Iraq vet sought in killing of park ranger is dead

MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, Wash.?? An armed Iraq War veteran suspected of killing a Mount Rainier National Park ranger was found dead Monday, apparently killed by the cold overnight.

1. Only on msnbc.com

   1. Rock Center: Farmland prices booming in Iowa
   2. Arab League: Syria army retreats but killings continue
   3. Romney and Santorum battle it out
   4. McCarthy locked lips with cop on New Year's Eve
   5. Tension, resentment could redefine US-Pakistan relations
   6. Need a hand? Find someone humble
   7. Can you really lose weight? Motivation matters

A plane searching the remote wilderness for Benjamin Colton Barnes, 24, discovered his body lying partially submerged in an icy, snowy mountain creek with snow banks standing several feet high on either side.

"He was wearing T-shirt, a pair of jeans and one tennis shoe. That was it," Pierce County Sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said.

Barnes did not have any external wounds and appears to have died due to the elements, he said. A medical examiner was at the scene to determine the cause of death. Troyer said two weapons were recovered, but he declined to say where they were located.

According to police and court documents, Barnes had a troubled transition to civilian life, with accusations in a child custody dispute that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder following his Iraq deployments and was suicidal.

The mother of his toddler daughter sought a temporary restraining order against him, according to court documents.

She alleged that he got easily irritated, angry and depressed and kept an arsenal of weapons in his home. She wrote that she feared for the child's safety. Undated photos provided by police showed a shirtless, tattooed Barnes brandishing two large weapons.

The woman told authorities Barnes was suicidal and possibly suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after deploying to Iraq in 2007-2008, and had once sent her a text message saying "I want to die."

In November 2011, parenting and communication classes were recommended for both parents as well as a visitation schedule for Barnes until he completed evaluations for domestic violence and mental health and complied with treatment recommendations.

Maj. Chris Ophardt, an Army spokesman, told The News Tribune that Barnes had been stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, near Tacoma, and was released from the Army in November 2009 after two years and seven months on active duty after charges of driving under the influence and improperly transporting privately owned weapons.

Steven Dean, an FBI special agent, said Barnes worked in Army communications.

Barnes is believed to have fled to the remote park on Sunday to hide after an earlier shooting at a New Year's house party near Seattle that wounded four, two critically. Authorities suspect he then fatally shot ranger Margaret Anderson.

Immediately after the park shooting, police cleared out Mount Rainier of visitors and mounted a manhunt.

Fear that tourists could be caught in the crossfire in a shootout with Barnes prompted officials to hold more than a 100 people at the visitors' center before evacuating them in the middle of the night.

Late Sunday, police said Barnes was a suspect in another shooting incident.

On New Year's, there was an argument at a house party in Skyway, south of Seattle, and gunfire erupted, police said. Barnes was connected to the shooting, said Sgt. Cindi West, King County Sheriff's spokeswoman.

Police believe Barnes headed to the remote park wilderness to "hide out" following the Skyway shooting.

"The speculation is that he may have come up here, specifically for that reason, to get away," parks spokesman Kevin Bacher told reporters early Monday. "The speculation is he threw some stuff in the car and headed up here to hide out."

Anderson had set up a roadblock Sunday morning to stop a man who had blown through a checkpoint rangers use to check if vehicles have tire chains for winter conditions. A gunman opened fire on her before she was able to exit her vehicle, authorities say.

Story: Rainier park was a dream job for slain ranger

Before fleeing, the gunman fired shots at both Anderson and the ranger that trailed him, but only Anderson was hit.

Anderson would have been armed, as she was one of the rangers tasked with law enforcement, Bacher said. Troyer said she was shot before she had even got out of the vehicle.

Park superintendent Randy King said Anderson, a 34-year-old mother of two young girls who was married to another Rainier ranger, had served as a park ranger for about four years.

King said Anderson's husband also was working as a ranger elsewhere in the park at the time of the shooting.

The shooting renewed debate about a federal law that made it legal for people to take loaded weapons into national parks. The 2010 law made possession of firearms subject to state gun laws.

Bill Wade, the outgoing chair of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees, said Congress should be regretting its decision.

"The many congressmen and senators that voted for the legislation that allowed loaded weapons to be brought into the parks ought to be feeling pretty bad right now," Wade said.

Wade called Sunday's fatal shooting a tragedy that could have been prevented. He hopes Congress will reconsider the law that took effect in early 2010, but doubts that will happen in today's political climate.

Calls and emails to the National Rifle Association requesting comment were not immediately returned on Monday.

The NRA said media fears of gun violence in parks were unlikely to be realized, the NRA wrote in a statement about the law after it went into effect. "The new law affects firearms possession, not use," it said.

The group pushed for the law saying people have a right to defend themselves against park animals and other people.

King said the park would remain closed Tuesday as the investigation continued and the rangers grieve the loss of their colleague.

"We have been through a horrific experience," King said. "We're going to need a little time to regroup."

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45850791/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

bill of rights toys r us toys r us shame shame denver weather donovan mcnabb

Murder most foul on Queen Elizabeth's estate (AP)

LONDON ? A murder mystery with elements of an Agatha Christie whodunit is unfolding at the vast country estate where Queen Elizabeth II and her family gathered in rural splendor to celebrate Christmas and New Year's.

British police said that a young woman's body was found in the forest at Sandringham and that they are treating it as a murder case.

An autopsy was conducted Tuesday, but the precise cause of death was not disclosed, and investigators have yet to establish the woman's identity.

The royal family is not implicated in the crime in any way.

The body was discovered by a dog walker on New Year's Day three miles (5 kilometers) from the queen's elegant country home. Norfolk police said tests showed the body had been there one to four months.

Police said a forensic pathologist found that it was highly unlikely the death was of natural causes and that there was no evidence of accidental injury. Investigators hoped to use DNA to identify the woman.

The queen and her husband, Prince Philip, celebrated the holidays at Sandringham with their children and grandchildren. The royal couple were still at Sandringham on Tuesday, along with their youngest son, Prince Edward, and his wife, Sophie.

Part of the nearly 31-square-mile (8,000-hectare) estate is open to the public, and the body was found at Anmer, a hamlet of several dozen people. Situated 115 miles (185 kilometers) northeast of London, Sandringham has two stud farms and a fruit farm and employs more than 100 people full time.

Forensics investigators in white gear were seen walking through the woods Tuesday in an area cordoned off by police.

"We are at the very early stages of the investigation and it could be a complex inquiry," Detective Chief Inspector Jes Fry said Tuesday. "The body had been there for some time."

Fry said authorities were examining missing-person reports and unsolved cases around the country to see if there were any possible links.

The royal family owns vast tracts of land throughout Britain, and it is not unprecedented for serious crimes to be committed on property under their control.

In 2010, the body of a 46-year-old woman was found on the crown estate near Windsor Castle. She had apparently been killed by hammer blows to her head. Her estranged husband was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 26 years in prison.

Last March, the body of an American with a royal obsession was found on an island in the park opposite Buckingham Palace. Authorities said Robert James Moore, who had sent rambling letters and strange packages to the queen, may have been dead for as much as three years. The cause of death was not determined.

Now Sandringham, which has served as a private residence for British monarchs since 1862, has been touched as well.

Sandringham has long been one of the queen's favorite residences, especially during the holidays. The queen has a long-established routine that calls for presents to be exchanged on Christmas Eve, followed by a church service in the morning and a gala lunch. There are usually long walks through the countryside as well.

The royal family also typically enjoys horseback riding and shooting parties at Sandringham in the brisk winter weather.

The New Year's highlight this year was the reappearance in public of Philip, who had to be airlifted from the estate two days before Christmas for emergency treatment after complaining of chest pains. The 90-year-old prince was found to have heart disease and had a stent inserted to keep his arteries open.

Buckingham Palace officials are staying mum about the murder case. Police are keeping many details confidential as they try to develop leads.

"I cannot confirm whether she was clothed because, at the moment, only my staff, the person who found the body and the person or people who put it there know that, and I would like it to stay that way," Fry said.

___

Associated Press writers Meera Selva and Bob Barr contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/britain/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120103/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_human_remains

vince young john carter trans siberian orchestra trans siberian orchestra little big town little big town bennett

Iraq official warns of abuse of security forces

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al- Maliki speaks to his supporters in Baghdad, Iraq. Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011. Iraq's prime minister says the end of the American military presence in Iraq is a new dawn for his country. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al- Maliki speaks to his supporters in Baghdad, Iraq. Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011. Iraq's prime minister says the end of the American military presence in Iraq is a new dawn for his country. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

BAGHDAD (AP) ? Iraq's parliament speaker warned Monday that human rights violations are putting the country's fragile democracy at risk, the latest pronouncement in a rapidly developing sectarian spat that threatens to destabilize the country after U.S. troops pulled out.

The televised comments by Osama al-Nujaifi, one of the country's top Sunni officials, are yet another salvo in a growing political crisis sparked when Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government issued an arrest warrant for the country's top Sunni politician last month.

Al-Maliki, a Shiite, controls the ministries that oversee Iraq's police and military. Some of Iraq's minority Sunnis, who fear being marginalized, accuse the prime minister of using the security forces to try to consolidate power.

"The armed forces should not be a tool to repress people and the armed forces should not interfere in political matters," al-Nujaifi said, citing concerns about "serious violations" including the use of excessive force, detainee abuse and faulty legal procedures.

"Human rights will not become a reality in a situation where the political process is snarled. ... Losing these rights will destroy democracy," he added.

The parliament speaker, a member of the Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc, al-Maliki's main political rivals, spoke a day before parliament was scheduled to hold its first session of the new year.

Iraqiya suspended its participation in parliament last month to protest al-Maliki's control of key posts, particularly those overseeing security forces.

U.S. troops completed their pullout from Iraq two weeks ago after a nine-year war.

Also Monday, a group that tracks casualties in Iraq said the number of civilians killed in the country's violence increased slightly in 2011.

In its annual report posted online, Iraq Body Count recorded 4,063 civilians killed last year, up from 4,045 in 2010.

On Sunday evening, a convoy carrying Finance Minister Rafia al-Issawi was struck by a roadside bomb in Ishaki area, 70 kilometers north of Baghdad, according to Zayed Majid, an adviser to the minister.

He said the minister was not hurt, but two bodyguards were wounded.

Al-Issawi is a Sunni member of Iraqiya. It was not clear whether he was the intended target of the blast.

The head of the provincial health directorate where the blast occurred, Dr. Raed Ibrahim, confirmed the account.

___

Associated Press writers Sameer N. Yacoub and Qassim Abdul-Zahra contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-02-ML-Iraq/id-b845dd6cd3034b739c3950111fb9b29e

anne mccaffrey anne mccaffrey amazon promotional code artificial christmas trees bean bag chairs android tablet arthur christmas

Perry supports English as official language in US (AP)

MASON CITY, Iowa ? Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry said Friday he would like English to be made the national language of the United States, agreeing with a frustrated voter who railed over the presence of multiple languages in everyday American life.

Perry, whose campaign needs a boost before Tuesday's lead-off Iowa caucuses, spoke at a Cerro Gordo County GOP fundraiser and took questions from the audience at the Mason County Country Club.

The voter who told the Texas governor he was tired of multilingual directions for products drew applause when he said he'd like to see English become the official language of the U.S. government.

"I don't know how the rest of the conservatives in the room feel, but personally, I'm fed up with seeing the directions on every single product on every single shelf of every single store written in four languages," said the man, who didn't give his name.

Perry replied, "That is a statement, that's not a question, and I can agree with it."

Perry, whose state is home to millions of Spanish speakers, is struggling to regain momentum in Iowa. He joined the presidential race in August to great fanfare and then crashed after campaign missteps and lackluster debates.

Trying to connect with conservatives, Perry has seemed willing to embrace more conservative positions as time runs short.

Earlier this week, Perry strengthened his opposition to abortion even in cases of rape and incest. He previously had said he would allow abortion in those instances, as well as when the woman's life was in jeopardy.

A pastor asked Perry about the cases when he'd allow abortion and Perry surprised the audience when he said he had undergone a "transformation" on the subject. He seemed to say he opposed abortion in all cases.

A day later, the governor told reporters that he would still allow abortion when a woman's life was at stake. He did not elaborate.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111231/ap_on_el_pr/us_perry

tj houshmandzadeh san onofre the little couple bubba smith bubba smith oakland strike new gmail

Troops, tanks patrol in northeast Nigeria (Reuters)

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) ? Heavily armed troops and tanks patrolled the streets of Maiduguri in northeast Nigeria Sunday, witnesses said, after the president declared a state of emergency in parts of the north affected by an Islamist insurgency.

President Goodluck Jonathan imposed the state of emergency on the northeast, the conflict-prone central city of Jos, and part of Niger state near Abuja Saturday, and closed the borders with Cameroon, Chad and Niger in the northeast.

Nearly a week after the radical sect Boko Haram set off a series of bombs across Nigeria on Christmas Day, including one at a church that killed at least 37 people and wounded 57, Jonathan told state television his aim was to restore security in troubled parts of the north.

A Reuters reporter in Maiduguri, a remote city in the northeast and the center of the Boko Haram insurgency, saw several tanks patrolling the city and groups of a dozen or more soldiers at a time out on foot patrol.

"We woke up this morning only to see armed soldiers all over the place and some tanks patrolling. We fear what may happen next," said Maiduguri resident Buba Guduf.

Jonathan said he had told his chief of defense staff to take other "appropriate" measures, including setting up a special counter-terrorism force.

The blasts at churches have raised fears that Boko Haram, a movement styled on the Taliban, is trying to ignite sectarian strife in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation and top oil producer.

Jonathan has been criticized by the opposition and Christian groups for what they said was a slow response to the bombings.

CLASHES FEARED

Residents of Maiduguri, located on the threshold of the Sahara Desert, have borne the brunt of previous clashes between Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is forbidden," and security forces.

Friday three explosions struck Maiduguri shortly after Muslim prayers but caused no casualties, and gunmen shot dead three members of a Muslim cleric's family.

Gun battles between security forces and Boko Haram killed at least 68 people in two days of fighting in the nearby city of Damaturu on December 22 and 23.

"The soldiers have intensified their patrol in our area and most people prefer to remain indoors for fear of the unknown," Ibrahim Usman, from the Gwange ward of Maiduguri, told Reuters by telephone.

"We are just doing our normal duty," said an officer for the Joint Military Taskforce for Maiduguri, who could not be named because he was not authorized to speak.

The bomb attacks by Boko Haram have strained Nigeria's already fractious north-south divide.

Jonathan, a Christian from the south, upset many northerners by running for and winning the presidency in April, tearing up what many saw as a tacit deal to rotate the top job between a northerner and a southerner every two terms.

More than 500 people were killed in post-election violence in the north after Jonathan's victory, reflecting long-standing northern grievances about perceived alienation and exclusion by the government from the fruits of the oil wealth that is concentrated in the south.

Saturday, Jonathan visited the scene of the deadliest Christmas attack, on St. Theresa's Catholic church in Madalla, on the outskirts of Abuja.

"We will crush the terrorists," he told weeping relatives of the victims gathered in the church for a vigil.

In a separate, unrelated incident, clashes between rival ethnic groups in southeastern Ebonyi state Saturday killed at least 50 people, and police said mobile units had been sent there to quell the violence.

Those clashes are likely to add to Jonathan's woes at a time when his forces are already stretched.

(Reporting by a Maiduguri correspondent; Additional reporting by Anamesere Igboeroteonwu in Onitsha; Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Tim Pearce)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120101/wl_nm/us_nigeria_security

while you were sleeping happy halloween happy halloween history of halloween eagles cowboys eagles cowboys trick or treat times

Google could be counting Android devices by Google services activations

Every once in a while, we?re hearing an update from Android chief Andy Rubin about Android activations. Recently, the number zipped past the staggering 700,000 Android devices activated each day and over the Christmas weekend that number soared to 3.7 million. But what exactly is an ?Android device? and how does Rubin and Google count it?

A vague explanation came from the man running the Android project earlier when he posted on Google+:

?...and for those wondering, we count each device only once (ie, we don't count re-sold devices), and "activations" means you go into a store, buy a device, put it on the network by subscribing to a wireless service.?

But what about the tablets that are sold with Wi-Fi only, so they don?t require activations, are they included as well? TheVerge got some inside information from an allegedly reliable source who finally sheds some light on the matter.

Turns out, Google is counting devices based on Google services. Most mainstream Android products do have the Android Market, Gmail and the rest of the Google suite of applications. Whenever someone activates a Google services account on a new device, Google?s activations counter goes up. Simple as that, if we are to believe that source.

This is also pretty convenient as it allows other manufacturers like Amazon with the Kindle Fire, not to include the Google suite of apps and thus those devices without the full Google experience are not included. All the rest however are and that seems like a close enough approximation of all Android devices out there.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/phonearena/ySoL/~3/a2IBGZ-I4SU/Google-could-be-counting-Android-devices-by-Google-services-activations_id25221

lsu football miguel cotto vs antonio margarito terminator salvation terminator salvation rockefeller center art basel 2011 art basel 2011

APNewsBreak: Russell Brand, Katy Perry to divorce (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Russell Brand and Katy Perry are getting a divorce, the British comedian told The Associated Press Friday.

"Sadly, Katy and I are ending our marriage. I'll always adore her and I know we'll remain friends," said Brand, 36, offering no other details.

He and the 27-year-old pop singer were married in October 2010 at a resort inside a tiger reserve in India.

Brand's recent film credits include "Arthur," "Hop" and "Get Him to the Greek." He is among the ensemble starring alongside Tom Cruise in "Rock of Ages," set for release next year.

Perry's run of No. 1 singles earned her the distinction of becoming MTV's first artist of the year earlier this month. She hosted "Saturday Night Live" on Dec. 10 and gave no indication the couple was in trouble.

The couple got engaged in January 2010 after meeting at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, where he hosted and she performed.

He was effusive about his bride while promoting projects earlier this year, saying marrying Perry has "given me much more strength in what I do."

"For a long while, what I do professionally was all that mattered to me really," he said in March. "Now I think, well, whatever I do, I'll just go back to her, and that's incredibly comforting."

He cited irreconcilable differences in papers filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court.

A representative for Perry did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111230/ap_en_mo/us_people_brand_perry

there will be blood walmart black friday sales walmart black friday sales ucla basketball michelle obama booed at nascar polio cutler