911 Operator Caught Hanging Up Prematurely On Callers

A 911 operator, Crenshanda Williams, has been indicted of deliberately hanging up on callers during emergencies merely because she was not in the mood to help. She has been charged with interference with an emergency telephone call, according to Houston police.

Since July 2014, Williams has been working as a telecommunicator with the Houston Emergency Center. Recently, her supervisors started to see that her logs showed an unusually high volume of short calls, with a length of less than 20 seconds.

Supervisors investigated the recorded call logs, and found that Williams, between Oct. 2015 and March 2016, had disconnected thousands of calls.

Two of the calls were regarding speeding vehicles and at least one was for a robbery and homicide.

On March 12, specifically, Williams hung up on a number of callers. The first call was terminated right away after she picked it up.

During the second call, an operator — identified as Williams — is heard replying “Houston 911, do you need medical, police or fire?”

When the male caller responded, “This is a robbery,” Williams is heard sighing before hanging up, according to court documents.

Investigators traced down the caller, who confirmed someone hung up the phone the first time he called in. Frustrated, he had to call back a second time. Consequently, a person was dead by the time police arrived,.

No time for calls

The next day, Williams hung up on several more people, including a security officer who was trying to report a hazardous street racing incident, investigators said

The operator, again identified as Williams, said “Houston 911, do you need medical, police or fire?”

The caller only had time to utter, “This is Officer Molten. I’m driving on 45 South right now and I am at ……” before Williams terminated the call.

The recording captured Williams saying “Ain’t nobody got time for this. For Real,” although the call was disconnected.

The officer called in a second time, and another 911 operator picked up and assisted him. Investigators got in touch with the officer, who also verified the “hang up call” on that day.

Williams purportedly acknowledged to disconnecting the calls when interviewed by the police because she didn’t feel like talking to anyone at that time.

Williams’ actions interfered and prevented the callers’ capacity to ask for assistance during an emergency and charges were filed against her, investigators said.

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Award-Winning Rapper Coolio Charged With Illegal Firearm Possession

Grammy award winner rapper Coolio was indicted for unlawful firearm possession on Thursday. The charges stemmed from a gun that prosecutors said was discovered in his backpack last month. The firearm was detected during screening at Los Angeles International Airport.

The rapper’s real name is Artis Leon Ivey. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement that if convicted, Ivey could be sentenced to as much as three years in state prison.

Prosecutors said the recording star was prohibited from carrying a gun because of two prior felony convictions. He was charged for carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle in 2001. Furthermore, in 2009, the court convicted him for possession of cocaine base.

Coolio was slated to appear in Los Angeles Superior Court for an arraignment on Thursday, District Attorney spokesman Ricardo Santiago said. However, the hearing was deferred until Oct.26 after his lawyer notified the judge that the rap artist was out of state performing.

A warrant for the rappers arrest would be issued if he failed to show for the latter court date.

The recording star is best known for his 1995 Grammy Award-winning hit “Gangsta’s Paradise”. The hit song was at the top of the US chart that year and one of the best-selling singles of all time.

Loaded pistol was stolen

A stolen, loaded pistol was detected in Coolio’s backpack on the X-ray screening belt while his entourage was going past security to get on a flight on the way to a concert, LAX police who arrested the rapper said.

LAX police spokesman Rob Pedregon said another member of the entourage originally claimed ownership of the bag. Nevertheless, the evidence pointed police to Coolio. Police then accosted the recording artist, who was aboard the plane at the time.

Pedregon said Coolio admitted under questioning that the backpack and gun were his. However, little else was said after he was taken into custody.

Meanwhile, the case remains under investigation.

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Find Out Which Generation Favors Marijuana Legalization in the US the Most

More than half of Americans showed massive support in legalizing Marijuana in the US, although views of the legalization remain divided by age and ideology.

According to Pew Research Survey done between late August and September, 57% of the US population favor the legal use of Marijuana, 37% are opposed while 5% were undecided. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.

Over the past decade, the public has expressed their opinion more favorably towards the long-term legalization of marijuana, Pew Found.

Pew Research Survey data.

53% of adults surveyed in the last 18 months were in favor of legalizing Marijuana. A decade ago, it was only 36%.

Back in October 1969, only 12% of adults surveyed were in favor of legalizing Marijuana.

The number of citizens supporting the legal use of Marijuana came from the younger generations. Millennial’s support for legal use increased to 71% from 34% a decade ago.

Generation X {ages 36 to 51} and Baby Boomers {ages 52 to 70} shares 57% and 56% supporting the legal use of Marijuana.

Members of the Silent Generation {71 to 88} showing 33% in the survey were opposing it to be legal.

The research also came out with political demographics on each of the party’s outlook on the marijuana legalization issue:

By more than two-to-one, Democrats favor legalizing marijuana over having it be illegal (66% vs. 30%). Most Republicans (55%) oppose marijuana legalization, while 41% favor it.

Republicans are internally divided over marijuana legalization. By a wide margin (63% to 35%), moderate and liberal Republicans favor legalizing the use of marijuana. By contrast, 62% of conservative Republicans oppose legalizing marijuana use, while just 33% favor it.

The differences among Democrats are more modest. Liberal Democrats are 23 percentage points more likely than conservative and moderate Democrats to favor legalization (78% vs. 55%).

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China Overtakes US in Billionaires List

A survey conducted by Shanghai publishers Hurun, shows China’s 594 billionaire population surpassed the 535 US billionaires for the first time.

The Hurun’s annual global rich list is one of the most trusted. It has an accurate assessment of China’s wealth and is often compared to the Forbes list in the US.

Property magnate Wang Jianlin of Dalian Wanda tops the list of 594 billionaires in the country. It puts him ahead of 535 billionaires in the US.

According to Hurun’s report, Property tycoon Wang Jianlin of Dalian Wanda owned the top spot with a total wealth of $32.1bn (£26.4bn). Dalian Wanda Group has been stepping up investments in the US movie markets. It has recently acquired Legendary Pictures, striking deals with US and UK cinema chains. Additionally, the conglomerate now formi a partnership with Sony Pictures.

Jack Ma of Alibaba seconded the list with a total wealth of $30.6bn, it increased 41% from last year.

Pony Ma of internet and online gaming giant Tencent took the third spot with $24.6bn.

Yao Zhengua of investment and real estate firm Baoneng Group, made a big wave and has grown its wealth by 820% to $17.2bn. That amount puts them firmly in the fourth spot.

Hurun chairman Rupert Hoogewerf said Mr. Yao’s growth represents China’s growing economy.

“Yao’s financial investment model represents the new wave of wealth creation in China,” he explained. “The first money made in China 20 years ago came from trading, followed by manufacturing, real estate, IT, and today, finally, it  makes use of the capital markets for financial investments.”

Robin Li and Melissa Ma of search engine Baidu made it to rank eight with a total of $14.7bn. Meanwhile, the founder of smartphone makers Xiaomi, Lei Jun, dropped from top 10 to the number 14 spot. This is due to the huge smartphone competition in China.
Most of the China’s billionaires are from Beijing, followed by Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Hangzhou.

Nevertheless, none of China’s super-rich made it into the Global top 20.

On the other hand, Forbes rich list shows Microsoft founder Bill Gates with $75bn on the top spot globally. The next spots belong to Amancio Ortega of Zara and legendary investor Warren Buffett.

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Student Pilot, Instructor Had Confrontation Before Plane Went Down

A US official familiar with the investigation of a plane crash that killed a student pilot and left his flight instructor with serious burns said the crash appears to have been a suicide attempt.

According to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity on Wednesday, the two men had a confrontation inside the cockpit of the small plane. Consequently, the instructor was not able to recover control from the trainee. It crashed near the Connecticut headquarters of a military jet engine manufacturer.

The Piper PA-34 Seneca crashed with the two men onboard on Tuesday during a training flight in East Hartford. It was returning to Brainard Airport in Hartford when the incident happened. The flight instructor survived, though badly burned.

The official said the instructor depicted the student pilot as displeased about learning to be a pilot.

A law enforcement official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the flight instructor is Arian Prevalla and the student was Feras Freitekh.

Prevalla, 43, is president of the American Flight Academy. Furthermore, he is a managing member of the Hartford Jet Center, according to social media pages. He is originally from Albania and now lives in Hartford.

Public records show that Freitekh lived in the Chicago suburb of Orland Hills since 2013. However, authorities there said that they found no record that he ever lived in the village.

The instructor told police detectives that it was not an accident, Hartford Mayor Marcia Leclerc said.

She said that stories change and anybody can skew information, nevertheless, they’re still waiting for the facts to come out.

The instructor and student were about to land at Brainard Airport at around 4 pm when they hit a utility pole. It then crashed onto the road and burst into flames. The crash site is across the Connecticut River, a short distance from the airport.

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Australia: 2 Teenagers arrested after alleged IS Terror Attack

According to a police statement released on Thursday, officers arrested two 16-year-old boys in Sydney due to suspicious acts of terror. The authorities also charged the teenagers as being part of the Islamic State terrorist group. Two knives were found during the incident.

The officers did not disclose the identity of the two teenagers due to their age.

The teenagers declined the bail charges and will stand before the Parramatta Children’s Court in Sydney later the same day.

Catherine Burn, the acting New South Wales Police Commissioner said, “The fact we are putting two teenagers before the court on such serious charges reflects the ongoing threat we face. Fortunately, the excellent cooperation between State and Federal agencies has prevented a very disturbing crime,”

It is the latest terrorism-related incident in Australia.

Increased incidents of terrorist activity

In September, police arrested a 22-year-old for committing a terrorist act and attempted murder. The suspect stabbed a man walking through a nature reserve “a number of times.”

Earlier this year, New South Wales police arrested a 16-year-old boy in Sydney. Authorities suspect him of plotting a terror attack on an Anzac Day ceremony.

In 2014, self-styled cleric Haron Monis held several people hostage at a Sydney coffee shop, ultimately killing two of them.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott described Monis as “a deeply disturbed individual (with) a long history of crime, a long history of mental instability and infatuation with extremism,” adding that he “sought to cloak his actions with the symbolism of the (ISIS) death cult.”

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Houseguests: Ten things you must NEVER do while visiting someone’s home

Most of us like to invite houseguests around to our homes from time to time.

It is good to be able to relax and kickback with work colleagues, friends or members of your extended family in the comforts of our own homes.

However in order for things to go smoothly during the visit there are a number of unwritten rules that must be observed.

The ‘ten commandments’ of being the perfect house guest are designed to keep your hosts happy and should ensure that you get invited back a second time.

The survey into what is really annoying about houseguests was conducted in the UK but many of the points should resonate with home owners throughout the world.

So here are the ten things you really must avoid if you want to be the perfect house guest:

1. Being on your phone over lunch / dinner

2. Asking for the Wi-Fi code

3. Wearing shoes on the carpet

4. Looking in bedrooms without permission

5. Looking inside the fridge without asking

6. Turning up to a dinner party without a gift

7. Helping yourself to food without asking

8. Putting your feet on the furniture

9. Turning down food when asked

10. Bringing around a pet without asking first

A spokesperson for DiscountFlooringDepot.co.uk, who commissioned the research, said: “Britain is a nation of proud home owners and these results give interesting insight into how many of us would prefer people to behave in our homes.

“However, my advice to people with houseguests who commit the occasional faux pas is to try and feel glad that any guests committing them simply feel comfortable enough in your home to treat it as their own.”

Check out the survey results via this infographic detailing the things British home owners find annoying about house guests.

Image credit: http://ift.tt/2ebYEPz

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Boston Shootout: 2 Cops Injured, Suspect Dead

A suspect was killed and two Boston Police officers were shot and injured after the shoot-out in East Boston last Wednesday night.

Based on a statement released by Boston Police Officials, the encounter happened at around 10:51pm on Gladstone Street while officers were responding to a report of an armed man.

Police Commissioner William Evans said, “Right now it looks like it was possibly a domestic incident gone bad,”

The two officers and the suspect have not been identified.

Evans posted on twitter about the status of the two injured officers and even asked for prayers for them.

#BPDCommunityAlert: #BPD confirming 2 Boston Police officers shot in the area of 136 Gladstone Street in East Boston.

— Boston Police Dept. (@bostonpolice) October 13, 2016

“One of my officers is being treated for life-threatening injuries, while the other’s injuries appear to be non-life (threatening),”

“The situation in East Boston is under control. Please pray for our officers.”

He [Evan] told reporters, “I commend the officers. They moved in and neutralized the threat pretty quick that no one else got killed,”

Meanwhile, Boston Police Department also posted an alert on twitter, asking residents to remain inside their houses as they search for the suspect.

“Shelter-in-place has been lifted. One suspect has been located. Scene is secure. Residents kindly asked to remain inside.”

#BPDAlert: Shelter-in-place has been lifted. One suspect has been located. Scene is secure. Residents kindly asked to remain inside.

— Boston Police Dept. (@bostonpolice) October 13, 2016

Evans and Boston Mayor Martin Walsh were headed to the hospital to meet the Officers families.

Incidentally, Boston Police Officials and the Boston Mayor honored Jose Maceira, the department’s first Hispanic Officer killed in the line of duty. He was shot in 1974 and died 1977 as the result of his injuries. The authorities announced, that Maceira would finally be added to the BPD’s Memorial Wall of Honor in Police Headquarters.

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Samsung Offers Monetary Incentives to Halt Note 7 Losses

On Thursday, Samsung Electronics offered monetary incentives for customers in South Korea. These are for consumers who trade in their Galaxy Note 7 smartphones for other Samsung Models. The company rushes to shore up its name in the heels of a destructive safety disaster.

The South Korean giant is in damage-control mode as rivals Apple and LG Electronics attempt to steal market share from the global smartphone leader following the scrapping of its latest flagship device.

See Related Article: Samsung Temporarily Halts Note 7 Production

The company is enhancing its marketing and promotional efforts on the other Galaxy-series smartphones to soften the blow from the termination of the premium Note 7. The Note 7 was finally ditched this week after failing to put an end to overheating problems, which caused some of the phones to catch fire.

Samsung started distributing protective gloves and fireproof boxes to customers in the United States returning potentially explosive Note 7s.

In its home market, the smartphone manufacturer began to offer refunds or exchanges for other products. Customers who returned their Note 7s, which cost about $880, were offered a coupon worth 30,000 won ($26.91). Meanwhile, those who opted to swap fir another high-end smartphone will get an additional 70,000 won mobile credit.

Samsung said in a statement that the incentives would compensate consumers for their huge inconvenience.

Following days of heavy losses, Samsung shares had rebounded 2.4 % by 3:55 GMT in a flat broader market.

The firm cut its quarterly profit estimate on Wednesday by $2.3 billion to show the impact of the Note 7 withdrawal. This provides some investors hope that the monetary cost of the fiasco had been largely accounted for.

See Related Article: Q3 Profit Grew Amid Galaxy Note 7 Disaster for Samsung

The real damage is to Samsung’s reputation

However, several analysts acknowledge the real risk to South Korean conglomerate rests in the reputational damage it bears in a cut-throat industry.

The Note 7 letdown could challenge economic growth, South Korea’s central bank said. However, the institution said it needed more time to consider the effects.

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Australia, Singapore Say China Should Not Worry About Defense Treaty

In an effort to allay China’s concerns on increased military cooperation between Singapore and Australia, the prime ministers of the two countries said on Thursday that their defense pact is not an attempt to contain China. The two countries agreed on a deal that would dramatically expand northern Australian training facilities.

Singaporean and Australian officials signed a treaty in which Singapore will spend up to 2.25 billion Australian dollars to double the capacity of its facilities in military training areas in Queensland state.

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that China was the largest trading partner of both Australia and Singapore. He doesn’t think that the Chinese would see the two countries as a bloc against them.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he agreed with Lee and his opinion that the US military presence in the region had strengthened its prosperity and stability for the past 40 years.

The prime ministers of both countries also wished the US Congress would decide to join the 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. Both presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have come out against the accord however.

The Singapore military will triple their yearly admission to the Australian training grounds to 18 weeks. Hence, rrom 6,600, the Singapore troop numbers will increase to 14,000.

The Chinese Embassy in Australia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China has been unfavorable of a similar agreement between Australia and the United States. The two countries plan on developing the northern Australian city of Darwin into a developing training center for US Marines.

Same deal with the U.S.

The United States and Australia reached a cost-sharing deal last week to pay for at least AU$2 billion in infrastructure. This amount would build-up the training center to have the capacity for up to 2,500 Marines.

Since the first delegation of 200 Marines visited in 2012, the number of Marines alternating through Darwin has increased. The recent rotation of 1,100 Marines left Darwin on Thursday after six months.

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New York Times: Two Women Accuse Trump of Touching Them Inappropriately

In a story posted Wednesday on the New York Times website, Two women accused Donald Trump of inappropriate touching. These accusations, which his spokesman called “fiction”, may further harm the Republican presidential nominee’s campaign. With less than a month to go until the election, the harm done could prove fatal to his presidential bid.

One of the accusers, Rachel Crooks, explained how Trump kissed her directly on the mouth outside the elevator in Trump Tower in Manhattan in 2005. She was a receptionist at a real estate firm located in the building.

The other woman, Jessica Leeds, spoke on camera to describe how Trump grabbed her breast and tried to put his hand up her skirt. This happened around 2005 in the first-class cabin on a flight to New York.

The Republican presidential nominee’s campaign denied there was any truth to the report.

Trump’s senior communications adviser Jason Miller said in a statement that the entire article is fiction. He added that “for the New York Times to release completely false and coordinated character assassination against Mr. Trump on a topic like this is dangerous.”

The report follows the release of a 2005 video on Friday that showed Trump boasting about trying to seduce a married woman. He also mentioned kissing women without permission, and groping them.

During the presidential debate on Sunday, Trump said that he had not actually done the things he had bragged about. He further apologized for his private “locker room” talk.

Trump “lied on the debate stage”

Jennifer Palmieri, a spokeswoman for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, said that the story was disturbing. She added that the reports suggest that Trump lied on the debate stage and that the disgusting behavior he boasted about in the tape is more than just words.

The New York Times said in its report that Trump’s claim that he had not groped women urged one of the women speak out.

In an angry phone call, he denied the incidents and threatened to sue the newspaper, the New York Times reported.

A New York Times spokeswoman said that they stand by the story. This therefore falls into the realm of public service journalism.

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Newsline video: Kardashian sues gossip site

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian has filed a defamation lawsuit against US celebrity gossip site MediaTakeOut.com.

The move follows the website’s claim that she had faked the Paris robbery at which she was held at gunpoint and was forced to hand over millions of dollars worth of jewelry.

The lawsuit pursues unspecified damages for defamation. It cites both MediaTakeOut.com and Fred Mwangaguhunga, its founder, as defendants.

“After having been the victim of a horrific and traumatic armed robbery in France, Kim Kardashian returned to the United States only to again be victimized, but this time by an online gossip tabloid that published a series of articles in early October 2016 referring to her a liar and thief,” the lawsuit said.

It also stated that Mwangaguhunga declined to publish a retraction and an apology.

Meanwhile an online retailer has withdrawn a Halloween costume which featured a bound and gagged Kardashian lookalike dressed in a white robe and sporting a giant ring.

While the reality TV star was not named in the $70 doll the costume description said: “She has devoted her life to promoting American decadence, youth, and hedonism but all that flashy living caught up with her one night in Paris when armed men bound her, stole her jewelry and her peace of mind.”

Now, following a social media outcry, the company behind the product has withdrawn it from sale and apologised if it “offended anyone”.

 

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Syrian Suspect in Bomb Plot, Jaber Albakr, Kills Self

Jaber Albakr, 22, who was arrested in Germany for a suspected Islamic militant bomb plot killed himself in a prison cell in Leipzig on Wednesday, according to Saxony’s state Justice Ministry.

Justice Ministry spokesman Joerg Herold said Albakr killed himself sometime in the evening and the incident is still under investigation.

This development will surely raise pressure on state authorities. Saxony state officials have already been criticized for letting Albakr escape on Saturday as they prepared to raid an apartment in Chemnitz where he had been staying.

The suspected Islamic militant had been under German intelligence surveillance since last month. The authorities fired a warning shot when he was seen exiting the apartment building. Nevertheless, he was able to evade police on the scene and flee the city. Officers found highly volatile explosives and a home-made bomb vest inside the apartment.

Detained by fellow Syrians

Albakr was granted asylum after arriving in Germany last year. He was eventually arrested in Leipzig on Monday after three fellow Syrians tied him up and notified the police.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said earlier Wednesday that Albakr had undergone a security assessment. They did the evaluation last year but nothing suspicious turned up.

German authorities believe he had connections to the Islamic State group. Furthermore, as soon as this week, he was thought to be preparing to attack a Berlin airport.

According to reports from German media, after he first came to Germany, Albakr returned to Syria through Turkey and then went back to Germany. That part was also being investigated and De Maiziere said he would not comment on it.

The three Syrians who captured the suspect, in response to calls for their applications to be accelerated, have already been awarded asylum.

De Maiziere said that their behavior deserves praise and recognition

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