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eric holder Eric Holder Politics

Attorney General Eric Holder to Announce Resignation Today

(AP) — Eric Holder, who served as the public face of the Obama administration’s legal fight against terrorism and weighed in on issues of racial fairness, is resigning after six years on the job. He is the nation’s first black attorney general.

The White House said that President Barack Obama would announce Holder’s departure later Thursday and that Holder planned to remain at the Justice Department until his successor was in place. White House officials said Obama had not made a final decision on a replacement for Holder, who was one of the most progressive voices in his Cabinet.

Advisers to Obama and Holder said the attorney general had been planning his departure with the president for some time. Some possible candidates who have been discussed among administration officials include Solicitor General Don Verrilli, California Attorney General Kamala Harris, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, Deputy U.S. Attorney General James Cole and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a former Rhode Island attorney general.

Holder, a 63-year-old former judge and prosecutor, took office in early 2009 as the U.S. government grappled with the worst financial crisis in decades and with divisive questions on the handling of captured terrorism suspects, issues that helped shape his tenure as the country’s top law enforcement official. He is the fourth-longest serving attorney general in U.S. history.

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Mike Brown Mike Brown Shooting

Ferguson Police Chief Apologizes to The People of Ferguson – Video

The Chief of Police for the city of Ferguson MO., apologized to the people of Ferguson today, saying that he was sorry to the family of Mike Brown for, among other things, the length of time Mike Brown’s body was left in the street of Ferguson. And he tried to explain that the reason was to allow the officers time to collect all the evidence in the shooting of the unarmed teenager.

“I’m truly sorry for the loss of your son. I’m also sorry that it took so long to remove Michael from the street,” he said.”Please know that the investigating officers meant no disrespect to the Brown family, to the African-American community or the people (in the neighborhood where Brown was shot). They were simply trying to do their jobs,”

Chief Thomas Jackson, who has received much criticism for how he and the officers of Ferguson handled the shooting and protests in Ferguson, also apologized to the demonstrators who felt that they lost their right to peacefully assemble and protest because of the militant police response.

“The right of the people to peacefully assemble is what the police are here to protect. If anyone who was peacefully exercising that right is upset and angry, I feel responsible and I’m sorry.”

The chief ended the video by once again apologizing to the family of Mike Brown, saying once again that he “was sorry.”

“For any mistakes I’ve made, I take full responsibility. It’s an honor to serve the city of Ferguson and the people who live there. I look forward to working with you in the future to solve our problems, and once again, I deeply apologize to the Brown family.”

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Featured murder

Geraldine Kelly Confessed To The Murder Of Her Husband on her Deathbed

After years of domestic abuse, Geraldine Kelly shot her husband and hid his body in this freezer, where it remained for seven years. She told her children that a car hit him. In 2004, when she was in her final stages of terminal breast cancer, Geraldine admitted the fate of her husband to her daughter. The police found the freezer in a California storage unit, John Kelly’s body completely mummified.
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Gun Control mass shooting News

American Exceptionalism – Mass Shootings have Doubled in America

Here is information you probably already know just from living in our gun crazed culture in America. Over the last 7 years “Active Shooter” incidents have doubled. This according to a recent FBI report.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation analyzed 160 “active shooter” incidents from 2000 through 2013 to look for common elements that might guide law enforcement officers in preventing the shootings or responding more effectively.

The study found an average of six incidents per year from 2000 through 2006. The number rose to 16 incidents annually in the past seven years.

The 160 incidents studied began with the Dec. 26, 2000, shooting at Edgewater Technology in Wakefield, Mass., when Michael McDermott, 42, armed with several weapons, shot seven of his co-workers to death. Police found him sitting in a conference room. Researchers also examined the shootings at Case Western Reserve University, ConAgra, Red Lake High School, Fort Hood, Virginia Tech, the U.S. Holocaust Museum and Sandy Hook Elementary School, among others.

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Featured News Racial profiling Videos

Video of State Trooper Shooting an Unarmed Driver for an Alleged Seatbelt Violation

CAUTION: VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED: Some may find this video disturbing.

South Carolina officials have released stunning dash camera video that they say shows a state trooper shooting an unarmed driver for an alleged violation at a Columbia gas station.

The trooper, who has been fired, was arrested Wednesday and charged with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, officials said.

The victim survived.

Warning: Graphic Video

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NFL Sports

ESPN Suspends Another Employee for 3 Weeks

Another ESPN employee was suspended today, not for saying things that can be interpreted as defending Ray Rice, but for saying things that are definitely very critical of NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell.

ESPN commentator and Grantland editor-in-chief Bill Simmons went off on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell during his podcast Tuesday, lambasting the commissioner for claiming not to have known what the Ray Rice tape contained:

Goodell, if he didn’t know what was on that tape, he’s a liar. I’m just saying it. He is lying. I think that dude is lying. If you put him up on a lie detector test that guy would fail. For all these people to pretend they didn’t know is such fucking bullshit. It really is — it’s such fucking bullshit. And for him to go in that press conference and pretend otherwise, I was so insulted. I really was.

That rant caused ESPN to issue the following statement;

Every employee must be accountable to ESPN and those engaged in our editorial operations must also operate within ESPN’s journalistic standards. We have worked hard to ensure that our recent NFL coverage has met that criteria. Bill Simmons did not meet those obligations in a recent podcast, and as a result we have suspended him for three weeks.

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Racism shooting

The Trigger-Happy Police Shooting of John Crawford III – Video

Right around the time when Mike Brown was gunned down by a police officer in Ferguson MO for committing the unspeakable crime of walking down the street, there was another shooting that did not receive as much publicity. The players are the same – a young black man and trigger happy police officers. And the outcome is the same, the young black man is shot to death by police.

The unfortunate end of John Crawford’s life came in a Wal-Mart at the hands of police on August 5th. In the video, the 22-year-old is seen on his cellphone – it was later determined that he was talking to the mother of his children. Crawford is seen walking over to an aisle and picking up a gun off the shelves in the ammunition section of Wal-Mart. He walks around the store for a few minutes, still talking on his cellphone.

Now, this is a Wal-Mart store and at Wal-Mart, guns are sold. Crawford, like any other customer in the store, had all right to pick up the merchandise – even a gun the store was selling – and continue shopping. But as a black man having a gun, even if he was legally allowed to have one for the purpose of making a purchase, is apparently a crime in itself.

Calls were placed to the police and, like the video shows, the officers entered the store and shot the unsuspecting man almost immediately.

Then on Wednesday, to add insult to injury, a grand jury hearing the case determined that the officers were justified in the shooting of John Crawford III and cleared them of all wrong doings. And another black man is dead for no reason.

Video

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News

Jesse Matthew is Arrested – Main Suspect in Hannah Graham’s Disappearance

Jesse Matthew was on the run since Saturday when he initially turned himself into police, then changed his mind and disappeared. After failing to locate Matthew over the last few days, police issued a felony arrest warrant on him and today, he was arrested.

The 32-year-old Matthew is being accused of kidnapping 18-year-old Hannah Graham, who was last seen with Jesse in the early morning hours of September 13th. Witnesses say they saw Jesse and Hannah together, going into a restaurant where Jesse purchased drinks. They left the restaurant and Hannah was not seen or heard from since.

This story is developing. More info to come.

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Healthcare ObamaCare

More Good News for Obamacare – Increased Participation Expected in 2015

Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images

There is a reason you’re not hearing much about Obamacare and how it will spell Armageddon for the United States and its economy. That reason is because Republicans have been proven wrong so many times on this issue, Americans would laugh in their faces if they even try to utter those false claims again.

With that said, supporters of the Affordable Care Act have had quite a few reasons to celebrate lately, and as of yesterday, the news keeps getting better.

Consumers in much of the country will have a broader selection of health insurance plans next year, the Obama administration said Tuesday, as it predicted an increase of about 25 percent in the number of insurers that are expected to compete in federal and state marketplaces. […]

So far, [administration officials] said, the number of insurers, also known as issuers, is up to 315 next year, from 252 this year. For the 36 states served by the federal marketplace, it said, the number is up almost 30 percent, to 248 next year, from 191 this year.

When congressional Republicans predicted that private insurers would want nothing to do with “Obamacare,” and the lack of participation would be a disaster for consumers, the GOP lawmakers had it backwards. Competition has already helped hold down premiums, and with more insurance companies now eager to get into the system and compete for Americans’ business, consumers are poised to benefit even more.

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Featured ISIS Westboro Baptist Church

Westboro Baptist church is Planning a Trip to Iraq to Protest Against ISIS

The hate group from Florida that calls itself “Westboro Baptist Church” has accepted the offer of an Australian comedian to fly to Iraq and protest the beheading of Christians who would not convert to Islam.

The offer to pay for and fly all the members of the “Church” to Iraq came from a popular Australian comedian named Adam Hills. The comedian made the offer last month after learning that members of Westboro planned to protest at the funeral of Robin Williams, calling him “a fag lover!.”

On his show, The Last Leg, Adam Hills said;

“If you really believe in standing up to those threatening the Christian way of life, Westboro Baptist Church, how about putting your money where your mouth is, taking a direct flight to Iraq and picketing the people threatening to behead Christians if they don’t convert. Surely that’s more of a threat to Christianity than a guy who said, ‘you think God ever get stoned? Look at a platypus, I think you’d think he might!’”

Adam Hills then went on to promised to “personally pay for every member of the Westboro Baptiste Church to fly to Iraq right now. I’ll even fly you first class.”

Westboro answered on Twitter that they accepted the offer. Further saying, “We accepted! Whence tickets?”

Hills responded via Twitter, “Oh it’s a deal!”

Like I said above, this happened last month. We are still waiting to see Westboro Baptist “Church” in Iraq holding up signs saying “God Hates ISIS” or “God Hates Islam.” This should be entertaining!

Video

Categories
ISIS

And Another Beheading – ISIS Affiliated Group Beheads French Man

AFP PHOTO/ RAMI AL-SAYED

An ISIS-linked group has posted a video online allegedly showing the beheading of Frenchman Herve Gourdel.

The 55-year-old man was abducted in Algeria on Monday by a splinter group from Al-Qaeda’s North African branch. The Jund al-Khilafah, or Soldiers of the Caliphate, said it would kill him unless France halts it airstrikes in Iraq within 24 hours.

Update:

French authorities have verified the video’s authenticity.

Categories
Barack Obama isil ISIS Politics Terrorism

President Obama’s United Nations Speech – The World Must Join in Defeating Terrorism

Terrorism, Russia, Ebola, Climate Change and the nuclear ambitions of Iran were just some of the topics the president touched on in a powerful speech at the General Assembly of the United Nations on Wednesday. But it was his words on terrorism and the role of Muslims around the world in denouncing terrorists groups, that shaped the president’s call to action today.

Here is part of the president’s speech highlighting the threat of terrorism and his call on the world to come together to eradicate it.

Of course, terrorism is not new. Speaking before this Assembly, President Kennedy put it well: “Terror is not a new weapon,” he said. “Throughout history it has been used by those who could not prevail, either by persuasion or example.” In the 20th century, terror was used by all manner of groups who failed to come to power through public support. But in this century, we have faced a more lethal and ideological brand of terrorists who have perverted one of the world’s great religions. With access to technology that allows small groups to do great harm, they have embraced a nightmarish vision that would divide the world into adherents and infidels – killing as many innocent civilians as possible; and employing the most brutal methods to intimidate people within their communities.

I have made it clear that America will not base our entire foreign policy on reacting to terrorism. Rather, we have waged a focused campaign against al Qaeda and its associated forces – taking out their leaders, and denying them the safe-havens they rely upon. At the same time, we have reaffirmed that the United States is not and never will be at war with Islam. Islam teaches peace. Muslims the world over aspire to live with dignity and a sense of justice. And when it comes to America and Islam, there is no us and them – there is only us, because millions of Muslim Americans are part of the fabric of our country.

So we reject any suggestion of a clash of civilizations. Belief in permanent religious war is the misguided refuge of extremists who cannot build or create anything, and therefore peddle only fanaticism and hate. And it is no exaggeration to say that humanity’s future depends on us uniting against those who would divide us along fault lines of tribe or sect; race or religion.

This is not simply a matter of words. Collectively, we must take concrete steps to address the danger posed by religiously motivated fanatics, and the trends that fuel their recruitment. Moreover, this campaign against extremism goes beyond a narrow security challenge. For while we have methodically degraded core al Qaeda and supported a transition to a sovereign Afghan government, extremist ideology has shifted to other places – particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, where a quarter of young people have no job; food and water could grow scarce; corruption is rampant; and sectarian conflicts have become increasingly hard to contain.

As an international community, we must meet this challenge with a focus on four areas. First, the terrorist group known as ISIL must be degraded, and ultimately destroyed.

This group has terrorized all who they come across in Iraq and Syria. Mothers, sisters and daughters have been subjected to rape as a weapon of war. Innocent children have been gunned down. Bodies have been dumped in mass graves. Religious minorities have been starved to death. In the most horrific crimes imaginable, innocent human beings have been beheaded, with videos of the atrocity distributed to shock the conscience of the world.

No God condones this terror. No grievance justifies these actions. There can be no reasoning – no negotiation – with this brand of evil. The only language understood by killers like this is the language of force. So the United States of America will work with a broad coalition to dismantle this network of death.

In this effort, we do not act alone. Nor do we intend to send U.S. troops to occupy foreign lands. Instead, we will support Iraqis and Syrians fighting to reclaim their communities. We will use our military might in a campaign of air strikes to roll back ISIL. We will train and equip forces fighting against these terrorists on the ground. We will work to cut off their financing, and to stop the flow of fighters into and out of the region. Already, over 40 nations have offered to join this coalition. Today, I ask the world to join in this effort. Those who have joined ISIL should leave the battlefield while they can. Those who continue to fight for a hateful cause will find they are increasingly alone. For we will not succumb to threats; and we will demonstrate that the future belongs to those who build – not those who destroy.

Second, it is time for the world – especially Muslim communities – to explicitly, forcefully, and consistently reject the ideology of al Qaeda and ISIL.

It is the task of all great religions to accommodate devout faith with a modern, multicultural world. No children – anywhere – should be educated to hate other people. There should be no more tolerance of so-called clerics who call upon people to harm innocents because they are Jewish, Christian or Muslim. It is time for a new compact among the civilized peoples of this world to eradicate war at its most fundamental source: the corruption of young minds by violent ideology.

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