Wade Michael Page died from self-inflicted gun shot
The Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed on Wednesday that Wade Michael Page, the Army veteran and white supremacist who fatally shot six people at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin on Sunday, appears to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head after he was shot in the stomach by a police officer who responded to the scene. At a press conference, Teresa Carlson, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Milwaukee office, said the officer “neutralized [...]
Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool nearly ready after $34M reconstruction
The reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall is about to reopen after a two-year, $34 million reconstruction effort. According to a report from The Washington Post, two powerful underground pumps on the Tidal Basin will start pushing 4 million gallons of water through a buried pipeline at 800 gallons a minute. Fifty-eight outlets in the concrete floor of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool will then release gentle streams of water, which will begin to [...]
Virginia requesting public input on transportation plans
Officials in the state of Virginia are requesting public input on plans for the future of the state’s transportation network. Transportation agencies in Virginia want input on plans for all modes of transportation, including transit, highways, rail, freight, bike and pedestrian, aviation and ports.
Officials are holding several public meetings in Chesapeake, Richmond, and Arlington this week, and they encourage the public to attend. A similar hearing was held in Roanoke last week.
Floodwaters submerge Philippines, leaving 9 dead
Ruthless rains submerged half of the Philippine capital, prompted a landslide that killed at least nine people, and sent emergency crews scrambling on Tuesday to rescue tens of thousands of residents who called media outlets pleading for help. The inundation, the worst since 2009 when hundreds died in rampaging flash floods, was triggered by the seasonal monsoon that overflowed major dams and rivers in Manila and surrounding provinces.
Last week’s Typhoon Saola battered Manila and the north for several days before [...]
British bank denies money laundering of $250B for Iran
On Monday, financial regulators in New York alleged Standard Chartered of Great Britain concealed $250 billion worth of Iranian transactions over nearly 10 years. The New York State Department of Financial Services accused the London-based banking group on Monday with concealing 60,000 transactions with Iranian clients, including the Central Bank of Iran, from 2001-2010.
The United States and its allies have increased economic sanctions against Iran over the past few years in an effort to deter the Islamic Republic from developing [...]
Syrian prime minister defects from President al-Assad’s regime
Syria’s prime minister, Riyad Hijab, defected on Monday, becoming the latest among high-profile politicians and leaders to abandon the besieged regime of President Bashar al-Assad. “I announce today my defection from the killing and terrorist regime and I announce that I have joined the ranks of the freedom and dignity revolution. I announce that I am from today a soldier in this blessed revolution,” the former prime minister said in a written statement read by a Syrian opposition official on [...]
Maryland officials hold hearings on utilities’ performance
The Maryland Public Service Commission will hold the first of a string of public hearings on Tuesday night to hear comments on the performance of four major utility companies following the derecho storm that occurred on June 29, the commission posted on its Web site.
The first public hearing will be from Pepco’s customers. Pepco’s customers who lost power during the powerful storm are more dissatisfied than customers of other major utility companies. Consumers of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company, Potomac [...]
Hillary Clinton to meet with Nelson Mandela
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is set to meet with South Africa’s Nelson Mandela at his ancestral village, Qunu, for a private meeting with the former president and anti-apartheid hero. Clinton is traveling to South Africa on a three day business trip and plans to “pay her respects” to Mandela before a series of meetings focused on strengthening the U.S. trade relationship with South Africa, the State Department said.
The Secretary of State’s visit comes less than a month [...]
Gay rights groups donate $1million in same-sex marriage fights
The Washington, D.C.-based Human Rights Campaign is donating $1 million to campaigns in four states where gay marriage will be on the ballot this fall. The campaign will donate $250,000 apiece to allies in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington. The group’s total spending on the issue this year comes to roughly $5 million.
In November, voters in Maine will vote on an option to legalize gay marriage. In Minnesota, the votes will determine if same-sex marriage should be banned in the [...]
Usain Bolt sprints to Olympic gold, sustaining his legendary title
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt sustained his legendary title as the world’s fastest man on Sunday, snagging Olympic gold in the men’s 100-meter race by setting an Olympic record with a time of 9.63. The Jamaican became a household name when he took the gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Games. Bolt is the first sprinter since U.S. Olympic legend Carl Lewis to defend an Olympic 100-meter title.
The gold medalist overcame an unimpressive start to blow past the competition. “My [...]
Army vet Wade Michael Page identified as suspect in Sikh Temple shooting
Wade Michael Page, a 40-year-old Army veteran, has been identified as the gunman who opened fire in a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis., and killed six people. Page, who served in the Army from April 1992 through October 1998, opened fire outside the temple before entering around 10:30 a.m. on Sunday morning. The Army vet was shot and killed in an exchange of gunfire with a police officer who sustained “eight or nine” gunshot wounds, according to authorities.
The [...]
President Obama to sign veterans measure, then on to the campaign trail
President Barack Obama will sign a measure on Monday intended to help veterans before going to Connecticut to campaign for his re-election efforts. Obama will sign legislation called the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012.
The Act, which is a bipartisan effort, helps provide for the needs of veterans and their families with improved health care, housing, education, and memorial services. After President Obama signs the legislation, he will travel to Stamford, Connecticut and speak [...]