So someone please tell me what is this world coming to? Kind of scares me that the world is seriously so violent today.
By C.J. SULLIVAN
MOMENT OF DEATH: Images from a surveillance video show a gang member stalking, shooting and running away from 17-year-old victim Cory Squire early yesterday.
Click to enlarge
A troubled teenage father struggling to turn his back on the Bloods street gang was gunned down as he walked away from an argument on a Harlem street yesterday -- a horrific execution-style killing caught in chilling detail on video obtained exclusively by The Post.
Police said 17-year-old Cory Squire, the father of a 3-year-old boy, died instantly after being shot once in the head from behind on West 141st Street around 4:30 a.m.
The video, recorded by a surveillance camera in the building at 101 W. 141st Street, shows Squire walking along, wearing a hooded sweatshirt when another man calls out to him.
The two talk for about a minute, then separate.
But as Squire continues on his way the other man silently runs up behind him, methodically clutching a gun in his right hand, and puts a bullet in the teen's head.
The young father falls to the ground and rolls over motionless as the cowardly attacker flees.
A short time later, another unidentified man walks past the body, looks down, then callously continues on his way.
Squire's shocked girlfriend, Atiya Hallman, 18, said the slain teen had fought to escape the street gang after becoming a dad.
"Once he had a child, he wanted to get out of the game and quit the gang," Hallman said, as she cradled the couple's son, Camren.
"He joined the Job Corps and was training to be an electrician, but he always knew the only way he could get out of that gang was the way he got out."
An official motive remained unclear, but police could not rule out retribution for trying to sever his gang ties.
Squire's mother, Melinda Chirinos, said he had been honored by Police Commissioner Ray Kelly in 2005 when he was named Commanding Officer for the Day for the 32nd Precinct, but fell in with the Bloods recently and began stealing from her.
"I basically told him he could live here if he chose not to see those friends and follow the rules of the house," she said. "He chose his friends over his family."
The hard-luck teen crashed with his girlfriend during the day but wandered the streets after dark because her strict mother didn't allow overnight visits.
"I saw his death coming," said his sister, Allayah, 14. "He kept telling me, 'I got to get off the streets.' He didn't think he'd make it to 18. He was right."
The video does not provide a clear picture of the killer, but police were hoping that friends and associates of Squire might recognize the shooter.
One eyewitness, a 66-year-old woman whom The Post is not identifying, said she saw the victim and killer argue.
"The teenager walked away, and the guy pulled out a gun, ran up to him and shot him in the back of the head," she said. "I ran into my apartment and called 911. It was terrible seeing a young man get killed like that."
Additional reporting by Jamie Schram and Larry Celona
Monday, May 4, 2009
Not the father (News Article # 14)
So i couldn't find an article on this but its a follow up to one I already posted about the the 13 year old boy in Britain becoming a father... HE ISNT THE DAD AFTER ALL!
Car accident or shooting? (News Article # 13)
Man thought to have died in wreck was shot, police say
BY DEANNA BOYD
dboyd@star-telegram.com
FORT WORTH — Police are investigating the slaying of a 66-year-old Houston-area man who was initially thought to have died as the result of an auto accident.
Daniel Obrine was pronounced dead at 1:42 a.m. April 26 at the scene of what appeared to be a single-vehicle wreck in the 1700 block of South Riverside Drive in Fort Worth.
Fort Worth police Sgt. Cheryl Johnson said police are still looking for witnesses to the wreck, in which Obrine’s 1999 Ford pickup overturned.
Homicide investigators were assigned to the case Friday after Tarrant County Medical Examiner Dr. Nizam Peerwani notified police that Obrine’s death was the result of a homicide, not an accident, according to a police report.
Obrine died from a gunshot wound to the face, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office.
Johnson said Obrine lived in Cleveland, about 45 miles north of Houston, but had been working in the area for the Texas Department of Transportation. She said homicide investigators are trying to trace where Obrine was in the hours leading up to the wreck.
BY DEANNA BOYD
dboyd@star-telegram.com
FORT WORTH — Police are investigating the slaying of a 66-year-old Houston-area man who was initially thought to have died as the result of an auto accident.
Daniel Obrine was pronounced dead at 1:42 a.m. April 26 at the scene of what appeared to be a single-vehicle wreck in the 1700 block of South Riverside Drive in Fort Worth.
Fort Worth police Sgt. Cheryl Johnson said police are still looking for witnesses to the wreck, in which Obrine’s 1999 Ford pickup overturned.
Homicide investigators were assigned to the case Friday after Tarrant County Medical Examiner Dr. Nizam Peerwani notified police that Obrine’s death was the result of a homicide, not an accident, according to a police report.
Obrine died from a gunshot wound to the face, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office.
Johnson said Obrine lived in Cleveland, about 45 miles north of Houston, but had been working in the area for the Texas Department of Transportation. She said homicide investigators are trying to trace where Obrine was in the hours leading up to the wreck.
swine flu grows (News Article #12)
Confirmed swine flu cases in U.S. jump to 245 in 35 states
BY MALCOLM RITTER
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — The tally of confirmed swine flu cases in the United States jumped Sunday to 245 in 35 states, but officials said that’s largely from catching up on a backlog of lab tests rather than a spurt in new infections.
The new count reflects streamlining in federal procedures and the results of tests by states, which have only recently begun confirming cases, said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
Because states are now contributing their results, and because there are many cases to analyze, "I expect the numbers to jump quite a bit in the next couple days," she told reporters Sunday.
Beyond eating into the backlog, the new number also reflects that "we do think this virus is fairly widespread," she said.
"Virtually all of the United States probably has this virus circulating now," Schuchat said. "That doesn’t mean that everybody’s infected, but within the communities, the virus has arrived."
Early Sunday, the CDC updated its number to 226 cases in 30 states, up from 160 in 21 states. Later, five more states reported confirmed cases.
Scientists are still gathering information on the nation’s 30 hospitalized cases. They are mostly older children and young adults, in contrast to ordinary flu, which tends to send the elderly and very young to the hospital, Schuchat said.
The only swine flu death in the U.S. is that of a Mexican toddler who was visiting Texas.
Authorities announced more school closings Sunday, including all 24 schools in a district west of Detroit.
BY MALCOLM RITTER
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — The tally of confirmed swine flu cases in the United States jumped Sunday to 245 in 35 states, but officials said that’s largely from catching up on a backlog of lab tests rather than a spurt in new infections.
The new count reflects streamlining in federal procedures and the results of tests by states, which have only recently begun confirming cases, said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
Because states are now contributing their results, and because there are many cases to analyze, "I expect the numbers to jump quite a bit in the next couple days," she told reporters Sunday.
Beyond eating into the backlog, the new number also reflects that "we do think this virus is fairly widespread," she said.
"Virtually all of the United States probably has this virus circulating now," Schuchat said. "That doesn’t mean that everybody’s infected, but within the communities, the virus has arrived."
Early Sunday, the CDC updated its number to 226 cases in 30 states, up from 160 in 21 states. Later, five more states reported confirmed cases.
Scientists are still gathering information on the nation’s 30 hospitalized cases. They are mostly older children and young adults, in contrast to ordinary flu, which tends to send the elderly and very young to the hospital, Schuchat said.
The only swine flu death in the U.S. is that of a Mexican toddler who was visiting Texas.
Authorities announced more school closings Sunday, including all 24 schools in a district west of Detroit.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Circus
I woke up this morning and decided for some reason to look out my window. When I did, there was a circus right behind Whitley Hall. Me and Frances walked out there and took some picture. Well here one, mind you im not done editing.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
a wife, a husband, an ex husband, and 2 daughters
This made me laugh. yes its kind of long but read it I think its funny. I got to give these people props for being able to do this though...
(CNN) -- Struggling to make ends meet, trying to dig themselves out of debt, Nicole Thompson-Arce and her husband have moved in with her ex-husband.
Together, the unlikely threesome of Omaha, Nebraska, is raising two young daughters from the first marriage.
It's the kind of situation that has left cable guys howling.
"They'd never heard anything like this," Thompson-Arce, 28, remembered with a laugh. "And they're in people's homes everyday."
When she and Craig Thompson, 42, were going through a divorce in 2005, this was not a deal either of them could have imagined striking. It was a messy divorce, the kind involving a custody dispute. But once they ironed out that battle, agreeing to joint custody, Thompson-Arce said they were able to move on and forward. iReport: Read Thompson-Arce's post
By the time she married Mathew Arce last July, she said she and her ex were friends. In fact, they were so close that his mother -- meaning Thompson-Arce's ex-mother-in-law -- was in (not just at) the second wedding ceremony.
Soon after the Florida wedding, the new lovebirds flew into a financial mess. She had left a job, and as soon as she found another (a temp position), her 22-year-old husband was fired from his higher-paying gig. iReport.com: Job hunt stories
They fell behind in rent. The bills stacked up. The credit card debt grew. iReport.com: What are you cutting from budget?
A couple months later, Arce, landed a temporary Wal-Mart cashier position, which has since turned into a full-time job. But finances remained shaky and digging themselves out of debt seemed insurmountable. Tell us how you're surviving in this economy
In walked the ex with an offer, just in time for Christmas. Thompson, an 18-year bakery employee at Wal-Mart, lives in a three-bedroom, one-bath home.
"I knew they were having money problems, so I just asked them to move in," he said. "I figured I'd get to see my girls, my daughters, more often. And Nicole said yes right away."
Besides the economic savings, the benefits are many.
No longer do they have to shuttle Victoria, 7, and Caitlyn, 6, between two households. As a team, they can parent and be on the same page. Finding a baby sitter is never a problem. They take turns making meals, which they all share.
Thompson and Arce, who are 20 years apart -- "I had to get the whole spectrum going there," Thompson-Arce joked -- have become the best of friends, and share a similar sense of humor. They have tackled home improvement projects, run around together on days they both have off and often hang out at the kitchen table building plastic models.
"We just clicked," Thompson said. "When I tell people, 'I'm living with my ex-wife and her husband,' I get some really strange looks. ...It's different. It's unusual, but it works."
The transition has been smooth and great for the kids, Thompson-Arce said. And for their benefit, irrespective of finances, she thinks it's a living situation they'll stick with for at least five to 10 years. It has, however, taken a little time for the little ones to get the story straight.
Seven-year-old Victoria went back to school after winter break -- and after the whole team had blended under one roof -- and started telling people this: " 'My mommy has two husbands,'" Thompson-Arce remembered. "I was like, 'No, honey, don't tell them that!'"
What she and both men hope the girls are learning is that divorced parents can work together and be friends.
"There are so many families that go through divorce and can never let it go," she said. "I'm thankful, and hopefully our situation can help people rethink things because if they have kids, it's in their best interest to get along."
One might wonder whether the couple, who've been married for less than a year, get enough time alone together, given where they're living. Thompson-Arce points out that her ex works a shift that sends him to bed at 7 p.m., so the evenings -- after the kids are asleep -- are for her and her husband to share. Watch restaurant holds date night event »
"When they do have a romantic evening, I don't hear them, so we're not going there," Thompson quipped. "There's a bathroom between our two bedrooms."
The ex-husband hasn't dated since the divorce. He said it's because he's been focused on work and taking care of the kids. Thompson-Arce, however, said that she and her husband are forever trying to get Thompson on the dating scene and want him to meet someone special.
Special, and understanding, she would most definitely need to be.
"He'd have to find a very open-minded woman because we don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon," Thompson-Arce said.
(CNN) -- Struggling to make ends meet, trying to dig themselves out of debt, Nicole Thompson-Arce and her husband have moved in with her ex-husband.
Together, the unlikely threesome of Omaha, Nebraska, is raising two young daughters from the first marriage.
It's the kind of situation that has left cable guys howling.
"They'd never heard anything like this," Thompson-Arce, 28, remembered with a laugh. "And they're in people's homes everyday."
When she and Craig Thompson, 42, were going through a divorce in 2005, this was not a deal either of them could have imagined striking. It was a messy divorce, the kind involving a custody dispute. But once they ironed out that battle, agreeing to joint custody, Thompson-Arce said they were able to move on and forward. iReport: Read Thompson-Arce's post
By the time she married Mathew Arce last July, she said she and her ex were friends. In fact, they were so close that his mother -- meaning Thompson-Arce's ex-mother-in-law -- was in (not just at) the second wedding ceremony.
Soon after the Florida wedding, the new lovebirds flew into a financial mess. She had left a job, and as soon as she found another (a temp position), her 22-year-old husband was fired from his higher-paying gig. iReport.com: Job hunt stories
They fell behind in rent. The bills stacked up. The credit card debt grew. iReport.com: What are you cutting from budget?
A couple months later, Arce, landed a temporary Wal-Mart cashier position, which has since turned into a full-time job. But finances remained shaky and digging themselves out of debt seemed insurmountable. Tell us how you're surviving in this economy
In walked the ex with an offer, just in time for Christmas. Thompson, an 18-year bakery employee at Wal-Mart, lives in a three-bedroom, one-bath home.
"I knew they were having money problems, so I just asked them to move in," he said. "I figured I'd get to see my girls, my daughters, more often. And Nicole said yes right away."
Besides the economic savings, the benefits are many.
No longer do they have to shuttle Victoria, 7, and Caitlyn, 6, between two households. As a team, they can parent and be on the same page. Finding a baby sitter is never a problem. They take turns making meals, which they all share.
Thompson and Arce, who are 20 years apart -- "I had to get the whole spectrum going there," Thompson-Arce joked -- have become the best of friends, and share a similar sense of humor. They have tackled home improvement projects, run around together on days they both have off and often hang out at the kitchen table building plastic models.
"We just clicked," Thompson said. "When I tell people, 'I'm living with my ex-wife and her husband,' I get some really strange looks. ...It's different. It's unusual, but it works."
The transition has been smooth and great for the kids, Thompson-Arce said. And for their benefit, irrespective of finances, she thinks it's a living situation they'll stick with for at least five to 10 years. It has, however, taken a little time for the little ones to get the story straight.
Seven-year-old Victoria went back to school after winter break -- and after the whole team had blended under one roof -- and started telling people this: " 'My mommy has two husbands,'" Thompson-Arce remembered. "I was like, 'No, honey, don't tell them that!'"
What she and both men hope the girls are learning is that divorced parents can work together and be friends.
"There are so many families that go through divorce and can never let it go," she said. "I'm thankful, and hopefully our situation can help people rethink things because if they have kids, it's in their best interest to get along."
One might wonder whether the couple, who've been married for less than a year, get enough time alone together, given where they're living. Thompson-Arce points out that her ex works a shift that sends him to bed at 7 p.m., so the evenings -- after the kids are asleep -- are for her and her husband to share. Watch restaurant holds date night event »
"When they do have a romantic evening, I don't hear them, so we're not going there," Thompson quipped. "There's a bathroom between our two bedrooms."
The ex-husband hasn't dated since the divorce. He said it's because he's been focused on work and taking care of the kids. Thompson-Arce, however, said that she and her husband are forever trying to get Thompson on the dating scene and want him to meet someone special.
Special, and understanding, she would most definitely need to be.
"He'd have to find a very open-minded woman because we don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon," Thompson-Arce said.
are facebook groups making a difference?
I thought it was pretty interesting that they are kind of listening and giving more to what the public wants. Even though I think people are making to big of a deal of the new facebook, I mean come on people its just stinking facebook. Well here ya go --
Facebook users haven't exactly been reticent about their dislike for Facebook's recent redesign. And Facebook staff want you to know they're listening.
Facebook is making a handful of changes after being deluged with negative feedback about its new layout.
Facebook has been deluged with feedback on its new layout, much of it negative but constructive, according to a blog posted Tuesday by Product Director Christopher Cox.
Hundreds of thousands of people gave the redesign a thumbs-down in a user poll. And groups like "MEMBERS WANT THE OLD FACEBOOK BACK!" have formed to voice their discontent.
While the social network isn't reverting back to the old page design, they are making a handful of changes to appease some of the outraged masses, according to Cox, who has also worked as director of human resources and software engineer at the company.
Some of the changes already in the works include:
Live updating: Users will have the ability to turn on auto updating so they don't have to refresh the page to see what's new.
Photo tags: Facebook will add photos tagged with a person's friends to her stream.
Applications: Users will have the ability to cut down on the application-related content that's showing up in streams.
Highlights: This section in the right-hand column will update more frequently and show more content so it'll be more like the old News Feed.
Requests: Friend requests and event invites will be moved to the top of the right-hand column so they're more prominent.
Friends lists: Users will be able to create a new list of friends with which to filter their streams.
From the post: "Over time, we'll continue to give you more control over what's in your main stream and how you consume it. We have the eventual goal of building filters that summarize this activity so you can see a more condensed view of what's been going on. We're also thinking about ways of filtering out some of the Wall posts and content directed to specific people to focus more on posts shared with everyone."
No specific timeframe was mentioned for most of the updates, though they did say the photo tag update would happen "in the coming weeks."
To be sure, it can't be easy to redesign a site with 175 million users. For one thing, different people use the site very differently, so one man's feature is another's peeve.
Many of Facebook's users are online and interacting with the site for hours each day and no doubt have a personal connection to what goes on there. And as Cox points out in his post, sometimes change is just hard to take.
Cox, the brave soul that he is, invited yet more feedback from users, directing people to the tour of the redesign where people can leave their comments
Facebook users haven't exactly been reticent about their dislike for Facebook's recent redesign. And Facebook staff want you to know they're listening.
Facebook is making a handful of changes after being deluged with negative feedback about its new layout.
Facebook has been deluged with feedback on its new layout, much of it negative but constructive, according to a blog posted Tuesday by Product Director Christopher Cox.
Hundreds of thousands of people gave the redesign a thumbs-down in a user poll. And groups like "MEMBERS WANT THE OLD FACEBOOK BACK!" have formed to voice their discontent.
While the social network isn't reverting back to the old page design, they are making a handful of changes to appease some of the outraged masses, according to Cox, who has also worked as director of human resources and software engineer at the company.
Some of the changes already in the works include:
Live updating: Users will have the ability to turn on auto updating so they don't have to refresh the page to see what's new.
Photo tags: Facebook will add photos tagged with a person's friends to her stream.
Applications: Users will have the ability to cut down on the application-related content that's showing up in streams.
Highlights: This section in the right-hand column will update more frequently and show more content so it'll be more like the old News Feed.
Requests: Friend requests and event invites will be moved to the top of the right-hand column so they're more prominent.
Friends lists: Users will be able to create a new list of friends with which to filter their streams.
From the post: "Over time, we'll continue to give you more control over what's in your main stream and how you consume it. We have the eventual goal of building filters that summarize this activity so you can see a more condensed view of what's been going on. We're also thinking about ways of filtering out some of the Wall posts and content directed to specific people to focus more on posts shared with everyone."
No specific timeframe was mentioned for most of the updates, though they did say the photo tag update would happen "in the coming weeks."
To be sure, it can't be easy to redesign a site with 175 million users. For one thing, different people use the site very differently, so one man's feature is another's peeve.
Many of Facebook's users are online and interacting with the site for hours each day and no doubt have a personal connection to what goes on there. And as Cox points out in his post, sometimes change is just hard to take.
Cox, the brave soul that he is, invited yet more feedback from users, directing people to the tour of the redesign where people can leave their comments
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
News Article # 9
This is also really close to where I live, people are so messed up these days I swear.
NORTH RICHLAND HILLS -- An 18-month-old boy walked out uninjured from a garage where a gunman opened fire at three people Tuesday night, killing two of them before he turned the weapon on himself, police said Wednesday.
The toddler was near the people who were shot, but the child did not suffer any gunshot wound during the shooting spree, police said.
The child was in the care of relatives on Wednesday, police said.
The toddler's mother, Tamara Jones, 37, survived the shooting and was in critical condition at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, police said.
The identity of the gunman was not released, but police said he was Jones' estranged boyfriend. A gun was found in the house, police said.
Police identified the people killed as Kristin Jones, 55, who lived at the home where the shooting happened and Tamara Jones' 17-year-old son, Tyler. Kristin Jones, who is Tamara Jones' mother, died at John Peter Smith Hospital about an hour after being shot.
The shooting happened shortly before 10:30 p.m. in the 6500 block of Sunset Road.
Police responded to the home after neighbors reported hearing gunshots in the neighborhood.
When they arrived, officers found a garage open and three people with gunshot wounds, North Richland Hills Det. Keith Bauman said Wednesday.
“It appears that the shooting happened in the garage,” Bauman said. “There were multiple shots fired.”
Tyler Jones was found in the garage and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
“When officers searched the house, they found another man who had been shot,” Bauman said. “We believe he was the suspect.”
NORTH RICHLAND HILLS -- An 18-month-old boy walked out uninjured from a garage where a gunman opened fire at three people Tuesday night, killing two of them before he turned the weapon on himself, police said Wednesday.
The toddler was near the people who were shot, but the child did not suffer any gunshot wound during the shooting spree, police said.
The child was in the care of relatives on Wednesday, police said.
The toddler's mother, Tamara Jones, 37, survived the shooting and was in critical condition at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, police said.
The identity of the gunman was not released, but police said he was Jones' estranged boyfriend. A gun was found in the house, police said.
Police identified the people killed as Kristin Jones, 55, who lived at the home where the shooting happened and Tamara Jones' 17-year-old son, Tyler. Kristin Jones, who is Tamara Jones' mother, died at John Peter Smith Hospital about an hour after being shot.
The shooting happened shortly before 10:30 p.m. in the 6500 block of Sunset Road.
Police responded to the home after neighbors reported hearing gunshots in the neighborhood.
When they arrived, officers found a garage open and three people with gunshot wounds, North Richland Hills Det. Keith Bauman said Wednesday.
“It appears that the shooting happened in the garage,” Bauman said. “There were multiple shots fired.”
Tyler Jones was found in the garage and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
“When officers searched the house, they found another man who had been shot,” Bauman said. “We believe he was the suspect.”
News Article # 8
this is right down the street from where i live. I live at the next exit. wow. thanfully no one was hurt.
HALTOM CITY — Police have reopened the westbound lanes of Loop 820 at Denton Highway after a truck veered off an overpass and crashed onto the highway.
No serious injuries have been reported.
The accident happened shortly before 7:30 a.m. Wednesday
Firefighters pulled the driver out of the truck, which was blocking the highway.
Police had closed the westbound lanes for more than an hour as authorities investigated and crews worked to remove the truck.
HALTOM CITY — Police have reopened the westbound lanes of Loop 820 at Denton Highway after a truck veered off an overpass and crashed onto the highway.
No serious injuries have been reported.
The accident happened shortly before 7:30 a.m. Wednesday
Firefighters pulled the driver out of the truck, which was blocking the highway.
Police had closed the westbound lanes for more than an hour as authorities investigated and crews worked to remove the truck.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
News Article # 7
okay so this is just obsured. A THIRTEEN year old boy became a FATHER. This is ridiculous what on earth has gotten into people? In my opinion sex is not just something to pass time! It is something that should be shared with someone you love and not just because your bored. A child is a huge responsibility and should be brought into the world when you are ready! OR ATLEAST PAST THE AGE OF 13 AND 15!
News Article # 6
I heard about this on the radio and this isnt actually a article but it was still all over the news. A black womans weave saved her life! Crazy right!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
News Article # 5
This makes me sad that the little girl hasnt even been gone a week and they are already scaling back the search. There is a little girl probably extremly scared missing from her mom and dad and people give up this easy after 4 days!
SATSUMA, Fla. -- Authorities in north Florida have scaled back their search for a missing 5-year-old girl who vanished from her home last week and a volunteer search group has ended its efforts.
Putnam County Sheriff's officials said they sent about 50 officers Monday to an area that had not previously been searched after receiving a tip on Haleigh Cummings' disappearance, but nothing was found. The agency has since scaled back its search. Meanwhile, volunteer group Texas EquuSearch has suspended its efforts to find the little girl who disappeared early Tuesday.
Haleigh's parents are divorced. She was being watched by her father's 17-year-old girlfriend, Misty Croslin, when she vanished from his home.
Authorities are treating Haleigh's disappearance as an abduction
SATSUMA, Fla. -- Authorities in north Florida have scaled back their search for a missing 5-year-old girl who vanished from her home last week and a volunteer search group has ended its efforts.
Putnam County Sheriff's officials said they sent about 50 officers Monday to an area that had not previously been searched after receiving a tip on Haleigh Cummings' disappearance, but nothing was found. The agency has since scaled back its search. Meanwhile, volunteer group Texas EquuSearch has suspended its efforts to find the little girl who disappeared early Tuesday.
Haleigh's parents are divorced. She was being watched by her father's 17-year-old girlfriend, Misty Croslin, when she vanished from his home.
Authorities are treating Haleigh's disappearance as an abduction
Exciting News!
So I wont lie I haven't been keeping up with this stuff to well but Im going to get better I promise! I felt like I would post a blog about today because it was a pretty good day. I got up around 11:30 (yes i was extremly lazy today)and was in the process of getting ready to go shopping with my two friends in rockwall when I thought, hey I havent talked to my mom in a few days, so i proceeded to call her. We talked for a few minutes and she asked me if I had gotten around to checking my email lately and I hadn't so I got on and she had sent me a email about this summer. One of the guys that my mom works with is really big with sports he host a annual basketball and baseball tournaments and also refarees. Well he knows this man named Matt Waller who owns a company named Game Face Imaging. He himself is not a photographer but he highers photographers to go out to sporting events and shoot for him for newspapers and magazines. I have an interview with him to possibly get a full time job with him this summer! Also, my mom confirmed me shooting a wedding in July. We already knew I was probably going to but it is locked down now. It was a day full of exciting news! Well, I will be posting stuff from cooper soon I just need to finish editing.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
News Article # 4
By CARA BUCKLEY
Published: February 17, 2009
They borrow leftover prescription drugs from friends, attempt to self-diagnose ailments online, stretch their diabetes and asthma medicines for as long as possible and set their own broken bones. When emergencies strike, they rarely can afford the bills that follow.
Related
Patient Money: Health Care You Can’t Afford Not to Afford (January 16, 2009)
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James Estrin/The New York Times
Santiago Betancour, 19, outside the Community Healthcare Network’s mobile unit, which offers free medical consultations. He said he has started avoiding fast food in an effort to stay healthy.
Readers' Comments
"The time has come for health care to be a right and not a privilege, or in my case, an onerous burden."
Adam L., Albany, NY
Read Full Comment »
“My first reaction was to start laughing — I just kept saying, ‘No way, no way,’ ” Alanna Boyd, a 28-year-old receptionist, recalled of the $17,398 — including $13 for the use of a television — that she was charged after spending 46 hours in October at Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan with diverticulitis, a digestive illness. “I could have gone to a major university for a year. Instead, I went to the hospital for two days.”
In the parlance of the health care industry, Ms. Boyd, whose case remains unresolved, is among the “young invincibles” — people in their 20s who shun insurance either because their age makes them feel invulnerable or because expensive policies are out of reach. Young adults are the nation’s largest group of uninsured — there were 13.2 million of them nationally in 2007, or 29 percent, according to the latest figures from the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit research group in New York.
Gov. David A. Paterson of New York has proposed allowing parents to claim these young adults as dependents for insurance purposes up to age 29, as more than two dozen other states have done in the past decade. Community Catalyst, a Boston-based health care consumer advocacy group, released a report this month urging states to ease eligibility requirements to allow adult children access to their parents’ coverage.
“There’s a big sense of urgency,” said Susan Sherry, the deputy director of Community Catalyst. She described uninsured young adults as especially vulnerable. “People are losing their jobs, and a lot of jobs don’t carry health insurance. They’re new to the work force, they’ve been covered under their parents or school plans, and then they drop off the cliff.”
If Governor Paterson’s proposal is approved, an estimated 80,000 of the 775,000 uninsured young adults across New York State would be covered under their parents’ insurance plans. That would leave hundreds of thousands to continue relying on a scattershot network of improvised and often haphazard health care remedies.
In dozens of interviews around the city, these so-called young invincibles described the challenge of living in a high-priced city on low-paying jobs, where staying healthy is one part scavenger hunt and one part balancing act, with high stakes and no safety net.
“For a lot of people, it’s a choice between being able to survive in New York and getting health insurance,” said Hogan Gorman, an actress who was hit by a car five years ago and chronicled her misadventures in “Hot Cripple,” a one-woman show that was a hit at last summer’s Fringe Festival. “There was no way that I could pay my rent, buy insurance and eat.”
Nicole Polec, a 28-year-old freelance photographer living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, said she has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and has a client who procures Ritalin on her behalf from a sympathetic doctor who has seen Ms. Polec’s diagnosis. Ms. Polec’s roommate, Fara D’Aguiar, 26, treated her last flu with castoff amoxicillin — “probably expired,” she said — given to her by a friend.
When Robert Voris last had health insurance, in 2007, he stockpiled insulin pumps, which are inserted under the skin to constantly monitor blood-sugar levels and administer the drug accordingly. He said the tubing for the pump costs $900 a month, so lately he has instead been injecting insulin with a syringe. But Mr. Voris, 27, a journalism student at the City University of New York who works at a restaurant in Park Slope, Brooklyn, is constantly worried about diabetes-induced seizures like the one that sent him to the hospital last summer. (Because it happened at work, his boss covered the ambulance and other bills.)
“That’s definitely the concern: what happens if I have to pay for this?” he said. “And the answer, I guess, is credit cards. Hopefully it won’t happen until I find a job that actually gives me insurance, which probably won’t happen anytime in the near future, given the way the economy works.”
Most family insurance policies cut off dependents when they turn 19 or finish college, and many young adults start out in New York cobbling together part-time or freelance work with no benefits. To qualify for Medicaid, a single adult can earn no more than $706 a month — less than what a full-time minimum-wage earner makes. Yet the average insurance premium for a single adult is $900 a month, according to a spokesman for the State Insurance Department.
“At this point, I can’t really justify it monetarily,” said Ian McElroy, a musician who moved to Bushwick, Brooklyn, from Omaha, last year. “It’s not like I think I’m invincible, I’m 29, the world can’t touch me. It’s the very opposite of that. I’ve got to make rent and eat.”
With insurance out of reach, Mr. McElroy has taken to playing doctor, using online resources like WebMD, which offers medical news, descriptions of various diseases and drugs, and discussion groups. As he spoke, Mr. McElroy was icing his feet, which, one day in January, had become cripplingly painful; he was unable to walk.
“I think I have plantar fasciitis,” he said. “I’ve been laid out for two weeks.”
(Even if the Paterson proposal passes, Mr. McElroy, like Mr. Voris and Ms. Polec and her roommate, would not qualify because their parents live out of state.)
Internet diagnoses, self-medicating and trading prescriptions, of course, come with potentially dangerous side effects. Dr. Barbie Gatton, who has worked in emergency rooms throughout the city since 2002, said she often sees young people who have taken the wrong antibiotics borrowed from friends.
“We see people with urinary tract infections taking meds better suited for ear infections or pneumonia — the problem is, they haven’t really treated their illness, and they’re breeding resistance,” she explained. “Or they take pain medicine that masks the symptoms. And this allows the underlying problem to get worse and worse.”
There are clinics throughout the city that provide the young and uninsured free or cheap snippets of medical help, like the Community Healthcare Network mobile unit, which was parked in the East Village one snowy night. Lindsay Bellinger, 26, who does administrative work through a temp agency and lives in Astoria, Queens, said she relied on the mobile unit for pap smears and tests for sexually transmitted diseases.
“This takes care of gynecological work,” Ms. Bellinger said. “And I get a visit to the dentist from my parents as a Christmas gift.”
Levon Aaron, who has asthma and works as a bouncer at a West Village bar, has not had insurance since he was 19. Mr. Aaron, now 23, said that his asthma attacks had been less frequent since he began playing handball and working out, but they had not gone away. He tries to use his inhalers sparingly, but four times in the past year he has found himself out of medicine during a severe attack and landed in the emergency room.
In the hospital, he gets a prescription for a new inhaler, which costs about $30 to fill. But his outstanding bills total about $3,000, he said, an amount he cannot fathom paying.
Mr. Aaron was one of several young adults who said living without insurance meant trying to take better care of themselves.
“I’ve stopped eating fast food,” said Santiago Betancour, who is 19 and lives in Rosedale, Queens. “I’m eating rice, vegetables and fruits. And when I get sick, I exercise to sweat it off.”
Of course, there are those who do feel invincible, like Eric Williams, who is 24, unemployed and currently in the middle of a six-week snowboarding adventure in Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Utah, British Columbia and California. Mr. Williams said by cellphone near Bozeman, Mont., that he looked into buying health insurance before he left, but abandoned the idea after being unable to find anything for less than $400 a month. Instead, he is just trying to be careful, though not always with success.
“I’ve hit a couple of trees,” Mr. Williams said. “But I’m trying not to.”
This article made me a little bit sad. Honestly, the world is pretty bad if people have to result in setting their own bones and things of this sort. When did money become more important then health care?
Published: February 17, 2009
They borrow leftover prescription drugs from friends, attempt to self-diagnose ailments online, stretch their diabetes and asthma medicines for as long as possible and set their own broken bones. When emergencies strike, they rarely can afford the bills that follow.
Related
Patient Money: Health Care You Can’t Afford Not to Afford (January 16, 2009)
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James Estrin/The New York Times
Santiago Betancour, 19, outside the Community Healthcare Network’s mobile unit, which offers free medical consultations. He said he has started avoiding fast food in an effort to stay healthy.
Readers' Comments
"The time has come for health care to be a right and not a privilege, or in my case, an onerous burden."
Adam L., Albany, NY
Read Full Comment »
“My first reaction was to start laughing — I just kept saying, ‘No way, no way,’ ” Alanna Boyd, a 28-year-old receptionist, recalled of the $17,398 — including $13 for the use of a television — that she was charged after spending 46 hours in October at Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan with diverticulitis, a digestive illness. “I could have gone to a major university for a year. Instead, I went to the hospital for two days.”
In the parlance of the health care industry, Ms. Boyd, whose case remains unresolved, is among the “young invincibles” — people in their 20s who shun insurance either because their age makes them feel invulnerable or because expensive policies are out of reach. Young adults are the nation’s largest group of uninsured — there were 13.2 million of them nationally in 2007, or 29 percent, according to the latest figures from the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit research group in New York.
Gov. David A. Paterson of New York has proposed allowing parents to claim these young adults as dependents for insurance purposes up to age 29, as more than two dozen other states have done in the past decade. Community Catalyst, a Boston-based health care consumer advocacy group, released a report this month urging states to ease eligibility requirements to allow adult children access to their parents’ coverage.
“There’s a big sense of urgency,” said Susan Sherry, the deputy director of Community Catalyst. She described uninsured young adults as especially vulnerable. “People are losing their jobs, and a lot of jobs don’t carry health insurance. They’re new to the work force, they’ve been covered under their parents or school plans, and then they drop off the cliff.”
If Governor Paterson’s proposal is approved, an estimated 80,000 of the 775,000 uninsured young adults across New York State would be covered under their parents’ insurance plans. That would leave hundreds of thousands to continue relying on a scattershot network of improvised and often haphazard health care remedies.
In dozens of interviews around the city, these so-called young invincibles described the challenge of living in a high-priced city on low-paying jobs, where staying healthy is one part scavenger hunt and one part balancing act, with high stakes and no safety net.
“For a lot of people, it’s a choice between being able to survive in New York and getting health insurance,” said Hogan Gorman, an actress who was hit by a car five years ago and chronicled her misadventures in “Hot Cripple,” a one-woman show that was a hit at last summer’s Fringe Festival. “There was no way that I could pay my rent, buy insurance and eat.”
Nicole Polec, a 28-year-old freelance photographer living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, said she has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and has a client who procures Ritalin on her behalf from a sympathetic doctor who has seen Ms. Polec’s diagnosis. Ms. Polec’s roommate, Fara D’Aguiar, 26, treated her last flu with castoff amoxicillin — “probably expired,” she said — given to her by a friend.
When Robert Voris last had health insurance, in 2007, he stockpiled insulin pumps, which are inserted under the skin to constantly monitor blood-sugar levels and administer the drug accordingly. He said the tubing for the pump costs $900 a month, so lately he has instead been injecting insulin with a syringe. But Mr. Voris, 27, a journalism student at the City University of New York who works at a restaurant in Park Slope, Brooklyn, is constantly worried about diabetes-induced seizures like the one that sent him to the hospital last summer. (Because it happened at work, his boss covered the ambulance and other bills.)
“That’s definitely the concern: what happens if I have to pay for this?” he said. “And the answer, I guess, is credit cards. Hopefully it won’t happen until I find a job that actually gives me insurance, which probably won’t happen anytime in the near future, given the way the economy works.”
Most family insurance policies cut off dependents when they turn 19 or finish college, and many young adults start out in New York cobbling together part-time or freelance work with no benefits. To qualify for Medicaid, a single adult can earn no more than $706 a month — less than what a full-time minimum-wage earner makes. Yet the average insurance premium for a single adult is $900 a month, according to a spokesman for the State Insurance Department.
“At this point, I can’t really justify it monetarily,” said Ian McElroy, a musician who moved to Bushwick, Brooklyn, from Omaha, last year. “It’s not like I think I’m invincible, I’m 29, the world can’t touch me. It’s the very opposite of that. I’ve got to make rent and eat.”
With insurance out of reach, Mr. McElroy has taken to playing doctor, using online resources like WebMD, which offers medical news, descriptions of various diseases and drugs, and discussion groups. As he spoke, Mr. McElroy was icing his feet, which, one day in January, had become cripplingly painful; he was unable to walk.
“I think I have plantar fasciitis,” he said. “I’ve been laid out for two weeks.”
(Even if the Paterson proposal passes, Mr. McElroy, like Mr. Voris and Ms. Polec and her roommate, would not qualify because their parents live out of state.)
Internet diagnoses, self-medicating and trading prescriptions, of course, come with potentially dangerous side effects. Dr. Barbie Gatton, who has worked in emergency rooms throughout the city since 2002, said she often sees young people who have taken the wrong antibiotics borrowed from friends.
“We see people with urinary tract infections taking meds better suited for ear infections or pneumonia — the problem is, they haven’t really treated their illness, and they’re breeding resistance,” she explained. “Or they take pain medicine that masks the symptoms. And this allows the underlying problem to get worse and worse.”
There are clinics throughout the city that provide the young and uninsured free or cheap snippets of medical help, like the Community Healthcare Network mobile unit, which was parked in the East Village one snowy night. Lindsay Bellinger, 26, who does administrative work through a temp agency and lives in Astoria, Queens, said she relied on the mobile unit for pap smears and tests for sexually transmitted diseases.
“This takes care of gynecological work,” Ms. Bellinger said. “And I get a visit to the dentist from my parents as a Christmas gift.”
Levon Aaron, who has asthma and works as a bouncer at a West Village bar, has not had insurance since he was 19. Mr. Aaron, now 23, said that his asthma attacks had been less frequent since he began playing handball and working out, but they had not gone away. He tries to use his inhalers sparingly, but four times in the past year he has found himself out of medicine during a severe attack and landed in the emergency room.
In the hospital, he gets a prescription for a new inhaler, which costs about $30 to fill. But his outstanding bills total about $3,000, he said, an amount he cannot fathom paying.
Mr. Aaron was one of several young adults who said living without insurance meant trying to take better care of themselves.
“I’ve stopped eating fast food,” said Santiago Betancour, who is 19 and lives in Rosedale, Queens. “I’m eating rice, vegetables and fruits. And when I get sick, I exercise to sweat it off.”
Of course, there are those who do feel invincible, like Eric Williams, who is 24, unemployed and currently in the middle of a six-week snowboarding adventure in Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Utah, British Columbia and California. Mr. Williams said by cellphone near Bozeman, Mont., that he looked into buying health insurance before he left, but abandoned the idea after being unable to find anything for less than $400 a month. Instead, he is just trying to be careful, though not always with success.
“I’ve hit a couple of trees,” Mr. Williams said. “But I’m trying not to.”
This article made me a little bit sad. Honestly, the world is pretty bad if people have to result in setting their own bones and things of this sort. When did money become more important then health care?
News Article # 3
This kind of made me wonder about the police force. Unless they have someting to hide why is it a big deal?
Photographers angry at terror law
The photographers held a mass photo call in protest at the law
Hundreds of photographers have staged a protest outside Scotland Yard against a new law which they say could stop them taking pictures of the police.
The law makes it an offence to gather information on security personnel if that data could be used for a purpose linked to terrorism.
The National Union of Journalists said the law could be used to harass photographers working legitimately.
The Home Office said it was designed to protect counter-terrorism officers.
The NUJ wants the government to issue guidance to police forces on how exactly the law should be used by individual officers on the ground.
'Treated as terrorists'
The photographers, both professional and amateur, held a mass photo-call outside the Met Police headquarters at Scotland Yard on Monday.
They are angry at the introduction of Section 76 of the Counter Terrorism Act and argue it can be used by police to stop and search them in any situation.
The new offence is intended to help protect those in the front line of our counter terrorism operations from terrorist attack
Metropolitan Police
Is it a crime to take pictures?
It makes it an offence to "elicit, publish or communicate information" relating to members of the Armed Forces, intelligence services and police, which is "likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism".
Vice President of the NUJ Pete Murray said it was absurd to treat photographers as terrorists simply for doing their job.
"If the police officer isn't doing anything wrong then what are they worried about?" he told the BBC.
"I mean, we as citizens constantly get told that these extra security laws, terrorism laws, all of this surveillance stuff, is not a threat to us if we're not doing anything wrong.
"So why on earth it becomes a threat to a police officer to have a photographer, a working journalist, a photographer taking a picture of them is quite beyond me."
He said that even if an officer were in the background of a shot - for example, at a football match or street parade - "the photographer may end up on the wrong side of the law".
Peter Smyth, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, backed a call by Grimsby MP Austin Mitchell to introduce a formal code to clarify the position of both the police and photographers.
"Its aim should be to facilitate photography wherever possible, rather than seek reasons to bar it," he said.
Critics say the law will prevent them reporting on legitimate protests
"Police and photographers share the streets and the Met Federation earnestly wants to see them doing so harmoniously.
"As things stand, there is a real risk of photographers being hampered in carrying out their legitimate work and of police officers facing opprobrium for carrying out what they genuinely, if mistakenly, believe are duties imposed on them by the law."
'Reasonable suspicion'
In a statement, the Home Office said taking pictures of police officers would only be deemed an offence in "very exceptional circumstances".
"The new offence is intended to help protect those in the front line of our counter terrorism operations from terrorist attack," it said.
"For the offence to be committed, the information would have to raise a reasonable suspicion that it was intended to be used to provide practical assistance to terrorists."
The Home Office added that anyone accused under the act could defend themselves by proving they had "a reasonable excuse" for taking the picture.
Anyone convicted under Section 76 could face a fine or a maximum of 10 years' imprisonment.
Photographers angry at terror law
The photographers held a mass photo call in protest at the law
Hundreds of photographers have staged a protest outside Scotland Yard against a new law which they say could stop them taking pictures of the police.
The law makes it an offence to gather information on security personnel if that data could be used for a purpose linked to terrorism.
The National Union of Journalists said the law could be used to harass photographers working legitimately.
The Home Office said it was designed to protect counter-terrorism officers.
The NUJ wants the government to issue guidance to police forces on how exactly the law should be used by individual officers on the ground.
'Treated as terrorists'
The photographers, both professional and amateur, held a mass photo-call outside the Met Police headquarters at Scotland Yard on Monday.
They are angry at the introduction of Section 76 of the Counter Terrorism Act and argue it can be used by police to stop and search them in any situation.
The new offence is intended to help protect those in the front line of our counter terrorism operations from terrorist attack
Metropolitan Police
Is it a crime to take pictures?
It makes it an offence to "elicit, publish or communicate information" relating to members of the Armed Forces, intelligence services and police, which is "likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism".
Vice President of the NUJ Pete Murray said it was absurd to treat photographers as terrorists simply for doing their job.
"If the police officer isn't doing anything wrong then what are they worried about?" he told the BBC.
"I mean, we as citizens constantly get told that these extra security laws, terrorism laws, all of this surveillance stuff, is not a threat to us if we're not doing anything wrong.
"So why on earth it becomes a threat to a police officer to have a photographer, a working journalist, a photographer taking a picture of them is quite beyond me."
He said that even if an officer were in the background of a shot - for example, at a football match or street parade - "the photographer may end up on the wrong side of the law".
Peter Smyth, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, backed a call by Grimsby MP Austin Mitchell to introduce a formal code to clarify the position of both the police and photographers.
"Its aim should be to facilitate photography wherever possible, rather than seek reasons to bar it," he said.
Critics say the law will prevent them reporting on legitimate protests
"Police and photographers share the streets and the Met Federation earnestly wants to see them doing so harmoniously.
"As things stand, there is a real risk of photographers being hampered in carrying out their legitimate work and of police officers facing opprobrium for carrying out what they genuinely, if mistakenly, believe are duties imposed on them by the law."
'Reasonable suspicion'
In a statement, the Home Office said taking pictures of police officers would only be deemed an offence in "very exceptional circumstances".
"The new offence is intended to help protect those in the front line of our counter terrorism operations from terrorist attack," it said.
"For the offence to be committed, the information would have to raise a reasonable suspicion that it was intended to be used to provide practical assistance to terrorists."
The Home Office added that anyone accused under the act could defend themselves by proving they had "a reasonable excuse" for taking the picture.
Anyone convicted under Section 76 could face a fine or a maximum of 10 years' imprisonment.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
News Article # 2 (I thought this was freakin hilarious!)
1 man + 2 blow-up dolls = quite a scene at supermaket parking lot
I think I know what folks in Naples, Fla., are talking about -- the guy who was arrested for allegedly performing sex acts with two blow-up female dolls in his car at a supermarket parking lot.
Seems he attracted a crowd of onlookers. Hard to believe, right?
The market's manager called the police and when the officer arrived, the man got out his car and handed his wallet to the police officer.
“While standing at the vehicle I saw two undressed, flesh-colored, female-formed blow-up dolls, one in the rear seat and one in the front passenger seat,” Officer Jeffrey Karau wrote in the report.
The man told police he was in the parking lot so he could visit a nearby Target store to buy clothes for the dolls. He faces charges of trespassing after a warning and breach of the peace. A public lewdness charge is pending, police said.
If you'd like more details about the arrest, you can read the Naples Daily News story here.-- Lance Murray
I think I know what folks in Naples, Fla., are talking about -- the guy who was arrested for allegedly performing sex acts with two blow-up female dolls in his car at a supermarket parking lot.
Seems he attracted a crowd of onlookers. Hard to believe, right?
The market's manager called the police and when the officer arrived, the man got out his car and handed his wallet to the police officer.
“While standing at the vehicle I saw two undressed, flesh-colored, female-formed blow-up dolls, one in the rear seat and one in the front passenger seat,” Officer Jeffrey Karau wrote in the report.
The man told police he was in the parking lot so he could visit a nearby Target store to buy clothes for the dolls. He faces charges of trespassing after a warning and breach of the peace. A public lewdness charge is pending, police said.
If you'd like more details about the arrest, you can read the Naples Daily News story here.-- Lance Murray
News Article # 1
Texas may require ultrasound before abortion
By ANNA JO BRATTON
Associated Press Writer
LINCOLN, Neb. -- Abortion foes have a new tactic: The hope that women can't look away.
Lawmakers in 11 states are considering bills that would offer or require ultrasounds before a woman gets an abortion. The most stringent are proposed laws in Nebraska, Indiana and Texas, which would require a doctor show the ultrasound image of the fetus to the woman, despite legal challenges to a similar measure in Oklahoma.
A similar bill was proposed in Wyoming but was defeated in a state House committee before reaching the floor.
"Many times, these are young mothers who are in vulnerable situations. And they are about to make a very grave choice." said Nebraska Sen. Tony Fulton of Lincoln, who introduced the ultrasound bill (LB675) there. "This is about informed consent."
Sixteen states already have laws related to abortion ultrasounds, some requiring they be performed and others requiring a woman be told where she can get a free ultrasound.
But Oklahoma's law, which is being challenged in court, is the only one that requires the image to be presented to the woman, even if she refuses to look at it. It also requires the doctor to describe the picture.
Indiana's proposal requires the mother to listen to the fetal heartbeat.
Oklahoma's law was supposed to go into effect Nov. 1, but a judge put it on hold after the Center for Reproductive Rights filed a lawsuit saying it intrudes on privacy, endangers health and assaults dignity.
"They really do not even veil their goal, which is to make a woman feel badly and to make her change her mind," said Celine Mizrahi, a lawyer for the New York-based center. "It really is a ridiculous position to put the doctor and patient in."
Most women who have decided to terminate a pregnancy have made the decision after considering facts and options, Mizrahi said. And the medical procedure, she said, is between a doctor and a patient.
Fulton, who said he opposes abortion, also introduced a less restrictive bill (LB676) in Nebraska. It requires the physician performing the abortion to tell a woman an ultrasound is available, but it doesn't require the ultrasound to be performed.
Sen. Heath Mello, a Democrat who said he opposes abortion, signed on as a co-sponsor, calling the measure a "positive first step to reducing the number of abortions in Nebraska."
"It seemed like a good compromise, without bringing in the constitutional issues seen in other states," he said.
A similar compromise was reached last year in South Carolina, after more than a year of debate over whether to require a woman to view the ultrasound.
The bill's sponsor settled for a law requiring that women be given the option of viewing an ultrasound at least one hour before getting an abortion.
This year, there's legislation in South Carolina to make the waiting period 24 hours.
But even these less restrictive ultrasound laws - which can "seem less scary to folks who are pro-choice" - are troublesome, Mizrahi said.
For instance, they may require a referral to a place that offers ultrasounds for free.
Most of those, Mizrahi said, are so-called "crisis pregnancy centers," run by anti-abortion groups and "set up specifically to discourage women from having abortions."
Fulton's not sure yet which of his two bills is the best option, but he said they have the same goal.
"We all want to see the number of abortions decrease," he said. "Let's give this information to a mother who's about to make a huge decision."
By ANNA JO BRATTON
Associated Press Writer
LINCOLN, Neb. -- Abortion foes have a new tactic: The hope that women can't look away.
Lawmakers in 11 states are considering bills that would offer or require ultrasounds before a woman gets an abortion. The most stringent are proposed laws in Nebraska, Indiana and Texas, which would require a doctor show the ultrasound image of the fetus to the woman, despite legal challenges to a similar measure in Oklahoma.
A similar bill was proposed in Wyoming but was defeated in a state House committee before reaching the floor.
"Many times, these are young mothers who are in vulnerable situations. And they are about to make a very grave choice." said Nebraska Sen. Tony Fulton of Lincoln, who introduced the ultrasound bill (LB675) there. "This is about informed consent."
Sixteen states already have laws related to abortion ultrasounds, some requiring they be performed and others requiring a woman be told where she can get a free ultrasound.
But Oklahoma's law, which is being challenged in court, is the only one that requires the image to be presented to the woman, even if she refuses to look at it. It also requires the doctor to describe the picture.
Indiana's proposal requires the mother to listen to the fetal heartbeat.
Oklahoma's law was supposed to go into effect Nov. 1, but a judge put it on hold after the Center for Reproductive Rights filed a lawsuit saying it intrudes on privacy, endangers health and assaults dignity.
"They really do not even veil their goal, which is to make a woman feel badly and to make her change her mind," said Celine Mizrahi, a lawyer for the New York-based center. "It really is a ridiculous position to put the doctor and patient in."
Most women who have decided to terminate a pregnancy have made the decision after considering facts and options, Mizrahi said. And the medical procedure, she said, is between a doctor and a patient.
Fulton, who said he opposes abortion, also introduced a less restrictive bill (LB676) in Nebraska. It requires the physician performing the abortion to tell a woman an ultrasound is available, but it doesn't require the ultrasound to be performed.
Sen. Heath Mello, a Democrat who said he opposes abortion, signed on as a co-sponsor, calling the measure a "positive first step to reducing the number of abortions in Nebraska."
"It seemed like a good compromise, without bringing in the constitutional issues seen in other states," he said.
A similar compromise was reached last year in South Carolina, after more than a year of debate over whether to require a woman to view the ultrasound.
The bill's sponsor settled for a law requiring that women be given the option of viewing an ultrasound at least one hour before getting an abortion.
This year, there's legislation in South Carolina to make the waiting period 24 hours.
But even these less restrictive ultrasound laws - which can "seem less scary to folks who are pro-choice" - are troublesome, Mizrahi said.
For instance, they may require a referral to a place that offers ultrasounds for free.
Most of those, Mizrahi said, are so-called "crisis pregnancy centers," run by anti-abortion groups and "set up specifically to discourage women from having abortions."
Fulton's not sure yet which of his two bills is the best option, but he said they have the same goal.
"We all want to see the number of abortions decrease," he said. "Let's give this information to a mother who's about to make a huge decision."
Monday, February 2, 2009
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