Breaking Texas Filibuster on abortion bill rivets online

Breaking Texas Filibuster on abortion bill rivets online- Democratic Senator Wendy Davis took to the floor the Texas Senate at 11:18 a.m. in pink tennis shoes and began what she hoped would be a nearly 13 hour filibuster of an abortion bill.

As the day went on, the story of Senator Davis' filibuster caught fire on Twitter, and by the evening it was trending worldwide. There were 730,00 total tweets about the filibuster on Tuesday. The excitement peaked at 11:58 p.m. central time, just two minutes before the midnight deadline, with 5,776 tweets per minute about the story, according to Twitter.

It even caught the attention of the official President Obama Twitter account, which tweeted out "Something special is happening in Austin tonight" with a link to The Texas Tribune during the filibuster's ninth hour.

Senate Bill 5 (SB 5) would ban abortions after the 20th week of a pregnancy. According to opponents, new abortion clinic standards in the bill would effectively shutter 37 of the state's 42 abortion clinics. The bill would give Texas some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country.

Strict senate rules for filibusters added to the drama. According to the rules, Senator Davis was not allowed to sit down, take a restroom break, go off topic or even lean.

By 10:30 p.m., the YouTube channel live streaming the special senate session passed 100,000 viewers, and the number jumped when Senator Davis was found to be in violation of senate rules for straying off topic. It was her third violation, which opened the window for a vote on whether or not she must cease the filibuster. Other senators who opposed the bill filled the remaining time with questions and points of order to run out the clock.

With fewer than five minutes left until the midnight deadline and an outcome still murky, the YouTube live stream had more than 180,000 viewers glued to their screens.

On Twitter, the topic was trending worldwide. At different points during the evening, #standwithwendy, #SB5, #texlege "Wendy Davis," "Texas," "Robert's Rules of Order" and "Midnight in Texas" were all trending on the social network. The #standwithwendy hashtag had 400,000 mentions on Tuesday, according to Twitter.

Senator Davis' Twitter account was silent while she was on the floor, but her number of followers jumped from just under 6,000 to more than 48,000 during the course of the day, an 8x increase.

Twitter also served as a rallying point for local protestors, who increased in numbers throughout the day to fill the senate chambers and line the rotunda. Many posted photos and Vines of the crowds. Chanting could be heard inside and outside the senate at midnight, when the floor erupted in confusion as it appeared senators were still taking a vote, even though the deadline had passed

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Latest Texas abortion bill dies as confusion marks end of session

Latest Texas abortion bill dies as confusion marks end of session- The Texas legislature's special session ended in chaos and confusion early Wednesday, when a marathon filibuster failed -- but so did a Republican effort to pass a bill that would have greatly restricted abortions in the state.

The Republican-dominated Senate needed to vote 'aye' on the bill by midnight to send it to the governor to sign into law.

But at 3 a.m., Lt. Governor David Dewhurst stepped to the Senate floor to declare the bill dead and the special session over.

And thus ended a night of intense drama that both sides of the abortion debate followed breathlessly, in large part to cheer -- or jeer -- the efforts of a lone lawmaker who talked for 10 straight hours to run out the clock.

Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis tried Tuesday to block the abortion bill by attempting a 13-hour filibuster, but fell short by about three hours when the chairman ruled she had gone off topic.

The packed gallery of the session erupted in boos. And for 15 minutes -- as the clocked ticked toward 12 a.m. -- their raucous chants and shouts of "Shame, shame, shame" drowned out the proceedings.

Midnight came and went. For three hours after that, confusion ruled.

Had the legislation been voted on? Did it pass? Did it pass before midnight? No one was certain.

Senators conversed with each other, and later huddled behind closed doors.

"This is an unprecedented situation," Jeremy Warren, spokesman for Democratic state Sen. Rodney Ellis, "I have been here 18 years and have never seen anything like this. We are still officially still in session because we never adjourned."

The website of the Texas legislature showed a vote had taken place, but didn't offer details.

Finally around 3:05 a.m., Lt. Gov. Dewhurst made the announcement. The session ended. The bill is dead -- for now.

Gov. Rick Perry may ask for another session.

"The governor reserves the right to call the legislature back into special session anytime during the interim," a statement from his office said.

Still, Planned Parenthood cheered the victory.

"This fight showed once again that we are all better off when women and their doctors -- not politicians -- are the ones making medical decisions," Cecile Richards, the president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said. "We made history tonight, but we know this isn't the end of the fight to protect women's access to health care in Texas."

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Monsters University scares zombies to lead box office

Monsters University scares zombies to lead box office- Monsters University," the prequel to Pixar's 2001 animated blockbuster "Monsters, Inc.," scared up $82 million in weekend ticket sales to easily outdistance the week's other new movie, the big-budget apocalyptic thriller "World War Z," which came in with an impressive haul of $66 million.

"World War Z,", the story of a zombie pandemic starring Brad Pitt, was Pitt's biggest opening weekend ever, easily outpacing the $50.3 million for "Mr. And Mrs. Smith."


Last week's top movie, the Superman reboot "Man of Steel" , was third with ticket sales of $41.2 million.

"Monsters University," featuring the voices of Billy Crystal and John Goodman as monsters who flunk out of the college's scare program, continued the tradition of hugely successful films produced by Pixar, a unit of the Walt Disney Co.

It was Pixar's 14th consecutive film to head the box office for the weekend it premiered in theaters, according to Paul Dergarabedian, president of Hollywood.com's box office division, easily outpacing industry projections of a $70 million weekend.

"It definitely exceeded our expectations," said Dave Hollis, executive vice president of distribution for Walt Disney Studios. "The first film was so beloved and set such a high bar so we're ecstatic."

Hollis said "Monsters University" was boosted by word of mouth.

"It's turned into a bit of a date night option," he said. "And there haven't been a lot of family options in the marketplace."

Distributed by Paramount Pictures, "World War Z" was delayed from its initially planned December release after the studio decided to reshoot the final third, pushing its budget from $170 million to more than $200 million, according to published reports.

Paramount said the film, which Pitt produced, cost $190 million to produce. Pitt stars as a former U.N. crisis specialist called upon to help defeat zombies who threaten to take over the planet.

The film had been forecast to rack up ticket sales of about $50 million, according to Hollywood.com's box office division, while the studio said it was looking to the high 40s, given the competition from "Monsters" and "Man of Steel."

"I don't think there's a person on the planet who thought this would open at $66 million," said Don Harris, Paramount's president of distribution. "These are pretty heady numbers."

"We're in really good shape" heading into the lucrative peak summer season weeks including the July 4 holiday, Harris said.

"And we certainly broadened the audience," he added, noting the film's 51 percent female-49 percent male audience breakdown, unusual for a big budget summer action film.

"Man of Steel," which stars British actor Henry Cavill as the muscled superhero, has generated domestic ticket sales of $210 million, already more than 2006's "Superman Returns," which starred Brandon Routh and took in just over $200 million.

Directed by Zack Snyder, the current version was distributed by Warner Bros.

"This Is the End," the apocalyptic comedy written by star Seth Rogen and his childhood friend Evan Goldberg, collected $13 million to take fourth place in the United States and Canada.

"Now You See Me," starring Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg as magicians who evade the police after high-profile robberies, was fifth with ticket sales of $7.9 million, pushing its total domestic take to just under $95 million.

"Despicable Me 2," which opens July 3 in North America, had a strong debut in Australia where Universal opted to open the film early to coincide with winter school holidays. The film took in $4.3 million, added to $2.1 million from paid previews last week.

"Monsters University" was distributed by the Walt Disney Co. Warner Brothers, a unit of Time Warner, distributed "Man of Steel." Viacom's Paramount Pictures unit distributed "World War Z." Sony's film studio distributed "This is the End." "Now You See Me" was distributed by Lions Gate Entertainment.

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Tennis Federer Begins Quest for 8th Wimbledon Title

 Tennis Federer Begins Quest for 8th Wimbledon Title

As he has six previous times, Roger Federer will open Wimbledon on Monday as the defending champion, stepping onto Centre Court for the first match of what he hopes will be another two-week stay at the All England Club.

It's an honor reserved for the men's titleholder. That scheduling perk is also where any hint of preferential treatment for Federer comes to a halt. Because of the way the draw came out, Federer could have to defeat Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray before even getting to the final.

"I'm ready for the challenge," Federer said. "I like tough draws. I don't shy away from them."

Federer's quest for a record eighth Wimbledon title begins against Victor Hanescu of Romania.

Murray also plays Monday, wrapping up the day's action on Centre Court against Germany's Benjamin Becker. Nadal, who comes in with a stretch of nine straight appearances in tournament finals since returning from his knee injury, faces Belgium's Steve Darcis on Court 1.

Sitting back watching it all will be top-seeded Novak Djokovic, who is on the opposite side of the draw and, on paper, has the easiest path to the final. No. 4 David Ferrer is the biggest roadblock on his side of the bracket.

"I think it's going to be a great Monday for tennis," Djokovic said with a smile.  He's the 11-10 favorite at the London sports books and will open Tuesday barring rain, which is not in the forecast for most of the first week.

Third-seeded Federer's tough draw, to say nothing of his age (31) and his less-than-inspiring 2013 season makes him something of a long shot this time at Wimbledon. He's listed at 9-1 behind fifth-seeded Nadal (9-2), second-seeded Murray (7-2) and Djokovic.

Then again, grass is considered Federer's best surface and the lone tournament he has won this year came this month on grass at Halle, a tuneup in Germany that Federer has won six times.

"The more you play on it, the more you learn about it," Federer said. "Today I know what it takes, which is a good thing. The excitement is the same. Still hungry and wanting to win and wanting to prove how good I can play."

Sounding at times like a fan of Murray's during his 45-minute news conference, conducted in English, French and Swiss-German, Federer conceded that as he entered his final against the Scot last year, he wondered if it was, in fact, Murray's time to finally break through at a major. Federer fought off Murray for a four-set victory to extend his record Grand Slam title haul to 17.

Murray then came back four weeks later at the All England Club and beat Federer in the Olympic gold-medal match. The Scot then beat Djokovic in the final at the U.S. Open to finally win his first Grand Slam trophy.

"I was happy with the way I played, but I was happy with the reaction that Andy showed, as well," Federer said, referring to the aftermath of last year's Wimbledon final. "Because in previous years, the one time I beat him in the Australian Open final, he went on a sort of a bit of a disappointing run after that. That wasn't the case after Wimbledon (last) year. He actually got much stronger. That's why he increased his chances now by winning big tournaments."

Murray might not be favored, but he certainly will be the fan favorite. No British man has won Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936.

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Breaking Snowden on the run, seeks asylum in Ecuador

Breaking Snowden on the run, seeks asylum in Ecuador

The man who leaked details of U.S. government surveillance programs was on the run late Sunday, seeking asylum in Ecuador with the aid of the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, the organization and Ecuador's Foreign Ministry announced.

Edward Snowden, the onetime contract analyst for the National Security Agency, left Hong Kong after the U.S. government sought his extradition on espionage charges, WikiLeaks said. He landed in Moscow, where a CNN crew spotted a car with diplomatic plates and an Ecuadorian flag at the Russian capital's international airport.

WikiLeaks, which facilitates the publication of classified information, did not disclose what country would be Snowden's final destination. But Ecuador has already given WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange refuge in its embassy in London for nearly a year after he unsuccessfully fought extradition to Sweden in British courts.

And Washington is asking Ecuador, as well as Cuba and Venezuela, not to admit Snowden, a senior Obama administration official told CNN on Sunday. The United States also is asking those countries to expel him if they do admit him, the official said, and a a source familiar with the matter told CNN that the U.S. government has revoked Snowden's passport.

Snowden "left Hong Kong legally" and is headed to Ecuador "via a safe route for the purposes of asylum," WikiLeaks said in a statement issued Sunday afternoon. He is accompanied by diplomats and lawyers for WikiLeaks, including former Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon, according to a statement from the organization.

"The WikiLeaks legal team and I are interested in preserving Mr. Snowden's rights and protecting him as a person," said Garzon, who also represents Assange. "What is being done to Mr. Snowden and to Mr Julian Assange -- for making or facilitating disclosures in the public interest -- is an assault against the people."

Snowden has admitted he was the source who leaked classified documents about the NSA's surveillance programs to the British newspaper the Guardian and to The Washington Post. The documents revealed the existence of programs that collect records of domestic telephone calls in the United States and monitor the Internet activity of overseas residents.

The revelation of the leaks rocked the Obama administration and U.S. intelligence community, raising questions about secret operations of the NSA and whether the agency was infringing on American civil liberties.

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Latest NSA leaker Snowden in Moscow, seeks asylum in Ecuador

Latest NSA leaker Snowden in Moscow, seeks asylum in Ecuador

NSA leaker Edward Snowden has asked for political asylum in Ecuador after fleeing Hong Kong for Russia, the Ecuador Foreign Ministry said Sunday.

Snowden was permitted to leave Hong Kong despite an extradition request that he be returned to the United States to face charges of espionage. Russia's state ITAR-Tass news agency said he had landed in Moscow.

Russian news site RT reported that Snowden was to leave Moscow on Monday for Havana, and then move on to Caracas, Venezuela. But the Ecuador ministry and Wikileaks, a website that divulges state secrets and is assisting Snowden, said he will try to get to Ecuador instead.

Snowden was allowed to leave Hong Kong just hours after Obama administration officials announced they filed a formal petition with Chinese authorities seeking Snowden's arrest and return to the United States.

"We will continue to discuss this matter with Hong Kong and pursue relevant law enforcement cooperation with other countries where Mr. Snowden may be attempting to travel,'' U.S. Justice Department spokeswoman Nanda Chitre said Sunday.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers said the U.S. government must exhaust all legal options to get Snowden back.

"Every one of those nations is hostile to the United States," Rogers, R-Mich., said on NBC's Meet the Press.

"When you think about what he says he wants and what his actions are, it defies logic," said Rogers, who repeated his assertion that Snowden's leaks of secret government surveillance programs had damaged U.S. national security.

The Hong Kong government said Snowden, 30, was allowed to fly out "on his own accord" because the U.S. extradition request announced Saturday did not fully comply with Hong Kong law.

RT reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said the Kremlin was unaware of Snowden's plans to fly to Moscow.

Interfax reported that Snowden has not been able to leave the airport because he does not have a Russian visa. He was accompanied by Wikileaks representative Sarah Harrison, a British citizen who does have a Russian visa, according to Interfax.

"(Snowden) is bound for a democratic nation via a safe route for the purposes of asylum,and is being escorted by diplomats and legal advisers from WikiLeaks," the group said in a statement.

Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, told Australian Sydney Morning Herald that Snowden will be met by "diplomats from the country that will be his ultimate destination" in the airport, who'll accompany him on a further flight to his destination. Assange is hiding in the Ecuadorean embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden on charges of rape. Wikileaks said it had helped him exit Hong Kong.

Hong Kong said in a statement that it allowed Snowden to leave because documents provided by the U.S. government for extradition did not "fully comply with the legal requirements under Hong Kong law," and the U.S. had not yet provided the additional information requested to consider the U.S. request for a provisional arrest warrant.

After the announcement Saturday of the extradition request, an Obama administration official told USA TODAY that Hong Kong risked harming relations with the two sides if it did not comply with its legal obligations. Regina Ip, a legislator and Cabinet member in Hong Kong, said, "I don't think we need to be concerned about any consequences."

Snowden has been the focus of a criminal investigation since he acknowledged earlier this month that he was the source of materials detailing surveillance programs that collected telephone records for millions of Americans and a separate operation that targeted the Internet communications of non-citizens abroad who were suspected of terrorist connections.

He has been charged in U.S. federal court with espionage.

The South China Morning Post meanwhile reported that Snowden had provided information to show that the NSA had hacked into the Hong Kong system of Pacnet, which runs undersea telecommunications cables around the Pacific, and into 63 computers and servers at Tsinghua University in Beijing, one of China's most elite schools.

"The NSA does all kinds of things like hack Chinese cellphone companies to steal all of your SMS data," Hong Kong legislator Leung Kwok Hung said.

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Child abuse, when world will stop child labor

Child abuse is doing something or failing to do something that results in harm to a child or puts a child at risk of harm. Child abuse can be physical, sexual or emotional. Neglect, or not providing for a child's needs, is also a form of abuse.

US Child abused in Public Store: Photo Taken By News Agency Texas
NF Photos

Most abused children suffer greater emotional than physical damage. An abused child may become depressed. He or she may withdraw, think of suicide or become violent. An older child may use drugs or alcohol, try to run away or abuse others. Please stop Child abuse

Child abuse is a serious problem. If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, call the police or your local child welfare agency. Across the nation there has been great progress in work to improve the health and well-being of children. But the turbulent economy and the budget cutting that has come with it threaten to derail efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect at a moment when it is needed most. If the work that has done so much for children is to continue and to grow, it is important to show that it yields benefits on many levels- for children, their families, and their communities. Consistent decisions to support the needs of children are at the heart of a bright future.

For a monthly newspaper published from a cellar by two idealistic young college lecturers, the scoop on the front page of the tiny Rochdale Alternative Press in May 1979 was truly sensational.

Known as RAP, the newspaper, which cost nine pence and was distributed by volunteers in pubs, devoted its entire cover to a story headlined: Strange Case of Smith the Man. Inside, across two pages, the report detailed — in harrowing, graphic terms child labor — the systematic sexual abuse of young boys at a children’s home set up by local dignitaries and funded by the Lancashire town’s Rotary Club. But what really created a stir was the man identified as the chief paedophile: Cyril Smith. 

Elected as the local Liberal MP in 1972, a position he held for the next 20 years, the 29-stone 50-year-old was as famous for his weight as his political views. Please stop Child abuse

A regular on the chat-show circuit of the time, he even appeared with Jimmy Savile, the now disgraced BBC disc jockey, on a celebrity edition of the DJ’s TV programme Clunk Click. Smith died from cancer two years ago but remains,  officially, the fattest man ever to be an MP.

Known nationally as ‘Big Cyril’, the unmarried politician had first come to prominence when he bizarrely named his mum as First Lady of Rochdale after he became mayor in 1966, saying he wanted to ‘thank her’ for everything. 

He later explained that he was a lifelong bachelor because politics meant ‘he hadn’t had a lot of time for courting women’.

The politician’s predilection for young boys, however, was already the stuff of gossip and jokes in pubs around Rochdale, a close-knit community where secrets did not remain secret for long.

The investigation published in the Rochdale Alternative Press grew out of saloon-bar chat at the Golden Ball, the local pub used for meetings by David Bartlett and John Walker, joint editors of the alternative newspaper, which was printed from a cellar in Bartlett’s home.

Please stop Child abuse

With rumours circulating about Smith and young boys for years, and the MP standing for election under the strange banner ‘I am the Man’, the pair had decided to see whether there was credible evidence to back up such allegations. There was.

After interviews with staff and former residents of the children’s home, and senior police officers aware of the allegations, at the end of a six-month investigation the newspaper had discovered nine victims willing to talk, and had four signed affidavits.

With the backing of a prominent lawyer in London, who studied the evidence, the tiny newspaper  published its damning conclusions, revealing how the local MP liked  to carry out perverted ‘medical examinations’ of young boys in the care home and fondle them inappropriately.

So what was the reaction to  this extraordinary allegation?child labor child labor child labor  At first, there was mayhem. Other newspapers and television crews descended on Rochdale, buying up copies of the newspaper. Bartlett and Walker were interviewed. Photographs were taken.

But then Smith, a famous, powerful figure, swiftly announced that he was taking out an injunction against RAP and backed up the threat by claiming he was also suing for libel. Private Eye published a follow-up story repeating the allegations — but that was it.

‘It was a gagging action child labor— to prevent anyone else writing about this,’ David  Bartlett, now 74 and living in retirement on the Isle of Wight, told me this week.

‘Smith never did sue. He increased his majority at the next election. The whole thing died down and just faded away. Please stop Child abuse

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