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Duggars Release Statements on Child Molestation Brouhaha

May 21, 2015 By Tim Sinclaire

Reality television personalities Josh Duggar and his parents Jim Bob and Michelle released their own statements to People, clearing the air following reports that Josh, one of the Duggars’ 19 children on the reality series 19 Kids and Counting, had previously been accused of molesting five underage girls as a teen.

“Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends,” read the statement prepared by 27-year-old Josh, who resigned from the Family Research Council following the reports. “I confessed this to my parents who took several steps to help me address the situation. We spoke with the authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing, and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling. I understood that if I continued down this wrong road that I would end up ruining my life.”

In a statement, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar defended their eldest son, saying that Josh “made some very bad mistakes” as a young teen, and that the incidents “caused us to seek God like never before.”

“Even though we would never choose to go through something so terrible, each one of our family members drew closer to God,” the statement continued. “We pray that as people watch our lives they see that we are not a perfect family. We have challenges and struggles everyday. It is one of the reasons we treasure our faith so much because God’s kindness and goodness and forgiveness are extended to us – even though we are so undeserving. We hope somehow the story of our journey – the good times and the difficult times – cause you to see the kindness of God and learn that He can bring you through anything.”

Josh’s wife Anna also released a statement to People, saying that she has always supported her husband, and that Josh had admitted his “past teenage mistakes” two years prior to proposing marriage. “I was surprised at his openness and humility and at the same time didn’t know why he was sharing it,” she said. “For Josh, he wanted not just me but my parents to know who he really was – even every difficult past mistakes.”

Meanwhile, a report from TMZ claims that police are preparing to destroy all details, including the names of Josh Duggar’s supposed victims, surrounding the molestation case. This came after one of the five “Jane Does” asked a judge that her identity be kept confidential. She expressed concern that an un-redacted copy of the official police report may get leaked out, and stressed that the court is obligated to destroy the report. TMZ also notes that a judge had signed the order earlier this afternoon.

At the time of the original investigation, Josh Duggar was only 17 years old, and was accused of sexual assault in the fourth degree. However, the charges were eventually dropped as Jim Hutchens, the Arkansas state trooper who took the report, was convicted of child pornography. The case eventually went cold as the statute of limitations had already passed at the time the case was to be reopened.

Rapper Chinx Drugz Killed by Gunman, Companion Wounded in Shooting

May 17, 2015 By Tim Sinclaire

Queens-born rapper Lionel Pickens, known professionally as Chinx Drugz, was killed early Sunday morning when a yet-unidentified gunman opened fire on his Porsche Panamera. He was 31.

Police reports claim that the shooter was in a car that had pulled up beside Pickens’ car at around 4 a.m. earlier today, at 84^th Road. He was shot several times in the torso, and while his companion was also shot, he survived the attack, and is currently in critical condition. The gunman fired multiple rounds inside the Porsche, and remains at large as police investigate the matter.

Pickens was originally scheduled to appear at a party at Bensonhurst’s Club Red Wolf this evening, and had even posted a photo with friends on his official Instagram account. Pickens was a close associate of fellow rapper French Montana, and a member of his group, Coke Boys.

Nepal Jolted by New Intensity 7.3 Quake

May 12, 2015 By Tim Sinclaire

c/o AP/Bikram Rai

Nepal was affected Tuesday by another powerful earthquake, less than three weeks after a separate quake that has killed over 8,000 people and injured countless others.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Nepal’s National Emergency Operation Center had counted 42 deaths and 1,117 injuries from the quake, which was measured by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) at a preliminary magnitude of 7.3. Last month’s earthquake, which struck Nepal on April 25, had a magnitude of 7.8 and has claimed 8,159 lives and counting.

In a telephone interview with The New York Times, engineering student Prakash Banjara talked about how “the earth started shaking so violently” as he was on an aid mission with 15 fellow students. “The mountains before my eyes started tumbling down in massive landslides,” he said, adding that he requested assistance for his fellow volunteers, who ended up stranded by landslides, with no contact to local police and a storm expected to approach.

“We are clinging together on the road, hoping the clouds will go away,” Banjara added. “I saw buildings crumble as we made our way here. Maybe there are people trapped in them. We have no way of knowing yet.”

This new earthquake had come just as Nepal was seemingly returning to normal, with activity picking up and people getting over the trauma of the initial quake. But on Tuesday, panic gripped the country’s residents, and as volunteer Jasmine Avgerakis related, “they went back to the pain again” following the more recent quake. The new earthquake’s epicenter was spotted some 50 miles east of Kathmandu and near the Nepal-China border, where a lot of towns were gutted by the April 25 quake.

Most of the fatalities (19) were recorded in the district of Dolakha, which is located about 24,000 feet above sea level. 77 people from Dolakha were killed in the April 25 earthquake.

Open Letter from Apple CEO Tim Cook Says He’s “Proud to Be Gay”

October 31, 2014 By Tim Sinclaire

In an open letter published yesterday on Bloomberg, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook “outed” himself to the world, saying that he’s “proud to be gay,” and that it’s “among the greatest gifts God gave me.”

Prior to yesterday’s eye-opening missive, Cook hadn’t been open about his homosexuality, but had still been an advocate of LGBT rights since taking over as Apple’s chief executive. He had most recently talked about the slow progress of these rights, and broader human rights, in his home state of Alabama, but also had some close calls in past years regarding his then-private sexual orientation. In 2011, he was described by a publication as “the most powerful gay man in Silicon Valley,” and was mentioned as being gay by a television anchor earlier in 2014. His open letter, however, confirmed everything in what had been a tough move on his part.

“For years, I’ve been open with many people about my sexual orientation,” Cook wrote. “Plenty of colleagues at Apple know I’m gay, and it doesn’t seem to make a difference in the way they treat me. Of course, I’ve had the good fortune to work at a company that loves creativity and innovation and knows it can only flourish when you embrace people’s differences.” Prior to that, Cook had also quoted civil rights champion Dr. Martin Luther King, a personal hero of his who felt that the question of “What are you doing for others?” was the most urgent one a person can ask in their lives.

Cook underscored that remaining private is still something he values very much, but coming out in the open as gay may possibly help other people come to terms with their sexual orientation. “Being gay has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to be in the minority and provided a window into the challenges that people in other minority groups deal with every day,” he said. “It’s made me more empathetic, which has led to a richer life. It’s been tough and uncomfortable at times, but it has given me the confidence to be myself, to follow my own path, and to rise above adversity and bigotry.” He also quipped that being gay has “also given (him) the skin of a rhinoceros,” something that comes in handy for someone in charge of one of the world’s most recognizable companies.

In a later paragraph, Cook lamented the changes that had taken place since his youth, where times were much harder for minorities, particularly members of the LGBT community. “Still, there are laws on the books in a majority of states that allow employers to fire people based solely on their sexual orientation,” he said, noting that it’s still common for landlords to evict homosexual tenants, or gay people getting prohibited from “visiting sick partners and sharing in their legacies.”

In conclusion, Cook highlighted how lucky he is to be part of a company that’s long been in support of “human rights and equality for all,” including a recent stand in Arizona when the state had passed an anti-gay bill. “We’ll continue to fight for our values, and I believe that any CEO of this incredible company, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation, would do the same,” he said. “And I will personally continue to advocate for equality for all people until my toes point up.”

Spanish PM Warns Scotland Regarding Long, Arduous EU Reapplication

September 17, 2014 By Tim Sinclaire

With Scotland potentially seceding from the United Kingdom, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy warned that the country will have to reapply for European Union membership, a long process that could last up to eight years.

Speaking in front of the Spanish Parliament, Rajoy said that voting in favor of Scottish independence would serve as a “torpedo” to the EU’s vulnerabilities, and that the EU was created to integrate states, and not to break them up. He added that independence would be bad for everyone involved, meaning the region, the state, and the EU in general, saying that “there would be very little support” for an independent Scotland. Rajoy’s comments were made after a report from UK publication The Telegraph stated that Scotland First Minister Alex Salmond was purposely misleading Scots regarding an independent Scotland’s status within the EU. R\

Salmond had recently spoken on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, claiming he had spoken to representatives from other EU members, and that Scotland would not have to reapply from scratch, instead receiving a fast-track entry in between a potential Yes vote and the formal separation, which would potentially take place in March 2016. This was denied by the Belgian and French governments, as well as Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo, all of whom asserted they had not had any talks with Salmond or his government.

Separate from Rajoy, Spanish European Affairs Minister Inigo Mendez de Vigo said earlier in the week that an independent Scotland would have to wait five years or more before joining the EU, which would be the only time it can sign for reapplication. This would have to be unanimously approved by all 28 member states, with these member states deciding the terms of an independent Scotland’s membership in the union.

“Bladerunner” Oscar Pistorius to Learn His Fate Tomorrow in Murder Trial

September 10, 2014 By Lorenzo Tanos

South African Paralympics superstar Oscar Pistorius will find out tomorrow whether he will spend the rest of his life in prison for the 2013 murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, following a six-month trial.

Pistorius, 27, claims that the shooting, which occurred on Valentine’s Day 2013, was accidental, as he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder when he shot her four times through a locked toilet door. “I was simply trying to protect Reeva,” said Pistorius earlier in the trial. “When she went to bed that night, she felt loved.” Despite his protestations of innocence, the trial has featured some gory details, including a film featuring Pistorius shooting a watermelon, and photos of Steenkamp’s fatal head wound.

Judge Thokozile Masipa will be delivering the verdict tomorrow at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, and the main questions would be whether he believes Pistorius knew Steenkamp was in the bathroom when the shooting happened, and whether Pistorius had actually planned to kill her prior to firing his gun.

If guilty of premeditated murder, Pistorius will serve a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the first 25 years. If he is convicted of murder, with no “malice aforethought,” he could serve 15 years for killing his girlfriend in a “crime of passion.” A third possibility would be culpable homicide, which means the shooting was purely accidental, with no intent to kill – this would result in a sentence of up to 15 years. And if found innocent of murder, Pistorius could still spend five years in jail for two counts of discharging firearms in public, or 15 years for being in the illegal possession of firearms.

California Wine Country Devastated by Earthquake, Could Lose Up to $4B

August 26, 2014 By Lorenzo Tanos

Recent analytics suggest that yesterday’s Northern California earthquake could result in damages to the tune of $4 billion, due largely to damages to wineries and other tourist-friendly businesses.

An analytic report from Kinetic Analysis released earlier today posits that total losses could reach up to $4 billion, though it is estimated that insurers may cover approximately $2.1 billion out of that amount. “The main source of claims could well be commercial claims, those coming from wineries and vineyards and other commercial interests,” said Kinetic Analysis president Robert Hartwig in an interview with Bloomberg. “It will take a while for the business owners to sort this out.” Monday’s earthquake was the strongest recorded in Northern California in 25 years, and mainly struck the Napa region, an area famous for its wineries.

A separate report from Eqecat states that insured losses may reach $1 billion, with about half of that amount resulting from residential claims. “Business interruption losses are a major concern,” Eqecat opined, stressing that the Napa region is home to various “upscale and luxury boutique hotels, spas and inns,” apart from its world-famous wineries.

As Labor Day Weekend is fast approaching, analysts believe that there are still many undetermined variables that make it difficult to prognosticate just how a perceived lack of tourists may affect the Northern California wine industry as it stands. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods analyst Meyer Shields said that the main concern of the moment would be “how interrupted are (a business’) operations”, as opposed to whether operations will be interrupted or not, and such a variable is “completely unknowable” with just one day removed from the Northern California earthquake.

Virgin’s Richard Branson Issues Open Letter in Hopes of Resolving Russia-Ukraine Crisis

August 20, 2014 By Lorenzo Tanos

Billionaire businessman Richard Branson banded with 15 other movers and shakers of the business world today, with his new initiative hopefully helping put an end to the ongoing contretemps between Ukraine and Russia.

“As concerned business leaders from Russia, Ukraine and the West, we encourage our governments to compromise and find a peaceful solution to the current conflict,” read an open letter posted today on the website of Virgin Group. “We would like to offer whatever support we can to help resolve this violent conflict.” Aside from Branson, other businessmen who signed the letter include ten individuals from Russia and Ukraine, as well as former eBay president Jeff Skoll, India’s Ratan Tata, and Nobel Laureate Muhammed Yunus.

The goal of the letter is to unite worldwide business leaders in taking the initiative to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with “conversations, not armed conflict” being what is needed at this point in the crisis, according to the missive. The 15 businesspeople also said that they hope the ongoing issues between Russia and Ukraine do not degenerate into a modern-day Cold War-esque scenario.

The situation in Russia and Ukraine has long been redolent of the Cold War, as both nations have been going through their share of geopolitical tensions for the past several months, including attacks on Eastern Ukraine by pro-Russian separatists. Russia, on the other hand, has been accused by Western counties of supporting these separatists, and been issued sanctions as a result of this alleged support. In retaliation, Russia has banned certain food imports from these Western nations, including the U.S.

Ferguson Incident – Former St. Louis MLB Star Speaks Out on Racial Violence

August 19, 2014 By Lorenzo Tanos

A special report from USA Today took a look today at a beloved former St. Louis Cardinals player and his reactions in the aftermath of the Ferguson, Mo. shooting that resulted in the death of unarmed African-American teenager Michael Brown (pictured).

Ted Simmons told USA Today about the racial segregation he experienced in the late ‘60s when he joined the St. Louis Cardinals as a teenager. He related how African-American teammates Bob Gibson and Bill White couldn’t find an upscale home in suburban St. Louis, instead having to settle for a local hotel during the season. Simmons also described how black motorists were disproportionately flagged down by police in the nearby Clayton and Ladue areas.

“This has been tough on everyone,” said Simmons, now a senior advisor for the Seattle Mariners and a resident of the St. Louis area for close to 45 years. “You live here, and people think that things like this only happen across the river in Illinois. Well, this is the still the South, and things happen that shouldn’t.” Simmons grew up in Ann Arbor, Mich., where he didn’t experience the same level of segregation he would eventually encounter upon starting his professional baseball career.

Offering his own insights into the Michael Brown case, Simmons said he would rather not make any “political” judgment on the case until investigations are completed, but identifies with “peaceful demonstrators” who would rather express their feelings while on the sidelines. “It’s like everything is fine as long as you’re quiet, but please, don’t band together and get political,” he concluded. “Things have gotten better in some respects. But a lot of things haven’t changed so much.”

AP Special Report Shows Ebola Survivors Ostracized from Communities

August 13, 2014 By Lorenzo Tanos

Friends, family, loved ones, and entire communities are seemingly turning their backs on individuals who have survived the Ebola virus. A special report from the Associated Press took a look at some of these people, and their struggles upon returning to the outside world.

“Ebola has ruined my life even though I am cured,” said 26-year-old Guinean medical school student Kadiatou Fanta. “No one wants to spend a minute in my company for fear of being contaminated.” Fanta told AP that even as she is no longer feverish and vomiting blood, even as she has been issued a clean bill of health, it has gotten so bad that her professors no longer allow her to attend classes. “Her boyfriend has broken up with her… Even her own family members are afraid to touch her months after she survived Ebola,” continued the report.

Another young Ebola survivor also related his tale to AP, describing how some members of his community are hesitant to come in physical contact with him, and how he “hid” from family members when he realized he was sick. “When I became sick, I was scared to go to hospital, I hid from my family, from health workers,” said Sierra Leone native Sulaiman Kemokai, 20 years old. “After four days I couldn’t hide anymore, I was too sick. An Ebola ambulance collected me and took me to the hospital.” He does, however, have some support from family, as two siblings are also Ebola survivors; their mother, unfortunately, was killed by the virus.

As of the most recent count from the World Health Organization, the West African Ebola outbreak has killed over 1,000 people. However, survival rates have improved dramatically in the current outbreak, with health officials claiming up to 50 percent of victims have survived, as opposed to a 90 percent fatality rate in previous outbreaks.