Science News: Saturn Storm Intrigues Scientists

 

The NASA Cassini spacecraft gathered close-up images of a hurricane that is on Saturn’s north pole.

The storm’s eye is said to measure an approximate 1,250 miles across and looks like a rose due to the color and thinness of the clouds.

This hurricane is 20 times the size of an Earth hurricane and travels at 330 miles per hour.

A Cassini team member said he and his colleagues were surprised at the hurricane’s vortex because it resembled a hurricane on earth.

Scientist say they will study the hurricane because it is could give some insight on terrestrial hurricanes.

Daily Mail Article 

The Independent Article 

NASA Article 

Ohio Student Attempts Suicide During Class

 

An Ohio Catholic high school student tried to take his life on Monday by shooting himself during his first class.

The all honors student’s suicide attempt put La Salle High School on lock down until authorities arrived on scene.

No faculty, staff, or students were targeted during the event.

Authorities are investigating what led the unnamed student to attempt suicide.

Local authorities have described the weapon as a semi-automatic handgun, but how the student got the weapon is unknown.

The student’s condition was last labeled as critical during the afternoon, and his name is being withheld by request of his family.

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Balloon Crash: 5 Found, 2 Missing

A balloon reported missing Sunday morning crashed off the coast of Peru and has lead to a couple of its passengers missing.

The red and white balloon’s pilot and a passenger are still missing.

Five women riding the balloon were found and are reported to have remained in the basket after the crash. 

They were taken to a naval hospital after being rescued.

The state-run Andina news agency reports Interior Minister Wilfredo Pedraza saying that one of the missing people tried swimming to the coast.

Pedraza went on to say that the search would continue even at night until the missing people were found.

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Thirteen Dead After Mexican Prison Riot

 

Thirteen people were killed as well as more than 50 injured after a prison riot on Saturday at the La Pila prison in San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

The riot unwound in a cellblock of the prison and left people dead by use of sharp objects and other improvised weapons.

The cause of the riot is unclear, but the head of the state’s prison system says at least 100 inmates were involved in the brawl.

Governor Fernando Toranzo of San Luis Potosi says local authorities will investigate if prison personnel played a part in the outbreak.

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Clarion Ledger Article 

Survivors Found in Bangladesh Building Rubble

Rescuers found 50 people trapped beneath the rubble of the collapsed Bangladesh factory building on Friday.

An official of the Bangladesh Fire Service said that the rescuers are hopeful that the trapped people would be freed within hours.

The death toll has passed 300 since the collapse on Wednesday and at least 2,300 people have been rescued from the debris.

Local authorities say that at least 10,000 people have protested for the arrest of the building’s owner and better working conditions for garment workers.

BBC Article 

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The Guardian Article 

Man Falls From Empire State Building Observation Deck, Survives

A man fell from the 86^th floor of the empire state building late Wednesday only to be prevented from further falling by a catwalk below.

Eyewitnesses say that Nathaniel Fimone jumped from the observation deck of the building and landed between the 86^th and 85^th floors.

Fimone was escorted from the building to a New York hospital after police opened an office window and moved him from harm’s way.

Charges of reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct, and criminal trespassing have been brought against Fimone.

ABC Article 

The Epoch Times 

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Death Toll: Nearly 150 Die in Bangladesh Factory Collapse

 

The death toll rose to just below 150 in regards to a Bangladesh factory collapse on Thursday.

A rescue operations leader says that some still remain trapped underneath the rubble during the morning rescue.

CBS reports that the building housed many garment factories and workers had complained of cracks developing in the structure a day ago.

When workers refused to go back to work with the observed cracks, the building owners allegedly said workers would receive no pay if work did not continue.

The building collapsed an hour after the owners allegedly made the statement.

The cause of the collapse has not been determined.

Another clothing factory in Bangladesh was destroyed in November 2012 and can be read about here. 

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Ricin Letter Suspect Released on Bond

 

Paul Kevin Curtis, the suspect of sending ricin-laced letters to government officials such as President Obama, was released on bond Tuesday.

Investigators of Curtis’s case say there is no evidence of ricin found in the suspect’s home or vehicle.

The letters that had the phrasing “to see a wrong and not expose it, is to become a silent partner to its continuance" were addressed to the president as well as a governor.

Curtis’s attorney said that evidence that surfaces continue to be “fleshed out” during this investigation.

ABC reports that Curtis gave up his usage of computers, social media websites, and activism that he says might have led to his arrest.

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Train Bombing/Derailment Prevented in Canada

 

Today in Canada, authorities prevented two men that tried to blow up and derail a Toronto passenger train.

Police say that the two men are not Canadian citizens but have ties with the al Qaeda terrorist group.

Charges including conspiring to carry out an attack have been brought against the two involved in the matter.

The investigation into the suspects began last year as a joint cooperation with the FBI and Canadian officials.

NBC reports that “the suspects will appear in a Canadian court tomorrow for bail hearings.”

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CBS Article 

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Earthquake in China Leaves More than 160 Dead

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An earthquake hit the province of Sichuan, China on Saturday morning, killing more than 160 people and injuring at least 6,700 others.

Those affected by the quake either slept outside or in their cars.

Ambulances, fire trucks, and military vehicles providing rations were assisting people along the roadsides.

Local authorities report that nearly all buildings in the village of Longmen were destroyed.

CBS reports that the magnitude of the earthquake was measured at  magnitude of 6.6 by the U.S.Geological Survey Survey.

CNN Article

CBS Article

ABC Article

Boston Marathon Suspect Killed; Shot Officer to Death

Tamerlan Tsarnaev, [believed to be 26] (LEFT), Dzhokar Tsarnaev, 19 (RIGHT)

A suspect in the Boston Marathon Bombing was killed early Friday morning after a series of events just hours before.

Authorities say Tamerlan Tsarnaev and his brother, Dzhokhar, robbed a 7-Eleven, allegedly killed an MIT officer, carjacked an SUV, and exchanged fire with police pursuing them.

Tamerlan was wounded, taken into custody, and later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Police pursued the two brothers and were led from Cambridge, Massachusetts to Watertown after the MIT officer was killed.

NBC reports that Tsarnaev had a bomb strapped to his chest before dying.

The brother is still at large and police say that he is armed and is considered dangerous.
 

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has been shut down until the remaining suspect is caught.

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Boston.com Article (MBTA) 

Chicago Sinkhole Hospitalizes Man; Traps Three Vehicles

 

A man is in the hospital after a sinkhole engulfed him and his pickup truck as well as two other vehicles on Thursday.

Merko Krivokuca was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital after the hole opened up in the road and swallowed his vehicle.

The 20-40 foot hole appeared early in the morning on Chicago’s South Side.

Spokesman Tom LaPorte for Chicago’s Water Department says that the sinkhole opened after a nearly one hundred-year-old water main broke.

LaPorte also says that recent rain could have aided in the creation of the sinkhole.

Chicago Tribune Article

New York Post Article

USA Today Article

Letter Addressed to President Tested Positive for Ricin Toxin

Castor Beans - Ricin toxin is extracted from these

Officials said Wednesday that a letter sent to President Barack Obama has tested positive for the toxic substance, ricin.

The FBI says that the letter was intercepted at a mail facility outside of the White House.

The letter is the third one recently sent to a government official, including two other letters sent to Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker.

The letters are reported to have come from the Memphis, Tennessee area, and all three letters were sent on the same day.

The FBI made a statement saying that the investigation is ongoing and more letters might be received.

Information on what exactly ricin is can be found by following this link.

CBS Article

CNN Article

NBC Article

The Bomb: Pressure Cooker Pictured in FBI Boston Report

Torn Backpack (Top); Destroyed Pressure Cooker (Bottom)

An intelligence bulletin from the FBI shows a picture of a destroyed pressure cooker that is believed to be the source of one of the explosions during the Boston Marathon.

Explosives were tightly sealed inside the cooker with nails and ball bearings, thus amplifying the damage.

Also in the report was a torn backpack that was used to conceal the explosive-rigged pressure cooker.

Investigators said Tuesday that the bomb is to be reconstructed in order to learn more about the explosives used.

What exactly was used as the fusing system or detonation device(s) has not been determined. 

CBS Article 

CNN Article 

ABC Article 

Two Explosions Lead to Deaths and Injuries at Boston Marathon

 

Two explosions went off Monday at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, leaving at least 90 people injured and 2 people dead.

A spokesperson for the Boston Police Department said:

There was an explosion. Police, fire and EMS (emergency medical services) are on the scene, we have no indication of how many people are injured

The Associated Press reports that three hours after the marathon was over, one explosion went off with the other following suit moments later.

Those with injuries, including those that have been described as “bloody”, were taken to the medical tents on site.

 

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Reuters reports that the headquarters of the Boston Marathon is currently on lockdown in response to this event.

Huffington Post Article 

Chicago Tribune Article 

FOX Article 

UPDATE SOURCES
 
Boston.com Article 

Death Toll Rises in Bird Flu Spread

China health officials said Sunday that two more people died in China as a result of the recent bird flu, making the death toll 13 from this virus strain.

A total of 60 cases of the H7N9 virus have been reported, two of which were reported on Sunday near Beijing.

Michael O’ Leary is the head of the World Health Organization in China, and he says their organization is expecting more cases.

It is believed that the H7N9 virus is being spread through direct contact with infected birds.

O’Leary says that there is no evidence that shows those who are being infected were not infected from another human.

ABC Article 

FOX Article 

NPR Article 

Jet Crashes into Sea, More Than 40 Injured

 

A Lion Air jet was readying to land into the resort island of Bali on Saturday when it crashed into the sea near the runway of the Bali Ngurah Rai Aiport, leaving nearly 45 people injured.

The 101 passengers aboard the Boeing 737 were rescued from the crash site and taken to several different hospitals for injury treatment.

A spokesman for the airport said that although people where harmed, there were no serious injuries.

Another spokesman for Lion Air said that the jet “apparently failed to reach the runway and fell into the sea.”

The 737 was received by Lion Air in March and was approved for flights.

Reuters reports Lion Air as being a budget popular method of travel for Indonesian, but the country has a poor airline safety record.

Wall Street Journal Article 

ABC Article 

NBC Article