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Poll: No heroes In shutdown, GOP gets most blame


NPR
Wed, 09 Oct 2013 20:54 UTC
Image
© ibtimes.com

President Barack Obama and lawmakers must rise above their incessant bickering and do more to end the partial government shutdown, according to a poll Wednesday that places the brunt of the blame on Republicans but finds no one standing tall in Washington.

"So frustrating," Martha Blair, 71, of Kerrville, Texas, said of the fiscal paralysis as her scheduled national parks vacation sits in limbo. "Somebody needs to jerk those guys together to get a solution, instead of just saying 'no.'"

The Associated Press-GfK survey affirms expectations by many in Washington - Republicans among them - that the GOP may end up taking the biggest hit in public opinion from the shutdown, as happened when much of the government closed 17 years ago. But the situation is fluid nine days into the shutdown and there's plenty of disdain to go around.

Overall, 62 percent mainly blamed Republicans for the shutdown. About half said Obama or the Democrats in Congress bear much responsibility.
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Arrow Down

Health center director in Mexico suspended after woman denied entry to his clinic gave birth on the lawn


Foxny.com
Wed, 09 Oct 2013 14:09 UTC
Image
Mexico officials have suspended a health center director after an indigenous woman denied entry to his clinic was forced to give birth on the lawn.

The state government in the southern state of Oaxaca says Dr. Adrian Cruz has been suspended during state and federal investigations.

A photograph of a woman grimacing in pain with a newborn child still bound by the umbilical cord horrified Mexicans in a country where many poor women still die in labor.
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USA

You're still dead, Ohio court tells man

Dominique Debucquoy-Dodley
WMUR9
Wed, 09 Oct 2013 11:01 UTC
Gavel
© iStock
An Ohio man who has been legally dead since 1994 will remain so in the eyes of the law after losing his complaint to overturn his death filing, according to authorities.

Donald Miller, 61, testified Monday that he disappeared in 1986 after losing his job, leaving behind a wife, two children and thousands of dollars of unpaid child support, according to James Hammer, the attorney for Miller's ex-wife, Robin Miller.

He was declared legally dead eight years later.

Donald Miller said he returned to Ohio "around 2005" with no knowledge of his legal death, and that he had hoped to re-establish his Social Security number.

A legal statute in Ohio prevents changes to death rulings once three years have passed, Hammer told CNN, and Judge Allan Davis ruled accordingly in Hancock County Probate Court.
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Arrow Down

Blind man beaten in Philadelphia while witnesses just stand there

Lacey Donohue
Gawker
Wed, 09 Oct 2013 20:12 UTC

According to police surveillance footage, a 33-year-old blind man walking alone in the Germantown section of Philadelphia was shoved, beaten, and robbed while witnesses walked by without intervening.

The incident took place on Oct. 2 and police have released this video hoping the footage will help lead to an arrest of the attacker. The victim, who said he did not recognize the voice of the attacker, suffered injuries to his head and face.
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Black Cat

Anti-Bullying programs having an opposite effect?


CBS DFW
Tue, 08 Oct 2013 22:00 UTC
A lot of schools spend countless hours trying to stop bullying. But some question if they are sending the right message.

It started as a simple look at bullying. University of Texas at Arlington criminologist Seokjin Jeong analyzed data collected from 7,000 students from all 50 states.

He thought the results would be predictable and would show that anti-bullying programs curb bullying. Instead - he found the opposite.

Jeong said it was, "A very disappointing and a very surprising thing. Our anti-bullying programs, either intervention or prevention does not work."

The study concluded that students at schools with anti-bullying programs might actually be more likely to become a victim of bullying. It also found that students at schools with no bullying programs were less likely to become victims.

Comment: These programs may be teaching children with psychopathic tendencies how to better abuse their peers and to hide the evidence. They are now better able to fool school officials while they conduct their bullying in secret. For more information regarding possible causes of bullying, read:

Bullying Linked to Psychotic Symptoms
The bullying epidemic
Behind Bullying: Why Kids Are So Cruel
The empathy gap in bullying

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Southern New Jersey town requires beggars to get permit


North New Jersey.com
Wed, 09 Oct 2013 19:52 UTC
Beggar
© The Inquisitr
Middle Township - A southern New Jersey town now requires beggars to obtain permits and seeks to punish those who aggressively solicit donations.

The Middle Township ordinance defines aggressive begging as speaking to or following a person in a manner that would cause them to fear bodily harm or otherwise intimidating someone into giving money or goods.

The ordinance requires those who solicit money to obtain a permit at no charge and forbids solicitation by obstructing a pedestrian or vehicle, near an automated teller machine or bus or train stop, and in exchange for a service.

Fines start at $250 and include possible jail time.

Police Chief Christopher Leusner tells The Press of Atlantic City beggars who are not threatening and comply with the ordinance will not be punished.

Source: Associated Press
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Irish man's organs wasted away due to poor diet, coroner told


Irish Times
Wed, 09 Oct 2013 19:42 UTC
Coroner's Court
© Irish Times
Fionn Clarke (30) was found dead at his apartment on Melville Way in Finglas, Dublin 11, on September 11th, 2012.
A man who lived on Pringles, chocolate, wine and Coca-Cola died after his internal organs wasted away as a result of his poor diet, an inquest heard.

Fionn Clarke (30) was found dead at his apartment on Melville Way in Finglas, Dublin 11, on September 11th, 2012. He had been dead for at least a week. Dublin Coroner's Court heard he suffered from depression and alcoholism and had cut himself off from his family.

His father Michael Clarke said that he would call to Fionn's apartment every three or four weeks bringing him "sweets and Coke" because he would not eat anything else. His son worked at the Revenue Commissioners but walked out on his job and was living off savings but these had run out.

Mr Clarke said Fionn would make sure he was not in the apartment when he called and he had not seen him since Christmas. He let himself into the apartment on September 11th and discovered his son.
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Control Panel

Power grid attacked in Arkansas in three separate incidents

Alan Blinder
The New York Times
Tue, 08 Oct 2013 00:00 UTC
Image

WARNING: On Keo substation.
The federal authorities are investigating whether three recent attacks against the power grid in Arkansas are linked, and utility officials have asked residents to remain alert to the threat of more trouble.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said that two power poles in Lonoke County, just east of Little Rock, were deliberately severed early on Sunday. The authorities said that a stolen tractor, which had an extendable arm with a circular saw blade at its tip, was used to take down one of the poles.

The incident came more than six weeks after the F.B.I. opened an inquiry into a report by Entergy Arkansas, a utility company, that one of its high-voltage transmission lines had been brought down in Lonoke County. Investigators said someone had fastened a cable to the 100-foot transmission tower and laid it across a nearby railroad track in what the F.B.I. described as "an attempt to utilize a moving train to bring down the tower."
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Question

Dream leads Indian woman to ancient idols

Imran Fazal
Daily News and Analysis, India
Wed, 09 Oct 2013 17:33 UTC
Cave
© Daily News and Analysis, India
Locals throng to the cave to pray after Usha Mukne (far right) dug up ancient idols of goddesses (centre).
A 45-year-old tribal woman, on Monday, found seven idols of Hindu goddesses in a cave on the Khapra hilltop in Lakhampur village of Wada taluka. She said she went to the cave and started digging inside after repeatedly dreaming of a goddess trapped there.

"For the last three months, I regularly dreamt of some divine powers calling me to rescue them from the hilltop but I ignored the dreams. However, it soon started to affect my health and I eventually decided to follow my dream," said Usha Mukne, a daily-wage labourer in the village and a believer of Goddess Santoshi.

Mukne cleared the entrance to the cave, which had been blocked by trees as no one had gone there in a long time, and started digging.

Villagers hailed her dream-turned-into-reality as a miracle and blessing, especially as it coincided with Navratri, and thronged the hilltop to pray.

"I told the locals about my dream and findings. They couldn't believe goddesses had directed me this way," she said.

A local, Sunil Patil, said, "It's the first time that ancient artifacts have been found here."

Local authorities were also informed; they will inform the archaeological department.
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Cell Phone

Florida man in critical condition after jumping off train to get cellphone

Jon David Kahn
Breitbart.com
Wed, 09 Oct 2013 12:14 UTC
Struck by Train
© 25WPBF News
West Palm Beach - A man is in extremely critical condition after he reportedly jumped from the train on which he was riding and was then struck by a second train.

According to officials, the incident took place Monday night around 8:11 p.m. at the Palm Beach Tri-Rail station after a 26-year-old Eddie Diaz apparently realized he had left his cell phone behind on a bench.

Witnesses told police Diaz broke the glass covering the emergency safety mechanism and pulled the lever. When the doors opened, he jumped. He landed on a platform but fell backward, hitting his head.

He was subsequently struck by another train and was taken to St. Mary's Medical Center.

Comment:
Shooting highlights dangers of distracted living

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