Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Puppet Masters

Privately owned students Seymour Patterson Opednews 2015-07-17 21:17:00 Marco Rubio has a plan for students. Since the 1980s, the student loan-debt burden has risen to $1.2 trillion, which is nondischargable, meaning that the debt could follow you for the rest of your life. States have cut education funding and in response, universities raised tuition. And it does not seem that politicians are taking any meaningful action to ameliorate this debt burden. Rubio wants businesses to invest in individual students and after graduation; the student "will pay a percentage of my salary over a defined period of time in return for that investment." (The Wire) There are several problems with this arrangement not the least of which: It smacks of indentured servitude. The arrangement puts the student in the same financial place as traded securities: i.e. bought and sold. In addition, investing in an individual student would be on its face a more risky "investment" if the student were from low-income families. This plan might work for student from high-income families: Students from high-income families can use their family income, and assets as tangible collaterals; and goodwill, namely, family name and reputation as intangible "collaterals." So in institutions of higher learning, the poor would be underrepresented in the student population if the Marco Rubio model is deployed. According to an article (USA Today), in 2013, the government's profit from student loans was $41.3 billion: It was $49.9 billion in the previous years. But should the government be making money on a public good such as education? Students who borrowed money from the government pay (based on 10-year U.S. Treasure rate) on Stafford loans: the Treasure rate plus 2.05 percent, capped at 8.25 percent. Graduate student loans pay Treasure rate plus 3.6 percent, capped at 9.5 percent. Parent loans are the Treasure plus 4.6 percent capped at 10.5 percent. (Ibid.) Rubio's plan is ersatz. Senator Warren's and President Obama's plans were better than Rubio's (they do not put a student in hock to a benefactor) although Congress made short shrift of their plans. Perhaps a better way to proceed would be to use the profits the government stands to make in the coming decade on students: more Pell grants and fewer Stafford loans. But a superior (uber) policy is one Obama suggests for community colleges: free tuition! With the caveat that the student is "responsible." This is an unneeded demand, which could be in some ways discriminatory. Since students aren't allowed to default on their loans, the business investor resort to legal action against the student to recoup her investment. Yet, another, though perhaps remote possible outcome for the delinquent student is prison: in some states, debtors' prisons are back.

Sott Exclusive: Multiple shooters involved in Chattanooga military shootings? Ante Sarlija Sott.net 2015-07-18 18:05:00 Following the shooting that took place at two military centers in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on July 16th, we were told (once again) that it was the work of 'a lone gunman' who suddenly 'went postal'. The story goes that the suspect drove a silver Ford Mustang convertible to the first recruiting center and began his shooting-spree. Eyewitness April Grimmett said she was working at a nearby hair-salon when she glanced out a window and saw someone ducking between cars. "Shortly after that, we heard the (shots). It was very loud and very fast," she said. "I could not believe how many bullet holes were in that door. It was insane." Another eyewitness at a nearby restaurant said she saw a man in a silver convertible Mustang fire a "high-powered rifle" at the recruiting office's entrance at about 10:50 am. "He never got out of the car," she said. "He had a big, huge, high-powered rifle, and he was unloading shots right into the recruiters." The gunman then fled and a high-speed chase with police ensued down Amnicola Highway. Upon reaching a second military installation, a naval reserve center about eight miles away, the gunman again opened fire, killing at least four marines before he himself was shot and killed by police. The circumstances of his death are not yet known. There were also reports that another shooting took place at a mall in nearby Bradley County, but that "turned out to be false." The alleged 'lone gunman' has been identified as Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez, a Kuwaiti-born U.S. citizen. His friends were baffled by the incident, saying that it's something they would never have imagined him doing. Abdulazeez wrestled in high school and became an MMA fighter afterwards. However, those who knew him did not associate him with violence.  "I never saw a violent bone in his body, outside of the sport he was doing," Ryan Smith, who was a year behind Abdulazeez, told the Times Free Press. "He was friendly, funny, kind," Karen Wagner, another classmate said. "I never would have thought it would be him." Abdulazeez's fighting coach Scott Schrader shared these sentiments. "There were tears in my eyes," Schraeder told CNN of the moment he heard the news. "He was one of the nicest kids we trained." The attack is already being tied to ISIS. 'Islamic state' Twitter accounts were quick to take credit for the shootings, referring to Abdulazeez as "a soldier of the Islamic State" and "an individual lion." So both US authorities and 'the arch enemy ISIS', are in agreement that this attack was carried out by a 'lone wolf jihadi.' Rita Katz's SITE Intelligence chimed in on the 'Islamic terrorist' narrative: The SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks extremist groups, said that Abdulazeez had blogged on Monday that "life is short and bitter" and Muslims should not miss an opportunity to "submit to Allah". The Guardian could not independently verify the blogposts.

14 rioters arrested during violent protests in Athens - not a single Greek in the group. Hazel Sheffield The Independent 2015-07-16 15:21:00 Just before 9.30pm, protests against the Greek government's full capitulation to the demands of the country's creditors turned nasty. Of the 14 people arrested during the protests in Athens last, not one was from Greece, according to Greek paper Kathimarini. Twelve were arrested for graffiti in metro stations, while above them, in Athens' central Syntagma Square, demonstrators threw petrol bombs, stones and stun grenades in protest against the vote on further austerity reforms in parliament. The unrest comes after weeks of peaceful political rallies during the crisis Kathimarinireported that four of those arrested came from Germany, two were French, one Australian, one Ukraine, one Dutch and three Polish. There were given charges relating to damage of a metro station.

Comment: The psychopathic playbook in action again. Agents provacateurs are a standard tactic for destabilizing an already volatile situation. The Empire of Chaos has no scruples about playing on the anger and despair they were responsible for creating. Indeed, it appears to be an integral part of an overall program we have seen before. How else would such a varied group suddenly appear in a Greek city? As in Ukraine, is the way possibily being paved for the rise of another neo-Nazi group, Golden Dawn? Far right fascists 'infiltrated Greek police', used as agents provocateurs Other examples: Color revolutions and social unrest: The many uses of American ambassadors George Soros, NATO and the Western Color Revolution in Macedonia Cointelpro, Provacateurs & Disinfo Agents

The "Good life in Germany": Chancellor Merkel reduces Palestinian girl to tears with inhuman comment that she's not welcome in Germany Allison Deger Mondoweiss 2015-07-18 16:15:00 A video has gone viral on social media of German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a high school gymnasium bringing a teenage Palestinian refugee to tears after telling her that she is not welcome in Germany. What comes next is cringe inducing. Merkel tries to "hug" the teen named Reem Sahwil, 14, then settles on awkwardly stroking her arm. Thus, the hashtag #merkelstreichelt (Merkel strokes) along with images mocking the petting chancellor ensued. The Guardian subtitled the video into English, which was filmed today at an event entitled, the "Good life in Germany" at a school in Rostock, Germany. Reem is one of many children at the forum and explained to Merkel that her family is facing deportation. They arrived in Germany from a Lebanese refugee camp four years ago, reported The Guardian. "I have goals like anyone else. I want to study like them ... it's very unpleasant to see how others can enjoy life, and I can't myself," Reem told the chancellor. In response an unmoved Merkel said, "I understand what you are saying, nonetheless politics is hard sometimes. There are thousands and thousands more in the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. And if we say 'you can all come here,' 'you can all come over from Africa,' we can't cope with that."

Comment: It should be remembered that it is Western money to include support from Germany that has caused this girl to be a refugee in the first place. Germany's zealous support for Israel is no different from their shameful past as Nazis.

ISIS attempt to seize weapons foiled by Kyrgyzstan special forces TASS News Agency 2015-07-18 12:43:00 The militants were preparing for terror acts on July 17 during the celebration of Eid al-Fitr and an attack on the aviation base in northern Kyrgyzstan, where they planned to seize weapons The militants, who were killed and detained during a special mission in Kyrgyzstan on Thursday, were members of the Islamic State, the national security committee reported on Friday. "On July 16, 2015, in Bishkek, the national security committee had a special anti-terror mission against militants of the Islamic State international terrorist organization," the security committee's press service said. "This underground group was preparing for terror acts on July 17 during the celebration of Eid al-Fitr and an attack on the aviation base in the city of Kant in northern Kyrgyzstan, where the militants planned to seize weapons."

Comment: No doubt Russia is keeping a close eye on Washington's ISIS operating so close to its borders: The US war on ISIS is a Trojan horse: This is what's really going on West establishes rapid reaction force against Russia, while ISIS goes scot-free Agents of chaos: ISIL using Ukraine as a forward base into Caucasia and entry into Europe

Ukrainian official discusses politics, briefcases of cash, and 'black financial flows' Graham Stack Business New Europe 2015-07-18 12:02:00 In his first interview since being fired as head of Ukraine's state security service on June 16, Valentyn Nalivaichenko alleged that Ukraine's leading political parties are behind huge flows of secret funds moving to and fro from offshore jurisdictions. He is only the highest ranking among a clutch of disillusioned insiders who claim that black financial flows remain intrinsic to Ukrainian politics. "Officials on the highest level have not stepped back from business ties, but it not just business, not just accountants, who are using these [offshore] schemes, but also the 'enforcers' [informal parliamentary party whips] who run $500,000 through offshores each week. A simple question - where is this money going to?" Nalivaichenko asked. "The answer: to pay off MPs, government officials, law enforcement." Comment: It's business as usual with the oligarchs: Corrupt to the core: The lasting legacy of Ukraine's oligarchy

Comment: See also: The black budget: What does it mean to US Federal budget, the economy, and you Mukachevo has become the contraband capital of Ukraine Disaster Capitalism: Ukraine crisis used by corporations to capture fertile soil

Hillary Clinton: An unabashedly war-hungry corporate shill Stephen Lendman Global Research 2015-07-17 00:00:00 All US presidential cycles are money controlled corrupted processes with no legitimacy whatever. Voters have no say despite believing otherwise.  They naively think electing new bums replacing old ones improves things. Their choices are among an array of long ago bought and paid for candidates supporting what most harms them.  The late Gore Vidal said "(b)y the time a (candidate) gets to be presidential material, (he or she has) been bought ten times over." "There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party (with) two right wings: Republican and Democrat," he explained. Hillary Clinton perhaps represents the worst choice among an array of aspirants looking more like a police lineup. Previous articles explained her warmongering lust for endless conflicts. She's unabashedly hawkish.

Comment: With Hillary in charge, nothing is likely to improve for the average American and certainly not for the hapless residents of countries who will be in the cross-hairs of her war-machine. The manipulation of populism by Hilary Clinton and the elites Hillary Clinton's lucrative life of crime Murderous Hillary the hawk False feminism: Hillary Clinton and her financial backers are no friends to women Voting for Hillary? You may want to recall the Clinton body count Hillary running for president in 2016 - God help us all

US/Israeli/Saudi 'behavior' problems Robert Parry consortiumnews.com 2015-07-17 21:07:00 There is a madness in how the mainstream U.S. media presents the world to the American people, a delusional perspective that arguably creates an existential threat to humanity's survival. We have seen this pattern in the biased depiction of the Ukraine crisisand now in how Official Washington is framing the debate over the Iranian nuclear agreement. In this American land of make-believe, Iran is assailed as the chief instigator of instability in the Middle East. Yet, any sane and informed person would dispute that assessment, noting the far greater contributions made by Israel, Saudi Arabia and, indeed, the United States.

Analyst suspects hostile short-selling by Western financiers caused recent crash of Chinese markets Liang Shih-huang China Times 2015-07-03 21:09:00 A recent sell-off in China's stock markets is the first major challenge facing the country since the introduction of margin trading, and is believed to have been caused by hostile short-sellers. In a report on the Chinese news site ifeng.com, an analyst said the sell-off was similar to what took place in Hong Kong in 1997, when the territory's benchmark Hang Seng Index plunged 60% after peaking at 16,673 points. The steep drop in share prices in Hong Kong in 1997 was caused by financier George Soros, who shorted both the Hong Kong dollar and the Hang Seng Index futures, the analyst said, adding that similar practices were observed in the last two trading sessions in China.

Comment: Given how many times we know Soros et al have done this in the past, it's plausible that the recent slump on Chinese markets is the result of a Western financial weapon.

Saudis threaten ground offensive in Yemen, Syria before Iran recovers from sanctions Sputnik 2015-07-17 20:58:00 Saudi Arabia will launch a military offensive to gain momentum in Yemen and Syria before a nuclear deal leads to an economic recovery in Iran, which would enable Tehran to channel funds to its proxy forces in the region. Lifting sanctions over the next year could potentially leave Iran flush with more than $100 billion in unfrozen funds and new revenues - resources the Saudis say Tehran will use to expand its proxy wars. "An Iran without sanctions will pump billions of dollars to its proxies, which are destabilizing Yemen, Syria, and Iraq," said Jasser al Jasser, managing editor of the pro-government Al Jazeerah daily. "Saudi Arabia will not allow Iran to take advantage of this deal."

Comment: Ah yes, Iran gets blamed for 'destabilizing' regions because those regions don't want to be a part of the murderous elites from Saudi Arabia and the West. Events are going to start flaring up as Saudi Arabia plays with its new military 'toys' from the US.

Society's Child

Single mother arrested for 'abandoning' kids at food court, while interviewing for job 30 feet away Counter Current News 2015-07-18 13:43:00 A Houston mother was just arrested for allegedly "abandoning" her children, even though they were never even out of her sight. The single mother was arrested by Houston, Texas cops after she told her children to sit at a table in a mall food court while she interviewed for a job only 30 feet away. Local KHOU reports that Laura Browder took her 6-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son to the mall for an abruptly-scheduled job interview, that she didn't have time to find a babysitter for. She was never "abandoning" her children, and they never left her sight. She bought them lunch at McDonald's and sat them at a table, where she could see them during her interview. But when Houston Police showed up, they accused Browder of "abandoning" her children.She was taken into custody only minutes after being given the job she applied for. Now, she is worried that the arrest will jeopardize that job, and cause her to lose it. Now, Browder has appeared before a judge who saw no reason to hold her. The judge even gave her children back to her, but did not apologize for the insane police reaction. In fact, Child Protective Services says that they have "opened an investigation" into her. Browder stated that "this was very unfortunate this happened. I had a interview with a very great company with lots of career growth. I am a college student and mother of two. I would never put my name, background or children in harms way intentionally. I have a promising future ahead of me regardless of what the media tries to portray me as." Local KHOU says that once news of this got around Houston, a slew of new job offers came in, supporting the single mother and her responsible care-taking of her children. The people of Houston are almost unanimously against the police on this one, but the Houston PD has doubled down on their totalitarian reaction to seeing children eating lunch 30 feet away from their mother.

Pipeline spill in Alberta, Canada one of the largest leaks in recent history RT 2015-07-17 20:55:00 A pipeline belonging to a wholly owned subsidiary of China's oil giant CNOOC Ltd. spilled five million liters of bitumen in the oil-rich province of Alberta, marking one of the largest leaks in recent history, covering about 16,000 square meters. It is still unknown what caused the pipeline to malfunction, Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) said. The spill happened at the company's Long Lake oil sands facility south of Fort McMurray, located in northeastern Alberta. The flow of bitumen was contained to the pipeline's route, with no negative impact on wildlife or public, according to AER spokesman Peter Murchland. The oil did not enter a body of water, but it did flow into a nearby bog, AER added. The disaster was first spotted on Wednesday and AER staff arrived to the site Thursday. At this point the leak has been contained via shutting down the affected pipeline.

Another train carrying crude oil derails in Montana forcing evacuations Alex Dobuzinskis Reuters 2015-07-17 19:12:00 A train derailment in rural eastern Montana spilled 35,000 gallons (132,489 liters) of crude oil and forced the evacuation of about 30 people, a U.S. official said on Friday in an email to state officials. About 20 cars on the Berkshire Hathaway-owned BNSF [BNISF.UL] crude oil train went off the rails east of Culbertson, Montana, on Thursday evening, officials said. There was no fire and no injuries were reported. A hazardous materials team from BNSF responded to the scene and contained the spilled oil with earthen dams, Michael Turnbull, an official with the U.S. Department of Transportation, said in an email to Montana officials that was released to the media. The spilled crude did not reach any waterways, the email said.

Comment: These train derailments appear to be increasing in regularity: North Dakota town evacuated after fiery oil train derailment Thousands evacuated in Tennessee after train derails releasing flammable and toxic gas Off the rails: Two trains derail days after deadly Amtrak accident Train full of hazardous materials derails near Mississippi mobile home park Yet again: Six cars of oil crude in Colorado Symbolic? Freight train carrying oil products derails, engine catches fire in central Ukraine Another fatal train derailment: At least 20 people killed, over 160 injured as Moscow Metro carriages derail in rush hour Train in Alabama oil spill was carrying 2.7 million gallons of crude Yet again: Another crude oil train derails and catches fire Massive fire breaks out after fuel tanks derail in southern Russia Dozens killed in train crash in Congo

Secret History

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Science & Technology

85-year search finds massless particle with promise for next-generation electronics Science Daily 2015-07-16 00:00:00 An international team led by Princeton University scientists has discovered Weyl fermions, an elusive massless particle theorized 85 years ago. The particle could give rise to faster and more efficient electronics because of its unusual ability to behave as matter and antimatter inside a crystal, according to new research. The researchers report in the journal Science July 16 the first observation of Weyl fermions, which, if applied to next-generation electronics, could allow for a nearly free and efficient flow of electricity in electronics, and thus greater power, especially for computers, the researchers suggest. Proposed by the mathematician and physicist Hermann Weyl in 1929, Weyl fermions have been long sought by scientists because they have been regarded as possible building blocks of other subatomic particles, and are even more basic than the ubiquitous, negative-charge carrying electron (when electrons are moving inside a crystal). Their basic nature means that Weyl fermions could provide a much more stable and efficient transport of particles than electrons, which are the principle particle behind modern electronics. Unlike electrons, Weyl fermions are massless and possess a high degree of mobility; the particle's spin is both in the same direction as its motion -- which is known as being right-handed -- and in the opposite direction in which it moves, or left-handed.

Comment: Another "particular matter" solved, as a "matter of fact!" Quasi that!

Neutrons find the "missing" magnetism of plutonium Los Alamos National Laboratory 2015-07-10 00:00:00 Groundbreaking work at two Department of Energy national laboratories has confirmed plutonium's magnetism, which scientists have long theorized but have never been able to experimentally observe. The advances that enabled the discovery hold great promise for materials, energy and computing applications. Plutonium was first produced in 1940 and its unstable nucleus allows it to undergo fission, making it useful for nuclear fuels as well as for nuclear weapons. Much less known, however, is that the electronic cloud surrounding the plutonium nucleus is equally unstable and makes plutonium the most electronically complex element in the periodic table, with intriguingly intricate properties for a simple elemental metal. While conventional theories have successfully explained plutonium's complex structural properties, they also predict that plutonium should order magnetically. This is in stark contrast with experiments, which had found no evidence for magnetic order in plutonium. Finally, after seven decades, this scientific mystery on plutonium's "missing" magnetism has been resolved. Using neutron scattering, researchers from the Department of Energy's Los Alamos and Oak Ridge (ORNL) national laboratories have made the first direct measurements of a unique characteristic of plutonium's fluctuating magnetism. In a recent paper in the journal Science Advances, Marc Janoschek from Los Alamos, the paper's lead scientist, explains that plutonium is not devoid of magnetism, but in fact its magnetism is just in a constant state of flux, making it nearly impossible to detect.

Comment: Finding the "missing" properties of plutonium is one thing...what they do with it may be something else. Pardon the skepticism, but didn't we "invent" this fueler of nuclear disasters? Plutonium was first made in December 1940 at Berkeley, California, by Glenn Seaborg, Arthur Wahl, Joseph Kennedy, and Edwin McMillan. They produced it by bombarding uranium-238 with deuterium nuclei (alpha particles). This first produced neptunium-238 with a half-life of two days, and this decayed by beta emission to form element 94 (plutonium). Within a couple of months element 94 had been conclusively identified and its basic chemistry shown to be like that of uranium.To begin with, the amounts of plutonium produced were invisible to the eye, but by August 1942 there was enough to see and weigh, albeit only 3 millionths of a gram. However, by 1945 the Americans had several kilograms, and enough plutonium to make three atomic bombs, one of which exploded over Nagasaki in August 1945. Yup, looks like we did.

A robot has passed a self-awareness test Christopher Hooton The Independent, UK 2015-07-17 21:21:00 A robot in New York has passed the classic King's Wise Men puzzle which serves as a test of the awareness of the self. The induction puzzle goes as follows: 'The King called the three wisest men in the country to his court to decide who would become his new advisor. He placed a hat on each of their heads, such that each wise man could see all of the other hats, but none of them could see their own. Each hat was either white or blue. The king gave his word to the wise men that at least one of them was wearing a blue hat - in other words, there could be one, two, or three blue hats, but not zero. The king also announced that the contest would be fair to all three men. The wise men were also forbidden to speak to each other. The king declared that whichever man stood up first and announced the color of his own hat would become his new advisor.' Roboticists at the Ransselaer Polytechnic Institute adapted it for a trio of robots, two of which were told they had been given a "dumbing pill" which prevented them from talking before all three were asked which one was still able to speak. All three initially couldn't solve the problem and said "I don't know", but when only one of them made the noise, the robot in question heard its own voice and then followed up: "Sorry, I know now!"

Earth Changes

Waterspout spotted offshore in Sarasota, Florida Bob Harrigan mysuncoast.com 2015-07-17 22:45:00 This past week the fishing charter Tight Lines took some video of a waterspout and a huge whale shark which were spotted about 20-30 miles offshore of Sarasota. It's a rare event to see both, but in two days in a row is amazing. For the past several days now there has been several sightings of waterspouts. With the weather pattern expected to stay the same on Saturday we could see more as the storms push ashore. This past Wednesday Captain Rob Roberts and his clients were offshore about 25 miles when a waterspout formed and began heading right toward the boat they were in. Capt. Rob took out his cell phone and snapped a photo and then took video of this amazing sight. A day before they were about 28 miles offshore of the Suncoast when a huge whale shark approached. This time the Capt. took out his go pro and captured this incredible est. 30 foot gentle giant known as a whale shark. They have been known to visit Suncoast waters during the summer, even I had the chance to see one about 4 years ago. In the video you will see several cobia swimming around and under it. Another great sight sent to PIX@mysuncoast.com was a giant sea turtle crawling back into the Gulf after laying her eggs on Longboat key a couple of weeks ago. The video was captured by LBK resident Nancy Seder. Captain Scott Moore was vacationing near Boca Grande this past week and saw a baby sea turtle making it's way into the surf. The captain captured the amazing video of a baby hatchling swimming into the Gulf. If you see something interesting please send it in toPIX@mysuncoast.com

At least 6 waterspouts seen on Chesapeake Bay washington.cbslocal.com 2015-07-17 15:22:00 At least six waterspouts were spotted in the Chesapeake Bay off the coast of Annapolis Friday morning. Waterspouts, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, sometimes begin as tornadoes over land and then move over water, but can also form in severe thunderstorms over a body of water. They can wreak havoc with high winds, hail, and dangerous lightning. They develop most often over warm, tropical ocean waters. They're spotted in the Florida Keys more than any other place in the world. The Maryland Natural Resources Police posted on Twitter that one of its patrol boats got caught inside one. A YouTube video of one of the spouts forming was also posted online by user Justin Berk. It was taken from inside a car that was traveling over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Watch it below.

Man survives grizzly bear attack near Bella Bella, Canada bc.ctvnews.ca 2015-07-17 14:40:00 A B.C. man is recovering in a Vancouver hospital after surviving an attack by a mother grizzly bear near Bella Bella Thursday. George Knoll works as an engineer for a Vancouver logging company and was flagging trees along a creek in the Kwatna area Thursday morning at about 8:30 a.m. when he was charged and bitten by the bear. Williams Lake Conservation Officer Len Butler said the mother bear, called a sow, charged at Knoll who was able to fight back. "It mauled him, basically biting around the torso and his one arm severely," Butler told CTV News. "He was able to kick the bear off twice and then the sow left and he realized there was a cub with it." Three other co-workers were working in the remote area and Knoll was able to radio for help and get to a helipad.

At least two killed; 230,000 residents told to evacuate amid warnings of floods, landslides as Typhon Nangka strikes Japan The Straits Times 2015-07-18 13:50:00 Typhoon Nangka lashed Japan yesterday, killing at least two people and triggering floods as the authorities urged more than 230,000 residents to evacuate. Packing gusts of up to 126kmh, Nangka barrelled over the nation's main island of Honshu after making landfall near Cape Muroto on Shikoku island late on Thursday. Nangka (Malay for jackfruit) paralysed traffic. A total of 165 flights were cancelled, trains in western Japan suffered delays and highways near the ocean were closed. Television footage showed muddy water overflowing Naka river in Tokushima, flooding up to the second floor of nearby school buildings.

Thunderstorm brings snowfall to Hawaii in July abcnews.go.com 2015-07-17 12:54:00 An overnight thunderstorm dropped 1½ to 2 inches of snow on the summit of Hawaii's tallest peak in July. Cameras at Mauna Kea's summit showed some snow still on the ground midday Friday. Mauna Kea Weather Center forecast meteorologist Ryan Lyman says it should be melting quickly. National Weather Service meteorologist Maureen Ballard says snow can fall on the summit any time of year, though there's a greater chance in the winter. The latest snowfall came as a thunderstorm extended high into the atmosphere, above the mountain's peak elevation of nearly 14,000 feet. Ballard says temperatures at the summit were about freezing overnight. The low in the nearby city of Hilo was 71 degrees. Kailua-Kona on the west side of the Big Island, had a low of 78 degrees.

Mother pygmy whale dead, calf euthanized after stranding on Horry County beach, South Carolina Ian Cross wistv.com 2015-07-16 12:28:00 A mother whale has died and her calf has been euthanized, after both were stranded on a beach near Kingston Plantation in Horry County, officials confirmed. The calf was taken to Ark Animal Hospital this afternoon where it was put down, according to Wayne McFee, Research Wild Life Biologist with NOAA and Dr. Rob Young, a marine biologist with CCU. It is believed that the calf has been alive for several months. If they put the baby back into the water after its mother died, it won't rehabilitate, according to Dr. Young. A necropsy will be performed on the calf at the NOAA facility in Charleston tomorrow. A necropsy is being done on the mother at this time, according to McFee. Like a human autopsy, the results may take several weeks to get. The mother pygmy sperm whale died at around 11 a.m., after coming ashore and beaching, according to an official with Horry County Beach Patrol. Beach Patrol and beach-goers tried to put both whales back in the water, but she continued to beach herself.

"Mass casualty incident" declared as 3,500-acre California brush fire sets cars ablaze, engulfing freeway and homes RT 2015-07-17 23:29:00 A rapidly growing 3,500-acre brush fire near San Bernardino, California has blocked a freeway and set multiple cars on fire. Five homes have been burned and 50 are in danger, fire officials said. The San Bernardino County Fire Department has declared a "mass casualty incident" and hundreds of firefighters have been dispatched to battle the blaze. . @SBCOUNTYFIRE says this is mass casualty incident, possible multiple people burned on 15 fwy pic.twitter.com/sGs8ll2t6R — Tara Wallis (@tarawallis) July 17, 2015 It's unclear how many may be injured, but the fire department stated that it is preparing to handle "multiple civilian burn victims." A US Forest Service official told KLTA that two minor injuries have been reported.

Tsunami warning in Pacific as 7.5 quake strikes near Solomon Islands RT.com 2015-07-18 03:12:00 The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a 300-kilometer radius tsunami warning after a shallow 7.5-magnitude earthquake was registered some 80 kilometers off Lata, in the Solomon Islands. The quake's epicenter centered at the depth of 12 km northwest of the provincial capital of Lata, according to US Geological Survey. While there are some 550 people living in the town near the epicenter, the preliminary warning issued by the PTWC has alerted a wide region including states from Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea to Australia and even New Zealand. "Hazardous tsunami waves from this earthquake are possible within 300 km (186 miles) of the epicenter along the coasts of the Solomon Islands," PTWC said.

Tornadoes rip through Illinois towns causing significant damage and injuries The Weather Channel 2015-07-17 21:11:00 Tornadoes carved through the towns of Cameron and Delavan, Illinois, Thursday night, causing significant damage and injuries. On Friday, the National Weather Service gave the tornadoes preliminary ratings of EF-2 on the Enhanced Fugita Scale. The tornado that hit Delavan touched down without warning, the National Weather Service said. Tornado sirens were silenced in mere seconds after power was cut off to the town. Fifty-one homes were damaged during the brief touchdown in Delavan, and reports indicate six of the homes were a total loss. At least two people were injured.