– President Obama scolded Hamid Karzai by phone today and warned him that the US is preparing to bring home all its troops at the end of the year, instead of leaving a contingency force behind, reports Politico. Karzai refuses to sign a security deal that, among other things, would grant those troops immunity, reports USA Today. He's already blown by one US deadline to sign the accord, and Obama told him that American patience is running out. "We will leave open the possibility of concluding a BSA (bilateral security agreement) later this year," said a White House statement. "However, the longer we go without a BSA, the more challenging it will be to plan and execute any US mission." Up to 8,000 troops could be part of such a contingency force, reports Reuters. Its main duties would be to conduct counter-terror missions and train Afghan troops.

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President Barack Obama warned Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday that he’s ordered the Defense Department to plan to withdraw all American troops by the end of the year, raising the stakes in the standoff over the two nations’ postwar security agreement.

 Obama told the Afghan president by phone, the White House said, that he has ordered the Pentagon preparations because Karzai has dragged his feet for too long in waiting to sign the bilateral security agreement he negotiated with Washington and earlier put before a traditional advisory council, which endorsed it.

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 “President Obama told President Karzai that because he has demonstrated that it is unlikely that he will sign the BSA, the United States is moving forward with additional contingency planning,” the White House said in a readout of the conversation between the two leaders.

 Obama left the door open to a post-2014 force of American troops that could continue to train and advise the Afghan National Security Forces, the White House said, but the president appeared to make clear that his patience with Karzai is all but exhausted.

 “Should we have a BSA and a willing and committed partner in the Afghan government, a limited post-2014 mission focused on training, advising and assisting Afghan forces and going after the remnants of core Al Qaeda could be in the interests of the United States and Afghanistan,” the White House said. “Therefore, we will leave open the possibility of concluding a BSA with Afghanistan later this year. However, the longer we go without a BSA, the more challenging it will be to plan and execute any U.S. mission.”

 Later, at the White House, press secretary Jay Carney told reporters definitively that no security agreement meant no U.S. troops would remain in Afghanistan after Dec. 31.

 “Absolutely,” Carney said. “Absent a BSA, there will not be any U.S. troops on the ground beyond the end of the year.”

 Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel had previously said he wanted to have a signed security agreement in hand by the time he traveled to Brussels on Tuesday for a NATO defense ministers’ meeting. Hagel said he’d execute Obama’s orders and begin the withdrawal planning effort.

 “As the United States military continues to move people and equipment out of the Afghan theater, our force posture over the next several months will provide various options for political leaders in the United States and NATO,” Hagel said on Tuesday. “And during this time, DOD will still continue planning for U.S. participation in a NATO-led mission focused on training, advising and assisting Afghan security forces, as well as a narrowly focused counterterrorism mission.”

 Carney told reporters that Obama and Karzai had a “fairly substantive” call and that Obama was “explicit” in delivering his message. Carney also said Obama talked about the security agreement with House Speaker John Boehner in a meeting Tuesday after Boehner and House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) had both slammed Obama for ignoring the war in Afghanistan, the nation’s longest at 13 years.

 “Over the last year, our commander in chief has often talked more about how we plan to leave Afghanistan than how we are going to achieve our mission,” Boehner said Monday. “We all want to bring our remaining troops home as soon as possible, but succeeding in Afghanistan is vital to our national security interests and our mission must take priority over any calendar dates. The president has an obligation to better make that case to the American people.”

 Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich) has argued that the administration should just bypass Karzai altogether and make clear that it would deal with his successor. The challenge is that with several presidential candidates, the likelihood of a runoff and no certainty Kabul’s new president would be any more willing to sign it, no one knows when a security agreement might be signed, even after Obama’s declaration Tuesday that the U.S. is willing to wait.

 Levin announced Tuesday that he has scheduled a hearing on Afghanistan for March 10, featuring the top U.S. commander there, Marine Gen. Joe Dunford.

 American national security officials have said the security agreement isn’t just essential to provide for a post-2014 U.S. troop presence. The other nations involved with the Afghan War also need clarity about their roles and missions — as well as the legal protections and other policies — before they can commit to leaving behind units of their own.

 The Obama administration is depending upon international allies to share the burden for supporting Afghanistan in the long term. Kabul cannot afford its military forces as they’re currently constructed and although U.S. commanders say the Afghan troops and police are steadily improving, they continue to need help with key aspects of combat and preserving security.

 “They have to be more than tactics,” said Lt. Gen. Mark Milley, a top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. “In order to sustain yourself over time, you have to have institutional systems that are in place where they can, in fact, replenish their forces, they can do personnel management, they can do budgeting, they can do intelligence operations, infuse all types of intelligence, where they can train pilots and conduct rotary-wing and fixed-wing operations.”

 Milley also told reporters at the Pentagon last month that the Afghan army could conduct basic training and was good at small-unit actions but needed to establish the ability to remain a viable force over the long term.

 “They’ve got to be able to sustain themselves logistically,” he said. “They’ve got to be able to get spare parts and run entire distribution systems, so vehicles and weapons systems and other pieces of equipment don’t break down. We’ve got to get their special operations capabilities, which are very good, but get them up to a very high level. You’ve got to develop a ministerial-level capability in order to do budgeting and planning and programming and those sorts of things.

 A post-American security implosion in Afghanistan not only could waste all the effort building up the government, security experts warn, but also create ungoverned spaces that Al Qaeda or other terrorists could use as safe havens to plan an attack on the West.

 Obama says a post-2014 detachment of U.S. troops would enable commanders to continue pursuing terrorists as well as helping the Afghans. But the Pentagon would agree to leave troops in Afghanistan only if they’re immune from Afghan justice and it has codified other policies about the nature of their presence there — plus lawmakers would not go along without a BSA, Carney said.

 “It’s inconceivable, I think, to us,” Carney said, “that leaders in Congress would allow for a U.S. troop presence without a signed bilateral security agreement in Afghanistan.”

 CORRECTION: An earlier version of this report misidentified Lt. Gen. Mark Milley. ||||| U.S. troops investigate the site of a suicide attack on a NATO base in Zhari, west of Kandahar province, January 20, 2014.

 WASHINGTON U.S. President Barack Obama has told the Pentagon to prepare for the possibility that the United States will not leave behind any troops in Afghanistan after its troop drawdown at the end of this year, the White House said on Tuesday.

 Obama said he had given the order to the Pentagon in a phone call on Tuesday to Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who has refused to sign a bilateral security agreement that the United States insists it must have before agreeing to leave a contingent of troops behind.

 Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was carrying the modified U.S. position to Brussels for discussion during a meeting with NATO defense ministers that starts on Wednesday.

 "Specifically, President Obama has asked the Pentagon to ensure that it has adequate plans in place to accomplish an orderly withdrawal by the end of the year should the United States not keep any troops in Afghanistan after 2014," the White House said.

 The United States has held out the possibility of leaving behind in Afghanistan as many as 8,000 troops after the formal drawdown at year's end. These troops would conduct counter-terrorism operations against al Qaeda targets and train Afghan forces.

 Karzai's refusal to sign a security deal has frustrated the White House, which has been forced to abandon an earlier demand that the Afghan president sign the deal in weeks, not months.

 Staking out a new position, the White House statement said "we will leave open the possibility of concluding a BSA (bilateral security agreement) later this year. However, the longer we go without a BSA, the more challenging it will be to plan and execute any U.S. mission."

 And the longer both countries go without a security deal, "the more likely it will be that any post-2014 U.S. mission will be smaller in scale and ambition," the White House statement said.

 Hagel said planning for what is known as "the zero option" is a prudent step given that Karzai has made clear he is unlikely to sign the security deal.

 "As the United States military continues to move people and equipment out of the Afghan theater, our force posture over the next several months will provide various options for political leaders in the United States and NATO," Hagel said in a statement.

 (Additional reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Susan Heavey) ||||| The Pentagon has begun contingency plans to pull all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan.

 U.S. soldiers inspect the scene of a suicide attack outside a base in Zhari district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on Jan. 20. (Photo: Javed Tanveer, AFP/Getty Images) Story Highlights Without a security agreement, all U.S. troops will be withdrawn by end of the year

 Obama has instructed the Pentagon to make contingency plans

 Karzai has said his successor should decide after spring elections

 WASHINGTON — With no sign of a deal for a post-2014 security agreement with Afghanistan on the horizon, President Obama on Tuesday offered a blunt warning to Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai that time is running out to forge a deal to keep U.S. troops beyond the end of the year.

 Obama, who spoke by phone with Karzai on Tuesday, has asked the Pentagon to ensure that plans are in place to accomplish an orderly withdrawal by the end of the year should the two countries not forge a new bilateral security agreement (BSA), according to the White House.

 A major stipulation for the U.S. is that any security agreement continue to offer U.S. troops immunity from prosecution under Afghan laws. Without such an agreement, the Obama administration would not allow troops to remain in the country beyond 2014.

 "President Obama told President Karzai that because he has demonstrated that it is unlikely that he will sign the BSA, the United States is moving forward with additional contingency planning," the White House said in a statement.

 Obama, however, also told Karzai that if a BSA can be reached, he remains ready to keep a yet-to-be-determined number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan beyond 2014 to focus on training, advising and assisting Afghan forces and going after the remnants of core al-Qaeda.

 The frank exchange with the Afghan president comes as Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel prepares to head to Brussels to meet with his NATO counterparts, where planning for post-2014 force levels in Afghanistan is on the agenda.

 While the White House said a deal can still be reached this year, it suggested the longer negotiations drag on, the smaller the U.S. presence may be. Obama also discussed his administration's efforts to reach an agreement with Afghanistan with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, during a White House meeting shortly after his call with Karzai, said White House press secretary Jay Carney.

 "The longer we go without a BSA, the more challenging it will be to plan and execute any U.S. mission," Obama said. "Furthermore, the longer we go without a BSA, the more likely it will be that any post-2014 U.S. mission will be smaller in scale and ambition."

 Hagel said Tuesday that the Pentagon has begun planning for a complete withdrawal of troops by year's end.

 CLOSE Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel reinforced the Pentagon's ongoing plan to save money by calling for the Army to shrink to its smallest size in decades, 440,000 to 450,000 soldiers by 2019. VPC

 "This is a prudent step, given that President Karzai has demonstrated that it is unlikely that he will sign the Bilateral Security Agreement, which would provide DoD personnel with critical protections and authorities after 2014," Hagel said in a statement.

 Last year, Hagel said military planners needed to know by Jan. 1 if an agreement would allow U.S. troops to stay in the country past 2014.

 He later hedged on that, saying there was some flexibility in planning.

 The inability for Obama administration to forge an agreement with Iraq that included immunity from prosecution for the U.S. military led to the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from that country at the end of 2011.

 There are currently 33,600 U.S. troops in Afghanistan,according to the Pentagon, and Defense Department advisers have drawn plans to leave as many as 10,000 U.S. troops in the country starting next year.

 The White House first publicly floated the possibility of a "zero option" in Afghanistan in early 2013 to prod Karzai to get a deal done and has repeatedly underscored that the without a new agreement the U.S. and international security forces will have to withdraw all troops when the war formally ends at the end of 2014.

 Karzai, however, has said that his successor should decide whether to sign the pact after Afghanistan holds elections this spring.

 Republicans have stepped up criticism of Obama, who they say has been detached on the issue. The last time the White House publicized a call between Obama and Karzai was June.

 "For the life of me, I can't figure out why the president hasn't taken credit for these victories," said Rep. Buck McKeon, R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said on Monday. "The gains since 2009 are three-fold — strategic, diplomatic and moral."

 The White House pushed backed on Tuesday against suggestions that Obama hasn't been forceful enough on the issue.

 "It' a preposterous suggestion," Carney said. "The decision of President Karzai to indicate that it is unlikely that he'll sign the BSA that his government negotiated is obviously his decision. But it's not because we haven't made it clear that it ought to be signed."

 Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1fnhB8W |||||


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– The Pentagon is digging deeper in its push for new air and space technologies as China threatens to unseat the US as king of the skies. Speaking with aerospace experts at the China Aerospace Studies Initiative, Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work says the US' rival is "quickly closing the technological gaps," per Reuters. Specifically, China is developing highly advanced radar-evading aircraft, reconnaissance planes, missiles, and electronic warfare equipment, Work says, suggesting the US needs to step up its game. That’s becoming increasingly difficult, however, as "the margin of technological superiority upon which we have become so accustomed ... is steadily eroding," Work says. "As the Department of Defense, we're the hedge force," he says. "We say, 'Look, here are capabilities that we see that the Chinese are developing and it's important for us to be able to counter those.'" Though he doesn’t exactly dive into what technologies the Pentagon is working on, he says one way we might do that is with directed energy weapons that can shoot down pricey missiles at a low cost. Interestingly, Work’s comments were quickly followed by a Xinhua report noting Chinese military officials are also boosting development of national defense technology. "The whole of the society should be encouraged to take part in the innovation cause," a Chinese official is quoted as saying. (Tension with China is clear at sea as well as in the skies.)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China is mounting a serious effort to challenge U.S. military superiority in air and space, forcing the Pentagon to seek new technologies and systems to stay ahead of its rapidly developing rival, Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work said on Monday.

 The Pentagon’s chief operating officer, speaking to a group of military and civilian aerospace experts, said China was “quickly closing the technological gaps,” developing radar-evading aircraft, advanced reconnaissance planes, sophisticated missiles and top-notch electronic warfare equipment.

 While hoping for a constructive relationship with China, the Pentagon “cannot overlook the competitive aspects of our relationship, especially in the realm of military capabilities, an area in which China continues to improve at a very impressive rate,” he said.

 China’s state-run news agency Xinhua late on Monday cited Xu Qiliang, a vice chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission, as saying China must innovate even more.

 “Our military’s equipment construction is shifting from catch-up research to independent innovations,” Xu said.

 Work made his remarks to the inaugural conference of the China Aerospace Studies Initiative, a partnership of the U.S. Air Force and the RAND Corporation think tank. The initiative aims to boost U.S. research on China’s aerospace ambitions.

 The conference came as hundreds of Chinese officials were in Washington for the three-day U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue, wide-ranging talks that look at areas of mutual cooperation and address points of friction.

 Asked about the timing of the military conference, Work said U.S. and Chinese leaders both see the bilateral relationship as one in which there are “measures of cooperation and measures of competition.”

 “We’re hoping over time that the cooperative aspects outweigh competitive aspects,” Work added. “As the Department of Defense, we’re the hedge force. ... We say, ‘Look, here are capabilities that we see that the Chinese are developing and it’s important for us to be able to counter those.”

 Work, citing a Harvard study on rising powers confronting established powers, told the conference that interactions between the two often result in war. As a result, the Defense Department must “hedge against this international competition turning more heated.”

 The United States has generally felt the best hedge is a strong nuclear and conventional deterrence capable of overmatching any rival, he added.

 Work said the United States has relied on technological superiority for the past 25 years, but now “the margin of technological superiority upon which we have become so accustomed ... is steadily eroding.”

 To adjust, he said, the Pentagon is working to develop new technologies to maintain its edge and lower the cost of responding to attacks. Directed energy weapons, for example, might be able to shoot down missiles that cost a hundred times the price of a jolt of energy. ||||| BEIJING, June 22 (Xinhua) -- A senior Chinese military leader has called for accelerated innovation and development of the country's national defense technology.

 Xu Qiliang, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during an inspection in east China's Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu and Anhui.

 "China is in a crucial transition from 'big' to 'strong,' and our military's equipment construction is shifting from catch-up research to independent innovations," Xu was quoted in a statement made public Monday as saying.

 According to Xu, priorities should be given to research in both basic and cutting-edge fields, and research achievements must be transformed into advanced production and combat abilities in a timely fashion.

 "The whole of the society should be encouraged to take part in the innovation cause for national defense technologies," Xu said, urging integrated support of technology, talents and funds as the foundation for better innovation efficiency. |||||


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– A drug task force agent from California was arrested Dec. 29 in Pennsylvania while allegedly transporting nearly 250 pounds of marijuana, ABC 27 reports. According to the Patriot-News, authorities say a traffic stop in York County turned up $2 million worth of pot, $11,000 in cash, and sheriff's deputy Christopher Heath. Heath, who was on vacation from the Yuba County Sheriff's Department at the time, had his badge and gun on him, ABC reports. Heath—along with two other men who were also in the vehicle—has been charged with multiple drug-related offenses, including delivery of marijuana, according to the Patriot-News. Federal charges are also likely since the drugs were allegedly moved across state lines. All three men have since bailed out of jail.

YORK, Pa. (WHTM) – A California sheriff’s deputy is one of three men who were arrested after authorities in York County said they made a major drug bust.

 On Monday, county officials said they seized 247 pounds of marijuana, valued at around $2 million, along with $11,000 in cash during the arrest last week in West Manheim Township.

 “I’ve been out here 28 years and this is the biggest I’ve seen in our area,” West Manhiem police Chief Tim Hippensteel said.

 Police have charged Ryan Falsone, 27; Tyler Long, 31; and Christopher Heath, 37; all of California. Heath is a drug task force agent with the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department.

 “One has to be both saddened and angered when you hear of something like this,” York County District Attorney Tom Kearney said.

 Kearney said Heath had his badge and his service weapon on him at the time of his arrest. He added the bust was part of an ongoing investigation based on tips into law enforcement.

 “Suffice it to say that this was not a routine traffic stop,” he said. “We didn’t stop this person because they had a bad turn signal and found all this. This was part of a coordinated effort.”

 Kearney said detectives weren’t aware Heath was an officer before making the arrest, which happened in the 100 block of Frogtown Road.

 According to the Yuba County Sheriffs Department, Heath was on vacation at the time of his arrest.

 No one could say what the trio was doing in Pennsylvania, or if the drugs were destined for the Midstate.

 Kearney said it’s possible all three men could face additional charges since it’s believed they brought the drugs from California.

 “This is obviously a big operation,” he said. “We will work closely with our partners in the federal government in addressing it.”

 All three men were out on bail Monday.

 Get breaking news, weather and traffic on the go. Download ABC 27 News for iPhone here or ABC 27 News for Android here. ||||| A sheriff's deputy is among three California men charged by police in York County in connection to 247 pounds of marijuana seized last week after a traffic stop in the Hanover area.

 Christopher Heath, 37, of Bangor, had his badge and service weapon when he was arrested last Tuesday, along with Ryan Falsone, 27, of Oroville, and Tyler Long, 31, also of Bangor. All three have been charged with delivery of marijuana, criminal conspiracy to deliver marijuana and possession with intent to deliver marijuana.

 The three, who were arrested last Tuesday after a traffic stop, have all posted a respective $1 million bail.

 "Suffice it to say it was not a routine traffic stop," said York County District Attorney Tom Kearney, speaking at a press conference in Penn Township, Hanover on Monday morning.

 "We knew who we were going to stop and why," Kearney said. He said police had been working on "intelligence received."

 Kearney, flanked by law enforcement agents from several agencies, said the arrest had been part of an ongoing coordinated effort by the York County Drug Task Force and surrounding police agencies.

 The seized drug, laid out across four large tables, was seized in double wrapped packages and has a street retail value in excess of $2 million.

 "This was very sophisticated operation that was ongoing," Kearney said.

 Cross Country Marijuana Bust

 The arrest was made in the early morning hours of Dec. 29 in the Hanover area with the assistance of West Manheim Township police. The three men were in the car. In addition to the drug, police seized $11,000 in cash, a gun, three duffle bags and a T-shirt emblazoned with "Triple Cross Pitbulls," which Kearney said has a connection to the drug operation.

 The weapon - a Glock 40-caliber - is Heath's service weapon, Kearney said. Kearney said police did not know ahead of time that Heath was a law enforcement agent. He would not provide information as to what the men's intentions were or if any of it had been distributed, he said, adding that the information was part of the ongoing investigation.

 The three men surrendered peacefully to police, Kearney said. He said that while no federal charges have been charged yet, they will likely face several as the drug was transported across states lines.

 Kearney praised the work of law enforcement agents from across several agencies, saying the men and women of these police and law enforcement agencies "risked their lives every day doing a very, very dangerous job."

 Also present at the press conference were: Chief Deputy District Attorney David Sunday, Capt. Adam Kosheba, Pennsylvania State Police, Chief Jim Laughlin, Penn Township Police Department, Chief Dan Stump, Springettsbury Township Police Department, Chief Chad Martin, Hanover Borough Police Department and Chief Tim Damon, York Area Regional Police Department. |||||


He never responded to his wife’s petition for divorce, nor did he hire a lawyer. Wednesday morning, Walter Samuel Radford failed to show up for the final divorce hearing, Bartow County court records showed.

 At 12:04 p.m, Radford’s divorce was finalized. And less than two hours later, Radford allegedly shot and killed his now ex-wife’s attorney in his Cartersville office.

 While at the courthouse Wednesday morning, attorney Antonio Benjamin Mari told colleagues he was scared of Radford, the man his client was divorcing, attorney Wade Everett said.

 Mari, 41, was found dead from multiple gunshots shortly before 2 p.m, according to police.

 Antonio B. Mari (Facebook)

 After shooting Mari, Radford called his ex-wife, Cindy Radford, to tell her he’d killed the attorney, according to Lt. M.E. Bettikofer with Cartersville police. From there, Walter Radford, 33, allegedly broke into his ex-wife’s house and shot himself while no one else was home. He was found dead in the Willow Bend Drive home at 2:40 p.m. Wednesday.

 Mari’s death shocked the Cartersville community, where he had worked nearly 18 years as a high school history teacher and later an attorney. After teaching for 10 years at Cass High School, Mari graduated from law school and passed the Georgia bar exam in 2009.

 Though he represented clients in bankruptcy and domestic cases, Mari wasn’t the typical tough-faced litigator, according to fellow Cartersville attorney Lester Tate.

 “He’s just one of the nicest, most easy-going people you could imagine,” Tate said.

 Tate said security is big concern for small legal firms, including his own. Armed deputies are present at courthouses, but much of civil litigation takes place in lawyers’ offices. Much of his staff carries guns, but even that might not have saved Mari’s life, Tate said.

 “It’s very difficult to defend yourself when you’re dealing with someone committed to taking their own life,” he said.

 Though he didn’t know specifics, Everett said Mari had a “gut feeling” that Radford could harm him. On Thursday, Everett said he and his colleagues discussed security at their office.

 “There’s only so much security you can really do,” he said. “You can carry a gun. But unless you’ve got it in your hand and you’re waiting on someone, it’s not going to do you any good.”

 Police did not release details on a possible motive for Radford killing Mari. But court records obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution show Cindy Radford filed for divorce in March. Walter Radford was served with papers, but never filed a response.

 Wednesday morning, Cindy Radford was granted physical and legal custody of the couple’s two children and was awarded the family home, court documents showed.

 Mari is survived by his wife. Late Wednesday, Cass High School posted a tribute to him on Facebook. And Thursday morning, the Bartow County school system honored Mari in a post.

 “Inspirational, favorite teacher, Georgia Bulldog fan; that’s how Antonio Mari’s former students at Cass High School describe him,” the school system posted. “We share the community’s grief and extend our deepest sympathies to the Mari Family, as well as the BCSS Family.” ||||| CARTERSVILLE, Ga. (AP) — Authorities say a Georgia man killed his ex-wife's attorney in his law office just hours after the couple's divorce was final and then killed himself.

 Cartersville Police Lt. M.E. Bettikofer tells The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that 33-year-old Walter Samuel Radford failed to show up Wednesday for the final divorce hearing. The divorce was finalized at 12:04 p.m.

 Police say Radford shot and killed his ex-wife's attorney in the attorney's Cartersville law office about two hours later. Police say 41-year-old lawyer Antonio Benjamin Mari was shot multiple times.

 Bettikofer says Radford called ex-wife Cindy Radford to tell her he had shot Mari. He says Radford then broke into her home and shot himself. His body was found about 2:40 p.m.

 A colleague said Mari had reported being afraid of Radford.

 ___

 Information from: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, http://www.ajc.com |||||
What is a one-paragraph summary of the above article?

– Authorities say a Georgia man killed his ex-wife's attorney in his law office just hours after the couple's divorce was final and then killed himself, the AP reports. Cartersville Police Lt. M.E. Bettikofer tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that 33-year-old Walter Samuel Radford failed to show up Wednesday for the final divorce hearing. The divorce was finalized at 12:04pm. Police say Radford shot and killed his ex-wife's attorney in the attorney's Cartersville law office about two hours later. The lawyer, 41-year-old Antonio Benjamin Mari, was shot multiple times. Bettikofer says Radford called ex-wife Cindy Radford to tell her he had shot Mari. He says Radford then broke into her home and shot himself. His body was found about 2:40pm. Colleague Wade Everett says Mari had reported being afraid of Radford and had said Wednesday morning, hours before the murder, that he had a "gut feeling" the man could harm him. According to court documents, Radford never filed a response or hired a lawyer after he was served with divorce papers in March. At Wednesday's hearing, his ex-wife was awarded the family home and granted custody of the couple's two children.


Article:

LONDON — An American financial trader has vanished after traveling to London for a job interview, police said Thursday.

 There has been no sign of San Francisco-based Josh Sanchez-Maldonado for a week.

 The 24-year-old was last seen leaving his hotel just after noon on October 22.

 Sanchez-Maldonado was not believed to have any money, nor access to it, and it was the first time he had traveled outside the U.S. on his own, according to London's Metropolitan Police.

 Josh Sanchez-Maldonado, 24, of San Francisco, hasn't been heard from for a week. Metropolitan Police

 "The whole family is highly concerned for his well being," his parents said in a statement released by the force. "Josh please contact us, your parents, your brother or sister through email, text, phone call or by any other means."

 The family described him as "very goal oriented, very organized, detailed, kind, lovable and a respectful person."

 Sanchez-Maldonado flew to London from Japan the day before his disappearance and was said to be heading to a job interview, although investigators said they had been unable to uncover the details of the appointment. He was due to fly back to San Francisco via Dublin, Ireland, the next day but did not catch the plane.

 He had spoken to his father daily since beginning his travels. Sanchez-Maldonado was last in contact the day before his disappearance. ||||| Family of Josh Sanchez-Maldonado come to UK to plead for information on whereabouts of 24-year-old from Puerto Rico

 An American trader has gone missing in London after arriving in the city for a job interview and vanishing before his return flight to the US.

 Fears are growing for the safety of Josh Sanchez-Maldonado, 24, from Puerto Rico, who was last seen leaving his hotel in Feltham, west London, just after midday last Thursday, a day after flying into the UK from Japan.

 His family have now come to the UK to make a plea for information on his whereabouts. In a statement issued through the Metropolitan police, they said: “Josh is a lovable person and we have left our world back home to be here for him. He is very goal oriented, very organised, detailed, kind, lovable and a respectful person. He has always kept in close communication to us. He is outspoken and very expressive.

 Sanchez-Maldonado and a CCTV image from his hotel. Photograph: Metropolitan Police

 “The whole family is highly concerned for his wellbeing. We really wish he contacts us as soon as possible. Josh please contact us, your parents, your brother or sister through email, text, phone call or by any other means.”

 Sanchez-Maldonado’s father, Jose Sanchez, said he last spoke to his son on 21 October. Before that, they had been in touch every day since his son left the US on his first overseas trip by himself.

 “He was kind of tired because he had just arrived,” he said. “He was sad he was away from home, so we were just talking about when he was coming back. He never confirmed the interview, he just told me he had a potential job interview in London.”

 A graduate of the University of Puerto Rico, Sanchez-Maldonado had been living with his mother, Lucette Maldonado, in the US Caribbean territory while working on his MBA in finance and as a self-employed commodities and foreign exchange trader.

 While his family do not know the nature of the job that Sanchez-Maldonado had been expecting to be interviewed for – or who it was with – given his interests they believe it must have been along financial lines. “He really enjoys the London market,” Sanchez said.

 Sanchez discovered his son had gone missing last Friday, the day he expected him to return to the US via Dublin. “I work in San Jose, but actually he was going to fly into San Francisco because that’s the nearest international airport. I was going to pick him up on Friday afternoon,” he said.

 “When I called him in the morning to make sure that he made it okay to the airport, he didn’t answer his phone. I called the hotel just to see if Josh had left and the hotel manager told me he hadn’t checked out yet. She went to his room and saw his belongings there and that’s when she got concerned.”

 Sanchez-Maldonado was due to fly home last Friday. Photograph: Metropolitan Police

 Police first issued an appeal for information on Sanchez-Maldonado’s whereabouts that day. However, there have been no further reported sightings of him and officers are growing increasingly concerned for his safety and wellbeing.

 Described as white and about 5ft 8in (1.72m) tall, with a slim build and short, dark hair, he was last seen leaving St Giles hotel on Hounslow Road wearing a dark coloured flat cap, a brown/grey T-shirt, white shorts and black trainers.

 Sanchez said he believed his son would have been most interested in visiting London’s financial districts, including the City and Canary Wharf, where police are currently focusing their efforts.

 “His dream is to visit the financial area in London,” he said. “That’s where he always said he would love to work.” Police added that there is also an appeal in Feltham for information on his whereabouts.

 Sanchez said he did not believe his son would have been interested in London’s nightlife. “He was more focused on earning money and making his trades, looking at the foreign exchange and the markets, making sure he was not losing and making his money.

 “He was making some profit. He had some hopes and dreams like we all do. He earned enough money to book his trip and to travel.

 “He’s a lovable, social person – outspoken. You meet him and in five minutes you learn to like him very quickly. We want to make sure that he is found, that we take care of him, that he’s okay and we can take him home.”

 Anyone who has seen Sanchez-Maldonado or may know his whereabouts is asked to call detectives at Hounslow CID on 020 8247 6653/6246 or the police via 101. ||||| An American trader has gone missing in London, police say, and his family has arrived in the U.K. in the hopes of finding him.

 "The whole family is highly concerned for his well-being," the family of Josh Sanchez-Maldonado said in a written statement, later adding in a video released by police that their son is a "very lovable person, very communicative and outspoken."

 "Let him know that we're concerned and that we love him very much," his father, Jose Sanchez, says in the video, speculating that he might be lost and pleading for Londoners to take good care of him.

 Josh Sanchez-Maldonado disappeared on his way to a job interview last week. His Dad has this message to Londoners... pic.twitter.com/39Fj34yLFw — Richard Main (@RPMain) October 29, 2015

 The 24-year-old U.S. national, who's based in San Francisco, had arrived in the U.K. on his first solo trip outside the United States, police said. A trader by profession, he was in London for a job interview and was staying at the St. Giles Hotel in Feltham.

 Sanchez-Maldonado was due to fly to San Francisco via Dublin Oct. 22 but police say he was not on the flight back.

 "Officers are increasingly concerned for Josh Sanchez-Maldonado," London's metropolitan police said in a statement.

 The family said they had "kept in close communication" since their son had arrived in the U.K. but have not heard from him since Oct. 21.

 Reached by ABC News, the U.S. Embassy in London said that they were aware of the young man's disappearance and said they were working closely with his family and British police. |||||
What is a summary?

– A young Bay Area financial trader traveling abroad on his own for the first time has disappeared in London, where he told family he had a potential job interview, NBC News reports. According to the Guardian, Josh Sanchez-Maldonado, 24, was last seen leaving his hotel in west London on the afternoon of Oct. 22, the day after he arrived from Japan. His father, Jose Sanchez, got worried when Sanchez-Maldonado missed his Oct. 23 flight home and called his son's hotel only to discover he never checked out and all his belongings were still there. His family flew to London after he went missing and are publicly asking him to contact them. "He has always kept in close communication to us," the family said in a statement released Thursday. The Guardian reports Sanchez-Maldonado told his father he had a job interview in London but didn't give any details. According to NBC, London police have been unable to uncover any evidence or details of a job interview. "His dream is to visit the financial area in London," Sanchez tells the Guardian. "That's where he always said he would love to work." His father says his son would have little interest in nightlife, as he was more focused on his stocks and making money, and police are currently searching the city's financial areas. ABC News reports Sanchez fears his son is lost somewhere in the city. According to NBC, Sanchez-Maldonado had been speaking to his father every day during his trip. They last spoke the day before he disappeared.


– Determined not to forget his true love after her death five years ago, an elderly man has been bringing along a photo of her during his outings to a California burger joint. Multiple patrons have spotted the widower at an In-N-Out Burger, seated with a photo of his deceased wife in front of him. Photos of the loving husband have gone viral, and folks who've approached him say he has been "happy and excited to talk about her." Madina Bashizadah tweeted a photo of the man last week and emailed the Huffington Post that when she saw him, "I started tearing up because it was such a beautiful moment but heartbreaking at the same time." She says that he told diners that he met his wife when they were both 17, lost touch for 10 years, then married "instantly" once they reunited—they were together for 55 years before she died. Imgur user soulrose spotted the man on an earlier outing, Fox News reports, and wanted to try to "brighten his day," but the diner ended up brightening soulrose's day instead by revealing he still celebrates his wife's birthday and their anniversary. Other sweet revelations from their conversation: "I was a very rich man. Not with money, but with love." "I never had a single argument with my wife, but we had lots of debates." "Tell your wife that you love her every day. And be sure to ask her: Have I told you that I love you lately?" (This man dove deep underwater to leave something special for his deceased wife.)

Expand this summary.

It's never easy dining out alone -- but one man has found the perfect, sweetest way to ensure he never feels lonely.

 Twitter user Madina Bashizadah posted this heartbreaking picture earlier this week of an older widower having a meal at In-N-Out Burger -- with a photo of his late wife next to him.

 Oh my god I just died!!! He has a picture of his wife with him as he eats! I love him I love love 😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/c9t0qKJfEi — ℳadi ℬash (@Maaadina) October 22, 2014

 "The older gentleman was sitting down enjoying his meal and I noticed that he had a photo with him," Bashizadah told The Huffington Post in an email. "Automatically, I assumed she wasn't here with us and I started tearing up because it was such a beautiful moment but heartbreaking at the same time."

 Other diners kept approaching the older man, asking him about the photo and "with everyone who approached he was happy and excited to talk about her."

 We found out that she was his sweetheart, his wife who passed away 5 years ago. They met at 17 but the war had kept them apart. He had searched for her for 10 years and one day as he was telling his barber the story, the barber calls his daughter in and it ends up being her. They were married instantly and it lasted for 55 years until she passed. He takes her photo everywhere. On one side of the laminated photo it's him and her sitting on a couch together and on the back it has a photo of him and her side by side when they were young. Goes to show you true love does exist.

 A love story for the ages. ||||| Every picture tells a story.

 But a photo making the Internet rounds of a man eating at a California In-N-Out Burger alongside a picture of his deceased wife has uncovered a story of true love that will make you squeeze your honey extra hard tonight.

 Two weeks ago, imgur.com user "soulrose" posted a picture of a man perched in a red and white booth gazing longingly at a photo, with his walker nearby.

 "I saw this elderly gentleman dining by himself, with an old picture of a lady in front of him. I though [sic] maybe I could brighten his day by talking to him,” soulrose writes.

 Tearjerker of the day. Elderly man pictured eating with photo of his "soulmate" of 55 years who died 5 years ago. pic.twitter.com/z8RwHfLw73 — Jeff McArthur (@jmacspeaks) October 29, 2014

 After talking to the man, the user found out it was indeed his wife, and proceeded to be blown away by the story of how they met and their enduring love.

 “They met when they were both 17. They dated briefly, then lost contact when he went to war and her family moved. But he said he thought about her the entire war. After his return, he decided to look for her. He searched for her for 10 years and never dated anyone,” soulrose wrote.

 “People told him he was crazy, to which he replied 'I am. Crazy in love.' On a trip to California, he went to a barber shop. He told the barber how he had been searching for a girl for ten years. The barber went to his phone and called his daughter in. It was her! She had also been searching for him and never dated either.”

 According to the story, the unnamed man proposed right then and there was married to his wife for 55 years before she died 2009.

 Madina Bashizaduah from San Francisco posted a similar image on Twitter on Oct. 22 of the same man—just with a different shirt and new picture. She said he always leaves home with a picture of his sweetheart and recounted the same story of a fateful love for the ages.

 Oh my god I just died!!! He has a picture of his wife with him as he eats! I love him I love love ���������� pic.twitter.com/c9t0qKJfEi — ℳadi ℬash (@Maaadina) October 22, 2014

 Soulrose said the man had a few nuggets of wisdom, saying: "I was a very rich man. Not with money, but with love" and "Tell your wife that you love her everyday. And be sure to ask her, have I told you that I love you lately?" |||||


Article:

Sarah Palin's public pronouncements have now reached an amazing point -- where even Fox News is fact-checking her.

 As Fox News anchor Bret Baier noted this evening, picking up on a Politico report, Palin said this past Friday that there had been a lot of "change" of late, and talked about the dollar coin -- how the phrase "In God We Trust" had been moved to the rim of the coin, rather than on the face. "Who makes a decision like that?" said Palin, seemingly pointing to the Obama administration, adding: "It's a disturbing trend."

 However, the coins were in fact commissioned in 2005 by the Republican-led government of the time. And as Baier adds, Congress acted specifically to change this in 2007, and Fox displayed a James K. Polk presidential coin with the phrase on the coin's face. ||||| WEST ALLIS, Wis. – Sarah Palin rallied thousands of abortion opponents Friday night with a a stark warning that the same philosophy that allows abortion rights could soon be invoked to allow the government to cut off health care for the elderly or children with special needs.

 Speaking to a fund-raising banquet of Wisconsin Right to Life, the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee asserted that if policy-makers don’t believe a child in the womb is valuable, then “perhaps the same mind-set applies to other persons.”

 “What may they feel about an elderly person who doesn’t have a whole lot of productive years left,” Palin asked an audience of about 5,000 who paid $30 each to hear her speak in an airplane hangar-like exhibition hall at the Wisconsin state fairgrounds just outside of Milwaukee. “In order to save government money, government health care has to be rationed… [so] than this elderly person that perhaps could be seen as costing taxpayers to pay for a non-productive life? Do you think our elderly will be first in line for limited health care?

 “And what about the child who perhaps isn’t deemed normal or perfect per someone’s subjective measure of their use or questionable purpose in the eyes of a panel of bureaucrats making our health care decisions for us,” she continued.

 Palin did not expressly raise the prospect of government-mandated “death panels” to determine who lives or dies – the incendiary and inaccurate charge she made over the summer about Democratic health care plans—but repeatedly suggested that liberal social policies could lead to de facto euthanasia.

 Her warning was couched in repeated rhetorical questions about what might happen when laws are made by those she portrayed as having an insufficient appreciation for the sanctity of all human life.

 “We have to think this through,” she said. “We have to get to the truth of this matter, health care reform.”

 The fund-raiser was advertised as closed to media coverage, but at least three reporters, including one from POLITICO, attended simply by purchasing a ticket like other members of the public.

 Palin has made few public appearances since resigning as governor in July, sequestering herself to write a much-anticipated book coming out later this month. But a year after the election that made her a global celebrity, her star has dimmed little with those same conservative activists who thronged her campaign rallies in this and other states.

 The event made clear that for her ardent supporters she remains more phenomenon than traditional politician.

 The line to get into the venue here stretched over a half-mile outside the building and a local conservative talk radio station even marked the event by printing t-shirts that welcomed her to the city, noted the date of her appearance and deemed her: “America’s Conservative Conscience.” The anti-abortion group that hosted the event sought to raise money by including pledge cards on every chair that included an offer to become part of “Sarah’s Rogues” by giving $1,000 to the group in exchange for an autographed copy of her forthcoming memoir, “Going Rogue: An American Life.

 The event and the enthusiastic response were a vivid reminder of the following she commands. But her remarks also illuminated the mix of assets and limitations she would possess if she seeks to become a 2012 presidential contender.

 Palin had remarks prepared but frequently wandered off-script to make a point, offering audience members a casual “awesome” or “bogus” in discussing otherwise weighty topics.

 As in: “It is so bogus that society is sending a message right now and has been for probably the last 40 years that a woman isn’t strong enough or smart enough to be able to pursue an education, a career and her rights and still let her baby live.”

 Other Palin touchstones included: praise for the military, jeers for the “the liberal media” and a general manner of speaking that often veered into rhetorical culs-de-sac.

 While she drew applause during her remarks, Palin’s extemporaneous and frequently discursive style was such that she never truly roused a true-believing crowd as passionate about the issue at hand as she. Not once during her address did they rise to their feet.

 In a closing exhortation, she urged the audience, “Don't ever let anyone to tell you to sit down and shut up.”

 She then got a standing ovation from most of the crowd, but a few had begun to leave before she even finished and within seconds of her concluding, scores more got up and put on their jackets as they walked away.

 In addition to the suggestion that government officials would consider hastening the death of the infirm or handicapped, she began her remarks with a puzzling commentary on the design of newly minted dollar coins.

 Noting that there had been a lot of “change” of late, Palin recalled a recent conversation with a friend about how the phrase “In God We Trust” had been moved to the edge of the new coins.

 “Who calls a shot like that?” she demanded. “Who makes a decision like that?”

 She added: “It’s a disturbing trend.”

 Unsaid but implied was that the new Democratic White House was behind such a move to secularize the nation’s currency.

 But the new coins – concerns over which apparently stemmed from an email chain letter widely circulated among conservatives – were commissioned by the Republican-led Congress in 2005 and approved by President Bush.

 Palin also offered flashes of the traits that endear her to many conservatives. Offering great personal detail, she relayed the story of how she came to find out that her infant son, Trigg, had Down Syndrome. She confessed to being scared and said that she and her husband, Todd, turned to God to prepare them.

 After years of advocating against abortion in theory – what she called “preaching to the choir” – Palin said she was presented with the stark reality of what to do with a special-needs baby.

 “I am thankful to have been asked to walk the walk,” she said.

 Palin also included a few less personal, but as compelling, flourishes in her remarks, citing Pope John Paul II (never a bad idea in a heavily-Catholic part of the country), referring to scripture (John 16:13) and noting that such feminist pioneers as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton had opposed abortion (she called them “foremothers”).

 She also demonstrated a politician’s ability to connect with a local crowd, relating that her grandmother was born in Chippewa Falls, her dad had played high school football with Packers great Jerry Kramer and, with an audience that likely watched a lot of Fox News, noted her relationship with the network’s talk show, Wisconsin native Greta Van Susteren.

 Further, Palin talked with ease about the abortion issue, touting polling this year that showed a majority of the country opposing the procedure, recalling successful ad campaigns (“Choose Life”) on the issue and casting her own opposition to it in terms familiar to the movement.

 Palin didn’t mention President Obama by name, but did take a shot at him for opposing an abortion-related measure as an Illinois state senator and more than once mocked his catch phrase.

 "Let's talk about change we can believe in," Palin said. "Friends, a majority of Americans identify as pro life, and thank God for that."

 She reserved her toughest critique for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, eliciting boos from the crowd at the mention of the speaker’s name. Palin urged Pelosi to allow House members to vote on an amendment that would bar any taxpayer funds from being used to fund abortion.

 “We need to make sure she hears the message that she will held accountable if she does not let this at least come to a vote of her colleagues so they can have their voice be heard,” Palin said.

 After she concluded her remarks – and presented the organization with an over-sized, $1,000 check – Palin signed autographs for some of the few hundred people who surged toward the dais.

 Alissa Maerzke, 12 and wearing a “Palin 2012” t-shirt, was elated that she got the former governor’s signature.

 After collecting a congratulatory hug from her mom, Maerzke recounted that she asked Palin if she was going to run for president. “She just smiled,” said the girl.

 In the line on the way into the event, a gentleman wearing a Harley-Davidson fleece pull-over and jeans joked to his friends that he was going to ask Palin to marry him, summing up his devotion this way: “She thinks like I do, she’s absolutely gorgeous and Democrats are afraid of her – what’s not to like?” |||||
What is a summary?

– Even Fox News has started fact-checking Sarah Palin. Last night anchor Bret Baier responded to Palin's claim during a speech Friday that the phrase "In God We Trust" had recently moved from the face to the rim of the new dollar coin: Another case of Obama pushing a secular America, Palin implied. But as Baier joined Politico in pointing out, the coin redesign was actually commissioned in 2005—by a GOP-led government—and approved by George W Bush, TPM reports.


Eight-year-old Knuckles may not be the most talented pooch, but there is one the thing the Jack Russell Terrier can do without fail.

 Whenever he hears the "Law & Order" theme song, his ears perk up and he starts to whimper, then he lifts up his head and chimes right in, singing along to the music with a full-blown wail.

 "He's not the brightest dog in the world, but he has this one talent," said his owner, Daniel Serna of Los Angeles. "It's just a funny thing he'll do and he'll do it for a room full of people."

 Play

 Serna said he noticed it right after he brought Knuckles home years ago.

 "The first time he saw the show, he started howling along to it and we just started busting up," he said.

 About a year ago, Serna and his wife posted a video of one of his dog's performances to YouTube. That video, "Knuckles The Dog Singing to Law and Order," has nearly 10,000 views.

 Asked if he was aware of Knuckles' budding Internet fame, Serna was astonished.

 "No… Really?" he asked. "Oh, my God. That's great."

 But it turns out Knuckles' performance isn't so unique, and in fact, it may be nothing more than an involuntary reaction -- and the next YouTube phenomenon.

 Play

 Could Howling Dogs Be Next Internet Sensation?

 Much like the recent fascination with the piano-playing cat, a crop of YouTube videos featuring dogs howling along with the "Law & Order" theme song has gained popularity online.

 A YouTube search for "Law & Order + dog" generates at least several dozen videos of "singing" dogs like Knuckles.

 Serna said that when he and his wife posted the video of Knuckles they had no idea that they had company, and some of the videos were posted as many as three years ago. But as blogs picked up on the unusual doggie dance over the last few days, more owners posted videos of their crooning canines.

 A video called "Logan The Poodle Sings to Law & Order Theme" has attracted 36,359 views, and another, "Tug's reaction to Law & Order intro," has more than 19,000 views.

 The videos show dogs of every size whining, whimpering and wailing as the "Law & Order" theme song pipes through in the background.

 More recent videos feature owners trying to see what happens when they play the song for their own dogs.

 But why do some hounds howl when they hear this particular theme song?

 Veterinary neurologist Susan Wagner said that, though she wasn't familiar with formal research on the topic, it likely has to do with the higher-register notes in the distinctive theme song.

 "Cats and dogs generally don't like hearing high-pitched sounds," she said, adding that dogs often howl to sirens and other higher-toned sounds.

 Dogs, Cats Don't Like High-Pitched Sounds

 Wagner recently co-authored a book titled "Through a Dog's Ears," which explores sounds that can improve dogs' health and well-being. Her research behind it showed that lower tones and simple music calm canines.

 "Different types of music affect dogs from a behavioral standpoint," she said. Classical music arrangements, for example, especially those with lower tones, slower tempos and less complexity, reduce anxiety, she said.

 The higher-pitched, upbeat and complex "Law & Order" theme song could have the opposite effect.

 "That would be my hypothesis," said Wagner. Though the research hasn't been conducted, she said, based on the reverse finding regarding the lower tones, it seems likely.

 But, she added, "I'd hate to do that to them."

 For his part, the creator of the "Law & Order" theme song, Mike Post, said he never expected dogs would be "humming along with my tunes."

 "I can't believe it. This is the craziest thing I've ever seen in my life!" Post told the New York Post.

 "They're not running away from it, they're singing along with it," he continued. "If somebody notices my music and appreciates it, I'm happy -- and if those are very happy canines, I'm happy." ||||| Dick Wolf’s “Law & Order” is raising a howl among the canine set.

 A slew of videos have popped up on the Internet showing dogs of all shapes and sizes howling and baying when they hear the “L&O” theme music.

 It’s arresting imagery — and experts say the harried hounds’ behavior can be attributed to the music’s tonal quality.

 “The reason they do that is because the music has a combination of clarinets and high-decibel sounds,” says celebrity pet trainer Bash Dibra.

 “When the music hits a certain note, it . . . hits a signal in their auditory nerve and makes them howl.

 “It’s typical when you see certain dogs howl when a fire truck drives by,” he says.

 “It’s the decibel sounds hitting their ears and they just can’t help it — they have to howl.”

 Most of the videos posted on YouTube and nastynets.com show each dog becoming agitated almost as soon as the “L&O” music strikes its first note.

 Some dogs walk up to a TV or computer screen and howl; others lie where they are and lift their snouts in the air to emit their wolfish wails.

 It’s hard to tell if they’re enjoying what they hear, or giving their own version of a Bronx cheer.

 “There’s been very little research on dogs howling . . . but it’s probably due to the staccato sound of the music, which is very jarring,” says dog trainer Andrea Arden, who co-hosts Animal Planet’s “Underdog to Wonderdog.”

 “Dogs often react to stimulus that’s sharp and erratic, and that music has a quavering beat to it, almost like a metallic sound,” she says.

 “It has the potential to be slightly irritating to a dog’s ear.”

 The “L&O” theme music was written by Mike Post, who’s won multiple Emmys for TV compositions including “The Rockford Files, “LA Law,” “Hill Street Blues,” “NYPD Blue” and “Magnum, PI.”

 “I can’t believe it. This is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen in my life!” Post said yesterday.

 “They’re not running away from it, they’re singing along with it,” Post said of the crooning canines.

 “If somebody notices my music and appreciates it, I’m happy — and if those are very happy canines, I’m happy,” he said.

 “I’m flattered — I never figured dogs would be humming along with my tunes. This is a first.”

 Producers for “Law & Order” declined to comment yesterday. |||||

Write a summary.

– If you've had enough health care talk today, ABC News has a suggestion. Go to YouTube and punch in something about dogs singing along to the Law & Order theme. Dozens of entries will turn up, which one veterinary specialist thinks might have something to do with its high-pitched, complex arrangement. She suspects it stresses out the pooches, but the theme's composer has a more upbeat view. "I can't believe it. This is the craziest thing I've ever seen in my life!" Mike Post tells the New York Post. "They're not running away from it, they're singing along with it. If somebody notices my music and appreciates it, I'm happy."


Article:

Plano East Senior High School students commit suicide within hours of each other News 2 Plano East Senior High School students commit suicide within hours of each other Police in Murphy are investigating the suicides of two young women who were acquaintances and students at Plano East Senior High School.

 - Police in Murphy are investigating the deaths of two young women who were friends and students at Plano East Senior High School.

 Relatives called 911 after finding the body of Ritu Sachdeva on Saturday in her home. Several hours later the remains of Hillary Kate Kuizon were found by Murphy officers in a wooded area just south of Kimbrough Stadium.

 Investigators believe both 17-year-old girls committed suicide.

 "Both deaths occurred within hours of each other under circumstances that have led investigators to presume they were both self-inflicted. No motives have been identified, and no evidence of foul play has so far been detected,” the Murphy Police Department said in a statement.

 Rumors have begun circulating about a possible suicide pact. Investigators are talking to relatives to determine if there is any connection between the two deaths.

 "Our thoughts and prayers are with the two families," said Chief Arthur Cohen. "We are treating these two cases with the care and compassion they deserve, and will continue to seek answers for the families."

 Friends of the girls told FOX 4 neither one showed any outward signs of being depressed. They were described as bubbly and energetic. They were liked by many.

 Plano ISD officials are helping with the case. Flags flew at half-staff at the school on Monday and 20 counselors were on campus for grieving students and faculty.

 "A lot of people really sad and stuff," said junior Marwan Kamal. "They just couldn't accept it that much."

 Murphy police said Monday night there were no new developments in the cases. ||||| Updated at 10:30 p.m.

 Two Plano East High School friends were found dead within hours of each other over the weekend, and their deaths are being investigated as suicides, Murphy police said.

 Relatives found the body of Ritu Sachdeva in her Murphy home shortly after midnight Sunday and called emergency services.

 A couple of hours later, police found the body of Hillary Kate Kuizon in a wooded area south of Kimbrough Stadium, near Murphy Middle School and McMillen High School, police said.

 A missing child report had been posted on social media for Kuizon on Saturday night by Murphy and Richardson police.

 It’s not clear if the deaths of the two 17-year-old girls are related or if there is any reason to believe so, police said. Investigators are speaking with relatives to determine any relationship between the deaths.

 “If that happened that there was some sort of pact, we need to know that because it may lead to further tragedies such as this one,” city spokesman Celso Martinez said. “We don’t know if it was but we don’t want to discount the possibility offhand.”

 The causes of death will be determined by the medical examiner.

 No evidence of foul play has been found. Murphy police believe there is no threat to area residents.

 “Our thoughts and prayers are with the two families,” said Murphy Police Chief Arthur Cotten. “We are treating these two cases with the care and compassion they deserve, and will continue to seek answers for the families.”

 Classmates have taken to Twitter to express heartbreak and remember the teens. They were described as amazing friends and beautiful souls.

 Plano ISD provided grief counselors at the school Sunday and will provide additional counselors on Monday, district spokeswoman Lesley Range-Stanton said.

 The Plano East Fellowship of Christian Athletes will hold a prayer meeting at 7:15 a.m. Friday. ||||| Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter

 COLLIN COUNTY (CBSDFW.COM) – It will be a somber and tough day for students at Plano East Senior High School. Administrators, staff, teachers and students are all mourning the loss of two young women. Police think the girls both committed suicide over the weekend.

 As the Murphy Police Department continues to investigate the two deaths, grief counselors prepare to help students as they return to class.

 Those grief counselors will be at the school for the second day in a row. A district spokesperson says about 100 people, including students and families, were at the campus Sunday to get help from the counselors.

 According to police, family members found the body of 17-year-old Ritu Sachdeva at her home. Hours later, police found her classmate, Hillary Kate Kuizon. The body of that 17-year-old was found in a wooded area close to Kimbrough Stadium. According to investigators there was no evidence of foul play detected at either location.

 Police say the young women were friends, and those that knew them describe both girls as smart, beautiful and nice. Student Christian Lewis didn’t know the girl’e personally but said, “I’ve seen them probably a couple times in the past. They were good students, always on time, always kept their grades up.”

 Some students of campus said if there is anything good that can come out of the tragedies, it’s that maybe there will be more of an open dialogue when it comes to talking about suicide or suicidal thoughts. Student Praharsha Sunkara said, “I don’t know what the school can do, or anyone else can do to prevent stuff like this really. But I really think that just talking about it would help.”

 Murphy Police Chief Arthur Cotton issued a statement saying —

 “Our thoughts and prayers are with the two families. We are treating these two cases with the care and compassion they deserve, and will continue to seek answers for the families.”

 Police say they’re still trying to determine if the deaths are related, but at this point it’s not clear if there is a connection. The medical examiner will determine the exact cause of both deaths.

 Anyone contemplating suicide or is dealing with the suicide death of someone they know is encouraged to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to talk with a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in their area. Call 800-273-TALK — that’s 800-273-8255.

 (©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.) |||||
What is a summary?

– On Saturday night, 17-year-old Hillary Kate Kuizon was reported missing. By a few hours after midnight Sunday, both she and a friend, 17-year-old Ritu Sachdeva, had both been found dead by suspected suicide in Murphy, Texas. "If ... there was some sort of pact, we need to know that because it may lead to further tragedies such as this one," a city spokesman says, per the Dallas Morning News. "We don’t know if it was but we don’t want to discount the possibility offhand." Relatives found Ritu's body in her home, and within just a few hours, police found Hillary's body in a wooded area. The medical examiner has yet to release the causes of death of the Plano East High School students—who were friends, police tell CBS DFW. "Both deaths occurred within hours of each other under circumstances that have led investigators to presume they were both self-inflicted," says the Murphy Police Department in a statement. "No motives have been identified, and no evidence of foul play has so far been detected." Friends of the girls tell Fox 4 they didn't seem depressed, and were well-liked. (An Alaska village recently experienced a suicidal domino effect.)


News article:

Tens of thousands of people have been holding silent vigils in Paris and other cities around the world following the gun attack at the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo that left 12 people dead.

 Image copyright Getty Images

 An estimated 35,000 people gathered in Paris's Place de la Republique to pay tribute to the victims. Many left candles and piles of pens in small memorials.

 Image copyright EPA

 People holding placards held a silent gathering in Montpellier, southern France. Many held placards saying "Je suis Charlie" (I am Charlie).

 Image copyright Getty Images

 Tablets and mobile phones are also being used to convey the message.

 Image copyright AFP

 Some taking part, such as here in Lyon, held pens aloft as a symbol of press freedom. Others sang the Marseillaise, the French national anthem.

 Image copyright AFP

 Similar vigils have been held in other cities. In London a large crowd gathered in Trafalgar Square.

 Image copyright AP

 These people gathered outside the French embassy in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires.

 Image copyright AFP

 Several hundred people gathered in Washington DC outside the Newseum, dedicated to journalism.

 Image copyright EPA

 Other vigils were held in cities including Vienna, above, Madrid, Berlin and Brussels. Police have launched a huge manhunt following the deadly attack in Paris. ||||| Messages of condolence, outrage and defiance over the Paris terrorist attack on a newspaper office spread quickly around the world Wednesday with thousands of people taking to the streets to protest the killings and using the slogan "Je Suis Charlie" on social media.

 The inscription "I am Charlie" is written on the fronthead of a woman as she attends a gathering to pay respect for the victims of a terror attack against a satirical newspaper, in Paris, in Paris, Wednesday,... (Associated Press)

 People hold up pens and a phone screen reading 'I am Charlie' in French as they take part in a vigil of people, including many who were French, to show solidarity with those killed in an attack at the... (Associated Press)

 A woman holds a poster reading 'I am Charlie' with a rose, at a gathering in Nice, southeastern France, to express solidarity with those killed in an attack at the Paris offices of weekly newspaper Charlie... (Associated Press)

 People hold candles during a gathering in support for the victims of a terror shooting in Paris, France, as they gather near EU headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015. Masked gunmen shouting... (Associated Press)

 A drawing depicting cartoonist Jean Cabut, left, Charlie Hebdo editor Stephane Charbonnier, center, and cartoonist Georges Wolinski, all three of whom were killed when masked gunmen stormed the Paris... (Associated Press)

 People gather to pay their respects for the victims of a terror attack against a satirical newspaper, in Paris, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015. Masked gunmen shouting "Allahu akbar!" stormed the Paris offices... (Associated Press)

 A woman holds up a pen and a phone with a sign on the screen reading "I am Charlie" in French as she takes part in a vigil of people, including many who were French, to show solidarity with those killed... (Associated Press)

 People attend a demonstration in solidarity with those killed in an attack at the Paris offices of weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo, at the French Consulate in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Jan 7, 2015.... (Associated Press)

 People gather to pay their respects for the victims of a terror attack against a satirical newspaper, in Paris, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015. Masked gunmen shouting "Allahu akbar!" stormed the Paris offices... (Associated Press)

 A woman holds a candle as she attends a demonstration in solidarity with those killed in an attack at the Paris offices of weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo, at the French Consulate in Barcelona, Spain,... (Associated Press)

 A man holds a poster reading 'I am Charlie' as he and others gather to express solidarity with the murdered French journalists in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015.... (Associated Press)

 People gather in solidarity of the victims of a terror attack against a satirical newspaper, in Paris, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015. Masked gunmen shouting "Allahu akbar!" stormed the Paris offices of a satirical... (Associated Press)

 Many who poured into Place de la Republique in eastern Paris near the site of Wednesday's noontime attack waved papers, pencils and pens. Journalists led the march but most in the crowd weren't from the media world, expressing solidarity and support of freedom of speech.

 Similar gatherings, including some silent vigils, took place at London's Trafalgar Square, in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, in Madrid, Brussels, Nice and elsewhere.

 "No matter what a journalist or magazine has to say, even if it is not what the majority of people think, they still have the right to say it without feeling in danger, which is the case today," said Alice Blanc, a London student who is originally from Paris and was among those in the London crowd, estimated in the hundreds.

 Online, the declaration "Je Suis Charlie," or "I Am Charlie," replaced profile pictures on Facebook while Twitter users showed themselves with the slogan on signs with words of support for the 12 victims who were killed at Charlie Hebdo, a weekly newspaper that had caricatured the Prophet Muhammad.

 The "Je Suis Charlie" slogan grew into a trending hashtag on Twitter and spread to Instagram, along with an image of a machine gun with the words "Ceci n'est pas une religion," or "This is not a religion."

 One user on Instagram sent out a simple black-and-white drawing of the Eiffel Tower with the message: "Pray for Paris." Another wrote: "Islam is a beautiful religion. This is not what we see on TV. Terrorists are not real Muslims. #IamCharlie."

 Masked gunmen methodically killed the 12 people, including the newspaper's editor, as they shouted "Allahu akbar!" — or "Allah is the greatest" — while firing, then fleeing in a car.

 The newspaper's depictions of Islam have drawn condemnation and threats before. It was firebombed in 2011 and also satirized other religions and political figures.

 There were also protests in some American cities.

 In San Francisco, hundreds of people held pens, tiny French flags and signs that read "I am Charlie" up in the air outside the French Consulate in the financial district. A handful of the participants lit candles that spell out "Je Suis Charlie," while others placed pens and pencils and bouquets of white carnations and red roses by the consulate's door.

 Julia Olson, of Nimes, France, said she wanted to be in the company of other people after hearing the news.

 "There is nothing we can do but be together," the 26-year-old said.

 Several hundred people gathered in Manhattan's Union Square amid chants of "We are not afraid" and holding signs in English and French saying "We are Charlie."

 In Seattle, about 100 people assembled near the French Consulate office with many holding signs in support of the victims.

 The Newseum in Washington displayed "#JeSuisCharlie" on its atrium screen as a show of support for free expression.

 In Los Angeles, a small group gathered outside a French restaurant with people holding up signs and cell phones that read "Je Sui Charlie" and "I am Charlie."

 About 1,000 people gathered near the European Union's headquarters in Brussels to express sympathy and outrage. In Spain, about 200 people in Madrid gathered outside the French Embassy to voice outrage. Some also held pens in the air and chanted "Freedom of Expression" and "We Are All Charlie."

 In 2004, bombs on rush-hour trains killed 191 people in Madrid in Europe's most deadly Islamic terror attack.

 French students in Stockholm organized about 100 people to lay flowers and candles in front of the French Embassy in Stockholm.

 A handful of women in the swank Roman piazza where the French Embassy is located had "Je suis Charlie" banners taped to their jackets.

 "I still cannot believe what happened," said protester Linda Chille. "It is cruel and very shocking."

 The Newseum in Washington is dedicated to the subject of journalism and planned to project "#JeSuisCharlie" on its atrium screen later Wednesday in a show of support for free expression.

 ___

 Angela Charlton in Paris, Jill Lawless in London, Alan Clendenning in Madrid, David Keyton in Stockholm, Nicole Winfield in Rome, Geir Moulson in Berlin, Raf Casert in Brussels, and Olga R. Rodriguez in San Francisco contributed to this report. ||||| In every major city across France, hundreds of thousands gathered in a show of defiant solidarity against the gunmen who had invoked Allah as they shot dead 12 people in the offices of the weekly satirical magazine in a few horrifying minutes shortly before 11.30 this morning.

 The terrifying swiftness of the violence visited upon the streets of Paris by murderers on a mission to wipe out a voice of countering their twisted creed with nothing more vicious than humour, had initially put the French capital into a state of spasm.

 Schools were put into lockdown and any pupils out on educational visits were ordered to return to the classroom with all haste. Thousands of troops and police were placed at stations, departments stores and places of worship as France confronted the worst single terrorist attack on its soil for decades.

 But as night fell, Paris, the ville lumiere (city of light) became a place first of dark reflection, but then something approaching burning defiance.

 Jamilla, 34, a school teacher from the Seine-St Denis department to the north east of central Paris where the killers seemed to have fled, pointed towards her poster, depicting a Muslim man in an embrace with a man representing Charlie Hebdo.

 People gather at the Place Royale in Nantes to show their solidarity for the victims of the attack in Paris (Getty)

 She told The Independent: “I am Muslim and I defend until the end what this poster says - hate cannot win. These killers tried to kill not only people but also the idea of peace and debate. I won’t let them do that and everyone in France won’t let them do that. They had no right to use the name of Allah. Mohamed would be turning in his grave. Tonight we are all Charlie. ”

 The Twitter hashtag #JeSuisCharlie was tweeted 650,000 times in France in support of the dead and the right to satirical scurrilousness that they enshrined.

 By early evening some 15,000 people had gathered at Place de la République, forcing police to close roads and Metro stations as crowds thronged to the largely spontaneous protest. Similar demonstrations took place in dozens of French towns and cities, including Lyon, Nantes, Strasbourg and St Etienne.

 In Paris, hundreds held up copies of Charlie Hebdo’s most famous front pages - an image of Mohamed being pushed in a wheelchair by an Orthodox Jew and the “Love: Stronger than hate” image printed after the magazine’s offices were firebombed in 2011.

 Jean-Yves Dupre, 47, a publishing manager at the Place de la République, said: “I read Charlie Hebdo. I don’t always agree with it but it is funny as much as it is outraging. The question is who will make us laugh now? This is about the defence of liberty and the right to question.”

 A man holds a placard reading: 'Freedom of the press is priceless, fundamentalism, of any kind, will not pass' as others hold up placards reading in French, 'I am Charlie' during a gathering at the Place de la Republique in Paris (Getty)

 Marine Champ, 45, was also in the Paris crowd. She told Le Monde: “I’m proud to see all the people who have spontaneously come here to be together. The message is clear - the murderers will not win.”

 As some 3,000 police were mobilised and the French terrorism alert raised to its highest level, armed office were placed outside the offices of media organisations in recognition of the particular strain of intolerance that raised its head at the point of two Kalashnikov-style rifles in Charlie Hebdo’s second floor offices.

 Some questioned why the police presence at the magazine’s offices, close to the headquarters of the left wing daily newspaper Liberation where there was another attack two years ago, had not matched the heavily-armed Gendarmerie detachment put into place in the hours after its editorial team was decimated.

 People gather in front of the 'Club de la presse' in Montpellier, to show their solidarity for the victims of the attack by unknown gunmen on the offices of the satirical weekly, 'Charlie Hebdo' (Getty)

 While one of the two police killed was a close protection office assigned to the weekly’s editor - Stephane Charbonnier - the second, a 40-year-old named only as Ahmed, had arrived unarmed and riding a police mountain bike.

 One man stood near the cordoned off entry to Rue Nicolas Appert said: “Why weren’t they waiting for these bastards to blow them away?”

 The answer to the lower-key security presence seems to have been two-fold. Firstly, what was once a steady flow of threatening emails and telephones to the office of Charlie Hebdo had slowed to a thin trickle. But secondly, its staff had decided that they could abide carrying out their work, holding the feet of authority and demagogy to a fire of cutting humour, under a cloud of fear.

 A woman lays a candle during a gathering at the Place de la Republique in Paris (Getty)

 Aurelie, 29, an artist who lives nearby the magazine’s offices, said: “I talked to one of the guys [from Charlie Hebdo] in a café a year or so ago. He was relaxed. I think his point was that the paper stood for certain values and life had to be lived to prove those values. Somehow, if they changed their routine or sat about worried for themselves then they would be denying what they were about. They have paid a very terrible price for such courage.”

 One Charlie Hebdo staff member told Le Monde: “We don’t really take [the threats] seriously. We’ve got used to it. More recently we’d thought the threats would soon be a thing of the past.”

 France will wake to a day of national mourning for a group of individuals who it seems chose to live by the invocation of Mr Charbonnier, known as Charb, when he said in 2012: “I prefer to die standing than to live on my knees.”

 In a dry cleaning shop not far from the magazine’s offices, the manager Mohammad, from Algeria, shook his head in disbelief at the day’s events. He said: “What can I say? A newspaper isn’t a gun. Who was ever killed by a sheet of paper? These men cannot win. We won’t let them.” ||||| NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — A crowd gathered in Union Square Wednesday night to mourn the victims of the massacre of at least 12 people in a terror attack on a Paris newspaper.

 Meanwhile, one of the suspects in the shooting surrendered to police in Paris late Wednesday New York time, while two more remained at large.

 Hundreds of people were seen in Union Square, singing the French national anthem and holding images of the eyes of the victims and signs with the hashtag #JeSuisCharlie, or “I am Charlie,” referring to the Charlie Hebdo weekly that was attacked, CBS2’s Tony Aiello reported.

 “I think it’s amazing how quickly people rose up and are pushing back on this,” said Brian Borkowsky of Ditmas Park, Brooklyn.

 “These guys just proved today that laughter has become a very dangerous job,” said French citizen Rick Therie.

 Earlier in the day, police Commissioner Bill Bratton called the attack on the Paris offices of the satirical newspaper “very concerning.”

 MORE: Full Coverage From CBS News | PHOTOS: Paris Terror Attack

 He said a detective assigned to Paris has been relaying information on the attack, allowing police here at home to monitor the incident.

 “We will always err on the side of caution and fortunately we have the resources to do quite a lot, even without a direct threat,” Bratton said.

 Since the attack, extra officers have been stationed at various locations throughout the city, including the French Consulate. Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller said the NYPD is taking precautions.

 “We look at the critical response vehicles,” he told WCBS 880’s Peter Haskell. “These are the marked units at potentially sensitive or target locations. We redeploy them based on the world events or the particular threat stream of that moment.”

 We stand in solidarity with the people of France in the wake of today's horrific terror attack on #CharlieHebdo, our values & our freedoms. — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) January 7, 2015

 Mayor Bill de Blasio called the incident “a heinous terrorist attack” that was an attack on the news media and on freedom of expression.

 Bratton: No Direct Threat To NYC Following Terror Attack On Paris Newspaper Peter Haskell reports playpause

 He said he called Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo Wednesday morning to offer his condolences and to express New York City’s “unwavering support for the people of Paris.”

 France On High Alert; Gunmen At Large

 French police officials identified three men as suspects in the deadly attack as French nationals.

 Two officials named the suspects as Frenchmen Said Kouachi and Cherif Kouachi, who are brothers and in their early 30s, as well as 18-year-old Hamyd Mourad, whose nationality wasn’t immediately clear.

 A judicial official said the youngest suspect had turned himself in to police, but there was no official confirmation from authorities.

 Early Thursday Paris time, French police released images of the two other suspects, named as Cherif Kouachi and Said Kouachi, saying they should be considered armed and dangerous.

 Three masked gunmen shouting “Allahu akbar!” stormed the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo Wednesday, killing 12 people, including its editor, before escaping in a car.

 Charlie Hebdo has been repeatedly threatened for its caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad and other controversial sketches.

 Security forces were hunting for the gunmen who spoke flawless, unaccented French in the military-style attack.

 A cartoonist who survived the attack said the shooters claimed to be Al-Qaeda members. |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– "Je Suis Charlie," read signs at silent vigils around the world as thousands of people gathered to express their horror and outrage at the terrorist attack on Paris satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. Around 35,000 people gathered in Paris' Place de la Republique, with many leaving candles and piles of pens at memorials to pay tribute to the 12 dead journalists, cartoonists, and police officers, the BBC reports. "These killers tried to kill not only people but also the idea of peace and debate," a Muslim schoolteacher carrying one of the newspaper's controversial cartoons at the Paris vigil told the Independent. "I won't let them do that and everyone in France won't let them do that. They had no right to use the name of Allah. Mohammed would be turning in his grave. Tonight we are all Charlie." Across France, the number of people at vigils ran into the hundreds of thousands, with vigils also taking place across Europe and worldwide. In New York City, where security has been stepped up at buildings such as the French consulate, a crowd gathered in Union Square sang the French national anthem and held pictures of the victims, reports CBS. There has also been a huge outpouring of support online, with hashtags like #IamCharlie trending, and social media users sharing images like a picture of a machine gun with the slogan "This is not a religion," the AP reports.


News article:

Well, that was certainly worth the wait.

 On Thursday night (March 11), after months of anticipation, leaked on-set photos and rather excellent adventures in hairstyling, Lady Gaga's epic video for "Telephone" finally premiered during E! News, and, honestly, if there's something she didn't cram into the clip, well, then we missed it.

 Part hyperkinetic pop-culture joyride — nods to everything from films like "Caged Heat" and "Kill Bill" to seizure-inducing Japanese television and the color-drenched photography of David LaChapelle — part electric dance extravaganza, "Telephone" is nine-plus minutes of everything you could possibly love about Gaga (and Beyoncé, who, we're sure you know by now, co-stars in the clip), only amped up to the Nth degree.

 It's ambitious, funny and clever, playing much more like a short film than a music video. There are opening and closing credits — it's important to know that the video was written by Gaga and director Jonas Åkerlund, after all — elaborate, over-the-top (or barely there) costumes, and a whole lot of celebrity cameos. This cost money, this took time, this was a work of love and blood and sweat and tears (and a whole lot of hairspray). This was worth it.

 Opening in an ominous women's prison, we first see Gaga being led to her cell by a pair of, well, let's just call them "beefy guards." She is stripped of her impossibly shoulder-padded dress and left nude, while the other inmates howl, and as the guards shut the door behind them, the one cracks to the other, "I told you she didn't have a di--" (a joking nod to those nasty hermaphrodite rumors, of course).

 From there, we get glimpses of Gaga's life behind bars — make-out sessions in the exercise yard (where she is inexplicably wearing sunglasses made out of half-smoked cigarettes), the occasional catfight in the commissary — and then, after nearly three minutes of introduction, Gaga takes a phone call and the song finally begins, first with just some gentle electronic notes and LG's tender vocals, then morphing into a stuttering electro-pop stomper, complemented by a dance sequence (Gaga and her inmates strutting and climbing dressed only in studded underwear, fishnets and stiletto heels) that's sure to make the censors rather nervous.

 Gaga is then bailed out, but not before she busts a Michael Jackson shuffle while one of the guards surfs around on the dating site PlentyOfFish.com (a scene which isn't even the strangest example of product placement in this video). Waiting for her outside the gates is none other than Beyoncé, driving the so-called "P---y Wagon" from "Kill Bill." The two engage in some seriously stilted dialogue — "You know what they say: Once you kill a cow, you gotta make a burger" — though Gaga's dead-eyed stares at the camera make it very clear that it's all intentionally bad (as the acting in all good "women in prison" flicks should be). They then go screaming off into the desert.

 They pull into a diner, where Beyoncé pours herself into a booth opposite Tyrese Gibson, who is a total jerk — so much so that B poisons his coffee. We then cut to a delightfully campy sequence titled "Let's Make a Sandwich" featuring Gaga standing in a kitchen wearing a folded-up telephone on her head while dancers cavort behind her, wielding salad tongs and assorted cutlery. She then, well, makes a sandwich, being sure to show off the Wonder Bread and Miracle Whip logos (this is the strangest example of product placement), whips through a tightly choreographed — and, really, pretty clever — dance sequence and then chomps down on the sandwich. And when was the last time you got to see her do something like that?

 It turns out she also makes poison, which she dumps into some honey and delivers to Beyoncé's booth, dressed as a towering waitress with a telephone dangling in her eye. Gibson smothers his breakfast in the stuff and dies. Unfortunately, everyone else in the joint — including Gaga's pals the Semi Precious Weapons — does the same, and they all suffer the same fate. Gaga and Beyoncé begin the video's third over-the-top dance number, popping and strutting while the dead bodies lay around them. It's sort of creepy, to be honest.

 The two then pile back into the Wagon and head out onto the highway (not before Gaga does a solo performance in front of the vehicle while dressed in an ultra-tight leopard-print number), and as the video reaches its conclusion, they deliver some more of those cheesy lines, join hands and zoom toward the horizon, police sirens wailing in the background. The last thing we see onscreen is text, which promises us "To Be Continued ... " because, hey, why not?

 So now that it's finally here, what else can really be said about the "Telephone" video? To be honest, I'm not sure. It is electric and excellent and alive. It is certainly the best big-budget clip since, well, Gaga's last big-budget clip and probably the best video you'll see all year (well, either that or OK Go's new one). It more than lived up to the hype, which, frankly, few thought it would. But, perhaps most notably, it is an event. You will remember where you were when you first saw it. And when was the last time you could say that about a music video?

 With "Telephone," Gaga has entered the rarest of pop stratospheres, up there with the Madonnas and the, gasp, Michael Jacksons. I'm not comparing talent, just ability: ability to wow, to enthrall and put on a show — one I can only hope is continued sometime very soon.

 What did you think of the "Telephone" video? Was it all you wanted and more? Sound off below! ||||| You must be logged in to view this video.

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What is a shorter version of the above article?

– Lady Gaga lays to rest rumors that she's mixed gender and replaces them with visions of masochistic lesbian love in her latest eye-popping music video. "I told you she didn't have a dick," one buff female prison guard tells another after stripping Lady G in a cell in the video (watch it here) for Telephone. "Too bad," remarks the other. Gaga then struts her stuff in a barely-there thong (or just evidence tape) with little space to hide anything along with a chorus of cons and later Beyoncé, who kills off a male lover with the help of an über-vamped-up Gaga. MTV dubbed the high-budget, 9-minute extravaganza a "hyperkinetic pop-culture joyride" with homages to films like Caged Heat and Kill Bill. In fact, Bill director Quentin Tarantino acted as a kind of consultant on the video. "There certainly is a Tarantino-inspired quality in the video," Gaga explains to E! Online. "I was telling him about my concept for the video and he loved it so much he said, 'You gotta use the Pussy Wagon'"—which is what Beyoncé uses to whisk Gaga out of prison.