Autopsy: Roy Halladay Had Amphetamine, Morphine In System

(New Port Richey, FL) – An autopsy report says retired star pitcher Roy Halladay had evidence of amphetamine, morphine and an insomnia drug in his system when he died in a small plane crash in Florida last year.

The Tampa Bay Times reports that an autopsy released Friday shows the former Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies All-Star died from blunt force trauma with drowning as a contributing factor when he crashed his personal plane into the Gulf of Mexico near New Port Richey on Nov. 7.

The National Transportation Safety Board hasn’t identified a cause for the crash, so it is unclear whether the drugs played a role. A witness told investigators that Halladay’s ICON A5 climbed to between 300 and 500 feet (90 and 150 meters) before it went into a
45-degree dive and slammed into the water.

The body of the two-time Cy Young Award winner was found in the wreckage.

Trump And Pence Blame Democrats For Shutdown While Americans Hold Trump And GOP Responsible

(Washington, DC) – Vice President Mike Pence is sharing his thoughts on the government shutdown. While on his way to the Middle East, Pence said that Senate Democrats chose to put politics ahead of the national defense and ahead of meeting the obligations of the national government. He called it unacceptable and disappointing to millions of Americans. The Vice President is traveling to Egypt, Jordan and Israel for four days to discuss moving the U.S. Embassy. The government ran out of money at midnight, Eastern time after the Senate failed to advance a spending extension.

The House approved a one-month spending extension Thursday night. The effects of a shutdown will start being felt Monday morning when federal offices normally reopen. The shutdown occurs on the first anniversary of President Trump’s inauguration.

Amid the shutdown, Trump cancelled his trip to Florida this weekend. He woke up early tweeting that the Democrats care more about immigrants than they do the US Army.

A poll shows that Americans are putting the blame on Trump and the GOP’s shoulders. A “Washington Post”/ABC News poll says nearly 50-percent of Americans believe that Republicans in Congress are responsible for the shutdown; blaming them for a lack of compromise on issues like immigration laws, border security and alt-right agendas. Nearly 30-percent of Americans blame the Democrats for the shutdown, while some believe both parties are equally as responsible.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says he spoke with President Trump before the vote Friday and agreed to compromise on a U.S.-Mexico border wall in exchange for strong protections for illegal immigrants covered by the DACA program. He said Trump backed off the deal, and is responsible for “the Trump shutdown.” Schumer said Republicans control the legislative process and it’s their job to keep the government open.

I Do: Pope Francis Marries Couple On Flight

(Santiago) – Two Chilean flight attendants are married, after Pope Francis traveled on their flight from Santiago to Iquique. Carlos Ciuffardi and Paola Podest were married in a civil service in 2010, but told the Pontiff they were unable to have a church ceremony because of a major earthquake that hit Chile that year.Reports say the Pope offered to marry the couple on the spot, with the head of the airline serving as witness to the marriage. Pope Francis gave a white rosary to the bride and a black rosary to the groom.

The couple told members of the media assembled on the plane that they hope the historic ceremony will motivate other couples to marry.

As Shutdown Threat Looms, Pelosi Criticizes Republicans

(Washington, DC) – House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi is criticizing Republican efforts to avert a government shutdown. In a Capitol briefing today, Pelosi called it “amateur hour.” The government runs out of money late tomorrow night. Pelosi said the Republican-led Congress and White House should be able to craft a long term budget that can get passed. She insisted that it can happen if Republicans negotiate in good faith with Democrats. The House is expected to vote later today or tonight on a short-term continuing resolution, or CR, to keep the government open.

Pelosi noted that it would be the fourth CR that Republican leaders have put forth since last fall. Democrats are insisting on long term protections for hundreds of thousands of Dreamers, young immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

California Parents Accused Of Torture Plead Not Guilty

(Riverside, CA) – Bail is set at 12 million dollars for each of the California parents accused of chaining their 13 kids to furniture in deplorable conditions. David and Louise Turpin both pleaded not guilty in a court hearing in Riverside east of Los Angeles.

They face a mountain of charges, including torture and abuse. After the hearing, one of the public defenders assigned to the case emphasized their clients are innocent until proven guilty. The attorney said it’s a serious and challenging case, and added that he can’t comment on their mental state.

Reportedly, the children were found living in filth including their own feces and urine and were only allowed to bath twice a year. Some of them were chained and had been for months.

Other claims include:

• The children were accustomed to frequent beatings, including strangulation
• They were only allowed one shower a year
• The children would stay awake all night until going to sleep at four or five in the morning and slept during the day
• They were not allowed to play with any toys but many were found inside the house in their original packaging
• If the children washed their hands above the wrist they were subjected to punishments, allegedly accused of “playing with water”
• The Turpin parents allowed their children to eat only one meal a day but the parents would sometimes buy food, like pumpkin pies, and place it where the children could see it but not eat it
• They have never seen a dentist and haven’t visited a doctor in over four years
• The children lack basic knowledge of life, and did not know who a police officer was

The two-year-old was of normal weight but the other children were severely malnourished, authorities said.

The 12-year-old weighed as much as a seven-year-old and the 29-year-old weighed only 82 lbs (37kg).  The father has been charged with one count of a lewd act against a child under the age of 14. If convicted they face 94-years to life in prison.

Lawyer: “OJ Simpson Is Golfing A Lot, Staying In Las Vegas

(Las Vegas, NV) – O.J. Simpson is not planning to move from Nevada to Florida like he told state parole officials before he was released in October from Nevada state prison, his Las Vegas lawyer said Thursday.

The 70-year-old former football hero, acquitted murder defendant and armed robbery inmate has not filed paperwork with parole officials to move to a different state, attorney Malcolm LaVergne said.”Mr. Simpson has no immediate plans to return to Florida,”LaVergne told The Associated Press. ”He’s very much enjoying his time here in Vegas. It’s January, he gets to play golf every day.”A Nevada state parole and probation officer handling Simpson’s case did not immediately respond to messages, and Florida prisons spokeswoman Ashley Cook said her agency has not received documents from Simpson seeking interstate custody.

Simpson has been spotted in public in and around Las Vegas several times during the more than three months he has been living in a friend’s five-bedroom home in a gated and guard-patrolled community several miles (kilometers) from the Las Vegas Strip.He drew a crowd of selfie-seekers Jan. 7 at a Las Vegas bar and pizza shop during an NFL playoff game featuring one of his former teams, the Buffalo Bills.An outing in November to a steakhouse and a lounge at the Cosmopolitan resort is in dispute, after officials ordered Simpson off the Las Vegas Strip property and prohibited him from returning.

LaVergne denies claims that Simpson was intoxicated or disruptive,and alleges in a Dec. 29 letter to hotel officials that the incident was a malicious and racially prejudiced effort to embarrass Simpson and jeopardize his parole status.The Cosmopolitan has not responded, company spokeswoman Samantha Grimes said Thursday.Simpson has earned almost eight months of good time credit since his release from prison, bumping up his expected release from parole to Jan. 18, 2022, from the original Sept. 29, 2022.

Victim Tells Nassar, “Little Girls Don’t Stay Little Forever”

(SL) – One of the dozens of victims expected to testify at the sentencing hearing of disgraced former Michigan sports doctor Larry Nassar described the sexual abuse Nassar inflicted on her as a child and warned him that ”little girls don’t stay little forever.”

Kyle Stephens was the first of nearly 100 women and girls who will be allowed to speak or will have their statements read by others during the four-day hearing in Lansing, Michigan. ”I testified to let the world know that you are a repulsive liar,” Stephens said to the 54-year-old Nassar, who bowed his head with his eyes closed as she and others spoke.

She said Nassar repeatedly abused her from age 6 until age 12 during family visits to his home. Another statement came from Donna Markham, who told of how her daughter Chelsey committed suicide in 2009, years after Nassar sexually abused her during a medical examination.

In related news, the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team says it will not punish gymnast McKayla Maroney for talking about alleged sexual abuse. USA Gymnastics said Tuesday it will not pursue any money from Maroney if she speaks publicly about alleged abuse from former team doctor Larry Nassar. Maroney signed a nondisclosure agreement in December 2016 agreeing to stay quiet about the abuse as part of a one-point-25-million-dollar settlement with USA Gymnastics.

Maroney filed a lawsuit last month claiming USA Gymnastics tried to prevent her from publicly accusing Nassar of sexual abuse in order to allow him to leave quietly. Nassar is being sentenced this week on seven counts of sexual assault, and could get life in prison.

Police Interview Friends Of Quarterback Who Killed Himself

(Pullman, WA) – Police on Wednesday were interviewing Washington State quarterback Tyler Hilinski’s friends and people who knew him to try to learn why he apparently took his life.

Police Chief Gary Jenkins said officers have no apparent motive for the death of the 21-year-old athlete, who was found dead in his Pullman, Washington, apartment on Tuesday along with a rifle and a suicide note.”The missing piece here is why,” Jenkins said. ”Most of our investigation will be conducting interviews.” Jenkins declined to reveal the contents of the suicide note.

Hilinski’s family in California issued a statement saying they were in ”complete shock and disarray” over his death.

”Tyler was the kid that put a smile on everybody’s face when they were down, especially his family,” the statement said. ”We will mourn the loss of Tyler for some time but celebrate the way he lived his life every day.”

A makeshift memorial for Hilinski has sprouted near the football stadium on the Pullman campus, next to a bronze statue of the team’s cougar mascot. The memorial included flowers and balloons.

Incredible Video Of Dekalb County Fireman Catching Child Thrown From Burning Building

(Decatur, Ga) – Incredible video shows the dramatic rescue of a family caught in a blaze at Avondale Forest Apartments in Decatur Georgia.

The fire happened on January 3rd. The clip shows a few people trapped on the third floor as the fire raged below. As an unidentified person attempts to make her way down a ladder with a 5-year old child in tow, the fire can be seen burning wildly around them.

A woman is heard in the background screaming “Catch my baby!” At that moment, Firefighter Captain Scott Stroup ran over, positioned himself with his arms open and waited for the kid to be dropped.Stroup raced to safety once he caught the child.

Fellow firefighter Jackie Peckrul was positioned at the bottom of the ladder next to Stroup.  She also made a harrowing catch. The mother of triplets says she was getting on the ladder to help some people come down but by the time she got up there, the plan had changed. A blue blanket was tossed down to her (while she’s on the ladder) and to her surprise…it had a baby in it. After rescuing the infant, she headed back up the ladder and grabbed another woman and a child. At that time, she saw Captain Stroup positioned for his dramatic rescue.

The department says several lifesaving grabs were made that night. Authorities believe the fire started on a back patio. About 50 people have been left displaced after the massive fire. The family is reportedly doing okay.

Woman Tells Story Of Getting Pregnant By Wealthy Man To Live Easily Off Of Him

(SL) – She says 18 years of child support is easy money. Another says, she deliberately got pregnant by a wealthy man because …..yes..he is wealthy. She says after struggling for years, he now takes care of her because of the kid. We’ve all heard about so and so and this person who claimed to have been on birth control but one got away.

It happens, but the difference with these stories being shared on the confession app Whisper is that they were planned. Now granted, it takes two. A man should protect himself at all times, if he doesn’t want the probability to ring in her favor. BUT realistically, most men don’t. The number of women who confessed that they lied about being on birth control to get pregnant was astounding. But there was this one woman that had a clear cut plan. She says she knew the guy was rich and wanted a easy piece of the pie. She claims that she gained his trust while lying about being on birth control and is now expecting a child with the man. She says he now rents her an apartment, pays for everything and that she doesn’t regret it not one bit. No wonder she has remained anonymous.

Another says she simply gained a rich man’s trust by keeping him in her sights for years upon years and even though they weren’t 100 percent exclusive, she got pregnant. Playing the baby card to her favor, she recently moved in with the man after manipulating her way out of her previous living arrangement.