Dad bikes 1,400 miles to hear deceased daughter's heartbeat on Father's Day

It had been five months since Bill Conner suddenly lost his 20-year-old daughter, Abbey, and he felt like he had to do something to honor her short life.

So, on May 22, a day after his son, Austin, graduated from college, Conner hopped on a bike and began riding across the country.

"This is what she would want me to do," Conner told CBS News.

The dad decided to travel 2,600 miles -- from his hometown of Madison, Wisconsin, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida -- to visit Broward Health Medical Center, the hospital that recovered Abbey's organs for donation back in January.

Abbey and her brother were found unconscious, face down in a resort pool over winter break in Cancun. By the time the pair were discovered and pulled out of the water, Abbey had suffered irreversible brain injury.

She was flown to Fort Lauderdale, where she was kept on life support until doctors could harvest her organs for transplant.

At the age of 16, as soon as she got her license, Abbey made the decision to be an organ donor. It was something her family had previously discussed.

"She registered. It's something that she knew a long time ago. Unfortunately, it came to fruition, but that's Abbey," Conner said. "If you had her as a friend she always had your back, and for her to be helping people in need -- that fits who she is."

As Conner said his final goodbye to his "baby girl," another family's drama was playing out at another hospital a few states south. There, 21-year-old Loumonth Jack, Jr. was told his days were numbered.

The young man from Lafayette, Louisiana, suffered a heart attack and his heart was quickly failing.

He needed a miracle, and then came Abbey.

"He was given 10 days to live," Conner said. "With Abbey and the way things went -- he's alive today."

Abbey donated four organs, allowing four males, ages 20 to 60, to live, Conner said. She also donated her eyes and other tissues.

When Conner informed the Florida donation center that handled Abbey's organs about his decision to ride on her behalf, the group sent letters to every recipient, asking if they'd be interested in meeting the woman's father.

"The only person who has responded at this point is Jack Jr., the heart recipient," Conner said.

Conner was given Jack's contact information and reached out to the young man several times before they arranged to meet in Baton Rouge on Father's Day -- 1,400 miles into Conner's trip.

"He's a really humble kid," Conner said. "Obviously, you know, I'm a dad. His parents raised him well. He's very courteous and respectful and he's got an old soul."

When Conner met Jack Sunday afternoon he felt like he already knew him. The pair walked toward one another with their arms outstretched.

"Knowing he's alive because of Abbey, Abbey is alive inside of him -- it's her heart having him stand up straight," Conner said. "I was happy for him and his family, and at the same time, I got to reunite with my daughter."

After sharing a minute-long hug, Jack pulled out a stethoscope so Conner could hear his daughter's heartbeat for the first time since she died in January.

Listening carefully, surrounded by Jack's friends and family, Conner heard the thumping. Both men began to tear up.

"She saved me and I can't repay her. I wish I could but I can't," Jack told CBS affiliate WAFB in Baton Rouge. "All I can do is send my love to her family."

The family made a recording of Jack's heart so Conner could listen to it as he rides.

After spending a little more time together, Conner continued on his journey to spread awareness about the importance of organ donation, sharing his daughter's story along the way.

"It's about not being selfish and burying things that could help people live or live better lives," Conner said. "If you want a legacy -- what better legacy could you have than to help people live?"

Originally published on  CBS News

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Facebook Celebrated the 20th Anniversary of Harry Potter With This Magical Easter Egg

It's been exactly 20 years since readers around the world were first introduced to Harry Potter, the bespectacled boy wizard who lived beneath the stairs of No. 4, Privet Drive, in an imaginary England.

In a nod to the 20th anniversary on Monday of J.K Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone — titled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the United States — Facebook presented its users with an easter egg, Mashable reports.

Here's how it works: type the name of any of the four Hogwarts houses — Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff — into a post or comment and it appears in that house's color. An animated wand appears when users click on the names, casting a colorful spell.

The word Harry Potter also appears in the red hue of the young wizard's house, Gryffindor. The words Albus Dumbledore, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Draco Malfoy appear in the usual muggle manner.

Originally published on TIME

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Judge orders body of Salvador Dalí to be exhumed

A judge has ordered the body of surrealist master Salvador Dalí to be exhumed to obtain samples for a paternity suit, according to reports Monday.

The BBC reported that a Spanish woman, Pilar Abel, claims Dalí is her father after he had an affair with a maid in 1955. A judge ordered the body to be exhumed because there were no alternative ways — either biological remains or personal objects of the artist — to gather a sample to be used in a DNA test.

Abel, then 58, claimed in 2015 that her mother and Dalí met during the 1950s as her mother worked for a family that spent summers in Cadaqués, Spain, where the late artist once owned a home before he died in 1989. The couple “had a friendship that developed into clandestine love,” according to documents filed by Abel to a Madrid Court.

Dalí was later buried in Figueres.

Abel, who was born in 1956, took a DNA test in 2007 after her mother’s repeated assertions that she was Dalí’s daughter, using hair and skin remnants she obtained from a “death mask” of the painter. But the results were inconclusive, The Guardian reports.

Abel then reached out to Dalí’s official biographer, Robert Descharnes, and they agreed that further DNA testing would be done in Paris. But Abel claimed she never received the results of the DNA test and filed a paternity suit in Madrid in 2015 to obtain the results or have another test conducted.

In 2008, Descharnes’ son, Nicolas, disputed Abel’s claim, saying he was told by the doctor who conducted the test in Paris that had told Abel that the test was negative.

“There is no relationship between this woman and Salvador Dalí,” Nicolas Descharnes told the Spanish agency Efe in 2008, according to The Guardian.

Originally published on New York Post

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Facebook Is Going Hollywood, Seeking Scripted TV Programming

Facebook is in talks with Hollywood studios about producing scripted, TV-quality shows, with an aim of launching original programming by late summer, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

The social networking giant has indicated that it was willing to commit to production budgets as high as $3m per episode, in meetings with Hollywood talent agencies, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Facebook is hoping to target audiences from ages 13 to 34, with a focus on the 17 to 30 range. The company has already lined up “Strangers”, a relationship drama, and a game show, “Last State Standing”, the report said.

Facebook could not be immediately reached for comment.

The company is expected to release episodes in a traditional manner, instead of dropping an entire season in one go like Netflix and Amazon, WSJ reported.

The company is also willing to share its viewing figures with Hollywood, the report said.

Apple hired co-presidents of Sony Pictures Television, Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, earlier this month, to lead its video-programming efforts.

Apple began its long-awaited move into original television series last week, with a reality show called “Planet of the Apps”, an unscripted show about developers trying to interest celebrity mentors with a 60-second pitch on an escalator.

The company's future programming plans include an adaptation of comedian James Corden's “Carpool Karaoke” segment from his CBS Corp show that will begin airing in August.

Originally published on The Independent

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UK's Prince Harry says he 'wanted out' of royal family

Britain's Prince Harry has revealed he once considered relinquishing his royal title in order to have the chance of leading an "ordinary life".

"I felt I wanted out but then decided to stay in and work out a role for myself," the prince – who is fifth in line to the throne – said during an interview with the Mail on Sunday.

Harry, who is 32-years-old, described his time with the British Army as the "best escape" he'd ever had and subsequently felt "very resentful" when he was compelled to leave.

Having spent 10 years in the Army, serving in Afghanistan on two separate occasions, the prince was made to leave in 2008 after his whereabouts was reported by the media and his presence was adjudged to have become a security issue.

"I felt very resentful … I felt as though I was really achieving something," Harry said.

Since leaving the Army, the prince has been heavily involved in various charitable projects, including supporting wounded veterans and mental health groups.

'Nobody in the royal family wants to be king or queen'

Less than two weeks ago, Prince Harry told Newsweek magazine that nobody in Britain's royal family wanted to be king or queen. Harry's father, Prince Charles, is first in line for the throne.

"Is there any one of the royal family who wants to be king or queen? I don't think so, but we will carry out our duties at the right time," he said.

"We want to make sure the monarchy lasts and are passionate about what it stands for … But it can't go on as it has done under the queen. There will be changes and pressure to get them right."

"Things are moving so fast, especially because of social media, so we are involved in modernizing the monarchy."

Originally published on CNBC

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HBO, John Oliver sued by coal company after mocking tycoon

A coal company is suing HBO and its ”Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver, claiming the comedian and political commentator defamed them on air.

Coal titan Murray Energy called last Sunday’s show — which critiqued the Trump administration’s efforts to revive the struggling industry — a “false and malicious broadcast” in newly filed court papers.

The Ohio company is seeking financial damages, and requesting a court order that bars the segment from being rebroadcast.

The provocative segment needled Murray Energy CEO Robert Murray — with Oliver saying the 77-year-old tycoon looked like a “geriatric Dr. Evil” — while noting his company had battled coal safety regulations.

The talk show host also mentioned Murray’s litigious past, including a suit he filed against the New York Times last month for libel.

“Bob Murray, I didn’t really plan for so much of this piece to be about you, but you kind of forced my hand on that one,” Oliver said on air. “And I know you’re probably going to sue me over this. But, you know what? I stand by everything I said.”

Murray has publicly blamed the Obama administration for harming the coal industry.

The papers, filed Wednesday, claim Oliver tried to embarrass Murray by poking fun at his age and appearance, while spreading falsehoods about a 2007 Utah mine collapse in which nine people died.

Oliver ignored statements sent from spokespeople, the suit says, which show an earthquake triggered the collapse — and then neglected to mention “the efforts Mr. Murray personally made to save the trapped miners.”

Murray Energy employs some 5,400 people, with about half of those in West Virginia.

The show didn’t violate the rights of either Murray Energy or its CEO, an spokesman for Time Warner Inc.’s TWX, +0.10%   HBO said.

Originally published on MarketWatch

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NASA Prepares for Aug. 21 Total Solar Eclipse with Live Coverage, Safety Information

For the first time in 99 years, a total solar eclipse will occur across the entire continental United States, and NASA is preparing to share this experience of a lifetime on Aug. 21.

Viewers around the world will be provided a wealth of images captured before, during, and after the eclipse by 11 spacecraft, at least three NASA aircraft, more than 50 high-altitude balloons, and the astronauts aboard the International Space Station – each offering a unique vantage point for the celestial event.

NASA Television will air a multi-hour show, Eclipse Across America: Through the Eyes of NASA, with unprecedented live video of the celestial event, along with coverage of activities in parks, libraries, stadiums, festivals and museums across the nation, and on social media.

Coast to coast, from Oregon to South Carolina, 14 states will – over a span of almost two hours – experience more than two minutes of darkness in the middle of the day. When the moon completely blocks the sun, day will turn into night and make visible the otherwise hidden solar corona, the sun’s atmosphere. Bright stars and planets also will become visible. Using specialized solar viewing glasses or other equipment, all of North America will be able to view at least a partial eclipse lasting two to four hours.  

“Never before will a celestial event be viewed by so many and explored from so many vantage points – from space, from the air, and from the ground,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. “With our fellow agencies and a host of scientific organizations, NASA will continue to amplify one key message: Take time to experience the Aug. 21 eclipse, but experience it safely.”

Viewing Safety

The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun. In the 70-mile-wide swath of the country that will experience a total eclipse, it’s safe to look at the total eclipse with your naked eyes only during the brief period of totality, which will last about two minutes, depending on your location.

An alternative method for safe viewing of the partially-eclipsed sun is with a pinhole projector. With this method, sunlight streams through a small hole – such as a pencil hole in a piece of paper, or even the space between your fingers – onto a makeshift screen, such as a piece of paper or the ground. It’s important to watch the screen, not the sun.

For more information on viewing safety, visit:

https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety

NASA and other agencies will provide vital information and updates on their respective websites that include viewing safety, activities across the country including at national parks, in addition to transportation preparations.

Studying Our Sun

Many researchers and citizen scientists will take advantage of this unique opportunity to study our sun, solar system, and Earth under rare circumstances. The sudden blocking of the sun during an eclipse reduces the light and changes the temperature on the ground, creating conditions that can affect local weather and animal behavior.

Understanding the sun has always been a top priority for space scientists. These scientists study how the sun affects space and the space environment of planets – a field known as heliophysics. As a source of light and heat for life on Earth, scientists want to understand how our sun works, why it changes, and how these changes influence life on Earth. The sun’s constant stream of solar material and radiation can impact spacecraft, communications systems, and orbiting astronauts.

“Eclipse 2017 provides an incredible opportunity to engage the entire nation and the world, inspiring learners of all ages who have looked to the sky with curiosity and wonder,” said Steven Clarke, director of NASA’s Heliophysics Division in Washington.

NASA spacecraft capturing the event include: NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which will turn toward Earth to track the shadow of the moon on our planet; a host of Earth-observing spacecraft, which can both observe the shadow of the moon and measure how it affects Earth’s weather; and a fleet of solar observing spacecraft. NASA images and data of the eclipse will complement that collected by other scientific organizations.

Originally published on NASA

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Grenfell Tower: Fire started in Hotpoint fridge-freezer, say police

The Grenfell Tower fire in London started in a fridge-freezer, and outside cladding and insulation failed safety tests, police say.

The Metropolitan Police say manslaughter, health and safety, and fire safety charges will be considered.

A total of 79 people are feared dead after the blaze destroyed 151 homes in the Kensington tower block and nearby.

In Salford, cladding is to be removed from nine of its residential tower blocks because of safety concerns.

The city's mayor Paul Dennett said: "Government tests are under way but is already clear the cladding on our blocks must be removed. There will be no waiting around... while there are any questions about the safety of our residents."

Meanwhile, the government has ordered immediate testing of the Hotpoint fridge-freezer that was involved in the Grenfell fire.

Whirlpool, which owns Hotpoint, said: "We offer our most profound condolences to the victims, those who have lost loved ones, homes, and possessions, and to their friends and families."

Nine of those who died on 14 June have been formally identified so far. Nine people remain in hospital, with three people still in critical care.

Police said the fire had not been started deliberately and the speed with which the fire spread was "unexpected".

A national operation to identify buildings with cladding similar to that used in Grenfell Tower has seen local authorities send samples for independent tests.

The Department for Communities and Local Government said 14 residential high-rise buildings in nine local authority areas have now been found with cladding that raises safety concerns.

The buildings identified are:

• Horatia House and Leamington House in Somerstown, Portsmouth, where the city council is removing cladding after testing found it was a fire risk

• three high-rise blocks on the Mount Wise Tower estate in Plymouth, where cladding made of similar material to Grenfell Tower was found

• five high-rise blocks on Camden Council's Chalcots estate in north London where officials are preparing to remove cladding
• Rivers Apartments, in Tottenham, north London, where cladding is incorporated as part of the design

• Braithwaite House, one of eight blocks tested on an Islington Council estate

• the Village 135 development in Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester, where 78 panels were being removed from one area of the site

• Clements Court tower in Cranford, west London, where Hounslow Council says it will remove the outer cladding from the building

The Department for Education said all bodies responsible for safety in schools in England are being instructed to carry out checks to identify any buildings that may require further investigation.

One building is being checked in Northern Ireland as a precautionary measure.

But no buildings giving cause for concern have been found in Wales, while the Scottish Government said no council or housing association high-rise block in Scotland had cladding of the type used in Grenfell Tower.

Preliminary tests on the samples of insulation showed it burned soon after the test started, and more quickly than the cladding tiles.

However, they both failed the police's safety tests - which are similar to those being carried out by the UK government.

Some 250 specialist investigators have been deployed to find out what happened.

Every company involved in the building and refurbishment of Grenfell Tower will also be looked at as part of the investigation.

Det Supt Fiona McCormack said all criminal charges are being considered "from manslaughter onwards".

She said officers had been in the tower "from top to bottom", adding that next week a lift would be installed to the outside of the building.

She added the forensic search "may not be complete until the end of the year".

"There is a terrible reality that we may not find or identify everyone who died due to the intense heat."

Originally published on BBC

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Prosecutors not against replacing Messi jail term with fine

Prosecutors in Barcelona say they are not against replacing football star Lionel Messi's 21-month jail sentence for tax fraud with a fine, a spokeswoman announced Friday.

They said they were willing to give the 29-year-old a fine of 400 euros ($450) a day for the duration of the sentence -- an option that the defence of the Argentina international has also proposed.

That would amount to more than 250,000 euros, although the court has the final decision over whether to go ahead with this option.

The daily fine would come on top of the 2.09-million-euro fine Messi was also given when he and his father Jorge Horacio Messi were found guilty of tax fraud in a trial last year and sentenced to 21 months in jail.

Both appealed, but Spain's Supreme Court last month confirmed the jail term for the Barcelona striker, although it reduced Messi's father's sentence to 15 months.

The pair used companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying taxes on 4.16 million euros of Messi's income earned from his image rights from 2007-09.

The income related to Messi's image rights that was hidden includes endorsement deals with Danone, Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Procter & Gamble and the Kuwait Food Company.

Messi is not the only football star to run into problems with Spain's courts, with Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo the latest to have been summoned to appear before a judge investigating tax fraud.

He is due to be questioned on July 31 on suspicion of evading 14.7 million euros in taxes.

Originally published on AFP

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Carrie Fisher Had Heroin, Cocaine in System When She Died, Report Reveals — As Daughter Billie Releases Emotional Statement

Carrie Fisher had heroin and cocaine in her system at the time of her death, according to her toxicology report.

PEOPLE obtained official documents from the Los Angeles County coroner’s office on Monday that reveal the late actress had cocaine, methadone, ethanol and opiates in her system when she passed away at the age of 60 in December.

“The exposure to cocaine took place sometime approximately in the last 72 hours of the sample that was obtained,” stated the report.

The report also stated that Fisher had a “remote exposure to MDMA,” which is a commonly known as ecstasy.

The toxicology report also found traces of an anti-depressant and antihistamine in her system.

Though Fisher had multiple substances in her system, it is unclear if drug use ultimately contributed to her death.

“Based on the available toxicological information, we cannot establish the significance of the multiple substances that were detected in Ms. Fisher’s blood and tissue, with regard to the cause of death,” stated the report.

An external examination was conducted on Fisher’s body as her family objected to an autopsy.

On Friday, the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office revealed Fisher’s death was caused by sleep apnea and other undetermined factors.

The coroner also said Fisher suffered from atherosclerotic heart disease and “drug use,” but no specifics were given at the time.

“The manner of death has been ruled undetermined,” the report concluded.

In an exclusive statement to PEOPLE, Fisher’s only child, Billie Lourd, addressed the report.

“My mom battled drug addiction and mental illness her entire life. She ultimately died of it.  She was purposefully open in all of her work about the social stigmas surrounding these diseases.

“She talked about the shame that torments people and their families confronted by these diseases. I know my Mom, she’d want her death to encourage people to be open about their struggles. Seek help, fight for government funding for mental health programs. Shame and those social stigmas are the enemies of progress to solutions and ultimately a cure. Love you Momby.”

The actress, best known as Star Wars‘ Princess Leia, suffered a heart attack at the end of last year. She was flying from London to Los Angeles on Friday, Dec. 23, when she went into cardiac arrest. Paramedics removed her from the flight and rushed her to a nearby hospital, where she was treated for a heart attack. She later died in the hospital, just one day before her mother, Debbie Reynolds, passed away.

According to the toxicology report, Fisher’s personal assistant said she had “multiple apneic episodes” during the flight, which was normal for her.

“Near the end of the 10-hour flight she was not able to be aroused,” stated the report. “A few minutes later the decedent vomited profusely then slumped over ”

Lourd, 24, took to Instagram to pay tribute to her mother and grandmother days after their deaths.

“Receiving all of your prayers and kind words over the past week has given me strength during a time I thought strength could not exist,” Lourd wrote on Instagram Jan. 2, her first time commenting on their deaths. “There are no words to express how much I will miss my Abadaba and my one and only Momby. Your love and support means the world to me.”

Fisher had long been open about her struggle with bipolar disorder and substance abuse issues, starting at only age 13 when she began smoking marijuana. She said she later dabbled in drugs like cocaine and LSD.

Fisher explored her issues with addiction in her 1987 bestselling, semi-autobiographical novel, Postcards from the Edge, which was later turned into a movie starring Meryl Streep.

“I couldn’t stop, or stay stopped. It was never my fantasy to have a drug problem,” she told PEOPLE in 1987. “I’d say, ‘Oh, f— it, I haven’t done anything for a couple of months, why not? Let’s celebrate not doing them by doing them.’ I got into trouble each time. I hated myself. I just beat myself up. It was very painful.”

She told PEOPLE in 2013, “The only lesson for me, or anybody, is that you have to get help. I’m not embarrassed.”

Originally published on People

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Portugal forest fire: 12 survive by hiding in a water tank

Twelve people survived one of Portugal's deadliest fires by seeking refuge in a water tank after access to their village was cut off by the blaze.

The residents, including a disabled 95-year-old woman, spent more than six hours in the tank as the fire prevented them from being rescued.

"If it wasn't for this, we would all have died," one of the survivors said.

The fires, which police believe were started by lightning, killed 63 people, many of them dying in their cars.

The latest of the victims was identified as a 40-year-old firefighter who died in hospital.

Residents in some areas of central Portugal were still being evacuated as more than 1,000 firefighters tackled the blaze, which continued to rage on several fronts on Monday despite light rain.

Maria do Céu Silva was hailed as a hero after using her house's water tank to rescue the residents of Nodeirinho, next to the IC8 motorway, which was badly hit by the fire.

The idea, Ms Silva said, came while she tried to save her disabled mother.

"My husband told me to put her in the van but she couldn't get in by herself so she told me: 'Let me die on the floor'," she told Correio da Manhã newspaper.

"With the help of my son we managed to take her here." Her 81-year-old father also survived by hiding in the tank.

The winds were so strong, she said, that roofs of the houses were blown out. "It was like a horror movie."

Eyewitness: Fire survivor Gareth Roberts

We found ourselves stranded in a village called Mó Grande, just off of the IC8 motorway; ourselves and others were directed there by an officer from the IC8.

As we drove up the mountain road you could see the flames jumping across from one side of the valley to the other. The accompanying wind threw branches at the car but you couldn't stop, you could feel the heat.

Eventually we reached the small village at a crossroads surrounded by fire. Locals and ourselves were crying, overwhelmed by the heat and speed of the fire. It was dark, so dark, among the flames.

The devastation was indescribable. People, bewildered, remains of homes burning uncontrollably, concrete posts exploding over roads.

Next to the village, 30 bodies were found inside cars, with another 17 next to the vehicles, on the N-236 road, which leads on to the IC8 motorway. The N-236 was being described as the "road of death" in Portuguese media.

A few kilometres north of Nodeirinho, 11 people died in the village of Pobrais. Local reports said a third of the population had lost their lives, many as they tried to escape the fire. A survivor spoke of the roads being blocked and of no-one coming to their aid.

Maria de Fátima Nunes and her husband were driving on the motorway when their car was hit by the fire.

"My husband was burned on the arm," she told SIC Notícias. "I got burned too, on the chest."

"There was fire at the top of the pine trees and they were falling over the cars. The fire was coming from all sides. The cars crashed into each other trying to escape."

The couple who were in the car behind them, she said, did not manage to escape and died. "I shouted for the woman to get out of the car, but she didn't. Her husband did, but died there."

Officials said on Monday that 135 people had been injured by the fires, including more than a dozen firefighters.

The fires began on Saturday in the Pedrógão Grande region during an intense heatwave and rainless thunderstorms, with temperatures of more than 40C (104F) in some areas.

Meanwhile, outbreaks were reported in two more central regions, Castelo Branco and Coimbra. There was some rain on Monday and temperatures dropped slightly, but the situation was described by civil protection officials as worrying.

Prime Minister António Costa visited some of the affected areas and urged people to follow the evacuation calls.

Originally published on BBC

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