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Police: Search on for 9 boys from N.M. youth camp

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HILLSBORO, N.M. (AP) — The search for nine teenagers reported missing from a ranch for troubled youth is moving forward Saturday, authorities said, despite claims from the facility's attorney that the boys were OK and being taken back to their parents.
 
Until officers can "visually confirm the children are safe or in confidence know that" the search will continue and the Amber Alert issued for the boys will stand, New Mexico State Police spokesman Sgt. Emmanuel Gutierrez said Friday night.
 
The search comes after the Albuquerque Journal reported last week that state authorities were investigating claims that teenage boys were beaten and forced to wear leg shackles and handcuffs for minor violations of rules at the unlicensed program.
 
A search warrant was executed Friday as part of the investigation of abuse at the Tierra Blanca High Country Youth Program, located at a 30,000-acre compound in high desert country, about seven miles from Hillsboro. Officials said that the teens, ages 13 and 17, weren't at the property in Sierra County, nor was program operator Scott Chandler, who has been named a person of interest in the case.
 
Ranch attorney Pete Domenici Jr. said in a statement Friday that the boys had been "on a previously scheduled activity away from the ranch for several days. They are safe and have already been picked up by their parents, or their parents are en route to pick them up."
 
Domenici accused the state of escalating the situation by failing to agree to an emergency hearing in a lawsuit the ranch filed earlier this week over what the suit contends was an improperly handled investigation.
 
However, authorities issued an Amber Alert for the teenager minutes after Domenici's statement was released.
 
Program operators had been ordered to send the kids back to their parents or surrender them to the state after staff members were accused of beating and shackling students.
 
The operators of the ranch, Scott and Collette Chandler, deny any children have been harmed. And they filed a lawsuit earlier this week accusing investigators of targeting the ranch for closure following a fatal car crash involving students.
 
The operators also claimed investigators have been illegally interviewing students and telling parents to pull their children from the program by Friday or face abuse charges. Their lawsuit said at least one family was contacted directly by Gov. Susana Martinez, a claim her office denies.
 
During a press conference earlier this week Chandler said Tierra Blanca has been operating for nearly 20 years. Its website promises a program for unmanageable kids that offers a balance of love, discipline and structure.
 

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Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ionyclaret@gmail.com
https://www.codewit.com
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U.S. Statue of Liberty and Grand Canyon to reopen

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New York and Arizona announced Friday night they are dipping into their state coffers to pay to reopen the iconic Statue of Liberty and Grand Canyon, federally operated parks in their states that have been shuttered as a result of the partial government shutdown.
 
The announcements by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, a Republican, come on the same day that the governors of Utah and Colorado said they would use state money to temporarily reopen national parks in their states.
 
A fifth state, South Dakota, announced Friday that it recruited more than a dozen businesses, civic groups and individuals to donate the $15,200 per day it costs to operate Mount Rushmore. The monument will open Monday.
 
New York reached an agreement with the Department of Interior to pay $369,000 to pay for operations — run by the National Park Service — from Saturday through Oct. 17.
 
"As the shutdown continues, we cannot afford to lose the thousands of visits to the park each day," Cuomo said. "So while the dysfunction and gridlock in Washington, D.C., has failed to keep this important state asset open, New York is stepping up to take over this responsibility."
 
The Grand Canyon National Park will reopen Saturday under the terms of a deal Brewer reached late Friday with federal officials.
 
The state will pay $651,000, covering a week's worth of costs for reopening the entire park. The money will come from a mix of state and "other" dollars, Brewer spokesman Andrew Wilder said, including funds contributed by Tusayan businesses.
 
The state of Colorado announced Friday it will spend more than $360,000 to reopen Rocky Mountain National Park through Oct. 20, while Utah will open five of the state's national parks Saturday at a cost of $1.67 million.
 
The decision by governors to kick in funds to keep national parks open in their states came after the Obama administration announced Thursday that it would allow states to pay to reopen any of the country's 401 National Park Service managed properties.
 
Utah was the first state to take the administration up on its offer and wired the money to the National Park Service on Friday morning to reopen Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Zion National Parks. The state is also paying to reopen the federally operated Natural Bridges and Cedar Breaks national monuments, as well as Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
 
The state estimates its national parks would bring in $100 million to Utah's economy in October.
 
"I was so anxious to do something, because this is a kind of seasonal work for people in Utah," Utah's Republican Gov. Gary Herbert told USA TODAY. "You miss October, it's not like you can make it up in January. It's like missing the Christmas holiday season."
 
More than 80,000 visitors were turned away from Rocky Mountain National Park during the first 10 days of the shutdown, and the economy lost out on about $4.8 million in visitor spending, according to a report by the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees. Colorado will spend about $40,000 per day to keep the park open. Colorado's tourism traffic also took a hit last month because of devastating floods in the state.
 
"This reopening is critical to ongoing recovery efforts after last month's flooding," said Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat.
 
Utah is using emergency funds from the state's Department of Natural Resources to pay to reopen the national parks, according to Herbert's office. National Park Service workers at Utah parks were alerted to return to work Thursday night and began returning to their posts Friday morning.
 
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell agreed Thursday to let the states foot the bill to reopen the parks but on the condition that they bring back park service employees and reopen the parks entirely.
 
"This is a practical and temporary solution that will lessen the pain for some businesses and communities in Colorado during this shutdown," Jewell said in a statement Friday. "We want to reopen all of our national parks as quickly as possible for everyone to enjoy and call on Congress to pass a clean continuing resolution to open the government."
 
In Utah, the decision to cover the costs — even though it remains uncertain whether the state will be reimbursed by the federal government once the shutdown ends — was an easy one to make considering how big of a blow the closures have been on the state's economy.
 
Ben Patel, general manager of the Pioneer Lodge near Zion, said the shutdown has dropped his occupancy to less than 50% during a time of year when the lodge is typically fully booked.
 
"The day they open, the guests will start rolling in. Once word spreads, we'll get people coming in," he said.
 
Jan Huber, a tourist from Freiburg, Germany, visiting Utah this week, said an open park over the weekend would at least partially make up for a week spent scrambling to find alternatives to the national parks she had planned on visiting.
 
"We have been so unfortunate; it would be very good to finally get into (a park)," Huber said.
 
Herbert said the state is prepared to pay for more than 10 days if needed. He expects the federal government will reimburse the state once the government reopens — noting that the federal government repaid states that reopened national parks during the government shutdown in 1995. Rep. Steve Daines, R-Mont., introduced legislation on Friday that calls for reimbursing states for paying for national parks operations once the shutdown ends.
 
"I hope this is not the new normal," Herbert said of the government shutdown. "I see a lack of leadership, and I think blame can be spread around on both sides of the aisle, and I think the president needs to step up and lead. "

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ionyclaret@gmail.com
https://www.codewit.com
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Thicke on Miley’s VMA twerking: ‘This is wacky’

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We've heard heaps from the twerker herself. Now, the "twerkee" is speaking out.
 
Robin Thicke, the self-described "twerkee" of the most talked-about VMAs since, oh, last year's show, has opened up to Oprah Winfrey about his role in the apocalyptic (if you believe Saturday Night Live) episode of rump-shaking.
 
"This is funny to me, it's silly," Thicke tells the talk show titan on Sunday's Oprah's Next Chapter.
 
"You didn't think it was sexual?" Oprah asks.
 
"I was on stage. I didn't see it," Thicke says. "So to me, I'm walking out towards Miley (and) I'm not thinking sex. I'm thinking fun, you know?"
 
"But she's twerking up against your … cojones."
 
"But just remember, I'm singing my butt off so I'm sitting there, I'm looking up at the sky, and I'm not really paying attention to all that," Thicke says. "That's on her."
 
"People ask me, 'Do you twerk?' I go, 'Listen, I'm the twerkee," ' he continues, laughing. "I'm twerked upon. I don't twerk myself, OK? I'm just twerked upon."
 
That said, "I wasn't offended by it personally, you know, because I think some people, they see that and they go, 'This is so sexual.' … And to me, I'm sitting there going, 'This is wacky.' "
 
The twerking twins, incidentally, will reunite on Dec. 16 in Washington, D.C., for Hot 99.5's Jingle Ball 2013.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ionyclaret@gmail.com
https://www.codewit.com
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California is first state to ban lead in hunting ammo

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In a move to protect wildlife and the environment, California on Friday became the first state to ban lead in hunting ammunition.
 
The measure, signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown, phases out lead bullets and shot by July 2019, with regulations due by July 2015.
 
"Lead poses a danger to wildlife. This danger has been known for a long time," Brown wrote in a signing message, noting that a leading conservation wrote about lead poisoning in 1984. The federal government banned lead ammunition from waterfowl hunting in 1991.
 
The measure expands an earlier ban on lead hunting ammunition in California condor habitat. The new law covers all wildlife, including "game mammals, game birds, nongame birds and nongame mammals" such as coyotes.
 
"The risks to California's incredibly diverse wildlife are many," Brown wrote. "We must manage our state's wildlife for the use and enjoyment of all Californians. It is time to begin this transition and provide hunters with ammunition that will allow them to continue the conservation heritage of California."
 
Brown noted changes to the legislation that "better protect the hunting community," including authorizing the state's Fish & Wildlife director to suspend the ban if the federal government outlaws nonlead ammunition because it can pierce armor.
 
Supporters also said the ban would protect the health of hunters and their families.
 
"Switching to nontoxic lead ammunition will save the lives of eagles, condors and thousands of other birds every year – and, importantly, will keep hunters and their families from being exposed to toxic lead," the Center for Biological Diversity said in a statement.
 
But the organization representing state game wardens had urged Brown to veto the lead ban.
 
"California Game Wardens are on the front line enforcing the ban on lead ammunition for most hunting in condor range. But there is insufficient data to justify such a drastic action across the entire state," the association's leadership wrote in a letter to the governor.
 
The bill was one of 11 gun-regulation measures the Democratic governor signed.
 
But Brown vetoed seven other firearms bills introduced in response to the Connecticut school massacre last December. The most controversial sought to ban the manufacture, sale and importation of semiautomatic combat-style rifles with detachable magazines.
 
"I don't believe that this bill's blanket ban on semiautomatic rifles would reduce criminal activity or enhance public safety enough to warrant this infringement on gun owners' rights," Brown wrote in veto message. He said the bill applied to "low-capacity rifles that are commonly used for hunting, firearms training and marksmanship practice, as well as some historical and collectible firearms."
 
The measure would have also required current owners to register their weapons and would have prohibited them from selling or transferring them.
 
Noting that gun violence had killed more than 1,100 Californians since the the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, a Democrat representing Sacramento, said he sponsored "because I believe aggressive action is precisely what's needed to reduce the carnage in our communities, and to counter the equally aggressive action by the gun industry which is intent on exploiting loopholes in our existing ban on assault weapons."
 
Brown also rejected legislation to allow Oakland to draft stricter gun regulations and to let San Francisco and San Mateo County supervisors ban gun shows.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ionyclaret@gmail.com
https://www.codewit.com
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What happens in Vegas: Best topless revues

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With most visitors only coming to Sin City for a weekend, it can be tough choosing how to spend your time (especially when it comes to the variety of adult entertainment available). Unfortunately for most travelers, figuring out the best shows to see can mean a process of trial and error, leaving some patrons discouraged. But don't worry, we're listing our top picks for the best topless revues and what to expect. You can thank us later.
 
FANTASY at Luxor
 
Produced by Emmy Award-winning choreographer, Anita Mann, and headlined by powerhouse vocalist, Jaime Lynch, it's no wonder this show is still hot after 14 years on the Strip. More than a topless revue, you'll be entertained by the dancers' aerial silks, pole work, ballet technique and burlesque charm. The assortment of dance styles, music and talent won't disappoint.
 
VIDEO: Hilary learns to dance like the FANTASY cast
 
Shows are performed nightly at 10:30 p.m. with tickets starting at $39. Must be 18 or older.
 
Zumanity at New York-New York
 
Exploring the limits of sensuality and sexuality with humor, allure and a touch of the bizarre, this show is different form what you've grown to expect from Cirque du Soleil. Set in an intimate theater and complete with raunchy clowns, exquisite dancers and of course, variety acts and acrobats, you're in for an uninhibited night of entertainment. With so much grandeur, you may even forget the dancers are topless. We recommend getting there early for the warm-up act (because it's that funny) and sitting in front if you want to be picked to go on stage.
 
Tickets start at $69. Special anniversary offer (buy one ticket get the second for $10) runs through December 10, 2013. Shows are performed twice nightly Friday-Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Must be 18 or older.
 
X Rocks at Rio All-Suite Las Vegas
 
X Rocks stays true to a traditional revue, letting the costumes, props and visuals add flare to a rock soundtrack. A flaming guitar, strobes and blacklight paint accent the dance numbers, and you'll find this show moves as quickly as the beats. The costumes are top-notch and the choreography is tight.
 
Performances run Thursday-Sunday at 10:00 p.m. with tickets starting at $41.75. Must be 18 or older.
 
Raack N Roll at The D Las Vegas
 
Downtown now offers a competitor to the Strip's top adult shows, featuring rock hits by AC/DC, Alice in Chains and Metallica. While the show is equipped with energetic dancers (like a moon walking ballerina) and cohesive pieces, the venue makes it difficult for audience members in the back to see the full show. Arrive early and ask for seating near the stage to enjoy the complete experience.
 
Shows run Thursday-Sunday at 10:30 p.m. and Monday at 9 p.m. Tickets start at $43.95. Must be 18 or older.
 
X Burlesque at The Flamingo
 
The most artistic of the revues, X Burlesque pushes limits with dramatic numbers and unique themes, such as a tribute to burlesque dancer Sally Rand. These ladies show the most skin and with the added stage and pole in the center of the theater, audience members can expect to see the action from every angle.
 
Performances run nightly at 10 pm. Tickets start at $61.55 (plus tax and fees). Must be 18 or older.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ionyclaret@gmail.com
https://www.codewit.com
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Congress in ‘fluid’ talks with Obama to end shutdown

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WASHINGTON — Negotiations to end the government shutdown and avert default continued into the weekend as House and Senate Republicans traded offers among themselves and with the White House in efforts to find a pathway out of the impasse.
 
White House spokesman Jay Carney said the president and Congress are "obviously in a better place than we were a few days ago in terms of the constructive approach that we've seen of late" but there was still no agreement. "We're talking about a very fluid situation."
 
President Obama told business leaders on a conference call Friday that he hoped a deal could be struck this weekend. The president also spoke with 25 governors from both parties.
 
After a meeting Friday at the White House between Obama and Senate Republicans, Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., said, "The question is: Can you get something in the next 72 hours? The president seems committed to being engaged in it, and he hadn't been up to this point, so I'm optimistic."
 
House and Senate Republicans appear to be pursuing different negotiations with the White House, and it is unclear whether any proposal can win over Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who leads congressional Democrats in the talks.
 
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have been in communication but James Lankford, R-Okla., said House and Senate Republicans are "working independent" of each other.
 
"There's not the sense of 'Let's the two of us have the exact same plan and try to work together,'" Lankford said.
 
Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., met separately with McConnell and Boehner on Friday and told reporters they were hopeful the House would move first. "I think the House going first would be the best thing. That would be the preferred outcome," Graham said.
 
Democrats have resisted GOP efforts, led by Boehner, to engage in budget talks until the government is reopened and the debt ceiling is increased in advance of the Oct. 17 deadline.
 
Boehner and Obama spoke by phone Friday afternoon but reached no agreement except to keep talking.
 
The shutdown, in its 11th day, began when Republicans demanded a delay or defunding of the Affordable Care Act in exchange for their votes to keep the government running. The funding discussion has become entwined with proposals to increase the U.S. borrowing limit so the nation can continue to pay its bills on time. Republicans have moved on from focusing on the health care law and seek broader concessions on fiscal issues.
 
Congress will continue to work through the weekend. House Republicans will huddle Saturday morning, and the Senate is scheduled to vote on a key procedural hurdle to move forward with a 15-month increase in the debt ceiling with no conditions attached.
 
Boehner has offered a proposal to extend the debt limit for six weeks, but Carney said Obama believes that is too short a time frame and creates the possibility of another standoff right before the Thanksgiving and holiday shopping seasons.
 
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is working with senators in both parties on a budget framework that includes a six-month stopgap funding bill through March and a debt ceiling increase through January. The extensions would give Congress breathing room to reach a broader budget agreement.
 
"I believe that still gives us plenty of leverage to work out a long-term fiscal plan, but it removes the threat of an immediate default," Collins said Friday.
 
House Republicans have also proposed a short-term stopgap spending bill to reopen the government after Obama rejected their proposal for only a debt ceiling increase.
 
Senate Republicans seemed more inclined to support a framework with longer-term time agreements than House Republicans seek, suggesting a divide between the two chambers on the way forward. "I think everybody agrees that the length of time dictates the framework of what's in the agreement, so you don't get as much for a shorter term and you get more for a longer term," Burr said.
 
Some Republicans seem eager to resolve the impasse. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., cited a "devastating" NBC/Wall Street Journal polled released Thursday which showed the Republican Party's favorable rating at an all-time low. "I know that they're reading the polls," McCain said of House Republicans.
 
McCain has been a vocal critic of the GOP's strategy in the shutdown fight, particularly their efforts to dismantle the president's health care law. The senator said the negotiations are lagging because of Obama's wariness of House Republicans.
 
"The president is very reluctant to commit to anything because he has to deal with the House of Representatives, but I'm encouraged by the attitude that's been displayed," McCain said. "He sees progress, but we're a long way from (a deal.)"

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Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ionyclaret@gmail.com
https://www.codewit.com
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U.S. Relief rally aside, don’t take eyes off D.C.

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NEW YORK — The stock market wrapped up a volatile week with its biggest two-day rally since the start of the year on hopes divided lawmakers are close to striking a deal that will enable the U.S. to pay all of its bills on time and avoid a confidence-shattering default.
 
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 111 points, or 0.7%, to 15,237 on Friday, a day after shooting up 323 points for its biggest one-day point gain since December 2011. The Dow's two-day gain of 434 points, was its biggest back-to-back point jump since the so-called "fiscal cliff" was narrowly averted late last year, resulting in a two-day jump of nearly 475 points on the last trading day of 2012 and the first trading session of 2013.
 
But investors shouldn't get too overconfident until they see the details of the final deal hammered out between Republicans and Democrats, who are expected to keep talking over the weekend, Wall Street strategists say. The latest Republican proposal would only raise the debt ceiling by enough to last six weeks, nor would it end the 11-day-old government shutdown.
 
There's no denying that the perceived thaw in the icy relationship between the nation's two political parties suggests they are moving closer to a deal to raise the debt ceiling by the Oct. 17 deadline and avoid the first-ever U.S. default. But it's also clear the deal currently under discussion comes with its fair share of caveats.
 
For one, a temporary extension of the debt ceiling will simply push off the "crunch date," or new deadline, until later this year, creating yet another layer of uncertainty. What's more, not reopening the government soon also poses additional risks to the economy, which could further damage consumer confidence and corporate earnings. There's always a chance a deal doesn't get done.
 
All three of those scenarios will cause market volatility to return.
 
While the odds favor this current political crisis "winding down," a six-week debt-ceiling extension "means we might have to do this all over again in November," says Jim Paulsen, chief investment strategist at Wells Capital Management.
 
Investors expecting the Dow to jump another 300 points when a deal is finalized might be expecting too much, adds Alec Young, global equity strategist at S&P Capital IQ.
 
The stock market, he says, has already priced in a best-case scenario, including an extension of the debt ceiling by the Thursday deadline and an end to the shutdown.
 
"In the short term, the stock market has probably priced in more than politicians are likely to deliver," Young says.
 
If lawmakers extend the debt ceiling but don't reopen the government and the shutdown drags on for weeks, there is a risk that the economic fallout will take a bigger bite out of growth.
 
"Just because the market has enjoyed a relief rally doesn't mean we can take our eyes off Washington," Young says.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ionyclaret@gmail.com
https://www.codewit.com
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U.S. GOP offers short-term debt deal; White House a ‘maybe’

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WASHINGTON — House Republican leaders are proposing a six-week increase in the nation's $16.7 trillion debt ceiling as a way of avoiding a first-ever U.S. default on debts. The White House has indicated that it might be something President Obama could accept, depending on the details of the bill.
 
If there is enough support within the party, the House could vote as early as Thursday evening. Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, proposed the plan to the full Republican conference Thursday morning. The plan would extend the debt ceiling to Nov. 22.
 
The decision to seek approval for a short-term increase is in part because Obama and congressional Democrats have declined to engage with Republicans in budget talks. The Treasury says the nation will hit its debt ceiling Oct. 17 and would begin defaulting on debts shortly thereafter.
 
Democrats have said they will only negotiate after Republicans vote to increase the debt ceiling and end the government shutdown, now in its 10th day. Boehner's plan does not address the ongoing shutdown. "That's the conversation we're going to have with the president today," Boehner said, when asked what it would take to reopen the government.
 
Boehner said the Republicans' decision to move a clean increase was their way of meeting Obama halfway. "it's time for leadership. It's time for these negotiations and this conversation to begin," he said.
 
White House spokesman Jay Carney said Thursday Obama would likely sign even a short-term debt ceiling hike as long as there were no conditions attached, but it's unclear if House Republicans would do that.
 
"If a clean debt bill is passed, he would likely sign it," Carney said, but he added that Obama would have to examine the specific legislation. Carney added that it would "far better" to raise the debt ceiling for "an extended period of time" that is longer than six weeks.
 
But he said it's "at least an encouraging sign" that House Republicans are considering a debt ceiling increase.
 
"We'll see what they can pass, and consider it then," Carney said.
 
Jason Furman, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, would not say if the White House would agree to go along with a short-term deal, but said the White House believes "longer is better."
 
"The Senate has a plan to do it for a year," Furman told reporters at an event hosted by the liberal Center for American Progress on Tuesday morning. "That's better for certainty. That is better for everything."
 
Boehner will lead a team of 18 GOP lawmakers to the White House Thursday afternoon to meet privately with Obama.
 
"We're coming there with the idea of working together. We're coming there with the idea of common ground," said Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.
 
Senate Democrats will also meet Thursday with Obama, and Republican senators have been invited to the White House for similar talks Friday morning.
 
The budget impasse began ten days ago when Republicans initially said they would support a stopgap funding measure without an agreement to delay or defund Obama's signature health care law. Republicans have moved on from that demand and are now seeking broader fiscal reforms on taxes and entitlement programs.
 
Obama and congressional Democrats have said they would not negotiate over the health care law or other budget issues only after the government is reopened and the debt ceiling is raised.
 
Contributing: Aamer Madhani

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Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ionyclaret@gmail.com
https://www.codewit.com
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U.S. Auto-erotic asphyxiation possible in Castro death

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro may have died from auto-erotic asphyxiation, not suicide, and two prison guards falsified logs documenting their observation of him in the hours before he died, the state said Thursday.
 
Castro's pants and underwear were pulled down to his ankles when he was found, leading the state to forward those facts to the state highway patrol to consider the possibility of auto-erotic asphyxiation, according to the report from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
 
The report suggests — but does not conclude — that Castro may have died as the result of auto-erotic asphyxiation, whereby individuals achieve sexual satisfaction by briefly choking themselves into unconsciousness.
 
Castro did not leave a suicide note and "multiple levels of assessment" did not find tendency toward suicide, the report said. A comprehensive mental health evaluation found "no evidence of serious mental illness or indications for suicide precautions were present," according to the report.
 
Surveillance video indicates guards did not do at least eight required checks on Castro the afternoon and evening before he died. Two checks were done properly just before Castro hanged himself on Sept. 3 at a prison reception center south of Columbus.
 
The report also said an ambulance contracted to provide medical assistance at the prison was significantly late in arriving, but the delay likely didn't affect the outcome.
 
The report also said staff failed to make sure Castro watched a suicide prevention video when he first arrived in August.
 
Castro, 53, was a few weeks into a life sentence after pleading guilty in August to kidnapping three women from the streets of Cleveland, then imprisoning them in his home for a decade during which time he repeatedly raped and beat them. He was accused of limiting their access to food and toilet facilities and chaining them at times to a pole in the basement. Rescued with the three women in May was a 6-year-old girl Castro fathered with one of the victims.

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Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ionyclaret@gmail.com
https://www.codewit.com
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U.S. Former Detroit mayor sentenced to 28 years in prison

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DETROIT — Detroit's former mayor, convicted earlier this year on wide-ranging corruption charges, was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court to 28 years in prison.
 
Prosecutors had asked for at least that long a sentence.
 
Kwame Kilpatrick, 43, was found guilty March 11 of 24 of 30 counts of corruption, including five counts of extortion, racketeering, bribery and several mail, wire and tax fraud charges. On three counts he was found not guilty, and on the remaining three no verdict was reached.
 
Kilpatrick's lawyer, Harold Gurewitz, had asked for 15 years. U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds made the final decision, commenting on the tens of millions of dollars lost to city workers' pensions and how Kilpatrick took bribes from vendors. She said she would have a hearing within 90 days to determine restitution.
 
"One thing is certain," Edmunds said. "It was the citizens of Detroit who suffered."
 
Kilpatrick, son of former congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, was elected mayor of Detroit in 2001 and was forced to resign from office on Sept. 17, 2008.
 
The former mayor, in custody since his conviction, entered court shortly after 10 a.m. ET Thursday in handcuffs and a prison jumpsuit. The judge handed down her sentence about three hours later.
 
After her ruling, Edmunds told Kilpatrick that he can appeal. She is recommending that he go to a federal prison in Texas.
 

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ionyclaret@gmail.com
https://www.codewit.com
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