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Thousands Of Teachers Walk Out Demanding Pay, Funding Increases

Thousands of teachers in Oklahoma and Kentucky walked out of class Monday and marched to their state capitols — demanding higher wages and more funding — after years of paying out of their own pockets for school supplies.

“We have no choice but to be here,” explained Jeffrey Peeno, a Kentucky art teacher who donned a Guy Fawkes mask and carried a sign saying, “Vote for Vendetta.”

“We have to represent what we do,” he told the Lexington Herald-Leader.

More than 30,000 educators went on strike Monday and headed to their state capitols in an attempt to turn local lawmakers on to their cause.

They were following in the footsteps of teachers in West Virginia, who walked out of class last month and were able to win a pay raise.

Oklahoma’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister, center, applauds during a teacher rally at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City.

“We’ve had teachers leaving for years, and now it’s getting so bad the kids want to leave, too,” said Oklahoma teacher Brian Davis, who spoke to CBS News and said he earns less than $42,000.

“You’ve worked 20 years. What do you tell teachers who are just starting?” he asked. “I don’t know what to tell them.”

Kentucky teacher Irma Jones said she walked out Monday in support of her students, many of whom are forced to put up with terrible conditions due to the dire need for school funding.

“I didn’t get in this for the pension, I got into it to teach kids,” she told the Herald-Leader.

The demonstrations came just days after Republican lawmakers in Kentucky attached a revised pension plan to a local sewage bill in a move that angered many throughout the state.

A crowd listens to speeches protesting low student funding in Oklahoma.

“When they pass this with the sewage bill, it tells us exactly what we need to know about what they think of us,” Peeno said.

If signed into law, the legislation would raise the lifetime work years for Kentucky teachers and put them into a new cash-balance plan instead of a traditional pension.

“For too long it’s been where we kind of sat back and let things happen — and our kids are suffering,” a speaker said Monday at a teacher rally in the Bluegrass State. “So for that so we need to stand up for them.”

While Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin did sign legislation last week — granting teachers pay raises of more than $6,000, or roughly 15 to 18 percent — many felt it wasn’t enough.

“If I didn’t have a second job, I’d be on food stamps,” said third-grade educator Rae Lovelace, who spoke to the Associated Press.

“I have to work that second job because I’m a single mom with a teenage daughter,” she said.

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Thousands Of Teachers Walk Out Demanding Pay, Funding Increases was originally published on Austin Daily Globe

Moms Of Family Who Drove Off Cliff Have Dark History Of Abuse

The moms who fatally veered off a California cliff with at least three of their six adopted kids were being investigated for starving their children before Monday’s crash — and one was previously convicted of domestic assault for hitting their little girl, according to news reports.

Cops say they still have no evidence Jennifer and Sarah Hart deliberately drove their SUV off the road — but have noted that there were no skid or brake marks where the vehicle went over. Three of the kids’ bodies had been found as of Thursday morning, while the others — including 15-year-old Devonte, whose image went viral after he was photographed tearfully hugging a white cop at a 2014 protest in Ferguson, Missouri — remain missing.

Jennifer and Sarah Hart

The Harts’ Washington state neighbors say they’d recently called Child Protective Services after Devonte kept showing up at their house, claiming his parents “weren’t feeding them” and were “punishing them by withholding food” — and asked them to leave food by the fence so his parents wouldn’t know, the Oregonian reports. Officials say they tried unsuccessfully to reach the family three times to investigate — but the neighbors say the family fled when a CPS worker showed up at their door Friday.

“The next morning when we saw that the vehicle was gone, and then Sunday morning when it still wasn’t there, we figured something was off,” Bruce DeKalb told local NBC affiliate KGW.

Last year, one of the Harts’ daughters also rang their doorbell at 1:30 a.m., accusing her moms of abuse.

She “was at our door in a blanket saying we needed to protect her,” DeKalb said. “She said that they were abusing her.”

The Hart family in a March 2016 photo

It wasn’t the first time they’d faced charges of abuse: In 2011, when the family was living in Minnesota, Sarah pleaded guilty to domestic assault after their then-6-year-old daughter told her teacher she had “owies on her tummy.”

When the teacher lifted up the tot’s shirt, she saw the girl had bruises across her stomach and back, KATU reports. Sarah told police that she was spanking the child and “let her anger get out of control.”

“She took [the girl] into the bathroom and bent her over the edge of the bathtub,” the criminal complaint says.

Sarah received a three-month suspended jail sentence and a year of probation, according to the Oregonian.

The vehicle (lower right) plunged about 100 feet off a cliff, killing all five passengers.

The Harts later moved to Oregon and began homeschooling their brood, but relocated to rural Woodland, Wash., last year after Devonte’s viral image brought heavy media scrutiny on their family — including the 2011 abuse charges, the paper reports.

The kids rarely went outside, even in nice weather, a former Oregon neighbor said.

“Something just didn’t seem right. They were very isolated in the home,” Bill Groener told the Oregonian.

The bodies of Jennifer and Sarah and their kids Markis, 19, Jeremiah, 14, and Abigail, 14, were all found with the family’s vehicle when it was spotted off a coastal highway in Northern California on Monday.

Hannah, 16, and Sierra, 12, remain missing along with Devonte.

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Moms Of Family Who Drove Off Cliff Have Dark History Of Abuse was originally published on Austin Daily Globe

Another Tiger Woods Breakup Is Getting Ugly

The Masters isn’t the only thing Tiger Woods has to worry about this week.

Kristin Smith, who dated golf’s emerging comeback star from 2015 to 2017, is in arbitration with Woods, 42, over a non-disclosure agreement, sources tell TMZ.

Tiger Woods and Kristin Smith

Smith is said to have ended the romance after suspecting Woods had been unfaithful. The golfer, who sought treatment for sex addiction in 2010, allegedly offered his former lady love money to sign an NDA in hopes of avoiding another public scandal. According to the gossip site, stylish Smith accepted it but is now hoping to break it, claiming it cannot be enforced.

Woods, it appears, won’t go down without a fight, as insiders note to the site that the father of two is threatening to unveil curious photos of Smith should she not adhere to the terms of their prior agreement. Legal teams are now reportedly involved.

Woods’ first marriage, to Elin Nordegren, crumbled in catastrophic fashion, as a result of his infidelity in late 2009. The pair finalized their divorce in 2010.

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Another Tiger Woods Breakup Is Getting Ugly was originally published on Austin Daily Globe

Pilots Say They Spotted UFOs While Flying Over Arizona

Two commercial pilots flying over the Arizona desert claim they saw an unidentified flying object pass overhead, according to a radio broadcast released by the Federal Aviation Administration.

A Learjet pilot and an American Airlines pilot saw the object on February 24 and radioed the regional air traffic controller in Albuquerque.

“Was anybody, uh, above us that passed us like 30 seconds ago?” the Learjet pilot said in the brief exchange.

“Negative,” the air traffic controller replied.

“Okay,” the pilot said. “Something did.”

“A UFO!” someone quickly responded.

“Yeah,” the pilot replied again with a chuckle.

A second sighting

Minutes later, the FAA controller alerted an American Airlines plane that was flying in the area, according to the recording released by the FAA.

“American 1095, uh, let me know if, uh, you anything passes over you here in the next, uh, 15 miles,” an air traffic controller said.

“Let you know if anything passes over?” the pilot responded.

“American 1095, affirmative,” the controller said. “We had an aircraft in front of you that reported something pass over him and, uh, we didn’t have any targets. So just, uh, let me know if you see anything pass over you.”

“Alright,” the pilot said.

Shortly, the pilot radioed traffic control also reporting the mysterious object.

“It’s American 1095. Yeah, something just passed over us,” the pilot said. “I don’t know what it was, but at least two-three thousand feet above us. Yeah, it passed right over the top of us.”

The American Airlines jet, an Airbus A321, was flying from San Diego to Dallas, according to FlightRadar24.

American Airlines referred all questions to the FAA.

It’s unclear whether the object spotted by the pilots was a UFO. An FAA spokesperson suggested the object wasn’t necessarily something out of this world.

“We have a close working relationship with a number of other agencies and safely handle military aircraft and civilian aircraft of all types in that area every day, including high-altitude weather balloons,” the FAA spokesperson said.

The controller was unable to verify that any other aircraft was in the area at the time, the FAA said.

Was it a weather balloon?

A pilot said he did not believe the object could be a weather balloon.

When the air controller asked more about the object, the American Airlines pilot said he wasn’t sure “whether it was a balloon or whatnot.”

He only described it as having “a big reflection,” and “traveling several thousand feet above us, going the opposite direction.”

The strange encounter happened not far from Roswell, New Mexico — a town that became synonymous with extraterrestrial activity in 1947 after reports that a flying object crash-landed in a field.

Authorities said it was a weather balloon but that hasn’t stopped plenty of Americans from coming up with their own out-of-this-world theories.

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Pilots Say They Spotted UFOs While Flying Over Arizona was originally published on Austin Daily Globe

US To Require Would-Be Immigrants To Turn Over Social Media Handles

The Trump administration plans to require immigrants applying to come to the United States to submit five years of social media history, it announced Thursday, setting up a potential scouring of their Twitter and Facebook histories.

The move follows the administration’s emphasis on “extreme vetting” of would-be immigrants to the US, and is an extension of efforts by the previous administration to more closely scrutinize social media after the San Bernardino terrorist attack. According to notices submitted by the State Department on Thursday, set for formal publication on Friday, the government plans to require nearly all visa applicants to the US to submit five years of social media handles for specific platforms identified by the government — and with an option to list handles for other platforms not explicitly required.

The administration expects the move to affect nearly 15 million would-be immigrants to the United States, according to the documents. That would include applicants for legal permanent residency. There are exemptions for diplomatic and official visas, the State Department said. The decision will not take effect immediately — the publication of the planned change to visa applications on Friday will start a 60-day clock for the public to comment on the move.

The potential scouring of social media postings by potential immigrants is sure to rankle privacy and civil liberties advocates, who have been vocal in opposing such moves going back to efforts by the Obama administration to collect such information on a more selective and voluntary basis. Critics complain the moves, amid broader efforts by the administration, are not only invasive on privacy grounds, but also effectively limit legal immigration to the US by slowing the process down, making it more burdensome and making it more difficult to be accepted for a visa.

Federal authorities argue the moves are necessary for national security. In addition to requiring the five years of social media history, the application will also ask for previous telephone numbers, email addresses, prior immigration violations and any family history of involvement in terrorist activities, according to the notice. Since its early days, the administration has been telegraphing a desire to more closely dig through the backgrounds and social media histories of foreign travelers, but Thursday’s move is the first time that it will formally require virtually all applicants to come to the US to disclose that information.

After the San Bernardino terrorist attack in 2015, greater attention was placed on immigrants’ social media use, when it was revealed that one of the attackers had advocated jihad in posts on a private social media account under a pseudonym that authorities did not find before allowing her to come to the US. The move by the Trump administration stops short of requiring passwords or access to those social media accounts, although then-Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly suggested last year that it was being considered. The administration has been pursuing “extreme vetting” of foreigners as a centerpiece of its immigration and national security policy, including through the contentious travel ban that remains the subject of heavy litigation.

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US To Require Would-Be Immigrants To Turn Over Social Media Handles was originally published on Austin Daily Globe

Convicted Felon Shot, Killed By Homeowner During Tennessee Home Invasion: Cops

An attempted robbery of a Tennessee home Wednesday night turned deadly when the homeowner fatally shot one of the alleged robbers, who was a convicted felon.

Terry Adams, Jr., 27, died Wednesday night in Nashville during a home invasion, the Metro Nashville Police Department said in a news release.

Adams, along with another robber who remains at large, allegedly entered the home of 43-year-old Brent Bishop through a back door and hit his wife in the face.

Bishop, according to police, saw the rear door was open and went to the kitchen, before then being “struck on the head with a blunt object.” The man was ordered to hand over “three long guns and a pistol” from a safe, which the robbers left with.

Looking for his wife — who had fled to a neighbor’s house — Bishop got a pistol from another room and went outside to look for her when he once again met Adams and his partner.

Police said that Bishop fired shots at the two, “fatally wounding Adams.” The second robber “dropped the long guns and the pistol that had been taken from the safe and ran away.”

Adams, who’s had convictions of auto burglary, attempted burglary, felony theft and aggravated assault, is a suspect in a Feb. 6 burglary at Bishop’s home, in which a flat screen TV was stolen.

The now-deceased robber had been arrested in July 2017 for felony meth possession for resale and unlawful gun possession by a convicted felon and was being sought by authorities for two probation violation warrants.

Bishop was hospitalized with a skull fracture from the incident. The second robber who fled the scene remains at large.

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Convicted Felon Shot, Killed By Homeowner During Tennessee Home Invasion: Cops was originally published on Austin Daily Globe

Woman In ‘Romantic’ Relationship With Brother Charged After Giving Birth: Cops

A Florida woman reportedly in a “romantic sexual relationship” with her brother was charged after giving birth to his baby, officials said.

Pauline Elizabeth Martin

Pauline Elizabeth Martin, 33, told investigators she and her brother were living as a couple in Groveland when she became pregnant with his child, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

Authorities said they began investigating the woman, who is a McDonald’s cashier, after the baby was born Nov. 21 with “severe medical problems.”

The newborn was immediately transferred to get specialized care at Winnie Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, where genetic testing revealed the parents were related, the Daily Commercial reported.

Neither parent completed the information on the baby’s birth certificate, according to authorities.

Deputies interviewed the mom at her workplace last week in Leesburg, and she allegedly admitted she has been romantically involved with her brother for the past five years. The siblings reportedly last had sex March 21.

“She said she was going to end her relationship with her brother because she knows it is wrong,” the police report stated, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Martin was arrested Friday on charges of incest and resisting without violence, according to court records. She was released the following day from Lake County Jail on $3,000 bond.

The mom is next scheduled to appear in court April 16.

Officials said they plan to speak to her brother but have been unable to track him down, the Daily Commercial reported.

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Woman In ‘Romantic’ Relationship With Brother Charged After Giving Birth: Cops was originally published on Austin Daily Globe

Pope Francis Had A Bold Message For Young People

Pope Francis, starting Holy Week services leading to Easter, urged young people on Sunday to keep shouting and not allow the older generations to silence their voices or anesthetize their idealism.

Francis spoke a day after hundreds of thousands of young Americans and their supporters answered a call to action from survivors of last month’s Florida high school massacre and rallied across the United States to demand tighter gun laws. He did not mention the demonstrations.

Pope Francis blesses faithful gathered to attend the Palm Sunday Mass in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican

The 81-year-old Roman Catholic leader led a long and solemn Palm Sunday service before tens of thousands in St. Peter’s Square, many of them young people there for the Catholic Church’s World Day of Youth.

Carrying a woven palm branch known as a “palmurello,” Francis led a procession in front of the largest church in Christendom to commemorate the day the Bible says Jesus rode into Jerusalem and was hailed as a savior, only to be crucified five days later.

Drawing on biblical parallels, Francis urged the young people in the crowd not to let themselves be manipulated.

“The temptation to silence young people has always existed,” Francis said in the homily of a Mass.

“There are many ways to silence young people and make them invisible. Many ways to anesthetize them, to make them keep quiet, ask nothing, question nothing. There are many ways to sedate them, to keep them from getting involved, to make their dreams flat and dreary, petty and plaintive,” he said.

“Dear young people, you have it in you to shout,” he told young people, urging them to be like the people who welcomed Jesus with palms rather than those who shouted for his crucifixion only days later.

“It is up to you not to keep quiet. Even if others keep quiet, if we older people and leaders, some corrupt, keep quiet, if the whole world keeps quiet and loses its joy, I ask you: Will you cry out?”

The young people in the crowd shouted, “Yes!”

While Francis did not mention Saturday’s marches in the United States, he has often condemned weapons manufacturing and mass shootings.

Palm Sunday marked the start of a hectic week of activities for the pope.

On Holy Thursday he is due to preside at two services, including one in which he will wash the feet of 12 inmates in a Rome jail to commemorate Jesus’ gesture of humility toward his apostles the night before he died.

On Good Friday, he is due to lead a Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) procession at Rome’s Colosseum. On Saturday night he leads an Easter vigil service and on Easter Sunday he delivers his twice-yearly “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) message.

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Pope Francis Had A Bold Message For Young People was originally published on Austin Daily Globe

Woman, 24, Stabbed By Syrian Refugee In Germany

A 24-year-old woman is fighting for her life after being stabbed during a fight with a group of Syrian child refugees near Hanover, Germany.

The woman and a friend had gotten into an argument with two boys, aged 13 and 14, in a supermarket in the small town of Burgwedel near Hanover on Saturday evening.

The pair met the teens again on their way home, at which point they had been joined by a 17-year-old and the argument between the woman’s 25-year-old friend and the Syrians escalated.

Attack: Blood can be seen on the sidewalk near a supermarket where a woman was stabbed during and argument between her friend, 25, and three teenagers

Local media reports that the 24-year-old had stepped in to calm the combatants down when she was stabbed by the 17-year-old.

All three teenagers fled the scene but were soon caught by police.

The 17-year-old appeared before a court on Sunday and has been charged with attempted murder.

Incident: The stabbing took place in the small town of Burgwedel near Hanover, Germany

The nationality of the woman, who remains in critical condition, and her friend are not known.

Knife crimes are spiking in Germany; a fortnight ago a 17-year-old Afghan boy was arrested for murdering his 16-year-old girlfriend in Flensburg with a switchblade.

Police report in all 16 states that the number of attacks is on the rise.

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Woman, 24, Stabbed By Syrian Refugee In Germany was originally published on Austin Daily Globe

Fla. Woman Allegedly Attacked Her Husband After He Forgot Their Wedding Anniversary

Florida authorities say a local woman was charged Wednesday with domestic battery after allegedly attacking her husband because he had forgotten their wedding anniversary, PEOPLE confirms.

According to an incident report from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, 35-year-old Carol Stone’s husband called 911 Wednesday evening following an alleged physical altercation that occurred inside their Zephyrhills home.

The fight capped a day of arguing sparked by the husband’s alleged admission he’d forgotten their marital milestone, the incident report shows.

The bickering began when the husband called his wife from work and in their conversation confessed his lapse in memory.

Later, he returned home with a rose and a promise to take Stone away for the weekend, the report states. But Stone allegedly “smacked the victim multiple times” in his head and face, leaving him with minor scratches and bruises.

She allegedly told authorities she struck her husband after he shoved her to the floor. And, the incident report claims, she told police he had abused her in the past and that she was tired of it and “flipped” out on the victim.

However, according to investigators, Stone’s husband recorded the encounter with his phone and showed the footage to police

The video allegedly refuted Stone’s claims she was pushed by her husband and exposed other discrepancies in her account of the events leading up to the alleged battery, according to the report.

After her arrest, Stone posted $150 bond and was released. Attempts to reach her and her attorney for comment was unsuccessful Friday.

It was unclear if she has entered a plea to the charge against her.

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Fla. Woman Allegedly Attacked Her Husband After He Forgot Their Wedding Anniversary was originally published on Austin Daily Globe

Texas Teen Was Beaten, Had Hot Cooking Oil Poured On Her After Refusing Arranged Marriage: Police

Parents of a Texas high school student who was reported missing in late January had abused their daughter after she refused an arranged marriage, leading her to run away from home until she was found in mid-March, police said.

Texas teen was beaten, had hot cooking oil poured on her after refusing arranged marriage: police

Maarib Al Hishmawi, 16, was reported missing on Jan. 30 after she was last seen leaving Taft High School in Bexar County. She was located in mid-March when she was taken in by an organization that cared for her after she ran away, KSAT reported.

Authorities on Friday said Al Hishmawi’s parents — Abdulah Fahmi Al Hishmawi, 34, and Hamdiyah Saha Al Hishmawi, 33 — had allegedly beaten their daughter with a broomstick and poured hot cooking oil on her when she refused to marry a man in another city. The parents reportedly agreed to the arranged marriage in exchange for $20,000.

Abdulah Fahmi Al Hishmawi, 34, and Hamdiyah Saha Al Hishmawi, 33, are accused of abusing their daughter after she refused an arranged marriage.

“This young lady, at various times over that time period was subjected to some pretty bad abuse because she didn’t want to be married to this person,” Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said on Friday, according to KSAT.

“Several times it was reported to us that this young lady was abused with hot cooking oil being thrown on her body. She was beaten with broomsticks,” Salazar added. “At least one point, she was choked almost to the point of unconsciousness.”

The teenage girl and her five siblings, between the ages 5 and 15, were placed under Child Protective Services custody.

The parents face charges of continuous violence against a family member. They were taken into custody on Friday.

Police said the man who was arranged to be married to Al Hishmawi may also be charged in the case.

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Texas Teen Was Beaten, Had Hot Cooking Oil Poured On Her After Refusing Arranged Marriage: Police was originally published on Austin Daily Globe

Girl, 18, Killed When Phone Explodes While She Was Talking On It

An 18-year-old girl has been killed by her smartphone after it exploded while she was talking on it in India.

Uma Oram is said to have plugged the device into charge and was speaking to a relative when the tragedy happened at her home in the village of Kheriakani in the eastern Indian state of Odisha.

The teenager received injuries to her hand, chest, and leg and was knocked unconscious before being taken to hospital where she was declared dead.

Teenager Uma Oram, 18, is said to have been killed by her smartphone after it exploded while she was talking on it in India. She is pictured after the explosion lying next to the phone

Uma Oram is said to have plugged the device in to charge and was speaking to a relative when the tragedy happened at her home in the village of Kheriakani in the eastern Indian state of Odisha

Her brother said she had wanted to talk to an unnamed family member just after lunch but found that the phone, which had a Nokia logo, had run out of battery power.

Oram is understood to have plugged it in and was talking to the relative when the tragedy happened.

Her brother Durga Prasad Oram said: ‘As the battery of the mobile phone was draining out, she plugged it for charging while talking about it simultaneously.

Her brother said she had wanted to talk to an unnamed family member just after lunch but found that the phone, which had a Nokia logo, had run out of battery power. Oram is understood to have plugged it in and was talking to the relative when the tragedy happened

‘The cell phone… was put on charging when she started talking to a relative.

‘Before we could know what exactly happened, Uma fell unconscious. She was declared dead at the hospital.’

Pictures of the incident show a damaged phone that some media sources in India say appears to look like a Nokia 5233, released in 2010.

A spokesperson for Nokia told MailOnline: ‘We are deeply saddened to hear of the unfortunate incident involving a 19-year-old girl that has been reported.

‘While we have not been able to independently verify the facts of any of these reports, we can confirm that the mobile phone in question was not manufactured or sold by HMD Global, the new home of Nokia phones, set up in 2017 to create a new range of Nokia devices.

‘As HMD Global, we are committed to producing high-quality handsets which deliver a strong user experience and meet high customer expectations.’

It is not yet clear what caused the explosion.

Police have reportedly visited the scene to gather statements and Uma’s body has been sent for post-mortem.

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Girl, 18, Killed When Phone Explodes While She Was Talking On It was originally published on Austin Daily Globe

Missing Teen Found With Best Friend’s Dad In Mexico

A 16-year-old Pennsylvania girl who went missing nearly two weeks ago has been found in Mexico and returned home, while the 45-year-old man she was with — the dad of her best friend — is in custody, authorities said.

Kevin Esterly (left) and Amy Yu

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with help from Mexican authorities, tracked down Kevin Esterly and teenager Amy Yu in the resort town of Playa del Carmen on Saturday morning, according to the Allentown Morning Call. Yu has returned home, while Esterly is in custody.

Esterly, Yu’s best friend’s father who frequently signed her out of school, is being held in Miami and faces charges of interference with the custody of a child, authorities said.

The two reportedly began a romantic relationship several months ago and planned their escape to Mexico to be together.

Yu’s mother, Miu Luu, cried with relief when she got the news her daughter had been found.

“For two weeks, I’ve had trouble sleeping and eating,” Luu told the newspaper.

Miu Luu filed a missing person’s report with Allentown police March 5, the day Yu took off to Mexico with Esterly.

The teen’s mother apparently didn’t know the full extent of the illicit relationship, but Esterly’s wife reportedly got wind of it weeks before the pair ran off.

Attorney John Waldron said when Stacey Esterly became aware her husband had been signing Yu out from school, their family fights began to escalate.

Esterly was so obsessed with Yu, he rented a second apartment four blocks away from her family home, according to court records obtained by the Morning Call.

“He couldn’t help himself, he couldn’t stop,” Waldron remarked.

Waldron said Stacey was relieved authorities had picked up the pair.

“She’s very happy and relieved. She wants Amy home with her mom, that is what she has always wanted. She is glad that Amy is safe and that Kevin is with authorities.”

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Missing Teen Found With Best Friend’s Dad In Mexico was originally published on Austin Daily Globe

Being A Mom Is The Equivalent Of 2.5 Full-Time Jobs

Everyone knows that moms are heroes, as it’s a job where you can’t just clock off at five, and you’re working every hour under the sun.

But now research has confirmed what every mother knows – it’s actually more work than a full-time job.

A survey of 2,000 American moms of children aged five to 12 analyzed their weekly schedule.

The study, conducted by juice company Welch’s, revealed that the average daily start time for a mom is 6:23 am – much earlier than when most people start their working day.

Once she has finished all the tasks, whether they are career-related or parenting, she ends her work at 8:31 pm. Not many jobs require a 14-hour working day, and most moms have to do this every day of the week.

In total, that makes a mother’s working week a whopping 98 hours of work or two and a half times more than the average job.

The survey also revealed that the average mom gets just one hour and seven minutes of time to herself every day – so little more than a lunch hour.

Casey Lewis, health and nutrition lead at Welch’s, told Yahoo “The results of the survey highlight just how demanding the role of mom can be and the non-stop barrage of tasks it consists of.”

Moms need all the help they can get, and when asked what they couldn’t live without, they said a constant supply of coffee, the ability to nap, and being able to put on an effective angry voice.

Other lifesavers were wine, babysitters or family help, Netflix, wet wipes, drive-through meals, iPads, toys, and healthy snacks.

So let’s hope that moms were spoilt properly for Mother’s Day last week – as it certainly sounds like they deserve it.

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Being A Mom Is The Equivalent Of 2.5 Full-Time Jobs was originally published on Austin Daily Globe

Forklift Truck Driver Took His Own Life After Fake Rape Claim

A man accused of rape killed himself after police refused to believe that texts on his phone proved the sex had been consensual.

The accuser is now being investigated for perverting the course of justice, following an inquest at which a coroner said Ross Bullock, 38, took his own life because of the ‘distress’ caused by the allegation.

After his arrest in March 2015, Mr. Bullock was questioned by police and bailed for a month despite showing them text messages that strongly suggested he was innocent. Even when officers decided against the action, he was warned he could be charged at a later date. Finally, after a ‘year of torment’, Mr. Bullock hanged himself in the garage of the family home, leaving a note revealing he had ‘hit rock bottom’ and that with his death ‘I’m free from this living hell’.

Ross Bullock, 38, took his own life because of ‘distress’ caused by a fake rape allegation. After a ‘year of torment’, Mr. Bullock hanged himself in the garage of the family home, leaving a note revealing he had ‘hit rock bottom’ and that with his death ‘I’m free from this living hell’

His body was found by his mother Carole. His father Ronald, 76, said: ‘Ross would still be alive now if the police had dealt with the allegation sensitively.’ And Mrs. Bullock, 74, added: ‘The allegation changed Ross as a person. He cut himself off.’

The Mail on Sunday has previously reported a series of cases that have exposed grave police failings over rape accusations.

Mr. Bullock’s parents may now take civil action against West Mercia Police and are calling for the accuser – who was in a relationship with another man when she and Ross had sex – to be charged. Police confirmed they are investigating an allegation of perverting the course of justice.

Mr. Bullock, a forklift truck driver from Redditch, Worcestershire, met his accuser in February 2015 and they had sex at his workplace. The pair shared dozens of flirtatious texts afterward.

In one exchange, Mr. Bullock said: ‘Well I hope u had a good time.’ The woman replied: ‘It was alright I suppose!! X.’

The Independent Office for Police Conduct confirmed Mr. Bullock Snr had filed a complaint and the case was referred back to West Mercia. Its investigation concluded there was no case to answer. Last night West Mercia Police said: ‘Mr. Bullock was arrested and released with no further action. We would like to offer his family our sincere condolences following his tragic death.’

His father Ronald, 76, said: ‘Ross would still be alive now if the police had dealt with the allegation sensitively.’ Mr. Bullock’s parents may now take civil action against West Mercia Police and are calling for the accuser (Pictured: Carol and Ronald Bullock)

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Forklift Truck Driver Took His Own Life After Fake Rape Claim was originally published on Austin Daily Globe

Matthew Morrison 'Outraged' With Animal Abuse On Set Of Chinese Film

Actor Matthew Morrison was shocked to learn of the animal abuse on the set of his latest Chinese film, where a puppy was locked into a cage that was suspended 20 feet into the air, violently spun around, and dumped into a freezing river.

The scene is a part of the Chinese movie Crazy Alien, directed by Hao Ning, in which the Glee actor is the main character.

A whistleblower on set captured the horrific moment on tape in November, alerting PETA to the animal abuse that saw a young German Shepherd bark madly, then goes silent in fear once the traumatizing stunt began.

The scene filmed in Changsha, China was repeated several times as the director demanded multiple takes.

Matthew Morrison worked on the Chinese film Crazy Alien is speaking out against the revealed animal abuse on set

The scene filmed in Changsha, China was repeated several times as the director demanded multiple takes.

Speaking on the disturbing animal torture Morrison said he is infuriated.

‘I’ve just been made aware and seen a video from the set of a film I worked on in China. My heart is broken to see any animal treated this way,’ he said to TMZ.

‘Had I been on set or known about this, I would have made all efforts to stop this. I’ve called the producers to express my outrage,’ he added.

The video sees several men on set work together to pull off the stunt.

A whistleblower captured this video of a stunt on set that locked a German Shepherd into the above cage which was suspended in the air by a crane, then let loose to spin violently

This shot reveals the moment the crate began to spin violently out of control before crashing into a freezing river below

The whistleblower revealed that the dog was tormented to make it back, but it went silent in fear during the stunt. The above shot reveals the cage being lifted from the river, with water pouring out of it

The clip sees the cage holding the dog suspended in the air by a crane. Two men keep it in place by holding onto a rope tied to the cage.

There is a jolt in the rope and the men let go and then the cage spins wildly out of control before landing in the water with a splash.

Then the crane raises the crate back into the air, with water pouring down below it.

The whistleblower also penned a description of the horrifying scene.

‘On November 28th, 2017, I witnessed first hand one of the worst animal cruelty acts I have ever seen,’ they wrote.

According to a report by PETA, the dog handler on set first ‘tormented the dog into a frenzy’ in order to make the dog to bark as loudly as possible.

Then the dog was placed in a ‘small (4W x 3T x 7L) solid metal wire cage’ that was lifted by a crane.

‘The second the dog cage rose into the air, the dog stopped barking instantly as the cables were used to spin the cage out of control in circles before solidly landing 40–50 feet away. The director took many takes and this was just awful to witness as the torment went on,’ they wrote.

The star voiced his concern on Twitter yesterday saying he is heartbroken over the stunt

Morrison said: ‘Had I been on set or known about this, I would have made all efforts to stop this. I’ve called the producers to express my outrage’

PETA demanded that the film’s director Hao Ning, above, vow to never work with live animals again

‘The next shot was at the river’s edge where the dog was put back into his cage and tormented into a frenzy once again. This time … the cage … was hoisted 20 ft. and was flung while spinning out of control towards the river. … [T]he cage was completely submerged with the dog in it landing in a 10 mph current. After 5–8 seconds, the director yelled out “cut.” … A final decision was made by the director to shoot a second identical take. I could not believe my eyes (sic),’ the whistleblower said.

PETA is calling for the scene to be cut from the Crazy Alien film and is asking the cast, including Morrison, to donate their salaries to animal-protection charities in China.

The organization also demanded that Ning commit to never work with live animals again.

PETA also asks to know the current condition of the dog used in the stunt.

‘2018 is the Year of the Dog, but instead of being celebrated and respected, this poor dog was tortured,’ PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange said.

‘In a movie already using special effects, why was this animal subjected to fear and suffering? Because there are no laws protecting animals on film sets in China, PETA is urging the actors to hold the production accountable and asking the public to boycott this hideously cruel film,’ she added.

The film has not yet responded to PETA’s requests.

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Matthew Morrison ‘Outraged’ With Animal Abuse On Set Of Chinese Film was originally published on Austin Daily Globe

Three Men Charged In 'Worst Case' Of Child Porn Sheriff Had Ever Seen

Law enforcement officials in Texas have made two additional arrests related to a child pornography case in which a man was previously charged with more than 3,000 criminal counts.

Cody Franklin, 28, who was initially described as a ‘person of interest,’ has now been charged with aggravated assault of a child.

Patrick Tumlinson, 47, has been arrested on four misdemeanors counts of failure to report aggravated sexual assault of a child.

A slew of charges: James Tumlinson (left), 26, has been charged with 3,191 counts of possession of child porn. His father Patrick (center), has been charged with failure to report, and his friend Cody Franklin (right), has been charged with aggravated assault of a child

According to San Jacinto Sheriff’s Office, Tumlinson’s son, 26-year-old James Tumlinson, was arrested in Shepherd on February 28 on a single felony count of continuous sexual assault of a child.

Following an investigation, Tumlinson was charged last week with a second count of continuous sexual assault of a child, 3,191 counts of possession of child pornography and seven charges of possession and promotion of child pornography.

Sheriff Greg Capers told KPRC this is the ‘worst case’ of its kind he had ever come across in his 37-year career in law enforcement.

So far, investigators have identified and spoke to seven of the underage victims depicted in pornographic photos and videos that were seized during a search of a home in the 900 block of Joyce Street in Shepherd.

Capers said some of the videos featuring local children between the ages of five and 12 depicted torture.

Authorities suspect there could be up to 20 more victims out there, and they would like to speak to them.

Tumlinson works as a plumber and lives in Shepherd, Texas, with his young daughter (left)

Franklin, James Tumlinson’s friend, was previously named a ‘person of interest’ in the case

The younger Tumlinson works as a plumber and has a young daughter. He is currently being held in jail without bond.

His father’s bond was set at a total of $40,000, at $10,000 for each of the four counts.

Franklin, who appears to have a young child of his own, is friends with James Tumlinson on Facebook. He was also ordered jailed without bond.

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Three Men Charged In ‘Worst Case’ Of Child Porn Sheriff Had Ever Seen was originally published on Austin Daily Globe

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