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Florida Woman Arrested After Second Child Dies in Her Bed

December 28, 2016 By Kelly Holzschlag

The Florida woman already lost a child to co-sleeping.

A Florida woman arrested on manslaughter charges in the death of her 18 day old son is being held due to the fact that this is the second of her children to die in the same manner. 25 year old Erin Piche-Pitts of Winterhaven Florida is facing charges in the death of her infant due to co-sleeping. This isn’t the first time that Piche-Pitts has lost an infant child this way.

Repeated Warnings Flouted by Florida Woman Arrested for Infant Death

On October 6, 2016 Piche-Pitts woke to the sound of the baby crying and got up to prepare a bottle. She then took the child from the bassinet, which was located right beside the bed, and placed the child beside her, propped up on a pillow.

She soon fell asleep again, and when she awoke once more, she found the baby was unresponsive. This is the second child that she has lost in the same manner, the first being in December of 2009. She has been given multiple warnings by healthcare professionals and law enforcement officers about not repeating the same mistake that cost her first child its life.

The first victim was only 13 days old. This is also not the only incident which has gotten Piche-Pitts in trouble with the law. In July, the Winterhaven Florida woman was arrested for possession of meth. She was pregnant with the deceased child at the time. When police and paramedics arrived on the scene following her October 6 call, she simply said “it happened again.” The baby was pronounced dead at the hospital a short time later.

An Epidemic that Can be Avoided Easily

This case is indicative of a growing epidemic of infant deaths related to co-sleeping in the United States. The issue of how to calm and comfort children who require almost constant attention, and are difficult to get to sleep, has long been a concern for all parents. Moms and dads often turn to cuddling the infant in the comfort of the bed as a last resort.

Despite the fact that all healthcare professionals agree that having and infant in an adult size bed alone is dangerous enough, parents are usually exhausted from the sleep deprivation that comes with a toddler, choosing to abandon the battle with fatigue and place the baby next to them in bed. While bed sharing is common in many parts of the world, in the West it is generally frowned upon.

Professionals recommend parents to always place the child in a crib where there are no pillows or stuffed animals that could obstruct its airways.

The incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome has exponentially increased in recent years. SIDS features many types of sleeping related causes of death including death by strangulation, suffocation, and complications of co-sleeping, as in the case of the Florida women arrested in Winterhaven.

Culpable Negligence Basis of Felony Charge

Culpable negligence due to the fact that this is the second death of a child in the care of Piche-Pitts, and the meth charges in July are the basis of the felony manslaughter charge. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said:

“This lady doesn’t get it. Due to her recklessness and disregard for instructions, her second child has died. She got a pass on the first one, even though there was negligence involved. But she didn’t get a pass on this one.”

The Florida woman arrested on December 20 will face a bail hearing on January 10. The husband, who was at home at the time of the child’s death, but not in the same room, has not been charged and is not expected to be.

Image source: Flickr

73-Year Old with Dementia Shot and Killed by Police in CA

December 24, 2016 By Kevin Kopas Leave a Comment

An unarmed 73-year old grandfather, suffering from the early stages of dementia, was shot and killed by police officers on an early morning in Bakersfield, CA. The officer was responding to reports of a man with a gun, reports USA Today.

According to The Guardian, the man was shot nine times by police officers — and he was taking a walk outside of his home without a gun.

Not the First Fatal Shooting in the Area

A Guardian investigation in 2015 revealed that Kern County, California’s law enforcement had killed more people per capita than any other county in the United States. The police department and the Kern County’s Sheriff Department are the largest law enforcement agencies in the county.

In a statement, police stated that the officers had received reports of a man armed with a gun in the neighborhood. When they arrived at 12:30 am, a witness pointed out the 73-year old man standing in a driveway just before the officer shot him.

Man Was Carrying a Crucifix

The Washington Post reports that 73-year old Francisco Serna had dementia, and he had strolled out of his home onto his driveway. He was unarmed, but when police officers requested that he remove his hands from his pocket, one officer fired at him.

During the premise search that lasted until the following afternoon, police never found a gun; instead, they concluded that the man was holding a crucifix.

At the time of the press release, there was no name associated with the officer that fatally shot the man.

Serna’s family issued several statements, including one that said that their father has never carried a gun and he was opposed to firearms. Family members want to know why police just opened fire on the man without confirming he had a weapon.

Police stated that when a neighbor came home and found a man standing behind her car with his hand in his jacket pocket, she contacted the police out of concern. The neighbor never saw a gun, but she said that the man was questioning her about living in the neighborhood and demanded she open the car door so that he could look inside.

The neighbor said that she said a dark brown or black handled item that she thought was a gun from the man’s jacket pocket. When they contacted police, they reported that he was armed and said that the man brandished the gun at the women and it was a revolver.

Now the police officer that shot Serna has been identified as Officer Selman. He joined the police force in July 2015 and was relatively new still at the time of the shooting.

Family members state that Serna was going for a walk because he would normally do that at night to help him become tired and sleep.

It has not been confirmed if the neighbors that contacted the police falsified information on purpose or if it was a misunderstanding. Regardless, saying to the police that the man had a gun was what prompted them to arrive and use deadly force.

The True Dangers of Repealing ACA for Medicare

December 18, 2016 By Kevin Kopas Leave a Comment

Those with Medicare plans are not rejoicing at the idea of repealing or replacing the Affordable Care Act (ACA). After all, ACA and Medicare are closely tied together, and when one is removed, it affects the other.

The open enrollment for Medicare starts December 7, 2016, says PBS. Most people have already entered the marketplace and started shopping for the best deals on their next year’s insurance plan.

Congressional Republicans and Their Plan to Rid the World of the ACA

The Republicans in Congress would like nothing more than to get rid of the ACA. They have made it clear, alongside President-elect Trump, that they will repeal Obamacare and make considerable changes to Medicare and Medicaid plans for the future.

Repealing something like the ACA and finding a suitable replacement will take years. There is one gap that people are not considering when they promote the repeal of the ACA: pre-existing conditions. Right now, insurers cannot deny a person coverage based on their pre-existing conditions. However, without the ACA, they could go back to doing so, because people would no longer be forced to have health insurance in the first place.

Key senior groups are also worried about the ACA and how it will affect Medicare and Medicaid plans if it were repealed. Medicare patients could lose their access to preventative services, and they may have heightened out of pocket expenses for things like medications. Basically, senior Americans would receive less care at a higher premium – and that is not acceptable.

Trump Vows to Bring Down Drug Prices

In addition to Trump’s promises to repeal or replace Obamacare, Trump is now promising that he will also bring down drug prices. After all, the biggest reason for medical care deficits is the cost of treatment. Whether it is the outrageous fees from hospitals or pharmaceutical manufacturers, the costs are a concern.

Trump has vowed to bring down those prices and make affordable healthcare possible without requiring the ACA.

According to The Fiscal Times, Trump has made it clear that he does not like how drug prices have fluctuated and continued to rise. There are some companies taking advantage of Americans that need their drugs to survive, with some hiking up the price for the demand and profiting on the illnesses of others.

Therefore, Trump used it as a cornerstone of his campaign to promise the American people that he would lower drug costs for treatments.

One way he could do this is by empowering Medicare to negotiate better pricing with drug companies. Already other healthcare providers have done the same, lowering the costs of prescription drugs significantly.

However, a reform of Medicare would be required to request a negotiation of the pricing. Already Medicare and Medicaid Services have released a report that details the cost of prescription drug coverage over the past five years, showing the increasing drug prices.

For now, the healthcare system, including rising drug costs, will remain the same.

Two Teens Arrested and Charged with Starting TN Wildfires

December 18, 2016 By Kevin Kopas Leave a Comment

It has always been suspected that the devastating TN wildfires were human-caused, and now police have arrested and charged two juveniles for the crime.

Authorities arrested and charged two teens in connection with the wildfires, reports KARE 11. These fires were responsible for killing 14 and injuring over 130 people. The property damage for these wildfires is excessive, with homes, businesses, and expensive resorts destroyed.

So far, the teens are charged with aggravated arson, but they may face more charges later. They are held at the Sevier County Juvenile Detention Center until trial.

How the Teens Were Found

During their investigation, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation gathered information that led them to the two teens. US News reports that both were charged, but the investigation is still active and has not wrapped up.

The TBI team is working with the National Park Service as well as the ATF team to gather evidence.

The devastation from these fires is dramatic. In addition to those that perished in the flames and smoke, there was more than 2400 homes and buildings destroyed by the fire. Additional charges are being considered by the prosecution for the two teens, reports US News.

Juveniles Could be Charged and Tried as Adults

Right now, prosecutors are considering trying the two teens as adults, says NPR.

The minors started the fire on November 23^rd, per the TBI’s official statement.

Because the area was riddled with drought and had dry brush, the fire caught quickly and spread rapidly. It was able to sweep through and reach the town of Gatlinburg by November 28^th.

Already there have been 14000 people evacuated and while they were able to return to their home, there was not much to return home to for most.

No information has been released on the two teens that were arrested. Their ages and genders have not been released, but it was stated that the two were from Tennessee.

Already countless hours of investigation have been underway finding evidence to help convict the teens and ensure there are no other parties involved in the crime. Very little information has been released on the two suspects so far, but it is clear they are not from Sevier County; instead, they are just being held there.

The community feels that the minors should be held responsible for the damages both criminally and civilly. Some residents are still missing after the fires ripped through small towns; therefore, the death count could increase as the recovery process completes.

Residents of Gatlinburg were able to return home after the fire was fully extinguished, but they would only have limited access for the next few days to retrieve items (if any were still intact).

It is rare for a case to move from juvenile court to adult court, but in this instance, the amount of damage and deaths associated with the crime could warrant such a transfer.

Mistrial Declared in Walter Scott Killing Case

December 17, 2016 By Kevin Kopas Leave a Comment

The jury was deadlocked in the criminal trial against South Carolina ex-police officer for the killing of Walter Scott.

Per NBC News, one juror wrote a letter to the court stating that he could not consider a guilty verdict against the ex-officer, Michael Slager. This white patrolman pulled over Walter Scott in North Charleston and shot him as a bystander recorded the entire incident on his smartphone.

The jury wrote a separate note to the court stating that there was one juror having issues, and the juror said that he would not change his mind and vote guilty. Therefore, Circuit Judge Clifton Newman had no choice but to declare a mistrial.

Slager now leaves the courtroom because the 12 jurors could not agree. He will, however, be quickly retried, per The Huffington Post.

If Slager had been a civilian that shot Scott, he would have spent the rest of his life in prison for shooting and killing someone who was unarmed. However, Slager was a police officer; therefore, they can use lethal force, but sometimes it is not justified. There have been only three police officers in the past decade that have ever been charged with manslaughter or murder, but none of them were convicted.

High-Profile Case Brings to Light a Growing Issue

The Black Lives Matter movement has been gaining momentum, especially as the media continues to cover more stories of officers shooting unarmed or “threatening” civilians.

This is the second time a mistrial was declared in a case where an officer faces murder charges, says The Washington Post. In fact, a similar outcome happened in November for an officer in Ohio. Like the prosecutors in Ohio, the ones in South Carolina vowed to refile and try the officer again for the murder.

When the mistrial was declared, the judge did not say if the holdout was the single juror; however, that single juror was highlighted in other news stories and specifically mentioned by jurors on the case for refusing to change his mind and convict the officer.

The Gruesome Murder Caught on Tape

The entire accident and murder were caught on tape. In the recording, which was made by a bystander, the 50-year old Walter Scott was fleeing from Slager when he was shot in the back. Slager said that he feared for his life after the protests that occurred in Ferguson, Missouri. After local officials had filed charges against him, a local activist group had made it clear they did not want this situation to turn into another Ferguson-like event.

After Scott was pulled over, footage showed on Slager’s dashboard camera that the two men were interacting before Scott starts to run away. Over the radio, Slager is heard calling in a description of the man before saying “Taser” over and over.

The video from the bystander shows Scott running and the officer firing on him. In Slager’s murder trial, his word was put against that of the video footage. However, the officer describes his own fears before the bystander’s video began.

Trump Threatens to Cancel Boeing Contract

December 16, 2016 By Kevin Kopas Leave a Comment

President-elect Donald Trump is now taking a stab at American contracts, this time inflicting his Twitter concerns and comments on Boeing.

He made his shots at one of the country’s largest manufacturers, says NY Times, criticizing the pending order for the company to create the latest Air Force One. He suggested that Boeing was doing a number on the country, with the outrageous costs of the latest project.

He stated that Boeing was to construct a new Air Force One 747 for future presidents, something Trump would get to enjoy, but the cost was $4 billion, which Trump feels is outrageous.

Now, Trump wants to cancel this billion-dollar contract, says BuzzFeed.

Boeing Constructing Air Force One at an Outrageous Price

Trump is calling to cancel the order on social media, stating that the plane is out of control and the costs are not something the American people need to supply. While he did say Boeing has the right to earn a living, they don’t have the right to take advantage of the American budget and charge such an amount for a plane that certainly does not cost that much to construct.

Boeing’s statement immediately after Trump’s claims did not address the President-elect’s comments. They also did not discuss the estimated cost of the new project. Currently, the project is under contract for $170 million, and to determine the true costs, the company said that they have to weigh the complex military requirements for this highly-protected plane.

Boeing went on to say that they look forward to working closely with the United States to protect the President. Also, they are planning to work on subsequent projects with the United States military, and they are always looking for the best value to offer the American taxpayers.

The Air Force also released their own statement, saying that the budget of $2.7 billion for the project was a cushioned estimate just in case there were unforeseen costs. They also stated that they do not believe the project will actually cost this amount.

No one is sure where Trump received his overly exaggerated $4 billion in costs. Trump’s advisors refuse to comment on how Trump reached the total of $4 billion for costs and only said that the costs were outrageous.

They tried to play off Trump’s comments on Twitter to show his concern about the American people and the obvious overspending of the American government – which uses American tax dollars to pay for such projects.

Trump’s team also emphasized how they are always looking for ways to lower costs and help the country get out of debt.

No one is sure what is truly motivating Trump with his Twitter rants, especially regarding government contracts. However, Trump was not focusing on Boeing in a broad manner. Instead, he focused solely on the Air Force One upgraded plane and stated the plane was entirely out of control.

Obama Orders Review of International Hacking in the Election

December 15, 2016 By Kevin Kopas Leave a Comment

President Obama has ordered the country’s intelligence agencies to review the evidence about the cyber-attacks associated with this year’s election, says Reuters. Specifically, they want to learn about the foreign interactions and he wants a full report delivered before he leaves office on January 20^th, 2017.

Obama feels that the activity was “malicious,” and he wants a full review of the hacking that could have contaminated the voting results. The review will go back to the 2008 campaign when China first hacked during the Obama and McCain election, says NPR. Therefore, they are not only focusing on this year’s election.

Obama feels that the country has entered a new threshold and must protect themselves from cyber-attacks in the future and international influences playing a role in the United States elections, says USA Today.

Three Presidential Elections to be Reviewed

There will be three total election periods examined by the committee formed from President Obama. They will span from 2008 to 2016, and most of the review will be classified. It will only be shared with state officials and Congress, but some will be released to the public when the committee feels it is necessary.

In October, the White House accused the Russians of intervening with the election, and on November 8^th, Obama had warned Russian President Putin about his interference and the consequences of those actions.

This is an issue that President Obama plans to hand over to President-elect Trump, but not until he first has a full report telling him what is going on.

Russians Likely behind the WikiLeaks Reports

After the Russian government was accused of hacking, the information about Hillary Clinton’s campaign and her emails were released on WikiLeaks. The slow drip of those emails were what made her campaign appear corrupt and possibly tainted the waters for her in the election for good.

Obama wants to capture lessons for what happened in this year’s election, but also to ensure that elections in the past have not been influenced by international hackers.

According to the White House, the investigation will be a “Deep Dive” into the pattern of behavior, so that the country can learn from their mistakes and potentially stop hacking attempts in the future.

Obama has been quoted as saying this is a major priority for him before leaving office.

Trump has commented on the report saying that he does not feel there was international interference in the election, and that he believes it is a laughing point; not a talking point.

The review will supposedly look at all foreign actors that may have played a role in the election and hacking, as well as any attempts to interfere, says NPR. This news comes after the Republicans are promising their own investigation into the Russians hacking the election. However, this will be in conflict of the views of the President-Elect Trump.

Will the Wisconsin Recount Surprise Us? It Just Might

December 14, 2016 By Kevin Kopas Leave a Comment

By Spiffy sperry – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

The Wisconsin recount could have a surprise in store, but not the same surprise everyone thinks, reports the Washington Post.

The recount was initiated by Green Party presidential candidate Stein, and she has been working hard to have recounts issued in multiple states where Trump won by reportedly narrow margins.

It is unlikely the presidential count will change, but some conventional thoughts about politics and voting could change. In particular, it could show that computers are better at counting ballots than humans – something most of us knew for a long time.

Vote Counts Tend to Change

While the discrepancies will not be broad enough to remove Trump from his seat as President-Elect, it is interesting to see how the difference of numbers in votes for one candidate change from the recount and the primary voting.

For instance, if a candidate received 100 votes in the original count and 102 in the recount, the discrepancy would be considered two percent.

For the 2016 election, 90 percent of the votes were cast on electronic optical scanners for counting. These machines may raise some skepticism and questions about whether humans or computers can do a better job doing a count.

Recounts Provide Insight

While the recount may not change much, it is important to realize that a recount helps the country study the accuracy of primary voting methods used. Also, when one set of ballots is counted by hand and then recounted by computer, it is hard to determine which method is accurate.

So far, the recount has shown that some counties had horribly wrong numbers. Already a few jurisdictions have been removed due to human error.

Michigan Recount Underway Too

Trump supporters have been battling in court to stop the recounts, but a judge has ordered that Michigan must begin their recount, says Fox News.

Trump’s supporters were requested a delay of hand counting 4.8 million ballots. However, the judge has denied the request and Michigan must start their recount alongside Wisconsin and soon more states.

Detroit News points out that Trump won narrowly in the state, and the victory is close to the race in 1950; one that was never finished.

Stein backs up her request for a recount saying that she wants to verify if the vote tabulating machines are working as they should. She also has said that the machines could have been tampered with, but she has no evidence for her claims.

Most of the recounts in Michigan are scheduled to start December 5^th, and they work their way through the rest of the month. It could be several weeks before the recount numbers are official and released to the media.

Right now, voting officials are verifying if voters marked their ballots correctly. There are issues where there are invalid markings, such as an X or check mark on the outside of the circle. There are also issues where the boxes were not filled in entirely, but they still have a valid enough marketing to be counted for the presidential election.

New Law Might Force Presidents to Release Tax Returns

December 12, 2016 By Kevin Kopas Leave a Comment

Donald Trump made history in this year’s election by being the first presidential candidate in several decades to not release his tax returns. In fact, he outright refused to release them. However, candidates like him in the future may not be able to outright refuse.

Under a new law, coined the “T.R.U.M.P. Act,” candidates will be required to release tax returns, reports Fortune.

The bill was created by New York Democrat Brad Holyman, and it requires candidates to disclose five years of past tax returns for their name to appear on the New York ballot. While it will only affect New York, other states may soon follow the trend.

What is T.R.U.M.P.?

The “TRUMP” Act or Tax Returns Uniformly Made Public Act will be a law that does not allow people to vote for someone that does not release their tax returns. They cannot even write the name into the ballot. Also, the candidate only has 50 days before the general election to release his or her tax returns or they will be removed from the ballot.

The New York Senator wants to avoid another issue like Trump, says Newsmax.

Also, electoral college members cannot vote for any member of the ballot that does not release their tax returns.

The reason behind the TRUMP Act is that New York feels that for over four decades it has been implied that a presidential candidate would release their tax returns to show the public about their true financial holdings, private interests, charitable giving’s, and how much they pay in taxes. Essentially, offering full disclosure and transparency into the candidate’s personal and financial matters.

Most candidates have had no issue in the past releasing such returns. While there was never an official rule, it was an unspoken one that candidates followed; until Donald Trump came along.

Critics that were waiting for Trump to release his tax returns questioned several scenarios that might explain his refusal. Some wondered if it was because Trump was not as rich as he claimed, while others speculated that he owes more in taxes than he would like the American people to know about. Others assumed that he never paid taxes or that his business dealings were not as honest as he led the world to think.

The argument for the new bill is that Trump’s actions made the public question how his business holdings would interfere with his ability to be president. After all, he refused to disclose information to put those concerns at ease, says Patch.

Public polls taken during the 2016 presidential election found that Americans wanted President-elect Trump to release his tax returns to the public, just like others have done in the past.

The new bill is aimed to prevent another Trump scenario from happening, and protect the American people with 100 percent transparency when they are considering who the next leader of the country should be.