South Africa Bus Crash Kills 24

Twenty-four people were killed and forty-five injured when a double decker bus overturned in South Africa.

Friday's crash happened about ninety miles outside of Cape Town.

Rescuers had to cut away parts of the bus to try and rescue people.

Eventually, a crane was brought in, to lift the bus off of trapped passengers.

According to authorities, the driver was having trouble with his brakes and tried entering the sand off the road to slow down, but ending up losing control.

8 Arrested for Attacks on Israeli Vehicles

Eight Palestinians were arrested on Friday, for taking part in vehicle stonings.

On Thursday, a group of men attacked vehicles near Ariel, with stones, causing a serious accident.

A three year old suffered head injuries and several other people received minor injuries in the crash.

Israeli security forces arrested the eight, after someone turned gave police their names.

Alan Grayson Wants to Tax Donations at 500%

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL-9)
Photo Courtesy US House of Rep.
Public Domain

Alan Grayson introduced a bill proposing a five hundred percent excise tax on contributions to Non-Profits that conduct political activism.

This is the same Alan Grayson who slandered Representative Paul Ryan by stating Ryan's proposed budget plan meant Ryan wants poor people to die. This is the same Alan Grayson who supports violating the First Amendment by compelling religious institutions to violate their beliefs and provide abortions and birth control to employees.

The full bill text is not yet available. However, the title itself seems rather self explanatory: "To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to impose a five hundred percent excise tax on corporate contributions to political committees and on corporate expenditures on political advocacy campaigns."

This is most likely in reaction to the Supreme Court Decision regarding Citizens United. Grayson has also suggested other bills directed towards "restoring the rights the supreme court stole from citizens in the Citizens United decision". Ironically, that decision more insured citizens' rights than denying any.

The impact of this law, if passed and deemed constitutional, is that those donations may remain deductible from income taxes. However, they will be taxed at five dollars for each dollar donated in the form of an excise tax. That would mean if a citizen donated to GOProud, for example, a six dollar donation would grant six dollars to the NPO and five dollars to the IRS. The tax would not apply to donations given to Planned Parenthood, since they are allegedly an apolitical organization. Reality demonstrates, though, that Planned Parenthood engages in pro-abortion lobbying.

The bill, HR 1111, has been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.

This article was originally published at P-G Matuszak's Mental Aikido. Copyright 2013, reprinted with permission.

Honda and Acura Recalling 253,000 Vehicles Due to Braking Issue

Honda has announced a recall of two hundred and fifty-three thousand vehicles.

Over two hundred incidents have been recorded where the vehicles brake on their own and the steering locks.

When that occurs it takes control away from the driver and can cause the vehicle to veer.

No injuries or accidents have been reported, but it is a very dangerous issue.

In the US, the recall includes 2005-06 Acura MDXs, 2005 Acura RLs, and 2005 Honda Pilots.

2004-2006 Honda Odysseys in Australia, Canada, Germany, and Mexico are also under the recall.

New York Stand Off Ends With Shooter Dead

A stand off in upstate New York, ended Thursday morning with an FBI dog and the gunman dead.

It began Wednesday when sixty-four year old Kurt Myers lit his apartment building on fire, in Mohawk.

He then walked over to John's Barber Shop, shot four people, two of whom died.

Myers then drove to Gaffey's Car Wash, in Herkimer, and killed two more people.

With police closing in, he hid in the basement of an abandoned building in downtown Herkimer, leading to the standoff.

At 08:00 EDT, officials sent the FBI dog in to try and end things.

The gunman shot and killed the dog, at which point police rushed the basement, shooting and killing Myers.

Authorities are working to determine the motive for the shootings.

Militants Attack Inside of Iraq's Most Secure Area

An attack on Iraqi government headquarters left twenty-five dead and sixty-seven injured, on Thursday.

Three car bombs went off outside of the Justice Ministry.

Within moments, four gunmen assaulted the compound, shooting as they went.

Security guards were able to kill three of them, but the fourth was a suicide bomber and blew himself up before he could be killed.

The attack happened inside of the Green Zone, which is supposed to be Iraq's most secure and well defended area.

Amendment 64 Task Force Finished

The Amendment 64 Task Force has finished it's study and will make it's final recommendations to Colorado lawmakers.

Made up of advocates, law enforcement, and regulators the task force had the mission of deciding how marijuana should be grown, sold, and taxed.

State lawmakers will now review the suggestions and use them as the basis for future laws to govern marijuana, in Colorado.

Amendment 64, passed in November, and partially legalized weed in the state.

The federal government has not yet decided if it will try to block Colorado's law and a similar one in Washington.

Marijuana is illegal in the US and international bodies, such as the UN, are pushing the government to keep states from legalizing it.

4 Killed in Upstate New York Shootings

Myers

Two shootings and a fire have left four dead and two wounded, in upstate New York.

It began with the fire in Mohawk, and was soon followed with the first shooting at John's Barber Shop.

A short time later, a second shooting occurred at Gaffey's Car Wash, in Herkimer.

Authorities believe that both shootings and the fire were the work of sixty-four year old Kurt Myers.

A man hunt is under way for Myers, who is considered armed and dangerous.

Schools in the area are on lockdown.

Police were seen removing multiple firearms from the scene of the fire.

Lockheed Martin Announces Breakthrough in Water Purification

Lockheed Martin has announced a breakthrough in water purification.

According to the company, they have produced carbon membranes with regular holes only about a nanometer in size.

The holes are big enough to allow water molecules to pass through, but small enough to block bigger molecules, such as salt, from getting through.

Lead engineer John Stetson said, "It's five hundred times thinner than the best filter on the market today and a thousand times stronger. The energy that's required and the pressure that's required to filter salt is approximately one hundred times less."

He also added that graphene is only one atom thick, yet a thousand times stronger than steel.

Despite that strength, it tears easily, due to it's being so thin.

Graphene would also be much cheaper than most purification methods.

If proven viable, the filters could help provide clean water to nearly a billion people who do not have access to clean water.

They also would allow for ships at sea to more easily provide drinkable water. 

Other applications are being considered for the material, as well.

Terrorists Attack Indian Police Training Camp in Kashmir

Indian police shield and carry a wounded officer

Five Indian police officers were killed and eight wounded in an attack, on Wednesday.

It happened at a police training camp in Srinagar in Kashmir province.

Two shooters were involved, and both were killed.

Hizbul Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the attack.

Indian Home Secretary RK Singh stated that evidence showed the attackers came from the other side of the border with Pakistan.

Pakistan responded that it was impossible for them to have come from their side of the border.