Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Wednesday's eye-catching headlines

President Obama says he will get the www.healthcare.gov website "fixed ASAP" but unless he's developed some superb computer software/hardware skills since taking office; I suspect he's referring to lighting a fire under those who will be held responsible.

David Welch got into his car in September and drove off.  Now his body has been discovered in a Utah desert, hundreds of miles from his home in Kansas.  He apparently drove off the road and was trapped in the car.  One of his last acts was to pen love notes to his wife of more than three decades and their children.

Rapper/singer Chris Brown is going to spend "...as much as three months" in rehab, following his latest arrest.  Whether or not the judge who will decide on sending him to prison for parole violations will be impressed, is another story.

There's a "new" blooper reel out there from the first Star Wars trilogy.  Rather than share that, I thought some of you might find this "edited" version of Samuel L. Jackson as "Mace Windu" amusing:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMdmTfJ7So4

An Irvine woman has pleaded guilty to charges of trying to frame a school volunteer she believed had mistreated her child.  Jill Bjorkholm Easter will serve 120 days in county jail and do 100 hours of community service.  Her husband, Kent Wycliff Easter faces up to three years in state prison in the case.  Both are lawyers.

Pete Jacob Lara was working as an apprentice embalmer in Lancaster when he allegedly stole gold crowns from bodies in his charge.  He will be arraigned on more than two dozen felony counts, including possession of methamphetamines, grand theft by embezzlement, and 23 counts of second-degree burglary.

The most recent disclosure from leaker Edward Snowden accuses the NSA of secretly intercepting data in transit to Google and Yahoo servers located outside of the U.S., which would be outside the jurisdiction of the Foreign Intelligence Oversight Court.  It should be noted that the leaked documents do not state the NSA was accessing data centers as Snowden alleges.

Data from the Treasury Department shows the U.S. budget deficit now stands at only $680 billion, the smallest deficit since 2008.  (Reporter's note, I don't think it's worth getting excited over the fact we were able to reduce how much we overspend our income to "only" 2/3rds of a trillion dollars)

While Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was testifying before Congress, the "Obamacare" website was down.  Coincidence?

A Marines Corps reserve officer is facing a Board of Inquiry into a disclosure of classified information he made that may cost him his military career.  Major Jason Brezler is normally an elite New York firefighter but he is a Marine reservist and he disclosed classified information in what he claims was an attempt to save the lives of U.S. personnel in Afghanistan.

In North Dakota, the plan of a woman to hand out letters about obesity to children she finds to be "moderately obese", rather than candy, is drawing criticism from experts in childhood obesity.  (Reporter's note:  she needs to mind her own business.  If she feels guilty over contributing to the problem, just don't buy any candy and turn off the porch light.)

When Robert Taylor of St. Charles Parish, LA got his premium bill for his National Flood Insurance Program policy, he was taken aback at the amount of the increase.  What had been a $400 annual premium will now cost him $15,500.

A student at Morgan State University in Baltimore says he was rejected by a fraternity because he is gay.  The university has launched an investigation.

In Buffalo, NY a bus driver saw a woman on the wrong side of the fence on a bridge.  He stopped the bus and saved the woman.

Social media is buzzing about an incident in Wisconsin where a puppy was shot and killed with an arrow.  Police are investigating.

Chris Brown's check-in to a rehab facility is bad news for two entertainment venues, one in L.A. and one in Las Vegas, where he was scheduled to be the host of Halloween parties.  One was cancelled and one will go on without him.

Guy Fieri probably wouldn't have gotten into a fistfight with his hairdresser if he'd known someone would record the event for posterity.

Phil Jackson thinks that Lamar Odom may have burned his bridges with the L.A. Lakers and his chances of returning to the club where he was part of championships are remote.