According to a report released Monday, homelessness in L.A. City and across the county jumped 12 percent since 2013 mainly because of an unfortunate mix of lack of employment opportunities, high housing costs and low wages.

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority reported this week that homeless population in LA County counted 44,359 people early this year which is higher than the figures for 2013 when there were about 39,400 homeless people countywide.

But 25,686 of the 44,359 homeless were reported in L.A. City alone. Statistics show, however, that homeless population dropped 6 percent countywide. Yet the situation remains critical within the city’s limits.

City officials pledged that they would provide every homeless people with a place to live by the end of the year. Currently, L.A. homeless dwell in tents, abandoned vehicles, or improvised encampments. Authorities report that the number of such “homes” jumped 85 percent over the past two years, so it is increasingly harder to ignore them.

“It’s everywhere now; the encampments are in residential neighborhoods, they’re outside of schools,”

said a spokesperson for the L.A. city hall.

But groups that try to tackle the issue put the blame on local authorities for failing to provide low-income people with affordable housing by repeatedly ignoring the problem. On the other hand, authorities claim that solving the problem requires a joint effort between the state, businesses, non-for-profits and philanthropic organizations.

Also, city officials noted that re-housing was not the only solution. Homeless people also need mental health counseling or help to get rid of their addictions that keep them isolated from the rest of the community.

Yet, the situation in L.A. is not singular. New York City also reported high levels of homelessness – about 60,000 of homeless people were reported this year. But NYC managed to tackle the problem in a more efficient way, so only one third of homeless people currently live on streets, while the vast majority is hosted in shelters.

In L.A., people living in tents, cars or other improvised shelters soared to more than 9,500, from about 5,300 in 2013. Another cause may be the lack of cheap hotel or motel rooms and apartments due to recent gentrification efforts.

Additionally, homelessness is not only a visual nuisance. It also implies a high crime rate as many people choose to enter shady businesses to survive or fuel their addictions.

Federal reports also show that homelessness soars in L.A. as the county faces the highest rate in the nation. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs nearly doubled funding to the county to tackle the problem. Federal funding was $105 million last year, and $82 million two years ago. LA City also deployed hundreds of home subsidies for people lacking a home that are not eligible for a VA program.

Yet homeless advocates claim that federal and local funding is aimed at helping only homeless veterans, while ignoring the newly homeless.

Moreover, L.A. City affordable housing crisis may also be linked to the cuts in the funding necessary for building new homes for homeless population. Seven years ago, the funding totaled $108 million, but six years later it plunged to less than $30 million.

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A recent report released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation shows that the number of police officers killed in the line of duty over the course of the last year jumped by nearly 90 percent from a couple of years ago. Although the news looks alarming, investigators say that the figures are not above the annual average for the last 35 years.

In the FBI report, which was publicly released Monday, the agency disclosed that 51 police officers were “feloniously” terminated while serving community in 2014, which is an 89 percent increase from 27 officers killed two years ago.

The agency estimates that on an average about 64 officers faced death in job-related scenarios over three decades and a half. The recent report is consistent with the recent reports on police officers killed in the line of duty nationwide.

Additionally, the FBI report was released amid national unrest related to African Americans or members of the Latino community ruthlessly gunned down by law enforcement officers. It seems however, that there is a grim toll on both sides.

Regardless of the extended programs to train police officers and precautionary measures such as enhanced body armors, working as a police officer is still a risky job. For instance, a couple of weeks ago, thousands of New Yorkers attended NYPD Officer Brian Moore’s funeral. Moore was shot in the head in his patrol car in Queens by an armed suspect for no apparent reason.

Moore’s death was the third death of a NYPD police officer in less than six months.

Moreover, this weekend two Hattiesburg police officers were killed during a routine traffic stop. Two men and a woman were taken into custody. The suspects had multiple arrests on gun and drug trafficking charges.

But according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund’s statistics, being a police officer became increasingly safer over the course of years. The group learned that although more than 200 police officers were slain on a yearly basis during the 1970s and 1980s, since the turn of the 21st Century that number dropped below 200.

For 2014, the FBI report shows that 38 of the slain police officers were killed with guns – 32 with handguns, 11 with riffles and the rest with shotguns. Four others died when suspects used a car as a deadly weapon, while one officer died after being beaten to death.

Thirty-five of the 51 police officers killed last year wore body armor when they were slain, the report shows. FBI also reports that the most dangerous region to serve as a police officer is the South. Seventeen officers were killed in South over the course of last year, while fourteen were put to death in the West.

The South was revealed as a dangerous place for police officers in 2013 reports as well.

Additionally, police officers who tried to tackle disturbances were at the highest risk of being killed. About 11 of them died after having answered a call related to a disturbance. Ten law enforcement officers were killed while performing traffic stops or pursuits, according to the report.

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On Sunday, a transformer fire caused the partial shut down of a nuclear plant located 40 miles north of New York City and an oil spill into the Hudson River. New York state governor announced Sunday that emergency crews were struggling to contain the Hudson oil slick and clean it up as soon as possible.

The oil was used as transformer fluid at the Indian Point Energy Center in Buchanan, New York. Engineers roughly estimated that thousands of gallons of the fluid were discharged into Houston. However, the exact amount remains largely unknown, according to the governor.

Authorities reported that a transformer at the nuclear plant suddenly encountered a malfunction and caught fire, which led to an automatic shut-down of non-nuclear side of the facility.

However, emergency crews said that although they managed to quickly extinguish the fire, the resulting heat revived the blaze which was put out once more. But as a tank designed to hold transformer fuel failed to contain the extra amount of fluid, oil slowly leaked into Houston’s waters.

Officials from the state Department of Environmental Protection said that they had taken additional measures to prevent more leaks such as installing booms in the river. NYC authorities said Sunday that the clean up should not last longer than a couple of days.

Although the transformer moat failed to contain the thousands of gallons of leaked fluid, the main reactor was not affected. Engineers checked it and reported that there were no safety concerns as it remained stable. The secondary reactor of the plant was also out of the harm’s way and remained fully functional.

The Buchanan nuclear power plant, which is located on the eastern bank of the Houston River, provides electricity to millions of households, businesses and state buildings across Westchester County and in the Big Apple.

New York gov. Andrew Cuomo said that the incident was far from being a “major situation,” but nevertheless emergency teams took the situation very seriously.

“I take nothing lightly when it comes to this plant specifically,”

he added.

The transformer involved in the blaze had the purpose of changing the voltage of the energy generated by the plant to match the power grids in the state. The blaze was extinguished by the staff in the facility and an automatic sprinkler system. Moreover, fire crews and police officers were also called as a precaution.

Crews couldn’t tell on-spot what was the exact cause of the transformer failure or whether it could be repaired. But they reassured the public that there were no safety risks or a health hazard involved. Entergy employees are currently investigating the root of the problem.

Cuomo, on the other hand, complained that there were far too more emergencies at the Indian Point Energy Center. Its Unit 3 had to be shut down Thursday because of a water leak located in the similar area where the fire broke out. Officials said then that the problem was solved and there was no radioactive hazard. Additionally, two months ago, Unit 3 was again shut down for a refueling that took way longer than expected.

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During a speech delivered at Nike’s headquarters Friday, President Obama expressed his discontent with his own party colleagues’ stance on Asia trade deal he was currently trying to negotiate. He said that the Democrats who opposed it were “just wrong” and “making stuff up.”

The President also explained that if negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership fail, its critics would only manage to “pull up the bridge and build a moat” around themselves.

He also told the crowd of 2,100 Nike workers that his fellow Democrats, whom he called “his friends,” were like “whupping” on him when talking about the Asia trade deal, although they agree with him on various issues from minimum wage to carbon dioxide reduction.

The chief of the state complained that “his friends” suspected him that there was a political stake in supporting a freer trade with the East, although he ran his last election. He also disclosed that the only reason he was lobbying for the agreement was the well-being of the U.S. workers and the nation’s economy.

“[…] on this issue, on trade, I actually think some of my dearest friends are wrong. They’re just wrong,”

he added.

The Nike speech is the second public attempt of President Obama to push for the Asia trade deal since he requested from Congress fast-track authority, or extended negotiating authority on trade deals.

But he clearly lacks support from his fellow Democrats. So, he currently works on gaining their trust. And the visit at Nike’s headquarters was a move into that direction. Obama agreed with Nike that if the Asia trade deal was approved, the company would create nearly 10,000 jobs on U.S. soil.

Although the head of the state didn’t mention their names, he presumably was referring to Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Harry M. Reid, two top Democrats that are currently trying to block the trade deal negotiations by all means necessary. Reid even said recently that he was so upset with President Obama’s political speech that he was ready to make even more efforts to block his long-sought authority on trade deal negotiation.

Other members of the party were also disturbed with Mr. Obama’s words. Rep. Rosa DeLauro said that the President was wrong for telling Democrats they were wrong or were making things up. She called such assumptions “throwaway lines” meant to “denigrate” congressional members.

Rep. Louise Slaughter argued that she and her colleagues were against a new trade deal because of the bitter experience they had with President Clinton’s North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the trade deals that followed. She also said that she would forgive Mr. Obama for his incisive speech since he doesn’t seem to grasp the larger picture.

On the other hand, she criticized him for switching his stance on trade deals since he launched his first presidential bid. Back then, he allied with trade agreement critics and promised a renegotiation of NAFTA for being “so bad.”

But in Mr. Obama’s case history seems to repeat itself. Eight years ago, President Bush delivered a similar speech nine months before his tenure was over. The topic of the discussion was immigration reform, which Democrats opposed. In the end, any negotiations with his critics collapsed.

Image Source: Washington Times

After a series of security breaches, Secret Service announced that they would be adding a second layer of steel spikes to the White House’s fence as a “temporary security enhancement.” The measure is designed to discourage future climbers from jumping over the fence whenever they want to.

The proposal was addressed to the National Capitol Planning Commission Thursday. After a brief hearing, the commission approved it without further ado. The National Park Service (NPS) and Secret service officers reported that the new measure was a temporary solution to prevent intruders from trespassing on White House’s fenced-off grounds. The two agencies also announced that the new security improvement would not have a major visual impact and would preserve the significance of the government building.

But the Secret Service has various other plans to enhance White House’s security. They said that the current concrete barriers at the car checkpoints would be replaced with sturdier ones made of steel. Also, they will install a new security booth at the entrance of the White House. The new layer of sharp metal spikes added on top of the fence will point outward and can be removed at any time since the measure is only temporary, the agency noted.

The NPS and Secret Service also disclosed that they were working with several other agencies to design more complex and permanent security measures that would prevent future security breaches from happening. The temporary solutions, however, are scheduled to begin this week and be ready by mid-summer.

The improvements to vehicle checkpoints will begin this Friday.

According to the two agencies’ public statement, the extra layer of fence spikes is designed to both “deter” and “inhibit” wanna-be climbers from jumping over the White House fence. The new spikes will start to be installed in July and will be fully functional in four week’s time.

“This temporary measure will be in place until a long-term solution is implemented,”

a Secret Service spokesperson announced.

The announcement comes nine months after a high-profile incident, when Omar Gonzalez managed to jump over the fence, run into the White House and make it to the East Room although he was carrying a knife. Secret Service managed to immobilize him and hand him over to the police. But when police officers searched his vehicle they found it loaded with ammunition and a machete.

Gonzales pleaded guilty three months ago to trespassing on the federal building’s land, unlawfully entering it, resisting arrest and disrupting Secret Service agents and White House’s staff. He currently awaits his verdict in June and risks up to 18 months behind bars.

But Gonzalez is not a singular case to infringe Washington’s security and give law enforcement agencies and the one they are supposed to protect the shivers.

In April, a retired mailman from Florida managed to land a gyro-copter on the U.S. Capitol‘s lawn. He said he wanted to deliver a message to the members of the Congress about the dangers of the current rules of campaign finance.

Moreover, during the same month, a Capitol police officer left his gun in a Senate bathroom stall and an 8-year-old visiting the building found it.

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Florissant police reported Wednesday that they took into custody a 24-year-old man who is suspected that he had killed Taylor Clark, a 19-year-old Illinois student, with whom he arranged a meeting to buy a sports car that Taylor tried to sell on Craigslist.

Clark (photo right) was last seen alive Monday morning when he briefly visited his girlfriend near the campus. His phone records and Craigslist account indicate that he also contacted a person interested in buying his Nissan 350ZX that morning.

One day later, police officers found his car parked outside MTC Truck Driver Training School in Hazelwood and his body about 400 yards away from the vehicle in a wooded zone.

Capt. Tim Fagan announced that the police had finally arrested a suspect, who was also an employee of the truck driver training school. Michael Gordon, 24, allegedly met with Taylor during his launch break to perform a test drive of the vehicle put on sale on Craigslist for $11,000.

Yet, something must have happened since moments later Gordon shot Taylor one time from close range. He quickly dragged the body to a leafy area where he tried to conceal it with dirt and leaves. Soon afterward, the man returned to his workplace.

According to police, Gordon declined to reveal too much during the investigation. So, investigators currently search for more evidence.

Witnesses, however, say that they saw Gordon and Taylor stepping into the car and driving off during Gordon’s launch break. Minutes later, the 24-year-old man returned and parked the car in the truck driver training school’s parking lot. A witness recalls that he was alone.

Apparently, the killing occurred during the man’s launch break when he shot Clark in the head.

Suspect’s grandfather, Uly Gordon, told reporters that he received Thursday a phone call from his grandson who was held into custody. According to Uly, the conversation lasted a few minutes but he was absolutely sure that his grandson couldn’t be the ruthless killer police say he is.

Uly Gordon, 74, also said that his grandson sounded really stressed and repeatedly told him that he was innocent.

“He said, ‘This is not right. They got the wrong guy.’ He was stressed and he told me he didn’t do it. I believe him,”

the 74-year-old man stated. He also said that Gordon never showed a violent side.

Police charged Michael Gordon with armed criminal action and first-degree murder. His red BMW was also found parked outside his workplace in Hazelwood, St Louis. So, investigators planned to search the vehicle hoping to find the weapon he used in the killing of Taylor Clark. They also said that they would review CCTV footage and have a talk with the suspect’s co-workers.

On the other hand, Gordon’s criminal record is clean. The only time he had trouble with justice was four years ago when one of his ex-girlfriends obtained a restraining order against him for hitting and stalking her on various occasions for refusing to reconcile with him. The woman couldn’t be reached for comment.

The managers from the truck driver training school, as well as Clark’s family members declined to comment when they were contacted Thursday.

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