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herding cats

herding cats's Journal
herding cats's Journal
May 26, 2015

Texas Flooding Toll: 8 Dead, 13 Missing

Source: NBC

The death toll from Texas flooding continued to climb on Tuesday, as many areas remained inaccessible and authorities warned of more trouble to come.

The dead included eight in Texas, three of them in Houston.

In Hays County, about 180 miles west of Houston, officials said two people were dead, 12 were officially missing and another 30 people are "unaccounted for," officials said in an afternoon briefing.

That included a eight people staying together in a vacation home in Wimberley, which was swept off its stilts by a tsunami-like "wall of water" that roared down the Blanco River over the weekend following a wave of torrential rain, Hays County Commissioner Will Conley said. The river surged 44 feet there.

Search and rescue operations were continuing, on land and from air, he said.

Among the confirmed dead in Texas were a 14-year-old boy found inside a storm drain and a homecoming queen who was driving home from her prom. Two victims in Houston were under or in submerged cars, and a third involved a capsized boat, officials said.

Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/texas-flooding-toll-7-dead-12-missing-30-unaccounted-n364876



Another round of storms is about to move into the already storm damaged regions over the next 24 hours. Stay safe Texas DUers.



Editing headline to:
Texas Flooding Toll: 8 Dead, 13 Missing

Previous (confusing) headline - Texas Flooding Toll: 8 Dead, 12 Missing, 30 Unaccounted For - has been changed by NBC.
May 24, 2015

Josh and Anna Duggar Shut Down Website Amid Molestation Reports

Josh and Anna Duggar’s official website has been taken down.

It’s been three days since Josh responded to allegations that he molested five underage girls as a teen. In wake of the reports, Josh’s scheduled appearance at a Christian homeschool convention in Sandusky, Ohio, has been canceled, according to [link:E! Online.|E! Online].

http://time.com/3895352/josh-duggar-website/


I looked and this is what shows when you click the link:

We apologize for the inconvenience, but unfortunately this website is currently unavailable.

If you are the web hosting account owner, please contact us at your earliest convenience. Our customer service team is available 24x7 via phone or email:

Email: support@inmotionhosting.com
Phone: 1-888-321-4678 (1-757-416-6575 Int'l)




We cannot disclose any information regarding this account if you are not its owner or authorized party.
For the security and privacy of our customers, all account requests are verified prior to the disclosure of account information


May 22, 2015

Earthquake: 5.4 quake strikes near Caliente, Nev.

Source: LA Times

A shallow magnitude 5.4 earthquake was reported Friday morning 24 miles from Caliente, Nev., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The temblor occurred at 11:47 a.m. PDT at a depth of 3.7 miles, the USGS said, and quakes of magnitude 3.8 and 3.0 were reported in the minutes afterward.

There are no reports of damage or injuries after the earthquake, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department.

According to the USGS, the epicenter was 46 miles from Mesquite, Nev., 60 miles from St. George, Utah, and 63 miles from Washington, Utah.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-na-nn-earthquakesa-earthquake-54-quake-strikes-near-caliente-nev-u2izki-story.html



No reports of damage beyond a few items being knocked off shelves, etc. so far.
May 22, 2015

America Is A Liberal Nation: For The First Time Social Liberals Outnumber Conservatives

For the first time since polling began in 1999, Gallup found that there are more social liberals in the United States than social conservatives.

Gallup reported that the number of respondents who called themselves social liberals has increased to 31%, while the number of self-identified social conservatives has fallen to 30%. The number of Democrats who refer to themselves as social liberals jumped from 47% in 2014 to 53% in 2015. The number of Republicans who call themselves socially conservative has declined from 60% in 2014 to 53% in 2015.

Democrats who used to call themselves social moderates are moving to the left while Republicans are experiencing a decline in social conservatives. The polling matches the overall trend in the country. America has moved left on same-sex marriage, equal pay for women, immigration, and climate change. Issues like the minimum wage and taxes have become both social and economic causes.

The United States is moving to the left. It has been inching leftward on social issues for decades, and the leftward trend is accelerating.

http://www.politicususa.com/2015/05/22/america-liberal-nation-time-social-liberals-outnumber-conservatives.html


Some good news for a Friday.
May 1, 2015

Christie ally David Wildstein pleads guilty, says Bridgegate closures were retribution


NEWARK — Former Port Authority executive David Wildstein pleaded guilty Friday to his role in the politically-motivated closure of local access lanes to the George Washington Bridge.

Wildstein, 53, admitted to conspiring with former Port Authority Deputy Director Bill Baroni and Gov. Chris Christie's former Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Anne Kelly to "punish" Fort Lee mayor Mark Sokolich for not endorsing Christie in his re-election bid.

Wildstein will be released on a $100,000 personal recognizance bond in return for his cooperation with the government.

Watching the proceedings were the two Democratic legislators who spearheaded hearings into the episode: Assembly Deputy Speaker John Wisniewski and Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg. Wildstein refused to answer questions posed by an Wisnewski's Assembly committee last year, citing his right to avoid incriminating himself.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2015/05/david_wildstein_pleads_guilty.html



Ally of Christie Pleads Guilty in George Washington Bridge Case; Other Indictments Expected

Bringing to a head a 16-month federal investigation into the George Washington Bridge lane closings scandal, a judge in New Jersey was expected to unseal indictments of two people close to Gov. Chris Christie at a court hearing Friday, according to people with knowledge of the case.

Bill Baroni, the former deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Bridget Anne Kelly, a former deputy chief of staff to Mr. Christie, were expected to be indicted.

The news comes as David Wildstein, another former Port Authority official and a high-school friend of Mr. Christie, pleaded guilty at the United States District Court in Newark to conspiracy to commit fraud and “conspiracy against civil rights.”

Judge Susan D. Wigenton, who presided over the case, laid out the scheme by detailing his criminal acts. She asked a laundry list of questions, all of which Mr. Wildstein answered with a soft “yes,” while standing at the defense table.

She asked if he conspired with Mr. Baroni and Ms. Kelly to shut down lanes to punish Mayor Mark Sokolich of Fort Lee for not endorsing Mr. Christie in his 2013 re-election campaign.
Continue reading the main story
Graphic: Chris Christie and the Lane Closings: A Spectator’s Guide

“Did you agree with Mr. Baroni and Ms. Kelly to punish Mayor Sokolich by causing significant lane access problems,” the judge asked, staring down from the bench at Mr. Wildstein.

“Yes,” Mr. Wildstein answered.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/02/nyregion/christie-ally-expected-to-plead-guilty-in-george-washington-bridge-lane-closing-case.html?_r=0



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