Terrorists Attack Ataturk Airport, Istanbul, Turkey 28-50 Reported Dead, Scores Injured

[From article]
-- At least 28 people have been killed and 60 wounded in a terror attack on Istanbul Ataturk Airport in Turkey, Istanbul Gov. Vasip Sahin said early Wednesday. Three bombers were also killed, the governor said. Another report, from semi-official news agency Anadolu, said six of the wounded are in critical condition. A total of 49 ambulances were sent to the site.
-- There has been no immediate claim of responsibility.
-- Traveler Joe Durand told CNN from the airport that "Police are not letting anyone in ... Hundreds of people are flooding away from airport... People are trying to get away. They're not saying much -- just the look on their face is enough, shock, some of them bleeding..."
"People are walking away bleeding, with bandages on their head."
[. . .]
Turkey's Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag earlier said one terrorist "first opened fire with a Kalashnikov then detonated himself" at the airport entrance.
-- In total three bombs exploded, the governor said.
-- One of them was located just outside a terminal on the pavement, while the other was at the security gate at the entrance to the airport, Bozdag told CNN.
-- A video posted to Twitter shows a view from a camera inside an airport terminal. A few dozen people are walking around when a bright flash and fireball erupt in the background.
-- A Turkish official told CNN that police fired shots at suspects near the international terminal in an effort to neutralize them.
-- Videos posted on social media show travelers sitting on the airport floor. A man shouts, "Get down! Get down!" Someone cries as a gunshot rings out.
[. . .]
Ataturk Airport is "one of the most secure airports in the world," CNN senior law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes says. But the airport has been "very overwhelmed for several decades with terrorism from PKK."
-- The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has put in place a ground stop for any U.S. flights that were scheduled to fly to Istanbul and any flights leaving Istanbul for the United States, CNN's Rene Marsh reports.
-- The Ataturk airport is closed until Wednesday at 8 p.m. local time (noon ET), according to airport spokesman Erhan Ustundag. Incoming flights were diverted to Izmir, Ankara and other cities.
-- The U.S. embassy in Ankara is sending consular officers to the airport to account for any potential U.S. victims. But there are no indications of any American casualties at this point, a senior State Department official told CNN's Elise Labott.
-- The attacks happened on a warm summer night at the airport, east of Istanbul, that is the 11th busiest in the world in terms of passenger traffic. CNN's Ali Veshi says it is a modern, sophisticated airport. "There are all of the major European and American boutiques there," said Velshi, who has traveled through Turkey many times. "... You see people of all shapes and colors, in all sorts of dress. If you want to target the cosmopolitan nature of Istanbul, this is possibly the most cosmopolitan, heavily populated part. You can target tourist areas, but this is the part where the world comes together."

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/28/europe/turkey-istanbul-airport-attacks/index.html

Istanbul airport explosions: 28 dead, 60 injured, Turkish official says
By Gul Tuysuz, Mohammed Tawfeeq and Steve Almasy, CNN
Updated 6:29 PM ET, Tue June 28, 2016

Updated: Cambridge Woman Bicyclist, 27, Dies After Accident in Inman Square

Posted June 23, 2016 9:37 PM ET; Last updated June 27, 2016 8:22 PM ET

Amanda Phillips, 27, died June 23 after her bike collided with a landscaping truck on Cambridge Street in Inman Square. 
Courtesy photo/Diesel Cafe

[Updated June 27, 2016 8:22 PM ET]
[From article]
Amanda Phillips, an employee of Diesel Café in Somerville and a nursing student at MGH Institute of Health Professions, rode her bike off the sidewalk onto Cambridge Street near Antrim Street around 12:17 p.m. June 23, when she was struck by an open door of a Jeep and pushed into the travel lane where she collided with a moving dump truck, investigators said.
She was transported to Mass. General Hospital, where she was pronounced dead later that evening, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan.
“Yesterday a tragic bicycle accident claimed an irreplaceable part of our collective hearts, as well as a person that was as genuine and kind as they come,” read a Diesel Café post on June 24. “It is with unbearably heavy hearts that we say goodbye to our dear friend and co-worker Amanda, who left this world too soon.”
Describing the tragedy as one of the “saddest times Diesel has ever experienced,” the café posted a photo of Phillips, thanking the community for the outpouring of love.
Several customers and friends reacted to Phillips’ death in the comment section, calling her a sweet, thoughtful and intelligent woman.
“I have been a daily customer for eight years, and she has been among the kindest people I've been lucky enough to see every day,” wrote Peter Wannemacher. “I am so sad and so sorry for her Diesel family and her loved ones. We will all miss her very much.”
[. . .]
Linda Sands, who lived in the same house as Phillips, said she will miss hearing Phillips walk down the stairs in the morning to walk her dog, “Scutchie.”
“Amanda always has that beautiful smile, always offering to help me with anything I may need,” wrote Sands. “I feel like she was just too good for this earth as this just can't have happened to such a beautiful young girl. My brother and his family and my husband and I are deeply crushed about her loss.”
http://cambridge.wickedlocal.com/news/20160627/too-good-for-this-earth-memorial-grows-for-cambridge-woman-killed-on-bicycle

'Too good for this earth:' Memorial grows for Cambridge woman killed on bicycle
By Amy Saltzman
Cambridge Chronicle
Posted Jun. 27, 2016 at 11:07 AM
CAMBRIDGE Chronicle

* * *


Scene of fatal bicycle accident near Inman Square, Cambridge, MA

[Posted June 23, 2016 9:37 PM ET] 

[From article]
A bicyclist who was struck by a vehicle in Cambridge’s Inman Square Thursday afternoon has died.
The cyclist, 27-year-old Amanda Phillips, was struck by a landscaping truck at the intersection of Hampshire and Cambridge Street at about 12:15 p.m. She was taken to Mass. General Hospital where she was later pronounced dead.
Witnesses said the woman on the bike either swerved to avoid the door of an SUV or was hit by it, and was then knocked into the path of the truck.
One man said the intersection has long been a problem.
“It was a problem intersection for decades. Now we have all these bicyclists in it and it’s worse,” a man told WBZ-TV’s Christina Hager.
Cambridge’s Traffic, Parking & Transportation Department held a public meeting Wednesday night to discuss safety at the Inman Square intersection. According to a presentation given at that meeting, there were 69 crashes in that intersection during a five-year period from 2008 to 2012, including 15 bicycle-involved crashes.
The meeting outlined some suggestions for changing traffic patterns to address the issues. But long-time resident Jack Walsh is not convinced they can solve the problem.
“The plans they have won’t do much,” Walsh told WBZ NewsRadio 1030’s Lana Jones Thursday. “It’s too many cars, too many bicycles, too many people trying to cross the street.”
Cambridge Street was closed from the square to Fayette Street Thursday afternoon, as a Massachusetts State Police accident reconstruction team investigated the crash.
The intersection reopened around 5 p.m.

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2016/06/23/cambridge-cyclist-crash-inman-square/

Bicyclist Dies After Being Struck By Truck In Cambridge

June 23, 2016 8:35 PM
CBS News Boston MA

* * *

http://cambridge.wickedlocal.com/news/20160623/bicyclist-critically-injured-in-inman-square-crash-in-cambridge

Bicyclist critically injured in Inman Square crash in Cambridge
By Amy Saltzman
Cambridge (at) wickedlocal.com
Posted Jun. 23, 2016 at 2:01 PM
Updated at 5:22 PM
CAMBRIDGE Chronicle

Different Perspective on Veterans

We see lots of pictures of wounded male veterans but women vets get wounded and maimed too.You may need to take a second, closer look though. The first thing I saw was a bunch of beautiful smiles.

Study this picture again. Let the story it tells sink in. These women and many others, as well as their male comrades, paid this price for our freedoms.

And they did it for less than what welfare recipients are paid.

They risked these injuries or death for America.

FREEDOM ISN'T FREE! GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS.

Cambridge, MA Firemen Save Woman Trapped After Accident

Cambridge, MA firemen saved an elder woman trapped in her car which crashed on Kirkland Street, Cambridge, at about 5:45 PM on Thursday, May 26, 2016. I did not see the accident but was walking along Kirkland Street as the emergency vehicles were still arriving. Several firemen worked to extract the woman from her car. One fireman actually climbed into the car to free her. She was alert and talking to emergency responders as they strapped her onto a gurney to take her to a hospital. Her car was upside down, and badly damaged, having turned over after the accident. Another vehicle showed damage in the rear from the collision. That driver did not appear to be injured as he spoke with police officers.



Police interviewed witnesses as I left at about 6:15 PM. I do not have images or video. Some bystanders were capturing video on their cell phones. One woman was capturing still images with a camera. Cambridge firemen exhibited their excellent training and preparations. They had the special services vehicle, and four other pieces of equipment on scene. They used iron tools to pry open the doors. They also had available a metal saw, but it was not needed. The woman was freed before they were able to saw off either door. Cambridge police were placed strategically at adjacent streets keeping non essential traffic away. One ambulance was at the scene near the overturned car. EMS workers stood by until, the woman was freed and placed her on the gurney.

Cambridge, MA Bicyclist Struck By Car, Robbed

[From article]

The woman was riding her bike on Prospect Street around 2:26 a.m. on May 22 in the direction of Inman Square when a dark-colored truck pulled alongside her, according to reports. She told police after the truck first pulled up beside her, it then pulled behind her in the travel line. The truck reportedly did this several times until it pulled up beside her and sideswiped her, knocking her off the bicycle.
The woman sustained minor injuries to her head, hands and feet. After being struck by the vehicle, her purse, which was stored in a basket on her bicycle, was ejected on the ground. While on the ground, the suspect got out of the passenger side of the truck and ran to her, according to police. The suspect reportedly asked the woman if she was okay, then grabbed her purse off the ground, returned to the truck and fled the scene.

http://cambridge.wickedlocal.com/article/20160525/NEWS/160527636

Police: Cambridge cyclist hit by car and then robbed
By Natalie Handy
Posted May. 25, 2016 at 1:15 PM

Cambridge Chronicle

Updated: One Injured in East Somerville, MA Fire

Posted May 6, 2016 2:51 AM ET; Last updated May 10, 2016 9:18 PM ET


Fire officials are investigating at 20-24 Rush St. Friday morning after a late night fire. 

Staff Photo by Mark Garfinkel

Updated May 10, 2016 9:18 PM ET
[From article]

"The roof is on the first floor, so it's hard to even get inside night now," Chief Inspector Girard Gover said.
From the front of the building on Rush Street, it's possible to look through the windows and see clear through to the sky where the flames appear to have shot through the roof.
A total of 35 people have been displaced by the fire, broken up into a 11 families, according to Red Cross spokesman Jeff Hall. A total of 10 of the people impacted are children under the age of 18, Hall said.
The Red Cross has set up a case file for each of the families and provided financial assistance to allow them to get into a hotel and get some food and other basic necessities, Hall said.
“We will track them for several weeks, make sure they are finding a new place to live,” Hall said. “We will also work with area landlords to help these people in finding a new home.”
The fire started around 9 p.m. last night inside the multi-unit building and neighbors said the building was engulfed within minutes.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_coverage/2016/05/35_displaced_in_somerville_fire

35 displaced in Somerville fire
Boston Herald
Chris Villani

Friday, May 06, 2016

* * *



Posted May 6, 2016 2:51 AM ET
[From article]
Somerville fire crews battled a raging, three-alarm fire last night that sent flames shooting through the roof of an apartment building and forced firefighters to scramble out to safety, officials said.
The fire broke out about 9 p.m. on Rush Street inside a three-story, multi-unit apartment building, fire officials said. The roaring blaze consumed much of the third floor of the building and sent a plume of smoke billowing high above the structure.
A deputy fire chief on the scene said the building has nine units. Officials said all occupants were accounted for late last night.
Though they initially stormed into the building, firefighters were ordered to retreat due to heavy smoke and flames and attacked the fast-moving conflagration from the outside.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_coverage/2016/05/blaze_rages_in_somerville

Blaze rages in Somerville
Residents flee inferno in apartments
O’Ryan Johnson

Friday, May 06, 2016
Boston Herald

Wounded Warrior Project Executives Replaced Due to Wasting Funds

[From article]
The two top executives of the Wounded Warrior Project — among the largest veterans charities in the country — were fired Thursday after an investigation into accusations of lavish spending on parties, hotel and travel, according to a statement released on behalf of the embattled organization.
Wounded Warrior Project's CEO, Steven Nardizzi, and COO, Al Giordano, were fired by the charity's board amid criticisms about how it spent more than $800 million in donations over the last four years. The development was confirmed by Abernathy MacGregor, a public relations firm hired to represent the veterans charity.

[. . .]
The charity came under fire after an earlier CBS News investigation in January revealed large amounts of spending on administration, meetings, and travel.
Nonprofit watchdog “Charity Navigator” says Wounded Warrior Project spends just 60 percent of its budget on veterans. The Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation provides more than 98 percent to veterans. Charity Navigator also assessed that Wounded Warrior’s total revenue for 2014 was well over $340 million.
[. . .]
Going to a nice fancy restaurant is not team building. Staying at a lavish hotel at the beach here in Jacksonville, and requiring staff that lives in the area to stay at the hotel is not team building," Army Staff Sergeant Erick Millette, who returned from Iraq in 2006 with a bronze star and a purple heart, told CBS News.
According to the charity's tax forms obtained by CBS News, spending on conferences and meetings went from $1.7 million in 2010, to $26 million in 2014, which is the same amount the group spends on combat stress recovery.
Two former employees, who were so fearful of retaliation they asked that CBS News not show their faces on camera, said spending has skyrocketed since Steven Nardizzi took over as CEO in 2009, pointing to the 2014 annual meeting at a luxury resort in Colorado Springs.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/03/10/wounded-warrior-project-reportedly-fires-top-executives-amid-spending-controversy.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fmost-popular+%28Internal+-+Most+Popular+Content%29

Wounded Warrior Project's top execs reportedly fired amid lavish spending scandal
Published March 10, 2016

FoxNews.com

Sarah Palin Producing Court TV Show, Visits Injured Husband in Hospital

Sarah with Todd's dad, Todd (behind the snowmobile mask) and daughter Willow.

[From article]
Sarah Palin was seen for the first time visiting her husband Todd in hospital after he was seriously injured in a snowmobile crash - just as it was revealed the former Alaska governor will give Judge Judy a run for her money and host a new reality courtroom show.
In pictures obtained exclusively by Daily Mail Online, Palin appeared tired and tense as she left Mat-Su Regional Medical Center in Alaska last Friday after flying home from Florida where she had been campaigning for Donald Trump.
Indeed, Palin will have her hands full as she supports her husband, who faces a long recovery after undergoing surgery to repair 14 fractured ribs and a collapsed lung, and work on her new syndicated TV show.
[. . .]
The former governor of Alaska, 52, made her way unaccompanied to her SUV after spending many hours with Todd who remains on a ventilator in intensive care.
[. . .]
The daytime show would launch in 2017 if everything goes to plan.
[. . .]
The former governor of Alaska, 52, made her way unaccompanied to her SUV after spending many hours with Todd who remains on a ventilator in intensive care.
[. . .]
She left around ten minutes later and stopped to clean her truck at a car wash before returning to the family’s lakeside compound several miles away in Wasilla.
The mother-of-five has been updating concerned well-wishers on Todd’s condition via social media.
She revealed that her husband, 51, has a long road to recovery and is still on a breathing machine after having a six-hour surgery to repair 14 fractured ribs and a collapsed lung.
She wrote on Facebook: ‘Thank you for lifting Todd up in prayer. He's still in ICU under care of a superbly skilled staff.
'A long surgery repaired numerous breaks in Todd's upper body, docs essentially lifted and secured every rib with steel bands, anchored the broken clavicle with plates and rods, set aside repair of a broken shoulder for later (also later are more minor things like ACL/MCL knee injuries), still mechanically inflating one collapsed lung while other bruised lung, liver, etc., are watched; chest drain is working overtime to keep things clear.'
Sarah shared a picture of daughters Willow and Piper laughing while seated on a hospital bed in the March 17 post with the Irish proverb: ‘A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything.’
She went on to say: 'Requiring a bit more than our usual fix-all up here - Duct tape - some gnarly incisions to enter his innards will be reminders of how life can change in the blink of an eye. (And skating through TSA detectors with bionic parts will now be anything but the blink of an eye!)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3505023/Here-comes-judge-Frazzled-Sarah-Palin-leaves-hospital-visiting-husband-Todd-signs-deal-host-reality-courtroom-show.html

EXCLUSIVE PICTURES: Here comes the judge! Frazzled Sarah Palin leaves hospital after visiting husband Todd as she signs deal to host her own reality courtroom show
Sarah Palin was seen for the first time visiting Todd at the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center in Alaska after his horrific snowmobile accident
Today it was revealed the former Alaska governor will give Judge Judy a run for her money and host a new reality courtroom show
She flew home from Florida where she was campaigning for Donald Trump after her husband was seriously injured in a snowmobile crash
Palin's daughter Piper and son Trig were also pictured with leaving the hospital where she was carrying Todd's snowmobile boots
The former governor of Alaska made her way unaccompanied to her SUV after spending many hours with Todd
Todd has a long road to recovery after having a six-hour surgery to repair 14 fractured ribs and a collapsed lung
By LOUISE BOYLE IN ANCHORAGE, ALASKA FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 14:59 EST, 22 March 2016 | UPDATED: 16:33 EST, 22 March 2016

Terror Attack At Brussels Airport, 11 Reported Killed, 20 Injured, Explosion Reported at Train Station

Updated 5:15AM ET
WCVB-TV reported 13 killed, dozens injured, at 5:15 AM ET March 22, 2016.

* * *

[From article]
Several people have been killed and many more injured after a suspected terrorist attack at Brussels airport this morning.
Two loud explosions reportedly shook the building sending terrified passengers fleeing for their lives shortly after 8am local time.
Shots were fired and words in Arabic shouted before the blasts were heard near the American Airlines check-in desk in the departure hall, a Belgian news agency reported.
The airport is said to be on "lock down" with all flights cancelled and rail traffic towards the Belgian airport suspended

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/brussels-airport-explosion-live-updates-7605060

Brussels airport explosion: Live updates after '11 killed and 20 injured' in suspected terrorist attack
UPDATED 08:18, 22 MARCH 2016
BY JOHN SHAMMAS , GEMMA MULLIN
Several have been confirmed dead after two explosive devices reportedly detonated at the American Airlines check-in desk at Brussels Airport

* * *

Explosion heard at Brussels metro station
Explosión metro maalbeek pic.twitter.com/9KIEhLMOin
— Serge Massart (@massart_serge) March 22, 2016
An explosion has reportedly been heard at a Metro station in Brussels.
It comes after two blasts at the airport in the Belgian capital shortly after 8am local time this morning.
A picture has been shared on Twitter that appears to show smoke emerging from a station in the city.
The station is close to the EU institutions.

Construction Crane Falls in Manhattan, One Dead Several Injured

[From article]
A pedestrian was killed and three other people injured — two seriously — when a massive construction crane collapsed in Lower Manhattan on Friday morning while it was being lowered as a precaution due to the wind, officials said.
David Wichs, 38, of West 81st Street had been standing on the street when the crane crashed down on him, killing him, authorities said.
A 45-year-old woman from New Jersey suffered a head laceration and leg injury and was taken to New York-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital.
A 73-year-old man suffered a head injury when the crane fell on his car. He was in stable condition at Bellevue Hospital.
Winds were about 20 mph Friday morning — nearing the crane’s maximum allowable wind speed of 25 mph — so a decision was made to secure the giant machine, said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
The crane — which is owned by Bay Crane and operated by Galasso Trucking and Rigging Inc. — was brought to the site on Jan. 30 to replace air conditioners and generators on the roof of 60 Hudson St., which used to house Western Union, officials said.
With city building inspectors on hand, the boom of the crawler crane was extended to its maximum length of 565 feet at 6:20 a.m. Thursday to reach farther over the roof, he said.
Capotosto, Bob Ganley and Vincent Vallelong found another injured man in the street who appeared to be unconscious and a woman who was leaning against a building, blood trickling from her forehead.
“We rendered some aid to her. It was a little bit of chaos in the street,” Capotosto said. “(The crane) came down and it crushed every car on the block. Thankfully there was only one person inside one of the cars.”
Three PBA cars were destroyed.
“As bad as it is, we lost a life out there, but it could have been worse. Because of the weather, there were not a lot of people out there,” he added.

http://nypost.com/2016/02/05/crane-collapse-in-manhattan/

Video captures fatal crane collapse in Manhattan
By Natalie Musumeci, Shawn Cohen, Kevin Fasick and Yaron Steinbuch
New York Post
February 5, 2016 | 8:51am | Updated

http://nyp.st/1R9vGyO

Fallling Crane

http://nyp.st/1R9vGyO

On Ground Showing Damaged Cars

Texting While Walking Causing Increasing Number of Injuries

[From article]
An estimated ten percent of pedestrian injuries that land people in emergency rooms are due to distracted walking, a recent study found. That's thousands of people injured -- sometimes killed.
In San Diego, investigators believe Joshua Burwell may have been trying to take a picture of the sunset when he took a fatal fall some 40 feet off Sunset Cliffs.
"He wasn't watching where he was walking and looking more down at the device," said San Diego Lifeguard Sgt. Bill Bender.
It's a tragic example of a growing problem -- people distracted by their phones or other devices. One mall security camera captured a woman focused on her phone walk straight into a fountain.
Another video shows a man talking on his phone walk right off the train platform.
In a recent study, 78 percent of Americans said distracted walking is a serious issue.
[. . .]



While the number of emergency room visits for distracted walking injuries doubled between 2005 and 2010 to more than 1,500, Dr. Claudette Lajam, an orthopedic surgeon, believes the problem is actually much bigger.
"A lot of people don't admit that they do it," said Dr. Lajam. "It's getting worse as we have more and more features on these devices that we carry around with us that can distract us."
Researchers at Ohio State found millennials ages 21 to 25 are the most likely to be injured. And the National Safety Council says nearly 80 percent of the injuries stem from falls, estimating more than half occur at home.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dangers-distracted-walking-research-national-safety-council/

CBS NEWS
December 29, 2015, 7:44 AM
Emergency room visits from distracted walking skyrocket
BEN MARGOT, AP

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/the-dangers-of-walking-while-texting-and-talking

Somerville, MA Pedestrian Injured By Stolen Car Driver

[From article]

State police said the vehicle was stolen from a home in Melrose, and around 3:30 p.m. it was located traveling on Melrose Avenue. When other local and state police responded to the area, the vehicle fled the scene, officials said.
While police followed, the Jeep turned onto Lombardi Way, part of the ramp complex between Route 38 and Mystic Avenue, under Interstate 93. The investigation showed the Jeep went off the road, into the median and hit the 26-year-old man.
The two people inside the Jeep, who were identified as Arthur L. Woods IV, 18, of Arlington, and Elvira C. Sanchez, 19, of Malden, ran from the vehicle but were arrested a short time later.
State police said Woods was in possession of narcotics at the time of his arrest.

http://www.wcvb.com/news/man-hit-by-stolen-jeep-in-somerville/37035656

Man hit by stolen Jeep in Somerville
Two suspects face numerous charges
UPDATED 9:28 PM EST Dec 18, 2015

WCVB-TV Boston MA

Suicide Bombing In Ankara, Turkey Kills 95, 248 Wounded

Demonstrators confront riot police following explosions during a peace march in Ankara, Turkey, October 10, 2015. 

Reuters

[From article]
Protesters have clashed with police in Ankara after officers allegedly blocked a road being used by ambulances transporting victims of this morning’s bombing.
Bulent Tekdemir, who was at the rally, told the BBC that police used tear gas shortly after the explosions at 10am and “would not let ambulances through” in the aftermath.
Footage showed lines of riot officers appearing to block a road near the blast site, with ambulances parked in the background.[. . .]
The health ministry put the death toll at 86, with at least 186 people wounded, by Saturday afternoon.
[. . .]
“No matter what its origin, aim or name, we are against any form of terrorist act or terrorist organisation,” he added.
“Like other acts of terror, the attack at Ankara Central Station is taking aim at our unity, brotherhood and future."
Violence between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants has flared in recent months, with the government launching operations in response to what it said were rising attacks on security forces in the predominantly Kurdish south-east.
The PKK called on its fighters and supporters to stop guerrilla activities in Turkey ahead of elections on 1 November.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ankara-terror-attack-protesters-clash-with-police-after-ambulances-blocked-following-explosions-a6689016.html

Ankara terror attack: Protesters clash with police after ambulances 'blocked' following explosions
Protesters claimed police prevented ambulances taking the wounded to hospital in the wake of the bombing
Lizzie Dearden
Saturday 10 October 2015 16:27 BST

* * *


Demonstrators flash the V-sign during a rally to protest against the bombing in Ankara earlier, in central Istanbul, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015. Thousands of protestors flooded the main street in central Istanbul shouting slogans condemning the twin bombings that killed dozens of people in nation{b9}s capital. The two bomb explosions targeted a peace rally, that was aimed to call for an end to the renewed violence between Kurdish rebels and Turkish security forces. 

(AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)
[From article]
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said there were "strong signs" that the two explosions — which struck 50 meters (yards) apart just after 10 a.m. — were suicide bombings. He suggested that Kurdish rebels or Islamic State group militants were to blame.
The two explosions occurred seconds apart outside the capital's main train station as hundreds of opposition supporters and Kurdish activists gathered for the peace rally organized by Turkey's public workers' union and other groups. The protesters planned to call for increased democracy in Turkey and an end to the renewed violence between Kurdish rebels and Turkish security forces.
The attacks Saturday came at a tense time for Turkey, a NATO member that borders war-torn Syria, hosts more refugees than any other nation in the world and has seen renewed fighting with Kurdish rebels that has left hundreds dead in the last few months.
[. . .]
The Turkish government imposed a temporary news blackout covering images that showed the moment of the blasts, gruesome or bloody pictures or "images that create a feeling of panic." A spokesman warned media organizations they could face a "full blackout" if they did not comply.
Many people reported being unable to access Twitter and other social media websites for several hours after the blasts. It was not clear if authorities had blocked access to the websites, but Turkey often does impose blackouts following attacks.
[. . .]
Authorities had been on alert after Turkey agreed to take a more active role in the U.S.-led battle against the Islamic State group. Turkey opened up its bases to U.S. aircraft to launch air raids on the extremist group in Syria and carried out a limited number of strikes on the group itself. Russia has also entered the fray on behalf of the Syrian government recently, bombing sites in Syria and reportedly violating Turkish airspace a few times in the past week.
On a separate front, the fighting between Turkish forces and Kurdish rebels flared anew in July, killing at least 150 police and soldiers and hundreds of PKK rebels since then. Turkish jets have also carried out numerous deadly airstrikes on Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20151010/eu-turkey-blast-73e9a6e9a6.html

Suicide bombings kill 95 people at Ankara peace rally
Oct 10, 4:45 PM (ET)
By SUZAN FRASER
AP

Illegal Alien Charged With Hit-and-Run Twice In One Week, Had Priors

[From article]
"I see here that you have two prior convictions for impaired driving and that you have been removed from the United States by a previous immigration proceeding," Wake County District Court Judge Ned Mangum told Arellano during the suspect's first court appearance on the charges Friday afternoon.
During that appearance, Mangum nearly tripled the bond on the 31 year old.
Witnesses at the crash scene identified Arellano.
That includes the woman who told a 911 dispatcher: "The gentleman walked away. He got out of the F-150 [pickup truck] and walked toward Jonesville Road."

http://abc11.com/news/another-illegal-immigrant-accused-of-hit-and-run/841448/

FOR SECOND TIME IN A WEEK, ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED OF HIT-AND-RUN
By Ed Crump
Friday, July 10, 2015 06:45PM

Atlanta Home Invasion Leaves Husband Injured, Wife and Toddlers Safe

Home invasion: Mike and Whitney Lash had just returned to their Atlanta home with their two young children - six-month-old Lucy and two-year-old Everson - when four men burst into the house to rob them.

[From article]
An Atlanta couple have told of the terrifying moment four men pretending to have had car troubles burst into their home and robbed them at gunpoint, shooting the father-of-two in front of his children.
Mike and Whitney Lash had just returned to their house with their two young children on August 16 when the men knocked on their door.
Mr Lash answered the door, and the men said they had just moved down the street but had a flat tire and wanted to borrow a jack, but Mrs Lash felt something was amiss from the start.
'I had a feeling that it was an excuse and we were about to be robbed. Right about that moment I saw them pull the gun on Mike,' she told ABC News.
As Mr Lash saw the gun, he tried to slam the door shut, but two other men suddenly appeared.
Mr Lash was shot three times in the his right leg as he attempted to keep the men out of his house.
The four men then forced their way in.


Arrest: Brandon Jerome Smith, 18, was arrested on Thursday in relation to the armed robbery. Police are still searching for the three others believed to be involved .

Mr Lash believed the gang were going to kill him and started praying.
'Lord, this is, I guess, the moment I will meet you today … if it is not your will, I am ready to stay,' he recalled.
Mrs Lash grabbed the couple's six-month-old daughter, Lucy, and the phone and ran into the yard calling 911.
Their other child, two-year-old Everson, was upstairs sleeping.
'I heard footsteps of someone running and two more shots that were aimed at me and my daughter,' Mrs Lash told ABC.
The intruder then caught up to her and the child and brought them back into the house.
[. . .]
The four men detained the family and proceeded to steal items from the house.
'It just went like a silent movie,' Mr Lash recalled.
'They started walking in and I remember them coming in and out multiple times, just bringing stuff from our house.'
[. . .]
The gang eventually left with the loot.
Mrs Lash and the children were not harmed, and Mr Lash was rushed to hospital to remove the bullets from his leg.
The couple were able to work with police to provide sketches of their alleged assailants.
The sketches lead to the arrest of Brandon Jerome Smith, 18, on Thursday.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3209571/Father-shot-three-times-wife-children-home-invaders-knocked-door-claiming-flat-tire-horror-home-robbery.html

Father shot three times in front of his wife and children by teen robbers who knocked on their door claiming to have a flat tire in horror ambush
Mike and Whitney Lash had their Atlanta home invaded August 16
Mr Lash was shot three times in the right leg by the four robbers
Mrs Lash and their six-month-old daughter were threatened with a gun as she ran away and called 911
The thieves detained the family and stole numerous items from the house
Police have arrested Brandon Jerome Smith, 18, in relation to the crime
By JOEL CHRISTIE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 18:42 EST, 24 August 2015 | UPDATED: 19:33 EST, 24 August 2015

NYC Mayor Goes To Gym While Police And Fireman Get Shot At, One Fireman Hit, Making Arrest

A team of US Marshals came to Tyree's Staten Island home at 6am to arrest him for probation violation.

[From article]
Garland Tyree, 38, a member of the Bloods gang 9 Trey, was armed with an assault rifle inside his home at 15 Destiny Court, near Harbor Road, at around 6 a.m., when U.S. Marshals came to arrest him.
Police had entered the home when Tyree set off a smoke grenade, causing them to retreat.
Lt. James Hayes, 53, a 13-year FDNY veteran of Staten Island's Engine 158, was shot in the left calf and left buttock when he entered the home to investigate the cause of the smoke, Nigro said.
[. . .]
De Blasio brushed off a question about his decision to go to the gym during the standoff.
"We're briefing you all on a very serious situation, and that's not a serious question," de Blasio said at a press conference about the incident at the 121st Precinct in Staten Island.
"A fireman could have lost his life and any number of police could have as well," Hinton later added. "It's a serious matter and asking a question about the gym was not appropriate."
[. . .]
A former official who is close to the mayor said de Blasio was exhibiting "tone deaf behavior during the worst month of his political life."
A different former top official who worked closely with two mayors asked, “Why could anyone think it’s OK for him to be at a gym working out for two hours in the middle of the day and he is supposed to be running the city?”
Another former official who worked with Mayor Ed Koch and was involved in the city's response to several major crises, called the mayor's decision “unbelievable."
[. . .]
In December, de Blasio was criticized after the Village Voice spotted him working out at the Y during the wake for Herman Badillo, the country's first Puerto Rican born congressman.

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150814/park-slope/de-blasio-went-gym-during-gang-leaders-standoff-with-nypd

De Blasio Went to the Gym During Gang Leader's Standoff With NYPD
By Jeff Mays, Leslie Albrecht and Murray Weiss
 August 14, 2015 1:45pm
New York Post


* * *




Lt. James Hayes, a 30-year veteran who recovered victims during the 9/11 attacks, is in hospital and is expected to survive after being shot twice by Tyree.

[From article]
The East Coast leader of the Bloods ordered police to fly his mother from Delaware to New York City before deliberately running into the line of fire at the end of a six-hour stand-off.
Garland 'S.I.' Tyree, 38, said 'coming out now, I love you' on the phone to his mother at around midday on Friday and told police he agreed to surrender.
But when he emerged from his Staten Island home wearing a bullet proof vest and armed with an AK-47, he opened fire. A police officer returned fire, killing Tyree.
Tyree, who served time for a homicide at 16 years old, set his house on fire and shot a firefighter at 5.45am on Friday when US Marshals came to arrest him for violating parole.
Two of his bullets hit Lt James Hayes, 53, one in the leg and one in the buttocks. Hayes, a 30-year veteran who recovered victims during the 9/11 attacks, is in a stable condition in hospital.
By 8.30am the fire was under control and a hostage squad had made contact with Tyree, who remained barricaded inside.
He requested four loved ones including his Delaware-based mother, his girlfriend, his assistant, and another friend. He told detectives he would surrender if his mother came to the scene.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3198308/East-Coast-leader-Bloods-gang-set-Staten-Island-home-fire-shot-firefighter-six-hour-stand-off.html

East Coast leader of the Bloods gang is killed when he came out shooting at firefighters after torching his Staten Island home and saying last goodbye to his mom
Garland Tyree, East Coast head of the Bloods, was shot dead at midday
He set his house on fire at 6am when US Marshalls came to arrest him
He also fired 4 shots at officers, 2 hit veteran firefighter Lt James Hayes
Lt Hayes, 53, served on 9/11, he is in hospital and is expected to recover
Tyreee had 18 arrests, served 6 years, was wanted for violating probation
By 8.30am, the fire was under control but Tyree was barricaded inside
Just after midday there was a shoot-out and Tyree was pronounced dead
By Mia De Graaf For Dailymail.com
Published: 10:32 EST, 14 August 2015 | Updated: 23:13 EST, 14 August 2015



* * *
[From article]

Mayor Bill de Blasio spent 80 minutes in the gym instead of rushing to meet a wounded veteran firefighter during a stand-off with one of the city's most dangerous gang leaders on Friday.
Lt James Hayes, a 30-year veteran who served on 9/11, was shot twice by Bloods gang leader Garland Tyree shortly before 6am on Friday in Marine's Harbor, Staten Island.
And even after he was hospitalized, dozens of officers and hostage negotiation experts were engaged in a tense stand-off for six hours until Tyree emerged firing an AK-47.
However, Mayor de Blasio has come under fierce criticism for spending his morning at his local leisure center in Park Slope, a family neighborhood of Brooklyn.
[. . .]
He arrived at the hospital at noon, six hours after Lt Hayes was shot. Lt Hayes remains in a stable condition and is expected to recover.
Ed Mullins, president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, told the New York Daily News the Mayor's actions were disappointing and disrespectful.
'Even the Emperor Nero attempted to put the fire out in Rome,' Mullins said.
'If true, I am once again saddened for all New Yorkers as to the lack of leadership from City Hall. Hopefully much like the ashes of Rome, a more spectacular New York City will rise again.'
In a statement emailed to Daily Mail Online, spokesman Karen Hinton said Mayor de Blasio got the news at 7am and left for Staten Island at 11.15am.
She denied reports that the Mayor grabbed coffee at his favorite cafe Colson Patisserie after the gym.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3198745/Mayor-Bill-Blasio-went-1-5-hour-WORKOUT-instead-rushing-30-year-veteran-firefighter-shot-six-hour-stand-leader-Bloods.html

Mayor Bill de Blasio went for 1.5-hour WORKOUT instead of rushing to 30-year veteran firefighter who was shot during six-hour stand-off with leader of the Bloods
Lt James Hayes was shot twice by Bloods leader Garland Tyree at 6am
Even after he was hospitalized, police were engaged in 6-hour stand-off
Mayor de Blasio went to the gym and arrived at hospital 6 hours later
He insists he 'spoke with fire and police commissioners' from the gym
By Mia De Graaf For Dailymail.com
Published: 16:43 EST, 14 August 2015 | Updated: 21:39 EST, 14 August 2015

Wounded Veteran Proposes With Two Bush Presidents Watching

'Will you marry me?' Army Spc. Tyler Jeffries gets down on one of his prosthetic knees to propose to Lauren Lilly at Kennebunkport, while the former presidents and their wives look on.

[From article]
A soldier who lost both legs in Afghanistan proposed to his girlfriend in Maine - while two former presidents and their first ladies looked on.
George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush and their wives Barbara and Laura watched as retired Army Spc. Tyler Jeffries proposed to Lauren Lilly at the Bush summer home in Kennebunkport.
The elder Bush, who is recovering from breaking a bone in his neck during a fall, later tweeted his congratulations - wishing them 'a lifetime of joy together'.
[. . .]
Jeffries, who is from Florida, lost his legs - one above the knee and the other below the knee - in an IED explosion in 2012.
He was among several wounded veterans invited to Walker's Point on Monday after being featured in the book 'Unbreakable Bonds: The Mighty Moms and Wounded Warriors of Walter Reed.'
George H. W. Bush wrote the foreword to the book, which discusses mothers helping their sons recover from combat injuries at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
[. . .]
Two friends helped him drop on to his prosthetic knee to pop the question.
His girlfriend shouted 'Yes!' without a moment's hesitation.
The couple have only been dating for three months but Jeffries said as soon as he saw Lilly, he knew she was the girl for him.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3194535/2-ex-presidents-witness-wounded-veterans-marriage-proposal.html

Former presidents Bush junior and senior help amputee war veteran surprise his girlfriend with proposal
Army Specialist Tyler Jeffries asked his girlfriend Lauren Lilly to marry him at the Bush family home in Kennebunkport, Maine
Jeffries had former President George W. Bush, his father George H. W. Bush and their First Ladies Laura and Barbara as witnesses to his proposal
Jeffries lost both legs in a roadside IED bombing in Afghanistan in 2012
By Associated Press
Daily Mail (UK)
Published: 21:39 EST, 11 August 2015 | Updated: 04:32 EST, 12 August 2015

One Shot, Three Injured At Russian Wedding At Waldorf Astoria

NYPD At Waldorf Astoria

[From article]

Two brothers have been charged after one was in possession of a gun that accidentally fired off during their cousin's wedding reception at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel injuring four guests.
Vladimir Gotlibovsky, 42, was arrested after a preliminary investigation revealed he was in possession of a 9mm Ruger when it discharged striking the floor in the lobby of the world famous hotel in New York City, police said on Sunday.
His older brother, Felix Gotlibovsky, 51, was arrested after he hid the weapon in Vladimir Gotlibovsky's Brooklyn home, according to NY1 News. The brothers are cousins of the groom and have been charged with tampering with physical evidence.
Victim Maya Rafailovich, 55, was hit in the head and three other victims suffered from leg injuries following the Saturday night incident.
The bride became so upset during the ordeal she was in tears and all of the guests left as the wedding was shut down by hotel security, NY1 News reported.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3123822/Groom-s-cousins-arrested-one-accidentally-discharged-gun-pants-pocket-Waldorf-Astoria-wedding.html

Groom’s cousins charged after one accidentally discharged a gun in his pants pocket at Waldorf Astoria wedding – injuring four guests – while his brother tried to hide the weapon at his home
Vladimir Gotlibovsky, 42, was in possession of the 9mm Ruger when it discharged striking the floor, police said
The gun apparently went off in the man's pocket while in the hotel's lobby
His older brother, Felix Gotlibovsky, 51, then hid the weapon in Vladimir Gotlibovsky's Brooklyn home
The men are groom's cousins and have both been charged with tampering with physical evidence
Maya Rafailovich, 55, was grazed by a bullet in the head and three others were injured following the Saturday night ordeal
By MYRIAH TOWNER and KELLY MCLAUGHLIN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 16:09 EST, 14 June 2015 | UPDATED: 18:16 EST, 14 June 2015

Ten Injured In Midtown Manhattan Construction Crane Collapse

Refrigeration Unit Dropped By Crane on  Madison Avenue Near 38th Street

[From article]
At least 10 people were injured when a construction crane dropped a massive heating and air-conditioning unit nearly 30 stories at a Midtown building Sunday, officials and witnesses said.
Workers were attempting to lift the unit into one of the Madison Avenue office building’s control rooms when the rigging strap holding it broke, sending it plummeting to the street around 10:45 a.m., said a source familiar with the investigation.
The metal rectangular unit struck the side of the building multiple times as it fell, sending glass and building debris raining down. The unit landed in the middle of Madison Avenue between 38th and 39th streets.



http://nypost.com/2015/05/31/construction-crane-crashes-into-midtown-building/

At least 10 hurt after crane smashes into Midtown building
By Tom Wilson, Dana Sauchelli and Daniel Prendergast
New York Post
May 31, 2015 | 11:16am

Two Stabbed At Tufts University Fraternity House

[From article]
“It does not appear to be a random act, and parties involved are believed to be known to each other,” Trant said.
He did not say if the person was affiliated with Tufts. Tufts spokeswoman Kim Thurler said the victims weren’t affiliated with the university. She referred other questions about the investigation to Somerville police. Police did not immediately return a message seeking further detail.
Trant said police responding to the Delta Tau Delta house just before 4 a.m. found the men outside. He said the stabbings appear to have happened inside. The house is on Professors Row, a street that runs through Somerville and Medford on the campus just north of Boston.
Both victims were taken to Massachusetts General Hospital. A 20-year-old has a serious injury, and a 19-year-old’s injury is non-life-threatening, Trant said.

http://nypost.com/2015/05/31/2-stabbed-at-tufts-university-frat-house/

2 stabbed at Tufts University frat house
By Associated Press
New York Post
May 31, 2015 | 4:16pm