CA Man to Face the Death Penalty: A young man out on probation accused of murdering an elderly woman and raping another in a home invasion Sunday night near San Diego will face the death penalty. Maria Arcega-Dunn of Fox 5 reports that Eduardo Torres, 20, broke into the Del Cerro home with Ut Nguyen, 74, a 56-year-old man and a woman in her 50s inside. After the man managed to escape, Torres held the women hostage at knifepoint. He then raped the woman in her 50s while stabbing Nguyen, who died of her injuries. Torres faces charges of burglary, torture, rape, and murder, and could receive a death sentence if convicted.
ISIS Working to Send Operatives to the West, Says CIA Chief: CIA Director John Brennan is speaking to Congress Thursday to inform that Islamic State (ISIS) militants are training and attempting to send operatives to launch attacks on the West. Deb Riechmann of the AP reports that Brennan says ISIS is likely working to smuggle operatives into Western countries, either among the refugee flow or through other legitimate means of travel. He notes that the terror group is also calling for followers to carry out "lone wolf" attacks in their home countries. Although the U.S.-led coalition has made progress curtailing the group both financially and on the battlefield, "our efforts have not reduced the group's terrorism capability and global reach," says Brennan.
NV Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty Against Liquor Store Killers: The death penalty will be sought against two of the three men accused of gunning down a liquor store clerk in Nevada's southwest valley two months ago. David Ferrara of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that Lee "Dominic" Sykes, 21, and Ray Charles Brown, 24, shot and killed Matthew Christensen, 24, during a robbery on April 20. Brown, a gang member, has been identified as the defendant who fired the fatal shot. Sykes and Brown are charged with murder, robbery with a deadly weapon, first-degree kidnapping, burglary while in possession of a firearm, coercion with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. Brown also faces one count each of false imprisonment by body shield and child abuse, neglect or endangerment for using a child to shield himself as an armed SWAT team confronted him. Sykes' brother, Lee "Murry" Sykes, 22, also faces charges in the fatal robbery but is not facing the death penalty because he was unarmed during the incident and lacks a violent past.
ISIS Working to Send Operatives to the West, Says CIA Chief: CIA Director John Brennan is speaking to Congress Thursday to inform that Islamic State (ISIS) militants are training and attempting to send operatives to launch attacks on the West. Deb Riechmann of the AP reports that Brennan says ISIS is likely working to smuggle operatives into Western countries, either among the refugee flow or through other legitimate means of travel. He notes that the terror group is also calling for followers to carry out "lone wolf" attacks in their home countries. Although the U.S.-led coalition has made progress curtailing the group both financially and on the battlefield, "our efforts have not reduced the group's terrorism capability and global reach," says Brennan.
NV Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty Against Liquor Store Killers: The death penalty will be sought against two of the three men accused of gunning down a liquor store clerk in Nevada's southwest valley two months ago. David Ferrara of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that Lee "Dominic" Sykes, 21, and Ray Charles Brown, 24, shot and killed Matthew Christensen, 24, during a robbery on April 20. Brown, a gang member, has been identified as the defendant who fired the fatal shot. Sykes and Brown are charged with murder, robbery with a deadly weapon, first-degree kidnapping, burglary while in possession of a firearm, coercion with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. Brown also faces one count each of false imprisonment by body shield and child abuse, neglect or endangerment for using a child to shield himself as an armed SWAT team confronted him. Sykes' brother, Lee "Murry" Sykes, 22, also faces charges in the fatal robbery but is not facing the death penalty because he was unarmed during the incident and lacks a violent past.
ISIS or "ISIL"
JB1) "our efforts have not reduced the group's terrorism capability and global reach," says Brennan.
JB2) Brennan said the "number of ISIS fighters far exceed what al Qaeda had at its height,"
JB3) “The group’s foreign branches and global networks can help preserve its capability for terrorism regardless of events in Iraq and Syria,” Mr. Brennan said.
--- Concurrent, or contradictory? ---
BO1) "This campaign at this stage is firing on all cylinders. ... ISIL is under more pressure than ever before....ISIL’s ranks are shrinking as well. Their morale is sinking.[says the President]" ...
BO2) “ISIL continues to lose key leaders. ... to lose ground in Iraq. ... to lose ground in Syria as well. ... to lose the money that is its lifeblood."
BO3) “In fact, our intelligence community now assesses that the ranks of ISIL fighters have been reduced to the lowest levels in more than 2-1/2 years.”
--- Who is providing helpful information? If the answer is Brennan,
why does it take Senate testimony to evoke it?
Why can't the President provide an honest assessment? ---
~Adamakis
whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/06/14/remarks-president-after-counter-isil-meeting,
npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/06/16/482302207/cia-director-battlefield-advances-have-not-degraded-isis-terrorism-potential