TIMELINES 4/17/14

U.S. Navy discovers method for turning seawater into jet fuel
Researchers with the U.S. Navy announced last Tuesday they had made a major breakthrough in fuel technology which could allow them to convert seawater into jet fuel. The scientists have discovered a method of breaking down seawater into hydrogen and carbon dioxide, the first step in creating viable, military-grade fuel for jets. Though the process has not yet been perfected, it is hoped it will assist the Navy in achieving energy independence from unstable or hostile petroleum-exporting nations. The process is still very energy-intensive and inefficient, but researchers explained the process will likely be perfected and meet military guidelines within 10 years. The technology would be a strategic boon to the Navy as ships no longer would have to make routing stops for fueling, nor would the Navy need to send refueling boats out to meet them.

Utah woman arrested for having 7 dead babies in house
Megan Huntsman, 39 of Pleasant Grove, Utah, was arrested on April 12 for several counts of murder after seven dead infants were found in her home. Police believe Huntsman gave birth to the children between 1996 and 2006 before murdering them. Authorities only learned of the infants when a family member discovered one of the infants in a cardboard box in Huntsman’s garage. Further investigation turned up six more bodies, all in separate containers. Though seven children were found, only six murder charges were brought against Huntsman. Police would not comment on why only six charges were leveled. Neighbors and relatives claimed they did not know Huntsman had the children.

Anti-Semitic man arrested for shooting spree at Kansas Jewish center
A gunman with a history as a white supremacist shot at five people at a Jewish community center and a Jewish assisted living center in Kansas on April 14, killing three. Frazier Glenn Miller, 73, a former leader of the Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan and White Patriots Party, was arrested at a nearby school in connection to the death of an elderly man and his grandson outside the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City and an unrelated woman at the nearby Village Shalom Retirement Community. It is not believed Miller knew the victims. Police have charged Miller with three counts of murder and they have intend to pursue the case as a hate crime. If they succeed, Miller will be eligible for the death penalty. The murders come at a particularly sensitive time. Not only was Monday the beginning of Passover, but it was a few days before the birthday of Adolf Hitler on April 20, a date known to be linked to extremist acts including the Oklahoma City Bombing.

Bloomberg plans $50 million for anti-N.R.A. Network
Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg made himself known on the political scene for the first time since leaving office with a $50 million investment in an organization devoted to counteracting the activism of the National Rifle Association. Bloomberg, a longtime supporter of more rigid regulations on gun ownership, explained he hoped the new group would succeed in pressuring politicians into supporting gun control measures. Groups already funded by the former mayor will be re-structured and brought under one umbrella group, which will be known as Everytown for Gun Safety. The new group will likely use behind-the-scenes political field operations, mirroring efforts the NRA uses itself rather than stressing overt media blitzes which often characterize gun control measures. It will also borrow tactics from advocacy groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving and specifically target women and mothers.

Prosecutors consider investigation of failed Moreland Commission
Federal prosecutors have not announced action to investigate potentially improper intervention of Governor Andrew Cuomo or his aides in the anti-corruption Moreland Commission, but have not ruled out the possibility either. According to U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, the Moreland Commission will turn over its records to his office. Bharara had previously stated the shuttering of the publicly-supported commission was highly unusual and discouraging and explained any suspicious activity would be investigated by his office. The Moreland Commission was formed in response to a failed ethics legislation package pushed by Cuomo. Though several high-profile developers and lobbyists were subpoenaed for potentially improper contributions, accusations were made that Cuomo and his aides regularly oversaw the investigations and stonewalled prosecutors’ efforts.

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