Georgia trooper shoots, kills man who fled DUI checkpoint

A Georgia trooper fatally shot a man during a confrontation that happened after the man drove away from a DUI checkpoint Friday night, the GBI said. Jarvis Lykes, 35, also didn’t pull over after the trooper attempted a traffic stop after Lykes left the checkpoint, which was also conducted by the Columbus Police Department, GBI spokesman Bahan Rich said in a news release.
Read more: http://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/trooper-shoots-kills-man-who-fled-dui-checkpoint/8x266S4C4sqB04v294oogK/?source=Snapzu

[National Geographic’s] Best Photos of 2017

National Geographic’s 57 best images of the year—curated from 88 photographers, 112 stories, and nearly 2 million photographs.
Read more: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/best-of-2017/best-pictures/?source=Snapzu

Multiple officers shot, suspect at large, bomb squad, SWAT on scene in Douglas County

A so far undisclosed number of Sheriff’s deputies were shot this morning and a Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is at the scene, a home near the 3400 block of County Line Road, according…
Read more: https://www.denverpost.com/2017/12/31/officers-down-and-swat-on-scene-in-douglas-county/?source=Snapzu

Pope, in year-end message, says 2017 was marred by war and lies

Pope Francis in his year-end message said that 2017 had been marred by war, lies and injustice, and he urged people to take responsibility for their actions.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-new-year-pope/pope-in-year-end-message-says-2017-was-marred-by-war-and-lies-idUSKBN1EP0II?source=Snapzu

Kid Rock is being sued by a circus

...OK, not just a circus but the circus: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey is suing Kid Rock for infringing on its famous "The Greatest Show On...
Read more: https://www.metrotimes.com/city-slang/archives/2017/12/27/kid-rock-is-being-sued-by-a-circus?source=Snapzu

The rise of the vegans: Are we falling out of love with meat?

Facts, figures and busted myths: Why going vegan is on the up, and why you might even like to try it yourself.As the UK finishes the last of its turkey sandwiches, eats all the cheese it can handle and drinks the last drops of wine, the focus shifts to changes to be made for the new year. And each year, more and more people are going vegan.
Read more: https://news.sky.com/story/the-rise-of-the-vegans-are-we-falling-out-of-love-with-meat-11184493?source=Snapzu

Turkey rages after 'coup' officer granted asylum in Greece

The Turkish foreign ministry on Saturday denounced a decision in Greece to grant asylum to a Turkish helicopter co-pilot, who fled the country after last year's failed coup, as "politically motivated" and warned of a negative impact on bilateral relations.
Read more: http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-rages-after-coup-officer-granted-asylum-greece-1132839368?source=Snapzu

Burning wood for power is ‘misguided’ say climate experts

Policies aimed at limiting climate change by boosting the burning of biomass contain critical flaws that could actually damage attempts to avert dangerous levels of global warming in the future. That is the stark view of one of Britain’s chief climate experts, Professor John Beddington, who has warned that relying on the cutting down and burning of trees as a replacement for the use of fossil fuels could rebound dangerously.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/dec/31/biomass-burning-misguided-say-climate-experts?source=Snapzu

Colombia ships 55 tons of ham to Venezuela amid shortage of holiday staple

Colombia has shipped around 50 tonnes (55 tons) of ham to Venezuela after protests broke out over shortages of the traditional holiday staple, an official said Saturday. The first two trucks of ham arrived in Venezuela on Friday night, a source from Colombia’s national tax and customs office told AFP.
Read more: https://globalnews.ca/news/3939425/venezuela-ham-shortage-colombia/?source=Snapzu

Vandals smash beehives, killing 500,000 bees

Bees are rapidly disappearing around the U.S., and that could be potentially devastating, because bees are essential to the production of many major food.
Read more: http://beta.latimes.com/food/sns-dailymeal-1865007-vandals-smash-beehives-kill-bees-wild-hill-honey-iowa-123017-20171230-story.html?source=Snapzu

NASA released a new image showing Antarctica's melting iceberg

The image was captured by NASA's Landsat 8 satellite.
Read more: http://www.newsweek.com/nasa-antarctica-melting-iceberg-pieces-766862?source=Snapzu

British Polar explorer Ben Saunders echoes Shackleton as he abandons quest to cross South Pole unassisted

The British Polar explorer Ben Saunders gave up his quest to cross the South Pole echoing Sir Ernest Shackleton’s words that it was better to return home as a ‘live donkey’ than a ‘dead lion’. Mr Saunders, 40, was forced to abandon his mission to cross Antarctica unassisted after ‘ferocious’ weather conditions left him without enough food to complete his journey.
Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/12/29/british-polar-explorer-ben-saunders-echoes-shackleton-has-abandons/?source=Snapzu

Christmas money for Grenfell Tower survivors did not arrive in time for 18 households

Extra money promised to Grenfell Tower survivors and evacuees to help cover the cost of Christmas did not show up in time for 18 households. Kim Taylor-Smith, the deputy leader of Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) council, said: "This was our error and we are sorry for this and have taken steps to deal with the households we are aware of."
Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/grenfell-tower-latest-survivors-miss-out-money-promised-christmas-royal-borough-kensington-chelsea-a8133916.html?source=Snapzu

Doctor found guilty of reusing anal catheters on dozens of patients for a year

A surgeon based in New Jersey has been accused of reusing anal catheters on multiple patients for more than a year. The colon and rectal surgeon, Sanjiv K Patankar has reportedly washed and reused catheters on his patients' rectums during medical procedures. The news has been confirmed by Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino and the Division of Consumer Affairs through a recently issued statement.
Read more: http://www.ibtimes.sg/doctor-found-guilty-reusing-anal-catheters-dozens-patients-year-22468?source=Snapzu

Texas is Leading the Country in Flu Cases

Texas is currently home to the largest flu outbreaks in the country, according to data collected by Walgreens. Not only is it the state with the most "flu activity," but 8 of the top 10 regional markets with the highest number of flu cases are in Texas (the other two are in Arkansas). At the moment, the San Antonio area ranks ninth in the country. The Tyler and Longeview region ranks number one.
Read more: https://www.sacurrent.com/the-daily/archives/2017/12/29/texas-is-leading-the-country-in-flu-cases?source=Snapzu

The LAPD has arrested a man in connection with the Kansas swatting death

The Los Angeles Police Department has arrested a 25-year-old man who is suspected of sending a SWAT team to a private residence in Kansas, resulting in the death of a 28-year-old man. NBC News (via Engadget) reports that the LAPD arrested Tyler Barriss on Friday after allegedly providing Andrew Finch’s address to Witchita authorities. The incident was precipitated by an argument between two Call of Duty over a $1.50 wagered game, one of which provided Finch’s address to Barriss...
Read more: https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/30/16833228/call-of-duty-swatting-prank-wichita-kansas-suspect-arrested?source=Snapzu

The placebo effect has an evil twin that makes you feel pain

A fascinating new study finds patients report worse side effects from placebo when they think it costs more money. The placebo effect is one of the most mystifying phenomena in medicine. When we expect a pill to make us feel better, it does. If we see others get better while using a medicine, we will too.
Read more: https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/10/9/16435802/nocebo-effect-medicine-placebo?source=Snapzu

A village in Kenya is quietly disproving the biggest myth about basic income

A 12-year basic income experiment in Kenya is showing that people typically spend free cash on necessities, not vices like alcohol or gambling. Maurice Owiti is 47 years old and works as a caregiver in a rural Kenyan village. In a poor community such as his, Owiti is lucky to have a job. But until late 2016, spending even $20 a month on school fees for his son was a struggle.
Read more: http://nordic.businessinsider.com/kenya-village-disproving-biggest-myth-about-basic-income-2017-12?source=Snapzu

PSA: Apple is making its $29 battery replacement pricing effective immediately

After growing controversy, Apple this week issued a public apology for how it handled slowing down older iPhones in conjunction with aging batteries. In addition to its apology, Apple also said that it would be lowering the price of iPhone battery replacements from $79 to $29. Originally, the company said it would start the lower-priced iPhone battery replacements in late January, but you can actually take advantage of it now…
Read more: https://9to5mac.com/2017/12/30/apple-battery-replacement-program-29/amp/?source=Snapzu

Class-action lawsuit alleges immigrants are forced to labor in detention

Immigrants in detention in San Diego are suing a private prison company, alleging exploitation and forced labor that their attorneys say breaks human trafficking laws. The class-action lawsuit, filed Wednesday in San Diego federal court, alleges that immigrants at Otay Mesa Detention Center are paid at most $1.50 per day, and sometimes not paid at all, for their work as kitchen staff, janitors, barbers and various other roles.
Read more: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/immigration/sd-me-detention-lawsuit-20171229-story.html?source=Snapzu

More than 40 cars involved in crash on US-31, closing southbound lanes

A crash involving more than 40 cars closed southbound US-31 at Colby Street in Whitehall for about two hours Friday afternoon. The accident happened close to Holton Road. Muskegon Township Police Chief Dave Wypa, said, fortunately, there were only three injuries in the wreck. Wypa says all of those hurt were in the same car. They were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Read more: http://www.wzzm13.com/weather/us-31-sb-closed-due-to-multi-car-crash-involving-more-than-20-cars/503244751?source=Snapzu

“They call it swatting,” says grieving Wichita mother after son killed by police

The man wasn't a gamer, but he apparently became the victim of a deadly "prank."
Read more: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/12/kansas-mans-death-may-have-resulted-from-call-of-duty-swatting/?source=Snapzu

'It's shocking, it's horrendous': Ellen MacArthur's fight against plastic

Trophies from her past glories as a competitive yachtswoman are placed discreetly around the 16th-century building on the Isle of Wight, the base of Dame Ellen MacArthur’soperations today. On a blackboard in one of the meeting rooms, the targets of a different passion are spelled out. From uncovering the scale of plastic pollution in the oceans to targeting the textile waste of the fashion industry, MacArthur, who in 2005 broke the solo record for sailing round the world, is dedicating her life to saving it.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/dec/30/ellen-macarthur-its-shocking-its-horrendous-fight-against-plastic?source=Snapzu

Mother sues school district over voicemail mocking special needs daughter

A Pennsylvania mother is suing a local school district, claiming teachers mocked her daughter, who has disabilities. Those are some of the insults that were allegedly left in a voicemail on Beth Suhon's phone. The voices on the other end allegedly are her daughter’s former Claysville Elementary School teachers..
Read more: http://www.ajc.com/news/mother-sues-school-district-over-voicemail-mocking-special-needs-daughter/yWn6nwRdA0PAyGjeTpTX2N/?source=Snapzu

Whole of England to be mapped with lasers to tackle flooding and illegal waste dumps

England’s entire landscape will be mapped with lasers to tackle flooding, help conservation work and even track illegal waste dumps, the Environment Agency said. Under plans unveiled by the government agency, aircraft equipped with laser scanners will map all 130,000 sq km of the country in 3D, including rivers, fields and national parks, by 2020.
Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/england-mapped-lasers-flooding-waste-dumps-a8134156.html?source=Snapzu

Nepal bans Mount Everest solo climbers

Nepal has banned solo climbers from scaling its mountains, including Mount Everest, in an attempt to reduce accidents. The new safety regulations also prohibit double amputee and blind climbers from attempting to reach the summit of the world's highest peak. A tourism official said the law had been revised to make mountaineering safer and to decrease deaths.
Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42521138?source=Snapzu

Around 6,000 Swiss VW owners seek damages in emissions scandal

Swiss consumer protection organization SKS has filed a claim on behalf of some 6,000 car owners seeking damages from Volkswagen AG and Swiss car dealer AMAG related to the "Dieselgate" emissions scandal.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-emissions-swiss/around-6000-swiss-vw-owners-seek-damages-in-emissions-scandal-idUSKBN1EO090?il=0?source=Snapzu

The biggest space missions and rocket launches we'll see in 2018

There’s a lot going on. Next year is already overflowing with exciting missions to space. NASA is launching a new lander to Mars, as well as a spacecraft that will get closer to the Sun than ever before. And two of NASA’s vehicles already in space will finally arrive at their intended targets: one will rendezvous with a nearby asteroid, while another will pass by a distant space rock billions of miles from Earth.
Read more: https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/29/16821862/2018-space-missions-rocket-launches-nasa-space-x-elon-musk?source=Snapzu

Chinese scientists hear sound in deepest part of the world’s oceans

Chinese scientists have made a breakthrough in understanding deepwater sound communication after conducting China’s first acoustic test in the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the world’s oceans. Researchers from Northwestern Polytechnical University in Shaanxi province carried out the experiment near the Challenger Deep, a small valley at the southern end of the trench about 11km under the surface, China Ocean News reported this week.
Read more: http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2126246/chinese-scientists-hear-sound-mariana-trench-deepest?source=Snapzu

It’s so cold in Calgary, it’s too chilly for penguins at the Calgary Zoo

It just keeps getting colder in Calgary. It was even too cold for the penguins to go outside at the Calgary Zoo on Friday.
Read more: https://globalnews.ca/news/3938393/its-so-cold-in-calgary-its-too-chilly-for-penguins-at-the-calgary-zoo/?source=Snapzu

Turkey: where pampered cats are top dog

Selim can often be spotted surveying his neighbourhood, a stone’s throw away from the Galata tower and down the hill from bustling İstiklal avenue. He looks content, his expanding belly and long orange hair neatly combed.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/28/turkey-where-pampered-cats-are-top-dog?source=Snapzu

Like your video games a bit too much? WHO thinks you might have ‘gaming disorder’

The World Health Organization’s description of gaming disorder says those who are afflicted are characterized by a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behaviour, either on digital devices like smartphones or video-gaming offline on machines
Read more: https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/12/29/who-plans-to-recognize-gaming-disorder-as-a-mental-health-condition.html?source=Snapzu

White ‘Nigerian Prince’ Email Scammer Arrested in Louisiana

Following an 18-month investigation, a man said to have served as the go-between for an international team of scammers running an elaborate “Nigerian prince” email scheme has been arrested in Slidell, La.
Read more: https://www.theroot.com/white-nigerian-prince-email-scammer-arrested-in-louis-1821658205?source=Snapzu

3+ months after Maria, barely half of Puerto Rico has power

Puerto Rico authorities said Friday that nearly half of power customers in the U.S. territory still lack electricity more than three months after Hurricane Maria, sparking outrage among islanders who accuse the government of mismanaging its response to the Category 4 storm.
Read more: https://www.apnews.com/72fbcd5efa784a59a834e3cb58d0d137/3+-months-after-Maria,-barely-half-of-Puerto-Rico-has-power?source=Snapzu

Erica Garner, Who Became An Activist After Her Father's Death, Dies

She became a prominent figure calling for an end to police brutality after New York City officers put her father in a fatal chokehold. She suffered brain damage following a heart attack.
Read more: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/12/30/574514217/erica-garner-who-became-an-activist-after-her-fathers-death-dies?source=Snapzu

Police officer's blackface photo prompts investigation in London, Ont.

A photo of a London Police officer having her body painted in blackface has prompted an internal police investigation and harsh criticism from the city's mayor. Several photographs of Const. Katrina Aarts having the makeup applied were posted on an Instagram account, police said Friday. The photos were sent to the mayor's office earlier in the week by a concerned citizen. The pictures were then forwarded to the deputy chief on Thursday, prompting him to call an investigation.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/london-police-blackface-1.4467845?source=Snapzu

The Year Russian L.G.B.T. Persecution Defied Belief

I can think of only two times it’s happened to me: I read a news story, or even a series of stories, and thought that it contained such extreme exaggerations that it had to be, essentially, false. I could enumerate my reasons, which were similar both times: the stories came from the Russian media, which is unreliable (even in the independent media outlets, reporting standards are often lax); the stories described awful, nearly unthinkable violence that came so neatly, so horrifyingly packaged, that it defied belief.
Read more: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/2017-in-review/the-year-russian-lgbt-persecution-defied-belief?source=Snapzu

2 Arrested in Quadruple Homicide in Troy, NY

Police say two people have been arrested in the quadruple homicide that took the lives of two women and two children in their upstate New York apartment. Officials made the announcement early Saturday morning. The suspects’ names, photos and charges have not been released. Police say that information will be made available later Saturday morning.
Read more: http://time.com/5082421/troy-ny-murders-arrests/?source=Snapzu

How Climate Change Deniers Rise to the Top in Google Searches

Type the words “climate change” into Google and you could get an unexpected result: advertisements that call global warming a hoax. “Scientists blast climate alarm,” said one that appeared at the top of the search results page during a recent search, pointing to a website, DefyCCC, that asserted: “Nothing has been studied better and found more harmless than anthropogenic CO2 release.”
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/29/climate/google-search-climate-change.html?source=Snapzu

Mormon cult leaders charged with forcing almost daily sex rituals on underage girls

A group of Mormon cult leaders is being charged with organizing sexual religious rituals with underage girls and threatening them with damnation if they did not participate, according to court documents filed in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Wednesday. Defendants Warren Jeffs, Lyle Jeffs, Seth Jeffs and Wendell Leroy Nielsen are members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), an offshoot of the Mormon Church that still practices polygamy over a hundred years after the mainstream Mormon Church abandoned it.
Read more: http://www.newsweek.com/mormon-cult-leader-sex-rituals-underage-girls-god-flds-764315?source=Snapzu

U.S. military to accept transgender recruits on Monday: Pentagon

Transgender people will be allowed for the first time to enlist in the U.S. military starting on Monday as ordered by federal courts, the Pentagon said on Friday, after President Donald Trump's administration decided not to appeal rulings that blocked his transgender ban.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-military-transgender/u-s-military-to-accept-transgender-recruits-on-monday-pentagon-idUSKBN1EN1LV?source=Snapzu

Beware the drip drip of religious exemptions

The latest submission to religious demands came this week when a popular theme park lifted its ban on Sikh visitors wearing ceremonial swords. Quite understandably, Drayton Manor theme park has a general policy of not allowing 'weapons' or 'other articles which may cause injury' into the park. Clearly the Kirpan (or ceremonial sword) worn by a small proportion of Sikhs falls foul of this policy.
Read more: http://www.secularism.org.uk/opinion/2017/09/beware-the-drip-drip-of-religious-exemptions?source=Snapzu

After Saving Many From Fire, Soldier Died Trying to Rescue One More

Victims of a fire in the Bronx also include four members of one family and a grandmother and first grandchild. Emmanuel Mensah was a handsome, strongly built young man in his late 20s who immigrated to the Bronx from Ghana five years ago. He joined the Army National Guard but returned to his apartment on Prospect Avenue in December, after graduating from boot camp with the rank of private first class.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/29/nyregion/bronx-fire-victims-died-family.html?source=Snapzu

'Black Mirror': Cristin Milioti on Literally Fighting the Man in 'USS Callister'

At practically the last minute, “Black Mirror” season 4 gave viewers what is easily a contender for the best — and timeliest — line of dialogue in 2017: “Stealing my p—y is a red f—ing line!” That gem was delivered by Cristin Milioti, star of season 4’s “USS Callister,” a brutal deconstruction of toxic masculinity, workplace sexual harassment and cyber-bullying wrapped inside a sincere homage to “Star Trek”.
Read more: https://www.thewrap.com/black-mirror-cristin-milioti-uss-callister-season-4/?source=Snapzu

Palm Coast man rigs door to electrocute pregnant wife, deputies say

A Palm Coast man rigged the front door of his home with wiring attached to a car battery charger in an attempt to electrocute his pregnant wife, Flagler County Sheriff’s investigators said. Michael Wilson, 32, is accused of trying to kill his wife after he attached electrical devices to the inside of the deadbolt lock and the door handle of their Palm Coast home, according to a charging affidavit.
Read more: http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20171229/palm-coast-man-rigs-door-to-electrocute-pregnant-wife-deputies-say?source=Snapzu

Texas Woman Accused Of Ruining $300K Of Artwork While Drunk On First Date

Authorities say an intoxicated Dallas woman who was on a first date with a prominent Houston trial lawyer caused at least $300,000 in damage to his art collection, including two Andy Warhol paintings. Lindy Lou Layman, 29, was arrested Saturday on criminal mischief charges after her date with Anthony Buzbee. She was released on $30,000 bond. Online court records don’t list an attorney for her.
Read more: http://www.lex18.com/story/37159233/texas-woman-accused-of-ruining-300k-of-artwork-while-drunk-on-first-date?source=Snapzu

Drexel professor resigns amid threats over controversial tweets

A Drexel University professor who received death threats after posting several controversial tweets said Thursday he is resigning because the year-long harassment has made his situation "unsustainable." George Ciccariello-Maher, a professor of politics and global studies, had been teaching his class remotely via video conference after being put on administrative leave, a move that Drexel said was for his own safety.
Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/28/us/drexel-university-professor-resigns/index.html?source=Snapzu

Trump’s website is coded with a broken server error message that blames Obama

If you’re a fan of Easter eggs hidden in source code, this is a pretty good one. Apparently, as Washington Post data reporter Christopher Ingraham observed on Twitter, some Trump administration and GOP websites have a portion of code with a joke that throws shade at Obama’s golf habits, the irony nowhere to be found.
Read more: https://techcrunch.com/2017/12/28/trump-500-internal-server-error-obama-joke/?source=Snapzu

China says "this is not how a U.S. president should behave" after Trump tweet

China has rejected President Donald Trump's accusations that it was illegally supplying oil to North Korea, criticizing Friday the Republican leader's evidence, and his demeanor. Trump launched the allegation Thursday via a tweet in which he claimed China had been "caught RED HANDED" shipping oil into North Korea, a violation of the strict United Nations Security Council sanctions punishing the reclusive, authoritarian state for its unwillingness to abandon an increasingly powerful ballistic and nuclear weapons program.
Read more: http://www.newsweek.com/china-tells-trump-not-how-us-president-should-behave-north-korea-tweet-764757?source=Snapzu

Russian satellite lost after being set to launch from wrong spaceport

Russian deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Wednesday the loss of a 2.6bn-rouble ($45m) satellite launched last month was due to an embarrassing programming error. Russian space agency Roscosmos said last month it had lost contact with the newly launched weather satellite – the Meteor-M – after it blasted off from Russia’s new Vostochny cosmodrome in the country’s far east.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/28/russian-satellite-lost-wrong-spaceport-meteor-m?source=Snapzu