By Kevin Spak Two powerful explosions detonated in quick succession near the finish line at the Boston Marathon today, sending the marathon headquarters at the Copley Plaza hotel into lockdown mode, the AP and Boston Globe report. Multiple people were injured, including some who lost limbs, WCVB 5 reports. A Globe staffer posted…
From: http://www.newser.com/story/166273/two-explosions-hit-boston-marathon.html
By The Huffington Post News Editors
Administrators locked down the University of Rhode Island’s South Kingston campus Thursday morning, after police received reports of a gunman on campus, according to WCVB.com.
The website reports that a post earlier to the university’s website read, “We are investigating reports of a person with a firearm in Chaffee Hall on the Kingston Campus. Secure yourself indoors (not Chaffee), stay there, and do not move about outside until further notice. The emergency alert system has been activated.” However, the university’s website appears to be down as of late Thursday morning.
Rhode Island State Police told the Associated Press that “there is no evidence of an active shooter.”
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Huffington Post
By The Huffington Post News Editors
HAMILTON, Mass. (AP) — The Massachusetts home of Syracuse star guard Michael Carter-Williams has been destroyed by a fire.
According to Boston television station WCVB, the blaze began around 10:30 p.m. Saturday at the Hamilton home of Mandy Carter-Zegarowski, the mother of Carter-Williams.
When firefighters arrived at the home about 30 miles north of Boston, there was heavy fire in the attic and around the chimney. Firefighters had to be evacuated twice because of the intense heat before the flames were brought under control by 12:50 a.m., the station said.
By The Huffington Post News Editors
* Speaks to eight TV anchors from across America
* Pentagon to describe plans for layoffs
* Obama will also talk about infrastructure spending plan
By Roberta Rampton
WASHINGTON, Feb 20 (Reuters) – President Barack Obama turned to local television stations across the United States on Wednesday to increase public pressure on congressional Republicans to avert $85 billion in budget cuts set to begin in nine days.
Obama scheduled interviews with television stations in eight media markets, most of which have a strong military presence, on a day when the Pentagon described its plans for laying off some 800,000 civilian employees for 22 days to save money.
“These automatic spending cuts were designed to be avoided. The idea was that Democrats and Republicans would come together with a sensible deficit-reduction program,” Obama said in an interview with Boston ABC affiliate WCVB.
The interviews are part of an administration strategy to lay blame for the job losses on Republicans, who control the House of Representatives.
Unless Obama and Republicans reach a deal, about $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts will kick in at the beginning of March and continue through Sept. 30 as part of a decade-long $1.2 trillion budget savings plan agreed by policymakers in 2011.
Not even the operations of the White House will be spared, an administration official said. “We anticipate significant disruption to our operations and mission, which could include furloughs,” said the official, who did not provide further details.
Obama has said he wants Congress to end tax loopholes enjoyed mainly by the wealthy to buy lawmakers enough time to pass a budget, but Republicans are insisting on deeper spending cuts to reduce the $16 trillion national debt.
Obama also talked to local TV news anchors in Baltimore, Oklahoma City, San Francisco, Honolulu, San Antonio, Charleston, South Carolina, and Wichita, Kansas. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Huffington Post