US Army: Sergeant William D. Brown III

Sergeant William D. Brown III, forty-four of Franklin, North Carolina, died on September 19.

He was killed in Laghman province, Afghanistan.

Brown was assigned to the 94th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division out of Fort Polk, Louisiana.

Among his completed courses were: Brigade Combat Team Trauma Course, Warrior Leadership Course, Combat Lifesavers Course.

His decorations include: Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Medal, NATO Medal.

Mexico's Storm Death Toll Rises to 119

The death toll from storms in Mexico rose to one hundred and nineteen, on Saturday.

Wreckage of a missing helicopter was found, as well as the bodies of it's crew.

Military forces also found the body of one of the fifty-three people missing in the La Pintada landslide.

Nearly sixty thousand people remain evacuated from flood zones.

Mexico took a triple punch, which affected twenty-four of the county's thirty-one states.

39 Killed in Al Shabaab Mall Attack in Nairobi

Militants from Al Shabaab, part of the Al Qaeda network, attacked the Westgate mall in Nairobi, Kenya, on Saturday.

They fired machine guns into crowded areas and lobbed grenades into stores.

Thirty-nine people have been killed in the attack and at least two hundred and ninety-three were wounded.

Among the dead were relatives of the Kenyan president, two Canadians, and two French citizens.

According to the US State Department several Americans are amongst the wounded, as is an Israeli citizen.

Two gunmen have died so far, but at least five gunmen are still in the mall, possibly with hostages.

Police and the Kenyan military have them surrounded and pinned in a few rooms.

Attempts are being made to negotiate with the militants, however Al Shabaab tweeted that their people will not negotiate.

Soldier Kidnapped and Killed in Israel

Hazan

IDF Air Force Sergeant Tomar Hazan, twenty of Bat Yam, was kidnapped and killed on Friday evening.

He had been reported missing Friday night and authorities immediately began a search.

By Saturday morning, their search led them to the home of forty-two year old Nidal Amar, in the West Bank.

Amar admitted to kidnapping Hazan, murdering him, and hiding his body in a well.

Authorities found Hazan's body, where Amar said he had hidden it, and quickly recovered it.

His plan was to try and exchange Hazan's body for the release of his brother, who is in prison for terrorism.

Hazan and Amar had been coworkers at a restaurant, where Hazan worked part time for extra money.

An investigation is underway to determine if Nidal Amar worked on his own, or had aid from family or friends.

They do not believe that any militant organization was involved in the plot.

Attacks in Iraq Kill 96

At least ninety-six people were killed in Iraq, on Saturday.

Eight bombs were used in four different attacks, while two shootings also took place.

The worst of the violence happened in Sadr City, when two suicide bombers struck a Shiite funeral. Seventy-two were killed and one hundred and twenty injured, in that attack.

One bomber drove next to the tent, where a meal was being server for the mourners, and blew up the explosive laden vehicle. As panicked people ran away and others ran towards to help a suicide bomber on foot, blew up his explosive vest.

In Azamiyah, gunmen killed four people in a shop in a Sunni neighborhood.

Four suicide bombers attacked the police headquarters in Beiji. Guards were able to kill one of them, but the other three were able to explode their belts. Seven police were killed and twenty-one wounded. 

Outside Mosul two prison guards were executed inside their homes, by gunmen.

Inside the city, a roadside bomb struck a military convoy, killing two soldiers and wounding four.

A car bomb in Ur killed nine and wounded fourteen.

No one claimed responsibility for any of the attacks.

3 US Troops Killed in Afghanistan

Three US soldiers were killed in Afghanistan, on Saturday.

A man in an Afghan army uniform opened fire on NATO troops, in Gardez.

NATO troops returned fire, killing the shooter.

It is unclear if this was another insider attack, or if the man had stolen a uniform to get on base.

An investigation is underway to determine which it was.

Colorado Continues Cleanup After Floods

As the flood waters slowly recede, Colorado continues to clean up from the disaster which killed seven.

Eighty-two people are still unaccounted for, but it is unclear if they just have not been in contact or are actually missing.

Nearly six thousand people are still under mandatory evacuations, due to the flood waters.

Some areas are still without running water, while Lyons' water tested positive for E. coli contamination.

Nearly two thousand homes and more than two hundred business were destroyed.

Over sixteen thousand homes and almost eight hundred business were damaged.

Several hundred miles of roadway and around sixty bridges were damaged or destroyed, making
travel still difficult.

Flooding also caused several oil tanks to leak more than twenty-two thousand gallons, into water systems.

Adams, Boulder, Clear Creek, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld Counties have been declared major disaster areas by FEMA.

Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Fremont, Morgan, Pueblo, and Washington Counties have been declared disaster areas by the government agency.

Officials are estimating total damages at over two hundred and fifty million dollars.

3 Killed, 23 Wounded in Chicago Shootings

Over the last twenty-four hours shootings in Chicago have left three dead and twenty-three wounded.

A single shooting accounted for thirteen of the wounded.

That shooting took place late Thursday night at Cornell Square Park.

Authorities believe that the shooting was gang related.

This weekend is already looking to be the deadliest in three months.

So far in 2013, three hundred and five people have been killed and more than two thousand have been wounded in gun violence.

Despite these numbers Chicago's government and police say that their crack down on guns continues to lessen violence.

Chicago has the strictest gun laws, in the country, yet the city remains the US city with the most gun violence.

Almost all of the gun violence is gang related.

For nearly thirty years, Chicago had a total gun ban, but it was struck down by the Supreme Court, in 2010, as violating the Constitution.

Since then, the city has passed multiple ordinances, which stop just short of coming to a full ban.

The city regularly brags about how many guns it confiscates, weekly displaying the confiscations.

During 2012, Chicago confiscated nearly 7,500 guns.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy are asking for stricter laws and stronger punishment, for anyone who violates the gun laws.

Opponents of the laws say that the problem isn't too many guns, but a lack of them.

They believe that if the public had freer access to guns then they could defend themselves, and gangs would be more wary.

In support of this, they point to stats from other states that have more gun access, but less gun violence.

Towards this, the Illinois state house is working towards allowing for concealed carry permits.

Indianapolis Police Officer Killed While Trying to Help Woman

A police officer was shot and killed early Friday morning, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Police received a domestic dispute call, when they arrived they heard a woman screaming for help.

Officer Rod Bradway, forty-one, broke down the door and went to the woman's aid, only to be gunned down by a man in the apartment.

The shooter was killed in an exchange of gunfire with another police officer.

Neither the woman or a small child were injured by the gunfire.

Bradway leaves behind a wife, a teenage son, and a teenage daughter.

He and his wife had become well known when they helped with relief efforts for the town of Moore, Oklahoma, when it was struck by a devastating earthquake.

House Once Again Votes to Defund Obamacare

For the forty-second time since it was passed, the US House of Representatives voted to defund Obamacare.

Friday's vote saw the House vote to continue funding the government, past October 1, but only if funding for Obamacare is cut.

One Republican voted against the bill, while two Democrats voted for it, giving it a passage of two hundred and thirty to one hundred and eighty-nine.

The bill now heads to the Democrat controlled Senate, where it has no chance of passing.

Democrat Senators will require that the funding for Obamacare be kept part of the necessary budget, while demanding that defense and other security areas be cut.