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Newly found coal ash spill pouring arsenic into North Carolina river

Sarah Lazare
Common Dreams
Wed, 19 Feb 2014 00:00 UTC
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© Eric Chance / Appalachian VoiceThe Dan River in Danville, approximately 20 miles downstream of the spill, was left dark and cloudy from the first release of tens of thousands of tons of coal ash
North Carolina authorities believe that a second storm pipe has burst at the Eden coal ash dumping pond owned by Duke Energy, sending another mass discharge of arsenic and lead-laden waste into the Dan River, which is still severely polluted from a similar spill in early February.

The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources announced Tuesday that it had made the discovery while investigating the site. Their statement noted "elevated levels of arsenic" in the water.

"Given what we've seen, we're concerned that this second stormwater pipe on site may also be leaking water contaminated with coal ash pollutants into the Dan River," said Tom Reeder, director of the N.C. Division of Water Resources. "As such, we are ordering Duke Energy to eliminate this unauthorized discharge immediately."
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Pirates

Soccer world cup 2022: 'Over 500 Indian migrants died in Qatar since 2012'


Press TV
Wed, 19 Feb 2014 12:55 UTC
Migrant workers deaths in Qatar
© AFP Photo / Carl CourtProtesters demonstrate against the perceived exploitation of workers in Qatar, the location of the 2022 World Cup, before a UEFA Congress in central London on May 24, 2013.

Since the beginning of 2012, more than 500 Indian migrant workers have died in Qatar as Doha prepares for the 2022 World Cup scheduled to be held in the country.According to official figures confirmed by the Indian embassy in Doha, 237 Indians died in 2012, while 241 lost their lives in 2013. Another 24 deaths have also been recorded for January this year.

The Indian embassy also said that since the World Cup was awarded to Qatar in late 2010, a total of 717 deaths have been registered. In 2010, 233 Indian migrants working on construction projects lost their lives, while another 239 died in 2011.

Indian officials have not yet released information such as the migrants' identities or the exact causes of deaths.

Meanwhile, Qatar's National Human Rights Committee has described the number of deaths to be "normal," saying Indians form the country's largest community.

"Indians make up the largest community in Qatar... twice the number of Qatari nationals," the committee said in a statement.
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USA

Meet Thomas Galante - The corrupt head librarian with a $2 million golden parachute

Michael Krieger
Liberty Blitzkrieg
Wed, 19 Feb 2014 12:17 UTC
Thomas Galante
© Christie Farriella/New York Daily NewsQueens Library CEO Thomas Galante, shown, is in Queens Borough President Melinda Katz's crosshairs after his $2 million golden parachute, $392,000 salary, $200,000 secret job and bill for $140,000 in renovations to his executive offices came to light.
An incredible story of shameless corruption by a "public servant" has been exposed by the New York Daily News. Sure we've all heard of banksters and Congress getting away with wild amounts of theft and lawlessness at the public's expense and then walking off even wealthier for it, but it appears the epidemic of theft is spreading fast throughout society.

Meet Thomas Galante, head of the Queens Library. As "chief executive" of the library, we find out that his many duties consisted of a taxpayer funded $329,000 salary, a sports car, $140,000 in renovations to his office, including a $26,000 private smoking deck.

Oh, but that's not it. No, that's just the tip of the iceberg. Galante was also working a side job as a "business consultant" for the Elmont Union Free School District in Long Island, a role that earned him an additional $143,000 annually. Wait, it gets even better. Now that all of this has been uncovered, he is set to receive a $2 million golden parachute if he is fired. $2 million for a head librarian.

This guy has learned very well from his proximity to Wall Street.
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Snakes in Suits

Chevron apologizes to residents of small town after their fracking well exploded and burned for five days leaving one dead...with a coupon for free PIZZA

Joshua Gardner
Daily Mail, UK
Tue, 18 Feb 2014 11:36 UTC
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What the frack? Residents of Bobtown, Pennsylvania got an apology for a massive fracking well explosion in the form of a coupon for pizza
* Residents of Bobtown, Pennsylvania received coupons for a free large pizza as an apology the massive explosion in their tiny town

* Townspeople heard a deafening boom and and then saw flames shoot into the air February 11

* Many residents were concerned over what toxins were released into the soil, water and air

* The coupon also entitles them to a free 2-liter of soda


One hundred residents of a tiny Pennsylvania town where a fracking well exploded last week into a specular and deadly tower of flame, killing one and burning extremely hot for five days, have received an apology in the form of a pizza coupon.

Chevron sent the people of Bobtown a certificate that entitles them to a large pie at their local pizza joint, along with a letter dated February 16 assuring residents of the $250 billion company's dedication to safety.

The gift certificate also gets its holder a free 2-liter of soda.
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Star of David

Denmark accused of anti-Semitism as it bans religious slaughter of animals for kosher and halal meat

William Turvill
Daily Mail
Wed, 19 Feb 2014 10:43 UTC
Halal meat ban
© AlamyThe Danish government has passed a law banning the religious slaughter of animals for halal and kosher meat.
The government in Denmark has been accused of anti-Semitism after passing a law banning the religious slaughter of animals for halal and kosher meat.

After years of campaigning in the Scandinavian country, the ban came in to law yesterday.

The change has been described as 'anti-Semitic and 'a clear interference in religious freedom' by a group petitioning against the change.

Under European regulations, animals are required to be stunned before slaughter unless an exemption can be found on religious grounds.

And animals must be conscious when killed for the resultant meat to be kosher under Jewish law and halal under Islamic law.

But, following criticism, the country's Minister for Food, Dan Jorgensen, told Denmark's TV2 that 'animal rights come before religion'.
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Eye 2

Son, 14, of oil millionaire is 'murdered by man after being groomed through computer games'

Rob Cooper
Daily Mail
Wed, 19 Feb 2014 09:42 UTC
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Victim: Breck Bednar, 14, who was allegedly stabbed to death by a man he met off the internet
The 14-year-old son of a U.S. oil millionaire was allegedly stabbed to death after being groomed over the internet while playing computer games. Breck Bednar apparently told his parents that he was going to a friend's house for a sleepover close to his home in Caterham, Surrey.

But instead he got the train and travelled 30 miles to Grays, Essex, where he was found with knife wounds on Monday morning. He later died despite attempts to save him.

Today Lewis Daynes, an 18-year-old computer engineer, appeared before a court charged with murdering the schoolboy. Breck's father Barry, 49, who is an oil futures trader, described his son as a 'happy, gentle and smart boy'.

Mr Bednar, from Houston, has worked as a managing director for BCG shipping brokers in Canary Wharf. According to his LinkedIn profile, he currently works as a partner for Tandem Partners SARL.
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Vinyl

Satire! Clipping Queen Bee's wings: Lorde's real Grammy speech suppressed

Iggy Swind
Snoopman News
Thu, 06 Feb 2014 00:00 UTC
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The singer-songwriter Lorde shocked USA America's music industry when accepting her second miniature gold-coloured gramophone for the night at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday January 26 2014 in Los Angeles, California. The shock was not because the singer-songwriter won two Grammy awards, Best Solo Pop Performance and Song of the Year, for her hit single 'Royals'.

Rather, it has emerged that Lorde delivered a lecture-like speech that was a scathing indictment of global capitalism. But, the apparent 'live' broadcast had a one-minute delay and was switched to a 'rehearsal take' that had been shot earlier.

All of the nominees had been filmed earlier as a precaution, so that if any winners talked for too long or if their speeches or outfits revealed contents that breached its censorship rating, the Grammy's studio could edit such moments without the wider world being any wiser. The near-seamless insertion of the 'rehearsal take' occurred after a wide-shot of the auditorium as Lorde, and her Grammy co-winner Joel Little, made their way up the steps to the stage.

Evidently, Lorde, whose real name is Ella Maria Lani Yelich-O'Connor, was miffed about the introduction of a 'rehearsal take' and prepared a lengthy speech. Yelich-O'Connor's unexpected oratory nuclear-bomb shell nearly exploded the subterfuge of the ruling class both present and absent, and that of their media-guardians that watch over the White House-Hollywood Military-Media Complex.
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Bizarro Earth

New York McDonald's fires 8-year worker after she donates food to firefighters

David Edwards
Raw Story
Wed, 19 Feb 2014 09:02 UTC
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A McDonald's restaurant in New York fired a worker after 8 years because she "opened a whole bee's nest" by buying food for firefighters after they put out a house fire, she said this week.

Heather Levia, 23, told WIVB that she was working as a manager when the group of firefighters came in and ordered 23 breakfast sandwiches after fighting the blaze. It was a cold day so Levia covered the $83 cost of the meals herself.

"Just because I appreciate everything they do," she said.

When more firefighters came in and ordered $70 worth of food, Levia wanted to cover those meals too. But she is a single mother with twins who is working two jobs to put herself through nursing school.

So, she called her boss, thinking he might pay for the meals because he often gives food to police officers.
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Cult

Maryland man accused of sexually abusing teen while he was a church deacon

Lynh Bui
Washington Post
Wed, 19 Feb 2014 08:56 UTC
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© Shutterstock
Prince George's County authorities have charged an Accokeek man with sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl when he served as a deacon in the District church they attended about a decade ago.

Police arrested Maurice Blanchard, 45, last week, charging him with child abuse and sex abuse in connection with incidents that spanned almost a year starting in July 2003, according to charging documents.

As part of their investigation, authorities set up a phone call in December between Blanchard and the husband of the now-26-year-old woman, documents show. During the call, which police recorded, Blanchard admitted to having sex in 2004 with the woman when she was 15.

"During the conversation the Defendant admitted to having vaginal intercourse with the Victim in 2004," the charging documents state.

Sandra Seegars, the woman's godmother, said her goddaughter was babysitting for Blanchard's family at the time. She did not go to police partly because she was scared, Seegars said.
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Family

Assisted suicide charge dropped against Pennsylvania woman

Michael Rubinkam
The Associated Press
Tue, 11 Feb 2014 19:36 UTC
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© The Inquirer/David M. WarrenBarbara Mancini with husband Joe the day after a judge threw out her case.
A Pennsylvania judge threw out an assisted suicide charge Tuesday against a nurse accused of handing her 93-year-old terminally ill father a bottle of morphine, a decision that brought elation and relief to the defendant and her family one year to the day after his death.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office failed to prove a crime occurred and based its case against Barbara Mancini on speculation and guesswork, Schuylkill County Judge Jacqueline L. Russell said in a 47-page opinion.

"Needless to say, we're all just elated and very happy and very redeemed," her husband, Joe Mancini, told The Associated Press. "Now is the time to heal."

Mancini, 57, of Philadelphia, was charged last summer with giving a nearly full bottle of morphine to her father, Joseph Yourshaw, at his Pottsville home in February 2013 for the purpose of helping him end his life. Yourshaw died at a hospital four days later after a hospice nurse called 911.

The judge said that prosecutors had neither established that Yourshaw intended to take his own life, nor that Mancini helped him do it.
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