Security Video May Show Boston Marathon Bombing Suspect; Report of Arrest Premature (+video)

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Photo Credit: Washington Post

The daunting task of sifting through thousands of images of the Boston Marathon bombing site in search of a culprit suddenly telescoped to a single video from a Lord & Taylor security camera Wednesday.

The discovery of video of a man who wore a large backpack to the finish line area and then dropped the package there raised hopes for an imminent breakthrough in the case, setting off a media frenzy and insistent statements from authorities that no arrest has been made. A Boston city official said the video is of “special interest” to investigators.

The second full day of the investigation into the attack that killed three people and injured at least 176 brought jitters, rumors and at least the hope that investigators had made important progress, though Massachusetts Gov. Deval L. Patrick (D) said that while the probe is “making some progress . . . it’s going to be slow, it’s going to be methodical.”

Boston’s federal courthouse, where hundreds had gathered in response to false reports of an arrest, was briefly evacuated because of a bomb threat. Officials also evacuated a Boston hospital, Brigham and Women’s, and Oklahoma City’s City Hall because of suspicious vehicles outside. No explosives were found in those cases.

In Boston, many of the injured were released from hospitals. At Brigham and Women’s, which initially treated 35 people, only 11 were still hospitalized Wednesday evening, four of them in critical condition.

Watch video here:

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Move Over ObamaPhone: 844-Page Immigration Bill Funds New 'MarcoPhone'

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Photo Credit: Shark Tank

With the new ‘Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act’ finally being filed in the U.S. Senate, concerns over how much money the immigration reform bill will cost an already debt-ridden United States continues to swirl among Americans who are already strapped for cash.

According to the newly filed bill, immigrants who are allowed to enter the United States under a work visa, will be ‘granted’ a taxpayer funded cellular phone. Move over “Obama phone,” we present the new ‘Hola, Como Estas?!’ MarcoPhone.

Here is the actual mention of the free phones in the bill-

SEC. 1107. ACCESS TO EMERGENCY PERSONNEL. (a) SOUTHWEST BORDER REGION EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS GRANTS.—

The Secretary, in consultation with the governors of the States in the Southwest Border region, shall establish a 2-year grant program, to be administered by the Secretary, to improve emergency communications in the Southwest

ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANTS.—An individual is eligible to receive a grant under this subsection if the individual demonstrates that he or she— (A) regularly resides or works in the Southwest Border region; is at greater risk of border violence due to the lack of cellular service at his or her residence or business and his or her proximity to the Southern border. (3) USE OF GRANTS.—Grants awarded under this subsection may be used to purchase satellite telephone communications systems and service that— (A) can provide access to 9–1–1 service; and (B) are equipped with global positioning

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Democrat Senator Mark Warner: US Debt Crisis More Threatening than Terror

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Photo Credit: AP

A day after bombings at the Boston Marathon, Sen. Mark Warner said that fiscal issues are more important than terrorism for the future of the country.

“In my mind, with the tragedy of yesterday, the issue of this national debt is a greater threat to our nation and our future than any terrorist action,” Warner said Tuesday evening at an awards dinner in Washington. “We will not be destroyed from the outside.”

The Virginia Democrat comments were part of larger remarks he gave on the importance of putting the country on better fiscal footing Tuesday evening at the Capital Hilton during the Bryce Harlow Foundation’s annual dinner. Warner received the Bryce Harlow Award for his career and contributions to the advancement of government relations

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In Welfare We Trust: One-Sixth of Federal Budget is Now Welfare

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Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Yes, it looks like a wedding announcement out of The Onion, but when it comes to making a killing off the never-ending “War on Poverty,” the marriage of convenience between the financial services industry and federal bureaucrats is no laughing matter.

The idea that government welfare programs could eliminate poverty, rather than temporarily alleviate its worst impacts during hard times, took root during Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society initiative. From modest beginnings, a panoply of federal welfare programs expanded and multiplied to the point where they now consume one-sixth of the federal budget—some $588 billion last year, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

This is a lot of spending—even by contemporary standards—and this figure doesn’t even include the current explosion in unemployment benefits, as these are considered social “insurance” payouts rather than welfare. Nor does it include Social Security or Medicare, our largest and most rapidly growing federal expenditures. To make matters worse, these programs, which were designed to keep the elderly out of poverty, are entitlements not yet subject to means testing, so payments go to rich, middle class, and poor alike.

With anti-poverty programs enjoying meteoric growth thanks to the economic policies of the current and previous administrations, we may someday look back fondly on the days when we “only” had to fork over half a trillion a year to support the longest and least successful “war” in American history, with no sign of stopping.

How many civil servants with good pay and benefits does it take to do all this poverty fighting? Try as I might to discover the answer I finally gave up, surprised that I couldn’t locate a definitive study enumerating the number of federal, state, and government-funded private employees whose livelihood depends on administering the ever expanding stream of tax dollars flowing to the poor. Is it any wonder that these entrenched bureaucrats have managed to slowly expand the definition of poverty to include a standard of living that would have been considered middle class back when the war on poverty started?

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'Threatened' Student Files Complaint Against Allen West

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Photo Credit: WND

After sternly warning college students to stop harassing his wife or they would face consequences, former Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., now finds himself the target of a complaint.

West, a retired Army colonel who narrowly lost his congressional seat after serving a notable freshman term, had responded on Twitter and Facebook to students at Florida Atlantic University, where his wife, Angela, serves on the Board of Trustees. He explained in a Facebook post Wednesday that students had gone to his wife’s office, “stalked her at the FAU Board of Trustee meetings, and sent letters to her company headquarters.”

“How dare you animals attack my wife and her professional reputation. This is your one and only advisory notice,” West said.

He clarified: “This is not a threat, it is a promise that if Angela calls and tells me of one more incident, you will face me, the side of me that you do not want to see.”

He sent a similar message on Twitter: “To FAU students stalking my wife at Bd of Trustee mtgs, end it now. If u believe you can intimidate her, u are mistaken. Nxt time u face me.”

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Deal Approved in Muslims' Suit Against McDonald's

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A judge on Wednesday finalized a $700,000 settlement between McDonald’s Corp. and members of Michigan’s Muslim community over claims a suburban Detroit restaurant falsely advertised its food as prepared according to Islamic law.

Ahmed Ahmed, the Dearborn Heights man who represents plaintiffs in the class-action suit, claims he bought a chicken sandwich in September 2011 at the restaurant but found it wasn’t halal. Islam forbids consumption of pork, and God’s name must be invoked before an animal providing meat for consumption is slaughtered.

The McDonald’s restaurant chain and one of its franchise owners agreed in January to the tentative settlement that would be shared by Ahmed, as well as a Muslim-run Detroit health clinic, the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn and lawyers.

The two sides met Wednesday for final approval before Wayne County Circuit Judge Kathleen Macdonald, who has overseen the case and refereed objections by outside groups since a preliminary deal was announced in January. The settlement was originally set to be finalized March 1, but Macdonald extended the public comment period after pressure from Dearborn lawyer Majed Moughni, who criticized the class-action settlement on Facebook and was temporarily barred from communicating publicly about the case.

Ahmed’s portion of the settlement is considered an “incentive award” and represents his work on the case, his attorneys say.

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Wife of ex-Justice of Peace Now Charged With Murder in Texas DA Killings

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Photo Credit: CNN

The wife of a former justice of the peace in Texas is being held on murder charges in connection with the killings of Kaufman County District Attorney Michael McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, county officials announced Wednesday.

Kim Lene Williams, 46, is also charged with murder in the death of prosecutor Mark Hasse.

She is in jail, with bail set at $10 million. The Kaufman County jail website lists her as being booked about 3 a.m. Wednesday.

The McLellands were killed in March, and Hasse was killed in January.

The arrest warrant said she confessed in detail to her involvement and her husband, Eric Williams’, role in the scheme.

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Another Letter, this One to Obama, Tests Positive for Ricin; Suspect Claims He's on the 'Front Lines of a Secret War'

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Photo Credit: Getty

Mississippi man arrested in connection to ricin letters sent to Obama, lawmakers

By Fox News. A Mississippi man has been arrested as a suspect in connection to the mailing of three letters sent to President Obama, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and a Mississippi official that initially tested positive for ricin, Fox News confirms.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Daniel McMullen said the man was arrested Wednesday at approximately 5:15 p.m. CT. It is unclear if charges are getting filed tonight or if they will be filed tomorrow.

The Department of Justice said he was arrested at his Corinth, Miss., home following an investigation conducted by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces in Memphis, Tenn., and Jackson, Miss., the U.S. Capitol Police, and the U.S. Postal Service, the U.S. Secret Service.

The suspect has been identified as 45-year-old Paul Kenneth Curtis of Tupelo, Miss., a source told Fox News. Tupelo is also the hometown of Wicker and his wife.

The FBI confirmed earlier Wednesday that a letter addressed to President Obama had “preliminarily tested positive” for ricin, a day after lawmakers said another letter sent to the Capitol Hill office of Sen. Roger Wicker tested positive for the same substance. Read more from this story HERE.

Letter to Obama Tests Positive for Ricin

By Associated Press. Police swept across the U.S. Capitol complex to chase a flurry of reports of suspicious packages and envelopes Wednesday after preliminary tests indicated poisonous ricinin two letters sent to President Barack Obama and a Mississippi senator.

In an intelligence bulletin, the FBI said that the letters to Obama and Sen. Roger Wicker, a Republican from Mississippi, were postmarked Memphis, Tenn. Both letters say: “To see a wrong and not expose it, is to become a silent partner to its continuance.” Both are signed, “I am KC and I approve this message.”

Reports of suspicious letters also came in from congressional offices in Michigan and Arizona as police investigated the discovery of at least three questionable packages in Senate office buildings.

The rush of activity came as tensions were high in Washington and across the country following the twin bombings on Monday at the Boston Marathon that killed three people and injured more than 170. The FBI said there was no indication of a connection between the letters and the bombing. The letters to Obama and Wicker were postmarked April 8, before the marathon.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Democrat from Missouri, said that police have a suspect in mind in the Obama and Wicker mailings, someone who “writes a lot of letters to members.” She made the comment Tuesday as she emerged from a briefing by law enforcement on the Boston bombing. Read more from this story HERE.

Mind-boggling details emerge about ricin letter suspect: ‘I’m on the hidden front lines of a secret war’

By News Editor. TheBlaze is reporting that the individual arrested today in connection with the ricin letters had formerly been fired from a medical facility for allegedly uncovering an illicit trade in body parts. He likely filed the following petition on Change.org:

To:
The President of the United States
The U.S. Senate
The U.S. House of Representatives
The Governor of MS
Sen. Thad Cochran, MS
Sen. Roger Wicker, MS
Rep. Travis Childers, MS-01

I am petitioning for legislation on a federal level as well as investigations into the secret world wide business of illegal bone, tissue, body parts and organ harvesting.

In 2000, I was fired & banned from the largest non-metropolitan charity hospital in the United States of America after questioning unfair employment practices and ethics. I filed suit against this organization, was re-hired for a period of two months and then ultimately terminated and banned for life from the hospital as well as every government affiliated business associated and/or connected to this so-called charity, tax exempt health care organization.

It is my firm belief I was terminated & banned in an effort to silence me immediately after I questioned several employee’s in the ER about a refrigerator full of body parts, organs, bones and tissue. I further believe hospital administrator’s manipulated employment records & documents in an effort to reduce risk of public attention & legal actions in which I informed hospital CEO Dr. Jeff Barber & Director of Human Resources would be taken by myself. Dr. Jeff Barber was terminated within a few months upon my filing lawsuit along with a dozen other hospital employee’s. Two high profile Mississippi millionaire attorneys I turned to for help are now in prison. These and other questions remain by myself and others. If something illegal was not taking place in the hospital in December of 1999, then why was I forced into a private room, interrogated by administrative officers, threatened & told to forget about the body parts I saw? Death threats followed.

Since 2000, I have investigated the secret world of illegal organ harvesting while contacting hundreds of investigator’s, reporters & news media outlets via fax, telephone & internet connection all over the United States and I am confident that my research, countless court hearings & tireless efforts to take a stand, make sense & expose this horror has contributed to class action lawsuits & investigations all over the United States of America thus bringing criminals such as Michael Mastromarino to Justice.

Why should the lives & careers of innocent people be at risk and/or destroyed due to legal loop holes and an industry which is yet to be regulated by our federal government?

I urge you today to take action and help pass House Bill 6631 into law making it illegal to remove, distribute, buy or sell any bones, tissue, body parts or organs from any person(s) in the United States of America before and/or after victim’s death.

Thank you in advance & God bless…

When Your Surgery Goes Wrong, Hospitals Profit

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Photo Credit: Washington Post

For a patient, a surgical complication can be a painful, even deadly. For a hospital, a surgical complication can be incredibly profitable.

A surgical complication increases a procedure’s average contribution margin by 330 percent for the privately insured and 190 percent for Medicare patients, according to a study published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study underscores how ludicrous the incentives are in the American health care system, generally paying doctors for each medical service they provide, even if some of that care is the result of a surgery gone wrong.

“If you personalize this and a relative is having heart surgery, which gets complicated by pneumonia, I don’t think we would want a hospital’s profit to go up as a result of that pneumonia,” said study co-author Barry Rosenberg, a partner in Boston Consulting Group’s health care practice.

The study does not imply that hospitals intentionally complicate surgeries to bring in more revenue. Most surgeries, about 95 percent, go off without a hitch. What it does suggest to the surgeon, writer and Harvard professor Atul Gawande is that hospitals now see little reason to invest in technologies that would reduce complications when the only prize at the end would be lower income.

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Teamsters Pension Crisis Sapping Hoffa’s Support, Power

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Photo Credit: AP

International Brotherhood of Teamsters general president Jimmy Hoffa Jr.’s response to his union’s pension crisis is sapping Hoffa’s support among Teamsters members, according to insiders.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is one of the forces lobbying Congress for legislation based on the National Coordinating Committee for Multiemployer Plans’ report “Solutions, Not Bailouts.” The report urges new congressional legislation to allow “deeply troubled” funds to cut employees’ pensions.

The Central States Pension Fund, which serves Teamsters members across the country and which also happens to be “deeply troubled,” has joined the Teamsters in lobbying for the new legislation. Insiders believe that the Fund plans to make across-the-board pension cuts.

The Teamsters’ unwillingness to allow companies to move Teamsters members out of the fund and into more secure retirement plans has enraged Teamsters members and sparked backlash against Hoffa.

“In that they’re calling for pension cuts, they’re on the wrong track,” Ken Paff, national organizer of the reform group Teamsters for a Democratic Union, told The Daily Caller. Approximately 3,000 active and retired Teamsters converged on their Kansas City union hall Tuesday to voice their displeasure with Hoffa and the Central States Pension Fund.

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