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2013-05-24 04:02:16 (110 comments, 63 reshares, 210 +1s)

Freeway bridge collapses in Washington river

A major freeway bridge in Skagit County, Washington, collapsed Thursday night, dumping people and cars into water. 

The portion four-lane Interstate-5 bridge that passes over Skagit River fell about 40 feet into the water at around 7 p.m. local time. The Skagit Valley Sheriff Department initially reported three people were rescued from water. 

The bridge is a steel-truss bridge with a sufficiency rating of 57.4 out of 100, according to federal records.

Read more from +The Associated Press: http://bit.ly/12RmkNi

Photo: North end of the I-5 bridge over Skagit River collapsed Thursday night. (Gina Cole / Skagit Valley Herald)

2013-05-23 22:54:51 (126 comments, 22 reshares, 132 +1s)

Boy Scouts lift ban on gay members

The Boy Scouts of America National Council removed the organization’s ban on gay kids and teens on Thursday with a 60 percent vote.

The organization will continue its ban on gay adult troop leaders.

The controversial vote came during a large debate with both sides threatening to remove their sponsorship and their sons from the scouts.

The organization, which is 70 percent sponsored by religious groups, initially reaffirmed their ban last summer after a two-year examination by a committee. Since then, local chapters and the BSA President Wayne Perry, have pressured for reconsideration.

Read more from +NBC News: http://nbcnews.to/12zovDD

Photo: Supporters of the resolution to remove the ban on gay Boy Scouts display signs promoting equality within the organization. (Win McNarnee / Getty Image)

2013-05-23 17:50:46 (29 comments, 32 reshares, 116 +1s)

NOAA predicts active 2013 Atlantic hurricane season

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting an active or extremely active 2013 Atlantic hurricane season.

The U.S. climate agency says seven to 11 storms could become hurricanes, including three to six “major” hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or higher.

These ranges are above the seasonal average of six hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

Read more: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2013/20130523_hurricaneoutlook_atlantic.html

Photo: Hurricane Sandy as seen from NOAA’s GOES-13 satellite on October 28, 2012. (NOAA / NASA)

2013-05-23 01:11:22 (27 comments, 14 reshares, 103 +1s)

Oklahoma tornado victims' names released

Ten children were among the 24 Oklahoma tornado victims whose names were released earlier today. 

The EF-5 tornado that struck Moore, Okla., on Monday hit two schools and destroyed thousands of homes. Seven of the children were found dead after being buried in the rubble of a local elementary school.

Authorities estimate the tornado caused approximately $2 billion in damage. 

Read more from KJRH: http://bit.ly/10RshtM

Photo: Destroyed vehicles lie in the rubble outside the Plaza Towers Elementary school in Moore, Okla., on May 21, after the school was destroyed by a massive tornado on May 20. (Richard Rowe / Reuters)

2013-05-22 22:05:20 (36 comments, 24 reshares, 74 +1s)

Chicago closes 49 schools, largest closing in US history

+ChicagoTribune: After hearing from aldermen, angry parents and community members in a meeting interrupted several times by protesters, the Chicago Board of Education approved a plan to close 49 elementary schools and one high school program.

The board voted 4-2 to close Von Humboldt Elementary, then unanimously approved the rest of the closings in a single vote.

Before that, the board voted 6-0 to approve a last-minute recommendation by the district to spare four elementary schools.

After more than two hours of public comments, Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett and board members defended the plan to close the highest number of schools the city has ever shut down in a single year.

The district says it needs to close schools to address a looming $1 billion deficit and... more »

2013-05-21 17:50:50 (30 comments, 26 reshares, 154 +1s)

Oklahoma tornado kills 24; officials say toll could rise

+NBC News : A day after a tornado devastated Moore, Okla., outside of Oklahoma City on Monday, officials began to get a better sense of the damage from the storm.

Officials revised the death toll reported yesterday as 51 down to 24, with the Oklahoma medical examiner’s office saying some bodies may have been counted twice. At least 237 people were injured, according to Oklahoma’s Governor Mary Fallin.

President Obama in a statement to the American people called the storm “one of the most destructive tornadoes in history.”

Read more: http://nbcnews.to/10MxEKA

Follow the latest coverage at BreakingNews.com: http://bit.ly/162LRI3

Photo: A man and two children walk through debris after a huge tornado struck Moore, Okla., near Oklahoma City, on Monday.(Richard... more »

2013-05-21 16:09:32 (105 comments, 17 reshares, 36 +1s)

Opponent of same-sex marriage commits suicide in Notre Dame

+BBC News A man has shot himself dead inside the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris in the French capital, police say.

An initial investigation found that the man had killed himself in front of the main altar shortly after 16:00 local time (14:00 GMT).

Local media reports said he was a 78-year-old writer and essayist. It identified him as Dominique Venner, a former member of the Secret Army Organisation (OAS), which opposed Algerian independence in the early 1960s.

Europe 1 also said he had been close to the campaign against the government's recent decision to legalise same-sex marriage. President Francois Hollande signed the bill into law on Saturday.
More from the BBC here.

2013-05-21 01:30:08 (107 comments, 102 reshares, 363 +1s)

UPDATE: At least 51 killed as tornado tears through Oklahoma

At least 51 people have died after a monster tornado roared through Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, destroying homes, tearing the walls off an elementary school and leaving behind mangled cars and splintered wood.

“The whole city looks like a debris field,” says Mayor Glenn Lewis of the city of Moore, which appears to have been the hardest hit.

Read more from +NBC News: http://nbcnews.to/10R6A9O

Continue following updates on BreakingNews.com: http://bit.ly/162LRI3

Photo: A woman carries her child through a field near the collapsed Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Okla. on Monday. (Sue Ogrocki / AP)

2013-05-20 21:07:02 (104 comments, 66 reshares, 194 +1s)

Tornado causes destruction in Oklahoma City area

A mile-wide tornado chewing through the Oklahoma City area has reduced neighborhoods to rubble and left cars and trucks crumpled on the sides of highways.

Read more from +The Associated Press: http://bit.ly/13CD08Y

Follow more updates on this story at BreakingNews.com: http://bit.ly/162LRI3

Photo: A massive twister is spotted near Oklahoma City on Monday afternoon. (NBC News)

2013-05-22 22:59:25 (27 comments, 56 reshares, 205 +1s)

Yahoo! buys Tumblr

+The New York Times The board of Yahoo, the faded Web pioneer, agreed on Sunday to buy the popular blogging service Tumblr for about $1.1 billion in cash, the companies announced Monday, a signal of how the company plans to reposition itself as the technology industry makes a headlong rush into social media.

Read more: http://nyti.ms/10PGGDq

Image: yahoo.tumblr.com

2013-05-20 01:39:39 (38 comments, 22 reshares, 101 +1s)

Tornadoes tear through U.S. Plains

Several Oklahoma neighborhoods were damaged as tornadoes tore through the U.S. Plains on Sunday. The extreme weather system hit Kansas and Oklahoma. 

Officials said multiple homes in Oklahoma County were heavily damaged and several cars and semi-trucks were overturned in the storm. Injuries were reported after one tornado tore through a mobile-home park in Shawnee, Oklahoma.

In Wichita, Kansas, a tornado that hit near a local airport knocked out power to 7,500 people. 

The system is expected to move into North Texas, Arkansas, and Missouri on Monday

Read more from +NBC News: http://nbcnews.to/13EOw7j

2013-05-19 15:50:44 (8 comments, 27 reshares, 166 +1s)

100 hours of video uploaded every minute by YouTube users

+The Verge : Google revealed Sunday on YouTube’s eighth birthday that the video sharing website has reached new uploading heights with around 100 hours of video uploaded every minute by users.

A year ago today, 72 hours of video were uploaded every minute. The site also has reached record-breaking viewership with more than one billion people visiting the site every month.

Read more:  http://bit.ly/19QmoOp

Photo: Visitors stand in front of a logo of YouTube at the YouTube Space Tokyo, operated by Google, in Tokyo, in February 2013. (Shohei Miyano/Reuters)

2013-05-17 23:39:26 (23 comments, 27 reshares, 107 +1s)

Metro trains collide in Connecticut

Police report approximately 20 people were injured when two metro trains collided near Bridgeport, Conn., on Friday.

The collision occurred when an eastbound train derailed and was struck by a westbound train between stations.

Metropolitan Transit Authority officials described it as a head-on collision. 

Read more from NBC News: http://nbcnews.to/16ERxHG

Photo: The trains collided about 6:10 p.m. ET Friday, May 17, and were both being evacuated. (NBC News)

2013-05-16 14:57:09 (44 comments, 50 reshares, 209 +1s)

David Beckham retires from professional soccer

+Daily Mail reports that David Beckham has announced his retirement from professional soccer.

The 38-year-old former LA Galaxy, Real Madrid and Manchester United midfielder turned down a one-year contract extension at current club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He will retire at the end of the season.

“I’m thankful to PSG for giving me the opportunity to continue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level,” Beckham said in a statement.

Read more: http://bit.ly/13oN31n

Follow live reaction to Beckham's retirement: http://bit.ly/13oQrZU

Photo: David Beckham waves to fans as he walks off the pitch for the final time with the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2012. (Robyn Beck / AFP - Getty Images)

2013-05-16 04:18:11 (18 comments, 14 reshares, 48 +1s)

Storms ravage through North Texas, kill 2

At least two people are dead after reported tornadoes slammed into Hood County, Texas. The Hood County sheriff reported at least 100 people are injured. 

Several homes were completely destroyed in the storm and a triage center has been set up. Emergency responders are preparing for possible mass causalities in the area. 

Separate tornadoes reportedly damaged the towns of Cleburne and Millsap, Texas. 

Large, “grapefruit-size” hail also pelted a nearby Texas town.

Read more from NBC DFW: http://bit.ly/15ONf0U

2013-05-15 22:39:18 (19 comments, 12 reshares, 63 +1s)

Acting commissioner of IRS resigns, Obama says

US President Obama has announced that Treasury Secretary Lew has requested and accepted the resignation of the acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service in the wake of its handling of requests by conservative groups for tax-exempt status.

Obama called the misconduct detailed in a report about the IRS response to those requests "inexcusable."

Read more from CNN Political Ticker:  http://bit.ly/10H5jSJ

2013-05-15 17:52:57 (12 comments, 38 reshares, 122 +1s)

Google launches new music streaming service

+CNET:  Google announced it has launched a new music streaming service, Google Play Music All Access.

At Google’s I/O conference, engineering director Chris Yerga said All Access will cost $9.99 a month, and users get a 30-day free trial. It launches today in the U.S., with additional countries coming soon.

The move puts Google in direct competition with music streaming companies like Pandora and Spotify, and also potentially with Apple.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57584502-93/google-beats-apple-to-it-with-streaming-music-service/

Follow live video, updates from the Google I/O conference: http://www.breakingnews.com/topic/google-io-2013

Photo credit: Google via NBC News, http://nbcnews.to/13lNtFw 

2013-05-14 20:02:36 (61 comments, 11 reshares, 70 +1s)

Brazilian judicial panel OKs same-sex marriage

AFP: A top judicial panel cleared the way for same-sex marriage in Brazil Tuesday, ruling that gay couples could not be denied marriage licenses.

The National Council of Justice, which oversees the Brazilian judicial system and is headed by the chief justice of the Supreme Court, said government offices that issue marriage licenses had no standing to reject gay couples.

"This is the equivalent of authorizing homosexual marriage in Brazil," said Raquel Pereira de Castro Araujo, head of the human rights committee of the Brazilian bar association.

More from the AFP here.

2013-05-14 16:43:00 (71 comments, 15 reshares, 46 +1s)

NTSB: Drunken driving threshold should be .05

+CBS News : The National Transportation Safety Board voted unanimously on Tuesday to recommend to states that they lower the blood alcohol level threshold that indicates drunken driving from .08 to .05. 

Drunk driving causes a third of all deaths on US highways each year. 

"Our goal is to get to zero deaths because each alcohol-impaired death is preventable," NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman said.

2013-05-13 21:51:51 (22 comments, 22 reshares, 116 +1s)

Minnesota Senate approves same-sex marriage bill

The Minnesota Senate has voted 37-30 to legalize same-sex marriage. The vote took place on the heels of a vote last week in the House. The measure now moves to Gov. Mark Dayton, who sign it in a ceremony at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Once it is signed, Minnesota will become the twelfth state to legalize same sex-marriage.

Read more from +Star Tribune: http://bit.ly/10JfE5j

2013-05-13 19:34:00 (19 comments, 14 reshares, 52 +1s)

Abortion doctor Gosnell found guilty of murder

+NBC10 Philadelphia : Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell was found guilty on three counts of first-degree murder on Monday.

The jury also found Gosnell guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of a former patient of his. 

Prosecutors alleged that Gosnell delivered four different babies alive during abortion procedures before later killing them. First-degree murder convictions can result in death penalty sentences. 

2013-05-12 20:41:48 (198 comments, 57 reshares, 156 +1s)

12 injured in New Orleans Mother's Day parade shooting

+WWLTV : At least 12 people are injured after gunfire rang out at a Mother’s Day second-line parade in the 7th Ward of the city of New Orleans.

Police say around 200 people were in the area when the shooting occurred. Three suspects are believed to be involved.

The youngest victim is 10-years-old, officials say. Three of the victims who were shot are in critical condition.

Follow the latest at BreakingNews.com: http://bit.ly/YPbOHY

2013-05-12 03:45:16 (36 comments, 11 reshares, 53 +1s)

Brother arrested in fatal Calif. stabbing of girl

+The Associated Press: Authorities on Saturday arrested the 12-year-old brother of an 8-year-old girl who was mysteriously stabbed at her home in a rural Northern California community last month.

The boy, who was not identified, will be charged with homicide, Calaveras County Sheriff Gary Kuntz told reporters.

The boy had told police he found his sister's body and encountered an intruder in the home while their parents were at a Little League game. He described the man as being tall with long gray hair. Police have said there was no sign of a burglary or robbery at the house.

The April 27 attack on Leila Fowler shook the tightknit Valley Springs community of about 7,400 people and set off a massive manhunt.

Read more:... more »

2013-05-11 17:46:37 (119 comments, 23 reshares, 106 +1s)

Violence kills at least 24 during historic election in Pakistan

+The Associated Press : Pakistanis voted in a historic election Saturday, marking the first time in the country’s 65-year history that a civilian government has completed a full term and handed over power democratically.

Violence disrupted the polls with a string of attacks that killed at least 24 people, yet despite the threat, officials expected there to be a ‘massive’ turnout.

Former star cricketer Imran Khan is facing off against the Pakistan Muslim League-N led by two-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan People’s Party led by President Asif Ali Zardari.

Read more: http://abcn.ws/13oGb7A

Follow the latest at BreakingNews.com: http://bit.ly/13oGejD 

Photo: Pakistani women wait to vote near Lahore. (Damir Sagolj/Reuters)

2013-05-10 21:34:12 (24 comments, 5 reshares, 47 +1s)

US stocks rise for third week; Dow closes at record high

US stocks rose Friday as markets marked a third week of record-setting gains while considering global monetary easing and as finance ministers started a two-day meeting.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA +0.24%  added 35.87 points to 15,118.49, its highest close ever.

Also finishing at an all-time high, the S&P 500 index SPX +0.43%  added 7.03 points to 1,633.70, with health care the best performing and energy the worst performing among its 10 sectors.

More from MarketWatch here.

2013-05-10 16:13:44 (37 comments, 7 reshares, 31 +1s)

IRS apologizes for targeting conservative groups

+The Associated Press: An official says the Internal Revenue Service inappropriately flagged conservative political groups for additional reviews during the 2012 election to see if they were violating their tax-exempt status.

"That was wrong. That was absolutely incorrect, it was insensitive and it was inappropriate. That's not how we go about selecting cases for further review," Lois Lerner said at a conference sponsored by the American Bar Association.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/irs-apologizes-targeting-conservative-groups

2013-05-09 22:41:56 (152 comments, 187 reshares, 457 +1s)

Cicadas rise from the ground on the U.S. East Coast

After spending 17 years underground, cicadas began crawling from the ground today on the US East Coast. The emergence of these flying bugs is in its earliest stage, with billions expected to swarm by the end of the month.

The cicadas emerge to remove their shells and mate.

Though the bugs are mostly harmless, the swarm’s 90-decibel buzz can be an annoyance. The swarm typically lasts four to six weeks beginning in the Carolinas and moving north toward Washington DC, Philadelphia and New York. 

Read more from +NBC News here:  http://nbcnews.to/15tQSJy

See a map of the most recent sightings here: http://bit.ly/15tQYki

Photo: Cicadas climb up a telephone pole in Annandale, Va., during the Brood X emergence in May 2004.(Ron Edmonds/AP)

2013-05-08 21:37:50 (23 comments, 5 reshares, 48 +1s)

Ohio man charged with kidnap, rape as women found

Authorities have filed kidnapping and rape charges against a Cleveland man arrested after three women missing for about a decade were found alive at his home. Ariel Castro was charged Wednesday. Brothers Pedro and Onil Castro are held, but face no charges right now.

Read more from +The Associated Press: http://bit.ly/ZQkigw

2013-05-08 20:57:18 (82 comments, 25 reshares, 135 +1s)

Jodi Arias found guilty of first-degree murder

NBCNews: A jury in Arizona on Wednesday found Jodi Arias, the woman accused of murdering her one-time boyfriend in Arizona, guilty of first-degree murder.

Arias, 32, was charged with murder in the 2008 death of Travis Alexander.
The woman admitted she killed Alexander but claimed self-defense. Arias faces life in prison – potentially even the death penalty.

More from NBC News here. http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/08/18128048-jury-finds-jodi-arias-guilty-of-first-degree-murder?lite

2013-05-08 00:55:43 (57 comments, 10 reshares, 45 +1s)

Ex-South Carolina Gov. Sanford elected to House

 +The Associated Press  has projected former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford to be the winner of Tuesday's special election in South Carolina's first Congressional district race. Sanford, a Republican, defeated Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch after a race that captivated national media attention The win caps an ascent to political redemption after Sanford’s extramarital affair and subsequent divorce made him fodder for national headlines.

Read more from +NBC News: http://nbcnews.to/11R8GI5

Photo: Former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford (right) talks with voter Melvin Wright of Huger, South Carolina, during an election day campaign stop on May 7, 2013. (Randall Hill/Reuters)

2013-05-07 21:50:11 (48 comments, 9 reshares, 39 +1s)

Colorado theater shooting suspect to enter insanity plea

+The Denver Post: The man accused of  killing of 12 people in the Aurora, Colo., movie theater attack wants to plead not guilty by reason of insanity.

In a filing, James Holmes' lawyers wrote they intend to "tender a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity." Holmes would need the judge's permission to change his plea.

Holmes is charged with 166 counts of murder, attempted murder and other offenses for the July 20 attack on the Century Aurora 16 movie theater.

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_23191912/aurora-theater-shooting-james-holmes-plead-insanity

2013-05-07 00:59:06 (287 comments, 42 reshares, 150 +1s)

3 women, missing for years, found alive in Cleveland house

WEWS: Cleveland police said missing teens Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and a third woman were found in a west side house on Monday.

Berry was last seen in 2003 when she was called her sister to say she was getting a ride home from work at the Burger King; DeJesus, 14 at the time, went missing in 2004.

Hundreds of people gathered in the streets near the house where the women were discovered. Cleveland police said Berry, DeJesus and Michelle Knight are alive, talking and appear to be OK.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson said a third woman, Michelle Knight, was also found alive.

More from WEWS here.

2013-05-06 23:26:25 (149 comments, 30 reshares, 63 +1s)

US Senate passes bill letting states tax Internet purchases

The US Senate has passed a bill that could end tax-free shopping on the Internet for many shoppers. The Senate voted 69 to 27 Monday to pass the bill, sending it to the House where it faces opposition from some lawmakers who regard it as a tax increase.

Read more from +The Associated Press:  http://apne.ws/YqLjWP

2013-05-06 18:05:45 (22 comments, 19 reshares, 64 +1s)

Court rules California cities can ban medical marijuana shops

+The Associated Press : California’s highest court ruled on Monday that local California cities have the legal authority to ban medical marijuana shops. 

The court upheld a ban enacted by the city of Riverside in 2010. Advocacy group Americans for Safe Access says another 200 jurisdictions in California have similar bans on pot sales.

Marijuana advocates argue local government bans block the intent of California’s medical marijuana law to allow access to the drug for those with doctor’s recommendations to use it.

2013-05-04 23:17:52 (5 comments, 10 reshares, 90 +1s)

Favorite Orb wins rainy Kentucky Derby

+NBC Sports After lingering in the back for much of the race, favorite horse Orb won the 139th Kentucky Derby.

The colt, ridden by Joel Rosario, completed the muddy race with a time of 2:02:89. Among the 19 starters, Golden Soul finished second and Revolutionary finished third. 

The win was a first for both Rosario and Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey.

Read more: http://www.nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/51776308

Photo: Orb, with jockey Joel Rosario onboard, stormed from the back of the pack to take the 139th running of the Kentucky Derby, giving veteran trainer Shug McGaughey his first win at the Run for the Roses. (Getty Images)

2013-05-04 20:26:18 (44 comments, 9 reshares, 40 +1s)

Seven US troops killed in one day in Afghanistan

+The Associated Press : Seven US service members were killed in two separate attacks on Saturday in Afghanistan, making it one of the deadliest days for US troops in recent months.

Five soldiers were killed in a roadside bombing, while two others were killed in an insider attack when an Afghan National Army soldier turned his weapon on them. 

2013-05-04 13:14:55 (1 comments, 9 reshares, 49 +1s)

Cooler weather could contain California’s ferocious Springs Fire

NPR reports that firefighters in Southern California are welcoming the latest weather forecast, as lower temperatures and higher humidity could help them control the Camarillo Springs Fire.

But the wildfire along the coast remains formidable: It has reportedly burned at least 43 square miles of land and property, nearly doubling in size Friday.

Read more: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/04/181078249/shifts-in-weather-and-strategy-help-slow-springs-wildfire

Photo: Standing on a rooftop, a man looks at the Springs fire’s approaching flames in California Friday. (David McNew/Getty Images)

2013-05-03 16:32:17 (9 comments, 63 reshares, 278 +1s)

Solar-powered plane starts cross-country journey

NBCNews: A Swiss-made, solar-powered airplane called Solar Impulse took off Friday morning on the first leg of an aerial odyssey across America, beginning what’s expected to be the slowest flight from San Francisco to Phoenix with nary a drop of fuel.

Adventurer Bertrand Piccard piloted the craft, which has the wingspan of a jumbo jet but the weight of a typical passenger car, from Moffett Field into the Bay Area’s skies at 6:12 a.m. ET (9:12 a.m. ET) and headed south toward Arizona.
“Everything looking fine down here,” Mission Control told Piccard after takeoff.

Photo: Solar Impulse

*More from NBCNews here: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech/solar-impulse-airplane-begins-fuel-free-odyssey-across-america-6C9761186*

2013-05-02 23:32:21 (83 comments, 18 reshares, 91 +1s)

Rhode Island approves same-sex marriages
WPRI: Same-sex marriage will be legal in Rhode Island starting Aug. 1 after the state House of Representatives gave final approval to the legislation Thursday, thrilling supporters who've been pushing the issue for 16 years.

Gov. Lincoln Chafee signed the bill into law at a ceremony on the South Steps of the State House Thursday evening, where he was joined by Rhode Island's congressional delegation, state lawmakers and advocates for same-sex marriage.

"Today a dream has come true," state Rep. Frank Ferri, D-Warwick, who is openly gay, said to a standing ovation.
 "This moment is surreal. For us in Rhode Island, we have achieved an understanding about the human condition - that we all are one family and need to look out for each other.

More from WPRI here.

2013-05-02 17:29:08 (27 comments, 56 reshares, 279 +1s)

Spire raised to roof of One World Trade Center

A spire adorned with an American flag has been hoisted to the roof of One World Trade Center, where it will eventually be raised and make the building soar to a symbolic 1,776 feet. As construction workers and onlookers applauded, the spire was lifted by crane to a temporary platform Thursday and will be installed at a later date.

Read more and watch video from +NBC New York: http://bit.ly/ZC6ohU

Photo: Construction crews watched Thursday morning as the final pieces of spire were prepared for hoisting to the top of One World Trade Center. (Grace Bello, NBC News Contributor)

2013-05-02 03:10:26 (226 comments, 138 reshares, 395 +1s)

Rapper Chris Kelly, of Kriss Kross, dies

Chris Kelly, of the 1990s rap duo Kris Kross, has died at age 34.

Authorities said Kelly was pronounced dead in a hospital in Atlanta, Georgia at approximately 5 p.m. The cause of death has not yet been determined. 

The duo included Kelly, known as “Mac Daddy,” and Chris Smith, known as “Daddy Mac.” The group was best known for the song “Jump” off their multiplatinum 1992 debut album “Totally Krossed Out.” Kris Kross went on to tour with Michael Jackson and have their own video game. 

Read more from +NBC Bay Area: http://bit.ly/ZohtzH

Photo: Kris Kross during 1993 Kid's Choice Awards in Los Angeles, California. (FilmMagic, Inc./Getty Images)

2013-05-01 21:45:47 (76 comments, 20 reshares, 68 +1s)

Boston bombing suspect’s friends charged

Three suspects who were arrested in connection to Boston Marathon bombings have been charged with lying to investigators, authorities said.

The suspects were college friends of alleged bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

Two of the suspects, Azamat Tazhayakov and Dias Kadyrbayev, were arrested for removing a backpack and fireworks from Tsarnaev’s dorm room after the bombings. Robel Phillipos, the third suspect, is charged with making false statements to police.

According to court papers, the men recognized Tsarnaev from the bombing scene and texted him afterward before removing evidence from his room.

Lawyers of the suspects say they are cooperating, but that they deny the allegations.

Read more from here:  http://nbcnews.to/18r95U0

Photo: Azamat Tazhayakov (left), DiasKadyr... more »

2013-05-01 17:36:04 (35 comments, 8 reshares, 37 +1s)

2 Kazakh men, one other, arrested for allegedly helping suspect after Boston Marathon bombings

BostonGlobe: Two Kazakh men and a third man have been arrested in connection with the Boston Marathon bombings, a law enforcement official familiar with the case said this morning.

The two men, Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov, came to America from the Central Asian nation to study at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, where Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was also enrolled.

Photo: A memorial at the bombing site. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

More from Boston.com here.

2013-04-30 22:49:54 (184 comments, 12 reshares, 87 +1s)

FDA approves Plan B One-Step for girls 15 and older without prescription

NBC News: U.S. regulators on Tuesday approved Plan B One-Step emergency contraception for sale to girls and women ages 15 and older without a prescription and on store shelves instead of behind pharmacy counters, Food and Drug Administration officials announced.

The move, which grants an amended application by drugmaker Teva Women's Health Inc., is a separate action from a federal judge's ruling earlier this month that ordered the Food and Drug Administration to make the so-called "morning after pill" available to all girls and women of reproductive age, including those younger than 17.

More from NBC News here.

2013-04-30 04:50:31 (22 comments, 11 reshares, 51 +1s)

Ex-Pakistan President Musharraf ordered held for 14 days in probe of Bhutto assassination

DawnNews: An anti-terrorist court in Rawalpindi ordered two weeks judicial remand for the former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in the Benazir Bhutto’s murder case on Tuesday.

Pervez Musharraf was not presented in the court due to security reasons.
Talking to reporters after the hearing, FIA’s special prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali alleged that Musharraf was not cooperating with the investigation team.

More from Dawn here.

2013-04-27 15:45:21 (58 comments, 8 reshares, 56 +1s)

Mississippi martial-arts instructor arrested in ricin letter case

Police arrested Everett Dutschke, a martial-arts instructor in Tupelo Mississippi, on Saturday in connection to letters containing the poisonous ricin that were sent to President Obama and two other public officials last week.

The arrest came after U.S. prosecutors dropped charges against another Mississippi man, Elvis impersonator Paul Kevin Curtis, earlier this week.

Police then turned their attention to Dutschke, searching his home and former studio on Tuesday.

Read more from WTVA News: http://bit.ly/ZTSQeb

2013-04-26 21:36:00 (103 comments, 57 reshares, 218 +1s)

Debris from 9/11 plane found in alleyway

A five-foot piece of debris found near Ground Zero on Friday may be a piece of a 9/11 plane, officials say.

The debris, found wedged between two buildings, is believed to be part of the landing gear from one of the planes that hit the World Trade Center more than 11 years ago.

Police have secured the location and are treating it like a crime scene until the medical examiner’s office evaluates the area. Demolition may be required to remove the debris from the narrow alleyway where it was found, police say.

Read more from +NBC News: http://nbcnews.to/12voiTf

(Photo: NYPD)

2013-04-26 17:00:45 (9 comments, 14 reshares, 38 +1s)

Dutch suspect arrested for biggest cyber attack in Internet history

International Business Times: The suspect, believed to be Dutchman Sven Olaf Kamphuis, has been arrested in Barcelona  in relation to the cyber-attack on Spamhaus, which has been called the biggest in the history of the internet.

Authorities have only addressed the 35-year-old suspect as SK; however, IBTimes UK understands the suspect in custody is Sven Olaf Kamphuis who is affliiated with Stophaus, a group whose goal it is to shut down the anti-spam Spamhaus operation.

The distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, which took place over several days towards the end of March, was called the largest in internet history and hyperbolically compared to a nuclear bomb going off, by the company helping defend against the attack.

More from the International Business Times here.

2013-04-26 14:47:19 (35 comments, 40 reshares, 108 +1s)

County legend George Jones dies at 81

The Tennessean: Country Music Hall of Famer George Jones, a master of sad country ballads whose voice held the bracing power, the sweetness and the burn of an evening’s final pull from a bourbon bottle, has died after an illness that hosptialized him since April 18. He was 81.

Jones died Friday at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, according to his publicist Kirt Webster. He was hospitalized with fever and irregular blood pressure, forcing him to postpone two shows.

*More from the Tennessean here. http://blogs.tennessean.com/tunein/2013/04/26/george-jones-country-music-hall-of-famer-and-master-of-sad-ballads-dies-at-age-81/*

Photo: Jones and wife Nancy. Rick Diamond / Getty Images

2013-04-26 10:28:58 (9 comments, 8 reshares, 37 +1s)

Violent protests in Bangladesh follow deadly building collapse

+The Wall Street Journal  reports that police in Bangladesh fired tear gas and rubber bullets at tens of thousands of garment workers who took to the streets Friday to protest the deadly collapse of a factory complex this week.

The death toll from the collapse Wednesday of the Rana Plaza, an eight-story building housing garment factories, rose to around 300, making it the nation’s deadliest industrial accident.

Read more: http://on.wsj.com/ZMbibE