Millions of dollars in drugs seized, 70 arrested in Arizona

At least 70 suspected drug smugglers with alleged ties to the powerful Sinaloa cartel have been arrested in Arizona, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.
The massive take-down of the drug trafficking network in Arizona included arrests of Mexican and U.S. suspects who allegedly smuggled more than 330 tons of illegal narcotics a year through Arizona.
More than 20 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies were involved in the 17-month multiagency investigation called Operation Pipeline Express. Speaking at a news conference Monday in Phoenix, law enforcement officials said the organization was responsible for smuggling more than $33 million worth of drugs a month.
"Today, we have dealt a significant blow to a Mexican criminal enterprise that has been responsible for poisoning our communities with the distribution of millions of dollars' worth of marijuana, cocaine and heroin," Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne said. "I find it completely unacceptable that Arizona neighborhoods are treated as a trading floor for narcotics."
Officials say the ring, organized around cells based in the Arizona communities of Chandler, Stanfield and Maricopa, used backpackers and vehicles to move loads of marijuana and other drugs from the Arizona-Mexico border to a network of "stash" houses in the Phoenix area. After arriving in Phoenix, the contraband was sold to distributors from multiple states nationwide.
Law enforcement officials seized thousands of pounds of marijuana, cocaine and heroin in a series of raids. They also seized more than 100 weapons, including multiple assault rifles and ammunition.
Authorities say the organization has been around for at least five years. According to a news release, officials say they "conservatively estimate the ring has smuggled more than 3.3 million pounds of marijuana, 20,000 pounds of cocaine and 10,000 pounds of heroin into to the United States, generating almost $2 billion in illicit proceeds."
for more detail visit cnn.news.com

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Judge moves to revoke Lindsay Lohan's probation

Lindsay Lohan was jailed briefly Wednesday after a judge admonished — and occasionally mocked — the actress for "blowing off" her court-ordered community service, but there are doubts she will spend additional time behind bars despite her numerous probation violations.

L.A.'s jails are increasingly being filled with felons because of a controversial new law under which convicts who normally would be housed in state prisons are locked up locally instead.

"The jails are going to be filled with felons," said Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner, noting that because of jailhouse crowding that might not be a good option.

Sautner sought to revoke Lohan's probation Wednesday after she was kicked out of a community service program at a downtown women's shelter for repeatedly failing to show up.

The actress was taken away in handcuffs after Sautner launched into Lohan for her casual attitude toward her assigned community service. Lohan has completed only 21 hours of the 360 hours she was ordered to serve at the women's shelter. Lohan also was ordered to complete 120 hours of service at the county morgue.

Aware that Lohan probably would post her $100,000 bail, Sautner ordered the actress to immediately begin community service at the county morgue. Lohan must work there at least two days a week pending a Nov. 2 probation revocation hearing.

Lohan's attorney said her client would be at the morgue starting Thursday.

Sautner hinted that with jail overcrowding and the increase in felons being returned to local jails, where Lohan has served four short stints only to be released early each time, putting her behind bars might not be a good solution.

When Sautner gave Lohan a 120-day jail sentence for shoplifting early this year, she ended up serving only 35 days under house arrest because of jail overcrowding.

"If jail meant something in the state of California now, maybe I'd put her in jail," Sautner said.Sautner blasted Lohan during the 40-minute hearing, taking note that the actress had told probation officials that she did not find the work at the women's shelter to be "fulfilling."

"Her words: 'The service was not fulfilling.' Is that what a sentence is about? To fulfill the defendant?" Then she answered her own question: "No."

The judge also questioned how Lohan complied with her court-ordered weekly psychological counseling when she was working in Europe from Sept. 9 to Oct. 5.

Lohan's attorney, Shawn Holley, said the actress "had to earn a living to support herself and her family" and her opportunities are in Europe. Overall, Holley said, the actress' probation report was positive.

"We are dealing with someone on probation," Holley said. "Most people on probation don't always do things perfectly."
Source: latimes.com

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Wall Street protests hitting home with everyday Americans

The Occupy Wall Street demonstrators have been criticized for being permanent protesters, hippies and excitement seekers who can be ignored because they have no specific agenda.

But when I went to Zuccotti Park to listen to them, I heard something familiar: the same anger, betrayal and distrust of Wall Street that I am hearing broadly from readers of my column. And while it might make the financial industry more comfortable to portray the protesters as outside the mainstream, they and millions of Americans with the same gripes are having an impact. People are yanking money from stocks and mutual funds, dumping their brokers and their banks, and closing credit cards in disgust.Astute bankers, fund managers and financial advisers understand this, or at least they should. While the protesters in New York, Chicago and elsewhere may look like scenes out of the Vietnam War protest era, and include more than their share of '60s activists, they are tapping into a deeply rooted sentiment with repercussions for society and the financial business.

As you enter the Zuccotti Park, you meet a senior citizen strumming protest songs he says he's been singing at demonstrations for five decades. And next to him is Fran Geteles, in a green T-shirt from the women's movement. "I'm so happy we found our voice" after a long drought in activism since the Vietnam War, she said.

But alongside these longtime protesters are everyday Americans like Sean Higgins, who worries about the financial stress he's seen in his home as well as his own potentially bleak future. As he finishes creating a sign saying, "When your credit runs out you will march with us," he explains that he's been working full time while going to college, because his mother hasn't been able to find a job for two years and his father has struggled with a small business.

As he completes a journalism and sociology degree at Westfield State University in Massachusetts, he wonders how he will cover $20,000 in college loans when there are so few jobs.
source: chicagotribune.com

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Obama jobs roadshow seeks to tap anti-Wall St anger

President Barack Obama will seek to tap into public anger at Wall Street excess to turn up the heat on congressional Republicans as he embarks on a campaign-style bus tour on Monday to rally support for his stalled jobs package.
Hitting the road for the next three days, Obama heads to North Carolina and Virginia, both vital to his 2012 re-election chances, with an increasingly populist approach aimed at winning passage of at least parts of his $447 billion jobs plan.
His visits to two pivotal Southern states come against the backdrop of protests against corporate greed and economic inequality that began weeks ago in New York and have spread to other cities, inspiring global "Day of Rage" demonstrations against the world financial system over the weekend.
Obama -- whose poll numbers have fallen over his handling of the stagnant economy and high unemployment -- has voiced sympathy with the grievances of the "Occupy Wall Street" movement but has done so cautiously, not least because of his own economic team's ties to the financial industry.
"The president will continue to acknowledge the frustration that he himself shares about the need for Washington to do more to support our economic recovery and to ensure that the interest of the 99 percent of Americans is well-represented," spokesman Josh Earnest said when asked whether Obama would offer a message for Wall Street protesters on his trip south.
The Democratic president wants to step up the pressure
on Republicans as he tries to push through his jobs package piece by piece, starting this week after his full plan went down to defeat in Congress last week.
With election races looming, Obama's strategy is to force Republicans to give ground or be painted as obstructionists more interested in shielding "millionaires and billionaires" -- "the 1 percent" -- from paying their fair share of taxes.
Republicans say Obama's original package was laden with wasteful spending and job-killing tax hikes for wealthy Americans. They have accused him of demonizing them and promoting "class warfare" instead of working with them to find areas of agreement.
In the Republicans' weekend radio address, Representative Kevin McCarthy urged Obama to "come off the campaign trail and get to work."
The deadlock over the jobs bill has raised concerns that political dysfunction in Washington will prevent any major steps to spur hiring before the November 2012 elections.
source: reuters.com

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US drone strikes kill 4 in Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan - Missiles from US drone aircraft killed four people in a northwestern Pakistani region controlled by the Haqqani militant network yesterday, a day after a similar attack there killed a top commander of the group, Pakistani officials said.

The identities of the dead in the North Waziristan region were not known, the officials said.

The four were riding in a car close to Miran Shah town, the main base of the Haqqani network, when two missiles struck, said the officials, who did not give their names because they were not allowed to brief reporters.

US intelligence believes the Haqqanis are the top threat to security in Afghanistan and that they enjoy the support of the Pakistani Army.

It wants the army to sever its ties and attack the group, something that the government refuses to do. The issue is a main cause of tensions between the two countries.

On Thursday, a missile attack close to Miran Shah killed Janbaz Zadran, who US officials said was a top commander in the network who helped orchestrate attacks in Kabul and southeastern Afghanistan.

They said he was the most senior Haqqani leader in Pakistan to be killed.
source: boston.com

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Occupy Wall Street braces for showdown

Reporting from New York—Wall Street protesters were preparing Thursday for a confrontation with authorities who are expected to enforce new rules in the Lower Manhattan park where the demonstrators have been camped out for almost a month.

The protesters were told to clear out while Brookfield Office Properties Inc., the owner of Zuccotti Park, power-washes the area Friday morning. But company representatives — accompanied by police — handed out leaflets Thursday notifying the protesters that they could return only if they abide by new rules, which include no tents, tarps or sleeping bags on the ground, no lying on benches and no storing of personal property on the ground.

A confrontation also appeared to be brewing in San Diego, where police ordered protesters to remove tents and other property from the plaza behind City Hall by midnight Thursday or face arrest.

Occupy Wall Street's website sent supporters a call for help.

"For those of you who plan to help us hold our ground — which we hope will be all of you — make sure you understand the possible consequences," the post said. "Be prepared to not get much sleep. Be prepared for possible arrest.... We are pursuing all possible strategies; this is a message of solidarity."

The protesters also accused Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of using the cleaning as a ruse to shut down their activity.

A protest spokesman emailed supporters urging them to show up at 6 a.m. Friday "to defend the occupation from eviction."

Some had already tried Thursday to do their part to clean up, washing down benches and the stone flooring and replanting trampled flower beds.
for more detail visit latimes.com

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Train crash in Calif. station injures 16 people

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – An Amtrak train crashed into another train unloading passengers in an Oakland station late Wednesday, injuring 16 people, authorities said.

The train was traveling an estimated 15 to 20 miles per hour when it struck the stationary Amtrak passenger train about 10 p.m., said Oakland Fire Department battalion chief Emon Usher.

Most of the injuries were minor, but several people were taken to local hospitals, Usher said.

Amtrak spokesman Cliff Cole described the crash as it as a "low speed" collision between Amtrak's "San Joaquin," a train that operates between Bakersfield to Oakland, and the Coast Starlight, a train from Los Angeles to Seattle

He said the wheels of each lead engine went off the track.

Authorities said there were injured on both trains, but there was no breakdown on how many from each.

Alton Smith, a passenger on one of the trains, told television station KTVU that he felt "an awful jolt" from the impact.

About two hours after the crash, about 50 passengers were gathered inside the train terminal, talking to Amtrak officials, while Amtrak and local officials inspected the two trains.

There was no immediate word on what caused the crash, which is under investigation.

Amtrak officials said train traffic has been temporarily suspended at the station.

Passengers who paid for travel on canceled trains can contact Amtrak to receive refund without fee or penalty, according to Amtrak.

The crash is the second significant incident in two weeks in the San Francisco East Bay area where there were injuries to Amtrak passengers.

source: usatoday.com

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Gunman kills 8 at Seal Beach salon

A gunman apparently enraged over a custody dispute walked into a crowded Seal Beach hair salon where his former wife worked and opened fire, killing eight people and critically wounding another person in the deadliest shooting in Orange County history.

The attacker sprayed Salon Meritage with gunfire Wednesday afternoon as victims fell to the floor and those who could escape ran onto the street or hid in neighboring businesses in the bustling area of trendy restaurants and shops along Pacific Coast Highway, authorities and witnesses said. The gunman continued firing outside, where he shot one man who apparently tried to flee in a Range Rover.

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President Obama jobs bill fails to pass Senate

President Obama loses job bill vote: Sen. Ben Nelson arrives at the Capitol for the vote on President Barack Obama's jobs bill, which later failed in the Democrat-controlled Senate at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday. Nelson did not support the President Obama on the bill.
Senate Republicans voted Tuesday night to kill the jobs package President Barack Obama had spent weeks campaigning for across the country, a stinging loss at the hands of lawmakers opposed to stimulus-style spending and a tax increase on the very wealthy.
The $447 billion plan died on a 50-49 tally that garnered a majority of the 100-member Senate but fell well short of the 60 votes needed to keep the bill alive. The tally had been 51-48, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid switched his vote to "nay" so that he could force a future revote.
The demise of Obama's jobs package was expected, despite his campaign-style efforts to swing the public behind it. The White House and leaders in Congress were already moving on to alternative ways to address the nation's painful 9.1 percent unemployment, including breaking the legislation into smaller, more digestible pieces and approving long-stalled trade bills.
source: csmonitor.com

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Thousands in Chicago protest financial industry

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Thousands of people including teachers, religious leaders and union workers marched in downtown Chicago on Monday to voice mounting anger over joblessness and income inequality in protests that snarled rush-hour traffic.
Chanting "We are the 99 percent" and "Tax, tax, tax the rich," some demonstrators marched on Michigan Avenue and gathered outside the Chicago Art Institute where a U.S. futures industry trade group was holding an evening cocktail reception.
Others marched outside a luxury hotel near to where the American Mortgage Bankers Association was holding a meeting downtown.
Five separate "feeder marches" -- which converged into one giant march up Michigan Ave -- were inspired by, but not formally affiliated with, the Occupy Wall Street movement that began in New York last month and sparked smaller protests nationwide.
Police estimated a crowd of around 3,000 protesters at the events, organized by the "Stand Up Chicago" coalition with the stated goal of reclaiming "our jobs, our homes and our schools," according to the group's website.
"We really want to highlight the role the financial industry has played," said Adam Kader of Arise Chicago, an interfaith workers' rights group and part of the coalition.
"They're here in our backyard, so this is the time to send a message about how we're really hurting," he added, saying the demonstration would focus on foreclosures, unemployment and lack of municipal funding for key services.
Police arrested 26 demonstrators, many wearing Chicago Teachers Union T-shirts, who linked arms and sat down in Monroe Street as they chanted "Save our schools, save our homes!" They were ticketed and released. Another demonstrator was arrested and faces a charge of battery on a police officer.
source: ca.reuters.com

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Former Washington Gov. Rosellini dies at age 101

Former Washington Gov. Albert Rosellini, a son of Italian immigrants who became the oldest living former governor in America, died Monday. He was 101.

A Democrat who always wore a rosebud on his lapel, Rosellini served as governor for eight years ending in 1965. His tenure in office was defined by efforts to reform state prisons and modernize mental health institutions while shepherding through the creation of the 520 floating bridge that now bears his name.

Rosellini's daughter, Lynn, recalled how he was able to connect with voters so quickly because of his ability to identify with average people and his interest in their concerns.

"He always said if he shook somebody's hand it was a vote," Lynn Rosellini said. "He would look at you like there was nobody else in the room."

The family said Rosellini's health had declined in recent weeks because of pneumonia. He died at a retirement community in Seattle.

Albert Dean Rosellini was born in Tacoma in 1910 and developed his characteristic work ethic as a child. He remembered selling newspapers at age 9 while also doing odd jobs for a woman for a penny a day.

He was a boxer in college and took three jobs to put himself through school, working as a butcher in Pike Place Market, working on an Alaska steamer and law clerking.

source: blueridgenow.com

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