60 Minutes apologizes for report of Benghazi: 'We are very distressed'

'60 Minutes' issued a brief apology in the air and correction on Sunday for his sloppy, damaged report in Benghazi attacks, but gave few details on the failures that led to the retraction of one piece had defended unconditionally.

Speaking of Dylan Davies, the man discredited in the heart of his work, correspondent Lara Logan told viewers, "we realized we had been deceived, and that it was a mistake to include it in our report." For this reason, we feel very distressed."

The venerable program forced an embarrassing retreat after had defended himself during a week on the reliability of Davies, a British security official. On Thursday night, it was revealed that Davies - who had already admitted to lying to a superior about his whereabouts on the night of the attack - had also said the FBI came close the American compound when it was held, a statement totally at odds with the detailed, heartbreaking story told "60 minutes".

It was the second apology on the air delivered by Logan. On Friday, he was on television to say that it was "wrong" that have put Davies in the air.

As it was expected, its Sunday mea culpa offered little insight into why Davies was chosen as a key source for the report, and why '60 minutes' had so fervently defended it, even in the midst of growing evidence of its lack of reliability. Also unmentioned was what role, if any, corporate ties played in the placement of Davies in the heart of the piece. A conservative stamp of Simon and Schuster, which is owned by CBS, had published a book about Davies Benghazi. That book is already removed.

Many observers of the media was impressed less pronounced:

Well, my prediction was accurate. A minimalist correction and an apology from @60Minutes tonight. Least can admit.

-Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) on November 11, 2013

A show with the legacy of 60 minutes of reporting should have turned his muscle reports on its own to explain to viewers what happened and why

-Gabriel Sherman (@gabrielsherman) on November 11, 2013

' Report. We learned on Thursday night... ' Not mentioned that other reporters appeared those articles. Not very elegant.

-Mark seibel (@markseibel) on November 11, 2013

History of the CBS National Guard: 4 fired producers, 1 anchor gradient, 1 cancelled (60 Mins II) programme. History of Benghazi? 90 section 'correction'

-Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) on November 11, 2013

"60 Minutes" an apology is not required.The answers to these questions are: why did this happen? How never will happen again? (Well?)

-vernejgay (@vernejgay) on November 11, 2013

Retract it feels like it should have been, given the magnitude of the error. It leaves many unanwered questions

-HowardKurtz (@HowardKurtz) on November 11, 2013

mistakes were made #60Minutes

-Blake Hounshell (@blakehounshell) on November 11, 2013

I have the feeling of 60 minutes is going to want that apology had more time devoted to a commitment to act differently and less sad feelings.

-Linda Holmes (@nprmonkeysee) on November 11, 2013

It will be up to other journalists of CBS "60 minutes" of the force the probe - clearly terrified CBS from & where it will lead. http://t.co/huQdAK2NGe

-Greg Mitchell (@GregMitch) on November 11, 2013

Some reflections on 60 minutes/Lara Logan is weakly false "correction" http://t.co/JUedT4SpMK

-Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) on November 11, 2013

Media matters, which led to the accusation against the report, issued a statement of its founder David Brock, who called the apology "entirely selfish and totally inadequate".

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Texas And 5 Other States Resist Processing Benefits For Gay Couples

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On the morning of Sept. 3, the first day the Pentagon said they could, Alicia Butler and her spouse, Judith Chedville, who is a Texas Army National Guard officer, went to Austin’s Camp Mabry so Ms. Butler could get a military spouse identification card and register for the same federal marriage benefits provided to wives and husbands of heterosexual service members.

Read the whole story at The New York Times

Panthers Beat 49ers 10-9 For 5th Straight Win

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SAN FRANCISCO -- SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Carolina's swarming, opportunistic defense stopped Colin Kaepernick in his tracks.

Drayton Florence intercepted a pass by Kaepernick in the final minute to seal a 10-9 victory Sunday to snap the San Francisco 49ers' five-game winning streak and give the Panthers their fifth straight win.

Graham Gano kicked a 53-yard field goal with 10:05 remaining that held up as the Panthers (6-3) twice shut down Colin Kaepernick on last-ditch drives with swarming defense.

DeAngelo Williams broke two tackles for a 27-yard touchdown run late in the first half that pulled Carolina within 9-7. Gano missed wide left on a 48-yard field goal in the third period, but came through later.

San Francisco (6-3) got the ball back with 5:25 left at its 1, then again with 1:02 to go.

Phil Dawson kicked a season-best 53-yard field goal among his three for the 49ers, who lost tight end Vernon Davis and rookie safety Eric Reid to concussions.

Carolina fumbled twice in the closing moments, but recovered each time. First, Jonathan Stewart fumbled and Mike Tolbert pounced on the ball. Cam recovered his own bobble.

This was hardly the highly touted showdown between 2011 No. 1 overall pick Newton and Kaepernick, the sixth quarterback drafted that year, in the second round. They roomed together during the scouting combine.

Kaepernick went 11 for 22 for 91 yards with an interception and was sacked six times for a 42.0 passer rating. Newton was only slightly better, going 16 of 32 for 169 yards, an interception and four sacks for a 52.7 rating.

For two teams that have been putting up points at a prolific pace for the past month, the defenses dictated this one.

More than losing the game, the 49ers' losses of Davis and Reid could be troublesome for the reigning NFC champions as they hit the road next week for New Orleans, then go to Washington.

Davis didn't return after sustaining a concussion in the second quarter, then Reid went down on a helmet-to-helmet hit on Mike Tolbert in the third. Earlier, Reid recovered a fumble to give him five takeaways in an already-stellar rookie season that also includes three interceptions.

Frank Gore had 16 carries for 82 yards, accounting for most of San Francisco's 151 total yards.

Dawson put San Francisco ahead on a 53-yard field goal on the team's opening drive, his longest kick of the year. He kicked second-quarter field goals of 43 and 25 yards.

But Kaepernick could never get his team in the end zone in its first game since a bye on the heels of a win over Jacksonville in London.

When San Francisco's Andy Lee had his punt blocked at the end of the first quarter, Florence tried to get out of the way, but went to grab the ball at the last second and it got away from him. Reid wrestled the ball from Josh Thomas for his second fumble recovery of the season and fifth takeaway.

Carolina got going after managing only minus-7 yards passing and 12 total yards in the first quarter. The Panthers finished with 250 total yards.

The 49ers also lost tight end Garrett Celek to a hamstring injury in the first quarter, while defensive tackle Ray McDonald hurt an ankle.

Panthers linebacker Chase Blackburn did not return in the second half because of a foot injury.

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org

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World War II Reunions Poignant For Dwindling Veterans

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DAYTON, Ohio -- DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Paul Young rarely talked about his service during World War II — about the B-25 bomber he piloted, about his 57 missions, about the dangers he faced or the fears he overcame.

"Some things you just don't talk about," he said.

But Susan Frymier had a hunch that if she could journey from Fort Wayne, Ind., with her 92-year-old dad for a reunion of his comrades in the 57th Bomb wing, he would open up.

She was right: On a private tour at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force near Dayton, amid fellow veterans of flights over southern Europe and Germany, Young rattled off vivid details of his plane, crewmates, training and some of his most harrowing missions.

"Dad, you can't remember what you ate yesterday, but you remember everything about World War II," his daughter said, beaming.

When Young came home from the war, more than 70 years ago, there were 16 million veterans like him — young soldiers, sailors and Marines who returned to work, raise families, build lives. Over the decades, children grew up, married, had children of their own; careers were built and faded into retirement; love affairs followed the path from the altar to the homestead and often, sadly, to the graveyard.

Through it all, the veterans would occasionally get together to remember the greatest formative experience of their lives. But as the years wore on, there were fewer and fewer of them. According to the Department of Veteran Affairs, just a little over 1 million remain. The ones who remain are in their 80s and 90s, and many are infirm or fragile.

So the reunions, when they are held, are more sparsely attended — yearly reminders of the passing of the Greatest Generation.

—When veterans of the Battle of the Bulge gathered in Kansas City this summer, only 40 came, according to organizers, down from 63 last year and 350 in 2004.

—Of the 80 members of Doolittle's Raiders who set out on their daring attack on mainland Japan in 1942, 73 survived. Seventy-one years later, only four remain; they decided this year's April reunion in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., would be their last, though they agreed to meet Nov. 9 for a final toast in honor of those who have gone before them.

—A half-century ago, when retired Army First Lt. Frank Towers went to his first reunion of the 30th Infantry Division — soldiers who landed at the beaches of Normandy and fought across France and Germany — he was surrounded by 1,000 other veterans.

"Now if I get 50, I'm lucky," said Towers, who is working on plans for a reunion next February in Savannah, Ga. "Age has taken its toll on us. A lot of our members have passed away, and many of them who are left are in health situations where they can't travel."

So why persist?

"It's a matter of camaraderie," Towers said. "We spent basically a year or more together through hell or high water. We became a band of brothers. We can relate to each other in ways we can't relate to (anyone else). You weren't there. These guys were there. They know the horrors we went through."

___

As many as 11,000 people served in the 57th Bomb Wing that flew missions over German-held Europe from North Africa and the island of Corsica during most of the war. Hundreds survive, according to wing historians and reunion organizers. Only nine veterans made it to this fall's event.

George Williams, 90, recalled earlier reunions with his comrades, "having a great time yukking it up and talking about things." No one else from his squadron came to this one.

"All of a sudden, it's lonesome," said Williams, a native of Visalia, Calif., who moved after his wife's death to Springfield, Mo., where his son lives. "All of the people you ran around with are on the wrong side of the grass. You wonder why you're so lucky."

But in a Holiday Inn hospitality suite with patriotic bunting, bowls of pretzels and chips with soft drinks at their tables, the stories flowed easily.

Williams remembered the tension of his first mission, his hand ready at the tag that would release him to bail out if necessary. It went without incident, and upon their return to base, a flight surgeon measured out two ounces of whiskey for each crewman. "Sixty-nine to go," he said then, because 70 missions was considered the tour of duty. Sometimes on later missions, he would pour the two ounces into a beer bottle to save up for a night when he needed numbing.

Robert Crouse, of Clinton, Tenn., is 89 years old, but he remembers as if it happened yesterday the time a shell blew out the cockpit windshield ("you could stick your head through it"), disabling much of the control panel. Another plane escorted the bomber, its pilot calling out altitude and air speed as Crouse's plane limped back to base, riddled with holes.

Young recalled flying a damaged plane back to base, hearing his tail gunner's panicked yells as Plexiglass shattered over him. "You could feel the plane vibrate; you fly through the smoke, you smell the smoke and you hear the flak hitting the plane like hail on a tin roof."

Not all the memories are bad ones. There was the late-war mission when they hit a spaghetti factory instead of the intended target ("Spaghetti was flying everywhere," recalled Crouse, chuckling). There was Williams' first Thanksgiving meal overseas: a Spam turkey, spiced and baked to perfection by an innovative cook.

"I still love Spam," he said.

Then there was R&R in Rome, hosted by the Red Cross. Young men not long removed from high school toured the Colosseum and other historic sites they had read about. They visited the Vatican; some met Pope Pius XII. Williams got a papal blessing of a rosary for his engineer's fiancee.

"It was pretty good," Williams said of his war experience, "except when they were shooting at us."

___

Some of the veterans fear that their service will be forgotten after they are gone. Crouse and others have written memoirs, and many of the reunion groups now have websites, magazines and other publications in which they recount their stories.

"You just hope that the young people appreciate it," said Young. "That it was very important, if you wanted to continue the freedom that we have."

Their children remember. Some are joining them at the reunions; others keep coming after their fathers are gone.

At this year's reunion, Bob Marino led a memorial service and read the names of 42 members of the 57th Bomb Wing who died in the past year. A bugler played "Taps."

Marino, 72, a retired IRS attorney and Air Force veteran from Basking Ridge, N.J., helped organize the gathering. His Brooklyn-native father, Capt. Benjamin Marino, died in 1967 and left numerous photos from the war, and Marino set about trying to identify and organize them. To learn more about his father's experiences, he corresponded with other veterans — including Joseph Heller, who was inspired by his wartime experiences with the 57th to write his classic novel "Catch-22."

"He never talked about any of this," Marino said, turning the pages on a massive scrapbook as veterans dropped by to look at the photos. "Once in a while, something came out. I wish I had sat down and talked to him about it."

This was precisely the gift Susan Frymier received at the reunion in Dayton.

She watched as the father who had long avoided talking about the war proudly pulled from his wallet a well-worn, black-and-white snapshot of the plane he piloted, nicknamed "Heaven Can Wait" with a scantily clad, shapely female painted near the cockpit.

She listened as he described German anti-aircraft artillery fire zeroing in on his plane. "I had to get out of there. All the flak ... they were awfully close." He described "red-lining" a landing, running the engines beyond safe speed. His voice suddenly choked.

"Oh, Dad!" said his daughter, and she hugged him tightly.

___

Contact reporter Dan Sewell at http://www.twitter.com/dansewell

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Miley Cyrus Smokes A Joint On Stage At The EMAs

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AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - NOVEMBER 10: Miley Cyrus accepts award onstage during the MTV EMA's 2013 at the Ziggo Dome on November 10, 2013 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

Miley Cyrus kept her MTV Europe Music Awards performances pretty tame, but we're guessing she knew she'd get people talking with her EMAs acceptance speech.

All eyes were on the 20-year-old singer as she went to collect the award for Best Video for "Wrecking Ball," telling the crowd she didn't think she would be able to fit the award in her purse as she put the trophy on the ground.

Cyrus went on to thank her fans for making the award happen, before she started digging through her bag and pulled out what appeared to be a joint. "I couldn't fit this award in my bag, but I did find this," she said holding up the joint before sparking it up.

Cyrus isn't shy about her love of marijuana. In September she told Rolling Stone, "I think weed is the best drug on earth," and since she's been in Amsterdam for the EMAs, she's reportedly been hitting up the city's famous coffee shops that allow patrons to enjoy all the weed they want.

Though it's sold openly in cafes, marijuana still isn't legal in the Netherlands, however smokers in possession of less than five grams of cannabis have no fear of prosecution, according to the Associated Press.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misspelled the song "Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus.

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Ben Roethlisberger Denies Trade Rumors: 'I Don't Know Where That Came From'

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PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ben Roethlisberger isn't going anywhere. Not if he has anything to say about it.

The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback called a report he may seek a trade in the offseason "ridiculous."

NFL.com reported early Sunday the Steelers expected Roethlisberger to ask the team to explore trade options in the offseason. Roethlisberger's agent, Ryan Tollner, called the speculation "completely wrong" and added the 31-year-old quarterback is "100 percent committed to winning a championship with the Steelers."

Roethlisberger went even further after passing for 204 yards with a touchdown and an interception in a 23-10 win over Buffalo on Sunday.

"I don't know where that came from," he said. "It is one of the most (untrue) stories that I've ever heard of. I've always said that I want to be a Steeler for life. I love it here. I'm happy here."

The report called Roethlisberger "very frustrated" by his team's ugly start. The Steelers improved to 3-6 after drumming the Bills, but still remain well out of the mix in the AFC North.

Roethlisberger, who has won two Super Bowls in 10 seasons, agreed he's "unhappy" when Pittsburgh fails to produce, but welcomed his share of the blame. Roethlisberger and offensive coordinator Todd Haley have struggled to communicate at times since Haley was hired nearly two years ago. The quarterback and the coach have spent much of the season trying to find common ground.

Steelers president Art Rooney II added "the Pittsburgh Steelers have not explored trading quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and have no plans to do so."

Roethlisberger's current contract will expire at the end of the 2015 season. He is due a base salary of $12.1 million next season, with a salary cap number of nearly $19 million. That alone would could make it difficult for the Steelers to move Roethlisberger even if there was interest.

Apparently, there's not. Tollner said Roethlisberger's roots are "firmly" planted in western Pennsylvania. Roethlisberger and his wife are expecting their second child next spring.

"I'm a Pittsburgher," Roethlisberger said. "I've told people that. I'm so proud to raise my kids here. I want to finish my career here, however long that is. I don't want to play for anybody else. This is it for me."

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org

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United States sends aid to Philippine Typhoon recovery

MANILA, Philippines - MANILA, Philippines (AP) - provides to us military aircraft with relief and a contingent of Marines has left the Philippine capital on the road to the coast this devastated by the typhoon in the country.

Air base of the C-130 left Manila Vilamor Monday loaded with bottled water, generators, wrapped in plastic, a forklift and two trucks.

It was the first US aid flight to the region, where thousands are feared dead and tens of thousands more homeless as a result of the Typhoon on Friday.

The flight was headed for Tacloban, a town badly damaged by the storm and in desperate need of aid.

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' Vodka Samm' is totally sober and prevents social networks (VIDEO)

Samantha Goudie, better known by the inhabitants of the Internet as "Vodka Samm", has not had a drink since he flew un.341 and tweeted about putting the numbers tattooed on her.

Goudie name was all over the world after their tweets from jail being arrested in a game of football at the University of Iowa in August were viral, offers primary support and concern of the administration of your school. University President Sally Mason said publicly that she was worried Goudie, and a new story from ABC News reveals that the school requires to take three months of alcohol treatment.

"I needed a wake up call and I have one" Goudie said "20/20".

"Vodka Samm" has been completely sober since that epic day when she was broken by public intoxication on 31 August.

ABC News said the reason that Goudie was able to Tweet from prison due to a failure by the Iowa City police to confiscate his phone when it was placed in a cell.

"He was doing it for my friends," said Goudie's tweets. "" "No thought" Oh, this could collect. ""

The Daily Iowan Goudie interview revealed the Iowa senior overcame an eating disorder, but struggling with depression after media coverage.

Goudie told ABC News Despite social ostracism at the upper school of the nation party, however, is content changed.

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Lawrence Rothman's '#1 All Time Low' Video Is The Creepiest Thing You'll See Today

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Lawrence Rothman doesn't do everything the same way you do things. In the video for his lead single, "Montauk Fling," Rothman dressed himself as Elizabeth Taylor and seduced himself in a hotel room, and he returns with the haunting visuals for "#1 All Time Low" -- premiering exclusively on HuffPost Entertainment.

In the new dystopian video, a battered and bruised Rothman meanders through various scenes of a certain type of hell that make the grislier scenes in "Trainspotting" look like "Smurfs 2." Blood, dirty bathwater -- it's all there. David Bowie favorite Floria Sigismondi directed the video for the song.

"What I try to do during the 14 to 17 hours that i'm awake, and are participating in this rat race, is aim to experience shit that blows my mind and rattles the mundane cage of cynical normalcy," Rothman said. "Why? So that when I finally get chewed up and spit out on the other end I can say, 'Fuck it, that was great, those where the days of my life. This idea is the theme of my music."

"This video to cut to the chase, as everyone including myself, attention spam is about as long as a gif," he adds. "It's about me trying to do away with my adult jaded, cynical, self and push through a rebirth of sorts or a actually a reintroduction to my inner 'tween spirit' -- the part of me that doesn't give a fuck and goes with the flow, like when you're a kid and your parents are having a bitch-fest, but it doesn't phase you because you're too enthralled with building LEGO city."

Take a look below and let us know what you think in the comments. Viewer discretion is advised. Select tour dates follow.

10/29 - The Sebright Arms - London, UK
11/5 - Casbah - San Diego, CA (w/ Active Child)
11/23 - El Rey - Los Angeles, CA (w/ Active Child)

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Space Tourist Dennis Tito On Using Bathroom In Space: 'I Hadn't Had Toilet Training In 60 Years'

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NEW YORK – As microgravity makes even the most mundane tasks tricky, going to the bathroom in space can be a chore. How astronauts take care of that basic human necessity while in orbit has been a point of perennial fascination for the Earth-bound public.

For a moment during a Sept. 4 talk here at the Explorers Club, two of the world's first space tourists who paid their way to the International Space Station traded stories about their space toilet training, or actually the lack of training.

The Explorers Club was holding an event with former NASA astronaut Owen Garriott and his son, gaming legend Richard Garriott, perhaps best known for creating the Ultima role-playing series. They are the only American father-son team to have both gone to space. [Photos: Space Tourist Richard Garriott, an Astronaut Legacy]

While Owen Garriott flew with NASA aboard U.S. space station Skylab and the space shuttle Columbia, his son became a spaceflyer in his own right in 2008 after using his gaming fortune to buy a multimillion-dollar ticket to the space station aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule.

Adventurer and journalist Jim Clash interviewed the duo in front of a small audience and afterwards gave the night's first question to another private spaceflyer in the room: American businessman Dennis Tito.

A longtime space enthusiast, Tito made his millions in the world of finance, but was once an engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Widely considered the first space tourist, Tito paid the Russians a reported $20 million for his 2001 flight to the space station.

The younger Garriott earlier in the night said he used to look at Tito and think, "That's the guy that got my seat!" Garriott's long-held aspirations to go to space — first dashed when he learned his eyesight was below NASA standards — had to be postponed for a few years after his wealth took a hit in the dot-com crash.

A view of the toilet compartment in the Zvezda Service Module of the International Space Station (ISS).

Tito stood up to ask his question and paused before saying, "One experience that people always ask me about is, 'How do you go to the bathroom in space?'"

As the audience laughed, Owen Garriott jumped in to add: "Elementary school children, usually."

But Tito continued, saying that despite his eight months of training with the Russians, he wasn't all that prepared to go the bathroom in space.

"I guess the Russians really don't like to talk about these things — they have funny attitudes," Tito said. "So I got on board the station and the first thing that happened was Jim Voss, an American astronaut, gave me toilet trailing."

"Now, I hadn't had toilet training in 60 years," Tito added. "So I was wondering, did you get toilet training on the ground?"

Richard Garriott, who trained with the Russians, too, corroborated Tito's story.

"It is hilarious because every other system — everything except the toilet — you use the exact hardware you will use in space on the ground," Garriott said.

Garriott said he had a cheat sheet for which switches to turn on for when he needed to use the space commode, the toilet does not work the same way as it does on the ground.

"Gravity's actually really important for how to separate yourself from your waste and there's no discussion of that," Garriott said.

Richard Garriott as seen in "Man on a Mission," a film by Mike Woolf.

His father chimed in to give a perspective from the U.S. side, and discussed his training with NASA ahead of his 60-day stint in space during the Skylab 3 mission in 1973.

"We did receive proper training," the elder Garriott said. "For urination it's a very simple thing ... Urination is not a problem. Defecation is what you're concerned about."

Garriott said the Skylab astronauts used a simulator toilet mounted over a camera so that they could check their positioning on the ground before using the commode in space. All three Skylab crews out also brought home all of their waste to be examined by scientists, Garriott added, remarking that they never had a single toilet failure while in flight.

"One thing NASA did right," he quipped.

Follow Megan Gannon on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @SPACEdotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on SPACE.com.

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Thousands Cited For Having Pot On Federal Land

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TACOMA, Wash. -- Karen Strand didn't think she'd get in trouble for having a small container of medical marijuana when she went hiking in Olympic National Park this summer.

President Barack Obama, she remembered, had said the federal government had "bigger fish to fry" than people who follow state marijuana laws, and Washington state had just legalized pot.

But a ranger pulled her over on a remote gravel road, and Strand wound up as one of at least 27,700 people cited for having pot on federal land since 2009, according to an Associated Press analysis of federal court data. The number of citations is small compared to the hundreds of millions of visitors to national parks, forests and monuments each year.

But it nevertheless illustrates one of the many issues Washington, Colorado and other states face in complying with last month's Justice Department memo that requires them to address eight federal law enforcement priorities if they want to regulate marijuana. Among those priorities is keeping marijuana use and possession off federal property.

State officials have no plans to license pot gardens or stores on federal land, but beyond that, they say, it's not clear what they can do to discourage backpackers or campers from bringing a few joints into Rocky Mountain or Mount Rainier National Park.

"It's not one of the big topics we've talked a lot about," said Jaime Smith, a spokeswoman for Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.

Other concerns on the DOJ's list include keeping marijuana away from kids and cartels, preventing drugged driving and pot-related gun violence, and keeping unregulated marijuana grows from spoiling federal land.

Thousands of people receive tickets every year charging them with having pot on U.S. property – a federal misdemeanor punishable by up to 6 months in jail and a $5,000 fine. The charges typically don't result in jail time, but often do require at least one court appearance. They are frequently negotiated down to an infraction, akin to a traffic ticket, and a fine of up to a few hundred dollars.

Through the first seven months of this year, at least 146 people had been cited in Washington for having pot on federal land, which makes up nearly one-third of the state. At least 135 had been cited in Colorado. Washington's figure is slightly below the same period for the past few years, while Colorado's is roughly on track.

The number of people cited nationally has dropped, from 6,282 in 2009 to 5,772 in 2012, and is on pace to hit about 5,300 this year, according to data from the U.S. Courts Central Violations Bureau. The citations were issued at national parks, seashores, forests, military bases and monuments. There were even 10 tickets issued at the Pentagon.

Officials say the actual numbers are likely greater: Park rangers and other federal agents sometimes simply write on the ticket that the offender had a controlled substance, without specifying the drug.

Defendants say being prosecuted for having tiny amounts of pot on U.S. land – especially in Washington, Colorado and states with medical marijuana laws – belies the administration's assertions that going after people who comply with state marijuana laws is not a priority. The DOJ first announced that position in a 2009 memo, though the fine print also made clear that pot isn't welcome on federal property.

Strand, 36, was pulled over for having a broken taillight, and the ranger reported that he could smell fresh pot. She was ticketed for having 2 grams – far less than the ounce, or 28 grams, allowed by Washington's recreational pot law, or the 24 ounces allowed by the state's medical marijuana law.

"It is exceptionally confusing," she said.

One morning this month, Strand sat in a small, crowded room at the federal courthouse in Tacoma for her initial appearance on charges of marijuana possession and drug paraphernalia – a pipe.

Near her sat her husband as well as several other people caught with weed on federal land, including a 21-year-old man who was accused of having 0.1 grams during a traffic stop on a highway that skirts Mount Rainier National Park.

"I just thought it was legal now," Jonah Hunt said. "I didn't know I was on federal land."

Barbara Sievers, the assistant U.S. attorney handling the cases, informed the defendants their charges would not be dismissed.

"Regardless of whatever happened in the state, it's federal law, and it's federal property," she said.

Former school teacher Melanie Cease, of Seattle, said a park ranger approached her one day in June at a secluded campsite in Olympic National Park. He came to make sure her dog was on a leash, but then saw an empty pipe on the picnic table.

With his hand on his gun, she said, the ranger demanded she turn over whatever pot she had. Cease, 48, was cited for having a "trace amount," according to the ranger's report.

"I've never been arrested in my life, and now I'm being threatened with six months in jail and a $5,000 fine for using my medicine?" she said. "It was my understanding the government was not going to mess with individual patients."

Strand and Cease both pleaded not guilty, and their cases were set for trial in October.

Strand and her husband, Thomas, said they remain troubled by what they said felt like harassment from the park ranger. He repeatedly placed his hand on his gun when speaking to them, they said.

"It's a beautiful place up there," Thomas Strand said. "And I don't know if I'll ever go back."

___

Follow Johnson on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GeneAPseattle

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Kelly Rowland Works On Her Ab-Fab Fitness

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AppId is over the quota

Kelly Rowland has one of the most enviable sets of abs in Tinseltown.

The singer, who made a body-baring splash on this month's cover of Shape, showed how she carves those muscles.

It's all thanks to trainer Jeanette Jenkins! Rowland says the trainer's star plank (which she easily executed above) is one of her favorite moves from Jenkins' latest video.

"The Hollywood Trainer" definitely gets the Destiny's Child diva's seal of approval -- the two teamed up for a workout DVD, "Sexy Abs Cardio Sculpt," which will be released Oct. 1.

Those abs are enough "Motivation" for us. We're sold, Kelly!

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Getting Off A Train Is Better When Greeted By This Friendly Russian Boy (VIDEO)

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AppId is over the quota

This Russian kid doesn't know any of these people, but that doesn't stop him from greeting every single one of them as they leave the train, and it's pretty cute. He definitely has a future as a politician.

But, uh, what's with that shirtless guy?

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James Franco Gay Jokes During Comedy Central's Roast Discussed On 'The Rubin Report'

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AppId is over the quota

Dave Rubin of "The Rubin Report" took Comedy Central to task over the barrage of gay jokes directed at James Franco during its roast of the Academy Award-nominated actor earlier this month. (WARNING: contains graphic language)

Joining Rubin were comedian Erin Foley and producer Jayar Jackson, both of whom were critical of the event.

"This was just was another example of what happens in comedy clubs across the country -- it's just stupid straight dudes making stupid gay jokes," Foley said. "They don't know James Franco ... honestly, it's absolutely ridiculous."

Jackson minced even fewer words, noting, "Call it a written sh*t talk night rather than a roast."

For his part, Franco doesn't seem to mind the gay speculation. Last week, he told The Daily Beast: "I don’t even care if people think I’m gay, so it was like, 'Awesome!' I mean, I wish I was. … I wish I was gay."

For more on "The Rubin Report," click here.

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The Republican Plot To Kill Obamacare -- New York Magazine

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AppId is over the quota

New York:

The Republican party has voted unanimously against establishing the Affordable Care Act in the Senate and then in the House of Representatives, then voted some 40 times to repeal or cripple it; it has mounted a nearly successful campaign to nullify it through the courts and a failed presidential campaign that promised to repeal it; and it has used its control of state governments to block the law's implementation across vast swaths of the country, at enormous economic cost to those states. Yet somehow, in the wake of all this, the party is consumed with the question Have we done enough to stop Obamacare?

Read the whole story at New York

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NBC, CBS Retract Identity Of Navy Yard Shooter

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NBC and CBS were forced to retract initial reports about the identity of the shooter responsible for the deaths and injuries at the Navy Yard in Washington on Monday.

Both networks identified the same man as the shooter, and then had to walk those reports back:

BREAKING. @johnmillercbs advises the initial reports identifying the suspected shooter as Rollie Chance are wrong.

— Charlie Kaye (@CharlieKayeCBS) September 16, 2013

NBC News: we are now NOT reporting name of shooter; retracting that report. deleting those tweets

— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) September 16, 2013

NBC's Pete Williams said the error came from sources who found an ID card that looked like the suspected gunman:

.@PeteWilliamsNBC says name circulating "is not the shooter," but the name of a man who dropped ID card. #NavyYardShooting

— Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) September 16, 2013

The false reports were perhaps the most prominent errors in a day filled with confusing and contradictory information.

The shooter was later identified as Aaron Alexis, a 34-year-old from Fort Worth, Texas.

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Looking For The Bed Of Your Dreams? Think Outside The Box Spring With These Fanciful Roosts

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AppId is over the quota

We all know a bed should be comfortable. But there's something else a bed should be: welcoming. At the end of a long day, when you walk into your bedroom, your heartbeat should slow as you look at this refuge from a fast-paced world. Maybe I expect too much from my bed; but, unless you're an insomniac, one-third of every day is spent in it. It should be calmingly pretty. Maybe even pretty outrageously cool, pulling you onto it, like a magic carpet ride into your dreams. At least, that's what the following beds do for their owners.

Read the whole story at www.houzz.com