News and Headlines: In The News, Politics, World News, Commentary/Opinion.
In The News:
Knox man arrested in connection with triple homicide; police ID victims
Desmon Paul Rhea, 24, was arrested for revocation of probation Sunday at a Burbury Lane residence, near the scene where two of the three victims were discovered, according to a Knoxville Police Department news release.
KPD identified the victims at a news conference Monday as Juliana White (also known as Juliana Fraley), 29; White’s mother, Mildred Blackwell, 55; and Barbara Rogers, 57, Blackwell’s roommate.
Rhea was arrested for violation of probation, stemming from a Knox County aggravated assault case in 2018. The victim in that case was the mother of his child, according to court records.
He also has a 2017 conviction in Knox County for unlawful possession of a weapon, according to records.
Man Kills Sleeping Couple Over Money, Buries Bodies In Swamp
Since last week, The Polk County Sheriff’s office started receiving strange calls about a woman trying to sell a truck. 19-year-old Amberlyn Nichols was trying to sell the truck for a price, which was as low as $200.
When the buyers asked the girl the reason behind such a low price, she told them that the owners didn’t need the truck anymore.
According to Sheriff Grady Judd, the truck belonged to Raymond Cline, 33, and Crystal Ann Cline, 37, who were not seen by anyone since Feb. 21.
Investigators went to Nichols home after they received information about her trying to sell Cline’s truck.
He further said that Nichols and her boyfriend admitted helping her stepdad, Todd Jackson, in hiding the bodies, and led the detectives towards the swampy woods, where two decomposing bodies were found, ABC News reported.
GOP Rep. Doug Collins self-quarantines after exposure to coronavirus patient
The announcement makes Collins the third GOP lawmaker to say they’re taking the precautionary measure. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) separately said on Sunday that they would self-quarantine until 14 days had passed since interacting with the individual at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland.
“This afternoon, I was notified by CPAC that they discovered a photo of myself and the patient who has tested positive for coronavirus,” Collins said in a statement.
“While I feel completely healthy and I am not experiencing any symptoms, I have decided to self-quarantine at my home for the remainder of the 14-day period out of an abundance of caution.”
Road-rage victim drives to police station but is too drunk to file report, CT cops say
Troopers say they were compelled to administer a breathalyzer after the driver reacted violently to being told his photograph of the suspect’s vehicle was too “obscured” to count as evidence.
“The trooper informed the male that he would need to calm down before further investigative steps are taken,” the department posted.
“The male then proceeded to … smash and punch both front doors of the Troop E barracks. Upon a closer examination … he was found to be under the influence of alcohol and placed under arrest.”
Powder mailed to federal office triggers emergency response in South Portland
SOUTH PORTLAND — Someone mailed an envelope containing white powder to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service office on Gannett Drive, but the powder was tested and found to be harmless.
The powder leaked out of an envelope that was delivered to the office by the U.S. Postal Service on Monday, said Capt. Robb Couture, spokesman for the South Portland Fire Department.
Someone at the front desk, who typically sorts the mail, noticed the substance.
Driver charged in ‘horrific’ Florida crash that killed 4 members of Mass. family
Lucas Dos Reis Laurindo, 26, has been issued a ticket for careless driving in connection with the crash on Feb. 18, Florida Highway Patrol said in a statement.
It is “the strongest charge that could be made against him” under the state law, the law enforcement agency said.
Florida Highway Patrol said at the time of the crash that Dos Reis Laurindo cooperated with authorities investigating the crash.
According to police, he was arrested on Feb. 28 by federal law enforcement for a visa violation and is currently being held in Glades County Jail. He was issued the ticket for careless driving last week.
Man gropes mother shopping with her baby in department store, police say
Authorities said another shopper witnessed the incident and confronted the man, who then fled the store.
Responding officers found a man nearby who matched the suspect’s description.
Ruben Erick Diaz of Rialto was arrested on suspicion of sexual battery and child endangerment.
ViacomCBS to Host BDS Advocate Linda Sarsour as Part of Women’s History Month
The Women’s History Month event is specifically being hosted by the multinational media conglomerate’s Office of Global Inclusion, a source familiar with the situation told JNS.
ViacomCBS did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Sarsour, a Palestinian American, has been an outspoken critic of Israel and has supported the BDS movement; the Anti-Defamation League said her BDS advocacy “encourages and spreads antisemitism.”
Dexter Van Zile, a researcher at the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA), rebuked CBS for inviting Sarsour.
“The idea that so many people who are interested in global inclusion are essentially promoting a speaker who called for Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s vagina to be removed is just insane,” he told JNS on Friday.
Troubled Water | Full Measure
Scientists have discovered a hard reality when it comes to our everyday drinking water: it’s now loaded with a frightening array of contaminants from pesticides to prescription medicine — that are not filtered out and can pose all kinds of health risks.
We spoke to Seth Siegel, author of Troubled Water, about how this could have happened and the dangers it poses.
Pentagon awards contracts to design mobile nuclear reactor
(ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
Pele “involves the development of a safe, mobile and advanced nuclear microreactor to support a variety of Department of Defense missions such as generating power for remote operating bases,” said Lt. Col. Robert Carver, a department spokesman. “After a two-year design-maturation period, one of the companies funded to begin design work may be selected to build and demonstrate a prototype.”
“The Pele Program’s uniqueness lies in the reactor’s mobility and safety,” said Jeff Waksman, Project Pele program manager, in a department statement. “We will leverage our industry partners to develop a system that can be safely and rapidly moved by road, rail, sea or air and for quick set up and shut down, with a design which is inherently safe.”
However, Pele is not the only attempt at introducing small nuclear reactors to the Pentagon’s inventory.
White House Will Meet With Wall Street Executives, Preparing Coronavirus Stimulus To Help With Lost Paychecks
Several outlets reported Monday that Trump would sit down and be briefed on possible courses of action for relief, and National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow confirmed that he and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin have discussed a “targeted and timely” stimulus for workers who might lose paychecks under quarantine and small businesses “hurt” in the interim.
“NEC and Treasury, Steve Mnuchin and I, and staffs have been talking about this, and we would prefer a targeted approach, a rather micro approach if you understand,” he told CNBC.
“Let’s think about individuals who might lose paychecks because they had to stay home if they get the virus. Let’s think about small businesses that might get hurt by this. Perhaps we would look at some sectors.”
The President will also reportedly meet with Wall Street executives at the White House on Wednesday. The S&P 500 fell more than 7% shortly after open Monday morning, triggering a 15 minute halt in trading. The DOW dipped roughly 2,000 points on the day.
Study reveals how much refugees are costing American taxpayers — up to $133,000 each
The Center for Immigration Studies discovered that the average refugee will cost the U.S. government $60,000 to $133,000 over the course of their life, with less-educated refugees between the ages 25 and 64 costing the most.
According to the CIS, refugee costs are increasing due to an influx of refugees who are poorly educated and will, therefore, require more government assistance over the course of their life.
“The low education attainment level of so many of today’s refugees means they need a great deal of government assistance.
Given these costs, policymakers have to decide if it makes more sense to settle a modest number here or help many more people overseas,” Steven Camarota, co-author of the report and research director for CIS, said, the Washington Examiner reported.
Baltimore-area shooting leaves 13-year-old dead, 5 others wounded in ‘horrifying’ act of violence
The victims left an event at the Triple Threat Elite Dance studio and were approached by several suspects, police said. An altercation ensued and multiple shots were fired.
Hyatt said the 13-year-old boy, identified as Rickie Forehand, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The five injured victims included two 12-year-old boys, a girl and a boy, both age 14, and a 19-year-old man.
They suffered non-life threatening injuries and one has been released from the hospital.
Politics:
Woman Pardoned by Trump Running for Congress To ‘Fight for Justice for Black America’
“This race is not about me trying to beat John Lewis,” Stanton-King said. “It is about carrying the torch and picking up the fight.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.”
She said civil rights must extend to the unborn.
“Whenever I think about Rep. John Lewis, the image I have in my head is him on the Selma bridge. I have the utmost respect for the contributions that he has made to black America,” Stanton-King said.
“However, this isn’t the Selma bridge, and our babies are dying. It is time for war.”
Biden’s brother facing fraud allegations, used family ties to advance business interests: report
According to Politico, James Biden’s business with medical companies – including Americore Health – has led to allegations that he potentially engaged in fraud and traded on his brother’s name, by claiming Joe was interested in the venture and the family name could provide opportunities.
“It was all smoke and mirrors,” former Americore Health executive Tom Pritchard told Politico.
James Biden reportedly convinced Americore that he could use his political clout to deliver a significant influx of cash in the form of an investment from the Middle East, and even convinced the company to take on financial burdens including a six-figure loan to James that he has yet to repay.
World News:
North Korea Fires Three Projectiles Into Sea; China Urges Dialogue
The projectiles, including from a multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS), flew up to 200 kilometers (124 miles) and reached 50 kilometers in altitude, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
They were launched from the eastern coastal town of Sondok, home to a military airfield where nuclear-armed North Korea fired missiles last year, the JCS said in a statement.
The JCS said the latest test appeared to be part of firing drills that have been under way since late last month and have been overseen by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
‘If you don’t want us, we’ll disappear’: thousands of Mexican women protest violence
Thousands of women and girls across Mexico have joined a historic strike to protest against the country’s startling rates of gender-based violence – and the government’s failure to respond to the crisis in which more than ten women are murdered every day.
From factories along the Río Grande to businesses in the capital and offices in cities near the Guatemalan border, women and girls joined the unprecedented protest, billed as a Day Without Women.
The strike sent a clear message to Mexican society, said Sandra Reyes, 33, a biologist at the National Cancer Institute, who was one of at least 80,000 people who joined the country’s largest ever women’s march on Sunday.
Many marchers on Sunday expressed frustration with the country’s federal and state authorities: most murder cases go unsolved, and families often search for the missing on their own.
Israel deliberates state isolation over COVID19; Iran rejects IAEA Cooperation – 9.3 TV7 Israel News
1) The number of Israelis who have been diagnosed with the coronavirus rose sharply over the past 24 hours; prompting Jerusalem’s decision to enforce a series of radical measures.
2) Bethlehem, the ancient birthplace of Jesus Christ, continues to battle the spread of the coronavirus; as it operates under military closure.
3) A meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency was held in Vienna today, in light of a defiant lack of Iranian cooperation vis-à-vis the Islamic Republic’s nuclear related activities.
Coronavirus: Iran reports leap in death toll
At least 237 people have died and 7,161 have been infected across the country since mid-February, although the real figures are believed to be far higher.
The authorities have tried to limit the spread of Covid-19 by closing schools and urging people not to travel.
But no hotspots have been put under lockdown, like in China and Italy.
Cases linked to Iran have also been reported by Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Sudan Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok survives harrowing assassination attempt
Prominent activist Khalid Omar, secretary general of the Sudanese Congress Party, said the attempt on Hamdok’s life was a “new chapter in the conspiracy against the Sudanese revolution.”
The U.S. Embassy in Sudan tweeted: “We continue to support Sudan’s civilian-led transitional government and stand in solidarity with the Sudanese people.”
Irfan Siddiq, the British ambassador in Khartoum, said the blast “is a deeply worrying event [and] must be investigated fully.”
He tweeted that the Sudanese prime minister’s office had confirmed Hamdok and his team “are all fine, with no injuries.”
U.S. begins troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, official says
Hundreds of troops are heading out of the country as previously planned, but they will not be replaced as the U.S. moves ahead with plans to cut the number of forces in the country from about 13,000 to 8,600, the official said.
The official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss the movement ahead of a public announcement.
The pullout comes as Afghanistan’s rival leaders were each sworn in as president in separate ceremonies on Monday, creating a complication for the United States as it figures out how to move forward on the deal and end the 18-year war.
Commentary/Opinion:
The Truth About Canadian Healthcare
Why can’t America’s healthcare system be more like Canada’s? Here’s a better question: why would you want it to be?
French-Canadian entrepreneur Alain Lambert has first-hand experience with both Canada’s and America’s healthcare systems, and he offers some cautionary tales.
Canadian-style healthcare might not be as good for your health as you think.
Innovation Nation | Full Measure
From toilets to shower heads to light bulbs.. does it seem like some things don’t work as well as they used to?
Jeffrey Tucker of the American Institute for Economic Research says you’re not imagining it.
He tells us the reason why— starting with today’s gas cans with a design mandated by the federal government.
Lewiston, ME: The Back Story on the Election of a CAIR-candidate for City Council
After returning to Lewiston several years ago, I was shocked to hear firsthand account after firsthand account of violence, theft, destruction of property, etc. committed by roving gangs of immigrant boys, gang bullying episodes–swept under the carpet by administrations–in all pubic schools to the point that parents have taken their kids out of schools, and much more.
I would not have believed it had I not heard directly from people who had experienced these episodes, including teacher friends who quit due to the double standard of permissiveness for immigrant students and other friends who have had rocks or chunks of ice thrown at their cars when driving through downtown.
You may have read about a Somali immigrant, Safiya Khalid, running for city council in Lewiston? While numerous media reports celebrated her victory, they declined to mention that her campaign had ruthlessly bullied her opponent under cover of darkness at his own home, in an effort to intimidate him into withdrawing from the race.