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  • 30
    Apr
    2013
    5:44am, EDT

    Adding up the financial costs of the Boston bombings

    Jessica Rinaldi / Reuters

    Flowers lay on the sidewalk at the site of the first explosion at the Boston Marathon finish line after Boylston Street reopened on April 24.

    By Bill Dedman and John Schoen, NBC News

    In a matter of moments, the Boston Marathon bombings inflicted as much as $333 million in damage to the local economy in lost wages, retail sales and infrastructure damage, according to preliminary estimates. But the effects of the April 15 attack, which killed three people and injured 264 others, continue to send shock-waves far beyond Boylston Street.

    Based on published reports and interviews with local business leaders and authorities, here are some figures that hint at the ultimate financial impacts of the bombings, and illustrate the enormous gap between the losses inflicted on the city and victims and the pocket change spent by the alleged killers:

    Cost of artificial legs for the 14 people who lost limbs: $20,000 per amputation; $7,200 for a below-the-knee artificial foot up to $90,000 for microprocessor-controlled full leg; tens of thousands for rehab

    Total cost of care for 70 hospitalized victims: Could exceed $9 million, according to one rough calculation

    Money collected by One Fund Boston established by the city and state to aid marathon victims: $23 million

    Cost to Sugar Heaven, 669 Boylston St.: $65,000*

    Cost to Abe & Louie’s, 793 Boylston: $500,000**

    Cost to Sir Speedy’s Printing, 827 Boylston: $150,000

    Cost to Whiskeys’ Smokehouse, 885 Boylston: $250,000

    Elise Amendola / AP

    A city transportation worker fixes a street sign in Boston's Copley Square on April 25.

    Total losses from 10 hardest-hit businesses: $2.3 million

    Total business losses within the Boston Police Department’s designated “Impact Zone”: $10 million

    Size of Small Business Administration loans available to businesses: Up to $2 million

    Value of tickets for canceled Celtics-Pacers NBA game: $1.3 million

    Value of tickets for canceled Boston Symphony concert: $175,000***

    Value of tickets for three canceled Blue Man Group performances: $105,000***

    Lost receipts for New England Aquarium: $130,000

    Lost parking ticket revenue: $8 million

    Lost fares, one day of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority: $1.56 million****

    Net cost of canceled Amtrak service: $180,000

    Cost of hijacked SUV: At least $47,270 

    Money stolen from SUV driver: $845

    List price for Ruger 9mm similar to the handgun allegedly carried by the suspects: $374 to $599

    Retail cost of boat where suspect Dzohkhar Tsarnaev hid from police: $50,000

    Amount raised to replace David Henneberry’s boat: $50,522.50

    Cost of manufacturing six bombs from pressure cookers, elbow pipes, nails, firecrackers and glue: Less than $100 per bomb

    Cost of holding a federal prisoner for one year: $25,000

    Cost of holding a federal prisoner in a “supermax” prison for one year: $75,000

    *First blast was outside 671 Boylston St.

    **Second blast was outside 755 Boylston St.

    ***Estimate based on average ticket prices

    ****MBTA was shut down on April 19, during the manhunt for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

    Mark Schone and Berenice Garcia of NBC News also contributed to this report.

    Related:

    • Could prosecutors cut deal to rule out death penalty? Talks have started

    299 comments

    They forgot the biggest cost. Lawyer fees: $456,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.00

    Show more
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  • 16
    Apr
    2013
    2:02am, EDT

    Good Samaritans take in Boston marathoners: 'You're not in it alone'

    Courtesy of Ali Hatfield

    Ali Hatfield, right, poses with friends Stacy Scalfaro, wearing blue, and Diana Stauffer after completing the Boston Marathon, just minutes before two bomb blasts put an end to the celebrations.

    By Miranda Leitsinger, Staff Writer, NBC News

    As runners and their loved ones fled bomb blasts that tore apart the finish of the Boston Marathon on Monday, many were taken in by locals who offered them shelter, food and a comforting hand.

    Ali Hatfield, who traveled from Kansas City with two friends to run in the race, said she was touched when a  mother brought her daughter out to offer help as the trio and their families wandered the streets of Boston’s Back Bay, unable to return to their hotel.

    “I’m bringing my daughter her out here because I want her to see that there (is) good in people and I don’t want her to be scared,” she recalled the woman as saying.


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    Many other runners and family members found themselves in the lurch after the twin bombings, with no obvious place to take shelter when Police Commissioner Edward Davis urged people in the area not to gather in large groups and to move inside.

    Or so, it seemed. Word quickly spread on social media with the hashtag twitter #Bostonhelp. Some Good Samaritans offered their homes, couches, cots and sleeping bags, while others, such as a local restaurant, offered free food, access to phones and a place to get together with other stunned racegoers.

    Lissa Riley, a 27-year-old doctoral student in neuroscience at the Boston University School of Medicine, said her offer of a place to stay, was just a "drop in the bucket." 

    "It just seemed like the right thing to do," she said. Though the tragedy was “terrible and sad,” hitting the city on what is traditionally one of its best days, she thought it was “also good to look at all the people who are trying to help. Many more people trying to help than trying to hurt.”

    Hatfield, 26, said she and her friends crossed the finish line while holding hands about 15 minutes before the blasts. They briefly returned to their hotel but were soon asked to leave as authorities evacuated the area.

    Instead, they found themselves walking aimlessly with dozens of other  runners who were still wearing race bibs and the look of “pure exhaustion” common to marathoners. But it wasn’t long before they were welcomed by residents, who poured out of their homes to offer a hand, said Hatfield.

    “The people that lived in the brownstones surrounding us just started bringing everybody out there blankets, food, orange juice, coffee, offering their homes for anybody that needed to get warm … anything they needed,” said Hatfield, a project manager at a digital consulting company. “So many of the marathon runners around us had not been able to put on their clothes after the race. They were still in tank tops and shorts, they were freezing. … The people were just amazing.”

    Hatfield and her friends, Diana Stauffer, 41, and Stacy Scalfaro, 39, eventually were invited into the home of a 60-year-old widower, who served them cheese and crackers and beers as they watched news reports on the attack. It was several hours before they could return to their hotel.

    Also helping visitors and stranded locals nearby was  Jim Hoben, 45, and his El Pelon Taqueria staff. They handed out water, soda and watermelon juice to the runners as well as anything they wanted off the menu, provided phone charging stations and  let those without cellphones make calls from their phones.

    Courtesy Jim Hoben

    Addison Hoben, 9, left, drew pictures on to-bags in an effort to cheer up shaken racegoers.

    Hoben’s 9-year-old daughter, Addison, who was off from school, decorated to-go bags with words of encouragement, like “It’s going to be alright” and “We’re not afraid.”

    “She surprised me,” he said. “Her first thought was … to lend a hand.”

    Hoben, who said he received lots of support from the community that enabled him to reopen his restaurant in 2011 after a fire some two years earlier, said he saw an opportunity to make a payment in kind. He called all his employees in and put out the word that El Pelon was now a refuge for anyone who needed a place to shelter.

     “It’s the least we could do,” Hoben, 45, said. “We kind of just opened it up to everybody. … People just came by, hung out.”

    After a busy afternoon and evening , Hoben headed out late Monday night to buy thank you burgers for his staff.

    “You’re seeing like random acts of kindness all over the city. You’re seeing … the best in people on a day when you’re seeing the worst,” he said. “It helps a lot to be just around other people … when that kind of stuff happens. … You’re not in it alone. I think, that’s the thing.”

    Related stories

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    Blast injuries required battlefield savvy, experts say

    Investigators ask: Lone-wolf bomber or organized terrorism?

     

     

     

    72 comments

    It makes me happy to know that the good far outnumber the bad.

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  • 31
    Mar
    2013
    7:55am, EDT

    Cops: Man tasered NYC woman, attempted to sexually assault her

    Police are searching for a man who allegedly tasered and then attempted to sexually assault a 23-year-old woman in a park in New York's Queens.

    Authorities say the victim was jogging in Forest Park around 7:30 p.m. Friday night when the man grabbed her from behind, threw her to the ground and began to remove her clothing.

    A couple walking their dog came upon the attack in progress, startling the man, who then ran off.

    Read more stories at NBCNewYork.com

    The victim was taken to a local hospital for wounds to her neck, officials said.

    The woman told police that the man used a taser in the attack and also took her iPhone, officials said.

    By NBCNewYork.com

    127 comments

    Happy Easter all.

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    Explore related topics: new-york, attack, taser, us-news, featured, iphone, crime-courts, nbcnewyork
  • 7
    Mar
    2013
    9:28pm, EST

    Woman killed by caged lion in California died suddenly of broken neck: Coroner

    Paul Hanson / AP

    This undated photo provided by Paul Hanson shows his sister, Dianna Hanson, a 24-year-old intern at the Cat Haven in Dunlap, Calif., who was killed by a lion .

     

    By Laila Kearney and Alex Dobuzinskis, Reuters

    SAN FRANCISCO — A 24-year-old intern killed by an African lion at a California wildlife sanctuary died suddenly after the big cat broke her neck, a coroner said on Thursday as investigators probed why the worker had been inside the animal's enclosure.

    The Cat Haven sanctuary east of Fresno remained closed on Thursday, a day after Dianna Hanson was killed by a 350-lb male Barbary lion named Cous Cous that attacked her inside a pen. Hanson was from the Seattle area.

    "The young lady did not suffer because she died almost instantly from a fractured neck," Fresno County Coroner Dr. David Hadden told Reuters.

    An autopsy conducted on Thursday showed bite and claw marks on Hanson from "the lion playing with the body like a cat would play with a mouse," Hadden said.

    The coroner also said the lion escaped its cage to kill Hanson while she was cleaning the enclosure.

    The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health sent two inspectors with questions such as whether the sanctuary allowed the woman to enter the enclosure, said agency spokesman Peter Melton.

    "We'll find out exactly what she was doing and what her job duties were and whether she was following the procedures as they were supposed to be done," Melton said.

    The death was the latest of a handful of high-profile incidents involving big cats in captivity in the United States in recent years, and comes less than six months after a man leapt into a tiger's den at the Bronx Zoo, sustaining multiple injuries.

    Hanson's Facebook page showed pictures of her standing or sitting next to big cats, apparently in enclosures, and she had worked on a wild feline reserve in Africa. Her father has told a television station she liked to get close to big cats.

    "I've always had a premonition this would happen," Paul Hanson told Seattle television station KING 5. "She really loved getting up close and personal with the animals."

    Stringer / Reuters

    A security guard stands by the gate of the Cat Haven sanctuary near Dunlop, California, March 7.

    Cat Haven is a 100-acre sanctuary in Dunlap, California, run by the group Project Survival. It was founded "to exhibit a variety of wild cats and engage public support for their conservation in the wild via specific projects," according to the park's website.

    Dale Anderson, founder of the facility, told reporters outside the gates of his facility that he could not comment on the circumstances of Hanson's death or the safety protocols at Cat Haven. "Our whole staff is just ... it's devastating," he said as he broke down in tears.

    Passion for cats
    Hanson, who graduated in 2011 from Western Washington University with a degree in biology, had spent six months in Kenya last year working on a wild feline reserve.

    In 2011 and 2012, Hanson also volunteered in Seattle for the Snow Leopard Trust, which seeks ways to protect the endangered species, the organization said.

    The 4-year-old Barbary lion that killed Hanson was of a species that is extinct in the wild, said Janice Mackey, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which oversaw the permit that allows the sanctuary to operate.

    The lion had been handled by humans since it was weeks old, and was one of two Barbary lions at the facility. Several years ago, when it was a cub, Cous Cous also made an appearance on the talk show "Ellen," Mackey said.

    The lion was shot and killed by sheriff's deputies as they tried to reach Hanson, authorities said. On Thursday, a necropsy was performed on the lion to determine if it suffered from any health problems that could have led to the attack, Mackey said.

    Anderson, Cat Haven's founder, said the facility has been "incident free" since it opened in 1998, and California officials confirmed they had never responded to any emergency at the facility similar to Wednesday's death.

    The death comes less than six months after a man leapt into a Siberian tiger's den at the Bronx Zoo and sustained multiple injuries. In 2010, a lion attacked a trainer at a glass-encased enclosure at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The trainer survived.

    In another high-profile incident involving captive cats in 2011, the owner of a private menagerie released dozens of tigers, lions and other animals in Ohio, and then killed himself. The case led some animal welfare groups to call for a ban on private ownership of exotic animals.

    The California Department of Fish and Game permits private animal sanctuaries only if their goal is scientific research or public education, Mackey said.

    Additional reporting by Stephen Keleher in Dunlap, California, and Laura L. Myers in Seattle

    Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

    204 comments

    Why did they have to kill the lion? So many good things could of been done with him. Just one example would be using him for rehabilitating pedophiles. Just put the pedophiles in the cage with him and when they are released after a year we could be assured that they would never touch a child again.  …

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    Explore related topics: attack, california, lion, maul, big-cat, cat-haven
  • 7
    Mar
    2013
    10:33am, EST

    Pair of pit bulls maul 14-month-old boy, killing him

    A 14-month-old Wisconsin boy was at his babysitter's apartment when two pit bulls attacked and killed him. WTMJ's Annie Scholz reports.

    By Matthew DeLuca, Staff Writer, NBC News

    A 14-month-old Wisconsin boy has died after a brutal attack by a pair of pit bulls, authorities said on Thursday.

    Police received a call from Susan Iwicki, 30, on Wednesday saying that she and the young boy were being attacked by the dogs, according to local NBC affiliate WMTV. Iwicki told police that she and the boy had each sustained injuries.


    Follow @NBCNewsUS

    The boy died of his injuries at a Milwaukee area hospital later on Wednesday, the Walworth County sheriff’s office said, according to The Associated Press.

    The boy had the “biggest eyes, great smile,” family friend Valerie Brylow told local affiliate WTMJ. “He was a great little boy.”

    “He is adorable, absolutely adorable,” Nicole Jennison, another family friend told the station.

    The boy’s name has not been released, and an investigation continues. Both of the pit bulls were removed from the property and euthanized on Wednesday, WMTV reported.

    The fatal dog attack was the first in Wisconsin in a decade, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    1104 comments

    Ban the breed as a wild animal. It was bred for 20 generations to kill in the Pits and you can't domesticate that out of the breed without taking 50 generations more to do it. We don't allow Wolf hybrids for the same reason they are dangerous. Ditto Pit Bulls.

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  • 31
    Oct
    2012
    7:52am, EDT

    Surfer seriously hurt in 2nd California shark attack in a month

    Fellow surfers helped rescue a 25-year-old who was suffering from a 14-inch bite after a shark attack off the California coast. Experts says it was likely a Great White. TODAY's Tamron Hall reports.

    By Lori Preuitt, NBCBayArea.com

    A surfer has been attacked by a shark, the second incident off the California coast this month.

    Witnesses said several people were surfing just after noon on Tuesday off the Eureka Coast, Humboldt County, when the 25-year-old man started screaming for help.

    The injured surfer was able to get himself to shore, but had suffered serious bite wounds to his torso and was bleeding heavily, according to witnesses. The shark also bit a chunk out of his surf board.

    The Eureka Times Standard reported that the man was taken to St. Joseph Hospital and was listed in fair condition. 

    'Bleeding out pretty good'
    A trained emergency medical technician just happened to be on the beach and started treatment immediately. The injured man was then loaded into the back of a pickup truck, and rushed off the beach where he was transferred to a waiting ambulance.

    "We could just see that he was really gashed up and he had four or five serious gashes from his nipple down to his hip and was bleeding out pretty good so we hopped on him right away," an unidentified man said.

    View more videos at: http://nbcbayarea.com.

    The victim underwent surgery late Tuesday afternoon.

    A surfer in Santa Barbara was killed by a shark last week. Francisco Solorio was bitten in the upper torso, but did not survive. The shark in that attack was determined to be a 15-to-16-foot great white.

    Solorio's death marked the first fatal shark attack in the United States this year.

    Also on NBCBayArea.com: Surfer killed by great white shark

    In 2011, there were 75 attacks worldwide, with 29 U.S. attacks, according to annual records kept by the Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File. Of all 2011 attacks, three were in California.

    The worldwide figure for 2011 included 12 fatal attacks, none of which were in the United States.

    48 comments

    As a SCUBA diver, I have dived (dove, for any spellcheckers observation LOL) all over the world. The first lesson taught in SCUBA (and surfing I imagine) is anytime you enter the ocean, you become a part of the food-chain. Surfers usually wear skins/dive suits and most I have seen are black neoprene …

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    Explore related topics: attack, california, shark, surfer, featured, eureka, nbcbayarea
  • 25
    Oct
    2012
    12:05pm, EDT

    Federal jury acquits cousins of hate crime in attack on gay man in landmark case

    By Miranda Leitsinger, Staff Writer, NBC News

    A jury has acquitted two cousins accused of attacking a Kentucky man because he is gay, the first time prosecutors pursued federal hate crime charges in a case where the victim was allegedly targeted due to their sexual orientation, media reports say.

    However, Anthony Jenkins and Jason Jenkins were convicted on Wednesday on kidnapping and conspiracy charges in the assault on Kenneth Pennington in a state park last year.  

    The Department of Justice had argued that the pair assaulted Pennington, 29, because he was gay and said the intent was to kill him. Anthony Jenkins' attorney, Willis Coffey, denied that, saying it was a plan to buy drugs that went wrong.

    Jurors did not comment after the decision was rendered, nor did federal prosecutors, The Associated Press reported.

    Relatives of Anthony Jenkins wept, while Pennington made an audible sigh when the verdict was read, media reports said.

    "You'd like to have an acquittal on all counts, but he's happy he was found not guilty of a hate crime," Coffey said, according to The AP. "So am I."

    The cousins allegedly punched and kicked Pennington while yelling anti-gay slurs at him during the April 4, 2011 attack in Kingdom Come State Park, The Lexington Herald Leader reported. Defense attorneys argued the attack stemmed from drug and alcohol abuse, said the paper, but the prosecutor argued otherwise.

    "This is not about drugs, this is about the fact that Kevin is gay," U.S. Justice Department civil rights attorney AeJean Cha told jurors, according to The AP.

    Pennington described the attack after he escaped in a 911 call played by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hydee Hawkins.

    "They're trying to kill me," Pennington said. "I didn't know what they were going to do. I think it's because I'm gay."

    Coffey, the defense attorney for Anthony Jenkins, said his client -- who has an IQ of about 75 -- told the court on Wednesday that Jenkins never formulated a plan to attack or kill Pennington, and called the anti-gay allegations  "the nearest thing to nothing I have ever seen," reported The AP. 

    The Jenkins were the first people prosecuted under part of the federal hate crime law that makes it a crime to hurt someone because of their perceived or real sexual orientation. The pair faces life in prison on the kidnapping charges when they are sentenced on Feb. 21, 2013.

    In April, Anthony Jenkins’ wife -- Mable Ashley Jenkins, 19 -- and his sister, Alexis LeeAnn Jenkins, also 19 -– pleaded guilty to assisting the kidnapping and assault of Pennington because he is gay, the Justice Department said in a statement.

    It was the first federal convictions nationwide for violating the sexual orientation provision of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act. 

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    Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

     

    290 comments

    I assumed at first when it mentioned a sister and a wife that, this being Kentucky, that might only be one person.

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  • 21
    Sep
    2012
    4:40pm, EDT

    Man jumps into tiger den at Bronx Zoo, is badly mauled

    Officials from the Bronx Zoo are revealing new details about the attack of a 25-year-old man, who apparently jumped into the tiger exhibit this week.

    By Jonathan Dienst and Shimon Prokupecz, NBCNewYork.com

    Updated at 1 a.m. ET: NEW YORK -- A man jumped out of the Bronx Zoo's monorail into the tiger exhibit Friday afternoon, where he was badly mauled by one of the big cats before zoo employees rescued him using fire extinguishers, zoo officials said.


    Follow @NBCNewsUS

    Authorities identified the jumper as David Villalobos.  The 25-year-old suffered "various bites or puncture wounds on his arms and legs and also the top of his shoulder on his back,"  Bronx Zoo Director Jim Breheny said.

    The tiger could have killed the intruder in an instant, Breheny said, but zoo workers were able to rescue him.

    Once the tiger backed away, the man was instructed to roll under a hot wire to safety. The keepers then called the tiger into its exhibit holding area and secured him there, Breheny said.

    It appears the man jumped approximately 20 feet into the den, police said. Before rescuers could reach the man to help him, they first had to get the tiger into a cage, authorities said.

    View latest developments on NBCNewYork.com

    Zoo employees contained the tiger in a cage as EMTs rushed to the scene and treated the man, officials said. 

    Villalobos was taken to Jacobi Hospital in critical condition.  The tiger "did nothing wrong" Breheny said, and will not be put down.

    Authorities offered no motivation as to why Villalobos took the leap into the tiger cage. His Facebook page lists "Mother Earth" as his religion and features many photos of lions, tigers and other wildlife.  A former coworker at Bond New York, the real estate firm where Villalobos worked until a few months ago, said he was a "good guy."

    Also on NBCNewYork.com: Suspect sought in anti-gay razor attack

    Earlier this month, Amur tiger triplets debuted at the Bronx Zoo, born to mother Katharina and father Sasha.

    Zoo animal maulings, while rare, have occurred before, and with deadly consequences.

    A man was killed and two others injured on Christmas 2007 at the San Francisco Zoo, when a 300-pound tiger named Tatiana escaped its cage.

    Live video: View latest from tiger attack at the Bronx zoo

    In 1985, a zookeeper, Robin Silverman, 24, was killed when she was attacked by two Siberian tigers at the Bronx Zoo while trying to clean their cage.

    An 11-year-old boy was killed in 1987 by a polar bear at the Prospect Park Zoo after climbing into its enclosure when the zoo was closed.

    781 comments

    He is lucky he only lost one foot and not an entire yard

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  • 14
    Sep
    2012
    2:54pm, EDT

    Americans killed in US consulate attack honored at Andrews

    The bodies of four idealistic patriots, all of whom were described as having lived the "American ideal," were mourned Friday by President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.

    By Kari Huus, NBC News

    The bodies of four Americans killed in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, earlier in the week were returned to the United States and honored in a somber ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, Md., on Friday.


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    President Barack Obama arrived shortly before the transfer ceremony honoring the victims — U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, information management officer Sean Smith and security personnel Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty.

    Marines carried flag-draped coffins bearing the remains of the four across the tarmac and placed them before a gathering of family, friends, White House officials and high-level State Department personnel. In total, 800 to 1,000 were in attendance, an Air Force official said.


    After a moment of silence and a prayer, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton eulogized each of the victims.

    "We owe it to those four men to continue the long, hard work of diplomacy," Clinton said.

    "May God bless them, and grant their families peace and solace, and may God continue to bless the United States of America," Clinton said, before making way for comments by Obama.

    How much are taxpayers spending on Egypt and Libya?

    The president said the men embodied and lived "the American ideal," embracing what he called "the fundamental American belief that we can leave this world a little better than before."

    President Obama attends a ceremonial transfer of the remains of four Americans killed in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya.

    In honoring the fallen Americans, he also made a case for continued diplomatic and aid commitments to allies in the Middle East.

    "Even as voices of suspicion and mistrust seek to divide countries and cultures from one another, the United States of America will never retreat from the world. We will never stop working for the dignity and freedom that every person deserves. ... That's the spirit that sets us apart from other nations. That was their work in Benghazi and this is the work we will carry on."

    After the national anthem and a prayer, "America the Beautiful" was played as the caskets were loaded into waiting hearses, which then departed.

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    Follow Kari Huus on Facebook

    709 comments

    Yes Hillary, by all means please keep trying to reason with irrational people who are blinded by ignorance and hatred.

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  • 5
    Sep
    2012
    11:51am, EDT

    Four Marines accused of beating man in possible gay hate crime

    By Miranda Leitsinger, Staff Writer, NBC News

    Updated at 6:00 p.m. ET: Four U.S. Marines were arrested after allegedly assaulting a gay man outside a bar in southern California, and the attack was being investigated as a possible hate crime, police said.

    The victim, a film student from San Dimas, blacked out from being beaten early Monday morning outside the popular Silver Fox bar in Long Beach, Calif., where he had gone with his boyfriend, CBSLA.com reported. He was hospitalized overnight and released with non-life threatening injuries, Long Beach Police Cmdr. Joe Stilinovich told NBC News on Wednesday afternoon.


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    The Marines were arrested for assault and charged with a hate crime, among other charges, though it will ultimately be up to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office to determine what charges will be pursued, Stilinovich said. Names of the suspects won’t be released until charges are formally filed.

    “We are out seeking additional witnesses at this time and conducting a thorough investigation to ensure that the appropriate charges are presented to the district attorney’s office,” he said, adding that authorities were trying to determine the role each suspect played in the assault. When asked what made the attack a potential hate crime, he said: “During the course of the assault and prior to the assault, statements were made by the suspect (and/or suspects), derogatory statements, regarding the victim’s sexual orientation.”

    The Marines were out on bail and have returned to their units, a Marine Corps' spokesman told NBC News. They came into the bar late Sunday or early Monday. One of them allegedly made derogatory remarks to the man, according to media reports.

    "You could tell by the tone of his voice that he [the Marine] was uncomfortable. He was making a demeaning remark," Silver Fox Manager John Barnes told the Press-Telegram on Tuesday, adding that the alleged attacker had called the victim “sweetheart.”

    The victim, who told CBS that he did not want to be identified out of concern for his safety, said the assault occurred outside the bar. Witnesses said the men used homophobic slurs, the television station reported.


    Follow @NBCNewsUS

    “He starts pushing me and calling me f–,” the victim said, noting that he later blacked out.

    Two people who tried to help the victim were also attacked but either were not hurt or had only minor injuries, police spokeswoman Nancy Pratt said late Tuesday in a statement.

    “Based on the preliminary investigation, it was determined that an assault had occurred to a male adult by several male suspects after they had left the establishment,” she said. “The Long Beach Police Department is handling this case and are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.”

    The Marine Corps learned of the attack on Tuesday and was performing its own inquiry as well as cooperating with police, Maj. Manuel Delarosa, a spokesman for the Marines, said early Wednesday.

    The Marines, based at Camp Pendleton in southern California, were in their first enlistment, he said, adding that the attack was an isolated incident and that last year's repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy hadn't come up as an issue.

    "This is behavior that's not acceptable in the Marine Corps," Delarosa said. "Any crimes of intolerance are unacceptable and not tolerated as far as behavior expected of a United States Marine."

    Stilinovich said the department tracked local hate crime incidents, which had reached a low of five last year in the past decade. Excluding Monday’s alleged attack, there have been two such incidents this year, he said.

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    1137 comments

    How does one go to a gay bar and then get uncomfortable because you are around gay people? Then proceed to call them f*gs? Am I missing something here? lol

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  • 25
    Jul
    2012
    8:47am, EDT

    Video reveals killer whale attack at SeaWorld

    Newly-released video, which was shot in 2006 and now being used as evidence in an investigation, shows a female orca whale dragging a trainer deep underwater as he struggles for life. The trainer survived. TODAY's Hoda Kotb reports.

    By NBCSanDiego.com

    A video revealing an incident between a killer whale and its trainerat SeaWorld was released Tuesday during the SeaWorld v US Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis trial.


    Follow @NBCNewsUS

    In November 2006, trainer Kenneth Peters, 39, was bitten and held underwater several timesby a 7,000-pound killer whale during a show at SeaWorld's San Diego park. The 28-year old female named Kasatka bit Peters' feet and took him to the bottom of the pool for about a minute. Peters suffered a broken foot and puncture wounds in the attack.

    For more, visit NBCSanDiego.com

    The video shows Peters nearly drowning twice as the whale dragged him down to the bottom of the tank by his foot.

    The 17-foot-long orca had attacked Peters two other times, in 1993 and 1999.

    The video was obtained with a Freedom of Information Act by David Kirby, the author of the recently released book “Near Death at SeaWorld.”

    In February 2010, a trainer at Orlando's SeaWorld park was killed after the whale drowned her when she slipped and fell in its tank.

    SeaWorld San Diego released the following statement:

    "This incident was well documented and thoroughly covered by the news media in 2006.  This video clearly shows the trainer’s remarkable composure and the skillful execution of an emergency response plan, both of which helped result in a successful outcome with minor injuries.  It should be noted that CalOSHA did not issue any citations to SeaWorld as a result of this incident.  SeaWorld’s trainer returned to work shortly after this incident and remains a member of the team at Shamu Stadium to this day."

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    205 comments

    I loved SeaWorld as a kid, but after seeing incidents like these - and realizing how intelligent these animals are - I think keeping them in captivity is wrong.

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  • 10
    Jul
    2012
    5:00am, EDT

    Alligator attack: Florida teenager loses part of arm

    A teenager from Moore Haven, Fla., is recovering after being attacked by a 10-foot alligator while swimming in a local river. WBBH's Sara Miles reports.

    By NBC-2, Florida

    MOORE HAVEN, Florida - A teenager lost his right arm below the elbow in an alligator attack while swimming in the Caloosahatchee River, according to officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

    FWC's Jorge Pino says the 11-foot gator was found and killed Monday evening after the attack that happened in the water near River Road, southwest of US-27, close to Lake Okeechobee.


    Officials say the arm was found inside the gator.

    "This area isn't Disneyland. It's right next to Lake O and there are thousands of alligators here," said FWC Captain Jeff Ardelean.

    The victim, 17-year-old Kaleb Langdale, was flown to Lee Memorial Hospital after the attack. The arm was sent to the hospital, but friends said doctors were not able to reattach the limb.

    Friends who were with Langdale at the time of the attack said they were not taunting the animal.

    "It ended up being about a 10-and-a-half-foot gator who came straight at him. It came at him and he put his arm in the way instead of letting it get to his body. It took his arm and him under," said friend Matt Baker.

    Read the full story at NBC 2 Florida

    Another friend, Gary Beck, said Langdale popped out of the water shortly after the attack.

    "He was waving saying, 'Call the paramedics! My arm is gone!'" Beck described.

    Two Fort Worth, Texas, fishermen charged in the killing of a large alligator say they were protecting themselves and never intended to commit any crime. KXAS-TV's Scott Gordon reports.

    "It was scary. I couldn't believe it was real at the moment," Baker added.

    FWC officials said it was a dangerous time of year for swimming because alligator mating season means attacks are not uncommon.

    "Any type of splash in the water is prey for them," Captain Ardelean said.

    Beck and Baker said Langdale was in good spirits. They said he was just happy the gator got his right arm instead of his left because that is what he uses to steer his airboat.

    NBC-2 is based in Fort Myers, Florida.

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    454 comments

    Extremely sorry for the loss of the arm but when you enter their waters, you do become part of the food chain. Could have been much worse. On a lighter note: "Take the shot. Shoot em Clint, Shoot em".

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    Explore related topics: attack, animal, florida, lake, alligator, swimming, featured
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