Scotland Yard Says It Has “New Evidence and New Witnesses” in the Case of Missing Madeleine McCann … Identified 38 Persons of Interest

Is it possible, is  Madeleine McCann still alive?

Madeleine McCann has been missing since May 2007 when she disappeared why on vacation with her family in Praia da Luz, Portugal. Scotland Yard now says it has “new evidence and new witnesses” in the Madeleine McCann case and has opened a formal investigation into her disappearance. Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is heading what has been called Operation Grange, is in charge of a 37 strong police team is two-thirds of the way through examining 30,500 documents from files held by the Portuguese authorities, British police as well as evidence compiled by seven private detective agencies . UK Metropolitan Police have identified 38 “people of interest” in connection with the disappearance six years ago in Portugal of British toddler Madeleine McCann. Twelve of who were UK Nationals who we believe were in Portugal at the time Madeleine disappeared.

VIDEO – CNN

Scotland Yard says it has “new evidence and new witnesses” in the Madeleine McCann case and has opened a formal investigation into her disappearance.

The Met Police said it still believed there was a chance Madeleine was alive and it was investigating 38 “persons of interest” after reviewing the evidence.

Madeleine’s parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, said the shift from review to investigation was “a big step forward”.

Irish Times: Police have 38 possible suspects in Madeleine McCann case.

“We continue to believe that there is a possibility that Madeleine is alive,” said Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood. “It is a positive step in our hunt for Madeleine that our understanding of the evidence has enabled us to shift from review to investigation.”

Despite massive international interest and numerous reported sightings from Belgium and Spain to Morocco, France and Malta, and investigations stretching as far away as Australia, the little girl’s fate remains a mystery.

More updates, comments and the history of the case can be found at Scared Monkeys Missing Persons Forum: Madeleine McCann.

Four Vanderbilt University Football Players Dismissed from Team Amid Sex Crime Investigation (Update: Players Dismissed from Vanderbilt)

FOUR VANDERBILT FOOTBALL PLAYERS DISMISSED FROM TEAM …

The Vanderbilt football team has made great strides in recent years in the SEC under the guidance and coaching of James Franklin. However, they find themselves  in the midst of sex crimes. Four Vanderbilt football players have been dismissed from the team. As The Tennessean reports, the four dismissed players have been placed on interim suspension from the university amid a sex crimes investigation by Nashville Metro police. The names of the players have not been named, as there have yet to be any arrests or indictments as the investigation continues into the incident. It has been confirmed that the Nashville Metropolitan Police Department’s Sex Crimes Unit began an investigation on Wednesday in regard to a matter that was alleged to have occurred at a Vanderbilt University dormitory. That investigation has been confirmed to be tied to the four dismissed players. What a sad state of affairs when even an academic institution like Vanderbilt fall pray to the crimes committed by athletes.

Four Vanderbilt football players have been dismissed from the team and placed on interim suspension from the university amid a sex crimes investigation by Metro police.

Vanderbilt announced the dismissals and suspensions for violation of team rules this morning. The players were not identified.

“The well-being of our students is of paramount concern to us, and we will not tolerate any actions that threaten student safety and security,” said Beth Fortune, Vanderbilt vice chancellor for public affairs, in the release.

Metro police and Vanderbilt’s administration were keeping a tight lid on details of the incident and no arrests had been made as of Friday night.

“I can confirm that the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sex Crimes Unit began an investigation on Wednesday in regard to a matter that was alleged to have occurred at a Vanderbilt University dormitory,” said Don Aaron, spokesman for Metro police. “Our sex crimes detectives became involved as the result of a notification to us on Wednesday from Vanderbilt University police. The investigation remains very much in progress.

UPDATE I: CBS Sports is reporting that the four Commodore football players that were dismissed from the team on Friday, have been dismissed by Vanderbilt and removed from campus. More from the AP. 

Vanderbilt has dismissed four football players from the team and kicked them off campus while Nashville police investigate whether a sex crime occurred in a campus dormitory.

The school’s public affairs department announced Friday that four players — none of whom it named — were suspended from the team. The university issued another release Saturday morning indicating they’re removed from the team and on interim suspension from the university “effective immediately, pending further investigation and/or a hearing.”

School officials say the players can’t return to campus “without explicit permission” from the school’s office of student conduct and academic integrity.

FBI Director Robert Mueller Admits Domestic Use of Drones for Surveillance (VIDEO)

FBI director Robert Mueller now admits that drones are used domestically in the United States for surveillance. However, he stated that their use was “very seldom”. I guess it is all how one defines very seldom. So much for privacy. I am sure this is Constitutional as well. So is the answer that the FBI, NSA, CIA, DEA, ATF, etc. can do anything that they damn well please when it comes to snooping on all Americans under the guise that it protects us from terrorism? Food for thought America, if it takes us becoming a police state to protect us from terrorists, the terrorist have won.

The FBI uses drones for domestic surveillance purposes, the head of the agency told Congress early Wednesday.

Robert Mueller, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, confirmed to lawmakers that the FBI owns several unmanned aerial vehicles, but has not adopted any strict policies or guidelines yet to govern the use of the controversial aircraft.

“Does the FBI use drones for surveillance on US soil?” Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) asked Mr. Mueller during an oversight hearing on Capitol Hill Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“Yes,” Mueller responded bluntly, adding that the FBI’s operation of drones is “very seldom.”

14 Year Old Student Jared Marcum May Face Year in Jail For Refusing to Remove NRA Shirt in School

Good grief, we can’t seem ta arrest any one at the IRS for illegally targeting conservative organizations or any one at the Justice department for AP or James Rosen-gate, but the some how we are able to jail a 14 year old for freedom of speech.

We had previously reported that 8th grader Jared Marcum, who attended the Logan Middle School in West Virginia had been arrested, suspended and faced charges for wearing an NRA T-shirt with the image of a firearm and the words “Protect Your Right” printed on it to school. School officials actually called the police on this kid for wearing a shirt to school and expressing his “freedom of speech”. This is still America, right? But now we learn that the case has not been dropped and that Jared Marcum could face a year in jail. HUH? As stated at Guns Saves Lives, how on Earth have these charges not yet been dropped? This entire incident was caused by an over-reaction by school officials and now it has gotten so far out of control that it could lead to an American citizen expressing their Constitutional rights.

WTRF 7 News Sports Weather – Wheeling Steubenville

According to a report by WTRF the prosecuting attorney is moving forward with that charge and a judge is allowing the case to move forward. Fourteen year old Jared Marcum could face up to a $500 fine and up to a year in jail (we’ll seriously hope that isn’t a real possibility) if found guilty.

According to the report, the arresting officer alleges that when Jared refused to stop talking he hindered the officers ability to do his job and that is where the obstruction arrest came from. I’m guessing a 14 year old kid who felt intimidated was trying to explain himself, but let’s throw him in jail for good measure.

According to the report, both the prosecuting attorney and police refused to comment or answer any questions from reporters regarding the case.

When did this country get so screwed up? Does anyone think he would be facing the same predicament if his shirt was “anti-gun” or maybe if it was pro-Muslim” or pro “illegal immigration”. Weasel Zippers says, STOP THE INSANITY!!! When will some one in authority use an ounce of common sense and just drop the charges?

Recall Efforts Fail Against Arizona’s Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio

Why we love Sheriff Joe Arpaio …

Recall efforts in Arizona fail miserably against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Recall efforts fell short of the 350,000 “valid voter” signatures required to force a recall election. Sheriff Joe Arpaio might be one of the few in the United States who actually enforces the laws of our great country, all of the laws, not just the ones that the feds want him to enforce. Respect Arizona said it believes “our children deserve a sheriff that respects families, respects immigrants and respects Latinos.” Sheriff Joe respects Latino’s, ones who are in the US legally. Sherrif Joe just won reelection last November and the sore losers could not respect the will of the voters. Arpaio won rrelection 50.6% to 44.6% and still those who do not like that he enforces laws against illegal immigrants cannot accept the United States voting process.

Despite a recent court ruling that the department run by Maricopa County’s top cop used racial profiling in his quest to crack down on illegal immigration, a recall effort against Sheriff Joe Arpaio has failed.

On Thursday, members of Respect Arizona and Citizens for a Better Arizona – who launched the recall effort against Arpaio — failed to gather the necessary 335,000 valid voter signatures by the 5 p.m. deadline. The aim was to force a recall election.

Activists behind the recall effort would not say how many signatures they were short. Randy Parraz, president of Citizens for Better Arizona, only said the two groups had collected close to 300,000 signatures.

Arpaio, reelected in November, blasted the group in a prepared statement.

In support of Arpaio, whose backers are as passionate as his enemies, a group called Citizens to Protect Fair Election Results was formed.

The group’s attorney Larry Klayman, founder of Judicial Watch and Freedom Watch, said “dangerous, subversive-like activities of Respect Arizona have the potential to launch this county and possibly the entire state in what can only be called an ‘Electoral Civil War’ that could cost the citizens of Arizona millions of taxpayer dollars.”

Klayman charged the allegations against Arpaio are “not only false on their face, but, in addition, also fraudulent since Respect Arizona obviously does not represent the majority of voters of Maricopa County, Arizona, who just re-elected Sheriff Arpaio a few months ago.”