Healthy Quadruplets Born After Life-Saving Prenatal Surgical Operation

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mother of quadruplets[Editor’s note: The photo to your left is of the mother, Ashley Gardner, immediately after she found out that she was pregnant with quadruplets. Her husband, Tyson, took the picture]

A Utah couple whose journey through in-vitro fertilization captivated the nation welcomed quadruplets — two sets of identical twins — Sunday.

Ashley and Tyson Gardner said they are “overwhelmed with joy” after the birth of Indie, Esme, Scarlett and Evangeline by Caesarean section at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo. Three of the newborns weighed a little more than 2 pounds at delivery. The fourth weighed slightly less than 2 pounds, according to the hospital.

The Gardners announced the news on the Facebook page where they share news about the pregnancy.

“Mom and babies are doing incredible!!! We are so happy with how everything turned out today! The doctors, nurses, and staff were incredible!! More updates to follow soon!!”

The Pleasant Grove couple conceived two sets of identical twins this summer with the help of in-vitro fertilization. In October, Ashley Gardner had emergency laser surgery in California to save one set suffering from twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, the hospital. (Read more about the life-saving prenatal surgical operation HERE)

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Elijah’s Story: A Life Saved Before Birth

By Josh Siegel. If not for this rare operation, done before Elijah’s birth to stop the tumor from smothering his heart and right lung, Elijah never would have walked the earth.

“He would have died,” says Elijah’s primary surgeon, Dr. Scott Adzick of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “No question. He would have died if the operation were not done before birth.”

But today Elijah lives—cautiously—as if at 2 years old, he already understands the fragility of life.

“He walks through life making sure he is going to be OK,” says April Leffingwell, Elijah’s mother, describing her son — a model of a boy with golden hair, pink cheeks and soft features who keeps strong eye contact with people near him, as if he has a lifetime of experiences and can relate to what they’re saying.

Last week, as part of a series on fetal surgery, The Daily Signal visited the Leffingwells’ apartment in this suburb of Green Bay. (Read more about the life saved before birth HERE)

2014 World Cup Soccer Star Says Faith in Christ is the Key (+video)

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Tim HowardAmerican soccer goalie Tim Howard pointed beyond practice and talent to describe his success on the field. The 2014 World Cup star opened up about his faith yesterday on ABC News’ “This Week” to call his “relationship with Jesus Christ” a key to his life. (Read more about the 2014 World Cup soccer star HERE)

NYC Mayor Booed, Called 'Traitor' at NYPD Graduation Ceremony

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nypd officersBy Michael Zennie. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio was booed today by the newest members of the New York Police Department as he delivered a speech at the academy graduation ceremony.

Several boos could be heard at Madison Square Garden as de Blasio took the podium in front of 884 newly-minted cops.

At least one cadet could be heard shouting ‘traitor!’ the New York Post reports.

Then, when de Blasio remarked that the new officers would be confronted with problems they didn’t make, someone from the crowd shouted, ‘You created them!’ The heckler was met with applause and cheering. (Read more about the story, “NYC Mayor Booed” HERE)

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NYPD Officers Turning a Blind Eye to Minor Crimes

By Dave Sherfinski. In the wake of the murders of two police officers in New York, some NYPD cops are letting minor crimes slide and a two-car response directive from the police union is hindering response times, according to the New York Post.

An NYPD supervisor told the Post that his policemen are writing almost no summonses and “probably only making arrests when they have to – like when a store catches a shoplifter.”

The Post said the officers were behaving in a “scared” after two of their colleagues were assassinated while sitting in a patrol car two weeks ago.

The Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association’s directive for police to respond with at least two patrol cars is also creating a manpower shortage that’s delaying response times to non-emergencies like burglaries or car crashes to as much as four hours, according to the paper. (Read more from this story HERE)

Suicide Bomber Attack Near Funeral, ISIS Believed to be Involved

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Photo Credit: WND

Photo Credit: WND

By Associated Press. BAGHDAD – A government official says the death toll in a suicide bombing at a funeral north of Baghdad is now 15.

An Interior Ministry spokesman says the bomber blew himself up inside a funeral tent in a farming area outside the mainly Sunni town of Taji, about 12 miles north of Baghdad. He said another 26 mourners were wounded in the attack. (Read more about the suicide bomber attack HERE)

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Nearly 200 Fighters Executed by ISIS For Trying to Return Home

By Ben Tufft. Isis has executed at least 120 of its own militants in the past three months, the majority of whom were foreign fighters trying to return home, according to a Syrian monitoring group.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the brutal militant group killed the jihadists – most of whom were foreign fighters – for trying to flee the territory adding that the true number could be even higher.

Rami Abdurrahman, the director of the group, told The Independent: “We can confirm that 120 fighters have been killed by Isis, but from our sources on the ground we believe that over 200 have actually been killed.”

Of the 120 militants confirmed executed for “exceeding the limits in religion”, 116 are believed to be foreign fighters who wanted to return home. (Read more from this story HERE)
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Taliban Claims America ‘Defeated’ in Afghanistan

By Geoffrey Norman. Reuters is reporting that:

Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan on Monday declared the “defeat” of the U.S. and its allies in the 13-year-old war, a day after the coalition officially marked the end of its combat mission.

Meanwhile, as the AP reports:

Thousands of Afghans are pouring into makeshift camps in the capital where they face a harsh winter as the Taliban return to areas once cleared by foreign forces, who this week are marking the end of their combat mission. (Read more from this story HERE)

The Narcissist-in-Chief Forces Military Couple to Relocate Wedding Just so He Can Play Golf

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Photo Credit: The Telegraph

Photo Credit: The Telegraph

If “You’re Only President Once” means anything, it means telling a pair of Army officers who’ve spent months planning their Hawaiian dream wedding that they’ll have to make way because you simply must, must golf at that very hour.

It was the second time that day that the couple heard from the nation’s commander in chief, whose affinity for golf has, at times, caused political headaches for the White House. Stationed in Hawaii and knowing the president spends his Christmas holiday on the islands, they invited him to their ceremony on a lark. They had received a letter earlier on Saturday saying Obama regretted he couldn’t come and wishing them happiness on their wedding day.

“It was kind of ironic they got the letter from them and then, within hours, they were told they had to be moved due to him,” Jamie McCarthy, Mallue’s sister, said in an interview. “It was emotional, especially for her—she’s the bride and in less than 24 hours they had to change everything they had planned.” (Read more about the military couple who had to relocate wedding for Obama HERE)

Fallen Marine's Family Suing Over Alleged Cover Up

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fallen soldiersThe family of murdered Marine Greg Buckley just wants answers.

Three days before he was scheduled to come home, in 2012, Lance Cpl. Buckley was killed in Afghanistan, in the one place he was supposed to be safe.

He wasn’t killed in a firefight on a battlefield, or by a roadside bomb while on patrol. The 21-year-old was working out with fellow Marines at the base gym when an Afghan teenager walked in carrying an AK-47 — and emptied the clip, killing Buckley and two others.

Buckley’s family, stonewalled in their search for answers, has since resorted to filing a rare lawsuit against the Marine Corps and Department of Defense. They’re not seeking a financial settlement — they say all they want is information about how their son died in the insider attack.

“He shot my son point blank with an AK-47. Shot him four times in his chest and once in his neck. He was in the gym with a pair of shorts and a tank top on,” Buckley’s father Gregory Buckley, Sr. told Fox News. “How is that allowed?” (Read more about the fallen marine’s family’s case HERE)

Another Mystery Airline Disappearance; Search Continues for Missing Airbus A320 Carrying 162

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Asia MournersBy Bart Jansen and John Bacon. Southeast Asia was mourning its third airline catastrophe of the year Sunday after an AirAsia jet with 162 people aboard vanished in violent weather and was believed to be at the bottom of an Indonesian sea.

The fate of Flight 8501 remained a mystery almost a full day after it vanished. . .

The Airbus A320 was bound for Singapore from Surabaya, Indonesia, when it lost contact with air-traffic control Sunday at about 7:24a.m. Singapore time, the airline said.

“We have no idea at the moment what went wrong,” said Tony Fernandes, CEO of the regional, low-cost carrier. “Let’s not speculate at the moment”. . .

The tragedy marks the third commercial air disaster involving airlines in the region this year. Mystery still shrouds Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared without a trace en route to Beijing on March 8 with 239 people aboard. On July 17, another Malaysia Airlines flight was shot down over rebel-controlled eastern Ukraine while on a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, killing all 298 people on board. (Read more about this mystery airline disappearance HERE)
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Anek Ferry BurningHundreds of passengers endure freezing 24 hours on burning ferry in Adriatic

By Barbie Nadeau. Hundreds of desperate passengers are enduring freezing conditions on a stricken ferry that has been burning in the Adriatic Sea for 24 hours.

Helicopters with night vision equipment have been working through the night to pull them off, one by one.

On Monday morning, the Italian Navy announced that 265 people had beenAnek Ferry Rescue rescued from the Norman Atlantic, which was traveling between the Greek port of Igoumenitsa and the Italian port of Ancona when fire broke out deep in the parking bay.

Authorities said 213 remained on board, including the captain, who was helping to coordinate the rescues.

After waiting hours in rough conditions, one Greek man told Italian state broadcaster RAI TV that passengers were “dying of cold and suffocating from the smoke,” and that their feet were “burning” from the heat of the flames. (Read more from this story HERE)

Sunday's Great White Shark Attack Witness: "It Was Really Radical" (+video)

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sharkAndrew Walsh, who was surfing with [the 50-year old victim, Kevin] Swanson at the time of the attack, said [an 8 to 10 foot juvenile] shark swam from beneath Swanson’s board and dragged him under with no warning [on Sunday morning].

“It was really radical,” he said. “I was about 10 feet from him, and it was absolutely quiet. … (The shark) came straight up out of the depths and got him and took him under the water. That was the amazing part: this big giant side of the shark just curving up out of the water.”

Walsh said Swanson was below the water for several seconds before he surfaced on his board, yelled “shark attack” and began paddling for shore.

Once he reached shore, Swanson used the leash cord from his surfboard to fashion a tourniquet for his leg where the shark bit him, Walsh said. Two doctors who had been walking on the beach helped Swanson, as well, and determined that no major arteries had been hit, Walsh said.

“We’re really blessed that he was still able to get himself to shore,” Walsh said. “I was a few feet behind him, and we grabbed him and got him out of the water, obviously, up on the sand, and very quickly these doctors where there, helping out and calling 911.” (Read more about the shark attack witness HERE)

Watch: 'Deck the Halls with Rows of Dead Cops' Sang by Ferguson Protesters on Christmas

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Photo Credit: AP

Photo Credit: AP

By Patrick Howley. Ferguson protesters spent the weekend after Christmas chanting “Deck The Halls With Rows of Dead Cops” just one week after the execution-style murders of New York City police officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu.

Anti-police protesters in Portland, Oregon sang parody Christmas carols Saturday night near Christmas decorations on Peacock Lane in the notoriously liberal city, including “Deck The Halls With Rows of Dead Cops.” (Read more from this story HERE)

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Man Threatens to Kill Cops and Innocent White Kids, Gets Downplayed By Friend as ‘Speaking His Mind’

By Dave Urbanski. After a suburban Chicago man made threats on Facebook that he would “kill cops and innocent white kids,” police searched a home he sometimes stays at and arrested him on weapons and other charges, WLS-TV reported.

While Aries Woodfin, 33, wasn’t charged with making threats, a friend who owns the Ford Heights, Illinois, house where Woodfin was arrested downplayed his Facebook threat.

She said it was a reaction over the grand jury decisions in Ferguson, Missouri, and New York City where white police officers weren’t indicted for their roles in the deaths of unarmed black men.

“He was speaking his mind,” Beatrice Franklin told WLS. “He was expressing how he felt, which is what everyone else was doing on Facebook as well, expressing themselves. They were ranting and they were raving.” (Read more from this story HERE)
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Al Sharpton’s Race War Being Funded by Major Retail Chain

By Conservative Tribune. The National Legal and Policy Center, a government watchdog group, has made repeated requests to the international retail giant to stop funding Sharpton’s National Action Network, especially after the shooting deaths of two NYPD officers by an Islamic gang member whom many believe was inspired by Sharpton’s anti-police rhetoric.

But no policy change has been announced by the retailer.

In a 2009 email, Walmart addressed concerns of its shareholders about the company’s annual giving to NAN.

“Our support for NAN is focused on addressing health and wellness issues and other issues important to our customers and associates,” the email read (H/T Got News). “Our company will continue to support organizations that can further our mission to help people live better.” (Read more from this story HERE)

After Legalization, Now 1 out of 8 Coloradoans Smoke Pot Regularly

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Photo Credit: AP

Photo Credit: AP

By John Ingold. As marijuana legalization took hold in Colorado, the estimated percentage of regular cannabis users in the state jumped to the second-highest level in the country, according to new federal data.

When asked, roughly one out of every eight Colorado residents over the age of 12 reported using marijuana in the previous month. Only Rhode Island topped Colorado in the percentage of residents who reported using marijuana as frequently.

The results come from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health and represent the average of estimates gathered in 2012 and 2013.

The numbers are among the first measurements of marijuana use in Colorado to be released after it became legal in late 2012 for people over 21 to use and possess marijuana in the state. But because they do not include data from this year, the numbers aren’t able to answer the question experts have watched Colorado closely for: How will widespread commercial sales of marijuana impact use? (Read more on the people who smoke pot regularly HERE)

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Shelters Cite Legal Pot as Part of Denver’s Rise of Homelessness

By AP. DENVER (AP) — Chris Easterling was sick of relying on drug dealers in Minneapolis when he needed marijuana to help ease the pain of multiple sclerosis. They were flaky, often leaving the homeless man without the drug when he needed relief the most.

So he moved to Denver, where legal pot dispensaries are plentiful and accessible.

Easterling is among a growing number of homeless people who have recently come to Colorado seeking its legal marijuana, and who now remain in the state and occupy beds in shelters, according to service providers.

While no state agency records how many homeless people were drawn by legal weed, officials at homeless centers say the influx they are seeing is straining their ability to meet the needs of the increasing population.

“The older ones are coming for medical (marijuana), the younger ones are coming just because it’s legal,” said Brett Van Sickle, director of Denver’s Salvation Army Crossroads Shelter, which has more than doubled its staff to accommodate the increase. (Read more from this story HERE)