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AP Twitter Hacked; Reports White House Explosions Injured Obama; Dow Falls

T CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:22:02 +0000

It’s a scary world we’re living in, folks.

The Twitter account of the Associated Press was hacked Tuesday afternoon and quickly suspended; but not before the hackers tweeted a breaking news message that President Obama was injured in an explosion at the White House. News of the fake tweet quickly spread and is believed to have contributed to a short, and sharp, drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

AP Twitter Hacked + Reports of a terrorist attack = Dow Tanks. If that doesn’t scare you, nothing will.

NEW YORK — Hackers compromised Twitter accounts of The Associated Press on Tuesday, sending out a false tweet about an attack at the White House.

The false tweet said there had been two explosions at the White House and that President Barack Obama was injured. The attack on AP’s Twitter account and the AP Mobile Twitter account was preceded by phishing attempts on AP’s corporate network.

The AP confirmed that its Twitter account had been suspended following a hack and said it was working to correct the issue. The fake tweet went out shortly after 1 p.m.

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Screen grab from Breitbart

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Mike Tyson on Suarez: “He Bit Someone, It Happens”

T CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:03:45 +0000

Just in case you’re not a rapid soccer enthusiast like some of us; first a bit of background. Over the weekend, Liverpool striker Luis Suarez appeared to bite – yes bite – Chelsea defender Branislave Ivanovic while the pair were engaged in front of the goal mouth. Needless to say, that’s not exactly normal soccer behavior. His punishment has yet to be announced; but I think it’s safe to say a suspensions is surely in his future.

But there is an upside to all of this for the controversial striker. He’s picked up a new Twitter follower – yes, you guessed it. None other than Iron Mike Tyson.

ESPN: Mike Tyson believes Liverpool striker Luis Suarez will make up with Branislav Ivanovic – just as the former world boxing champion did with Evander Holyfield.

Suarez is facing an extended ban from the Football Association for biting Chelsea defender Ivanovic on the arm in Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Anfield.

Tyson was involved in similar controversy when he bit off a chunk of Evander Holyfield’s ear in the WBA heavyweight title fight between the two in 1997.

The two U.S. fighters have since settled their differences. and Tyson is confident Suarez and Ivanovic will do the same.

He told the David Glenn radio show: “He (Suarez) bit someone, it happens. I am sure he will make amends with this guy. I made amends with Evander and we got on with our lives.”

Tyson started to follow Suarez on Twitter when he heard of the weekend incident.

He added: “I saw this guy (Suarez) on the Twitter thing and thought I would check it out and see what his journey was all about.”

Suarez, who has been fined by Liverpool, called Ivanovic late on Sunday to apologize for his actions.

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Boston Marathon Bombing Suspect #1 Dead; #2 on the Run; in Watertown

T CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:30:14 +0000

Boston Marathon bombing suspect #1 is dead. Suspect #2 is still at large. This, according to Boston Police as the search for the second suspected bomber – who is still on the run – continues. A police spokesman confirmed that Suspect #2 – the white hat bombing suspect – was the individual currently being pursued.

This development confirms the Boston Globe report from earlier this morning…

The press conference also confirmed that the suspects in question were involved in the MIT campus shooting and were also the individuals that engaged the police in a car chase that led them to Watertown. It was also confirmed that Suspect #1 – the black hat suspect – was shot, taken into custody, and died at a local hospital.

Watertown remains on lockdown and all citizens have been advised to stay indoors as the remaining suspect is considered armed and extremely dangerous.

THE BOSTON GLOBE: One suspect in Monday’s Boston Marathon bombings has been apprehended, according to an official with knowledge of the investigation. Another appears to remain on the loose in Watertown after a firefight with police. A 20-block perimeter was established as authorities searched for him.

A scene of chaos descended on Cambridge and Watertown late Thursday night and early Friday morning, as police confirmed an MIT police officer was shot and killed, and an apparent carjacking led police on a frenetic chase into Watertown. Hundreds of police officers flooded Cambridge and Watertown.

A spokesman for the MBTA said that a transit officer had been shot and was in serious condition.

Witnesses in Watertown said they heard explosions. Police officers were screaming about improvised explosive devices.

Recap here, here, and here…

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Boston Globe: Marathon Bombing Suspect Apprehended (Unconfirmed)

T CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 07:48:33 +0000

The story is very much still developing and most major media outlets are unwilling to confirm what the Boston Globe is reporting… but the said paper of record has posted the above headline on its webpage and the subsequent story reports that one of the bombing suspects is in custody and the other is being pursued.

“One suspect in Monday’s Boston Marathon bombings has been captured, according to an official with knowledge of the investigation. Another remains on the loose in Watertown after a firefight with police. Authorities have established a 20-block perimeter as they search for him.”

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ABC News is reporting that a brief press conference is coming within the hour. More when we have it.

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No press conference and still no confirmation. The Boston Globe remains the only major outlet linking tonight’s events to the Boston Marathon bombing.

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NY Times, FBI Release High Resolution Photos of Boston Bombing Suspects

T CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 06:49:31 +0000

New development in the Boston Marathon bombing manhunt…

The New York Times released a higher resolution photo of Suspect #2 Thursday night. The image was captured by an onlooker named David Green immediately after bombs went off near the finish line of the race. Suspect #2, also known as the suspect in the white hat, is seen leaving the scene near the top of the frame.

Full background is available here…

Photo credit – David Green

For full size image click here…

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The FBI later released more photos and confirmed and verified the authenticity of the NYT photos.

See more here…

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Massive Police Operation in Boston Area; Police Officer Killed at MIT; FBI on Scene in Watertown; Reports of Explosions

T CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 06:07:22 +0000

A massive police operation is underway in the Boston area – specifically Watertown, MA. The FBI is reportedly on the scene accompanying an assortment of state and local police. It is not yet known whether the events are related to the Boston Marathon bombing or the manhunt sparked by the release of suspect photos earlier Thursday.

Reports of a shooting on the campus of MIT are that at least one police officer was killed. At this time there is no reported link to connect the two events.

CNN’s Jake Tapper is reporting from the scene in Watertown and is saying at least one person is in police custody. He is also reporting that authorities are advising citizens of Watertown to stay indoors.

Again, no one is reporting that the events in Watertown are any way related to the Boston Marathon bombing. The massive police presence could be nothing more than a response to the shooting of a fellow police officer. Federal, state, and local authorities are on high alert, so it would be fitting that they would all respond to such an event.

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To catch you up…

From CNN:

(2:21 a.m. ET) MIT releases statement on shooting death of campus police officer: “MIT is heartbroken by the news that an MIT Police officer was shot and killed in the line of duty on Thursday night on campus, near Building 32 (the Stata Center). Our thoughts are now with the family.” http://bit.ly/15lcg2r

(2:19 a.m. ET) Boston Police Department’s official Twitter feed says “there is an active incident ongoing in Watertown. Residents in that area are advised to remain in their homes. More details when available.”

(2:07 a.m. ET) CNN’s Gabe Ramirez on the scene in Watertown, Massachusetts, says that authorities are ordering people in the area to shut off their cell phones.

(1:49 a.m. ET): At least one person was arrested in Watertown, Massachusetts early Friday morning, stripped naked before being taken in custody, CNN photojournalist Gabe Ramirez observed. It is unclear if this arrest was related to the shooting at Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus or any other incident in Boston the area.

(1:23 a.m. ET): Dozens of police have rushed to an area of Watertown, Massachusetts, just over two miles from Cambridge, said CNN’s Drew Griffin, who is near the scene. A “very large event has taken place,” Griffin said. There were reports that explosives were involved.

(12:45 a.m. ET): A university police officer has died after being shot on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus in Cambridge late Thursday, said state police spokesman Lt. Mark Riley. The MIT officer was responding to a disturbance when he was shot, according to the state district attorney’s office. He sustained “multiple gunshot wounds.”

State police and the FBI were called in after the shooting and found the campus policeman near Building 32 on MIT’s campus. He was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the district attorney’s office said. Dozens of officers surrounded and cordoned off the building, known as the Stata Center, which houses computer science laboratories as well as the department of linguistics and philosophy, according to MIT’s website.

FOX NEWS: A Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus police officer died from injuries in a shooting on the campus outside Boston Thursday night, authorities said.

Cambridge police and the Middlesex District Attorney’s office said the officer was responding to a report of a disturbance when he was shot. He later died at a hospital. His name was not immediately released.

State police spokesman Dave Procopio said the shooting took place about 10:30 p.m. outside an MIT building. The area was cordoned off and surrounded by responding law enforcement agencies, according to a posting on the university’s website.

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Boston Marathon Bombing Suspects Revealed (VIDEO) (Photos)

T CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 21:35:08 +0000

The FBI revealed photos and video of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects Thursday afternoon in a plea for help from the American public to assist in identifying the two individuals believed to have played a role in the bombing(s). FBI lead investigator, Richard DesLauriers, unveiled photos and video of two men carrying backpacks in close proximity to the crime scenes. He went on to say that suspect number two – the one in the white hat – was seen placing what they believe to be a bomb at the scene.

Those with any knowledge of the suspects or their whereabouts are encouraged to share them with authorities at FBI.gov

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SUSPECT #1

SUSPECT #2

Surveillance Video before the explosions…

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To Provide Tips in the Investigation

If you have visual images, video, and/or details regarding the explosions along the Boston Marathon route and elsewhere, submit them on https://bostonmarathontips.fbi.gov/. No piece of information or detail is too small.

You can also call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), prompt #3, with information.
All media inquiries should be directed to the FBI’s National Press Office at (202) 324-3691.

- Boston FBI
- Boston Police Department

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Walker McGuire “0 to 60″ (VIDEO)

T CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 08:17:29 +0000

I’ve shared music from these guys before over at GOPTN, but I figured it was time to bring Walker McGuire here as well. It’s been one hell of a week in the news world, so I’m thinking a little music may be just the remedy for the reallyfrigginawful midweek news clusterfark blues. This was their first radio appearance – with Big D and Bubba. That’s country radio, folks.

Enjoy…

More about Walker McGuire here at Reverb Nation…

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VIDEO: Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion; 4-Block Area “Totally Decimated”; Hundreds Injured or Dead

T CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 07:13:21 +0000

A fertilizer plant explosion rocked a Texas town Wednesday night leaving countless dead or injured and leaving a town in utter chaos. Images of fireballs and plumes of smoke billowing out of a Texas fertilizer plant instantly sent a sense of horror racing down my spine as I first caught a glimpse of the massive explosion that devastated the town of West just north of Waco Wednesday night. Could it be terrorism? If not, then what? Terrible accident? I couldn’t help but pray for the latter. Does an accident make the tragedy any less, well… tragic?

I suppose by the morning we’ll have a better sense of things – what caused the explosion and the total casualty count. I look forward to neither. Early reports are that as many as 70 are feared dead and hundreds more injured. With daylight, I’d expect that number to grow along with a sense of the destruction.

According to reports, firefighters were originally called to the plant to put out a “small fire” around 7 p.m. and were present when the explosion occurred just under an hour later. Nearby buildings and homes were toppled and the damage extended far beyond the limits of the plant.

CBS DFW: Emergency crews from central and north Texas have been called in to help respond to the injuries and destruction from the explosion. Into the early morning hours Thursday the plant was still smoldering and active ingredients were still inside. The situation is still too volatile to have firefighters try and battle any flames.

Trooper D.L. Wilson of the Texas Department of Public Safety estimates that as many as 75 homes were severely damaged and an apartment complex with 50 units was gutted by the blast. West EMS Director Dr. George Smith said, ““We’ve got a lot of houses on one street especially there that look like a war zone. They’ve been collapsed, so there may be people inside those houses, either critically injured or deceased.

Video of the explosion was captured by an onlooker videotaping the fire at the plant. If you need a sense of how massive this explosion was, this video is all that you will need…

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From the Associated Press via Drudge: The explosion at West Fertilizer in West, a community about 20 miles north of Waco, happened shortly before 8 p.m. and could be heard as far away as Waxahachie, 45 miles to the north. It sent flames shooting high into the night sky and rained burning embers, shrapnel and debris down on shocked and frightened residents.

A member of the city council, Al Vanek, said a four-block area around the explosion was “totally decimated.” Other witnesses compared the scene to that of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, and authorities said the plant made materials similar to that used to fuel the bomb that tore apart that city’s Murrah Federal Building.

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Gun Control Background Check Proposal Dies in Dem-Controlled Senate

T CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 21:27:21 +0000

The push for new gun control measures took a major hit Wednesday when a “compromise” background check proposal failed to attract the 60 votes necessary to clear a filibuster hurdle in the Democrat-controlled Senate. I emphasize “Democrat-controlled Senate” in both the heading and the first line here for good reason. When gun control advocates begin to chastise Republicans for refusing to get behind these proposals, it should be known that Democrats in the Senate failed to muster enough support to bring this proposal to a vote – even with GOP Senators McCain, Collins, Kirk, and co-sponsor Toomey voting YES.

HUMAN EVENTS: The compromise legislation authored by Sens. Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey, which would have expanded mandatory background checks for gun sales, fell six votes short on Wed. The amendment failed 54-46.

In addition to Toomey, GOP Sens. John McCain, Susan Collins, and Mark Kirk voted yes on the amendment.

ROLL CALL: The Senate on Wednesday failed to advance a bipartisan background check proposal that Democrats had hoped would be the core of any bill.

The background check legislation, championed by Democrat Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Republican Patrick J. Toomey of Pennsylvania, received only 54 votes, six short of the 60 needed to clear a threatened filibuster. In the 24 hours leading up to the vote, President Barack Obama and former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., along with her husband, Mark Kelly, had personally lobbied on-the-fence senators or those who had declared themselves as “no” votes. But those efforts failed.

The political ramifications…

WASHINGTON TIMES: The vote is a major disappointment for President Obama, who had called not only for universal background checks but also for bans on some types of firearms and on high-capacity ammunition magazines. Both of those proposals were expected to be defeated later Wednesday.

The defeat not only dooms what had become the “sweet spot” of gun legislation, as co-sponsor Sen. Charles E. Schumer described enhanced background checks, but creates significant logistical problems for broader gun measures.

The amendment from Sens. Joe Manchin III, West Virginia Democrat, and Patrick J. Toomey, Pennsylvania Republican, was meant to replace more far-reaching language in the underlying bill from Mr. Schumer. The New York Democrat had wanted universal background checks on virtually all gun sales — a measure considered a non-starter with most Republicans and some Democrats.

Opponents of the amendment said that it would do nothing to stop gun violence, could infringe on the Second Amendment rights on law-abiding citizens and “would be a first step on the path to a national gun registry,” said Sen. Mike Johanns, Nebraska Republican.

If a background check proposal is DOA, I find it extremely difficult to imagine another measure clearing the Senate. This proposal was seen as the one area of relative agreement between and among senators from both parties. The fact that it failed probably means the gun control debate is now tabled for the time being. I say – for now – only because we’re but another tragedy or crisis away from once again seeing this overly reactive legislative agenda revisited.

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