Michigan Chronicle

A+ A A-

Explosions rock Boston Marathon; several injured (video)

 boston_marathon_explosion.jpg

 

 

(CNN) -- Two large explosions rocked an area near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday, injuring at least six people and spewing wreckage in its wake.

Smoke billowed into the air at Copley Square, turning a site of celebration into a mess of destruction.

Crowds had gathered in the area to watch the runners.

At least four people were being treated at Massachusetts General Hospital.

It was not immediately clear what caused the blasts. Authorities rushed to assist the injured and close off the scene.

Out of an abundance of caution, the Lenox Hotel was evacuated, the Boston Globe reported, as authorities looked into possible security concerns.

Video from the moment of one of the blasts showed some people who appeared to be knocked over and then got up, but the video did not clearly show spectators who may have been closer to the site of the blast.

Mike Baingon, who works at the Atlantic Fish Company, said an explosion took place in front of the restaurant and that he was right by the front door at the time.

The explosions occurred at about 2:45 p.m., more than two hours after the first of the race's nearly 27,000 runners had crossed the finish line, CNN Producer Matt Frucci reported.

The race was halted after the explosions as was subway service into the area.

Troops from the Massachusetts National Guard were assisting police as well.

In New York City, authorities stepped up security as well "until more about the explosion is learned," Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne said.

 

Last Updated on Tuesday, 16 April 2013 07:54

Hits: 4168

Iyanla Tapes Open Letter To DMX After Rapper Curses Her, Has Outburst On Son (video)

dmx-iyanla-vanzant.png

c, and Vanzant, prompting Vanzant to release an open letter to the rapper over the weekend, saying she still supports and loves the artist and encourages him to find his way back to a “clean life.”

After her show premiered on Saturday night, with a seemingly drugged DMX abandoning his son and cursing out Vanzant, the spiritual teacher released a video of herself repledging her support to the rapper:

Beloved,

I know we haven’t spoken since our time together in Yonkers. And what I’m hearing is that they are just waiting for the call. They are waiting for the day they get the call. And you know what I mean.

But I’m not waiting for that call. I’m calling on you, and I’m not going to give up on you. I will n

...

Last Updated on Monday, 15 April 2013 14:54

Hits: 469

(Un)Funny Business: Kevin Hart Arrested For DUI [VIDEO]

 

(Un)Funny Business: Kevin Hart Arrested For DUI [VIDEO](Un)Funny Business: Kevin Hart Arrested For DUI [VIDEO](Un)Funny Business: Kevin Hart Arrested For DUI [VIDEO](Un)Funny Business: Kevin Hart Arrested For DUI [VIDEO]

Funny man Kevin Hart was released from jail early Sunday morning after spending 6 hours behind bars on DUI charges and fully admits that he was drunk behind the wheel, reports TMZ.[1]

RELATED:

Twitter Comedy Beef: Mike Epps, Kevin Hart Exchange Insults[2]

Steve Harvey 2.0: Comedian Kevin Hart Offers Advice To Black Women[3]

The ‘Real Husbands of Hollywood’ star did not deny California Highway Patrol’s account that he was traveling over 90 mph and “nearly slammed into a gas tanker.”

He was charged with misdemeanor DUI and released on $5,000 bond.

TMZ caught up with Hart as he was leaving the jail and even though his “girl” tried to silence him, he told the complete truth about the situation.

Watch below:

See what the comedian had to say on Twitter about the incident below:

 

Hart is right; drunk driving is not a game and it’s not funny. Someone could have been killed — including Hart and his companion. Hopefully he truly has learned his lesson.

Hart’s hit show, “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” was recently renewed by BET for its second season.

Read more http://newsone.com/2382684/kevin-hart-dui/

Last Updated on Monday, 15 April 2013 08:22

Hits: 534

Tax day: Where did the money go in 2012?

m3.jpg.jpg

(CNN) -- Monday is tax day, and in case you're wondering where your money went last year, President Barack Obama is eager to let you know. He's giving you a detailed receipt.

For the third year, taxpayers can visit the White House website for the nitty-gritty on how the government spends tax dollars from American households.

To see your 2012 contributions to the nation's military, Social Security, health care, community development, agriculture and NASA, among others, visit the site for the year's "taxpayer receipt."

"You deserve to know how your tax dollars are being spent," White House spokeswoman Colleen Curtis said in a statement.

Any politics involved?

The annual public disclosure comes amid a tussle among the president, Democratic legislators and their Republican counterparts over 2014 budget proposals. Legislators from both parties have slammed each other's proposals, as well as that of the president.

In his budget, Obama has taken the red pen to social spending items dear to liberal Democrats in his own base and handed bigger tax invoices to the wealthy and corporations, something Republicans have resisted.

His proposed reductions on Social Security and Medicare spending have caused consternation among some of Obama's supporters, who argue it will leave vulnerable Americans without enough support.

Meanwhile, Republicans have also protested the proposed revenue increases and the fact the budget doesn't balance. The $3.8 trillion proposal aims to cut deficits by $1.8 trillion over the next decade.

What do we pay the most for?

Spending on the military and health care programs take up the bulk of federal income tax revenues, according to the White House.

A married couple with one child making $50,000 a year -- roughly the median household income in America, according to the U.S. Census Bureau -- paid an average of $995 in federal income taxes in 2012, just 1.99%.

This does not include Social Security and Medicare taxes.

Nearly a quarter of income taxes, $245.17, went to a category labeled "National Defense." A slightly smaller sum, $223.38, or 22.45%, was spent on "health care."

Ongoing military operations, such as the U.S. presence in Afghanistan, swallow the largest sum of defense spending, laying claim to more than 10% of taxpayer dollars, the White House said.

Medicare and Medicaid, programs for the country's seniors and poor respectively, take up nearly all of the "heath care" spending category in the income tax breakdown.

This does not include the separate Medicare Tax of $725, or 1.45%, levied on the family used as an example.

But there is other combined military and social spending included in other parts of taxpayer receipt, such as an entry for "Veterans Benefits" and a separate one for military retirement and disability.

The federal government spends comparatively little on education and the promotion of science and technology. Together, they all receive less than 5% of expenditures. This includes NASA's budget.

A major exception is the development and construction of weapons technology, which weighs in at 7.62% of total federal expenditures.

The biggest tax by far is the workers' contributions to Social Security, which weigh in at $2,100 for a family of three earning a median income of $50,000 per year. That's 4.2% of the family's gross income and is more than its federal income and Medicare taxes taken together.

How big are taxes and deficits?

Over the past 40 years, the federal budget deficit has amounted to 3.1% of gross domestic product per year, according to the Congressional Budget Office. That was well under the rate of inflation as measured by the labor department's consumer price index for half of those years.

At 3.3%, deficits are predicted to be slightly higher over the next 10 years, as rising health care and retirement costs notch up federal spending, the budget office said.

Budget deficits in the U.S. and much of the West surged with the onset of the world economic crisis in 2008, but began dropping in 2012, according to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development.

U.S. tax revenues -- including Social Security and Medicare -- have amounted to 18% of GDP over the past 40 years and are expected to rise slightly to 19% of annual GDP for the next 10 years, the budget office said.

The rate of U.S. income taxes as a percentage of GDP is lower compared to most developed nations, according to the World Bank

Last Updated on Monday, 15 April 2013 09:19

Hits: 308

Black Passengers Sue US Airways For Discrimination

 

Black Passengers Sue US Airways For DiscriminationBlack Passengers Sue US Airways For DiscriminationBlack Passengers Sue US Airways For Discrimination

McCraig Warren and Miles Warren are suing US Airways for asking them to change out of their hoodies, jeans and baseball caps into slacks and a button-up shirt before boarding a first-class fight, reports Alternet.com.[1]

In a discrimination lawsuit[2] filed Wednesday, the Warrens claim that an employee informed them of the dress-code when they tried to claim first-class tickets at the counter. Sharing their fears with fellow passenger Michael Heffernan that they might miss their flight, they eventually boarded the plane to discover Heffernan and a friend sitting in first class wearing the same casual attire they had been wearing before being asked to change.

McCraig and Miles Warren are Black; Michael Heffernan is White.

Want to Keep Up With NewsOne.com? LIKE Us On Facebook!

Alternet.com[3] reports:A ticket counter employee repeatedly told the Warrens, who are both black, that their jeans, hooded sweatshirts and baseball caps violated an alleged first-class dress code. As the complaint states:Doe employee informed plaintiffs that it was US Airways policy that everyone in first class is required to wear slacks, button up shirts and no baseball caps. Doe employee demanded plaintiffs to change from jeans into slacks, a button-up shirt and told plaintiffs to remove their baseball caps.The Warrens reportedly headed to the restroom where Miles conferred to a white passenger, Michael Heffernan, that he was worried he’d miss his flight because of his apparent dress-code violation. So, imagine Miles’ surprise when he saw Mr. Heffernan and a friend sitting in first-class, wearing almost the exact same outfits that barred the Warrens from sitting in their seats—jeans and hoodies.After initially saying that the complaint was under review, Andrew Christie, a spokesperson for US Airways, told AlterNet:“We welcome customers of all ethnicities and backgrounds and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. We take these allegations seriously.” Christie added, ” Initial indications are that these pass-riders were traveling on non-revenue tickets as part of our employee travel program. All employees and pass-riders are expected to comply with the policies associated with this travel privilege.”So passengers using “non-revenue” tickets are held to a dress code while other passengers are not? Why, exactly, to prove they are worthy of flying first-class? That doesn’t sound like a fair and equitable company policy. There always seems to be discrimination when traveling while Black — whether by air, car or on foot.

References

  1. ^Alternet.com. (www.alternet.org)
  2. ^discrimination lawsuit (dockets.justia.com)
  3. ^Alternet.com (www.alternet.org)

Read more http://newsone.com/2380362/black-passengers-usairways-hoodies/

Last Updated on Monday, 15 April 2013 08:20

Hits: 646

Digital Daily Signup

Sign up now for the Michigan Chronicle Digital Daily newsletter!

Trending Topics

Free Digital Edition

Powered by Real Times Media  © 2009 - 2015 • All rights reserved • Website Developed by ETECH Design Studio

Register

User Registration
or Cancel