Society's ChildS


Pistol

Iraq war veteran charged in Texas shooting that killed author/ex-Navy SEAL Kyle, his friend

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© The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Paul Moseley/ Associated Press In this April 6, 2012, photo, former Navy SEAL and author of the book American Sniper poses in Midlothian, Texas. A Texas sheriff has told local newspapers that Kyle has been fatally shot along with another man on a gun range, Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013.
Stephenville, Texas - A 25-year-old Iraq war veteran charged with murdering former Navy SEAL and American Sniper author Chris Kyle and his friend turned a gun onto the pair while they were at a Texas shooting range, authorities said Sunday.

Eddie Ray Routh of Lancaster was arraigned early Sunday in the deaths of Kyle, 38, and Chad Littlefield, 35, at a shooting range at Rough Creek Lodge, about 50 miles southwest of Fort Worth. He was being held on one charge of capital murder and two charges of murder.

Capt. Jason Upshaw with the Erath County Sheriff's Office said Routh used a semi-automatic handgun, which authorities later found at his home. Upshaw said ballistics tests weren't complete Sunday, but authorities believe it was the gun used in the shootings. Upshaw declined to give any more details about the gun.

Routh has not made any comments indicating what his motive may have been, Upshaw said. Sheriff Tommy Bryant said Routh was unemployed and "may have been suffering from some type of mental illness from being in the military himself."

"I don't know that we'll ever know. He's the only one that knows that," Upshaw said.

Bryant didn't know if Routh was on any medication or whether he had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The U.S. military confirmed Sunday that Routh was a corporal in the Marines, serving in active duty from 2006 to 2010. He was deployed to Iraq in 2007 and Haiti in 2010. His current duty status is listed as reserve.

Routh is being held on $3 million bond. Authorities did not know whether Routh had a lawyer yet.

Vader

Canadian refused all-expenses-paid trip to Super Bowl because of a marijuana charge from 1981

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© CBCMyles Wilkinson has lost out on the trip of a lifetime due to a pot possession conviction 32 years ago.
A Vancouver Island man who won an all-expenses-paid trip to the Super Bowl in New Orleans has been refused entry into the U.S. because of a marijuana possession conviction dating back to 1981.

Victoria resident Myles Wilkinson won the trip in a fantasy football league contest, competing against nearly four million other players for the chance to attend the National Football League championship, featuring the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers.

But when he got to Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Thursday, U.S. customs agents learned of a marijuana possession conviction in Vancouver in 1981 and told him he was not allowed to enter the country.

People

Humanitarian aid workers in Uganda show signs of stress, depression, and burnout

Latest research points to the high risk for mental health problems among staff working in humanitarian organizations in northern Uganda, due in large part to their work environment. A new study by researchers at Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health examined the mental health of 376 Ugandan workers at 21 humanitarian aid agencies and found that a significant number of the staff at these organizations experienced high levels of symptoms for depression (68%), anxiety disorders (53%), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (26%), respectively.

Research up to now has focused on international or expatriate staff; the new study looks at humanitarian workers who are nationals of the country where they work. Workers in Gulu, Northern Uganda, are of particular interest because of their high exposure to chronic and traumatic stress following many years of conflict between the Lord's resistance Army (LRA) and the Government of Uganda forces.

Findings are published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress.

The study, based on self-reported symptoms, showed that female workers reported significantly more symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and emotional exhaustion than males. Between one-quarter and one-half of all respondents reported symptom levels associated with high risk for burnout. Chronic stressors such as financial hardship, uncertainty whether peace will continue, separation from close family, and unequal treatment of expatriate and national staff were among those cited for causing these adverse mental health effects.

Bizarro Earth

California preschool closing amid allegations of sexual contact between students

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A group of parents is suing a California preschool as it prepares to shut down following allegations that at least two boys got oral sex from a 5-year-old girl.

One of the parents, Richard McCarthy, told KABC-TV on Friday that his 4-year-old son and another student "have been introduced to this feeling that they don't know how to process, [and] are still looking for it, and trying to make it happen" following the incidents at the First Lutheran Church of Carson School in Carson, California.

McCarthy's attorney, Craig Owen, told ABC News he will file a lawsuit on Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court against school personnel, as well as the school and the church, and the girl.

School officials announced last week that the school will close on Feb. 8 due to an inability to find a new school director, and not because of the incidents. The current director, they said, was resigning for "personal reasons."

Pistol

"American Sniper" author Chris Kyle was killed at Texas gun range

chris kyle
© FacebookKyle told US media he favoured arming teachers in the wake of the school massacre in Newtown
Author and gun advocate Chris Kyle, responsible for a record 160 kills during his army career, reportedly shot dead.

Chris Kyle, a former US Navy SEAL sniper who was responsible for 160 kills during his career, has been shot dead at a gun range, local media reports.

A suspect, identified as Eddie Ray Routh, was arrested, according to reports.

Kyle, who wrote American Sniper about his military service from 1999 to 2009, and another man were found dead at the Rough Creek Lodge's shooting range on Saturday, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, quoting Erath County Sheriff Tommy Bryant.

The second victim was not identified.

"It just comes as a shock and it's staggering to think that after all Chris has been through, that this is how he meets his end, because there are so many ways he could have been killed" in Iraq, Scott McEwen, who co-authored Kyle's book, said.

Rough Creek Lodge is located in Glen Rose, Texas, which is about 80km southwest of Fort Worth.

Die

One-third of Americans believe God decides who wins sporting events

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A reent study by the Center for Public Religion has found that nearly 3 out of every 10 Americans believes that God decides the outcome of sporting events by favoring players who are virtuous and who God perceives as good.

According to the study, "Americans are less likely to believe that God plays a role in the outcome of sporting events than they are to believe God rewards religious athletes. While only about 3-in-10 (27%) Americans, believe that God plays a role in determining which team wins a sporting event, a majority (53%) believe that God rewards athletes who have faith with good health and success, compared to 42% who disagree."

Bizarro Earth

Saudi preacher gets fine and short jail term for raping and killing daughter

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© Screenshot from youtube.comLama al-Ghamdi
Public anger has gripped Saudi Arabia after a prominent preacher who raped and beat to death his 5-year-old daughter was sentenced to a few months in jail and a $50,000 fine - known as 'blood money' - to compensate the victim's relatives.

According to Islamic law, the 'blood money' can be paid in lieu of the death penalty. The preacher's fine was reportedly half the usual amount because the victim was a girl.

Ambulance

Dozens injured as bus hits low bridge in Boston

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© twitter.com user @TrafficScoop
At least 36 people have been injured in Boston after a charter bus carrying 42 passengers struck a low bridge. Firemen at the scene tried to free several passengers who became trapped, with some feared to be in a critical condition.

Four passengers had to be cut free, CBS Boston reported. They were taken to local hospitals with serious injuries.

Boston Emergency Medical Services says that 36 people were injured overall, with one being hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.

Pistol

Man kills wife, 2 kids, then self in Tennessee

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© AFP Photo / Bill Pugliano
"You hear about these things happening all over the world, United States, but when it hits this close to home, it just sinks in," says Ann McIntosh. When she woke up this morning, she had no clue what had happened overnight just down the road.

Four people are dead after police say a man shot his wife, two children and then turned the gun on himself.

The Erwin Police Department reports a family of four is dead tonight - a triple homicide, and a suicide.

Ice Cream Bar

Soda, candy out under USDA's proposed school snack rules

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The Obama administration proposed regulations Friday that would prohibit U.S. schools from selling unhealthy snacks.

The 160-page regulation from the Department of Agriculture (USDA) would enact nutrition standards for "competitive" foods not included in the official school meal.

In practice, the proposed rules would replace traditional potato chips with baked versions and candy with granola. Regular soda is out, though high-schoolers may have access to diet versions.

"Although nutrition standards for foods sold at school alone may not be a determining factor in children's overall diets, they are critical to providing children with healthy food options throughout the entire school day," the proposed rule states.

"Thus, these standards will help to ensure that the school nutrition environment does all that it can to promote healthy choice, and help to prevent diet-related health problems."

The rules are a product of the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which also overhauled the nutritional make-up of regular school meals. They would apply to any school, public or private, that participates in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.

Those rules saw a backlash from conservative lawmakers who said students were going hungry as a result of calorie limits. A GOP House member famously compared the rules to The Hunger Games. The USDA eventually relaxed some guidelines in response.