DAPULSE NEWS

A Florida teen found dead last week in a burglarized Port Charlotte home is being hailed a hero after his family said he died while protecting his 5-year-old sister. The body of Khyler Edman, 15, was discovered by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office after deputies canvassed the area following the arrest Ryan Clayton Cole, 27, for burglary. Deputies first responded to the area at around 4:00 p.m. Thursday over reports of an “injured white male walking in the streets.” The suspect later identified as Cole fled the area behind a home on Starlite Lane, police said. At the same time, police received a separate 911 call from a home on Conway Blvd. that an unknown man had entered the residence. After a short foot pursuit, police apprehended Cole, who was found with several stab wounds on his hands and side. He was taken to an area hospital for treatment. After his arrest, police searched the area for more homes and that’s when they discovered Khyler’s body and his sister, “uninjured.” “It is believed that Cole received his injuries inside the same residence during a violent encounter,” police said in a news release. On Monday, Khlyer’s family also released a statement on GoFundMe calling him a “hero.” “On September 26th Khyler lost his life being a hero protecting his 5-year-old sister, when a man broke in our home in Port Charlotte,” they said before adding that he “lost his life due to a senseless act of a stranger.” “My son had a long life ahead of him, that was taken too soon,” the family wrote. Cole has not been charged in the teen’s death but he is facing burglary of an occupied dwelling and petit theft. Originally appeared on Fox News

Two Ohio day care workers face child endangerment charges after police said they failed to stop a violent assault against a 5-year-old girl in a disturbing incident that was caught on camera last month. Authorities said the shocking Aug. 13 footage shows several older students “grabbing, pulling, dragging, swinging, and just ‘bullying’ the victim,” who appeared so frightened that she kept her eyes closed and tried “to curl up into a fetal position.” During the horrific incident at Worthington Learning Center in Columbus, suspects Emma Dietrich and Joshua Tennant just sat in their chairs and watched the cowardly attack unfold right in front of them, police said in a news release this week. Dietrich, 31, and Tennant, 27, were arrested Tuesday following an investigation by the Columbus Division of Police. Authorities said the video eventually shows Tennant grabbing the victim — first by her right ankle and then her left leg — and carrying her upside down to a nearby rug. Police on Wednesday released a single frame from the video showing the moment Tennant appears to be holding the girl by her leg. The attack began around 11:20 a.m. after one of the bullies brought the victim to Dietrich’s classroom. At one point, police said, “the victim attempts to get away from the other students & they continue to ‘bully’ her by grabbing her & holding her down.” The Worthington Learning Center has cooperated with the investigation, according to the release. The day care owner, Lisa Rowe, told local station WBNS that she was “heartbroken” over the incident and that both suspects have been fired. The girl’s mother told the station that the episode only came to light because one of the kids who witnessed the brutal incident told a parent, who then called authorities. Originally appeared on NY Daily News

Ready or not, here cops come! More than 3,000 people planned a giant game of hide-and-seek at an IKEA store in Scotland — but a team of police officers weren’t playing around and broke up the fun, according to reports. Revelers planned to turn the sprawling furniture chain in Glasgow into an impromptu playground on a Facebook event page last week, prompting the store to call police, according to The Scotsman newspaper. Five cops stayed at the shop for the entire day on Aug. 31 to gauge whether folks were browsing for a cheap desk — or actually hunting the perfect spot to hide. “People are stopping everyone who looks like they are here for a game of hide and seek,” one customer, Lewis Phillips told the paper. Ultimately, there were no arrests, and no major “issues” for cops to deal with, a rep for the store said. In Europe, the trend of playing the game at IKEAs has picked up steam in recent years, with a stunning 32,000 Facebook users signing up for one event in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Players hide in everything from refrigerators to bed frames and say the 300,000-plus square foot shops are the perfect spot to play. Originally appeared on The New York Post

A massive storm surge in the Bahamas killed about 200 dogs and 50 cats in an animal shelter during Hurricane Dorian, according to staffers at the shelter. Felicia Telfort, the shelter supervisor at the Humane Society of Grand Bahama, says she and five co-workers did everything possible to save the animals. They were looking after 190 dogs and 85 cats when the storm hit. Elizabeth Burrows, executive director of the humane society, said they thought the building was safe. It was built in 2008 with an elevated foundation, specifically to avoid the danger of flooding. Since recent storms didn’t flood the shelter, Burrows thought they could survive Dorian. But the slow-moving Category 5 hurricane hovered over the islands and delivered an unexpected amount of rainfall. A massive storm surge washed over the island and water invaded the interior of the animal shelter. The staff desperately tried to save the dogs by elevating their crates, even as water rose up to their chests, Telfort said. Cell phone video shows a vehicle outside almost entirely submerged in the flood, and water inside the building. But eventually the water rose so high the shelter staff had to save themselves. Telfort said they were in the middle of rearranging the cages and had no time to do anything to move to safety. The staff climbed into the attic through a small hole in the ceiling, Telfort said. With no stairs or ladders, they had to pull each other up. There was no way to bring the animals. The staff stayed in the attic as the storm raged, listening to the crying and howling of the kenneled dogs. Then the howling and crying stopped. The silence meant 90 had died in the flooding, according to Telfort and Burrows. The shelter staff survived. Most of the animals were waiting to be adopted, but a few had been left behind by families that fled the island or went to shelters that don’t allow pets. Though she couldn’t have predicted the depth of the flood waters, Burrows said she feels responsible — and “devastated.” “My heart is broken for the sheltered animals that we lost,” she said. “I feel so bad for the people who entrusted their animals to us and ultimately we couldn’t protect them.” After the storm receded, a few more dogs died, leaving 75 dogs and 50 cats surviving, they said. The shelter is caring for the surviving animals, but the flood destroyed all of the shelter’s medical supplies, food and vehicles. Originally appeared on CNN

A group of New Hampshire high school football players was captured in a sick video beating a duck with a broomstick then strangling it to death, according to new reports. Several student-athletes who attend Kennett High School in North Conway were suspended from upcoming football games after video emerged of the animal being killed at a training camp in late August, news station WMUR reported. Footage showed the teammates luring ducks out of the water before one of the players hit the animal over the head. The animal was later strangled to death, the Conway Daily Sun reported. “The heinous activity of a duck being hit over the head with a broomstick is what ended up happening,” Kennett Consolidated School District Superintendent Kevin Richard said, adding “it was maimed pretty badly.” The duck-bashing video was shared online, prompting several concerned calls to school officials, the news station reported. Students seen in the clip were suspended for up to three games based on their role in the alleged animal torture, according to the Daily Sun. “There are very strong opinions both ways, and you try to come back with what you think is reasonable, and also recognizing that these are adolescents that make bad choices and this was a grievous mistake,” Richard told WMUR. Originally appeared on The New York Post

A French couple is facing years of jail time after stealing almost 90 pounds of sand from Sardinia, the Italian island known for its picturesque beaches. The alleged thieves told police they were taking the sand home because they wanted to keep it as a “souvenir,” Italian media reported. According to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, two French citizens poured white sand into 14 plastic bottles from Chia, a beach in southern Sardinia, and put them in the trunk of their SUV. The couple wanted to take it home as a memory of their vacation, but instead were caught on a ferry en route to Toulon, France. The pair was charged with theft under aggravated circumstance for having stolen from a public beach. They face between one and six years of jail time, according to the report. Sand theft is a growing concern on the island. Tourists bottle the sand up to then auction on online sites, BBC reports. “Sandy beaches are one of the main attractions of Sardinia,” a local environmental scientist told the BBC. “There are two threats: one is due to erosion, which is partly natural and partly induced by the increasing sea level due to climate change; the second is sand stealing by tourists.” A 2017 law made trade in sand, pebbles and shells illegal and punishable with fines of up to $3,300. – CBS NEWS

Four girls were arrested Thursday in what police described as “sick and disgusting crimes,” after a group of teens was caught on video beating a 15-year-old girl with special needs. Police Lt. Ozzie Valdez, the acting commander of Area Central, said earlier Thursday that three girls – ages 13, 14, and 15 – were charged in the attack. Two of the girls were charged with aggravated battery and the other was charged with mob action. A fourth girl, age 15, was also arrested Thursday afternoon and charged in connection with the attack, police said. Police did not release the specific charges against the fourth girl. The charges come as CBS 2 has learned the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is also involved. Police said the teens who attacked the girl knew the victim before the attack, and she believed they were her friends. “It broke my heart to see this group of young people turn on her and escalate it into what we saw, a physical assault,” Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said. “There simply cannot be room for this type of divisive and hateful behavior.” Video of the beating was posted on social media, and Chicago police began investigating after CBS 2 sent them a link to the video. Valdez has said the girl met with several teens who “she thought were her friends” on the day of the attack. Those friends taught her how to flash gang signs before the beating. A family friend has said the girls who attacked the victim were upset that she did not want to participate in a sex act they were planning and that was going to report it to police. Johnson did not specifically confirm that claim. “There was some things going on that these young ladies wanted her to do that she didn’t do, but we’ll leave it at that for now,” Johnson said Thursday afternoon at police headquarters. Police have said they also are investigating whether the girl was sexually assaulted, based on her statements to detectives, but Johnson would not discuss that investigation. “We’re not prepared to talk about that at this time,” he said. Meanwhile, the girl’s father spoke out on Thursday, as CBS 2’s Dana Kozlov reported. “I’m hopeful, right, thankful, right, that my daughter has been found,” he said. “And her condition, right, I hope that it improves.” CBS 2 is not identifying the girl’s father or other relatives, to shield her identity because she is a victim, possibly of a sexual assault. The girl’s father wanted to thank those who helped his daughter. He has also acknowledged that there is now a DCFS investigation into his family. “At the moment, she’s in protective custody, and whatnot, for her own safety and well-being,” he said, “and that’s it.” In a statement, DCFS officials also revealed that the department has had prior contact with the family. The reason is something no one wanted to answer. “Because there is an investigation still that’s going,” said a man with the girl’s father. The girl’s father reported her missing the day after the attack. Hours later police learned about the video and launched a criminal investigation. “If you’re dumb enough to post a crime on social media, that just shows you where your head is,” Johnson said. In the video, the victim is seen trying to defend herself as another girl continues to corner her and hit her – with the help of others. “One of her friends hit her in the face, striking her in the head, that left lacerations on her forehead,” community activist and family friend Stringer Harris said on Wednesday. “Another friend attacked her brutally and beat her and another gentleman was there as well.” The victim’s grandmother said the girl’s attackers must face consequences. “I’m mad that they took advantage of my baby like that,” she said. “They need to get off the street. If they did it to her, they’ll do it to someone else.” Three of the girls who were charged in the case turned themselves in to police with their parents Wednesday night. Johnson suggested ...

A man who spent decades in prison for fatally stabbing his wife was released after being deemed too old to pose a threat — only to be convicted this week of a nearly identical crime. It took jurors in Maine less than an hour to find Albert Flick, 77, guilty in the 2018 murder of a homeless mother, Kimberly Dobbie, who was stabbed at least 11 times while her twin sons watched. That crime is eerily similar to the slaying that sent Flick to jail for 25 years in 1979 — slashing his then-wife Sandra Flick 14 times in front of her daughter. Flick was freed in 2004 — only to be sent back to jail in 2010 for assaulting another woman. The judge at the time ignored the recommendation for a longer sentence, saying Flick wouldn’t be a threat because of his age and it didn’t make sense to keep him locked up. Flick was released four years later in 2014 and moved to Lewiston. Prosecutors said he met Dobbie, 48, and became infatuated with her, stalking her and dining at the homeless shelter where she was staying. Assistant Attorney General Bud Ellis told jurors Flick knew Dobbie was planning on skipping town and thought to himself: “If I can’t have her, I will kill her.” Two days before the murder Flick purchased a pair of knives at a Walmart, prosecutors said. He then attacked Dobbie in broad daylight in front of a laundromat, piercing her heart and lungs. Her 11-year-old twin sons witnessed the slaying. It was also caught on surveillance footage. Elsie Clement, the woman who was a child when she watched Flick stab her mother to death, said the judge who set him free will have to answer to Dobbie’s children. “I would like to just see [everyone involved] in a line and stand there and tell [Dobbie’s] boys, explain to them how this man was on the streets and how it’s OK,” Clement told the local NBC outlet. “How the law makes it alright for their mom to now be gone and for them to have to witness it.” – New York Post

A six-year-old girl died Monday after being struck in the head by a golf ball that her father hit. The child was sitting in a parked golf cart on a path to the left of where her father was teeing off. The young girl was flown to a hospital in Salt Lake City in critical condition and died from her injuries later Monday evening. The child was identified as Aria Hill. Aria’s uncle told KSL the young girl was her father’s “golfing buddy.” The two were at Sleepy Ridge Golf Course in Orem, Utah, police said. “She loved doing it and had a good time with it all,” David Smith said. “That was one of their things that they would do together. It was something that was really important to them and something they did all the time.” The incident is being investigated as a tragic accident, Orem Police Lt. Trent Colledge said, adding that police are not pursuing charges.

The tremor struck around 180 kilometres east of the town of Moyobamba at a depth of 105 kilometres, the USGS reported on Sunday. A 8.0-magnitude earthquake has rocked northern Peru, according to the United States Geological Survey. The USGS previously reported a 7.5 quake. The affected countries besides Peru include Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador.

Republican lawmakers displayed the party’s growing distrust toward Google, raising a broad array of tough questions on the search giant’s market power, plans to relaunch service in China, and whether the site suppresses conservative content. At the core of their questions was a concern over the company’s commitment to free expression. “All of these topics — competition, censorship, bias and others — point to one fundamental question that demands the nation’s attention,” said Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the House Republican leader. “Are America’s technology companies serving as instruments of freedom or instruments of control?” “Because a free world depends on a free internet, we need to know that Google is on the side of the free world,” Mr. McCarthy said. Representative Robert W. Goodlatte of Virginia, the Republican chairman of the Judiciary Committee, highlighted the importance of scrutinizing Google because of the company’s market power in search, cloud-based email and its Android mobile operating system. Mr. Goodlatte also raised concerns that the liberal-leaning political biases of employees may also affect filtering decisions for its search engine. He mentioned a leaked video the day after the 2016 presidential election showing top officials lamenting the victory of President Trump. “This committee is very interested in what justifies filtering,” Mr. Goodlatte said. “Given the revelation that top executives at Google have discussed how the results of the 2016 elections do not comply with Google’s values, these questions have become all the more important.” Mr. McCarthy is among several Republican members who have made online political bias a talking point in campaign fund-raisers. Claims of anti-conservative bias within the technology of Google, Facebook and Twitter have been disputed by numerous technologists and academics. Democrats had their own set of tough questions for Mr. Pichai on privacy and the company’s competitive practices. But they also expressed frustration with the political bias claims. “I must dispense with the complete illegitimate fantasy dreamed up by some conservatives that Google and other platforms have anti-conservative bias,” said Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, the top Democrat on the committee. Praise for Google as Well. Officials were expected to be merciless for Mr. Pichai’s first appearance before Congress. When he declined to appear in a Senate hearing in September, lawmakers called the act “arrogant,” and they put out an empty chair in his absence. Though lawmakers asked Mr. Pichai a variety of pointed questions, they also lauded Google as an American icon. “Your company should really be held out as a success story of America’s free enterprise system,” said Representative Keith Rothfus, a Republican of Pennsylvania. “Despite the nature and scope of today’s hearing, Google is still the story of the American dream,” Mr. Goodlatte said. “We do not want to impose burdensome regulations on your industry,” said Representative Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana. Going into a third hour of the hearing, Republicans offered little detail on how they would follow up on concerns about privacy and anti-conservative bias. Democrats, in large part, defended the company of political bias claims. Representative Ted Lieu, Democrat of California, said negative news coverage of members like Representative Steve King, Republican of Iowa, were perhaps the result of his views on immigration. “Don’t blame Google or Facebook or Twitter, consider blaming yourself,” Mr. Lieu said. During Mr. Pichai’s testimony, the first question from Mr. Goodlatte was about whether consumers understand the frequency and amount of location data that Google collects from its Android operating system. It was the first of many questions directed at Mr. Pichai about the collection of location data and apps that run on Android smartphones, some citing an investigation by The New York Times. Mr. Pichai ...

The chief executive of Samsung Electronics made a public apology on Friday while promising compensation to workers who developed cancer after working at some of its factories. The 2007 death of a Samsung chip factory worker with leukemia sparked concerns over working conditions at the South Korean company. Samsung Electronics apologised Friday to workers who developed cancer after working at some of its factories, finally ending a decade-long dispute at the world’s top chipmaker. The father of a dead 22-year-old worker and the company’s co-president Kim Ki- nam signed a formal settlement agreement in Seoul as other disabled ex- employees looked on. “We sincerely apologise to the workers who suffered from illness and their families,” said the firm’s co-president Kim Ki-nam. “We have failed to properly manage health risks at our semiconductor and LCD factories.” Samsung Electronics is the world’s biggest mobile phone manufacturer and chipmaker and the flagship subsidiary of the Samsung Group, by far the biggest of the family-controlled conglomerates that dominate the South’s economy. Samsung currently operates vast semiconductor production compounds in Suwon as well as the cities of Hwaseong and Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, as well as Xian in China. Samsung currently operates vast semiconductor production compounds in Suwon as well as the cities of Hwaseong and Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, as well as Xian in China. Campaign groups say that about 240 people have suffered from work-related illnesses after being employed at Samsung with around 80 of them -- many of them young women -- dying. Under a deal announced earlier this month, Samsung Electronics will pay the group’s employees compensation of up to 150 million won ($133,000) per case. It covers 16 types of cancer, some other rare illnesses, miscarriages and congenital diseases suffered by the workers’ children. Claimants can have worked at plants as far back as 1984. The scandal emerged in 2007 when former workers at its semiconductor and display factories in Suwon, south of Seoul, and their families said that staff had been diagnosed or died of various forms of cancer. A series of rulings and decisions by courts, Seoul’s state labour welfare agency and a mediation committee followed over more than 10 years, culminating in Friday’s announcement. Hwang Sang-ki, who signed the agreement on behalf of the workers and their families, told reporters he was glad to have fulfilled his promise to his daughter, who died of leukaemia in 2007, to prove Samsung was to blame for her death. But he went on: “The apology honestly was not enough for the families of the victims but we will accept it. “No amount of apology will be enough to heal all the insults, the pain of industrial injuries and the suffering of losing one’s family. “I cannot forget the pain she and our family went through. Too many people have suffered the same fate.” Trade secret Little is known about possible connections between the production process in the factories and the workers’ illnesses, as Samsung has refused to disclose what specific chemical substances it uses, describing the information as a trade secret. Hwang and other relatives have sought a court order to compel it to release the details. “Compensation for industrial injury is important, but what’s more important is prevention,” said Hwang, whose story was made into a movie in 2013. Samsung has played a key part in the South’s rise to become the world’s 11th- largest economy, but it is also the focus of resentment over the power and influence of the chaebols and has faced accusations of murky political connections. Its de facto leader Lee Jae-yong was found guilty of bribing former president Park Geun-hye as part of the corruption scandal that brought her down, and he spent almost a year in prison before most of his convictions were overturned on appeal and he was released. The cancer scandal is one of the worst instances of indu...

A New Orleans man was arrested at a Willie's Chicken Shack after allegedly claiming he was going to "blow the bathroom up." Problem is … the guy claims he was talking about butt bombs -- not actual explosives!!! And yes, this is a real story. The man in the mug shot is 30-year-old Arthur Posey -- who hit up the Canal Street restaurant at night on Nov. 13. Employees told police Posey made a violent threat against the place -- allegedly saying, "Y’all about to close right now because I’m going to get a bomb and blow this place up.” When cops tracked down Posey, he claimed it was a giant misunderstanding -- explaining he told staffers he was going to "blow the bathroom up" … meaning, he was gonna poop his brains out. Cops didn't buy what Posey was selling and arrested him. He's now facing 2 counts of communicating false information of planned arson. He's due back in court later this month -- where he'll try to convince a judge the allegations are just a bunch of crap. | Original Post The post Arrested Man Who Threatened to 'Blow the Bathroom Up' appeared first on DAPULSE.

There 's a $5,000 reward for anyone with info leading to the conviction for the person who shot dolphin to death This Feb. 24, 2016, photo shows a different deceased dolphin being handled by a wildlife specialist on a beach in Argentina. (Fundacion Mundo Marino via AP) Want to make $5,000? If you know who shot and killed a dolphin in California, the money is yours if you have info that leads to a conviction. "There is NO excuse for such brutality against these beautiful animals," Marine Animal Rescue of El Segundo writes on its Facebook page, next to an "upsetting" picture of the dolphin it retrieved Nov. 8 in Manhattan Beach after receiving a call about it, per NBC News. After the group had the dolphin undergo a necropsy, it was discovered the marine creature had died of a gunshot wound; a doctor was able to pull the bullet out of the dolphin, says MAR President Peter Wallerstein. "It's just a vicious act of brutality," he adds, noting that he's asked the National Marine Fisheries Service to open an investigation into the killing. Wallerstein says in more than 30 years in the field, he's never seen a shot dolphin. He's also not optimistic the perp will be caught—"we very rarely find these people"—but the $5,000 reward might help convince someone to offer up info. "What the reward does is put on notice," he says. (Sea lions and a seal were shot to death in a "heartbreaking" incident near Seattle.) | Original Post The post On a California Beach, a 'Vicious Act of Brutality' appeared first on DAPULSE.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Stan Lee, the creative dynamo who revolutionized the comic book and helped make billions for Hollywood by introducing human frailties in superheroes such as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the Incredible Hulk, died Monday. He was 95. Lee was declared dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to Kirk Schenck, an attorney for Lee’s daughter, J.C. Lee. As the top writer at Marvel Comics and later as its publisher, Lee was widely considered the architect of the contemporary comic book. He revived the industry in the 1960s by offering the costumes and action craved by younger readers while insisting on sophisticated plots, college-level dialogue, satire, science fiction, even philosophy. Millions responded to the unlikely mix of realistic fantasy, and many of his characters, including Spider-Man, the Hulk and X-Men went on to become stars of blockbuster films. Recent projects he helped make possible range from the films “Black Panther” and “Doctor Strange” to such TV series as “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” and “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Lee was recognizable to his fans — he had cameos in Marvel films and TV projects, his hair gray and his glasses tinted. “I think everybody loves things that are bigger than life. … I think of them as fairy tales for grown-ups,” he told The Associated Press in a 2006 interview. “We all grew up with giants and ogres and witches. Well, you get a little bit older and you’re too old to read fairy tales. But I don’t think you ever outgrow your love for those kinds of things, things that are bigger than life and magical and very imaginative.” Lee considered the comic-book medium an art form and he was prolific: By some accounts, he came up with a new comic book every day for 10 years. “I wrote so many I don’t even know. I wrote either hundreds or thousands of them,” he told the AP in 2006. He hit his stride in the 1960s when he brought the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Spider-Man, Iron Man and numerous others to life. “It was like there was something in the air. I couldn’t do anything wrong,” he recalled. His heroes, meanwhile, were a far cry from virtuous do-gooders such as rival DC Comics’ Superman. The Fantastic Four fought with each other. Spider-Man was goaded into superhero work by his alter ego, Peter Parker, who suffered from unrequited crushes, money problems, and dandruff. The Silver Surfer, an alien doomed to wander Earth’s atmosphere, waxed about the woeful nature of man. The Hulk was marked by self-loathing. Daredevil was blind and Iron Man had a weak heart. “The beauty of Stan Lee’s characters is that they were characters first and superheroes next,” Jeff Kline, executive producer of the “Men in Black” animated television series, told The Blade of Toledo, Ohio, in 1998. Some of Lee’s creations became symbols of social change — the inner turmoil of Spider-Man represented ’60s America, for example, while The Black Panther and The Savage She-Hulk mirrored the travails of minorities and women. Lee scripted most of Marvel’s superhero comics himself during the ’60s, including the Avengers and the X-Men, two of the most enduring. In 1972, he became Marvel’s publisher and editorial director; four years later, 72 million copies of Spider-Man were sold. “He’s become our Mickey Mouse,” he once said of the masked, web-crawling crusader. Lee also published several books, including “The Superhero Women” in 1977 and “How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way” the following year, when he was named publisher of the year by the Periodical and Book Association of America. CBS turned the Hulk into a successful TV series, with Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno portraying the doomed scientist from 1978-82. A Spider-Man series ran briefly in 1978. Both characters were featured in animated TV series as well. The first big-budget movie based on Lee’s characters, “X-Men,” was a smash in 2000, earning more than $130 million at North American theaters. “Spider-Man” did even better, ...

An investigation conducted by 20 Northwestern students found a new witness who cast doubt on the conviction A Medill Justice Project investigation led by Northwestern University students in 2015 resulted in overturning a murder conviction for a Miami man. Andre Gonzales, who spent 12 years in prison for a murder he said he did not commit, was freed from prison Tuesday. “I’m feeling outrageous right now,” Gonzales, who also goes by Tony Brown, told The Medill Justice Project. “I’m just so happy, thrilled.” Twenty NU students working for MJP investigated Gonzales’s murder conviction, researching and conducting extensive interviews with people involved in the case. The project, part of the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, has investigated potentially wrongful convictions, probed criminal justice issues and conducted groundbreaking research since 1999. "We are pleased that the Medill Justice Project is able to shine a light on cases that merit additional consideration to ensure that justice is truly served,” said Medill Interim Dean Charles Whitaker. “The Medill students who work myriad hours on these cases learn the tenets of investigative journalism, which they use throughout their careers. We remain committed to this very important work." This week, Florida prosecutors dropped all charges against Gonzales a month after a Miami circuit court judge vacated his 2005 murder conviction and ordered a new trial. The September order from Judge Miguel M de la O followed a November 2017 evidentiary hearing where a key eyewitness, Arnold “Maniac” Clark, testified that he witnessed the murder and that Gonzales, now 46, was not the killer. Clark first told his account to The Medill Justice Project in 2015 and said then that he would not testify at the original trial because he was fearful of retribution. Gonzales credits MJP and the work of the students with his release. “Let’s not forget now that Medill is the most important thing that happened for me because Medill and the students did such an excellent investigation and it really helped,” he said. “The Medill Justice Project receives hundreds of letters and tips every year from attorneys, inmates, and their families,” said Medill Associate Dean Beth Bennett. “MJP looks at all requests and then carefully selects cases where there are questionable circumstances around the conviction. The Andre Gonzalez case is exemplary because what the students found was so revealing.” Philip Reizenstein, Gonzales’ attorney, called Gonzales’ release “one of the highlights” of his career. “This is why you do public interest law when you can help somebody and free who’ve been wrongly convicted,” Reizenstein said. In 2005, Gonzales was convicted of second-degree murder, attempted first- degree murder, armed robbery and attempted armed robbery after a shooting that took place outside of a nightclub in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood. Almost 10 years later, MJP identified and tracked down Clark, who said he witnessed the armed robbery and vouched he is certain authorities got the wrong man. The post Medill Justice Project investigation leads to release of Miami man convicted of murder appeared first on DAPULSE.

An investigation is underway after parents from an Ipswich school raised concerns over a pupil who allegedly told their children he was lying about his age. The pupil, who attends Stoke High School in Ipswich, claims to be 15 years old. However, pupils have recently told their parents that he may actually much older than he says he is. The students have claimed that he has been lying about his age to the British authorities so that he could get an education here, as his previous qualifications were not recognized in the UK. Some people can often come into the UK without any paperwork and it can be difficult to identify a person’s real age. The student in question would have gone through an age test, where they are asked questions about their past. The Home Office has now taken on the investigation into the age of the individual and how he became enrolled at the school. When asked for a comment they issued this statement: “We do not routinely comment on individual cases.” One concerned parent, who did not want to be named, said: “This is extremely concerning. He has told students he has had to lie to go get into high school to complete his GCSEs.” An image taken on Snapchat by one pupil shows the man dressed in uniform in a year 11 math class. The text across the image reads: “How is there a 30-year- old man in our math class.” A statement from Stoke High School spokesman said: “This is a matter for the Home Office. They are looking into this after we contacted them. “We do not comment on individual cases but we have followed government and local authority policies and guidance, as we do for any asylum admissions matter.” The school takes on asylum seekers as required. Another parent, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “My son goes to the school and it is not a nice thought that this man is around children and sitting with them at lunch.” The post High school student under investigation amid claims he is aged 30 appeared first on DAPULSE.

Verified Eleven people were killed and six wounded in a shooting at a synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh on Saturday… Here might be the reason or part of the reason why Robert Bowers decided to commit the crime. Newspaper Scan The distance from Randall G. Bowers home to The Tree of Life Congregation… which is just 8 minutes away driving in a vehicle, or 2.2 miles away. According to the article on the newspaper, Randall G. Bowers who faced prosecution in a rape case, was found dead of an apparent suicide. He was found in a picnic area near the Tionesta Dam. According to troopers, he had shot himself in the chest with a .22 caliber rifle. He was about to undergo trial in connection with the sexual assault of a 20-year old woman in the 5600 block of Beacon Street, Squirrel Hill. Statement : This news item from 39 years ago would seem to shed some light on the mental condition of the shooter. Notice that the alleged rape took place in the same Squirrel Hill community where the congregation was attacked. As yet, Bowers has no known connection to that neighborhood. Was he targeting his father's accusers? Let us know what you think This story appeared first on DAPULSE For use of any content on this page please … link back and apply proper credits to all content and formats The post Synagogue Shooter, 'Robert Bowers' May have Acted on Anniversary of Father's Suicide… appeared first on DAPULSE.

A soccer star was found dead in a bush “almost beheaded and with his genitals severed,” according to reports. Sao Paulo star Daniel Correa Freitas, 24, was discovered in Sao Jose dos Pinhais, a city in Brazil’s southern state of Parana, on Saturday night. A tweet from his Serie A club — the top division in Brazil — posted in the early hours of Sunday confirmed the worst. It read: “The Sao Paulo football club deeply regrets the death of midfielder Daniel Correa Freitas. The club sympathizes and pays condolences to the athlete’s family.” The official cause of death has not been confirmed. But a detailed report in local newspaper Band B claimed Freitas was the victim of “torture.” Quoting a municipal guard, the report stated: “From the appearance of the body, it was a very violent situation. The man had two deep cuts on his neck, his head was nearly beheaded, and his genitals were severed.” It was claimed that people walking through the area discovered the body. The report went on to say: “This road is a bit deserted and already known for the dumping of corpses. Everything indicates the man was executed here on the street and dragged for about 100 feet.” Known as Daniel, the attacking midfielder started his career with Botafogo before moving to Sao Paulo in 2015. Sao Paulo is one of the biggest and most popular soccer teams in Brazil. Correa Freitas spent the last two years away from the club on loan, first with second-division side Coritiba, before moving to Ponte Preta and then fellow second-tier side Sao Bento — the club he was playing for at the time of his death. Botafogo was among the clubs to offer their condolences. A tweet read: “Note of regret: Botafogo regrets the demise of former player Daniel Correa Freitas and expresses solidarity with friends and family.” The post Soccer star found dead ‘almost beheaded with his genitals severed’ appeared first on DAPULSE.

Willie Jones Jr. was found hanging from a tree outside at the home of his child’s mother on Feb. 8th in the Mississippi county of Scott County. Now seven months later, his family has joined together with the Scott County Chapter NAACP, the New Black Panther Party, the Jackson Chapter of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, and two Jackson lawyers to learn more information about Jones death. October 22 about two dozen people came to the Masonic lodge near the Jackson State University campus to plan the next steps to garner community support for the case the Jackson Free Press reported. “I can’t sleep, and I won’t sleep until justice is served,” Tammie Townsend, Jones’ mother, said. In a statement released by the family stated Jones had been dating a white woman in her 20’s off and on for a few years and they had a child together. Jones accompanied his child’s mother to her home just before he died. The woman and Willie were alleged to have an argument, “Less than an hour later, Willie’s mother, Tammie Townsend, received a call saying her son was hanging from a tree in his child’s mother’s front yard” according to the statement. Scott County Sheriff Mike Lee said that his untimely death is consistent with suicide and has no evidence of a racially motivated crime according to the Associated Press. Lee said witnesses told his office that Jones got into an altercation with his girlfriend and threatened to hang himself shortly before he was found dead near her home. However, Jones mother does not believe her son committed suicide. “Saying my son hung himself—I don’t believe it. I’ll never believe it,” Townsend said. “There is nothing they can do to make me believe my child hung himself. He didn’t have a drug problem, he wasn’t depressed. He was always smiling. He’d give you the shirt off his back. And I know this is what he would want me to do.” Thomas Bellinder, one of the lawyers working this case pro bono, stated that this case is ongoing and could appear before the grand jury in November. Bellinder condemned the legal system that he says is built to protect the investigation, and “in reality the investigator.” “We need all eyes on this case to pressure the county and the state to do what it’s supposed to do,” Bellinder told the newspaper. The post Mississippi Family Seeking Justice for Black Man Found Hanging From a Tree appeared first on DAPULSE.

 BARTOW, Fla. — Two middle school girls in central Florida brought knives to school in a foiled plot to kill classmates, cut them up and drink their blood before killing themselves, police officials said Wednesday. The two girls, ages 11 and 12, were armed with knives Tuesday at Bartow Middle School before they were caught, according to arrest affidavits released by the Bartow Police Department. No one was hurt. The girls face charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and possession of a weapon at school, among other charges. It will be up to prosecutors to decide whether the girls will be charged formally as juveniles or adults, Deputy Police Chief Bryan Dorman said in an email. After their arrest, the girls were sent to a juvenile detention facility. Bartow is located in the heart of Florida’s citrus belt. The girls planned to stake out a school bathroom and wait for smaller students to enter, according to the police affidavit. They planned to cut their victims’ throats, cut up their bodies, eat the flesh and drink their victims’ blood, authorities said. The students then planned to fatally stab themselves. “The plan was to kill at least 1 student but were hoping to kill anywhere from 15-25 students,” the affidavit said. “Killing all of these students was in hopes it would make them worse sinners ensuring that after they committed suicide … (they) would go to hell so they could be with satan.” Detectives said the girls devised the plot while watching “scary” movies at one of their houses over the weekend. The alleged plot was foiled when administrators searched for them after they didn’t show up for class Tuesday. The administrators found them in a bathroom stall and brought them back to their offices where they found the girls in possession of four knives, a pizza cutter and a knife sharpener, police said. Officials with Polk County Schools said that extra police officers and guidance counselors would be at the school this week. “School staff quickly responded to a report of suspicious behavior; the students were taken into custody, and no one was harmed,” school officials said in a tweet. The post Two Middle School Girls Arrested for Plotting to Kill Classmates and Drink Their Blood appeared first on DAPULSE.

SAN LEANDRO — The discovery of a latent fingerprint has led to the arrests of two teenagers in connection with a series of burglaries at public schools, police said Wednesday. Those burglaries, at Jefferson, McKinley, Roosevelt, Washington, and Wilson elementary schools, happened in May and June, and losses were Apple iPads and MacBook laptops, police said. The fingerprint discovered at one crime scene led police to identify a 13-year-old San Leandro resident who formerly attended Washington Elementary and now attends Bancroft Middle School. On the strength of the fingerprint, police found the teen at home and arrested him, and soon after learned of a second suspect, identified as a fellow 13-year-old Bancroft student who lives in Oakland. A search of the second suspect’s home yielded several items belonging to the San Leandro Unified School District that apparently were stolen during the burglaries, police said. The second suspect was also arrested. “We are extremely pleased to have made arrests in these cases and return the items to the classroom where they are much needed,” San Leandro police Lt. Isaac Benabou said. “It’s unusual for us to arrest such young suspects responsible for a series of burglaries. These are brazen acts, and we hope that their arrests will prevent this behavior in the future.” Police said the investigation into the burglaries will continue, as more missing items are expected to lead to other suspects. Anyone with information should call San Leandro police’s criminal investigative division at 510-577-3230, leave anonymous tips at 510-577-3278 or text “TipSLPolice” to 888777. The post 2 teens arrested as San Leandro school burglary suspects appeared first on DAPULSE.

CHICAGO (AP) — With the Mega Millions lottery jackpot at a record $1.6 billion, people are snapping up tickets across the U.S. The Powerball jackpot also has climbed. It’s up to an estimated $620 million for Wednesday’s drawing. That would make it the fifth-largest jackpot in U.S. history. But much of the focus has been on Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing and what would be the largest jackpot prize in U.S. history. From San Diego to New York, people are dreaming of how they would spend the money should they beat the astronomical odds of winning. Little Rock, Arkansas, housekeeper LaCrystal White initially said her first order of business would be to pay off bills and student loans, then buy herself a house and car. But the 34-year-old quickly reconsidered. “Well, first I’m going to give something back to charity. That’s what I’m going to do,” White said. “I am. I’m going to give back to charity and then I’m going to splurge. Put up college funds for my kids and just set myself up for the rest of my life.” Then she told everyone who was at the gas station where she bought two Mega Millions tickets on Sunday that she would give them $1 million each if she won. She went on to add that she planned to buy more tickets later. Arkansas is one of 44 states where the Mega Millions is played. It’s also played in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Nathan Harrell was in downtown Chicago for work Saturday when he stopped in at a 7-Eleven and handed the clerk two $20 bills — one for 10 Powerball tickets at $2 each and the other for 10 Mega Millions at $2 each. It’s been a few years since he’s spent anything on the lottery. “It’s gotta be in the news for me to think about it,” the 36-year-old, who works in finance and lives on the city’s North Side, said. He said he and his wife have talked over the years about what they’d do if they won, and she said she’d keep working. “So she probably wouldn’t want me to quit my job,” he said. Harrell said that as he rode the train to work, he had thought about what else he would do. He figures he’d set up a trust fund for his two children. “We wouldn’t sweat the small stuff anymore,” he said. “Nothing crazy, but who knows.” In Phoenix, Tim Masterson, a 41-year-old scientist, ran into Kings Beer & Wine, an upscale convenience store and beer bar, to buy seven Mega Millions tickets while his family waited in the car outside. Masterson paused when asked what he’d do with the money if he won. After looking at the wide variety of beers and ales on the shelves, he said: “I’d buy a brewery.” Nebraska mom Michelle Connaghan said she had mentioned the huge Mega Millions jackpot to her children, which led to a discussion of what the family would do with all that money. “Other than paying off bills and taking care of family, I think I’d have the most fun going around and doing surprise good deeds for people,” said Connaghan, 48, as she picked up pizza for her family and a Mega Millions lottery ticket at an Omaha convenience store. “I think that would be wonderful, to have the ability to help somebody who really needs it. “And I’m sure we’d take some pretty awesome vacations while we were going around doing our surprise good deeds.” In New York City’s financial district, Juan Ramirez, 69, said he would retire from at least one of his jobs. He works as a school maintenance worker and short order cook. “I’d spend it carefully. I’d be prepared before I cash in, go see a financial adviser,” he said, saying he would invest the money. “I’ve got two jobs. I’d retire from one, maybe two. When I win the billion dollars, I will decide which one to quit. “I would donate some money to charity, think about the homeless, people with less than me. I would help somebody.” Guillermo Carrillo, 42, of San Diego, works as a roofer and as a dishwasher at a restaurant. Carrillo, who was buying tickets in suburban National City, dreams of buying a house for his mother in his native Guatemala. Th...