Utah Man Killed Wife on Alaska Cruise Because ‘She Would Not Stop Laughing’ at Him

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A Utah man who was discovered with his dead wife in their blood-splattered cabin aboard an Alaska cruise ship Tuesday night told an acquaintance he killed her because “she wouldn’t stop laughing” at him, the FBI revealed in a criminal complaint on Thursday.

Kenneth Manzanares, 39, was charged with murder in the death of his wife Kristy Manzanares, FOX13 reported. An acquaintance came into the cabin and found Manzanares’ hands and clothes as well as the walls of the cabin covered in blood, the FBI said.

“She would not stop laughing at me,” Manzanares allegedly told the acquaintance.

It’s unclear what caused the woman’s death, but she was discovered with a severe head wound. Her body was found on the cabin floor covered in blood, court documents stated. (Read more from “Utah Man Killed Wife on Alaska Cruise Because ‘She Would Not Stop Laughing’ at Him” HERE)

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Trump Says Lisa Murkowski ‘Really Let America Down’

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President Donald Trump chastised Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R.-Alaska, Wednesday for two votes she cast Tuesday associated with health care reform legislation, asserting that she let down Republicans and “our country.”

“Senator @lisamurkowski of the Great State of Alaska really let the Republicans, and our country, down yesterday. Too bad!” Trump tweeted Wednesday morning.

Murkowski and one other Republican senator, Susan Collins of Maine, were the only GOP senators to vote with Democrats against a procedural measure to begin debate on the GOP’s proposed health care legislation.

Eight other Republicans joined Murkowski in a later vote against an amendment that would have repealed and replaced portions of Obamacare.

Republicans are utilizing a process known as reconciliation in their attempt to pass health care reform legislation, which allows most amendments to pass with only 50 votes.

However, the amendment Murkowski voted against Tuesday night required 60 votes since portions of it have not yet been scored by the Congressional Budget Office.

In response to Trump’s criticism, Murkowski said Wednesday that she is not concerned about the president damaging her prospects for reelection.

“Quite honestly, I don’t think it’s wise to be operating on a daily basis thinking about what, a statement or a response, that causes you to be fearful of your electoral prospects,” Murkowski said.

“We’re here to govern. We’re here to legislate. We’re here to represent the people that sent us here,” she added.

The Alaska Republican suggested that politicians should concern themselves with governing instead of always worrying about their reelection chances.

“Every day shouldn’t be about winning elections,” she said.

“How about just doing a little bit of governing around here? That’s what I’m here for.”

The Senate will consider other health care-related amendments prior to its August recess. (For more from the author of “Trump Says Lisa Murkowski ‘Really Let America Down'” please click HERE)

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Charlie Gard Will Likely Be Forced Into Hospice Tomorrow to Die, Not Allowed to Go Home

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Charlie Gard’s parents have until 12:00 p.m. tomorrow to set up their home to Great Ormond Street Hospital’s (GOSH) liking, or their son will be transferred to a hospice and have his life support pulled there.

Such arrangements will be difficult to make, meaning the 11-month-old who has captured the world’s attention will likely have his life support removed at a hospice.

For months, the hospital argued in court that its staff rather than Charlie’s parents be allowed to decide his fate. After Charlie’s parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, eventually ended their legal battle to save their son’s life because the hospital didn’t treat him soon enough, the hospital refused to allow them to take Charlie home to die.

Yesterday and today, Chris and Connie were in court trying to arrange for their 11-month-old son to be transferred from the hospital to their home, and allowed to spend his last moments there.

The BBC reported that Chris and Connie have “accepted their son has to be moved to a hospice” and some British media suggested they gave up trying to bring him home. (Read more from “Charlie Gard Will Likely Be Forced Into Hospice Tomorrow to Die, Not Allowed to Go Home” HERE)

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Doctor’s Offer to Euthanize Young Woman Leaves Her Mother ‘Dumbfounded’

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A Newfoundland mother wants an apology from the hospital where, she says, a doctor suggested her daughter should be euthanized.

Sheila Elson says she’s particularly upset because her 25-year-old daughter, Candice Lewis, overheard the conversation and has been traumatized, reports the Northern Pen.

Lewis has suffered since birth from a number of medical conditions, including spina bifida, cerebral palsy and chronic seizure disorder . . .

Elson alleged that Dr. Aaron Heroux told her at that time assisted suicide was legal and her daughter qualified.

“This left me dumbfounded and I told him it was something I did not want to consider,” Elson told the Northern Pen. (Read more from “Doctor’s Offer to Euthanize Young Woman Leaves Her Mother ‘Dumbfounded'” HERE)

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Scientists Journey to the World’s ‘Lost’ 8th Continent

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Scientists will soon venture to the world’s hidden eighth continent, the sunken land of Zealandia.

The lost continent, which is mostly submerged, with all of New Zealand and a few islands peeking out from the water, is about half the size of Australia. By drilling deep into its crust or upper layer, the new scientific expedition could provide clues about how the diving of one of Earth’s plates beneath another, a process called subduction, fueled the growth of a volcano chain and this lost continent in the Pacific Ocean 50 million years ago. The new expedition could also reveal how that Earth-altering event changed ocean currents and the climate.

“We’re looking at the best place in the world to understand how plate subduction initiates,” expedition co-chief scientist Gerald Dickens, professor of Earth, environmental and planetary science at Rice University in Texas, said in a statement. “This expedition will answer a lot of questions about Zealandia” . . .

In February, scientists argued in the journal GSA Today that Earth has a hidden eighth continent, which should be reflected on maps.

The argument for Zealandia being a continent was based on several lines of evidence. Rocks beneath the ocean floor off New Zealand’s coast are made up of a variety of ancient rock types that are found only on continents, not in oceanic crust. The continental shelves of Zealandia are much shallower than those of the nearby oceanic crust. And, rock samples reveal a thin strip of oceanic crust separating Australia and the underwater portions of Zealandia. All of these factors suggest the area underwater around New Zealand makes up a continent, the researchers reported. (Read more from “Scientists Journey to the World’s ‘Lost’ 8th Continent” HERE)

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Rare Megamouth Shark Captured on Video

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When scientists first discovered the megamouth shark in 1976 off the coast of Hawaii, it struck them as so bizarre that, to classify it, they created an entirely new genus and family.

Today, little is still known about the shark save for the fact that it has a large gaping mouth, which is indeed, very mega.

While swimming off the coast of Indonesia’s Komodo Island, one diver got a lucky sighting of one of these rarely seen sharks.

The diver was exploring the northernmost string of the islands known as Gili Lawa Laut, a popular diving spot for tourists when the shark happened to swim by. Video shows a clear image of the shark gently gliding through the water. It’s characteristic head and mouth get within close proximity of the diver before it turns and swims away. (Read more from “Rare Megamouth Shark Captured on Video” HERE)

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Retired Trans Navy SEAL Challenges Trump

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A retired Navy SEAL who came out as a transgender ‘woman’ after retiring in 2011 urged President Donald Trump to say to his face that he is not worthy of serving in the U.S. military.

“Let’s meet face to face and you tell me I’m not worthy,” Kristin Beck told Business Insider Wednesday. “Transgender doesn’t matter. Do your service.”

Beck served 20 years in the Navy SEALs with SEAL Teams 1, 5 and the elite Team 6. Beck was deployed 13 times, including stints abroad in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The SEAL veteran received multiple military awards and decorations, including a Purple Heart for wounds sustained in combat and the Bronze Star award for valor.

“I was defending individual liberty,” Beck said. “I defended for Republicans. I defended for Democrats. I defended for everyone.”

Beck’s statement came in response to Trump’s announcement Wednesday that the U.S. government will not allow transgender individuals “to serve in any capacity” in the U.S. armed forces.

“After consultation with my generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military,” Trump said in a series of tweets.

“Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail,” the president said.

But Beck said the cost of providing medical services to transgender service members is “negligible.”

“You’re talking about .000001% of the military budget,” Beck said.

“They care more about the airplane or the tank than they care about people,” Beck said. “They don’t care about people. They don’t care about human beings.”

Beck said any issues that would arise due to transgender service members would be a result of incompetent leadership more than anything else.

“A very professional unit with great leadership wouldn’t have a problem,” Beck said. “I can have a Muslim serving right beside Jerry Falwell, and we’re not going to have a problem. It’s a leadership issue, not a transgender issue.”

Beck publicly came out as transgender in 2013 after retiring from the Navy in 2011.

The naval veteran told CNN’s Anderson Cooper in a June 2013 interview that “no one ever met the real me” during 20 years of military service. (For more from the author of “Retired Trans Navy SEAL Challenges Trump” please click HERE)

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Los Angeles Mayor Defies Trump Administration’s Immigration Policy

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The mayor of Los Angeles vowed on Wednesday not to comply with the Trump administration’s order to notify the Department of Homeland Security before releasing illegal aliens from custody.

“Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Tuesday that sanctuary cities must give federal immigration authorities access to jails and alert them when someone facing deportation will be released from custody, in order to receive certain law enforcement grants,” Fox News reported.

Democrat Mayor Eric Garcetti told BuzzFeed that his government will not comply with the order.

“We will not change what we are doing and our values are not for sale,” Garcetti said Wednesday. “This decision was more of the kind of ideological rhetoric that actually makes us less safe.”

The mayor further contended, “What they’re asking the city to do is in violation of the Constitution.”

Garcetti’s argument regarding why the DOJ’s policy is unconstitutional was not included in the story.

The federal government has the enumerated power to craft the country’s immigration laws, and it can withhold grant money if those seeking it are not in compliance with the grant’s parameters.

In March, Garcetti issued an executive order barring local government officials from assisting federal immigration officers.

Additionally, in 2014 the Los Angeles Police Department stated it would not honor detainer requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

The order further bars LA employees from granting any immigration agent access to a city facility not open to the public unless legally required to do so.

In a statement on Tuesday, Sessions contended that sanctuary city policies like those employed by Los Angeles are dangerous.

“So-called sanctuary policies make all of us less safe because they intentionally undermine our laws and protect illegal aliens who have committed crimes,” the attorney general said.

“These policies also encourage illegal immigration and even human trafficking by perpetuating the lie that in certain cities, illegal aliens can live outside the law … We must encourage these `sanctuary’ jurisdictions to change their policies and partner with federal law enforcement to remove criminals.” (For more from the author of “Los Angeles Mayor Defies Trump Administration’s Immigration Policy” please click HERE)

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FACT CHECK: Are 15,000 Trans People Serving in the US Military?

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President Donald Trump sent out a series of tweets on Wednesday stating that the U.S. “will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military.” Immediately after these tweets politicians, organizations and political commentators began tweeting out certain numbers of how many transgender people are serving or have served in the military . . .

The number of trans people serving in the military is unclear. There have been two major studies on the number, with each study purporting different figures . . .

California Rep. Mark Takano tweeted out that Trump was attacking “15,ooo trans service members.” Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ rights organization, also tweeted the 15,000 figure. The Anti-Defamation League’s CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted that “150K transgender Americans have bravely served USA.” . . .

The Williams Institute study from 2014 estimated “that approximately 15,500 transgender individuals are serving on active duty or in the Guard or Reserve forces.” The study suggests that “8,800 transgender individuals are currently on active duty.”

A study in 2016 from the RAND Corporation, sponsored by the secretary of defense, estimates that “the number of transgender individuals currently serving in the active component of the U.S. military at between 1,320 and 6,630 out of a total of about 1.3 million service members.” This number accounts for 0.1-0.5 percent of those serving in active military according to the RAND Corporation. (Read more from “FACT CHECK: Are 15,000 Trans People Serving in the US Military?” HERE)

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The Situation at the Justice Department Is More Dangerous Than Trump Knows

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The prospect of Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ dismissal seems especially high, as President Trump disparages his longtime loyalist in daily tweets and refuses to say whether he has confidence in his leadership.

The most dangerous scenario attending this unprecedented situation, however, would be if Trump fired Sessions as part of a broader push to oust special counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Such a scheme could precipitate a wave of departures at the highest levels of the Justice Department, where Trump’s repeated knocks have leveled morale.

If Trump dismisses Sessions, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will likely become acting AG, though BuzzFeed News’ Chris Geidner notes, Trump could install any Senate confirmed official in the post on a temporary basis.

Rosenstein is a career Justice Department official who commands the support of the bureaucracy and lawmakers of both parties. He is also the officer who appointed Mueller as special counsel. The prospect that he would dismiss him, therefore, seems exceedingly low. As such, it seems most likely that he would resign if ordered to fire Mueller. (Read more from “The Situation at the Justice Department Is More Dangerous Than Trump Knows” HERE)

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