A federal appeals court on Monday upheld the core of gun-control legislation passed in Connecticut and New York in the wake of the school massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
The ruling dealt a blow to the various gun groups that mounted a constitutional challenge under the Second Amendment against the laws, which prohibit possession of a number of semiautomatic "assault weapons" and large-capacity magazines.
Federal Court Upholds Bulk Of Gun-Control Laws Passed In Wake Of Newtown
German human rights group files suit against CIA 'Queen of Torture'
A German human rights group has filed a criminal complaint against Alfreda Frances Bikowsky, a CIA official who allegedly authorized torture of suspected al Qaeda militants. The complaint, submitted in federal court on Mondaynon, presents proof of Bikowsky’s involvement in the torture of German citizen Khaled El Masri and asks that she be prosecuted in Germany.
It also puts Bikowsky, nicknamed the “Queen of Torture,” in the spotlight of European efforts to hold CIA officials accountable for allegations of abuse.
Afghan defense minister says Taliban hid in bombed hospital
Afghanistan's acting defense minister said on Monday that the Doctors Without Borders hospital in the north of the country that was bombed by U.S. forces was being used by insurgents who were fighting government forces.
Masoom Stanekzai told The Associated Press in an interview that Taliban insurgents and possibly Pakistani intelligence operatives were using the facility in Kunduz city as a "safe place."
The hospital was bombed by a U.S. AC-130 gunship in the early hours of Oct. 3, killing at least 22 people and injuring many more. The main building was destroyed and the hospital has been shut down.
Fracking Disaster: Kansas Went From 1 Earthquake Per Year To 42 A Week
The revolutionary method of natural-gas extraction known as hydraulic fracturing – or “fracking” – has left in its wake a trail of contaminated water supplies, polluted air, health problems, and environmental degradation. But what is potentially the most damaging aspect of the process is just coming to light in the form of a tremendous spate of earthquakes in the heart of the United States.
In the past week, northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas have suffered forty two earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 on the Richter scale – 17% of all earthquakes in the world. This brings the year-to-date count up to 680 such tremors – and this in area that until recently was almost completely seismically dormant. Up until 2009, the area experienced an average of 1.5 of these quakes each year. What has changed since then is the massive influx of fracking operations seeking to take advantage of the Woodford Shale that straddles the two states’ border.
California mudslides leave state reeling as hundreds of cars remain stuck
A section of southern California found itself waist-deep in mud as the weekend arrived, and a highway overtaken by flowing debris looked like a buried junkyard of hundreds of cars that would likely take days to dig up.
The worst of the thunderstorms had passed, but the continued chance of rain could dampen cleanup and relief efforts in northern Los Angeles County’s Antelope Valley, where the most serious slides occurred.
Hawaii Declares State of Emergency for Homelessness
Hawaii Gov. David Ige has declared a state of emergency to deal with the state's homelessness crisis just days after city and state officials cleared one of the nation's largest homeless encampments.
The move will help the state speed up the process of building a homeless shelter for families, and the state is considering four possible sites, Ige said at a news conference Friday.
Joseph's tomb set on fire amid West Bank riots
A group of Palestinians allegedly set the Nablus, West Bank, tomb of Joseph on fire Friday, severely damaging the Jewish holy site amid rioting.
Palestinian security forces put out the fire at the site Jews venerate as the resting site of the biblical patriarch Joseph, son of Jacob, and his two sons.
The Israel Defense Force also arrived to restore order and disperse the crowd, which number about 100.
Canadian envoy who hid Americans during hostage crisis dies
Ken Taylor, Canada’s ambassador to Iran who sheltered Americans at his residence during the 1979 hostage crisis, has died. He was 81.
Taylor’s wife, Pat, said Ken died today after a two-month battle with colon cancer.
Taylor kept the Americans hidden at his residence and at the home of his deputy, John Sheardown, in Tehran for three months. Taylor facilitated their escape by arranging plane tickets and persuading the Ottawa government to issue fake passports.
How insurance providers deny hepatitis C patients lifesaving drugs
Amber Rojas was almost eight months pregnant when she learned she had hepatitis C. After her daughter was born on Dec. 23, 2014, Rojas had hoped to start treatment with a newly approved, highly effective drug called Harvoni.
After filing for prior authorization and waiting for months, the 34-year old mother received an unwelcome letter on August 27, 2015 — her treatment request had been denied because her liver was still too healthy. Rojas said that even though she felt very sick with flu-like symptoms, her insurance provider deemed her “not sick enough to qualify.”
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