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Millions to Cross "Structurally Deficient" Bridges This Weekend
AP
The Washington state bridge that collapsed on Thursday underscores a growing crisis of aging infrastructure, deferred maintenance and design flaws in crossings in the United States, NBC News reported. With millions of people hitting the road over Memorial Day weekend and crossing some of the 66,000 bridges that the federal government has deemed "structurally deficient," Thursday night's incident could give travelers a pause and with good reason. Big potholes, weight restrictions and lane closings are some of the inconveniences bridge users face unless reconstruction and replacement is ramped up across the nation, said Dan Goldberg, communications director for Transportation for America. "We are going to see probably some more of this, but the more likely scenario is contending with the issues of decay that happen before the collapse," he said. The Interstate 5 bridge in Mount Vernon, Wash., which apparently crumpled after being hit by an oversized truck, was not on the Federal Highway Administration's structurally-deficient list. Click through to read about six crossings, used by more than 1 million vehicles each day, that don't make the grade.
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Oklahoma Teacher: After Tornado, the "Crying Stopped"
The principal and faculty members of Plaza Towers Elementary School describe the grisly aftermath of a deadly tornado that ripped through their city and turned the school into a debris field. The teachers recount the disaster that left seven students dead.
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17 Children Dead in Pakistan School Bus Explosion
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On Saturday at least 17 children were burned to death in eastern Pakistan after a defective gas cylinder exploded on a bus bringing them to school, according to The Associated Press. Seven other kids were injured in the explosion that occurred on the outskirts of the city of Gujrat. "This is a very sad incident. According to our information, at least 17 children were burned to death," police officer Mohammed Rasheed said. "The school bus caught fire after the blast. We have transported all the victims to a nearby hospital." Gujrat is located about 120 miles southeast of the capital, Islamabad. The accident occurred after two suspected militant attacks ended with nine people dead in two different areas of northwest Pakistan on Friday.
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Leader of Infamous Drug Cartel Pleads Guilty
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Mercy Flight Crashes in Upstate NY, Killing Two
At least two people are dead after a small plane flying as a volunteer Angel Flight crashed in upstate New York, according to The Associated Press. The Piper PA 34 airplane flew out from Massachusetts and crashed into a pond in Ephratah, about an hour west of Albany. Two passengers were found dead and investigators have yet to find the pilot. "The bulk of the plane is in the water, in a pond, completely submerged and we have to wait until daylight to put divers in," a sheriff said. Angel Flight is a nonprofit organization that provides free air transportation for ill patients from volunteer pilots. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will look further into the crash and assess the weather conditions at the time of the incident.
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Woman Claims She Was Kept as Slave in Northern Va.
Are "Lone Wolf" Attacks the New Path to Terror?
AP
The public slaying of a soldier in London and last month's Boston Marathon bombing illustrates the possible emergence of a new terror trend towards unsophisticated attacks that are practically impossible to prevent, according to intelligence experts. Lee Rigby, a 25-year-old father who had served in Afghanistan, was killed in broad daylight Wednesday as he walked near an army barracks in Woolwich, southeast London. “I think what we've seen in London, and Boston previously, is largely the new face of al Qaeda-inspired attacks,” said NBC News counter-terrorism analyst, Michael Leiter. “These are no longer the large scale sophisticated plots from overseas but instead very unsophisticated and simple attacks which can still very much affect the psyche of cities.” Leiter adds that such attacks by "lone wolves" are harder to stop than planned attacks initiated by overseas terror organizations whose activities are monitored by intelligence agencies. Click to read more on the emergence of this trend.
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15-Year-Old Arrested in Stabbing Deaths of Two Younger Brothers
AP
A 15-year-old boy was arrested on Thursday for the deaths of his younger adopted siblings, The Associated Press reported. He was taken into custody after authorities investigating the stabbing deaths of the boys, ages 4 and 10, found him miles away with traces of blood on him, officials said. The county attorney has not filed charges yet as he was trying to find out more about the boy and killings that shocked the community, which is located about 30 miles north of Salt Lake City at a Utah subdivision of new houses and tidy lawns. The younger brothers died from knife wounds following the attack, according to the medical examiner. The 15-year-old, whose name was not published because of his age, allegedly acted alone, officials said. The 15-year-old and his two younger brothers had been left home alone and police said their mother took her other three children to a dance recital, returning to find first one body, then another. Their father, reportedly a Department of Defense engineer, was away in Alabama.
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Friday, May 24, 2013 at 11:54 AM
Those who commit sexual assault are not only committing a crime, they threaten the trust and discipline that make our military strong.
Judge Rules Dept. of "Toughest Sheriff" Involved in Racial Profiling
AP
A federal judge ruled on Friday a sheriff's office in Arizona systematically singled out Latino in its immigration patrol, marking the first finding by a court that the agency racially profiles people, The Associated Press reported. The 142-page decision by U.S. District Judge Murray Snow in Phoenix backs up allegations from critics that the self-proclaimed toughest sheriff Joe Arpaio and his officers rely on race in their immigration enforcement. "For too long the sheriff has been victimizing the people he's meant to serve with his discriminatory policy," said Cecillia D. Wang, director of the ACLU Immigrants' Right Project. "Today we're seeing justice for everyone in the county." A small group of Latinos alleged in their lawsuit that Arpaio's deputies pulled over some vehicles only to make immigration status checks. The group asked Snow to issue injunctions barring the sheriff's office from discriminatory policing and the judge ruled that more remedies could be ordered in the future. A hearing is set for June 14, according to the lawyer leading the case against Arpaio.
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Calif. Reveals Prices for "Obamacare" Health Insurance
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California announced the plans and rates on Thursday that consumers will pay for a selection of health plans offered through the state under President Barack Obama’s health care law, Reuters reported. Under the Affordable Care Act, people who do not get or cannot afford health insurance through their jobs can buy coverage through an exchange, at a group rate negotiated by state regulators. The cost to a 40-year-old would range from about $40 to $300 per month for a mid-level plan. The prices in Calif. and those announced in Washington, Vermont and other states, show that premiums under the sweeping federal reform law can be more affordable than had previously been thought. "Most consumers buying coverage in the individual market will get financial help and see their premiums go down,” said Anthony Wright, executive director of advocacy group Health Access. Republicans predicted that high premiums would doom “Obamacare” as the uninsured would not be able to pay for coverage even with federal subsidies.
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Sexual Misconduct Probe Under Way at Alaskan Military Base
The Army has launched a probe into possible sexual misconduct or sexual assault at the Space and Missile Defense Command at Fort Greely, Alaska, officials tell NBC News. The sources report there are allegations that an Army commander or commanders had sexual relations with female soldiers under their command. It's not clear whether the alleged contact was forced or consensual. If it was forced, it could result in criminal sexual assault charges, though onsensual relations with a subordinate would still be a violation of regulations, according to NBC News. The commanding general ordered the investigation upon learning of the allegations. The military has been hit with a number of high-profile cases within the unit that monitors sexual abuse. The Defense Department said earlier this month that the number of sexual assault cases spiked last year. The department has been ramping up efforts to fight sexual assault within the ranks.
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Jersey Shore Towns to Vacationers: We’re Still Here
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Officials Look for Temporary Fix After Bridge Collapse
AP
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said federal officials are looking for a possible replacement for a bridge that collapsed along Interstate-5 in Washington State, the main freeway that runs up and down the West Coast between the Canadian and Mexican borders. If a bridge is found, a temporary fix could be in place in weeks, said Inslee at a press conference Thursday. If one can't be quickly secured, he said it could be months before a replacement can be built. Three people were rescued from a rushing river after the collapsed, plunging two cars into the water below, according to Washington State Patrol. Dan Sligh, one of the three people rescued, told NBC affiliate KING 5 News that he thought his life was over when he felt the water rushing into his car. "When you looked at all the carnage of the metal and stuff around you, I assumed that was it at that point." His wife and another rescued man were hospitalized with hypothermia. The 57-year-old bridge fell into the Skagit River around 7 p.m. local time after a truck slammed into part of it. Officials are investigating the incident.
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N.J. Shore Town Destroyed by Sandy Confronts an Uncertain Future
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