Ethics committee extends Michele Bachmann probe

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Allegations surrounding Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann and her brief presidential campaign are getting further examination from the House Ethics Committee.

The panel said in a brief statement Friday it is extending until at least September a review of Bachmann's case, which was referred to it by the Office of Congressional Ethics, an independent investigative body. The panel said it would announce any further action by Sept. 11.

The committee announced similar extensions of OCE investigations for three other members of Congress: Reps. Tim Bishop, D-N.Y., Pete Roskam, R-Ill., and John Tierney, D-Mass. The panel said it would announce further action on those cases, too, in September.

William McGinley, a lawyer for Bachmann, acknowledged the OCE investigation in March, saying it was tied to her presidential bid and that the tea party favorite was cooperating with the investigation. Bachmann has denied any wrongdoing but announced in May she would not seek re-election.

In a statement Friday, McGinley said the committee's extension was routine and expressed confidence that Bachmann will be vindicated.

"Today's statement by the House Ethics Committee emphasizes that its customary 45-day extension does not 'indicate that any violation has occurred, or reflect any judgment on behalf of the Committee,'" McGinley said. "It does not speak to the merits of this matter, and any inference to the contrary is false."

He added, "We are confident the committee will discover, upon proper review, that the highly politicized allegations made at the OCE level were baseless and without merit."

The OCE is an independent House panel run by a board of directors who are outside Congress, although some of them are former lawmakers. The OCE's investigative reports and recommendations for further investigation go to the member-run House Ethics Committee, the panel that decides whether rules were violated. The committee can then vote to continue investigations, launch its own formal investigations or dismiss cases outright.

OCE referred each of the investigations to Ethics Committee in June, recommending full investigations. The House committee was required to take action on the cases or release the full reports of the OCE by Sunday. Instead, it will continue to look into all of the cases for another 45 days.

Because not all of the OCE reports were revealed Friday, it's not clear what specifically some of the investigations of the lawmakers entail.

In a statement, Tierney said he believed the OCE investigation involving him was related to his personal financial disclosure reports.

"I welcome the opportunity to finally put this issue to rest after many years of my opponents attacking me," Tierney said.

Ethicial questions surrounded Tierney's bruising 2012 re-election campaign against former State Sen. Richard Tisei.

Tierney's wife, Patrice Tierney, served one month in federal prison in 2011 after admitting she was "willfully blind" to the source of millions of dollars in income for her brothers, Robert and Daniel Eremian, who were running an illegal, offshore gambling operation.

Patrice Tierney managed a checking account for her brother Robert and helped him to prepare a false tax return, according to her plea agreement.

John Tierney has always denied any involvement in his wife's activities and was re-elected last year. He also has defended his wife, saying she was wronged by her brothers and believed the income in the account she managed was from legal businesses and services.

Bishop also faced ethics complaints during his 2012 re-election campaign. He was criticized by his Republican opponent for helping a constituent ? who later donated $5,000 to his campaign ? to obtain a fireworks permit.

"As I have said many times, I welcome a fair-minded review of the facts because I have done nothing wrong," Bishop said.

Roskam's office said in a statement the OCE investigation into him involved a trip he took to Taiwan. Roskam spokeswoman Stephanie Kittredge said he informed the Ethics Committee about the trip and his planned activities on it before he left.

Roskam took the unusual step of publicizing his OCE report on Friday because he said he had done nothing wrong.

"The record reflects that Rep. Roskam fully complied with all laws, rules, and procedures related to privately sponsored travel," Kittredge said. "The trip was vetted and approved by the House Ethics Committee, the body legally authorized to make determinations on congressional conduct."

Bachmann's White House bid ended quickly after a disappointing sixth-place finish in the Iowa's leadoff presidential caucuses but has caused lingering problems for her.

In January, a former Bachmann aide sent a letter to the Federal Election Commission alleging that Bachmann made improper payments to an Iowa state senator who served as her state chairman. A suit by a different aide alleging that someone in her team stole a private email list of home-school supporters for use in the campaign was dismissed last month.

Earlier this month, Javier Sanchez, a former top aide to Bachmann, was arrested and charged with thefts that took place in a House office building. Sanchez has left Bachmann's office and is charged with theft of money or goods less than $1,000 in value.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ethics-committee-extends-michele-bachmann-probe-185336600.html

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Rodriguez reports to Yanks' minor league complex

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) ? Alex Rodriguez reported back to the New York Yankees' minor league complex Wednesday, three days after he was diagnosed with a strained left quadriceps on the final day of his injury rehabilitation assignment.

Rodriguez, under investigation by Major League Baseball for his reported ties to a clinic accused of distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs, spent a little over four hours at the complex.

"I feel great. That's all I've got to say." he said when he left, rolling down a window of the SUV he was in. Then he rolled up the window, gave a thumbs up as it closed and then departed.

The third baseman, who turns 38 on Saturday, had been recovering from hip surgery in January. He hit .250 (8 for 40) with two homers and eight RBIs in 13 minor league games before the leg injury.

New York said A-Rod was being sent to Tampa for "for rest and treatment." The Yankees have not said whether they intend to send him on another rehab assignment.

Outfielder Curtis Granderson, coming back from a broken pinkie, talked with Rodriguez in the clubhouse.

"I saw him briefly as soon as I came in," Granderson said. "He wanted to come hit with us, but he had to get some stuff taken care of. Almost like a kid out at recess, they had to stop him. You can't go yet. But it's all good signs knowing that he's eager and ready to get back going."

Granderson said Rodriguez was in a good mood.

"Smiling, talking," Granderson said. "Doesn't seem any different than what I've seen in the past."

Granderson, expected back in early August, says he will start a minor rehab assignment Thursday night with Class A Tampa and will be evaluated at the end of the weekend.

Infielder Jayson Nix, sidelined by a hamstring injury, played third base in his first minor league game with the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Yankees. He went 0 for 2 and was hit by a pitch.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rodriguez-reports-yanks-minor-league-complex-153433037.html

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Scott Snowden and Robert Jennings guilty of Sharkey family ...

Two men have been found guilty of murdering a family by setting fire to their home in a seaside town.

Scott Snowden and Robert Jennings were on trial accused of killing Thomas Sharkey, 55, his 21-year-old son Thomas jnr and eight-year-old daughter Bridget in Helensburgh, Argyll.

On Wednesday, the jury at the High Court in Glasgow found Snowden, 37, and Jennings, 50, guilty of murdering the family members on what was the second anniversary of the flat fire.

Mr Sharkey's children died in the blaze at their home in Scott Court on July 24, 2011, while he died of his injuries six days later in hospital.

Snowden and Jennings were also convicted of attempting to murder Mr Sharkey's wife, Angela, 48, who survived the fire.

The trial had previously heard that Snowden, who was in Mexico at the time of the deaths, had shown "wicked recklessness" by ordering the murder.

Jennings was caught on CCTV in the area around where the blaze was set in the early hours, after he had poured petrol through the Sharkey's letterbox and set fire to it.

The jury of ten women and five men found them guilty of murdering the Sharkey family following an 11-week trial.

When the verdict was announced Snowden shook his head and there was no reaction from Jennings. Mrs Sharkey and Richard Sharkey - her husband's son from a previous relationship - and other family members and friends shouted "Yes" as the guilty verdicts to the triple murder were read out.

After the verdict, Angela Sharkey released a statement. She said: "For almost two years my life, and the lives of many others affected by the tragic events in July 2011, have been on hold. We have all had to do our best to come to terms with the fact that we have lost three very special people in a horrific way.

"Personally, knowing that the people responsible are being prevented from carrying out such a crime again will help. I still struggle to understand why they felt it necessary to do what they did to my innocent children but I will have to learn to live with that."

She also thanked her family, friends and colleagues for support, as well as the police, emergency services and the Crown Office for their work in the case.

Killers: Scott Snowden (l) and Robert Jennings were found guilty of murder

Jurors found charges against Snowden for a fire at a house at Shandon, Helensburgh, in July 2008, not proven. While charges against Jennings of fire setting at The Steep house in Rhu in September 2009, at the Garth Inn in Helensburgh on June 2009 and at the Mariners pub in the town in April 2010 were also found not proven.

The Crown's case was that Snowden instructed or instigated the fire and expressed satisfaction at it having been carried out. Advocate depute Alex Prentice, prosecuting, told the jury of the "terrible effects" of the blaze and Mr Sharkey's "desperate" attempts to get out.

Thomas Sharkey Jnr and his sister "succumbed pretty quickly" as a result of inhaling fire gases and smoke, he said. The advocate added: "This was a fire set in the early hours of the morning with the introduction of petrol into the only door access and egress to the property, and no means of escape," he told them during his closing speech last week.

The case had a "background of involvement in drugs", the court heard. There was evidence that Mr Sharkey Snr "intervened in connection with a debt" and that Snowden had a "hatred" of him, the jury was told.

Both men denied involvement, claiming prosecutors failed to produce a motive and that various witnesses lied when giving evidence. But the jury, which began deliberating on Monday afternoon, convicted both of murder.

Jennings was said to have acted as Snowden's hired hand to exact revenge when something annoyed him. The two men carried out a "campaign of violence" in Helensburgh, Mr Prentice said.

Witness Lee McCarthy, 31, said Snowden told him he planned to get Mr Sharkey shot during a conversation in the pub and later, in the aftermath of the fatal fire, confided "it went wrong". Mr McCarthy said Jennings told him that he set the Mariners pub in Helensburghon fire after Snowden told him: "You know what to do."

Mr Sharkey planned to renovate and run the pub but it was burnt down weeks before it was due to open. In his evidence, Simon Fraser, 47, said Snowden told him that Mr Sharkey Snr "got what he deserved" in the fire and shrugged his shoulders when the children's deaths were mentioned.

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Source: http://news.stv.tv/west-central/233957-scott-snowden-and-robert-jennings-guilty-of-sharkey-family-murders/

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Video: Headlines: Pentagon has detailed plan for potential Syria military operation

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Source: www.cbsnews.com --- Tuesday, July 23, 2013
"CBS This Morning" takes a look at some of the day's headlines from around the globe. ...

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If you're not a fan of the official Google Drive app, GoDocs makes for a great alternative

Aside from giving you quick access to Google Drive for all your documents and videos, GoDocs offers support for multiple accounts, push notifications, and more. For users who don't feel the official Google Drive app is powerful enough, GoDocs is worth a look.

Aside from quick access to your Google Drive files all in one app, you'll also be able to do a lot of the same things you can with the official Google Drive app including view and edit documents.

GoDocs also offers advanced features such as push notifications and support for multiple accounts. In situations where you may have more than one Google account that you store documents in, it's a good option.

While the official Google Drive app does a good job of managing your documents, some of the advanced features of GoDocs will be appreciated by pro users. I also like the interface of GoDocs over the official app as well. If you try it out, let us know what you think of it in the comments.

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This 3D-Printed Bungalow Is the Ultimate Birdhouse

When you ask a bunch of 3D printing nerds to design a better birdhouse, you can expect some wild and wacky offering?but this thing is perhaps the ultimate avian abode.

Read more...

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Coroner: Asiana Flight 214 victim killed by fire truck, not plane crash

Chinatopix via AP

Ye Mengyuan poses for photos with other classmates in eastern China's Zhejiang province in an undated photo. Mengyuan was one of three victims of the July 6 crash of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 in San Francisco.

By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer, NBC News

One of three teenage victims from Asiana Airlines Flight 214 was killed by a fire truck that responded to the scene ? and not from the impact of the plane crash, officials said Friday.

Ye Mengyuan, 16, survived the horrific landing and was alive when at least one specialized rig struck her on the runway at San Francisco International Airport, San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault said.

"Obviously, we are heartbroken. We're in the business of saving lives," said San Francisco Fire chief Joanne Hayes-White, apologizing for what she called "a tragic accident."

"It's difficult and very devastating news for all of us."

Mengyuan?s classmate and travel companion, identified by the Korean-based airline as 16-year-old Wang Linjia, was also killed in the July 6 crash. A third girl, a 15-year-old, died of her critical injuries six days later.

San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault says, the cause of Ye Mengyan's death was "multiple blunt injuries that are consistent with being run over by a motor vehicle."

The victims?were reportedly traveling in a group of 34 Chinese high school students and a teacher on their way to summer camp in California.

Another?180 people were injured, including two flight attendants who were ejected from a gaping hole at the back of the plane onto the runway.

Federal investigators believe the Boeing 777 came in too slow and too low and clipped the seawall on the runway as it landed. After its tail was ripped off, it spun around and eventually burst into flames.

Emergency crews sped to the runway to douse the jet in white foam and rescue passengers. Hayes-White said "every aspect" of the response is under investigation.

She said emergency workers had "risked their lives" to save people from the burning plane. "Many lives were saved on July 6," she said.

"We're really trying to support our members," she added.?"Everyone is very emotional from this incident," she said.

The fire chief said her department has reached out to Mengyuan's family through the Chinese consulate and offered to meet with them.

It's not clear how the teen ended up on the runway or why the truck did not see her. She was on the ground when she was hit by one or two trucks, the coroner said.

An autopsy determined that she died from "multiple blunt injuries that are consistent with being run over by a motor vehicle."

"Our forensic examination revealed that she was still alive when she received those injuries," he said. It's unknown if she suffered any injuries from the actual crash.

Eugene Anthony Rah / Reuters

Passengers evacuate from an Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft after a crash landing in San Francisco.

Although the National Transportation Safety Board will not issue a report on the cause of the crash for months, 83 survivors have taken the first step toward suing the airline and the plane's manufacturer.

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This story was originally published on Fri Jul 19, 2013 1:19 PM EDT

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663306/s/2ee70614/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A70C190C195625550Ecoroner0Easiana0Eflight0E2140Evictim0Ekilled0Eby0Efire0Etruck0Enot0Eplane0Ecrash0Dlite/story01.htm

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