Mereja

Author: Amanda Crum

  • NJ Train Explosive: “Terrorist” Just Had Fireworks

    A New Jersey man was arrested a week before the Boston bombings for carrying homemade explosive devices onto a New York-bound train, and rumor quickly spread that he was a terrorist. However, 27-year old Mykyta Panasenko said they were simply fireworks and that he was taking them to the wooded area near Suffern to detonate for fun.

    His roommate apparently wasn’t in on the good times, because he quickly called police after seeing the explosives and “freaking out”. Investigators arrested Panasenko on April 15th on charges of possession of destructive devices and creating a risk of widespread damage, and he was subsequently interviewed by the FBI. The police force later addressed the incident in a statement, saying, “There is no indication at this point of the investigation that he intended to detonate a device in his building or on the transit system.”

    Panasenko says he wasn’t aware that the items were illegal and has been highly disturbed by the rumors floating around online that he is a terrorist and was involved in the bombings, though he admits understanding now that it was a bad idea to take explosives onto a train.

    “I’m not feeling well,” he said. “After all the stuff I just read about myself online, I almost passed out.”

    Now that the story of his arrest has been released, many are wondering why it took so long for the media to grab onto it, or why it was kept so quiet considering the FBI were involved.

  • Katt Williams Sentenced For Evading Police

    Katt Williams was sentenced on Thursday for his charge of evading police back in November, when he led them on a “low-speed chase” in California on his three-wheel motorcycle.

    Williams pleaded no-contest and was sentenced to 180 days in jail; however, half of that time was stayed and half was turned into community service hours, so he won’t do time behind bars.

    “We are pleased that he will not be incarcerated and Mr. Williams looks forward to working with the community,” his attorney, Richard Schonfeld, said.

    Williams had a very strange year in 2012, including having a lawsuit slapped on him for performing a bad show after he showed up for a comedy show at a club and ended up harassing the audience and trying to fight at least one of the members before storming offstage. He was also arrested several times for varying degrees of assault.

  • 38 Die In Mental Hospital; Fire Investigation Underway

    38 people died in a horrific fire at a mental hospital just outside Moscow on Thursday night, officials say. The cause is believed to be a short circuit in the wiring.

    Of the victims, 36 were patients and two were doctors. It’s been reported that only three people managed to escape the one-story building; fire officials are investigating the cause, but say it appears to have originated in a wooden annex of the hospital before spreading to the patient area. Because most of them were under heavy sedation, the victims were tragically burned alive in their beds.

    In an unfortunate turn of events, not only did the fire spread quickly because of the wooden structure of the building, but firefighters were delayed arriving on the scene by more than an hour because they were forced to make a detour.

    The Emergency Ministry is looking into fire safety protocol as Russia has a notoriously tragic past; about 12,000 deaths were reported in 2012 alone.

    Image: Ministry for Emergency Situations

  • Carnival Ship Evacuated After Explosion

    A Carnival cruise ship had to be evacuated after two fuel barges in Mobile, Alabama exploded late Wednesday night.

    Officials say three people were seriously injured in the blast and are in critical condition. Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the fire, but say it’s likely that a cleaning crew caused a spark which ignited.

    The cruise ship is the very one which broke down in the Gulf of Mexico in February and had to be towed into Mobile; it has been docked there fore repairs since that time. No one aboard the ship was injured, but witnesses say the explosions were like nothing they’d ever seen before.

    “It literally sounded like bombs going off around. The sky just lit up in orange and red,” said Alan Waugh, who lives across the river from where the barges went up in flames, “We could smell something in the air, we didn’t know if it was gas or smoke.”

    As of right now, the fire is out, but officials say a full investigation will take place.

  • Edward Norton Fight With Pap Could Go To Court

    Edward Norton should know that the first rule of Fight Club is, you don’t smack a photographer. They don’t like that.

    The 43-year old actor reportedly smacked the hand of a paparazzi on Tuesday as the man was trying to catch Norton on video via cell phone, and now the photog is complaining that Norton hurt him.

    “He went to the hospital claiming hand pain…It was classified as harassment,” said a police spokesperson.

    There were no witnesses to the incident and the matter has been referred to civil court, but it’s not yet known whether the man will file suit against the actor. Of course, this falls under the category of “exactly what is acceptable for paparazzi to do in order to get a shot of a celebrity?”, but since Norton was out in a public place at the time it may be hard to argue that the photographer was in the wrong.

    Kate Middleton and Prince William saw two people involved in their topless-sunbathing scandal charged today after facing similar issues with photographers; the couple have been on a crusade of sorts to spotlight the intrusiveness of the paparazzi, as Middleton was snapped at a private residence while on vacation.

  • Eastwood Wife Rehab Not For Substance Abuse

    Clint Eastwood hasn’t been in the headlines much since his much-maligned appearance at the RNC last year, but his wife and daughters are still plugging away at their reality show, “Mrs. Eastwood And Company”. However, it may all be too much for Dina, as she’s just entered a rehab facility in Arizona for depression and anxiety.

    There’s been some speculation that the Eastwoods are headed for divorce, as they are rarely seen in public together and reportedly acted awkwardly at the recent wedding of Clint’s daughter Alison.

    Reps for the stars say the rehab stint is not for substance abuse of any kind, but details now are scarce. The family has had no comment.

  • Melissa Gilbert: Wedding Gown Choice Unconventional

    Melissa Gilbert, actress and recent contestant on “Dancing With The Stars”, tied the knot on Wednesday to fellow actor Timothy Busfield.

    The couple announced their engagement in January, and as it was the third marriage for both, they went low-key for the ceremony at San Ysidro Ranch in California, with Gilbert choosing a non-traditional gown for her big day. The strapless dress was done in a deep red, with several tiers of fabric for the skirt.

    Gilbert and Busfield have known each other for nearly twenty years but only recently were able to pursue a romantic relationship; both of them were married over the years, Gilbert to actor Bruce Boxleitner. The pair got divorced in 2011.

    “It’s been hard on the kids and that’s been hard to watch but ultimately everyone’s going to be fine,” said Gilbert of the divorce. “Everything takes time.”

    The new couple have five children between them. As for the wedding gown, bridal expert Harmony Walton says color is popular these days.

    “Wedding dresses no longer have to be white,” she said. “Blush and even bright pink gowns are huge runway and aisle trends and even bolder colors like black, red, yellow, and pale blue work well for the fashion-forward bride. Vera Wang just debuted a collection of wedding dresses with black and a few years back she wowed us with red, giving brides the okay to go bold on their wedding day. And celebs have taken note! Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Biel, and now Melissa Gilbert are among the recent brides to wear color. It’s a wonderful departure from the traditional wedding gown, especially if it’s not the first wedding like Melissa’s and the couple is looking for something different.”

    Image: Twitter

    melissa gilbert wedding

  • Baby Sold On Facebook For Grandfather’s Drug Money

    A newborn baby in India was rescued at the last minute from being sold by his own grandfather in order to fund his drug problem.

    47- year old Feroz Khan has been arrested for allegedly conspiring with two hospital employees to kidnap the baby just hours after he was born; his plan was to sell the child to a Facebook friend whose wife had trouble conceiving. Luckily, the child’s mother found out about the plot and alerted police. The baby was returned unharmed to his mother, and a total of four people are now facing charges.

    “We acted upon the complaint of the mother, who alleged that her child was stolen from the nursing home in Ludhiana,” Ishwar Singh, Ludhiana’s Commissioner of Police, said. “After investigations, we found the grandfather of the child had struck a deal with a man in Delhi and had roped-in the nursing staff to smuggle the baby out of the nursing home. We have arrested four people including the grandfather. We have also booked the buyer from Delhi.”

    Khan was allegedly asking for about $830 for the child.

  • “Human Computer” Dies: Indian Savant Was 83

    A woman who was nicknamed the “human computer” for her incredible math skills has died of respiratory illness. She was 83.

    Shakuntala Devi became famous as a child while traveling with her father’s circus, astounding the people of India with her ability to calculate large sums in her head. Her father had discovered her talents while playing a card game with her at just three years old.

    Devi eventually won a place in the Guinness Book Of World Records in 1982 by correctly multiplying two 13-digit numbers in under 30 seconds. The numbers were 7,686,369,774,870 and 2,465,099,745,779, with an answer of 18,947,668,177,995,426,462,773,730.

    Devi fascinated American researcher Arthur Jensen, who once saw her find the cube root of two eight-digit numbers before his wife could even start the stopwatch. To Devi, he said, “The manipulation of numbers was like a native language, whereas for most of us arithmetic calculation is at best like the foreign language we learned in school.”

    Devi performed in front of audiences throughout her childhood, earning money for her family with a talent unlike any most had ever seen.

    “I had become the sole breadwinner of my family, and the responsibility was a huge one for a young child,” she once said. “At the age of 6, I gave my first major show at the University of Mysore, and this was the beginning of my marathon of public performances.”

    human computer

  • Best Man Fatally Stabs Bride: Campaign Funds Investigated

    A North Carolina man has been arrested on charges of murder and assault with a deadly weapon after stabbing a friend and the friend’s wife, who died from her wounds.

    Jonathan Broyhill, who was best man in the couple’s wedding in 2009, attacked Nation Hahn and Jamie Kirk Hahn in their home on Monday night before turning the knife on himself. He was treated for his wounds and now faces serious charges, and police are investigating a possible motive.

    Broyhill worked with Jamie Hahn at her company, Sky Blue Strategies, which dealt with high-profile Democratic candidates. Investigators say they’ve found large discrepancies in the amounts of funds paid out to donors in the form of refunds; $8,250 was given by those donors in 2012 but a document shows they allegedly received $15,900 in return. Whether that money ever made it back to them is under investigation.

    “Some of the things that Jonathan said about the campaign finances were inconsistent with other information,” former Democratic Rep. Brad Miller said. “It’s probably the case that Jamie was asking questions on behalf of the campaign about campaign finances. I think it’s bound to be part of the investigation of Jon’s motive.”

    Jamie’s family released a statement regarding her death:

    “It is our fervent hope that an even larger community will be inspired now by the way she lived her life,” the family said. “She dedicated her life and her work to the ideal that we were put on this earth to care for those who need an extra measure of care. She believed in justice, opportunity and fairness for all. She loved politics and she saw the Democratic Party as the path to realize her ideals. She had a gift for bringing us together – black and white, young and old, gay and straight. She challenged us to work together for a better world. Her light will shine on in all of us who knew and loved her.”

  • “MASH” Actor Dies: Allan Arbus Was 95

    “M*A*S*H” actor Allan Arbus, who played psychiatrist Sidney Freedman on the show, has died. He was 95.

    Arbus was a film actor who appeared in “Coffy” and “Damien: Omen II”, but he was best known for his work on television. Throughout the ’70s, he appeared on many of the most popular shows, including “Mod Squad”, “The Odd Couple”, and “Hawaii 5-0″. But it was his portrayal of Major Sidney Freedman on “M*A*S*H” which won him favor with audiences. It would become his most famous role.

    “I was so convinced that he was a psychiatrist I used to sit and talk with him between scenes,” co-star Alan Alda said. “After a couple months of that I noticed he was giving me these strange looks, like ‘How would I know the answer to that?’ ”

    Before his acting career took off, Arbus worked with his wife, Diane, as a photographer. He also snapped photos for the Army during WWII, but he would make a name for himself later with Diane when they discovered a gift for fashion photography. The couple made huge names for themselves in the fashion world, shooting for Vogue and Glamour before Diane decided to take her own creative path.

    Diane and Allan divorced in 1969, and she took her own life in 1971. Many who knew Allan believed such a tragic loss helped him put a believable spin on his “M*A*S*H” character.

    “He brought a depth … to what he faced as a psychiatrist on the show,” said Alan Alda. “It helped the audience and … actors believe some of the stresses our characters were under.”

  • Topless Kate Photos: Charges Filed Against 2

    Topless photos of Kate Middleton which showed up in a French magazine last year are at the center of some trouble for two people, who have now had charges filed against them.

    Ernesto Mauri, the chief executive of the company that owns Closer Magazine, has been charged with invasion of privacy. A photographer, Valerie Suau, has been charged as well for taking the photos and publishing them in her newspaper, La Provence; however, Suau claims she didn’t take the topless photos, only snapping Kate in her bikini. An investigation has been launched to determine whether she took the photos that appeared in Closer.

    The Duchess was photographed while sunbathing on vacation at a private residence in France last September, causing a huge uproar in Britain and launching a crusade by Middleton and Prince William against paparazzi being so intrusive. However, Closer editor Laurence Pieau claimed that Middleton was doing what millions of other European women do, and that the photos shouldn’t have come as such a shock to people.

    “These photos are not in the least shocking. They show a young woman sunbathing topless, like the millions of women you see on beaches,” he said.

    Perhaps what was most unsettling to many was not the fact that Middleton was sunbathing topless, but that she was doing it at a private residence in front of a secret audience with a long lens. Prince William made the decision to sue Closer after the photos were published and compared the invasion of his wife’s privacy to the behavior of the media towards his mother, Princess Diana, who died tragically in a car accident in France while allegedly trying to outrun photographers.

  • Obama: Daughters’ Tattoos Come With A Price

    Obama said recently that if his daughters ever make the decision to ink themselves, he and Michelle will make them pay in the form of embarrassment.

    The president apparently isn’t a fan of tattoos–at least not on his kids’ behalf–and says that if they ever come home with one, he and their mother will get the exact same design in the same spot on their bodies before showing it off on YouTube as a “family tattoo”. Of course, for two girls whose parents are the most famous and recognizable people in the country, one would think their embarrassment tolerance is a bit more elevated than that.

    “Our thinking is that might dissuade them from thinking that somehow that’s a good way to rebel,” Obama said.

    Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

  • LB Prostitution Sting: Browns Player Arrested

    Browns linebacker Quentin Groves was arrested last week in Ohio for soliciting a prostitute during a police sting, officials say.

    Groves made arrangements over the phone to spend time with an escort, unknowingly putting himself square in the sights of local law enforcement, who had set up an operation at a local hotel.

    “[Groves] made arrangements for certain acts … and requested ‘full service’ and stated he would bring condoms,” read the police report.

    The footballer showed up to Homestead Guest Studios in Beachwood with almost $200 cash and a box of condoms, which were confiscated as evidence. Groves was one of 15 people arrested in the sting.

  • Missing Student: Body Found In Providence River

    The body of a young man that was pulled out of Providence River in Rhode Island on Tuesday could be that of missing Brown student Sunil Tripathi, who went missing on March 16th.

    Tripathi’s family says he was acting normally during the days leading up to his disappearance, but hinted that he was going through a tough time, although just what that is hasn’t been reported. The 22-year old was falsely accused of being a suspect in the Boston bombings last week, shocking and enraging those who knew him.

    “Someone will tweet, then retweet, and completely unsubstantiated things can proliferate so rapidly and destructively,” his sister, Sangeeta Tripathi, said. “Those night hours were horrible.”

    The mystery of what happened to Tripathi will likely haunt his family if the body does indeed turn out to be his. They say he left his wallet and phone at his apartment, taking with him only a key and his glasses. After several text conversations with family members on a Friday night–in which he seemed normal–he didn’t respond to messages the next morning. What happened in the intervening hours is crucial, but if the body in the river turns out to be his, it’s likely it will not yield any answers. Officials say it appears to have been in the water for several days, if not weeks. An autopsy has yet to definitively reveal an identity.

    Image: WPRI

  • Jenelle Evans Arrested For Heroin Possession

    Jenelle Evans, one of the troubled stars of “Teen Mom 2″, was arrested in North Carolina on Tuesday after police were called to her home for a domestic dispute claim. When they arrived, officers found 12 bindles of heroin in her possession, as well as drug paraphernalia and prescription painkillers.

    Evans claims she and husband Courtland Rogers got into a fight and that he punched her on the head and neck; he claims she threw furniture at him. Rogers was also found to be in possession of heroin and has been charged with intent to manufacture, sell, and distribute the drugs.

    The young mom has made headlines involving Rogers before, most notably when she married Rogers after just a few months of dating and then claimed they were split up soon after due to his unfaithfulness. The pair have had it out several times on Twitter, and Evans has a long history of trouble with the law, including prior problems with drugs. This time around, she was also charged with failure to pay child support. Despite a stint in rehab, it seems the drug problem isn’t something she’s beaten.

    “I simply feel as if I didn’t need to go to treatment if my problem isn’t drugs anymore, and never will be again,” she said in March. “I need individual counseling and therapy if anything for being addicted to relationships. I can honestly admit this about myself and can’t seem to help it unless I continue to get the help I need through therapy. Maybe instead of voicing what REALLY happened I’ll just stay silent because silence is golden. But I will let everyone know that I AM SINGLE and I AM NOT DATING ANYONE. I’m focusing on myself and my son’s life, nobody else’s.”

  • Rihanna Stripper Video: She’s Making It Rain

    Rihanna is no stranger to controversy, and it seems she doesn’t mind being filmed doing things most of us would rather keep off camera, so it’s about time a stripper video hit the web.

    The singer hit up a club in Miami over the weekend and dropped quite a bit of cash on some strippers, including Remy Redd, a popular local dancer. According to TMZ, she left the club a good $8,000 lighter after almost three hours of booty-jiggling fun.

    Rihanna made headlines last year when she sat down with Oprah to talk about her life and her relationship with singer Chris Brown, who famously abused her a few years back. After Brown was arrested for attacking her, the couple made a slow reconciliation, much to the ire of many of her fans.

    “We love each other and we probably always will, and that’s not anything that we’re going to try to change,” the singer said. “I think he was the love of my life. He was my first love and I see that he loved me the same way. I truly love him. The main thing for me is he’s at peace. I’m not at peace if he’s not happy or he’s still lonely. I care. It actually matters that he finds that peace.”

  • Vanilla Ice Goes Amish For New Reality Show

    Vanilla Ice hasn’t been completely off the Hollywood radar since his music career hit a lull; he’s starred in his own home renovation series, “The Vanilla Ice Project”, since 2010 and appeared in the Adam Sandler flick “That’s My Boy”.

    But the “Ice, Ice, Baby” singer is looking to change up his resume a bit with a new reality show called “Vanilla Ice Goes Amish”, which will premiere on the DIY network later this year. The show challenges Ice, real name Robert Van Winkle, to hang with an Amish community to learn craftsmanship skills from them.

    Ice isn’t the only musician heading to DIY; Daryl Hall of Hall and Oates will be doing a home renovation show there as well, as will Reverend Run from Run DMC.

  • 14-Year Old Burger Defies Science

    A 14-year old hamburger has refused to comply with what we know of decomposition, according to a man in Utah.

    David Whipple says he bought a burger with pickles, mustard, and ketchup from McDonald’s in July of 1999 to use as a visual aid for a presentation about enzymes and reactions. After letting it “age” for a month, he showed it to a group of students and was surprised even then at how little time had affected it.

    “At the little meeting, I showed the hamburger and the pickle, which was just starting to disintegrate,” Whipple said. “There was no decomposition to the meat or bun, nor any mold, fungus or smell. It had no bad odor at all.”

    After the presentation, Whipple says he stuffed the burger in a bag and ended up leaving it in his truck, forgotten, over the summer months. It eventually landed in a closet in his home, and when he discovered it he says he was amazed. Lately, it’s gotten some attention and was even featured on the show “TV Doctors”. A photo of the burger, along with its story, has since gone viral.

    “This just came out in the last couple of months and it’s just been crazy,” he said.

    The burger hasn’t been dehydrated or refrigerated, and Whipple says he can’t understand why it’s survived as long as it has. He is currently working on a similar experiment with burgers from different fast food chains, to see if they hold up as well as the one from McDonald’s So far, he says, they’re right on track. As for McDonald’s, they can’t offer up an explanation as to why one of their burgers would hang around this long, either.

    “McDonald’s hamburger patties in the U.S. are made with 100% USDA-inspected beef. They are cooked and prepared with salt, pepper and nothing else — no preservatives — no fillers. Our hamburger buns are made from North American-grown wheat flour. These are the same foods that people buy every day in their local grocery stores,” they said in a statement.

  • 13 Officers Indicted In Prison Drug Gang Scheme

    13 female state prison guards have been indicted on charges of federal racketeering after it was discovered that they were all aiding prisoners in drug trafficking and money laundering in Baltimore.

    The guards used their position of power to help members of the Black Guerilla Family smuggle in contraband such as pills and cell phones, which they hid in their hair and underwear. But they didn’t just aid the gang in their illegal operations; some of them were carrying on relationships with the members. Reportedly, one inmate got four women pregnant.

    “The inmates literally took over ‘the asylum,’ and the detention centers became safe havens for BGF,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt.

    Prosecutors say that the conditions and staff of the prison system in Maryland is severely lacking and are blaming these incidents on a lack of control by those in charge, saying that procedures were not in place to prevent smuggling.

    As of now, all 13 officers have been suspended and are facing termination, but many are wondering if these indictments will preclude a major–and much needed–change in the prison systems.

    This isn’t the first time a female prison guard has been caught abusing her position; a woman in Brooklyn was recently brought up on charges after admitting she was pregnant by an alleged cop killer who was under her watch.