Lawmaker claims Pentagon using new diagnosis to drive out sex assault accusers -- Fox News "Lawmakers have expressed fears that the Defense Department is using a new disorder diagnosis to remove accusers in sexual assault cases from the military. "Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., has accused the Pentagon of diagnosing troops who report that they were sexually assaulted with adjustment disorder and having them discharged. Speier told The Washington Times that the practice is a new tactic for the military, which previously diagnosed service members tied to sexual assault cases with personality disorder. "'It’s like a "Whac-A-Mole,"' Speier told the paper. 'Every time we shut them down on something, they'll find a way around it.'" Michael Nelson/EPA Senate Democrats propose more spending on mentally ill criminals -- Los Angeles Times "State Senate Democrats on Wednesday offered a $165-million package of proposals aimed at ...

Getty Images President Obama reveals plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan by 2016 -- The Independent "In an attempt to turn the page on the occupation which started within a month of the 9/11 attacks in 2001, Obama said 9,800 American troops of the 32,000-strong current force would be kept in Afghanistan after the US combat mission formally ends later this year. ... "But the move is likely to garner criticism at home. Before the address, Tony Blinken, Obama's deputy national security adviser, said that the US had allocated about $20 billion (£11.8 billion) on the continued military presence. Asked if such a cost was worth it, Blinken replied: 'We want to complete the job that we started." At the same time, he said "we can't be in an endless war posture.'" Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images Obama delays DHS deportation review -- Associated Press "President Barack Obama has asked his Homeland Security chief to hold off on complet...

Dialing with Dollars: How County Jails Profit From Immigrant Detainees -- The Nation "Arali and Milton are just two of thousands of undocumented immigrants across the United States who are charged exorbitant rates for calls from county jails that contract with ICE to hold immigrant detainees. About 50 percent of all immigrant detainees are held in county jails, according to ICE, and many of these cash-strapped jails, like Plymouth County Detention Center, have sought to raise revenue through contracts with phone companies that charge excessive rates and kick back part of the profits. Immigrant detainees end up paying the same inflated telephone rates charged to their citizen inmate counterparts, but unlike jail inmates charged with a crime, immigration detainees don’t have access to court-appointed attorneys. This means they are responsible for finding an attorney or representing themselves, both tasks that require affordable phone access." ***learn more about how your o...

What Does U.S. Look Like With 10 Feet of Sea Level Rise? -- Climate Central "More than half of the area of 40 large cities (population over 50,000) is less than 10 feet above the high tide line, from Virginia Beach and Miami (the largest affected), down to Hoboken, N.J. (smallest). Twenty-seven of the cities are in Florida, where one-third of all current housing sits below the critical line — including 85 percent in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Each of these counties is more threatened than any whole state outside of Florida – and each sits on bedrock filled with holes, rendering defense by seawalls or levees almost impossible. "By the metric of most people living on land less than 10 ft above the high tide line, New York City is most threatened in the long run, with a low-lying population count of more than 700,000. Sixteen other cities, including New Orleans, La.; Norfolk, Va.; Stockton, Calif.; Boston, Mass.; St. Petersburg, Fla.; and Jacksonville, Fla.; are on ...

Mexico legalises vigilantes to fight cartels -- Al Jazeera English "Mexican authorities have begun handing out blue uniforms and assault rifles to vigilantes in the country's western region, legalising a movement that formed last year to combat a vicious drug cartel. Scores of farmers lined up at a cattle ranch on Saturday to receive the uniforms of the newly created rural state police force in Tepalcatapec, one of the towns that founded the self-defence militias in the lush agricultural state of Michoacan." Pope Francis Calls For 'Legitimate Redistribution' Of Wealth To The Poor -- Huffington Post "Pope Francis called Friday for governments to redistribute wealth to the poor in a new spirit of generosity to help curb the 'economy of exclusion' that is taking hold today. Francis made the appeal during a speech to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the heads of major U.N. agencies who are meeting in Rome this week." Miami Fi...