Is
President Obama a Muslim? A lot has been written about this, but if
photographs speak louder than words, then a photo taken at last August’s
U.S.-African Leaders’ Summit in Washington D.C. might shed considerable
light. It shows Barack Hussein Obama flashing the one-finger affirmation of Islamic faith to dozens of African delegates.
Rebels report ammunition dump left by Ukraine troops
The
order to retreat was kept secret until the last minute, and soldiers
were told to prepare in 10 minutes and pile into the beds of troop
transport trucks, according to Albert Sardaryen, a 22-year-old medic who
made the journey.
The
trucks lined up on the edge of town, Mr. Sardaryen said, while tanks
and tracked vehicles formed lines on either side of the truck convoy to
try to shield the soldiers. The column drove through farm fields rather
than use a main road that had been mined, and the trucks kept their
headlights off to make them harder to spot.
The
column came under attack almost immediately, he said, and trucks
started breaking down and colliding in the dark. By dawn, the column was
strung out on the plain and taking fire from all sides.
“They
were shooting with tanks, rocket propelled grenades and sniper rifles,”
and firing at the disintegrating column with rockets, he said. Dead and
wounded soldiers were left on the snowy fields because there were too
many of them to carry once the trucks were hit.
“We
stabilized them, applied tourniquets, gave them pain killers and tried
to put them in a place with better cover,” Mr. Sardaryen said of the
wounded. Later, a Ukrainian unit from outside the encirclement drove in
to try to retrieve the wounded, he said.
Mr.
Sardaryen said he ran on foot for the final four miles or so. Many of
the soldiers who made it out also did so on foot, though some trucks
made it all the way through, he said.
The Adolescent Sexuality Conference is held each April in Seaside, Oregon. The theme for the 2014 edition was “Building Blocks of Youth Sexual Health”, and they say about 25% of the attendees are youths. Their webpage says the conference “is
for educators, health personnel, administrators, counselors, social and
youth service workers, parents, clergy, teen parent program staff,
teens, community members and others who wish to increase their knowledge
and skills in addressing adolescent sexuality issues. Emphasis is on
covering a wide spectrum of adolescent sexuality topics.”
One of the primary sponsors and presenters of the conference is the Cascade AIDS Project, which has published several pamphlets for the event. One such pamphlet is called “A Young Males Guide To… An informative zine for guys who like guys“,
and though they claim this is intended for those over 18, it is
littered with little drawings that appeal more to a 9 year old than a 19
year old.
While the Marine Corps has no intention of procuring new rifles or pistols in the near future, the service's top marksmanship experts will study a number of potential upgrades this year that would give current M16A4 rifles and M4 carbines a makeover with significant improvements to accuracy.
The
battle between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russia separatists (DNR) for
Donetsk Airport has raged for months, bringing significant losses on
both sides. In late January, the airport fell to the DNR, ending
Ukrainian forces’ hold on the site. The now unrecognizable airport lies
in ruins.
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VICE News travelled to Donetsk Airport, a once modern
facility now reduced to rubble after months of fighting, to discuss with
DNR fighters the battle for, and the future of, the strategically
important site.
After weeks of relentless fighting, the embattled Ukrainian rail hub
of Debaltseve fell Wednesday to Russia-backed separatists, who hoisted a
flag in triumph over the town. The Ukrainian president confirmed that
he had ordered troops to pull out and the rebels reported taking
hundreds of soldiers captive.
Associated Press reporters saw
several dozen Ukrainian troops retreating with their weapons Wednesday
morning from the town in eastern Ukraine, covered in dirt and looking
exhausted. Some were driving to the nearby town of Artemivsk in trucks
while several others, unshaven and visibly upset, were on foot.
One
soldier spoke of heavy government losses, while another said they had
not been able to get food or water because of the intense rebel
shelling. A third spoke of hunkering down in bunkers for hours, unable
to even go to the toilet because of the shelling. They smoked cigarettes
in the frigid winter air and gratefully accepted plastic cups of tea
given to them by locals.
"We're very happy to be here," the hungry
soldier told the AP. "We were praying all the time and already said
goodbye to our lives a hundred times."
California's gun laws are among the nation's strictest, but a looming
decision in a federal lawsuit could effectively ban handguns altogether
in the Golden State, according to plaintiffs who want a judge to toss
out a state law requiring all new handguns to be equipped with
technology that "stamps" each shell casing with a traceable mark.
The problem with the “microstamping” law, which was signed into law
by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2007 but only took effect in 2013,
is that it relies on an unworkable technology, according to gun
manufacturers and attorneys for the Second Amendment Foundation and
Calguns Foundation. If guns without the technology can't be sold in
California, and gun manufacturers can't implement the technology, the
law is, for practical purposes, a handgun ban that violates the Second
Amendment, goes the argument.
