open discussion for all

(Reuters) - A Pennsylvania woman convicted of helping her husband rape her teenaged daughter in an effort to conceive a baby that the woman could raise as her own was sentenced to 15 to 30 years in prison on Thursday, her lawyer said.


Misty Machinshok, 33, of Wilkes-Barre pleaded guilty in January to charges including rape, assault, endangering the welfare of a child and conspiracy.


Prosecutors said Machinshok was unable to have another child and wanted the 15-year-old girl to become pregnant so she could raise the baby.


They said Machinshok assisted in the rape by pushing the girl onto her husband and suggesting the best positions for getting her pregnant.


Prosecutor Nancy Violi called the crime "the most heinous" she had dealt with in 14 years on the job.


The rape came to light when one of the girl's friends alerted a teacher who called police, Violi said.


The girl was raped more than once in 2013 after the couple met through a website called onlinebootycall.com, Violi said.


Gary Machinshok, 29, has pleaded no contest, cooperated with prosecutors and testified against his wife.


He also was charged with sexually assaulting Misty Machinshok's younger daughter, age 11 at the time. He is slated to be sentenced on Monday.


Misty Machinshok's lawyer Mary Deady would not comment.


Violi said both victims are in foster care.

Tyus Jones scored 23 points, his good friend and freshman team-mate Jahlil Okafor added a couple of key baskets in the closing minutes, and the Blue Devils beat Wisconsin 68-63 on Monday night to give coach Mike Krzyzewski his fifth national championship.

The Blue Devils took the lead for the first time since it was 29-28 on a three-pointer by Grayson Allen, who came off the bench to score 16 points. After the Badgers regained the lead on back-to-back baskets by Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker, the Blue Devils stormed away.

Jones started it with a basket, and Okafor — mired in foul trouble all game — returned to the floor to score the next two hoops. By the time Jones knocked down a three-pointer with 1:10 to go, the Blue Devils had pushed their lead to 66-58 and the celebration was starting in the stands.

Wisconsin tried to foul its way back into the game in the final minute, but Jones added two more free throws with 34.9 seconds remaining to seal the victory.

Jones and Okafor have known each other since playing for USA Basketball, and decided together to attend Duke. Their goal was to win a national championship — and now they have it.

Kaminsky, the AP player of the year, finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Badgers, seeking their first title since 1941. Dekker added 12 points and eight boards.

Oklahoma is set to become the first state in the US to allow the use of nitrogen gas as a method of execution.
The state legislature has passed a bill, which now awaits the governor's signature to become law.
Several US states are considering alternative execution methods as they struggle to obtain lethal injection drugs amid a nationwide shortage.
Inventories dwindled after European manufacturers opposed to capital punishment refused to sell the drugs.
Later this month. the US Supreme Court will review the use of midazolam, a drug used in Oklahoma executions,
Last year a condemned inmate in Oklahoma struggled for almost an hour during a lethal injection execution.
It is the first drug applied to a prisoner during an execution, and is followed by two others which stop the heart and cause death. Alternatives to midazolam are short supply.
Under the new law, nitrogen gas chambers will become Oklahoma's primary backup method of execution if lethal injection drugs are unavailable or ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
Electrocution and firing squad are the backup methods currently available to the state.
The bill was passed by the legislature without a single dissenting vote. A spokeswoman for Governor Mary Fallin, a strong supporter of the death penalty, tells BBC News Online that her decision will be announced next week.
Supporters of the bill say nitrogen gas poisoning, or nitrogen-induced hypoxia, is a more humane and painless way to die and requires no medical expertise to perform. There are no reports that it has ever been used before on humans.
The governor of Utah signed a bill on 23 March that allows death by firing squad as a backup option should lethal injection drugs become unavailable. The decision has been criticized by the American Civil Liberties Union as "brutal" and "barbaric."
Oklahoma has temporarily halted its remaining executions as the state awaits review by the Supreme Court.

good evening

The best exercise for weight loss

There are many kinds of exercises out there. While some are great for gaining muscle mass, others are better for weight loss. This article will focus on the best exercise for weight loss.

Cardio exercises are wonderful for weight loss. Not only are they good for the heart, but they are truly a great way to shed pounds when done consistently. Some great cardio exercises include bike riding, brisk walking, running, jogging, and stair climbing.

The best exercise for weight loss is method that is going to keep you entertained. After all, if you get bored, you are probably not likely to stick to your routine. Zumba has become popular these days, and for good reason. In addition to being tons of fun, it involves a lot of dancing, another great calorie and weight burner.

When people think of Yoga and Pilates, they think of relaxation. However, what most people do not realize is that these are both wonderful weight loss tools. There are Yoga and Pilates classes that incorporate a lot of movement in them. You will become more flexible, as well, making it easier for you to do other exercises.

Traditional exercise machines, like a treadmill or elliptical, are one of the best exercise for weight loss ideas. But, it is easy to purchase one of these machines and let sit around your home, collecting dust. This is why you need to make working out on these machines fun. Put on your favorite radio station or watch TV while you are on these machines. You will be done with your routine in no time.

Almost nothing can beat swimming when it comes to exercising to lose weight. You would be amazed at how many calories you can lose by swimming a few times a week. If you do not have a pool or know someone who would let you use their pool, you could always join your local YMCA or similar club.

Playing sports is another wonderful way to lose weight. This does not include sports like golf or archery, where you are pretty much mobile the whole time. Tennis, volleyball, basketball and football all involve a lot of movement and when done frequently, are one of, if not the best exercise for weight loss.

If you have children, you can use them as a tool for weight loss. Simple things, like jumping on the trampoline with them, or playing a game of soccer with them, will not only keep them entertained, but will also help you burn calories.

With the invention of video game consoles, like the Wii and Xbox360, comes a new idea for exercising. These consoles have a number of games that are meant for weight loss. The best part is that you do not even need to leave home to participate!

As you can see by reading this article, there are many different exercises you can do to lose weight. A lot of them are even fun. Now, it is up to you to figure out which method is the best exercise for weight loss.

What To Do If You Want To Exercise To Lose Weight Fast

There are a lot of things you can do if losing weight is one of your goals. So much help is available and some of it is even free. If this is something that you think will interest you, then this article will tell you how to find the information you need if you want to exercise to lose weight fast.

One thing everyone should know if they want to start exercising is that there are a lot of resources available for free online. Of course it will take some time to find these things, but it is worth it if you compare it to having to buy books or DVDs. All you have to do is search for free exercise tips on your favorite search engine and you should get quite a few results.

Another way to find things to help you to exercise to lose weight fast is to look at a bookstore online. Search for a place that sells books and look for books that have tutorials in them for people looking to lose weight. A lot of the time there will be used books on these sites that will allow you to save quite a bit of money if you were to order them. Do your best to get a book used so that you don't have to pay as much money and you're helping get a book read that would have otherwise been thrown out.

Try to find someone else to exercise with if you start to feel like you cannot get motivated enough to do it on your own. This is a fantastic idea because if you feel like giving up then the other person can call you up and tell you that they're going and want you to come. It's a lot harder to give up if someone else is trying to get you to go because you'll probably feel bad if you let them go by themselves. Get a gym membership with your friends or a family member and make it a point to go there a couple of times a week.

Some people that want to exercise to lose weight fast have found that they do well if they have some kind of a supplement that they take before exercising. There are so many supplements out there that can help that you really have to do some research on them. Just go online and search for supplements that help with losing weight. Try to be careful, however, because some supplements may have side effects. Read through all of the information that comes with your supplements so that you know how many it's safe to take.

It will be a little bit tough to start exercising at first, but you can do it. Losing weight will make you feel a lot better about how you look and feel. It will also help you to avoid a lot of health problems. Use the above advice and you will be well on your way to weight loss!

Turkey recalls ambassador to the Vatican after Pope described mass killing of Armenians as "genocide" bbc.in/1JBIEik

(NewsUSA) - They've reached what you could call the braking point.

Fueled by anger over Uber and other ride-booking services' own warnings that their drivers may pose a "risk," critics are calling for a "Passenger Bill of Rights" that would serve as a stop-gap until lawmakers act to officially crack down on the app-based industry's most egregious safety issues.

Safety -- or the lack of it -- has been a major concern ever since news reports began piling up of ride-booking drivers across the country being arrested for allegedly raping and assaulting passengers. And with the companies fighting efforts to subject their drivers to the same rigorous background checks as taxi and limousine drivers, the last straw may have been the discovery that the "terms of use" posted on their own websites appear to place the burden on passengers to decide who they're willing to entrust their lives to behind the wheel.

"By using the services," Uber states, "you acknowledge that you may be exposed to situations involving third-party providers" -- meaning, their drivers -- "that are potentially unsafe, offensive, harmful to minors, or otherwise objectionable, and that use of third-party providers arranged or scheduled using the services is at your own risk."

And from Lyft, another top industry player: "Users understand and accept that Lyft has no control over the identity or actions of the riders and drivers. . . Drivers and riders use the services at their own risk."

The Bill of Rights intentionally includes all "ground transportation," not just app-based services like Uber, Lyft, Sidecar and Whisk. That jibes with the stance of the non-profit National Limousine Association, which suggested the guidelines as part of its "Ride Responsibly" campaign, that "everyone be held to the same standards."

"As the global voice of the private driver transportation industry," said Gary Buffo, the NLA's president, "we feel it is our obligation to promote a safer and more accountable system for passengers and operators."

Among the rights passengers would be entitled to:

* Proof of commercial-for-hire licensing and certifications.

* A safe and courteous driver covered by commercial vehicle insurance (which ride-booking drivers may or may not have).

* A fully vetted and trained driver who's undergone official criminal background checks and pre-hire drug testing.

* Air-conditioning on request.

* Fully functioning seat belts.

* A quoted fare and final charge that match the agreed upon amount.

* Assurance that the vehicle has undergone regular inspections and is certified as being safe.

With a new Harris Poll showing a whopping 91 percent of Americans believe there should be mandatory rules and regulations for ride-hailing drivers, the NLA also stepped up pressure on lawmakers by setting up a website ( www.rideresponsibly.org ) to provide a forum for public debate on the issue.

howdy