Entries by virtuallydonebydebbie

13 Oct, 2014

Social worker recommends house arrest

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A court-appointed prison social worker says Pistorius’ punishment for culpable homicide should include three years of house arrest. The recommendation was given at the sentencing hearing. Also speaking at the hearing, Pistorius’ therapist says the athlete is traumatized by Steenkamp’s death, describing signs of post-traumatic stress during their sessions. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel calls the punishment

shockingly inappropriate

14 Oct, 2014

Model inmate

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Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins says Hernandez is a model inmate. If the good behavior continues Hernandez will be given TV privileges so he can watch his team’s games. Since being moved to a Boston jail, Tompkins says there have been ‘‘no problems, no complaints.” He also says Hernandez is mingling with the general population at the facility. While in the Bristol jail, he had been confined to his cell 21 hours a day, was not allowed to watch football, and reportedly had a run-in with another inmate and threatened a guard.

9 Oct, 2014

Official report: plane ‘spiraled’ into sea

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The first official report on the disappearance of MH370 is released by the Australian Transportation Safety Board (ATSB). The report concludes concludes that the Boeing 777’s right-hand engine was likely to have failed first, followed by the left engine, causing the plane to spiral into the ocean. For purposes of the report, the investigators assumed that the plane was flying on auto pilot at around 35,000ft and at a speed of more than 460mph.

This scenario resulted in the aircraft entering a descending, spiraling, low bank angle left-hand turn and the aircraft entering the water a relatively short distance after the last engine flame out.

13 Oct, 2014

Widow turns down 64k

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After taking legal advice, the widow of Paul Weeks, who was a passenger on the flight, rejects Malaysia Airlines compensation offer of $64,000. She tells Perth Now that the offer had a condition that she complete a detailed questionnaire. Voice 370, the group Weeks helped to establish:

We are left asking ‘is any life worth so little No sum of money, no matter how great, can compensate the families for our losses. No amount of money can ever take the pain away. True justice cannot be measured by money. Malaysia Airlines cannot undo this tragedy. However, a fair and adequate compensation for all would reflect the magnitude of the effect this tragedy has had on our lives and should be commensurate to this being the worst air tragedy the industry has ever seen.

10 Oct, 2014

Judge allows cell phone evidence

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Judge E. Susan Garsh denies the defense’s claim that Hernandez’s cell phone was given to Massachusetts State Police under “false claim of legal authority,” and she allows the prosecutors to include the recorded information from the cell phone around the time of the alleged murder of Odin Lloyd. In her decision, Garsh writes:

The turning over of the phone was a voluntary act. It was not the result of force, threat, trickery, duress or coercion.

She also ads that there was no evidence of  “any physical control” over Hernandez by the police.

30 Sep, 2014

Announces Windows 10

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At an event in San Francisco, the company announces the latest version of its Windows’ operating system: Windows 10.  A Windows 9 version is not being released. The Windows Insider Program will launch October 1, 2014 to give users a chance to operate a very early beta version of the software. The first beta preview will be for desktops and laptops, and the build for servers will follow at a later date. With this version, the company is bringing back some features of Window 7, like a redesigned start menu,  combining features from both Windows 7 and Windows 8 start screens. Windows 10 will also allow users to work with multiple desktops. The new “Snap Assist” UI will make it easier for users who need these multiple desktops to grab apps from multiple desktops and move them around.

6 Oct, 2014

New phase of search begins

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The GO Phoenix arrives in the southern Indian Ocean and starts its search for the missing flight. The ship, and two others which will arrive within the month, will conduct detailed sonar sweeps of the area in a search effort expected to take one year or more, according to the Australian Transport Safety Board (ATSB).

3 Oct, 2014

Judge throws out 35 pieces of evidence

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Stating there was insufficient evidence and the warrant police had to search  Hernandez’s home was not for a wide-ranging search, Judge Susan Garsh will not allow 35 items to be used as evidence in the murder trial. She writes in an eight-page order:

There are no facts in the affidavit that tie either Hernandez or Ortiz in any way to the killing of Lloyd. The bald fact that the police may have conducted a lengthy investigation does not give rise to an inference that Ortiz’s cell phone may have some evidentiary value in furthering that investigation.

19 Sep, 2014

‘Fashion Police Tribute’ airs

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Some of Rivers’ closest friends and confidants pay tribute to her in a special 90-minute Fashion Police episode on Friday, September 19, 2014. Melissa opens the show:

The last four years this set has been home to the funniest, most outrageous voice in comedy. This chair was the place a woman spoke the truth about celebrities and fashion in a way that was hilarious and absolutely 100 percent original. Tonight we want to say goodbye the only way my mom would want us to, by remembering the incredible jokes, the unbelievable guests, and all the moments on set and behind-the-scenes that made Fashion Police must-see television around the globe.

Rivers’ co-stars Giuliana Rancic, Kelly Osbourne  and George Kotsiopoulos all talk about Rivers and also show old clips and jokes from previous episodes with celebrity guest stars. Ranic was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011 and recalls what Rivers told her:

I came to the set for the first time, she said, ‘You got breast cancer, I heard. You’re gonna be fine. You know that, right? You’re having the surgery. You’re with a great doctor, at a great hospital.’ And you know what, she was right. And didn’t she finish with, ‘You’re gonna get perfect new tits?’

18 Sep, 2014

iOS 8 will protect information from police

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The new encryption in iOS 8 will no longer allow the company to bypass a user’s password to access their account data. Even if police present a search warrant, text messages, emails, photos and other data can not be accessed and turned over to them. Apple says:

So it’s not technically feasible for us to respond to government warrants for the extraction of this data from devices in their possession running iOS 8.

Information protection disappears if customers back up the information on their phone and copy it to the iCloud service, because Apple will comply with warrants to turn over information on its servers. Likewise, if users sync their iPhone with iTunes, backing up phone files to a computer, then police can access those files their laptop, PC or tablet without a PIN code.

20 Sep, 2014

Arrives in Albania

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albaniaPope Francis arrives in Albania to meet with 11 heads of various religious communities to promote harmony. Francis is only the second pope to visit Albania. Pope John Paul II visited the country in 1992. Due to reported planned attacks by Islamic militants, security is very tight. Albania has raised its police force alert to the highest level, and the Interior Ministry is promising “maximum” protection by the deployment of 2,500 police and the setting up of 29 security checkpoints in the capital, Tirana. During the visit, Francis will meet Albanian President Bujar Nishani, celebrate mass in Mother Teresa square in Tirana,and meet with religious leaders, including those of the Muslim, Orthodox, Bektashi, Jewish and Protestant faith. According to official data, 59 percent of Albania’s population are Muslim, while Catholics make up 10 percent and Orthodox Christian slightly less.

21 Sep, 2014

German families to sue Ukraine

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German lawyer Elmar M. Giemulla, an aviation expert, says he will file a suit at the European Court of Human Rights in the coming weeks on behalf of three German families who lost relatives when the plane was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014. He argues that Ukraine should have closed the airspace if safety could not be guaranteed for aircraft flying in it. German weekly Bild am Sonntag reports Giemulla will ask for compensation of $1.29 million for each victim killed in the crash.

 

20 Sep, 2014

Recalls 220,000+ sedans due to fire risk

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The company recalls 221,558 Cadillac XTS and Chevrolet Impala sedans because the brake pads can stay partially engaged even when they’re not needed, increasing the risk of a fire. The recall involves Cadillacs from the 2013-2015 model years and Impalas from the 2014 and 2015 model years. There are 205,309 vehicles affected in the U.S, and the rest of the vehicles are in Canada and elsewhere. Right now, there are no known injuries from this defect, and the company will notify owners of the vehicles involved and repair the problem for free.

Kentucky fireman dies from challenge injuries

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Captain Tony Grider dies from burn-related injuries he suffered last month. While helping the Campbellsville University band with their video challenge on August 21, 2014, four members of the Fire and Rescue Department in Campbellsville, Kentucky were shocked by power lines as two stood in a ladder bucket spraying water on the band and two more were on the ground. During the challenge Grider and another fireman were inside a bucket on a ladder above the students. When they finished dumping water, the students left and the firefighters began moving the ladder, authorities told CNN. The bucket came close to power lines and shocked the men, officials said. Two other men on the ground were also shocked as they tried to lower the bucket to the ground. Grider was 41 years old and leaves behind a wife and children.

22 Sep, 2014

iPhone6 and iPhone 6 Plus sales break record

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Apple announces that 10 million iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus phones were sold during the first weekend of sales, breaking a company record for sales. The figures for the two devices are not broken out, but the  iPhone 6 Plus has been more difficult to find at retailers. Two years ago, over 2 million iPhone5 preorders were recorded within the first 24 hours, and the sales for the first weekend totaled 5 million. Last year, the first time Apple offered two iPhone models, the company sold 9 million iPhone 5S and 5C phones during the first weekend they were in stores. The figures for the two devices are not broken out, but the  iPhone 6 Plus has been more difficult to find at retailers. Apple CEO Tim Cook:

Sales for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus exceeded our expectations for the launch weekend, and we couldn’t be happier.

18 Sep, 2014

Crystal, Fallon swap Williams’ stories

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On The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Crystal and Fallon pay tribute to Williams by swapping funny stories about him. Fallon commends Crystal for his tribute to Williams on The Primetime Emmy Awards show. Crystal says “It was really a hard thing,” mentioning the entire crowd was feeling “the same sadness, bewilderment, frustration and this overall ‘What?!’

It was only two weeks after. And to try to do him justice for myself and for the audience around the world, really, in two minutes was the task. I’ve given eulogies before, sadly, for a lot of people I love, but nobody on television.

Crystal says of Williams:

He had the biggest set of balls ever on a stage. He was fearless.

Billy Crystal Remembers His Friend, Robin Williams

21 Sep, 2014

Antonio Sabato, Jr.

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ASJR CKAntonio Sabato, Jr., a model and actor, was born on February 29, 1972 in Rome, Italy. His father is actor Antonio Sabato, Sr., and his mother is a realtor from Prague.  Sabato and his family moved to the United States in 1985.  He attended school in Los Angeles, CA and Beverly Hills, CA. Sabato became a US citizen in 1996. He is best known for his role of Jagger Cates on the soap opera General Hospital and as a Calvin Klein underwear model.  He is also well known for appearing in Janet Jackson’s music video for Love Will Never Do Without You. Currently, he is working on two television shows, Fix It and Finish It and Dancing with the Stars. 

16 Sep, 2014

Felt ‘helpless’ during police questioning

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Hernandez says he was worried about his fiancee and their child and felt helpless while police were searching his home the day after Odin Lloyd was murdered. In an affidavit he filed with Bristol Superior Court, Hernandez states:

I felt helpless in the face of the occupation of my house by the police. I was also very concerned about what would happen to my fiance [sic] and our baby if I refused to answer their questions. I did not feel free to leave at any time during the search.

The sworn statement, made public today, is the first time Hernandez has spoken publicly about the case. He also states:

Many of the officers carried weapons which were visible to me. Officers asked me a number of questions, including where my cellphone was and the password for my phone. I told them that my cell phone was with my lawyers and I told them the password. I was not given Miranda warnings at any point. I had told the police the night before that they should direct their questions to my attorneys, but they questioned me anyway. I know that my attorneys told police the night before that they should contact them, not me, with any questions, but the police ignored that, too.

Hernandez filed the affidavit as part of an effort to suppress evidence police derived from questioning him at his home during a June 18, 2013, search there. His lawyers argue:

That questioning occurred without appropriate Miranda warnings and after Hernandez had invoked his right to counsel. Accordingly, all fruits of his statements must be suppressed.

17 Sep, 2014

iPhone 6 demand challenges supplier

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Apple supplier Foxconn hires more workers for its factory in Zhengzhou, China to help meet the huge demand for the new phones. The Wall Street Journal reports that more than 200,000 Foxconn workers are stationed at the Zhengzhou factory with the sole job of assembling the new iPhones and some of its key components. The plant is operating 100 production lines 24 hours a day to keep up with demand. A person familiar with the matter tells The Wall Street Journal:

We have been churning out 140,000 iPhone 6 Plus and 400,000 iPhone 6 every day, the highest daily output ever, but the volume is still not enough to meet the preorders. For iPhone 6 Plus, we are still ramping up the production line. Another reason for the limited supply is the shortage of 5.5-inch displays.

Cancer diagnosis

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Dr. Zane Cohen, a colorectal surgeon at Mount Sinai hospital, says Ford has a malignant sarcoma tumor, and he describes it as “very rare” and “very difficult.” Ford has been hospitalized for a week with a tumor in his abdomen.