News Roundup: IED in London, training accidents hit the military hard, fake food alert

This is how he repaid the infidels:

A second suspect was arrested on Saturday in connection with the subway attack at London’s Parsons Green station that left 30 people injured, officials announced on Sunday as the city’s terror threat level is downgraded to “severe.”

A 21-year-old man was arrested late Saturday night in Hounslow in west London under the Terrorism Act, authorities said. Another 18-year-old man was arrested earlier in the day at the port of Dover, where ferries leave for France, and is also being held under the Terrorism Act. The suspects’ names have not been released and no charges have been filed.

Little details are known about the suspects and whether they are suspected of planting or building the bomb. The 18-year-old, whom authorities tracked using facial recognition technology, was believed to be a foster child taken in by Ronald Jones, 88, and his wife, Penelope, 71, who were honored by Queen Elizabeth for taking care of 268 foster children, the Times of London reported.

A friend, Alison Griffiths, said the Jones are “great pillars of the community” who have taken in several hundred children in the last 40 years.

Police did not reveal details about the search, but the precautions suggested concern that there might be explosives or violent extremists on the property. Residents were able to return to their homes on Sunday, but Jones’ house remained cordoned off.

The number of people injured rose to 30 people on Sunday. Nineteen people were taken to the hospital from the subway station and 11 others came in for treatment on their own. Most of the people injured suffered from burns, though analysts said the injuries would have been far worse had the entire device exploded. None of the injuries were believed to be life-threatening.”

Follow me on Twitter and listen to the podcast with my celebrity SOF guests:

https://twitter.com/BKactual/status/909268614246670338

They were lucky:

Marine Corps investigators are looking at a ruptured underground gas line as the possible cause of a fire that engulfed a vehicle Wednesday at Camp Pendleton in California, injuring 14 Marines and a Navy sailor — five of whom remain in critical condition.

A source close to the investigation said the fire did not start from inside the amphibious assault vehicle, as had been reported. The Marines and sailor were part of the 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment and 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion.

“The units were conducting a combat readiness evaluation as part of scheduled battalion training at the time of the incident,” said a statement from the U.S. Marine Corps.

Officials first thought the engine might have overheated and somehow caused a fire onboard. Now they believe when the vehicle left a main road during a large field exercise, it ran over an underground gas pipeline, rupturing the line and somehow starting a fire onboard which turned the vehicle into a death trap.”

This is going to be a thorough investigation:

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — One soldier was killed and seven others were injured Thursday morning during a training exercise at Fort Bragg. Among those injured was one civilian.

According to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, the incident occurred during a demolitions training incident on Rage 69 at Fort Bragg and involved students and cadre from the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School.

Staff Sgt. Alexander P. Dalida, 32, of Dunstable, Massachusetts, died as a result of the incident.

An observer from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives received minor injuries during the incident.

U.S. Army Special Operations Command Lt. Col. Robert Bockholt said Friday investigators haven’t told him whether an explosion caused the death the soldier, but Dalida was learning tasks that included working with explosives.

Bockholt said he did not know the medical condition of the seven injured Thursday in what was described as a training exercise involving demolitions.”

SHUTUP SHUTUP SHUTUP:

Not sending a great signal on child labor, minimum wage & occupational safety >> Trump White House lets a 10-year-old volunteer mow its lawn https://t.co/uj7N9Mr8Yi

— Steven Greenhouse (@greenhousenyt) September 15, 2017

This is insane:

North Carolina police on Saturday arrested three men—including two active-duty Army soldiers at the world’s largest military installation—in connection with a gruesome double homicide outside of a local restaurant, ending an eleven-day manhunt.

Ferris Brown, 20, Daivon Tahjai Chambers, 19, and Javier Rashad Johnson, 19, were arrested and charged with two counts of first degree murder, two counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon, and two counts of conspiracy to commit robbery, according to a statement by Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins. Both Brown and Johnson are soldiers on active duty stationed at nearby Fort Bragg.

All three of Cook and Goodman’s alleged killers have been held without bond. Brown is stationed with the 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment and Javier Johnson is with the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division…

…The apprehension of the three suspects comes after multiple requests by the department for potential witnesses to the shooting deaths of Dareon Tyrese Cook, 18, and Jonathan David Goodman, 32, to come forward.

Cook and Goodman were found shot inside a parked car in front of the Smokey Bones Restaurant on September 5th, as police were making routine security checks of area businesses. Emergency medial personnel were brought to the scene, as well as members of the Fayetteville Police Department’s homicide unit.”

Way to throw away your whole life, idiot:

A man who was working as an Army recruiter at Tooele High School last year when he had sex with a 17-year-old female student has been sentenced to jail time and probation.

Brian Joseph Dragon, 33, of Herriman, was charged in 3rd District Court with three counts of first-degree felony rape, which is punishable by up to life in prison.

Dragon pleaded guilty in July to two lesser counts of third-degree felony unlawful sexual activity with a minor, admitting he had sexual intercourse with the girl twice in October 2016, according to court documents.

The girl reported the sexual encounters to police in December after a male student told school administrators about “suspicious behavior” he witnessed between the girl and the recruiter, according to a news release from Tooele City police.

A probable cause statement filed in court says the behavior included spending time with the student in a portable classroom on school property with the doors locked and windows covered.

The girl later told police that she and Dragon had been alone on several occasions in the portable classroom, where he had touched her breasts and they had sexual intercourse three times.”

Happy Birthday, USAF:

President Trump honored the nation’s Air Force on Friday, warning foes and international terrorist groups that the U.S. military would respond to any threats.

“America and our allies will never be intimidated,” Trump told military personnel at Joint Base Andrews, where he appeared to mark the 70th anniversary of the Air Force. “We will defend our people, our nations and our civilization from all who dare to threaten our way of life.”

The president and First Lady Melania Trump met with military families and watched an air show demonstration at the base that serves as the home of Air Force One.

Speaking in a hangar that housed a B-2 stealth bomber, an F-35 and an F-22 fighter jet, Trump outlined his efforts to bolster military spending and reiterated his call for repealing the “defense sequester,” or across-the-board budget cuts instituted by Congress.

The president said he was “honored to join you on this really, really historic occasion, the 70th anniversary of the United States Air Force. The greatest air force on the face of this Earth. By far.“

This is way too creepy:

Maybe he just had a contact runner’s high:

A man watching a half-marathon in Emerson, New Jersey, on Sunday allegedly dropped his pajama pants and began masturbating.

Dozens of runners witnessed the act, the Daily Voice reported, leading police to arrest 55-year-old Thomas Pantuso afterward on a street corner.

“There were several people who saw him, so there are several witness accounts,” Emerson Police Capt. Michael McDermott told the newspaper.

Pantuso was taken to a local hospital for evaluation.

Hundreds competed in the 13.1-mile event, known traditionally as the Run the Reservoir, with proceeds benefiting pediatric cancer research.

Runner’s World noted that the alleged offense appears to have occurred about a mile into the race, meaning that the runners had about a dozen miles to go after witnessing the incident.”

He seems not-crazy:

https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/909472993910362113

Europe sounds awesome:

A woman with ‘deep psychological problems’ was in custody in the French city of Marseille Sunday after spraying four American tourists with acid and burning two in the face.

The horrifying attack took place shortly after 11am at the Gare de Marseille-Saint-Charles station, where the party from the US was preparing to board a train.

The 41-year-old attacker used a cleaning substance containing hydrochloric acid that she is thought to have picked up from a local DIY store.

But French prosecutors are not investigating the acid attack as an act of terror.

‘Two American women aged 20 were hit in the face, while the other two were sprayed in the legs, and were mainly suffering from shock,’ said a source close to the case.

‘The two with facial injuries were taken to hospital, while the others were treated at the scene. They were also aged 20 or 21. The attacker wanted to show off photographs of her own injuries.

‘She was arrested at the scene and faces charges. She displayed clear signs of suffering from deep psychological problems.’

According to witnesses, no slogans were shouted out during the attack, and it was not thought to be terrorist related.”

https://twitter.com/HistoryTime_/status/909477531631411200

The Brazilians don’t care for your taxpayer-funded nastiness:

SAO PAULO (AP) — An art exhibition on gender diversity was cancelled in Brazil in response to a social media campaign by conservative groups that accused the show and the bank sponsoring it of promoting blasphemy, pedophilia and bestiality.

Among the criticized artworks are a box of Roman Catholic sacramental wafers labeled with the words for sexual parts and a painting of two children suggesting one is a transvestite and the other is gay.

Banco Santander said in a statement late Sunday that it was closing the Queermuseu, or “queer museum,” which opened Aug. 15 and was supposed to run until Oct. 8 in the southern city of Porto Alegre.

“We listened to the demonstrations and we understand that some of the pieces in the exhibit ‘Queermuseu’ disrespected symbols, beliefs and people, which is not in line with our worldview,” Santander said.

Rio Grande do Sul state Congressman Marcel van Hattem, one of the leaders of the online campaign, said closing the exhibit was not enough. He and other critics argue that the exhibition was partly funded by tax breaks and want Santander to pay about $300,000 back to the public.

Movimento Brasil Livre, a conservative organization that led the charge on social media, denied it was trying to censor art.

“Santander used public funds to finance an exhibition with pedophilia and bestiality. Brazilian society organized to repudiate that, and the bank, fearing losing clients, cancelled,” MBL said in a post on Facebook. “That is a boycott that worked.”

Retired NCO has award upgraded to Navy Cross: 

Irving, TX – Retired Staff Sgt. Eric M. Smith received an awards upgrade of his Silver Star to the Navy Cross in a ceremony in Irving, Texas, Sept. 14. Smith’s Silver Star, earned in 2004, was upgraded during a Department of Defense review of approximately 1,400 combat valor awards awarded since 2001.”

In January 2016, then-Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter ordered a review of combat valor awards issued during the Global War on Terrorism including Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, Air Force Cross and Silver Stars. Carter expressed concern that some service members awarded may not have been properly recognized for their heroism…

…Smith was recognized for his heroic efforts while serving as a squad leader with second platoon, Company E, Second Battalion, Fourth Marine Regiment, First Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. On April 6, 2004, as part of the company’s quick reaction force, Smith’s platoon was ordered to move north and reinforce a squad which was under attack. While en route to assist the squad, two tactical vehicles were ambushed, leaving his platoon commander critically wounded. Following the attack, Smith took command of the platoon and led them 50 meters across open ground to covered positions while under heavy machine gun and rock-propelled grenade fire. Smith then ran back across the field to evacuate his platoon commander and his weapons. Smith proceeded to coordinate and lead a counterattack against the insurgent forces by employing machine guns and the platoon’s 7-ton truck to free the isolated squad. He then facilitated an evacuation for the casualties and formulated the withdrawal plan for all units to return safely to the command post.”

It’s increasingly apparent that we’re living in a simulation:

https://twitter.com/TaylorLorenz/status/909107230007537664

Remember how I always tell you guys about bullshit food?!:

Here in the United States, bottling the truffle has become big business. In May, four class-action lawsuits filed in New York and California accused Trader Joe’s, Urbani Truffles, Sabatino and Monini of fraud of “false, misleading, and deceptive misbranding” of its [sic] truffle oil products. If you look at the labels of these brands’ truffle oils, you’ll find that the ingredients include truffle “aroma” or “flavor” or “essence.” That’s the chemical 2,4-dithiapentane. Also known as bis (methylthio) methane, it supplies a fair imitation of the natural truffle smell.

These lawsuits argue that the consumer is unlikely to know that “flavor” doesn’t mean fungus. “In the law, you can advertise something honestly,” Bonnie Paton of the nonprofit organization Truth in Advertising told me, “and it still can be considered deceptive marketing because the reasonable consumer is not an expert in this area.” A reasonable consumer, she told me, would assume that these products actually contained truffles.

Ever since Jeffrey Steingarten broke the story in Vogue in 2003, it has been common knowledge among aficionados that truffle oil is typically synthetically flavored. But dubious truffle oil products have proliferated. For instance, Walmart now sells Roland Extra Virgin Olive Oil With White Truffle. Its 1.86 ounces, about the equivalent volume of an egg, cost $18. On its ingredient list: “truffle aroma.”

Male nudity is international:

SINGAPORE: The police are trying to establish the identity of a man who was spotted walking naked around the Tampines area on Thursday (Sep 14). He was also seen traveling on a public bus.

The police said they were alerted to a case of an obscene act at about 7.40am.

Photos circulating online show the man wearing nothing but boots, spectacles and a lanyard, while holding a mobile phone. He was seen walking near Block 523C Tampines Avenue 9 and standing on board a public bus, which Channel NewsAsia understands to be bus service 168.”

@BKactual