‘Deadliest Day’: Reports of 80 Killed in Saudi-Led Strikes Across Yemen

By Sarah Joanne Taylor | With UNITED NATIONS, OXFAM, REUTERS

Source: Euronews

Full article available here: http://www.euronews.com/2015/05/27/deadliest-day-reports-of-80-killed-in-saudi-led-strikes-across-yemen/

EU Boosts CAR Aid

 

The EU is to increase financial aid to the Central African Republic, officials said on Tuesday.

The European Commission announced an extra 72 million euros in fresh funding during a donor conference in the Belgian capital of Brussels.

Source: Euronews

Full article and accompanying video available here: http://www.euronews.com/2015/05/26/eu-boosts-car-aid/

Madagascar Lawmakers Vote to Remove President

Madagascar’s parliament has voted to remove President Hery Rajaonarimanpianina from office.

It’s thought 121 of 125 lawmakers backed the move alleging constitutional violations and incompetence. His critics say he’s failed to deliver promised reforms.

Source: Euronews

Israel Strikes Gaza After Alleged Militant Rocket Attack

Israeli aircraft have struck a number of sites in Gaza. It comes after Palestinian militants allegedly fired a rocket, which landed near the Israeli port city of Ashdod.

The Israeli military says it struck four “terror infrastructures” in Gaza after the rocket attack.

Source: Euronews

Russia Is Boosting Air Defenses Inside Eastern Ukraine: State Department

 

Russia is building up its air defenses inside of eastern Ukraine and bolstering forces along the border in violation of a recent truce, the State Department said on Wednesday.

"The Russian military has deployed additional air defense systems into eastern Ukraine and moved several of these nearer the front lines," State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement. 

Source: NBC News

Full article and accompanying videos available here: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ukraine-crisis/russia-boosting-air-defenses-inside-eastern-ukraine-state-department-n346686

Texas Officials: 44 Foot Wall of Water 'Destroyed Everything in its Path'

Officials from Hays County, Texas, discuss the 'tsunami' of water which came down the Blanco river destroying 70 homes, and damaged 1400 more.

IRS Breach Puts Spotlight on the Internet's 'Costco of Cybercrime'

 

By Julianne Pepitone

The Internal Revenue Service revealed Tuesday that criminals accessed tax information for more than 100,000 taxpayers via an online system -- and they bypassed security screens using personal information like Social Security numbers and addresses, which experts say are routinely sold online between criminals for just a few dollars.

The IRS said that 200,000 taxpayers' accounts received suspicious login attempts, and half of those accounts were accessed. The attackers were able to look at taxpayers' filings because they "confirmed" their identities by entering personal data like Social Security numbers, dates of birth and street addresses.

Source: NBC News

Full article and accompanying videos available here: http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/irs-hack-hackers-buy-info-costcos-cybercrime-experts-say-n365366

Horace Mann Sex Abuse Probe Blasts School, Finds Dozens of Victims

 Horace Mann School

By Tracy Connor

A probe commissioned by a group of alumni at New York's elite Horace Mann School has found that more than 64 students were sexually abused by nearly two dozen faculty and staff between the 1960s and the 1990s — far more than an investigation by the district attorney identified. 

Source: NBC News 

Full article available here: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/horace-mann-sex-abuse-probe-blasts-school-finds-dozens-victims-n365291

The Clean Water Rule: A Statement by President Obama

For more than 40 years, American families and businesses across the country have counted on the Clean Water Act to protect the streams and wetlands we rely on for our way of life – from recreation to public health to a growing economy. In recent years, however, court decisions have led to uncertainty and a need for clarification.  One in three Americans now gets drinking water from streams lacking clear protection, and businesses and industries that depend on clean water face uncertainty and delay, which costs our economy every day.  Too many of our waters have been left vulnerable to pollution. That’s why I called on the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to clear up the confusion and uphold our basic duty to protect these vital resources.

Today, after extensive input from the American public, they’re doing just that – finalizing the Clean Water Rule to restore protection for the streams and wetlands that form the foundation of our nation’s water resources, without getting in the way of farming, ranching, or forestry. This rule will provide the clarity and certainty businesses and industry need about which waters are protected by the Clean Water Act, and it will ensure polluters who knowingly threaten our waters can be held accountable.  My Administration has made historic commitments to clean water, from restoring iconic watersheds like the Chesapeake Bay and the Great Lakes to preserving more than a thousand miles of rivers and other waters for future generations.  With today’s rule, we take another step towards protecting the waters that belong to all of us.

Kinship Caregiver Programs Awarded $1.34 Million

Money Will Support 13 Programs Serving Children and Families Across New York State

Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced that New York State has awarded $1.34 million to 13 programs to provide Kinship Caregiver services, an important permanency option for children in foster care and others who cannot safely live with their parents. The funding will be administered by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.

“All children deserve a safe and secure place to live, and today we are taking a major step forward in giving them a place to call home,” Governor Cuomo said. “This funding will provide caregivers with the tools to build a brighter future for thousands of New York children and place them on a path towards growth and success.”

Kinship care is a living arrangement in which children who cannot safely live with their parents live full-time with a relative or close non-relative. Research shows that children who reside with relatives achieve better outcomes than those in non-relative foster care.

The funding was awarded through a competitive Request for Proposals process. Programs will provide an array of services to kinship caregivers, including crisis intervention, family assessments, linkage to community resources, parenting education and training, support groups, and trauma screenings.

Sheila J. Poole, Acting Commissioner of OCFS said, “Every child needs a loving, nurturing, safe place to call home. By funding these programs, we are helping to connect grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives to the resources they need to provide that environment.”

From 2006 through 2010, there were 131,108 grandparents and 87,405 non-grandparent caregivers raising relative children in New York, according to the American Community Survey. It is estimated that one quarter of children in foster care statewide are in a formal kinship placement.

The programs that were awarded and approved for funding are:

Program	Approved Funding	Population Served
Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth	$102,980	Erie County
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Rochester / Catholic Family Center	$102,980	Monroe County
Child Care Coordinating Council of the North Country, Inc.	$102,980	Clinton County
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orange County	$102,980	Orange County
Family and Children’s Services of Ithaca	$102,980	Tompkins County
Family Enrichment Network, Inc.	$102,980	Broome County, Tioga County
Family Service Society of Yonkers	$102,980	Westchester County
Gateway-Longview, Inc.	$102,980	Erie County
Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, Inc.	$102,980	Brooklyn
Leadership Training, Inc.	$102,980	Nassau County, Suffolk County
New Alternatives for Children, Inc.	$102,980	New York City
New York Council on Adoptable Children, Inc.	$102,980	New York City
The Neighborhood Center, Inc.*	$102,980	Oneida County

* Also provides information and referral services to Chenango, Herkimer, Lewis, Madison, and Oswego counties

Governor Cuomo proclaimed May as Foster Care Awareness Month to recognize that every child has the right to grow up in a safe, healthy and stable home environment. Foster parents play an essential role in providing temporary, safe, and nurturing homes to children when their parents are unable to care for them.

From 1995 to 2012, the number of children in New York State's foster care system has decreased from approximately 54,000 to fewer than 19,000.

About OCFS

OCFS serves New York by promoting the safety, permanency, and well-being of children, families, and communities. For more information about kinship caregiver services in your area, and to find out how to become a foster parent, visit ocfs.ny.gov.

OCFS maintains an active social media presence. “Like” the New York State Office of Children and Family Services Facebook page and follow @NYSOCFS on Twitter in English or the Spanish-language Twitter account, @NYSOCFS espanol.

The President Meets with the Secretary General of NATO

President Obama delivers remarks after meeting with NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. May 26, 2015.

Today in History: May 26th

Beijing Boosts South China Sea Naval Defense

China is increasing naval operations in the disputed waters of the South China Sea. Beijing has plans to build two lighthouses there, a move widely expected to escalate tensions in a region already on edge about China’s controversial island reclamation project. It compares that to construction in other parts of the country like building homes or roads.

China, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei claim all or parts of the South China Sea.

Source: Euronews

President Obama Delivers Remarks at Arlington National Cemetery

President Obama Lays Wreath at Arlington National Cemetery

Iran Nuclear Negotiations

Ambassadors Gérard Araud, Sir Peter Westmacott, and Peter Wittig talked about the impact of the Iran nuclear deal on European interests. Ambassador Araud spoke about how the talks began in 2003, Ambassador Westmacott spoke about how the Iranians got to this point in the negotiations, and Ambassador Wittig spoke about the impact of European sanctions and his expectations for economic ties between Europe and Iran.

Source: C-Span

Video link: http://www.c-span.org/video/?326219-1/discussion-iran-nuclear-negotiations-european-interests

2016 Republican Presidential Field

Washington Post National Politics Reporter Robert Costa joined by phone to discuss the Republican field in the 2016 presidential election.

NYS Law Enforcement Agencies to Receive $13.3 Millon to Fight Gun Violence

 

Cuomo: “Through the GIVE initiative, we are giving law enforcement agencies more resources..."

Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced that law enforcement agencies in 17 counties participating in the state’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination initiative will receive $13.3 million to target gun violence and save lives. 

Now entering its second year, the initiative requires the use of proven strategies to reduce shootings and firearm-related homicides in communities served by 20 police departments in those counties.

“This administration has worked tirelessly to combat gun violence in New York and prevent the needless tragedy that comes with it,” Governor Cuomo said. 

“Through the GIVE initiative, we are giving law enforcement agencies more resources necessary to fight gun violence in our streets in order to save lives and make communities across this state safer.”

GIVE funding targets communities served by the Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Hempstead, Jamestown, Kingston, Middletown, Mount Vernon, Nassau County, Newburgh, Niagara Falls, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Schenectady, Spring Valley, Suffolk County, Syracuse, Troy, Utica and Yonkers police departments. District attorneys’ offices, probation departments and sheriffs’ offices in the 17 counties, which report 87 percent of the violent crime outside of New York City, also receive funding through the initiative.

New York State created GIVE a year ago, revamping a decade-old program that provided funding to the same agencies and counties to foster the use of data analysis, intelligence and partnerships to fight crime. Under GIVE, participating agencies must build upon that framework and implement evidence-based strategies proven to reduce gun violence. Administered by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services, the initiative also provides agencies with extensive training from national experts to help them effectively implement those strategies.

Michael C. Green, executive deputy commissioner of the Division of Criminal Justice Services, said, “New York State stands alone in our commitment to funding evidence-based efforts to combat gun violence and our corresponding commitment to providing comprehensive, hands-on training from nationally recognized experts. Funding is critical, but it is equally important to provide agencies with information and resources so they can implement proven strategies as intended. We remain committed to working with our GIVE partners to help save lives and look forward to providing additional training as we move ahead with the second year of GIVE.”

This second round of funding, coupled with free and ongoing technical assistance, will allow agencies to further integrate the following strategies into their daily operations:

· Hot-spots policing, which uses data such as incident reports, calls for service and other information about areas of persistent criminal activity, allowing agencies to focus their resources in areas where crime is more likely to occur in order to target, reduce and prevent it.· Focused deterrence, in which law enforcement identifies chronic offenders and targets them for enhanced attention, enforcement and prosecution. Also key to the approach is a partnership among law enforcement agencies, community groups and social services organizations, which join together to communicate directly with offenders, outlining clear consequences for continued criminal behavior.

· Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), which identifies how buildings, vacant lots, traffic patterns and other environmental factors in a neighborhood may influence criminal activity; and

· Street outreach workers, who work in specific communities to interrupt cycles of violence or prevent retaliation. The strategy also includes case managers, whose role is to connect individuals involved in violence with resources to help them change their behavior.

The GIVE funding cycle begins July 1, 2015, and ends June 30, 2016, with agencies eligible for one, one-year extension. The grants fund personnel, such as prosecutors and crime analysts, as well as overtime and equipment.

In addition to monitoring crime trends and grant funding and evaluating agencies’ progress, the Division of Criminal Justice Services will continue its comprehensive technical assistance program, coordinating regional workshops and networking opportunities as well as county- and/or agency- specific training.

The following agencies will share a total of $13,330,467 to implement the following evidence-based strategies:

· Erie County: The Buffalo Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office, Probation Department and Central Police Services will share $1,750,734.

· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence and CPTED

· Monroe County: The Rochester Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department will share $1,716,578.

· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence and CPTED

· Westchester County: The Yonkers and Mount Vernon police departments and District Attorney’s Office, Department of Public Safety and Probation Department will share $1,253,049.

· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence, CPTED and street outreach workers

· Onondaga County: The Syracuse Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department will share $1,150,520.

· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence and CPTED

· Suffolk County: The Suffolk County Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, Probation Department and Crime Laboratory will share $1,068,093.

· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence, CPTED and street outreach workers

· Nassau County: The Nassau County and Hempstead police departments and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department will share $1,026,707.

· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence, CPTED and street outreach workers

· Schenectady County: The Schenectady Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department will share $818,654.

· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence, CPTED and street outreach workers

· Albany County: The Albany Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department will share $801,213.

· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence, CPTED and street outreach workers

· Orange County: The Newburgh (city) and Middletown police departments and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department will share $753,379.

· Newburgh: hot-spots policing, focused deterrence and CPTED· Middletown: hot-spots policing and CPTED

· Niagara County: The Niagara Falls Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department will share $696,367.

· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence and CPTED

· Oneida County: The Utica Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department will share $591,598.

· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence and CPTED

· Rensselaer County: The Troy Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department will share $559,750.

· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence and street outreach workers

· Broome County: The Binghamton Police Department and District Attorney’s Office and Sheriff’s Office will share $393,944.

· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence and CPTED

· Dutchess County: The Poughkeepsie (city) Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department will share $341,211.

· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence and CPTED

The following agencies will focus on reducing aggravated assaults, as those incidents drive violent crime in these communities. Kingston and Jamestown police also will focus on targeting domestic violence, as those incidents contribute to the aggravated assaults reported in those cities.

· Ulster County: The Kingston Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department will share $179,175.

· Hot-spots policing and CPTED

· Chautauqua County: The Jamestown Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department will share $152,495.

· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence and CPTED

· Rockland County: The Spring Valley Police Department and the Sheriff’s Office and Intelligence Center and Probation Department will share $77,000.

· Hot-spots policing and focused deterrence

The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (www.criminaljustice.ny.gov) is a multi-function criminal justice support agency with a variety of responsibilities, including law enforcement training; collection and analysis of statewide crime data; maintenance of criminal history information and fingerprint files; administrative oversight of the states DNA databank, in partnership with the New York State Police; funding and oversight of probation and community correction programs; administration of federal and state criminal justice funds; support of criminal justice-related agencies across the state; and administration of the state’s Sex Offender Registry.

Washington Journal: Pending Supreme Court Cases

 

Kimberly Robinson, Bloomberg BNA Supreme Court reporter, talked about pending Supreme Court rulings on issues including same-sex marriage, health care subsidies, threats made on social media, and lethal injection drugs.

Source: C-Span

Video link:  http://www.c-span.org/video/?326164-4/washington-journal-kimberly-robinson-undecided-supreme-court-cases

Egypt Seeks Allies Among Libya’s Tribal Leaders

Hundreds of Libyan tribal leaders have begun a four day conference in Cairo at the invitation of the Egyptian government to seek ways of preventing Islamist violence from spilling over their shared border.

Source: Euronews

Burundi Protests Resume After Murdered Opposition Leader’s Funeral

Source: Euronews

Thomas Sankara Remains: Burkina Faso Begins Exhumation

The exhumation of what are believed to be the remains of Burkina Faso's former President Thomas Sankara has begun.

Once exhumed they can be formally identified - a long-standing demand of Mr Sankara's family and supporters.

Seen as Africa's Che Guevara, the anti-imperialist revolutionary was hastily buried with 12 others in a 1987 coup.

Permission for an exhumation was denied during the rule of his successor, Blaise Compaore, who left office last October amid street protests.

Source: BBC Africa

Full article available here: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-32875048

John Nash: The 60 Minutes Interview

From the archives, Mike Wallace's interview with mathematician John Nash, the man behind the movie "A Beautiful Mind".

Source: CBS News

Video link: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/john-nash-60-minutes-beautiful-mind/

Iran Puts U.S. Reporter on Trial Behind Closed Doors

TEHRAN, Iran -- The closed trial of an American-Iranian reporter for the Washington Post detained in Iran for more than 10 months got underway Tuesday in a court used to hear security cases.

Iran's official IRNA news agency said the trial of Jason Rezaian began in a Revolutionary Court, saying he had been charged with espionage and propaganda against the Islamic republic.

Source: CBS News/AP

Full article available here: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/iran-trial-washington-post-reporter-jason-rezaian-espionage-charge/

'This Week' Roundtable on Clinton Emails, Rand Paul's NSA Fight

ABC News Videos | ABC Entertainment News

New Offensive Launched Against ISIS to Regain Lost Territory

ABC News Videos | ABC Entertainment News

Charter Agrees to Buy Time Warner for $55 Billion

         

Coroner Examining B. B. King's Body Following Allegations of Foul Play

 

Blues legend B.B. King's body has been examined by a Nevada coroner following allegations of foul play in his death two weeks ago, officials revealed Monday.

Source: NBC News

Full article available here: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/coroner-examining-b-b-kings-body-after-allegations-foul-play-n364351

Man Diagnosed With Rare Lassa Fever Dies in U.S. After Liberia Trip

 Lassa fever cell structure

A New Jersey man died Monday evening after been diagnosed with Lassa fever — an infectious disease from West Africa that is rarely seen in the United States, a federal health official said.

The man recently returned from Liberia, arriving at New York City's JFK International Airport on May 17. He grew critically ill after his return, suffering from multiple organ failure, said Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. 

Source: NBC News 

Full article available here: http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/man-diagnosed-rare-lassa-fever-dies-u-s-after-liberia-n364411

Houston, Texas, Hit by Unprecedented Flooding; Seven States At Risk

         

By Alexander Smith, Shamar Walters and Henry Austin

True Meaning of Memorial Day

A tribute to the brave men and women who have gave the ultimate sacrifice. And to their family and friends who will forever bear the sorrow and pain of their lose. Celebrate Memorial Day, but PLEASE DO NOT FORGET.

Source:  VVSDVeteransVillage

Weekly Address: Honoring Our Fallen Heroes this Memorial Day

In this week’s address, the President commemorated Memorial Day by paying tribute to the men and women in uniform who have given their lives in service to our country.

Watch 'Old Guard' Post Flags on Arlington Graves

Members of the 3rd U.S. Infantry, known as the Old Guard, talk about the honor of placing hundreds of thousands of flags on graves in Arlington National Cemetery for Memorial Day.

Gloria Steinem, Activists Cross DMZ Dividing Koreas by Bus

         

Full article available here: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/gloria-steinem-activists-cross-dmz-dividing-koreas-bus-n363866

Obama Signs Congress Review of Iran Nuclear Deal Bill Into Law

 

President Barack Obama signed into law on Friday legislation giving lawmakers a chance to review any nuclear deal the White House seeks to hammer out with Iran. 

Source: NBC News

Full article available here:  http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/iran-nuclear-talks/obama-signs-congress-review-iran-nuclear-deal-bill-law-n363476

John Nash, Nobel Prize Winner and Subject of 'A Beautiful Mind,' Killed in Car Crash

 

Nash and his wife, Alicia, were traveling in a taxi on the New Jersey Turnpike in Middlesex County when it hit a guardrail, killing both at the scene, New Jersey State Police Sgt. Gregory Williams said Sunday morning. 

Source: NBC News

Full article available here:  http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/john-nash-nobel-prize-winner-subject-beautiful-mind-killed-crash-n363901

Rep. Mac Thornberry: 'We're Not Winning' Against ISIS

 
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The House Armed Services Committee chair on recent gains by the terror group in Iraq and Syria.

Gov. John Kasich on Cleveland Brelo Verdict

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Demonstrators in Cleveland Arrested After Michael Brelo Verdict

 
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Cleveland police officer was acquitted of charges in the shooting deaths of an unarmed couple.

Record Rain and Deadly Floods in Plains States

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