioned that she is still fighting for her right to practice medicine which should not be decided by her computer use. She doesn’t have a computer and she doesn’t know how to use one. Her patient’s records are all written on paper, the old fashion way. The allegations against her started when she treated a 7-year old with asthma.

She was then accused that she had left the dosage of the medication up to the child’s mother and did not treat the kid with inhaled steroids. The doctor mentioned that she never hurt any of her patients.

There were four other complaints against her since the trial started. The board wanted to have a disciplinary hearing for these complaints, but the doctor gave up her license before this could happen. She now says that she was forced to do so.

The doctor has built a loyal group of patients in New London, and most of her patients mentioned that she brings a personal touch and that she cares for them. She is known for helping patients who can’t afford to go to the hospital. Due to the fact that she accepted every patient who can give her $50, she couldn’t afford a secretary, a lawyer or a nurse. More than 30 of her patients have written to the judge hoping that he will let her practice medicine once again.

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DACA recipient Juan Manuel Montes has been caught trying to enter the U.S illegally

DACA recipient and Trump deportee, Juan Manuel Montes, was taken into custody by the U.S border Patrol after attempting to get back into the U.S. This is the immigrant’s second attempt at entering the country. Montes is now taking legal action against U.S. Customs and Border Protection for wrongful detainment.

Montes was part of a program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) that protected immigrants from getting deported if they were brought to the U.S as children. As a result, the participants were given work permits and permission to remain in the country. While the participants of this program were appropriately nicknamed „dreamers” Trump squashed their dreams by announcing DACA’s shutdown in September.

The immigrant is claiming to have been wrongfully deported to Mexico in February even though U.S. authorities say Montes left on his own free will. Montes’ first attempt into the U.S. stripped his DACA protections as a result, the government stated.

Border patrol agents caught the man near Calexico, California even though the officers claim Montes was supposed to wait for his court proceedings in Mexico. According to Montes, he was visiting some friends in a border community and was waiting for a taxi when a Border Patrol agent approached him.

„Our agents witnessed and arrested Mr. Bojorquez making an illegal entry into the United States for the second this year”  states Assistant Chief Patrol Agent, David S. Kim.

The former dreamer’s defense lawyers say the man was the first-known recipient of DACA to be deported by Trump’s authorities. They also claim the man to have a valid DACA permit that would have lasted him until January 2018. Montes said he didn’t have the permit on him when he was detained nor did he let the agents know of his DACA membership.

Montes is now considered by pro-Daca groups to be a poster-child for their cause.The groups filed lawsuits for the man’s safe re-entry into the U.S. At the moment Montes’ case is still up in the air.

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