'Mothers, Wives, Sisters And Daughters Are Dying At Rates We Have Never Seen Before'.....Drug Overdose Deaths From Prescription Painkillers Spike Among Middle-Aged Women

ATLANTA — Overdose deaths in the U.S. are rising fastest among middle-aged women, and their drug of choice is usually prescription painkillers, the government reported Tuesday.

"Mothers, wives, sisters and daughters are dying at rates that we have never seen before," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which compiled the data.

The problem is one of the few health issues the CDC is working on that are clearly getting worse, he added.

For many decades, the overwhelming majority of U.S. overdose deaths were men killed by heroin or cocaine. But by 2010, 40 percent were women – most of them middle-aged women who took prescription painkillers.

Skyrocketing female overdose death rates are closely tied to a boom in the overall use of prescribed painkillers. The new report is the CDC's first to spotlight how the death trend has been more dramatic among women. READ More...

Dennis Rodman Wants Nobel Peace Prize Nomination, Former NBA Star Tells Sports Illustrated

Dennis Rodman says he wants to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Here, Rodman attends 'All Star Celebrity Apprentice' Finale at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 19, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images)

Dennis Rodman has high hopes for the coming year. Specifically, the former NBA star says he hopes to clinch a nomination for the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Rodman spoke about his surprise trip to North Korea earlier this year, saying that he's made it his "mission…to break the ice between hostile countries."

“Why it’s been left to me to smooth things over, I don’t know. Dennis Rodman, of all people. Keeping us safe is really not my job; it’s [President Barack Obama's] job," the former Chicago Bull said. "But I’ll tell you this: If I don’t finish in the top three for the next Nobel Peace Prize, something’s seriously wrong." READ More...

EDDIE MURPHY - "REDLIGHT" feat...Snoop Lion (SINGS A WICKED REGGAE CHUNE) :BRAND NEW VIDEO HOTTEST MUSIC OUT TODAY IS A REGGAE :

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JAMAICA BET AWARDS 2013 with BEENIEMAN, ELEPHANTMAN, DAWN PENN, NIKI MINAJ, CHAKADEMUS & PLIERS (PLAY VIDEO)

BOOST FOR DANCEHALL MUSIC from BET Boost?

SOCIAL media lit up following the performance of four Jamaican acts — Dawn Penn, Chaka Demus and Pliers, Beenie Man and Elephant Man — at the BET Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night.

The event offered the Jamaicans a five-minute medley which saw Penn performing her perennial hit No No No; Chaka Demus and Pliers dropping Murder She Wrote, Beenie Man offering Who Am I (Girls Dem Sugar) and Rum and Red Bull while the 'energy god' Elephant Man brought the arena to its feet with Pon Di River and Signal Di Plane.

Elephant Man (left, foreground) performing at the BET Awards held in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday night. (Photo: AP)

For many, this represents a shot in the arm for dancehall music's faltering presence on the international scene.

One person expressing this sentiment is Aaron Talbert, vice president for marketing at VP Records — the world's leading distributor of dancehall music. Read more:

CHRISTIANA, Manchester: A lifeline for slow learners Holmwood's reading programme changing lives

CHRISTIANA, Manchester — Up until last year, when Holmwood Technical High School received its first batch of students from the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), the majority of the student population came through the Grade Nine Achievement Test (GNAT), according to principal, Paul Bailey.

The drawback of such an arrangement, he said, was that the majority of the students entering the institution were not reading at their grade level. That meant their general academic performance was negatively affected.

One of two top female progressive readers, Semoy Clarke, collects the award for being most outstanding, sponsored by Christiana businessman and President Elect of the Rotary Club of Christiana Paul Patmore.(PHOTOS: GREGORY

Bailey said that it was not uncommon to have students graduating from fifth-form well beyond the average age of school leavers because upon entering the institution they had to repeat grades to be brought up to par. Read more:

IN JAMAICA: Cop ambushed, killed Thugs murder Eldermire-Shearer’s bodyguard on Sunrise Crescent

A police sergeant assigned to the Protective Services Division of the Jamaica Constabulary Force was yesterday ambushed and shot dead as he walked home on Sunrise Crescent in St Andrew.

He has been identified as Alphanso Gossop, the bodyguard assigned to Denise Eldermire-Shearer — widow of former Prime Minister Hugh Shearer. He was in his mid 50s.

Andre Gossop, a police officer assigned to the Protective Services Division, is being comforted by a colleague as he stood metres away from the body of his uncle, who was killed on Sunrise Crescent in Kingston yesterday. (PHOTO: GARFIELD ROBINSON

In a swift response, the police intercepted a Nissan Tida motor car — believed to be the getaway vehicle near Half-Way-Tree, the St Andrew capital — and arrested its four male occupants. The vehicle was also seized.
Read more: 

How playing football indoors could light your home: Scientists create ball that harnesses kinetic energy to power LED lamp for up to THREE HOURS

Playing football can be fun and improve your fitness but now it could also power your home.

A group of eight Harvard alumni have found a way to harness the kinetic energy generated by kicking a ball to power a small LED lamp. The team has developed a football, called the SOCCKET, which has a pendulum inside. 

As the ball moves, the pendulum swings gathering the energy of the movement to turn a generator which is connected to a rechargeable battery.

If the ball is plugged into an LED lamp after 30 minutes play it can generate three hours of off-grid electrical power.

The gadget, which weighs just one ounce more than a normal football, has been created by inventors at the non-for-profit social enterprise Uncharted Play.

They hope eventually to distribute the SOCCKETs in low-income areas as a form of sustainable and off-grid power.

It is made from deflation-proof, water-resistant EVA foam meaning that it is strong enough to withstand even the most competitive of football matches. READ MORE...

 

STUCK IN RUSSIA? Snowden Reportedly Seeking Refuge In 19 Countries... Snubbed By Ecuador... Drops Russia Asylum Request... Releases Statement – But Did He Write It?... Threatens Further Leaks...

Edward Snowden, the American who admitted leaking National Security Agency documents, is reportedly seeking asylum in 19 more countries. (File/AP)

WASHINGTON -- The WikiLeaks website says Edward Snowden, the American who admitted leaking National Security Agency documents, is seeking asylum in 19 more countries, including China.

The website says WikiLeaks legal adviser Sarah Harrison delivered the requests for asylum to an official at the Russian consulate at the Moscow airport on Sunday. WikiLeaks says some of the requests have already been delivered to the appropriate embassies.

The WikiLeaks statement says requests were made to China, Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, India and several European countries. Snowden had planned earlier to seek asylum in Ecuador and has requested asylum in Russia. READ More...

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CRICKET LOVELY CRICKET : West Indies Win Thriller over India by 1 wicket.

West Indies opener Johnson Charles hits
 a six over the offside while India's
 wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik looks
 on during the Celkon Tri-Nation one-day international 
cricket match at Sabina Park yesterday

Opener Johnson Charles and fast bowler Kemar Roach were the stars of the show yesterday for the West Indies, who recorded a tense one-wicket win over India in the second match of the Celkon Mobile Tri-Nation one-day international series at Sabina Park.

The 24-year-old Charles made a typical boundary-studded 97, while Roach, who was celebrating his birthday, held his nerve in the final overs to help the West Indies reach their victory target of 230 for nine in 47.4 overs. India had earlier made 229 for seven off 50 overs.

The victory, which was witnessed by a decent-sized crowd, was the West Indies' second in as many matches and has now put them firmly on top of the series standings with nine points.

They gained a bonus point last Friday over Sri Lanka after winning by six wickets inside 40 overs.

India, in the meantime, who will play Sri Lanka tomorrow at the same venue, beginning at 9:30 a.m., are also without a point. Read More...

Nelson Mandela Remains In Critical Condition As Family Feuds

Mandela

JOHANNESBURG -- Nelson Mandela's grandson says he will contest a court order for him to move the remains of three family members to their original gravesite.

The family feud comes as Mandela, 94, remains in critical condition Sunday in a Pretoria hospital.

The grandson, Mandla Mandela, issued a statement Sunday saying he was compelled to take action against 16 other family members who had pressed the case.

The court orders that the remains of Nelson Mandela's three deceased children should be moved back to the family gravesite in Qunu from the nearby village of Mvezo, according to South Africa's Sunday Times newspaper.

The Mandela family feud over the gravesite is apparently a prelude to a disagreement over where Nelson Mandela's remains will stay. Both sides expressed regret over the public case. READ More...

Jim Kelly Dead: Actor And Martial Artist Best Known For 'Enter The Dragon' Role Dies At 67 (VIDEO)

Jim Kelly

SAN DIEGO — Actor Jim Kelly, who played a glib American martial artist in "Enter the Dragon" with Bruce Lee, has died. He was 67.

Marilyn Dishman, Kelly's ex-wife, said he died Saturday of cancer at his home in San Diego.

Sporting an Afro hairstyle and sideburns, Kelly made a splash with his one-liners and fight scenes in the 1973 martial arts classic. His later films included "Three the Hard Way," "Black Belt Jones" and "Black Samurai."

During a 2010 interview with salon.com, Kelly said he started studying martial arts in 1964 in Kentucky and later moved to California where he earned a black belt in karate. He said he set his sights on becoming an actor after winning karate tournaments. He also played college football.

The role in the Bruce Lee film was his second. He had about a dozen film roles in the 1970s before his acting work tapered off. In recent years, he drew lines of autograph seekers at comic book conventions. READ More...

Arizona Wildfire Prompts Evacuation Of 50 Homes; 18 Firefighters Dead [UPDATED]

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Wildfires, Arizona Wildfire, Yarnell Arizona, Yarnell Wildfire, Arizona, Arizona Wildfire 2013,Wildfire, Yarnell, Green News

UPDATE [11:12 p.m.] - Multiple outlets, including MyFoxPhoenix andAZCentral.com, are now reporting via the Prescott Fire Department that 18 firefighters have died while fighting the Yarnell Hill fire in Arizona. The previous story can be found below.

 YARNELL, Ariz. (AP) -- A fire information officer says 19 firefighters are unaccounted for while battling the Yarnell Hill Fire in a central Arizona community.

Mike Reichling told the Arizona Republic (http://bit.ly/158NjWp) that 20 firefighters were involved in a "serious incident."

The newspaper reports that one of the firefighters has been located.

The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office has notified residents in the Peeples Valley area and in the town of Yarnell to evacuate.

Roxie Glover, spokeswoman at Wickenburg Community Hospital, told The Associated Press that the hospital has been told to expect residents with injuries and firefighters. READ MORE...

Mandela And Our Music - Former South African President A Major Figure In Jamaican Lyrics

On Sunday, July 21, 1991, there was a physically small advisory in the entertainment section of The Sunday Gleaner which made a tremendous impact on the singers and players of instruments. 

Under the headline 'Calling artistes for Mandela tribute', it read: "Artistes wishing to perform at the cultural tribute to Nelson and Winnie Mandela on Wednesday, July 24, must register at the offices of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, 3 - 5 Phoenix Avenue, on Monday, July 22, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m."

A huge response was clearly anticipated - and with good reason. South Africa's apartheid system, in general, and the freedom of Nelson Mandela in particular, were central topics for Jamaican popular music. Among the better-known songs are Bob Marley and the Wailers' War, an adaptation of Haile Selassie's 1963 speech to the United Nations General Assembly.

War first appeared on the 1976 Rastaman Vibration album and, in performance, was fused with No More Trouble as it appears on the 1978 Babylon By Bus album. READ More...

IN JAMAICA: Portmore residents fume over toll increase

Motorists at the Portmore Toll Plaza

STARTING NEXT Saturday, motorists using Highway 2000 East-West will have to dig deeper into their pockets when they reach the toll plazas.

This section of the highway covers the Vineyards, Spanish Town, Portmore, and May Pen toll plazas. The biggest increase is for Class Three vehicles at the Vineyards Toll Plaza, where motorists will now pay $790 each way, up from $700. Class Three vehicles using the Portmore plaza will cost $60 more as that toll goes up to $450, and the woes continue for Class Three drivers, as the Spanish Town toll goes up by $50, to $300.

Residents of Portmore, Jamaica's largest community, will probably feel the pinch the most. Class One vehicles go up by $20 to $150, but Class Two jumps by $30 to $230 each way, so the family SUV will now cost nearly $500 round trip. READ More...

IN JAMAICA: SHOCKER! Squatter Sues Property Owner For $50m....Read more at www.RulaBrownNetwork.com (RBN) by clicking image below.

A Kingston-based man is moving to sue the owner of the property he is squatting on for $50 million for all the work he says he has done on the property and the duress he allegedly suffered during the titleholder's attempts to have him removed.

In response to a letter the land- owner sent on April 22, 2013, the illegal occupant responded with a missive of his own outlining the reasons for his multimillion-dollar claim.

"The value of converting the abandoned, crime-infested building into a liveable and tradeable property I am putting at $50,000,000, as it involved taking immense personal risks and stress, as well as personal investment on the property," declared Michael Gardine in his letter to the owner of the property. READ More...

IN JAMAICA: STOP IT NOW - Judge Tells Police To End Illegal Stop And Search Of Vehicles; State Ordered To Pay Taxi Driver Millions

A Supreme Court judge has ruled that the police have no power, under the Road Traffic Act, to arbitrarily stop and search motor vehicles, opening the door for a flood of lawsuits.

The police have repeatedly argued that the law gives them the power to stop and search vehicles, and that this has resulted in the apprehension of criminals, the recovery of stolen vehicles and stolen farm produce.

But Justice David Batts says the police are abusing this power.

Batts made the ruling when he ordered the Government to pay $2.8 million in damages to a motorist who was assaulted by the police when he was stopped in St Catherine in May 2007.

Batts emphasised in the judgment that lawful reasons must be given by the police for stopping and searching a motor vehicle. READ More...

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce leads Caribbean charge in Birmingham Diamond League

Fraser-Pryce

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – About a dozen Caribbean athletes led by double Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica are down to compete at the Diamond League meeting at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, United Kingdom on Sunday.

Fresh from her victory at the Jamaica National Championships last weekend with a world leading time of 22.13 seconds, Fraser-Pryce will renew rivalry with American Carmelita Jeter, her first race since an injury in Shanghai in May, and the consistent Blessing Okagbare of Nigeria.

Sherone Simpson of Jamaica and the young Anthonique Strachan of the Bahamas will also provide a strong Caribbean challenge.

Fraser-Pryce, the winner of the last two Olympic Games over 100m, insists that she thrives upon the rivalry with her American counterpart and is ready for her Birmingham return after being based in the city prior to her Olympic triumph. READ More...

 

Chris Gayle Storm At Sabina Park in Jamaica....Gayle slammed seven sixes and nine fours in his 109.

West Indies opener Chris Gayle celebrates his century, while teammate Darren Bravo looks on, in the opening match of the Celkon Mobile Tri-Nation One-Day International Series at Sabina Park yesterday. Gayle slammed seven sixes and nine fours in his 109.-Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

An outstanding century from opener Chris Gayle yesterday carried the West Indies to a six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the opening match of the Celkon Mobile Tri-Nation One-Day International Series at Sabina Park.

Gayle slammed 109 in the West Indies' total of 209 for four off 37.5 over in pursuit of a modest 208 made by Sri Lanka of 48.3 overs.

With victory achieved inside 40 overs, the West Indies gained a bonus point, which could prove pivotal towards the end of the first round of the series, which also includes India.

In what was his second century in as many matches at the venue following his knock of 125 in a one-dayer against New Zealand last summer, Gayle smashed seven huge sixes and nine fours off 100 balls.

The big left-hander who was declared Man of the Match at the end, also shared in an invaluable 115 opening stand with opening partner Johnson Charles, who played the anchor role in compiling 29 off 58 balls. READ More...

New Kingston Welcomes 'Ladies Of The Night'

Prolific local playwright Patrick Brown has been blessed with a very special talent - the ability to create side-splitting comedy while simultaneously drawing attention to serious issues - a feat he has achieved in a number of his plays at the Centerstage Theatre, a feat he refers to in Jamaican parlance as "tekking kin teeth and kibba heartbun".This includes Oliver's Posse, in which he looked at the plight of street children and the dangers they face on a daily basis. In Easy Street, he looked at Jamaicans living in squalor on the edge of the city's dump - where one man's waste was another man's treasure. READ More...

George Zimmerman Trial Over Trayvon Martin Shooting Enters Fifth Day....Lolo Jones Makes Fun Of Trayvon Martin's Friend (VIDEO)

SANFORD, Fla. -- A neighbor of George Zimmerman who had perhaps the best view of the struggle between the neighborhood watch volunteer and Trayvon Martin has taken the witness stand in Zimmerman's murder trial.

Jonathan Good was the second person to take the witness stand on Friday, the fifth day of testimony. Lolo Jones Makes Fun Of Trayvon Martin's Friend

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Good says he heard a noise in back of his townhome in February 2012, and he saw what looked like a tussle when he stepped out onto his patio to see what was happening.

He says he yelled, "What's going on? Stop it."

Zimmerman is charged with second degree murder in Martin's fatal shooting. He is pleading not guilty, claiming self-defense. READ MORE...

Aaron Hernandez's Mom Says 'He Will Be Cleared' As News Hits His Bristol, Conn. Hometown.....Patriots To Exchange Hernandez Jerseys For Free

Aaron Hernandez enters a courtroom for
a bail hearing in Fall River Superior Court
Thursday, June 27, 2013 in Fall River, Mass.

HARTFORD, Conn. -- The murder case against former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez has led investigators to his hometown of Bristol, Conn., the working-class Hartford suburb where he began a meteoric rise that would carry him to the upper echelons of the NFL.

He is remembered as a fun-loving teenager at Bristol Central High School, where he followed in the footsteps of his older brother, D.J., who would star as a quarterback and tight end at the University of Connecticut. READ MORE...

Actress arrested in ricin case : Woman indicted in mailing of ricin-laced letters to Obama, Bloomberg (VIDEO)

(CNN) -- A Texas woman has been indicted and charged with mailing ricin-laced letters to President Obama and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a U.S. attorney's office in Texas said Friday.

Husband not 'angry' with ricin suspect

She is Shannon Guess Richardson. The three-count indictment said she allegedly mailed three threatening letters around May 20 to Obama, Bloomberg, and Mark Glaze -- director of Mayors Against Illegal Guns

Richardson was arrested on June 7 in Mt. Pleasant, Texas, and has been detained since that time. If convicted, Richardson faces up to five years in federal prison on each charge. READ MORE...

Shawn Custis Arrested For NJ Nanny Cam Home Invasion (VIDEO)

In this undated photo provided by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office in Newark, N.J., Shawn Custis is shown. Custis, 42, charges of attempted murder, robbery, burglary and child endangerment in connection with a violent home invasion on Friday, June 21, that left a mother beaten in an attack that was captured by a nanny camera.

NEWARK, N.J. -- Authorities have arrested a man wanted in a New Jersey home invasion that left a mother beaten, an attack that was captured on a nanny cam.

The Essex County prosecutor's office said 42-year-old Shawn Custis was arrested Friday in Manhattan by the prosecutor's office and the FBI. Custis faces charges of attempted murder, robbery, burglary and child endangerment.

The attack last Friday in Millburn was captured on a hidden camera in the woman's home. A man can be seen bursting into the home, punching and kicking the woman and throwing her down stairs while her 3-year-old daughter cowered on a couch. Police withheld the names of the woman and child. READ MORE...

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To listen, click PLAY icon above then unmute speaker icon at bottom left on player after a brief commercial. Enjoy the sweet music.To chat below, please sign in with your RBN account. Scheduled shows are PALVS & SSSJamz w/ RULA BROWN, Sir ROCKWELL w/ Golden Sundays, Foundation Radio Networkw/ CLINTON LINDSAY is broadcast daily. TONY RYAN w/ Tony Ryan Showcase every Mon-Fri. Pleasesupport the scholarship program by considering to donate at least $10.00 at www.PALAS1.org. Thank you very much.

Inner Circle Breaks Silence After Crash (AUDIO)

Inner Circle

Inner Circle is speaking out for the first time after their tour bus crashed in Louisiana on June 4.

The veteran reggae band posted a video on youtube where they relive the crash highlighting aspects of the incident.

Inner Circle was in the midst of their summer tour when the accident occurred. The crash did not put a damper on the tour.

(AUDIO) NINJA MAN has gotten the green light to travel....Ninja’s freedom to travel was tainted after being arrested and charged for the killing of a 20 year old man.

Ninja Man has gotten the green light to travel to other Caribbean islands.

The veteran dancehall deejay, who got his passportTuesday, flew to Trinidad where he’s doing ground work for an upcoming charity project to minimize crime and violence in the country. Ninja Man gives Music News the details.

Ninja Man has been making moves after joining forces with Downsound Record boss Joseph Bogdanovich.

Ninja’s freedom to travel was tainted after being arrested and charged for the killing of a 20 year old man. The matter is still before the courts. READ MORE...