Aaron Alexis’s Mom “Glad” That “He Can No Longer Do Harm”

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Photo Credit: AP

Photo Credit: AP

The mother of Aaron Alexis, the gunman who killed 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard, said today that her “heart is broken,” but she is “glad” that he can no longer do harm to anyone. Alexis’ mother, Cathleen Alexis, read a brief statement to reporters in response to her son’s murderous rampage Monday at the Navy Yard, saying she had no idea why he would do such a thing.

“Our son Aaron Alexis has murdered 12 people and wounded several others,” she said in the statement. “His actions have had a profound and everlasting effect on the families of the victims. I don’t know why he did what he did and I’ll never be able to ask him why.” “Aaron is now in a place where he can no longer do harm to anyone and for that I am glad.

To the families of the victims I am so, so very sorry that this happened,” she said. “My heart is broken.” Alexis’ family has spoken only briefly about their son since the shooting on Monday morning, in which Alexis entered the Navy base where he was set to begin an IT contracting job and opened fire on employees.

Twelve individuals were killed before law enforcement officers were able to shoot and kill Alexis.

On Tuesday, Alexis’s stepfather told the Daily Mail that Alexis was walking out of the World Trade Center subway stop when the first tower collapsed, and that he stayed to help pull bodies from the rubble.

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Muslim Brotherhood Official, Former Clinton Foundation Employee Arrested in Cairo

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Photo Credit: LinkedIn

Photo Credit: LinkedIn

A senior Muslim Brotherhood official who, until recently, had been employed by the William J. Clinton Foundation was arrested in Cairo on Tuesday and charged with inciting violence.

Gehad el-Haddad served as one of the Muslim Brotherhood’s top communications officials until Egyptian security forces seized him as part of a wider crackdown on officials loyal to ousted former President Mohamed Morsi.

Before emerging as a top Brotherhood official and adviser to Morsi, el-Haddadserved for five years as a top official at the Clinton Foundation, a nonprofit group founded by former President Bill Clinton.

El-Haddad gained a reputation for pushing the Muslim Brotherhood’s Islamist agenda in the foreign press, where he was often quoted defending the Brotherhood’s crackdown on civil liberties in Egypt.

He was raised in a family of prominent Brotherhood supporters and became the public face of the Islamist organization soon after leaving his post at the Clinton Foundation.

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Gov. Mary Fallin Blocks Same-Sex Benefits

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Photo Credit: AP

Photo Credit: AP

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin has ordered the National Guard to stop processing requests for military benefits for same-sex couples, her office confirmed Tuesday, despite a Pentagon directive to do so.

Fallin spokesman Alex Weintz said the governor was following the wish of Oklahoma voters, who approved a constitutional amendment in 2004 that prohibits giving benefits of marriage to gay couples.

“Because of that prohibition, Gov. Fallin’s general counsel has advised the National Guard not to process requests for benefits of same-sex couples,” Weintz said. “Gay couples that have been legally married in other states will be advised they can apply for those benefits on federal facilities, such as Tinker Air Force Base, rather than state run facilities.”

Fallin ordered the policy change Sept. 5, Weintz said.

The policy is a shift from how the Guard had been handling requests for benefits from same-sex partners in the ranks of the roughly 9,500 guard soldiers and airmen in Oklahoma, said Oklahoma National Guard spokesman Col. Max Moss.

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8-Year-Old asks Santa to Help Bullied Twin Sister

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Photo Credit: Fox

Photo Credit: Fox

Christmas is still several months away, but one North Carolina boy is already asking Santa to help his twin sister who is bullied at school.

Karen Suffern, a single mother of the fraternal twins, told CNN that she asked them to write their letters early this year because she wanted to have enough time to save for the holidays. She expected they would ask for expensive electronics.

She cried when she read 8-year-old Ryan’s letter. All he wanted was for Santa to help his sister Amber.

Dear Santa,

My mom said to send you a Christmas list. I wanted a remote control car and helicopter but I do not want that anymore. Kids at school are still picking on Amber and it is not fair because she does not do anything to them and it makes me mad. I prayed they would stop, but God is busy and I need your help. Is it against the rules to give up gifts early? Can you ask Big Time Rush to come to Amber’s birthday party? It will make her so happy. If you do not get them to come that is fine, just get her everything she asked for…

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Illegal Immigrants Chain Themselves to White House Fence

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Photo Credit: J. David Ake

Photo Credit: J. David Ake

Seven illegal immigrants chained themselves to the White House fence Wednesday to demand President Obama halt all deportations, saying he has a moral obligation to keep families together.

“Stop deportations — not one more,” onlookers chanted as police moved in to remove the activists, who aired a live web videocast of their arrest.

A day earlier, Mr. Obama had rejected their calls, telling Telemundo, a Spanish-language network, that halting more deportations is “not an option.”

Immigrant-rights activists said 1,200 immigrants are deported every day. The seven who chained themselves to the White House fence along Pennsylvania Avenue include three from Arizona, two from Atlanta, one from New Orleans and one from New York.

Their move creates a conundrum for Mr. Obama and the Secret Service, who will have to decide whether to put the seven activists into deportation proceedings now.

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Beanie Babies Creator Charged with Tax Evasion

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Photo Credit: AP

Photo Credit: AP

The creator of some of the world’s most beloved stuffed animals is getting no love from the IRS.

Ty Warner, who made billions when demand exploded for his Beanie Babies in the 1990s, was charged Wednesday with federal tax evasion, accused of failing to report more than $3 million he earned in a secret offshore account.

Warner, 69, has agreed to plead guilty and will pay a civil penalty of $53.6 million, his lawyer, George Scandaglia, said in a statement.

“This is an unfortunate situation that Mr. Warner has been trying to resolve for several years now,” Scandaglia said. “Mr. Warner accepts full responsibility for his actions with this plea agreement.”

Warner, ranked 209th on Forbes Magazine’s list of richest Americans with an estimated worth of $2.6 billion, generally sold his Beanie Babies for less than $10. At the peak of their popularity in the 1990s, resale of some favored versions could draw several times their retail value.

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Australia’s New Prime Minister Scraps Carbon Tax and Halts Asylum-Seeking Boats

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Photo Credit: AFP

Photo Credit: AFP

Tony Abbott was sworn in as Australia’s new prime minister on Wednesday and immediately ordered the scrapping of the nation’s carbon tax and the halting of asylum-seeker boats.

The 55-year-old conservative launched straight into work with a cabinet meeting after the ceremony at Government House in Canberra where his Liberal/National government officially brought six years of Labor rule to a close.

“Today is not just a ceremonial day, it’s an action day. The Australian people expect us to get straight down to business and that’s exactly what this government will do,” said, Abbott, a political hardman who has worked to soften his macho image in recent months.

In presenting his frontbench team to Governor-General Quentin Bryce, he added: “We will be a problem-solving government based on values not ideology.”

Abbott was elected on September 7 on a pledge to quickly scrap taxes on corporate pollution and mining profits imposed under Labor, as well as introducing a costly paid parental leave scheme and a vow to build new roads across the vast nation.

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Giants CB Prince Amukamara: ‘Some People Call Me The Black Tim Tebow’

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Photo Credit: Joe Robbins/Getty

Photo Credit: Joe Robbins/Getty

Tim Tebow is long gone from this town.

He was released by the Jets on April 29 and is now nothing more than an afterthought in New York. But Giants cornerback Prince Amukamara is now being compared to Tebow, who was released by the Patriots on Aug. 31.

The comparison doesn’t have to do with their play on the field, but rather their actions off the field.

Big Blue’s first-round draft pick in 2011 told Muscle and Fitness that he never drinks alcohol, and is committed to staying celibate.

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We’ll be Uploading our Entire MINDS to Computers by 2045, Google Expert Claims

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Photo Credit: Science Photo Library

Photo Credit: Science Photo Library

In just over 30 years, humans will be able to upload their entire minds to computers and become digitally immortal – an event called singularity – according to a futurist from Google.

Ray Kurzweil, director of engineering at Google, also claims that the biological parts of our body will be replaced with mechanical parts and this could happen as early as 2100.

Kurweil made the claims during his conference speech at the Global Futures 2045 International Congress in New York at the weekend.

The conference was created by Russian multimillionaire Dmitry Itskov and featured visonary talks about how the world will look by 2045.

Kurzweil said: ‘Based on conservative estimates of the amount of computation you need to functionally simulate a human brain, we’ll be able to expand the scope of our intelligence a billion-fold.’

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Disabled Veteran Kicked Off US Airways Plane, Refused to Put Service Dog on Floor (+video)

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Photo Credit: Fox

Photo Credit: Fox

A newly released video has put valley-based US Airways in a tough position. A Vietnam vet with a service dog got into a heated discussion with a flight attendant and then was escorted off the plane for security reasons.

Video: “No! I’d appreciate if you’d get the hell off this ground and get where we’re going!”

Emotions ran high onboard a US Airways flight from Phoenix to El Paso. This video has gone viral.

“I’m sorry folks but I’ve earned the right to have this service animal because of my service to this country in Vietnam. I am 100 percent disabled, I have a service dog because of it and everyone has to obey the ADA laws except this airline! So I’m sorry but I’m not budging!”

This passenger wants his service dog, a golden retriever, to remain seated on the empty seat next to him.

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