On Wednesday, the inspector general announced that he has started an investigation into the way the FBI and Department of Justice have handled the Clinton probes during last year’s presidential race.
IG Michael Horowitz hopes to complete the investigation by next spring. He added that the probe is moving fast and that “dozens of people” have been interviewed.
The official made the remarks during a hearing in front of the House Oversight Committee. He also disclosed that his team had sifted through 1.2 million records during the probe.
A final report should be ready by March or April 2018, but there may be delays if new revelations appear. Horowitz unveiled that classified info has been reviewed and that former government officials should undergo re-checks for their security clearance.
Horwitz’ team is mainly interested in whether former FBI director James Comey followed the DOJ’s policies when he handled the probe into then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s handling of government e-mail via a private server.
Comey shocked America when he confirmed that there was an ongoing investigation into the issue just to go public and clear Clinton shortly after. Comey justified the latest move by citing corruption at the FBI’s upper management levels. He reportedly feared his probe would have been corrupted too.
Comey Ousted by Trump
President Donald Trump fired Comey in May for the way he handled the Clinton probe, but the ousted FBI chief thinks his firing was related to the investigation into the alleged Russia meddling in the 2016 U.S. election.
On Tuesday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions blasted Comey for being too outspoken about that probe into Russia during a congressional hearing in March.
“Mr. Comey talked more than he should,”
Sessions told House Intelligence Committee.
In March, Comey confirmed the existence of the investigation although it was against the DOJ’s rules to do it.
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On Monday, President Donald Trump proudly presented Alex Azar, the former head of pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, as the country’s next HHS secretary. The President is confident Azar could provide America with affordable healthcare and lower drug prices.
Happy to announce, I am nominating Alex Azar to be the next HHS Secretary. He will be a star for better healthcare and lower drug prices!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2017
If the new HHS head is confirmed, he would take the seat of Tom Price, who had to step down in September in the midst of a scandal regarding his government-funded private charter flights for official and personal business. The trips cost the federal government thousands of dollars when cheaper alternatives were available.
Azar would be in charge of regulatory matters concerning the industry he helped thrive for more than a decade. He would also help the Trump administration to dismantle Obamacare and crack down on drug prices.
Azar’s Bio
Azar served as a HHS official under the George W. Bush administration for about six years before joining the pharmaceutical complex in 2007.
I realized I had found my life’s calling: to help people around the world live longer, healthier, and happier lives,
Azar said about joining the company.
At Eli Lilly, he served as senior vice president for the firm’s global communications and government affairs unit. In 2012, he became the president of the company’s affiliate for North America, Lilly USA.
After leaving the company, he founded Seraphim Strategies, a consulting firm specialized in pharmaceutical matters. In May, he told Fox News that, in his opinion, Obamacare was “circling the drain” and should be stopped.
At the time, Azar said President Obama’s signature healthcare law was making it impossible for insurers to predict risk and operate normally as private businesses. He also thinks Medicaid should be turned into a block grant program and be run by the private sector.
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This summer, US Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar was strangled to death by two Navy SEALs in Mali, but the motive of the mystery killing was not immediately clear.
A recent report shows that Melgar, 34, irked the SEALs when he refused to accept illegal money the U.S. army was supposed to give to informants.
The Daily Beast found that the special operation operatives used the money for intelligence activities in Mali. But the two members of the highly-respected SEAL Team Six allegedly siphoned the money into their own pockets, according to five people familiar with the matter.
Melgar reportedly uncovered the dubious scheme, but when he refused bribery he faced a horrific death. Ahead of his killing, the Green Beret told his wife of the issues he encountered at work. The man promised to give her more details when he went back home, but he never did.
The Green Beret Was Strangled
Shortly after the killing, the two SEALs told investigators that Melgar died after performing combative exercises while drunk. Yet, the autopsy report revealed no traces of alcohol or drugs in the victim’s body, a source told The Beast.
Authorities started probing the two SEALs because of the circumstances of the death. The victim’s superiors blamed foul play for the man’s death. According several defense officials, a preliminary report shows the Green Beret was the victim of “a homicide by asphyxiation.” It is the first time a reason is attached to the murder.
Melgar, a Texan who took part in combat operations in Afghanistan twice, was deployed to Mali in a bid to teach counter-terrorism tactics to local residents. The two SEALs allegedly killed him when he learned they were stealing from the Army and refused a cut.
In September, the investigation into his death landed in the Navy’s jurisdiction, which suggests that the suspects are Navy members.
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Kit Harington has finally proposed to Rose Leslie
(Mirror Daily, United States) – All fans of the Game of Thrones power couple Jon-Ygritte are now rejoicing, as handsome Kit Harington proposed to his real-life girlfriend, Rose Leslie. This initially came as a rumor, but an official newspaper announcement confirms what everybody has been hoping for.
Harington and Leslie confirmed their engagement in a newspaper announcement
Unfortunately for the most curious of fans, Kit Harington and Rose Leslie keep their romantic life away from the eyes of the public. However, everybody knows of their relationship, and everybody has been waiting for them to make the big step. Although some would have expected a spectacular proposal, the two actors were happy with publishing an official announcement in a local newspaper.
Although Harington and Leslie want to keep some things secret, they have already been telling their close ones how they will be getting married. Some sources claim the proposal happened next week, and now they are getting ready for the big day.
The two of them had already moved in together
In fact, marriage was the most likely scenario for the two. Harington himself admitted his girlfriend moved in his East Anglia mansion in January. Also, he declared how he wanted his loved one to feel as comfortable as she could, so he encouraged her to change anything she wanted in the house. He was also happy about her stunning sense of style, and her valuable ideas on the design of the mansion.
Leslie and Harington met on the Game of Thrones set, and their two characters had a love affair in the series as well. They were happy they could transpose the same chemistry between their characters, and made everything look more real.
The first rumors regarding a romance between the two arose in 2012, but they dismissed them. Unofficial sources suggested they broke up after a year but, in April 2016, they officially admitted they were in a relationship.
There’s going to be a Game of Thrones wedding pic.twitter.com/8UGGMCh9GH
— Elliot Wagland (@elliotwagland) September 27, 2017
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The woman donated all the breast milk her son didn’t eat
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Hurricane Harvey struck the state of Texas, and left many people from Houston stranded or in need of immediate help. At the moment, the authorities are doing all they can to help the victims recover, but they are not alone. Citizens from other states are trying to help as well, and a woman from Missouri even donated her breast milk.
The woman had gathered 1,000 ounces of breast milk
Danielle Palmer knows what a struggle means, so she wanted to do everything she could for Houston women in need. The woman has a baby son, called Truett, who was born with a congenital heart defect. Therefore, during the first month of his life, he was fed through a tube, and didn’t need his mother’s milk.
However, Palmer thought it might come in handy to keep all the milk in the freezer, and use it for a possible emergency. In the end, she managed to raise 1,000 ounces of breast milk. As soon as Hurricane Harvey started waging war over the US, she realized her decision was not in vain.
Feeding a baby during a hurricane aftermath can be tough, so the donation came in really handy
The woman knows how many women want to feed their babies breast milk, but they cannot do this because of various reasons. Therefore, instead of throwing it away, she got to offer these women a chance to give their babies all they needed.
The one who came up with this idea was Truett’s speech therapist, and the woman agreed to it immediately. He was also the one who dealt with flying the breast milk to Houston. This donation was extremely valuable, and brought a lot of help to those women who lost their breast pumps, or can no longer produce milk on their own.
Palmer was not the only one who thought about moms in the aftermath of the hurricane. Several other organizations, such as the Texas Diaper Bank or Guiding Star Missouri, took action and offered a helping hand to these women.
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After a colon surgery, veterinarians discovered Tiffany had cancer
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Sunday was a sad day for the staff at Topeka Zoo in Kansas. Tiffany, a 49-year-old gorilla that everybody loved, passed out after veterinarians discovered she was suffering from stage 4 ovarian cancer. After performing a constipation surgery on the gorilla, they observed how the cancer had metastasized, and there was nothing more they could do.
Tiffany had cancer which metastasized
On Wednesday, Tiffany underwent an operation on her colon after suffering from severe constipation. After that, she didn’t show any improvements in her condition, and looked like she would never get better. Therefore, on Sunday, doctors decided to perform several CT scans on her.
This is how they discovered two massive abdominal masses. Afterwards, they found out these masses were actually tumors, and Tiffany was suffering from stage 4 ovarian cancer. They started another surgery, but the cancer had already spread, and there was nothing they could do. In this case, the wisest decision was to no longer wake the animal up after the operation.
Brendan Wiley, the director of Topeka Zoo, felt the need to explain the decision to euthanize the gorilla. Even if they had removed the tumors, it would still have been hard to administer a treatment to Tiffany. They could find no appropriate chemotherapy to give positive results.
The gorilla was one of the most loved animals at the zoo
Tiffany was among the most popular animals at Topeka Zoo, as she always received presents for Christmas or for her birthday. She died around 3 p.m. on Sunday, surrounded by all people who took care of her and loved her.
Immediately after Tiffany’s death, both staff and visitors shared the most beautiful experiences they lived with her. They are heartbroken, but happy they got to meet such an amazing animal that got to enjoy almost five decades of good life.
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Sierra Leone authorities are dealing with the aftermath of a hilltop collapsing in Freetown.
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Sierra Leone is currently facing a desperate situation caused by a recent series of heavy flooding which led to mudslides and a hillside collapsing.
On Monday, August 14, a hillside collapsed in Regent, a mountain town near Freetown, during heavy rains. These latter are also held as the cause behind a series of mudslides which have turned deadly.
According to official reports released Tuesday, more than 300 people were killed by these natural disasters. Another 700 are also still missing as rescue teams are looking for survivors. The British Red Cross reported that its volunteers have already saved 71 people from the mud and the debris.
Sierra Leone Might be Hit by Even More Weather-Related Disasters
The full extent of the damage brought on by the heavy rains is still unknown. This is because the rains are also causing disruptions in the electricity and communication lines. It is known that the downpour has so far caused heavy flooding, mudslides, and the collapse of the hilltop.
“In places, entire communities seem to have been washed away and whatever is left is covered in mud,” stated Abdul Nasir, the program coordinator for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Alex Carle, the British Red Cross director of international programs also stated that “Although a full picture of the damage is still emerging, reports indicate that the situation in and around Freetown is extremely serious.”
Carle then continues by saying that, according to reports, more than a hundred houses have been affected by the hilltop collapse. Some of these were allegedly completely submerged.
Sierra Leone Red Cross volunteers as well as British Red Cross ones are assisting the local government in its search and rescue situations.
The United Nations migration agency also declared on August 15 that will be releasing $150,000 as an emergency first-response aid.
The situation could get even worse as many fear the spread of diseases such as typhoid and cholera, among others, as a result of the flooding.
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A woman called 911 after her pet boa constrictor wrapped around her neck
(Mirror Daily, United States) – On Thursday, a woman from Ohio called 911 after her pet boa constrictor wrapped around her face. The woman had brought the almost six-foot long snake in her home together with several other reptiles a few days earlier. She was planning to raise them as pets, when the boa thought of showing its affection in a strange way.
Scary boa constrictor attack in Ohio, but the victim was saved
A woman from Sheffield Lake, Ohio, called 911 and claimed to be lying on the floor with a boa constrictor stuck to her face. One of her nine snakes escaped, and started crawling around her waist, quickly reaching her face and grasping her nose.
The snake wasn’t venomous, and she could still breathe, as it didn’t start choking her. Fortunately, the paramedics got there just in time to save the woman, but it later turned out she was in far more danger than anyone would believe.
These snakes are extremely dangerous and shouldn’t be kept as pets
A recent study revealed boa constrictors didn’t suffocate their victims. Instead, they coil around the victim’s body and stop their blood flow. This prevents the oxygen from reaching the brain, causing them to lose consciousness and die in no time. The woman actually fell silent near the end of her 911 call, but the emergency services got there just in time.
They found the boa constrictor wrapped around her neck, biting her nose. It was wrapped quite tight, so they couldn’t make it let go of the woman. Therefore, they had to take a knife and cut its head off. This was the most serious snake attack ever recorded in Sheffield Lake, but such events are not uncommon in the area.
Authorities are concerned for the safety of the people, and want to raise awareness on the dangers of owning such deadly animals. They want to convince them to stop bringing the animals in their homes, as they are meant to live in wilderness and cannot be raised as pets.
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Mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani died after a four-year battle with cancer
(Mirror Daily, United States) – On July 16th, the 40-year-old Iranian mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani lost her battle with breast cancer. The woman has suffered from the terrible disease for four years, but the cancer spread to her bone marrow, and she could no longer fight for her life.
She won the Fields Medal in 2014
In 2014, Mirzakhani received the Fields Medal for her amazing discoveries in the fields of complex geometry and dynamic systems. This award was sometimes called “The Nobel Prize for Mathematics” and, since its creation in 1936, Mirzakhani was the first one, as well as the first Iranian, to receive it.
The mathematician was born in Tehran, Iran, but she moved to the United States for graduate school, and studied at Harvard University. Back at the time, she participated in the International Mathematical Olympiad, and was the first female member of Iran’s team. Also, before coming to the US, he had already had gold medals from several contests and competitions.
Mirzakhani was a role model and an inspiration to everyone
Four years ago, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since then, she has led an intense fight with the disease, which defeated her much too early. The cancer had spread to her bone marrow, so she couldn’t fight any longer, as the disease had already become much harder to beat.
The entire scientific world is struck with grief, and cannot believe something like this could happen. Stanford officials, where she had been a professor since 2008, expressed their regret for losing their colleague so soon. They praised her immense contributions as a scholar, as well as her modesty and willingness to inspire others.
When talking about her passion, Mirzakhani would say mathematics was for her like a puzzle. She enjoyed putting all the pieces together, or connecting dots just like a detective solving a case. This is a huge loss for the scientific world, and she would surely be missed.
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The woman underwent a heart transplant, but doctors don’t blame this for her death
(Mirror Daily, United States) – A woman from Nashville, Tennessee, died a few hours after she gave birth to her first baby. Despite having received a heart transplant 7 years ago, the woman showed no signs of illness. Also, doctors think her death was not caused by this transplant.
On Tuesday, at 2:40 a.m., Meg Johnson, aged 31, gave birth to a healthy baby girl in the Medical Center of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Her husband, Nathan, sat at her side and helped her take care of little Eilee Kate. However, around 9 a.m., the woman started feeling sick. The doctors rushed immediately but, only a few minutes later, helplessly observed how they couldn’t do anything to save her.
Was the heart transplant to blame?
Seven years ago, Johnson underwent a heart transplant. This happened because the muscles of her heart became inflamed, and she developed myocarditis. Even so, doctors don’t think this was the cause of her death. However, myocarditis poses some risks during pregnancy.
Women who had suffered from this condition are at a higher risk of developing a different heart condition during pregnancy, namely peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM). This is a type of heart failure which occurs rarely during the last trimester of pregnancy. However, its symptoms are really similar to problems occurring often during this last trimester, so it is quite difficult to diagnose it.
Johnsons’ friends started a fundraiser for them
Doctors are now trying to find out what the cause of the woman’s death was. In the meantime, the Johnson family’s friends have started a GoFundMe account, and aim to raise $400,000 for Nathan and his baby daughter.
Only one day after this project was started, they managed to raise the impressive sum of $330,000. Nathan is a Christian musician, who raises money by touring and playing on the road, and who produces his own music. This fund will allow him to take some time off these activities to take care of his daughter, and even start a college fund for her.
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