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Jackson Jr. asks to go first if he and wife are sentenced to prison
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U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) (R) and talks with his wife, Chicago Ald. Sandi Jackson before Rahm Emanuel's inauguration as mayor of Chicago during an in inaugural ceremony at Millennium Park on May 16, 2011. Emanuel takes over for Richard M. Daley, who had served in the post since 1989. UPI/Brian Kersey
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WASHINGTON, June 18 (UPI) -- Lawyers for Jesse Jackson Jr. and his wife say if both are sentenced to prison for wire and mail fraud, Jackson would prefer to serve first.
Jackson, 48, will be sentenced July 3, pleading guilty after investigators discovered he had used about $750,000 in campaign funds to make personal purchases. He resigned his U.S. House of Representatives seat in 2012.
In a filing in federal court his lawyers said he has no income other that Social security payments and a federal pension.
"If he serves this period of incarceration first, Mrs. Jackson would be able to work and could stabilize the family's finances," the filing said.
Sandi Jackson pleaded guilty to filing false tax returns and will be sentenced July 3 as well. In a court filing, her lawyers requested she be given probation.
They have two children, 9 and 13, the Chicago Tribune reported.
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'At least a half dozen dead' in Santa Monica, Calif., rampage
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SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 7 (UPI) -- At least six people were killed Friday, including a man suspected of starting a house fire and going on a shooting rampage in Santa Monica, Calif., police said.
Santa Monica Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks told reporters the suspected gunman was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police in the library of Santa Monica College, after he allegedly shot and killed at least three people and wounded several others with an AR-15 semiautomatic weapon in a rampage that apparently began at a house not far from the college.
Santa Monica Fire Chief Scott Ferguson said the department responded to a report of a fire in the single-family house just before noon and, after getting the blaze under control, found two bodies in the home.
Seabrooks said the suspect -- described as a white male, age 25-30, dressed in all black and wearing what appeared to be a ballistic vest -- made his way through the neighborhood, shooting an undetermined number of people and killing at least two in separate incidents. Once on the SMC campus, the shooter kept firing his weapon, killing one woman, before he was in turned killed in a gun battle with police.
SMC Police Chief Albert Vasquez said it hadn't been determined whether the gunman was killed by campus police or by Santa Monica police.
None of the victims' names had been released late Friday afternoon pending notification of next of kin.
Seabrooks stressed the incident started in the community and culminated on campus but was not "a college or school shooting."
She said police have detained a person of interest and were not "convinced 100 percent that the suspect who was killed operated in a solo or a lone capacity."
Dr. Marshall Morgan, director of the UCLA Emergency Medicine Center in Westwood, told reporters three female shooting victims were taken to the center and three others were admitted at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica.
Of the three admitted to the Westwood hospital, one had died, Morgan said. Another was in critical condition with head injuries and the third "appears to be doing quite well" with relatively minor injuries.
One of the three people at UCLA Santa Monica was being treated for shrapnel injuries. The other two were being treated for "relatively minor injuries" and were doing well.
Citing law enforcement sources it did not identify, the Los Angeles Times reported the gunman had broken into a home and set fire to another property in the area before shooting at several cars in "multiple locations."
The Times' sources said the suspect in the campus shootings tried to hijack several cars, including one near the school library and campus police station.
The bomb squad was called to the campus and the school was on lockdown, police said.
College officials issued a statement announcing the lockdown and cautioning students and faculty to "stay out of open spaces, stay indoors, lock all doors and do not open the doors until you receive an all clear from college officials. If you are off campus, do not come to campus."
The shooting occurred as President Barack Obama was in the area for a Democratic Party fundraiser.
Citing sources, the Times said the shooting did not appear to be related to the president's visit.
"We are aware of the incident and it is not impacting the visit," Secret Service spokesman Edwin M. Donovan told reporters. "It's a local police matter at this point." |
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Report: U.K. agency used U.S. Internet spying system
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LONDON, June 7 (UPI) -- Britain's eavesdropping agency has used intelligence gathered from Internet companies by the top U.S. spy agency, the Guardian reported Friday.
In an exclusive investigation, the newspaper said GCHQ had generated 197 intelligence reports last year from the system after acquiring access as early as June 2010.
The U.S. program, called PRISM, requires a court order, but the British agency's access appears to allow it to circumvent the usual legal process required to see personal emails, photos and videos from an Internet company outside the United Kingdom.
The British agency's use of the system is set out in documents prepared in April for analysts at the U.S. National Security Agency, which created PRISM.
The system allows the NSA easy access to the world's largest Internet companies, including Google, Facebook, Yahoo and Skype.
The NSA documents say reports generated by GCHQ last year represented a 137 percent increase from the previous years. The reports are passed on to the British intelligence agencies MI5 and MI6.
GCHQ insisted in a statement it "takes its obligations under the law very seriously" and its work is "carried out in accordance with a strict legal and policy framework." |
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Yoga improved brain function better than aerobic exercise
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill., June 7 (UPI) -- A single 20-minute session of Hatha yoga improved brain function better than moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise, U.S. researchers say.
Edward McAuley, a professor and director of the Exercise Psychology Laboratory at the University of Illinois, said the study involved 30 subjects who were young, female, undergraduate students.
"Yoga is an ancient Indian science and way of life that includes not only physical movements and postures but also regulated breathing and meditation," Neha Gothe, who led the study while a graduate student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said in a statement.
Gothe, a professor of kinesiology, health and sport studies at Wayne State University in Detroit, said the practice involves an active attentional or mindfulness component but its potential benefits have not been thoroughly explored.
The yoga intervention involved a 20-minute progression of seated, standing and supine yoga postures that included isometric contraction and relaxation of different muscle groups and regulated breathing. The session concluded with a meditative posture and deep breathing.
The participants also completed an aerobic exercise session where they walked or jogged on a treadmill for 20 minutes.
Gothe and colleagues said they were surprised to see participants showed improvement in their reaction times and accuracy on cognitive tasks after yoga, while the aerobic exercise session showed no significant improvements on the working memory and inhibitory control scores.
The findings appear in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health. |
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Computer algorithm uses echoes to create 'virtual' room maps
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LAUSANNE, Switzerland, June 18 (UPI) -- A new computer algorithm that can give humans the ability to map their environments with sound could lead to an app to aid blind people, Swiss researchers say.
Some animals such as bats, whales and dolphins use echolocation -- emitting a sound and listening to the echo -- to create a mental map of their environment, and some blind people have learned to use finger snaps or tongue clicks to create a rough equivalent, they said.
Scientists at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne say technology and the new algorithm could be used to produce a more accurate sound experience in spaces, Discover News reported Tuesday.
A person's whereabouts could be revealed via an echolocation app on a smartphone, researcher said, down to the very room they occupy, since every room has a unique audio signature, they said, with the technology creating a sort of hyper-localized audio GPS.
"Our software can build a 3-D map of a simple, convex room with a precision of a few millimeters," researcher Ivan Dokmanic said.
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Senate Judiciary Committee holds hearing on Obama's choice for ATF
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WASHINGTON, June 11 (UPI) -- A U.S. Senate committee held a contentious confirmation hearing Tuesday on B. Todd Jones, acting director of the alcohol, tobacco and firearms agency.
Jones has been the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' part-time interim director since August 2011 when Kenneth Melson resigned in the wake of the Fast and Furious gun tracking scandal. President Obama nominated him as director five months ago after the December school massacre in Newtown, Conn.
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, said Jones' record as U.S. attorney in Minnesota made him unfit to head the ATF, The Washington Post reported. Jones has continued to serve in Minnesota while heading the ATF.
"Why are we even here today? There are allegations of gross mismanagement and abuse of authority in Mr. Jones' office, and there is a complaint that Mr. Jones retaliated against a whistle-blower," Grassley said.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., defended Jones. She suggested Grassley and other senators are irresponsible for blocking the confirmation of a full-time ATF director since the post was made subject to confirmation in 2006.
"Something is wrong when the Senate fails to confirm the head of an agency for seven years," Klobuchar said. "Something is wrong when we have ATF agents, over 2,000 of them, on the front lines of major investigations like the Boston Marathon bombing. While victims lay dismembered in the hospital, the agents were on the front line figuring out who did it and what happened. And yet the Senate still will not confirm a permanent leader of this agency."
Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., questioned whether Jones had disciplined any ATF agents over Fast and Furious. Jones, who was brought in as interim director after the scandal erupted, said he could not go into details of those who had been disciplined.
Fast and Furious was an attempt to track weapons sold in the United States, allegedly to people fronting for Mexican drug gangs.
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NFL Hall of Famer David 'Deacon' Jones dead at 74
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LOS ANGELES, June 4 (UPI) -- NFL Hall of Famer Deacon Jones died in Southern California Monday at the age of 74, the Washington Redskins said.
"The #Redskins have learned via EVP/GM Bruce Allen that @ProFootballHOF David 'Deacon' Jones has passed away from natural causes," the team said in a tweet.
"Deacon Jones was one of the greatest players in NFL history," Allen told Redskins.com. "Off the field, he was a true giant. His passion and spirit will continue to inspire those who knew him" said Allen. "He was cherished member of the Allen family and I will always consider him my big brother."
Jones coined the term "quarterback sack" and was known as the "secretary of defense." He played defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams (1961-71), San Diego Chargers (1972-73) and the Redskins (1974). He entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.
Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI). Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.
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Singer Tamar Braxton gives birth to a son
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LOS ANGELES, June 7 (UPI) -- U.S. singer and reality TV star Tamar Braxton announced on Twitter she gave birth to a son.
"He's here!" Braxton tweeted Thursday, alongside a photo of three blue teddy bears surrounded by sunflowers and balloons.
Braxton did not reveal any details about her first child's birth, including where he was born or what his name is.
Braxton married record executive Vincent Herbert in 2008. The couple star in the "Braxton Family Values" spinoff "Tamar & Vince." |
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Cellphone saturation almost achieved; 91 percent in U.S. own one
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WASHINGTON, June 6 (UPI) -- Cellphones are nearing ubiquitous status and are now being used by 91 percent of U.S. adults, the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project says.
However, while the survey demonstrated the cellphone is the most quickly adopted consumer technology in the history of the world, there are some demographic groups whose acceptance of the cellphone lags behind others, the research center said Thursday.
Those groups are people ages 65 and older; those who did not attend college; those living in households earning less than $30,000; and those in rural areas, the Pew survey found.
The rise of the smartphone is a big part of the cell adoption story, Pew said, and they survey found 56 percent of Americans have opted for a smartphone over a standard cellphone.
An increasing number of Americans are "cutting the cord" and giving up their traditional landlines, the survey found; as of June 2012, 35.8 percent of American household had become cell-only.
The survey of 2,252 adults was conducted by the Pew center conducted between April 17 and May 19. |
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Taco Bell workers fired over shell-licking picture
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IRVINE, Calif., June 6 (UPI) -- Taco Bell's corporate office in California said the employee seen licking a stack of taco shells in an online photo has been fired.
The company announced on its website the employee pictured licking a stack of taco shells and another employee who snapped the photo, which spread quickly online, were fired from their fast food restaurant, CNBC reported Thursday.
"We do not believe these employees harmed, or intended to harm, anyone," Taco Bell said in a statement Tuesday. "But we deplore the impressions this has caused to our customers, fans, franchisees, and team members. The behavior is unacceptable for people working in a restaurant. Our franchisee is responsible for the employment and conduct of his restaurant's employees and he has informed us that he immediately suspended the employee shown in the photo and is in the process of terminating his employment. The employee who took the photo no longer works there. As we complete our investigation we will work with our franchisee to implement any additional action we find appropriate to address this situation and ensure it never happens again."
The company said the shells were being used for training purposes and were due to be thrown out, not sold to customers.
The manager of the Taco Bell restaurant in Ridgecrest, Calif., confirmed the picture was taken at the restaurant.
Officials declined to identify the two fired employees. |
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Venus Williams withdraws from Wimbledon citing back injury
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American Venus Williams returns in her match against Russia's Elena Vesnina on the first day of the 2012 Wimbledon championships in London, June 25 2012. UPI/Hugo Philpott
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WIMBLEDON, England, June 18 (UPI) -- Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams revealed Tuesday she has pulled out of this year's Grand Slam event.
Williams, writing on her Facebook page, said she made the decision to break her string of 16 consecutive Wimbledon appearances due to a back injury.
"Unfortunately, I will not be able to participate in Wimbledon this year," she wrote. "I am extremely disappointed as I have always loved The Championships, but I need to take time to let my back heal."
The 33-year-old, who also has racked up three runner-up accolades at the All England Club, is along with her sister Serena Wimbledon's reigning doubles champion.
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ACLU sues Obama administration officials in NSA phone surveillance case
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WASHINGTON, June 11 (UPI) -- A civil liberties watchdog Tuesday sued a clutch of Obama administration officials in federal court in New York, challenging its phone surveillance enterprises.
The American Civil Liberties Union's lawsuit in U.S. District Court names National Intelligence Director James Clapper, National Security Agency Director Keith Alexander, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, Attorney General Eric Holder and FBI Director Robert Mueller.
The ACLU is challenging the phone surveillance program the NSA has pursued under the auspices of the Patriot Act, contending the agency's collection of metadata has violated Americans' constitutional rights of free speech, association and privacy.
The suit came a day after the ACLU went to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court seeking the release of secret court opinions on the Patriot Act's Section 215, which has been interpreted to authorize the warrantless collection of phone records.
"Collecting those details -- 'metadata' that reveals who people talk to, for how long, how often, and possibly from where -- allows the government to paint an alarmingly detailed picture of Americans' private lives," the ACLU's Brett Max Kaufman said in a statement.
"The FISC order cited Section 215 as its legal basis, yet the breadth of the authority it granted to the government is simply incompatible with the text of the statute.
The employer of Edward Snowden, who claimed responsibility for leaking U.S. intelligence surveillance operations, said Tuesday it fired him the day before.
Meanwhile, Russian officials said they would weigh whether to grant asylum to Snowden, who holed up in a Hong Kong hotel until Monday when he checked out. His whereabouts are unknown.
In a statement, Booz Allen confirmed Snowden "was terminated June 10, 2013, for violations of the firm's code of ethics and firm policy."
The statement said he was employed for less than three months and assigned to a team based in Hawaii.
"News reports that this individual has claimed to have leaked classified information are shocking, and if accurate, this action represents a grave violation of the code of conduct and core values of our firm," the statement said. "We will work closely with our clients and authorities in their investigation of this matter."
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday if Russian authorities receive an asylum request, "we will consider it," business daily Kommersant reported.
White House spokesman Jay Carney, asked during his daily press briefing in Washington, whether the United States wants to prosecute Snowden, pointed out there is an investigation taking place "and it is for the investigators to determine whether or not crimes have been committed and to decide what charges, if any, will be brought."
Carney also disputed the contention by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., that Clapper didn't give "straight answers" on the NSA surveillance effort at a March hearing and said the president "certainly believes that Director Clapper has been straight and direct in the answers that he's given, and has actively engaged in an effort to provide more information about the programs that have been revealed through the leak of classified information."
When pressed by a reporter who said even Clapper has acknowledged he wasn't as forthcoming as he could have been, Carney said the thought the director "has been aggressive in providing as much information as possible to the American people, to the press about these very sensitive and very important programs that are authorized by Congress under Section 702 and Section 215 of the Patriot Act -- a public statute, a much-debated public statute that has been passed into law and reauthorized I believe three times by Congress with bipartisan majorities."
Snowden, 29, a former CIA computer technician who was an intelligence contractor, said Sunday he was the source of recent leaks about the NSA's cellphone and Internet monitoring program known as "Prism."
Snowden has sought asylum since leaking the top-secret NSA documents to media, the British publication The Daily Telegraph reported.
"The only thing I can do is sit here and hope the Hong Kong government does not deport me," Snowden told The Guardian, suggesting he could seek protection in Iceland. The Guardian broke the story.
Snowden's disclosures also raised questions about outsourcing U.S. intelligence operations, the Telegraph said. More than half the 25,000 employees of Booz Allen, Snowden's employer, hold government security clearances.
"The process has just been a great wealth transfer to the private sector," former CIA case officer Bob Baer told the Telegraph. "And I hate the systems they've built because they never caught a terrorist."
Snowden's disappearance came as the Justice Department began assembling information for a possible case against him, The New York Times reported.
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Church leaders to have special seats in Sanford, FL, Zimmerman trial
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SANFORD, Fla., June 7 (UPI) -- Clergy leaders from churches in Sanford, Fla., will have seats at George Zimmerman's trial in the slaying of teenager Trayvon Martin, officials said.
Church leaders will take turns sharing four reserved courtroom seats for the trial set to begin Monday, the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel reported Thursday.
The church leaders can then tell their congregations about the trial and to try to alleviate any concerns or answer questions people may have, the newspaper said.
"We, as religious leaders, can have a calming presence. We can soothe tensions," said Pastor Sharon Patterson, of Getting Your House in Order Ministries. "The main concern is that this is such a high-profile case that there are a lot of feelings, and there will be a lot of misinformation about what is taking place. So it's important that people listen to the facts from someone who is there and tell them that the wheels of justice are turning and to stay calm."
The concern is rooted in racial tensions in the community. Some people believed Zimmerman shot the teen because he was black and questioned why Zimmerman wasn't arrested immediately after the incident.
Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder.
"When you speak to the black pastors, many have stories from their congregations that they feel the [justice] system is stacked against them. But many in the white communities don't recognize that," said Jeffrey Krall, pastor of the Family Worship Center. "This is so they can see the process firsthand and then use whatever influence they have to share it with their communities." |
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