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Local News (General/Chat)

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  • Texas Man Suspected of Stealing $1.2M Worth of Fajitas

    10/15/2017 9:23:27 PM PDT · by nickcarraway · 16 replies
    KOB4 ^ | October 15, 2017
    Banks may just be a target of the past after a South Texas man allegedly stole $1.2 million worth of fajitas over nine years. According to The Brownsville Herald, Gilbert Escaramilla was arrested after authorities found packages of the food in his fridge. Investigators say Escaramilla was intercepting county-funded food deliveries, and then going on to deliver them to his customers. The scheme imploded when he missed a day of work and 800 pounds of fajitas were delivered to his former job at the Juvenile Justice Department. Escaramilla has been arrested on felony theft charges.
  • De Blasio heaps praise on the Rev. Al Sharpton

    10/15/2017 7:55:19 PM PDT · by EinNYC · 15 replies
    CITY HALL -- Mayor Bill de Blasio showered praise on the Rev. Al Sharpton during a satellite radio show with the civil rights activist on Friday afternoon. "Rev, I want to commend you," de Blasio told him on "Keepin' It Real with Reverend Al Sharpton" on SiriusXM satellite radio. "First of all, 50 years of activism -- that's unbelievable, it's something to be so proud of and what an impact you have had helping this city and this nation move forward. And happy belated birthday to you as well. You're just getting started my friend." Sharpton celebrated his 63rd birthday...
  • She Met Her Prince (for Real!) at a D.C. Nightclub

    10/15/2017 2:12:27 PM PDT · by Rebelbase · 26 replies
    NYslimes ^ | 10/13/17 | Katie Rogers
    Few love stories resemble a fairy tale as much as the courtship and marriage of Ariana Austin and Joel Makonnen. Of course, it helped that the groom is an actual prince and the bride has a prominent lineage of her own. Mr. Makonnen, known as Prince Yoel, is the 35-year-old great-grandson of Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia. And Ms. Austin, 33, is of African-American and Guyanese descent; her maternal grandfather was a lord mayor of Georgetown, the capital of Guyana. As the couple noted on their wedding website, their union happened when “Old World aristocracy met New World...
  • 'Superpope' Francis T-shirts to help poor, needy

    10/15/2017 12:43:56 AM PDT · by Olog-hai · 11 replies
    TheLocal.it ^ | 14 October 2017 10:28 CEST+02:00 | AFP
    A work of street art that turned Pope Francis into “superpope” will now support Vatican charitable projects through the sale of t-shirts bearing the flying pontiff, artist MauPal said on Friday. In 2014, graffiti artist MauPal — whose real name is Mauro Pallotta — depicted Francis as a superman on a wall in the Eternal City, flying through the air with his right fist outstretched and white cassock billowing behind him. The pope clutched his trademark black bag in his left hand, from which a blue-and-red striped scarf peeked out. When it appeared in Rome in January 2014, it captured...
  • SW Ohio boy, 13, dies of suspected heroin overdose; dad jailed

    10/14/2017 10:58:00 PM PDT · by Djl3668 · 30 replies
    AP ^ | 0410 | Associated Press
    heroin, Heroin At Home - SW Ohio boy, 13, dies of suspected heroin overdose; dad jailed - WBNS-10TV Columbus, Ohio | Columbus News, Weather & Sports - heroin, Heroin At Home SW Ohio boy, 13, dies of suspected heroin overdose; dad jailed SW Ohio boy, 13, dies of suspected heroin overdose; dad jailed NEWS ASSOCIATED PRESS PUBLISHED: 04/04/17 08:46 AM EDTUPDATED: 04/21/17 05:27 PM EDT DAYTON, Ohio — Authorities say a 13-year-old Ohio boy died of a suspected heroin overdose, and his father has been jailed in a previous drug-related case. Nathan Wylie's father and another man brought the unresponsive...
  • Woman robs man while he's having a seizure

    10/14/2017 9:31:35 PM PDT · by BenLurkin · 18 replies
    Utah police are looking for a woman...accused of robbing a veteran and an EMT while he had a seizure inside a 7-11. Surveillance video shows the suspect standing over Dustin Malone as he has a seizure. ... Malone said when the seizure ended, he found his credit card and ID missing.
  • 481,000 Irish have “no religion” as Catholic numbers dive

    10/14/2017 8:09:06 PM PDT · by Olog-hai · 42 replies
    Irish Central ^ | October 13, 2017 04:41 AM | James Wilson
    The number of atheists in Ireland has shot up by nearly three quarters whilst the number of Catholics has dived, according to the latest census figures. In 2011, a total of 277,237 ticked the ‘no religion’ box on the census form, but five years later, 481,388 did so. That means that atheism is now the second largest belief system in the Irish Republic, accounting for 10.1% of the population. The news was welcomed by the pressure group Atheist Ireland, which said, “We are increasingly optimistic that a secular Ireland is inevitable, free of religious privilege and religious discrimination against any...
  • Hudson Institute website under attack before Guo Wengui event

    10/14/2017 8:04:08 PM PDT · by RohanKapoor · 1 replies
    BBG Watch ^ | October 3, 2017 | BBG Watch Commentary
    The website of the Hudson Institute, http://www.hudson.org, a politically conservative, non-profit American think tank based in Washington, D.C. which was scheduled to host Wednesday, October 4, Guo Wengui, also known as Miles Kwok, China’s most famous billionaire businessman and whistleblower seeking political asylum in the United States, has been under attack today and is not functioning at this moment. Tomorrow’s Hudson Institute event with Guo Wengui was postponed. It is not clear whether the postponement was because of what is believed to be a cyber attack, but Guo Wengui will speak at the Hudson Institute, BBG Watch was told. Hudson...
  • Dropping turkeys from planes triggers Arkansas festival flap

    10/14/2017 7:45:14 PM PDT · by Rebelbase · 69 replies
    AP via ABC ^ | Oct 13, 2017, | KELLY P. KISSEL
    The 72nd Yellville Turkey Trot opened Friday with questions over whether the turkey drop portion would continue. The Chamber of Commerce for the small northern Arkansas city has distanced itself from the tradition it once endorsed and is hoping a "phantom pilot" won't fly over this weekend. But that hasn't stopped thousands of people from emailing the chamber about doing more to protect the birds. "Why don't you jump yourselves with no parachute. ... Think you'll like it?" one person wrote to the chamber Monday. Others used more colorful language. Arkansas is one of the nation's top turkey-producing states, and...
  • Hotshot Wall Street Banker Says Jilted Lover Drove His Benz Into Pool

    10/13/2017 9:21:14 PM PDT · by nickcarraway · 43 replies
    New York Post ^ | October 13, 2017 | Kevin Dugan
    A hotshot banker dumped his model girlfriend, and she got the ultimate revenge — by driving his precious Mercedes into the backyard pool, he said. Modal Trigger Kristina Kuchma Russian-born model Kristina Kuchma was furious with Guy Gentile for breaking up with her during a dinner out near his Bahamas home, rather than fund her marketing business venture. “Lier!” Kuchma, 24, texted Gentile in broken English on Saturday night after the dirty deed. “You told me you will help me to start a business! That were your words! Now you want to be an investor??? Well investor I have a...
  • Google buys 109 hectares of land in rural Sweden

    10/13/2017 8:55:35 PM PDT · by Olog-hai · 15 replies
    TheLocal.se ^ | 13 October 2017 11:14 CEST+02:00 | Emma Löfgren
    Google confirmed to The Local that the internet giant has acquired 109 hectares of land in Avesta municipality in the Dalarna region as part of its data center strategy. It had long been rumored that Google was in the process of purchasing land in the area, and on Friday representatives said they had closed a deal for 109 hectares some 160 kilometers northwest of Stockholm. The Local understands that certain plans for basic infrastructure on the site (such as roads and electricity) are already in the pipeline, but there are not yet any confirmed plans to use the land to...
  • ''My Dream Is to Be the First Emirati Woman to Go to Mars'': Alia Al Mansoori

    10/13/2017 8:23:56 PM PDT · by nickcarraway · 22 replies
    Emirates 24/7 ^ | Thursday, October 12, 2017
    Alia Al Mansoori, the young Emirati winner of the "Genes in Space" competition, told the Pearl FM, the Middle East’s first radio station dedicated to children, that her dream is to be the first Emirati woman to visit Mars. Under the sponsorship of the Global Space Congress, Al Mansoori went to Florida, USA, earlier this year and witnessed the launch of Falcon 9, her very own scientific space experiment. In the interview with Pearl FM’s "The Breakfast Club" hosted by Emirati presenter Saif Abdulla, Al Mansoori spoke about NASA and her dream to go to space. She also discussed her...
  • Norway seeks 'Tesla tax' on electric cars

    10/13/2017 6:56:47 PM PDT · by Olog-hai · 7 replies
    TheLocal.no ^ | 13 October 2017 09:42 CEST+02:00 | AFP
    Norway, a world leader of zero-emission vehicles, on Thursday proposed a “Tesla tax” aimed at cutting a tax advantage granted to large electric cars, in a heavily criticized move. Electric cars, which have hitherto been exempted from heavy taxes imposed on other vehicles, accounted for 20 percent of new registrations in the Nordic country since the beginning of this year, an unprecedented market share in the world. In a 2018 finance bill presented to the parliament on Thursday, the right-wing minority government suggested removing a one-off tax exemption for new electric cars weighing more than two tonnes. The proposal was...
  • Long-lost Rodin bust of Napoleon found in New Jersey

    10/13/2017 6:33:02 PM PDT · by nickcarraway · 9 replies
    A multi-million-dollar Rodin bust of Napoleon was discovered hiding in plain sight — inside a New Jersey borough hall, officials said Friday. The 1908 sculpture by the French artist Auguste Rodin, which art experts lost track of in the 1930s, was found in a corner of Morris County borough hall in Madison, city officials and art experts said. It had been sitting there for nearly 85 years, Madison Mayor Robert Conley told The Post.
  • Amish teen from New Wilmington charged with DUI in buggy

    10/13/2017 6:17:40 PM PDT · by Morgana · 40 replies
    wkbn ^ | October 13, 2017 | Chelsea Simeon
    NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. (WKBN) – An Amish teen from New Wilmington is facing DUI charges as a result of a traffic stop earlier this month. John Byler, 19, was pulled over around 7:30 p.m. October 1 in the borough. He was in an Amish buggy and didn’t have the required lights activated, according to the New Wilmington Police Department. Police said an officer ordered Byler to turn on the buggy’s lights. Finally, investigators said he did so but appeared to be struggling to control the horse.
  • Wilder Ranch State Park a Hidden Gem for Bikers and Hikers

    10/13/2017 12:37:49 PM PDT · by nickcarraway · 9 replies
    San Francisco Chronicle ^ | September 28, 2017 | Tom Stienstra
    Maybe the “10-mile Bubble Rule” is in full force at Wilder Ranch. Maybe it’s the name and first sighting of a farmhouse and barns that doesn’t exactly conjure up the vision of world-class mountain biking, bluff-top walks and spectacular ocean views — or a park with 7,000 acres that spans from the coastal cliffs to inland ridges. Regardless, Wilder Ranch State Park might have the best mountain biking of any state park in California. The walks and ocean views are stellar. Yet many outside of 10 miles have not been there, and some haven’t even heard of it. For those...
  • Lufthansa would be interested in 'creating a new Alitalia'

    10/13/2017 7:31:45 AM PDT · by Olog-hai · 9 replies
    TheLocal.it ^ | 13 October 2017 14:50 CEST+02:00
    The CEO of Germany’s Lufthansa has said the company would be interested in buying Italy’s troubled flagship carrier if an opportunity arose to “to create a new Alitalia”. His comments come just days before an October 16th deadline for the submission of bids. Ryanair pulled out of the running earlier this month as it deals with a shortage of pilots that forced it to cancel thousands of flights. Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr told German media on Thursday: “Alitalia as it exists today is not up for debate. But if there was a chance of creating a new Alitalia, then as...
  • Germany at huge risk of missing 2020 climate targets, government figures show

    10/13/2017 6:31:59 AM PDT · by Olog-hai · 23 replies
    TheLocal.de ^ | 11 October 2017 15:32 CEST+02:00
    The German government is still striving to reduce climate-damaging emissions below the level it was in 1990 by 40 percent. But according to internal calculations by the Federal Ministry of the Environment (BMU) recently submitted to Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) newspaper, hard-working power plants and dirty diesel may ruin the government’s ambitious plans. Just a year ago, the German government had predicted a 2020 figure of between 37 and 40 percent. But in May, when the government had to send updated data to Brussels, a maximum of 35.7 percent was reported. And even this figure is now proving to be too...
  • Megyn Kelly Today, Today: 'We're Talking About a Little Ackshawn'

    10/13/2017 4:01:41 AM PDT · by nikos1121 · 8 replies
    Jezebel ^ | 10/12/2017 | Bobby Finger
    Welcome to Megyn Kelly Today, Today, a new daily column in which we will share the most memorable things that happened on Megyn Kelly Today every morning until we are no longer able to watch Megyn Kelly Today without feeling like there will be no tomorrow. ·While teasing today’s episode in voiceover, Megyn Kelly said, “Plus, true or false: could it be risky to share your partner’s toothbrush?” ·Megyn Kelly came onstage in a white blouse and, like, slate suede pants. ·Megyn Kelly showed a video I referenced in this morning’s Dirt Bag. ·The audience groaned after Harvey Weinstein said,...
  • Utah's 'Negro Bill Canyon' renamed after years of debate [now Grandstaff Canyon]

    10/12/2017 6:43:36 PM PDT · by Olog-hai · 81 replies
    Associated Press ^ | Oct 12, 2017 6:51 PM EDT
    After years of debate, a U.S. government board has voted to rename Utah’s Negro Bill Canyon, overruling a recommendation by Utah officials to keep the name. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names decided Thursday to rename it Grandstaff Canyon to get rid of an offensive name, The Salt Lake Tribune reports. The vote was 12-0, with one member declining to vote. The decision comes 16 years after the board voted to keep the name. The new name honors black rancher and prospector William Grandstaff, whose cattle grazed there in the 1870s. “His name was Grandstaff; it was not Negro Bill,”...