West, TX — The fertilizer plant that exploded on Wednesday failed to report explosive chemicals to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The plant was storing 1,350 times that allowable amount of ammonium nitrate without required safety checks. A source familiar with the federal agency explained that the plant’s owner failed to tell the DHS it was holding a large amount of the chemical compound widely used in explosives.

Fertilizer plants and depots are required to self-report when they have more than 400 pounds of ammonium nitrate. The chemical is tightly regulated, because of its widespread use in explosives.

But it appears that West Fertilizer Co. failed to do so. At the time of the blast, the Texas Department of State Health Services showed that the plant held at least 540,000 pounds of ammonium at the time of the deadly explosion. Because the company failed to self-report its chemicals to the DHS, the agency was unaware of any danger in West, Texas before the blast on Wednesday.

A US congressman and several safety experts have called into question whether either incomplete disclosure or a regulatory gridlock may have contributed to the disaster, which killed 14 people and wounded more than 200. Representative Bennie Thompson (D-MS), a ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, stated:

“It seems this manufacturer was willfully off the grid. This facility was known to have chemicals well above the threshold amount to be regulated under the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Act (CFATS), yet we understand that DHS did not even know the plant existed until it blew up.”

Company officials have not made any comments on the situation, besudes a general statement released by the plant’s owner, Donald Adair, on Friday. Adair apologized for the tragedy the incident caused, but added that West Fertilizer Co. is cooperating with investigators. Adair added, “This tragedy will continue to hurt deeply for generations to come.”

The DHS has the ability to fine or close down fertilizer operations if they fail to report significant volumes of hazardous chemicals. But while the agency has the ability to carry out spot inspections, they have a small budget and a limited number of field auditors.

Firms, like West Fertilizer Co., are responsible for reporting the volumes themselves. The DHS then helps measure the plant’s risks. They can also devise security and safety plans based on the risks and how much of each volatile chemical the plant has. But the agency never received this information from the Texas fertilizer company.

[Image via Twitter]

Texas Fertilizer Plant Didn’t Report Explosive Chemicals To DHS is a post from: The Inquisitr

Firefall will finally have a real open beta. Game developers, Red 5 have announced that the new open beta date if July 9. The game has had a closed beta for quite a while now and while they have allowed people to join in dribs and drabs this will be the first time the title is open for anyone who wants to jump on in.

The company isn’t resting on its laurels just because they are finally going to let more people get a peak. In fact it appears that Red 5 will be working extra hard to get the game to a level that will make everyone excited once they get a good look.

Firefall will still be getting closed beta updates all the way leading up to July 9. The company actually released a sort of FAQ that details what people can expect once they get inside the game world.

The company also said that they are going to be hitting major milestones in the months leading up to July. Some of the tweaks that the game is due to get between then and now are a new UI, crafting and progression tweaks and city power level boosts.

There is also apparently going to be a melding formation tweak that will allow you to make your characters and cities that much more powerful that much quicker and in new ways.

The game has been grabbing quite a bit of attention since it was announce mainly because it looks to be an interesting take on the MMO world. It will also have a free-to-play platform which is bound to suck people in even more.

If you honestly can’t wait until July, there is still a way you can get into the closed beta. Founders Pack program will allow anyone who qualifies to get in and start experimenting with the game.

Check out the trailer for Firefall below and then let us know whether you’re going to get in on the beta.

‘Firefall’ Open Beta Announced For July is a post from: The Inquisitr

Two new images featuring Jamie Foxx and Dane DeHaan from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 have surfaced online.

The images arrive days after a handful of unofficial pics and a video featuring Foxx as Electro started making the rounds. However, the latest photo from the flick shows the character before he is transformed into a muscular blue villain.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 director Marc Webb tweeted the photo of Jamie Foxx as Matt Dillon on Sunday (April 21). The official image shows the bespectacled character standing in front of picture of the superhero.

Shortly after Webb sent out the image of Foxx as Dillon, co-star Dane DeHaan issued an official tweet of his very own. The post came equipped with an image of the Chronicle star as Harry Osborn.

The official Spider-Man pictures arrived roughly a day after a collection of images showcasing Ravencroft Institute surfaced online. Curious parties can check out the pics by visiting this Facebook page or checking out the video embedded below.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 chronicles the adventures of Peter Parker as he prepares to graduate from high school. The film will tackle Parker’s relationship with Gwen Stacey while he attempts to balance his budding romance and his life as a superhero.

Unfortunately for Peter, his life is soon complicated by the appearance of Electro and the return of his old friend Harry Osborn. Along the way, Parker will unearth clues about his past. He may also be forced to contend with Rhino.

Video featuring images from Ravencroft Institute has been embedded below. Keep in mind that the images may contain spoilers, so proceed with extreme caution.

The tweets featuring the new official images of Max Dillon and Harry Osborn are below.

Day 52. My name is Max. twitter.com/MarcW/status/3…

— Marc Webb (@MarcW) April 21, 2013

Ladies & Gentleman, FanBoys & FanGirls of all ages:I give you The #Amazing Harry Osborn. twitter.com/danedehaan/sta…

— Dane DeHaan (@danedehaan) April 21, 2013

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Shailene Woodley, Dane DeHaan, Colm Feore, Paul Giamatti, Sally Field, Chris Cooper, and B.J. Novak. The movie opens in theaters on May 2, 2014.

‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2′ Drops A Pair Of New Images [Photos] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Police snatched 8,000 possible pot cookies from a home in Canada last week.

The 8,000 allegedly pot-packed cookies were discovered during an investigation into an attempted robbery at the residence earlier in the day. While the criminals responsible for the violent home invasion are still at large, the victim was arrested on suspicion of baking the cannabis cookies.

Authorities were initially called to the scene early Thursday after two men forced their way into the home, located in White Rock. The intruders were reportedly interrupted by the arrival of a 22-year-old male resident.

Once discovered, the robbers launched into an attack, striking the resident with a crowbar. Fortunately, the 22-year-old was able to fend of the intruders, who both fled the scene on foot.

During their initial investigation of the incident, police apparently spotted illegal contraband within the home because they returned later that day with a warrant to search the premises.

During the search, authorities uncovered an unspecified amount of marijuana in addition to the 8,000 possibly pot-laced cookies.

According to Janelle Shoihet, a constable with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the sheer volume of such a discovery was astounding.

“I’ve never seen anything like it before.” she explained. “It’s an unprecedented number of cookies. It was a bit like a bakery in there. So it was surprising to me.”

The 22-year-old resident, whose name has not yet been released, was arrested and slapped with the hefty charge of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking. The 8,000 suspected pot cookies were seized from the home by police.

Two addition individuals, identified only as a 20-year-old female and a 54-year-old female, were also arrested on the same charge. Meanwhile, the two men responsible for the home invasion and violent assault are apparently still running free.

All three individuals busted with the 8,000 possible pot cookies are scheduled to appear in court next month. The suspected home-made marijuana treats were likely intended to be gobbled up on April 20, a day that finds pot enthusiasts across the globe celebrating their affection for the plant.

[Top image via Shutterstock]

8,000 Possible Pot Cookies Seized From Canadian Home is a post from: The Inquisitr

Over $2 million has already been raised for victims of the Boston Marathon bombing attack in crowdfunded donations alone. In the aftermath of the horrific bombing that killed three and maimed many more, people became aware that many of the victims had suffered life-changing injuries that will require expensive treatment and prosthetics.

The official fundraising foundation announced on Tuesday by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino is The One Fund Boston. John Hancock sweetened the pot with a starter donation of $1 million.

One Fund is also the beneficiary of the money raised today by the organizers of the London Marathon, who are chipping in £2 per runner, for an expected total donation of around $100,000.

With more than 170 injured by the two bombs near the finish line of Monday’s 2013 Boston Marathon, One Fund is what Gov. Patrick described as a “central fund to receive much needed financial support.” It will help get money efficiently to the people who need it most.

Crowdsourcing comes in when fundraisers feel a special connection or see a special need. For example, 56-year-old Leslie Kelly told NBC that her daughters grew up with Jessica Kensky Downes.

Jessica and Patrick Downes are the newlywed couple who each lost a leg in the horrific attack.

Kelly was inspired to raise funds for them through a crowdfunding site called GoFundMe, which has a page called, “Believe in Boston” listing the campaigns to raise funds for specific victims.

At the time of writing, almost $1.4 million from over 24,000 donors had been raised on that site alone — including over $12,000 for the Downes.

A similar site, GoForward, also has a Boston Marathon support page. Again, at the time of writing, over $780,000 had been pledged — including over $570,000 for the Downes.

That’s some impressive fundraising. If you total it up, the pledges amount to well over $2 million for the Boston victims.

However, you should be aware that scammers will always be out there to try to take advantage of your kind heart.

If you’re in any doubt about whether a fundraiser is legit, or if you feel overwhelmed at hearing individual Boston victim’s stories, you can always stick with giving to the official One Fund.

But the spontaneous $2 million for victims of the Boston bombing certainly gives us new hope for humanity.

[Boston Marathon 2012 photo by Marcio Jose Bastos Silva / Shutterstock.com

$2 Million Raised For Boston Victims With Crowdfunding is a post from: The Inquisitr

Batman: Arkham Origins details keep leaking out every day or two and the newest information appears to be exactly what villains you will be fighting as Caped Crusader this time around.

We already knew that Deathstroke and the Black Mask would be two of the key enemies in this particular title but a store display seems to have outed most, if not all of the rest of the villains that will play a role in this game.

The Point of Sale leak shows that Joker, Bane, Killer Croc, Scarecrow and Deadshot are all included in the game in some way or another.

Batman: Arkham Origin‘s inclusion of the Joker might be the most interesting because WB Montreal has already said that he won’t be the main villain in this title. The studio, which is taking on this series for the first time has already divulged that Black Mask will be the principle bad buy.

Black Mask a.k.a. Roman Sionis is more a conventional villain and that might work better considering that our hero is supposed to be quite a bit less evolved and experienced in this iteration of the long running series.

Sionis is basically the leader of Gotham City’s mob but he isn’t as clear cut a bad guy as someone like the Joker. This is a guy who actually attempts to look like someone who is above the crime is committed.

WB Montreal developers described him as someone who “is suspected for a lot of things, but nothing’s pinned on him…The Janus Cosmetics company is his background”

It will be interesting to see how a crime boss like Black Mask will be integrated into the story. In the comics, he is much more of a puppeteer who is willing to work with other big time criminals and it seems likely those same characteristics will be seen in this game.

Are you excited about the direction Batman: Arkham Origins is taking?

‘Batman: Arkham Origins’: More Villains Revealed Thanks To Store Display is a post from: The Inquisitr

Who was Dzhokhar Tsarnaev? Authorities haven’t started questioning the Boston bombing suspect yet but there is already a lot of information available to the public. Several family members have already talked to the press and Tsarnaev’s Twitter account is full of small details about his personality. One photo shows Dzhokhar posing next to a car with the license plate “Terrorista #1.”

The photo, which was posted on March 15 with the caption, “place your bets,” shows Tsarnaev and a few friends standing next to two cars. One of the cars, a BMW 330X1, has the novelty license plate “Terrorista #1.”

According to the NY Post, the car belongs to two of Tsarnaev’s friends.

Both men, identified as Azamat and Dias, were taken into custody after their apartment was raided on Friday during the manhunt for Tsarnaev. Azamat and Dias were taken into custody for questioning but were released later that night.

According to the Daily Mail, authorities returned to their apartment today to arrest the two men for immigration violations. Azamat and Diaz now face deportation.

A neighbor at the Hidden Brook Apartments, said: “They were in there for a while and then they took [the boys] away very quietly.”

Tsarnaev was found this weekend hiding in a boat in a backyard in Watertown, Massachusetts. He is currently in serious condition at a nearby hospital.

Here’s the photo that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev posted to Twitter.

Place your bets twitter.com/J_tsar/status/…

— Jahar (@J_tsar) March 16, 2013

Terrorista #1 License Plate Photo Posted By Dzhokhar Tsarnaev To Twitter is a post from: The Inquisitr

Albany, NY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s strict gun control has been condemned by a police union located in the backyard of the New York state capitol.

The Albany police union formally announced that it “condemns and opposes” the SAFE Act (i.e., the Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act) and is calling for its repeal because the measure was more about politics than public safety.

The law was rushed through the state legislature in Janjuary by Gov. Cuomo and his allies after the mass shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Even Cuomo himself has admitted the law is flawed in that one provision banning magazines that hold more than seven rounds is unworkable because no manufacturer makes seven-round magazines. The provision was suspended indefinitely according to lawmakers.

In a four-page letter to Cuomo and other other New York elected officials, Albany Police Officers Union president Thomas Mahar declared, in part: “Substantively, we believe that it violates fundamental constitutional rights, that it is unduly and purposely burdensome on law-abiding citizens, and that it will not deter criminals or mentally ill individuals from plotting and carrying out bloodshed and violence.”

Added Mahar: “We as police officers are on the front lines of public safety. Respectfully, none of you are. We see, feel, work, and live with the effects of gun violence in ways that you do not. We believe that you see gun violence as a means to move your agenda and your ambitions forward. You know that the SAFE Act will not work in the way that you pretend it will. You know that this shameful SAFE Act was about ideology and politics and not about making anyone safer.”

Other law enforcement agencies in the state have expressed strong reservations about if not outright opposition to the gun control  law, which is also subject to a legal challenge in court. Over 50 New York counties along with many cities and towns have passed resolutions opposing the new law.

Separately, at least one law-abiding citizen recent had his guns wrongly confiscated by the New York State Police based on the improper application of the mental-health provisions of the SAFE Act. He was forced to go to court to obtain reinstatement of his gun license.

Cuomo Gun Control Law Denounced By Police Union is a post from: The Inquisitr

Zac Efron admitted that he got the jitters shooting a sex scene with Heather Graham for their movie At Any Price.

The 25-year-old High School Musical star and director Ramin Bahrani told the actress that they hadn’t filmed a sex scene before. Since Graham has been involved in more than a few erotic scenes during her career, this suddenly made her an expert on the subject.

Zac Efron discussed his jitters during a recent screening of the movie. He said his admiration of the Boogie Nights co-star made him nervous on-set.

“I’ve been a fan of Heather’s and had a crush on her since I can remember,” the actor explained. “She’s always been the epitome of that perfect girl. I wanted to get it right.”

Sony Pictures Classics describes the film as follows:

“Set in the competitive world of modern agriculture, ‘At Any Price’ centers on ambitious Henry Whipple (Dennis Quaid), who wants his rebellious son Dean (Zac Efron) to help expand his family’s farming empire. However, Dean has his sights set on becoming a professional race car driver. When a high-stakes investigation into their business unfolds, father and son are pushed into an unexpected situation that threatens the family’s entire livelihood.”

When he isn’t getting the jitters while filming sex scenes, Zac Efron is injuring himself while shooting fights scenes. The actor recently broke his hand during a sequence with Dave Franco for the upcoming comedy Townies.

The actor showed off his wounded hand during a recent visit to Live with Kelly and Michael. Efron said he had a titanium plate inserted into his hand in order to repair the damage done.

“I broke it a couple [of] days ago on set … during filming, it was during a stage fight with Dave Franco. I had to go back to work so I couldn’t really wear a cast, so [medics] put like a titanium plate in it and a bunch of screws,” he explained during his appearance on the chat show.

Are you a fan of Zac Efron? What do you think about the actor getting the jitters while filming a sex scene with Heather Graham?

[Top Image via DFree / Shutterstock.com - Bottom Image via s_bukley / Shutterstock.com]

Zac Efron Got The Jitters Shooting ‘At Any Price’ Sex Scene is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Xbox 720 games we know of have been nailed down thus far.

As the Xbox 720 nears what may be the official announcement date, one big question sits on everybody’s mind. We want to know what games are going to be made for the next generation Microsoft console. Official Xbox Magazine has compiled a list of what we know for sure thus far is being made for the Xbox 720.

Human Element is a non-linear zombie survival game created by Robotoki. Robert Bowling had quit Activision to start this particular studio on his own. Not a lot is known about the “classes” in this game, but the classes given are intelligence, action, and stealth. You have three choices of how to play; solo, with an adult, or with a child.

Rainbow 6: Patriots is a more scripted shooter than previous Rainbow Six titles. This time you can plan missions using a 3D hologram of the level, and the developers say it will feel quite different. You will face moral dilemmas this time around, as you’ll have to decide whether it’s worth killing a civilian to take down a terrorist, and choices of that sort.

Watch Dogs is an open world type of game set in a futuristic Chicago where technology governs all. You will hack into anything with a charge and control whatever you need to. The game will apparently offer the option of interacting with a smartphone, adding another dimension to the hacker feel.

Destiny is Bungie’s newest idea, originally thought of as a “break” from the Halo titles, but this list proves otherwise. Aliens have invaded and you have to reclaim the wealth of the planet. Three classes offer different abilities based on the nearby moon-sized entity known as Traveller.

Beyond Good and Evil 2 is the sequel to what is considered one of the most successful Zelda clones ever made. There is very little known besides the return of Jade and Uncle Pey’j.

Dragon Age 3: Inquisition is the third game in Bioware’s fantasy epic, where an act of magical terrorism has set the mages and Templars on the edge of civil war.

Cyberpunk 2077 is a different kind of RPG where people are allowed to sample the thoughts of others around them, and those who end up addicted are hunted down by the Psycho Squad police force. The protagonist could be on either side, but nothing is known yet.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the final act in an RPG series where Geralt is finally free of his amnesia and now must search for his loved ones in an open world bigger than that of Skyrim.

Thief is a next generation reboot where master thief Garrett basically plays the villainous side of Batman.

Battlefield 4 is a shooter that EA says looks astonishing.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag is the epic follow-up to the Assassin’s Creed series which supposedly puts Desmond Miles in the shoes of a pirate.

Halo 5 gives us everything that didn’t make it into Halo 4 and continues the story of Master Chief.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 is, well, a soccer game probably based on the World Cup.

Sniper Elite 3 is a sandbox shooter based in World War 2.

What do you think of the games confirmed for the Xbox 720?

Xbox 720 Games Confirmed Thus Far is a post from: The Inquisitr

Ride to Hell: Retribution has a new trailer out that shows all the truly nasty and (at best) out of legal bounds activities you can do with hero Jake Conway.

With the massive number of zombie survivor games that have been popping up on consoles over the last few years, it almost seems like games that don’t involve weird monsters have their work cut out for them.

Of course, it could also be argued that games that don’t have anything to do with fighting zombies can actually rake in quite a decent audience simply because their story lines are the exception to the rule these days.

BioShock Infinite and Tomb Raider have both managed to take advantage of a market that is tiring a bit of the walking dead, or other creepy crawlers around every corner.

Ride to Hell: Retribution is even quite different from those two titles. This game isn’t about some alternate universe’s floating city. It also isn’t about a young girl out looking for treasure.

This game, is at its core about a sort of anti-hero who is simply trying to get revenge on the biker gang “The Devil’s Hand,” that wronged him. The game is set in the 1960′s (the regular run of the mill ’60′s) and the video shows Conway doing what he feels is neccesary to get what he needs.

One scene shows him scooting down the highway with a pistol in one hand, and another shows him slamming a man’s head in a doorway. The video is fairly hard core and the game is apparently going for a realistic feel to that era and the hard core biker gang culture.

Ride to Hell: Retribution is developed by Eutechnyx and is due out on June 25 on the Sony Playstation 3, the Microsoft Xbox 360 and PC platforms.

‘Ride To Hell: Retribution’ Gets New ‘No Rules’ Trailer [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Family members of the Newtown massacre are still voicing their disapproval over the Senate’s inability to pass gun control reform pertaining to expanded background checks this week.

Appearing on CBS’ Face The Nation, relatives of three Newtown victims discussed the fate of the Senate bill to expand background checks for gun purchasers, which failed Wednesday to gain the necessary 60 votes for passage.

“It’s not about the second amendment, it’s strengthening and adding to laws that already in effect,” opined Neil Heslin, who lost his son, Jesse Lewis, in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. “I don’t think they did justice for all the victims of Newtown.”

“It’s a political game, there was nothing bipartisan about it at all,” he continued, lamenting the political process on Capitol Hill.

“My sister was not a coward, she protected her kids. Why aren’t they protecting us?” asked Carlee Soto, the sister of slain Sandy Hook teacher Vicki Soto.

Erica Lafferty, the daughter of principal Dawn Hochsprung, agreed with Soto.

“My mom was not scared in the halls of Sandy Hook, they should not be scared to case a vote to protect millions of innocent people,” she commented.

Lafferty said that she was “honestly disgusted” at those who voted against the bill, calling the action “grossly unfair to the family members of Newtown as well as all other gun violence victims.”

Though some have observed that this might be the end for gun control legislation for now, these three hope that it’s just the beginning.

“We aren’t going to go away,” Heslin firmly stated. “We’re not going to stop til there are changes that are made.”

“They are going to get sick of seeing my face,” Lafferty added.

You can watch video below. What do you think? Is this the end or just the beginning of the political battle over gun control?

[Image via: AG-PHOTO, Shutterstock.com]

Newtown Families ‘Disgusted’ Over Background Check Failure [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Seth MacFarlane has not been asked to host next year’s Oscars, representatives for the Family Guy creator said.

Just Jared reported Thursday that sources close to MacFarlane confirmed that the comedian was asked to return for next year’s telecast, along with producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan, who defended MacFarlane’s controversial performance at this year’s awards ceremony. The duo said critics of MacFarlane’s performance, who particularly took issue with his “We Saw Your Boobs” opening song, “missed the joke, it was satire.”  The 39-year-old, who made his directorial live-action debut with the Oscar-nominated film Ted, was making fun of himself — not women — in the song.

“… the song was about him being a bad host and him being a juvenile, which was why he was a bad host,” Zadan said.

The sources said MacFarlane wasn’t sure if he would return as a host, but he was going to have to make a decision within the next couple of weeks.

The announcement was contrary to a statement by MacFarlane after the 2013 telecast in which he said he wouldn’t host again if asked, but he had fun doing it this year.

Zadan and Meron will, however, be returning next year for the 2014 Oscars. According to Deadline, the reason the two were asked back was because of “continuity.” Several other awards shows, such as the Grammys and Emmys, ask the same producers to come back for subsequent telecasts. However, a former Academy president said that producing chores have been done by “trial by fire” lately. There has been a new production team every year since 2008, and the Academy felt that it was important to have the same kind of continuity it had for the 14 years the late Gil Cates produced the telecast.

The issue of continuity was also a major part of the reason the Academy has already announced awards show dates for 2014 and 2015.

Are you relieved or disappointed that Seth MacFarlane won’t be returning for the Oscars next year?

[Photo credit: Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com]

Seth MacFarlane Not Asked Back To Oscars, Reps Say is a post from: The Inquisitr

Deadpool has finally gotten an official release date and along with that announced date came a wide variety of different features gamers can get if they pre-order the title. The game will be out on June 25 and the features you can get with it are entirely up to who you preorder the game through.

High Moon Studios’ upcoming Marvel action game is going along with what has become a bit of a industry trend in offering up very different freebies depending no who you buy the game from.

If you happen to go through GameStop and EBGames you will get the special DLC entitled “Merc with a Map Pack.” Pre-ordering Deadpool through Amazon.com will get you a $5 credit for specific graphic novels through their website.

Amazon is offering up the ability to apply that $5 credit towards any one of the following graphic novels: Deadpool, Vol. 1: Dead Presidents, Deadpool, Vol. 1: Secret Invasion, Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe, Deadpool, Vol. 2: Dark Reign, and Deadpool, Vol. 3: X Marks the Spot.

You will apparently also be getting your own digital cover sleeve and digital wallpaper should you go through the online retailing giant. GameStop is apparently also offering up some sort of digital wallpaper with their pre-orders.

The completion and impending release of this title hasn’t been good news for everyone. On the day that Activision deemed the game complete, they laid off around 40 members of the development team for the game.

While layoffs are nothing new in the gaming industry it seemed somehow especially callous to gives these employees the boot on the very day when they had finished their hard work to the company’s satisfaction.

Deadpool is now expected to be available for $50 on the Microsoft Xbox 360 and the Sony Playstation 3 and will be priced around $40 for the PC version of the game.

‘Deadpool’ Gets Official Release Date, Preorder Bonuses is a post from: The Inquisitr

Playing Black Sabbath’s music can help your plants grow better, according to a study done by gardening expert Chris Beardshaw.

Beardshaw, who hails from the BBC’s Gardeners’ Question Time, claimed that different genres of music will encourage plants to grow at different rates, with heavy metal getting the best results.

An experiment was conducted by the expert gardener’s horticultural students, who used four different greenhouses to test their theories. Beardshaw, who has also appeared on Gerdener’s World, explained:

“We set up four glasshouses with different sorts of music in to see what happened to the plants. We had one that was silent — that was a control house — and we had one that was played classical music, we had one that was played Cliff Richard and we had one that was played Black Sabbath.”

Beardshaw explained that the students tested “the incidence of pest and disease” in alstroemerias. They measured how floriferous (quality of flowers) they were, as well as how hardy they became.

Of all of the greenhouses, the one where Black Sabbath was played fared the best. As for the worst? Beardshaw said that honor went to Cliff Richard. According to the expert gardener, “The alstroemerias in the Cliff Richard house all died. Sabotage was suspected but we couldn’t prove it.”

The control house grew as expected. The plants in the classical greenhouse grew slightly shorter because of the soundwaves that bombarded them. The students also saw less pest and disease. But the ones with Black Sabbath blared as loud as possible we the shortest. Despite the height difference, they had the best flowers and showed the best resistance to pest and disease.

The test certainly seems odd, but Beardshaw explained one of his horticultural students wanted to write a dissertation about how music affects plants.

Knowing blaring Black Sabbath helps plants grow better, would you consider hooking up speakers next to your garden?

[Image via ShutterStock]

Black Sabbath Music Helps Plants Grow Better [Study] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and several other top Democrats are leaning in favor of the death penalty for the surviving Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, according to their statements Sunday.

Schumer was part of a panel of Senators who participated in today’s CNN State of the Union with Candy Crowley, where he compared Tsarnaev to Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, who was executed for the 1995 crime by lethal injection in 2001: “Given the facts that I’ve seen, it would be appropriate to use the death penalty in this case and I hope they would apply it in federal court.”

Massachusetts doesn’t allow the death penalty under their state law, and Boston Mayor Tom Menino stopped short of saying that Tsarnaev should be executed…but he hinted that he’d wouldn’t shed too many tears for the terrorist if he was: “I hope that the U.S. attorney, Carmen Ortiz, takes him on the federal side and throws the book at him.”

Massachusetts interim Sen. William “Mo” Cowan (D-MA) is the interim senator who was appointed to the office by Gov. Deval Patrick after John Kerry resigned to serve as US Secretary of State. Appearing on the State of the Union panel with Schumer, he said that he himself didn’t advocate the death penalty.

“I’ll leave it to Attorney General Holder to decide ultimately what needs to be done here. And I’ll support that,” Cowan said.

Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) seemed to agree with Schumer’s stronger stand. She told Fox News: “I think there’s going to be a great deal of evidence put together to be able to convict him, and it should likely be a death penalty case under federal law.”

Feinstein chairs the powerful Senate Intelligence Committee.

She also pointed out that the 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev became a US citizen on Sept. 11, 2012. That means that he’s subject to US federal law. Ironically, his birthplace Kyrgyzstan abolished the death penalty in June 2007.

[Senator Chuck Schumer photo by lev radin / Shutterstock.com]

Schumer Wants Death Penalty For Boston Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Wii U has been a bit of an enigma both for Nintendo and the gamers who want to embrace it thanks in large part to the lack of games that are available for the console. Nintendo president recently divulged that the pace of Wii U game releases is about to pick up.

Nintendo’s newest console has had some truly abysmal sales figures since it was released during the holiday season last year. Some of those sales numbers are starting to pick up, but the device is still badly trailing bigwigs like the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360.

The Wii U will see the pace of games offered for the device increase the closer we get to E3, according to Reggie Fils-Aime. One way in which the company’s president pointed to as far as increasing output has been through digital means.

There may not be a ton of hard box games out there, but the company is trying to make sure there are plenty of games that can be downloaded through the eShop. The company is even happy to talk about just how many of their hard box games are also being purchased digitally.

Fils-Aime said that 11 percent of all Nintendo-produced games are through the eShop rather than through brick and mortar retailers. It seems that company higher ups are trying to take solace from the story of their handheld device, the 3DS.

The 3DS also saw struggles when it initially hit the market, for roughly the same reasons. There simply weren’t enough titles available. The company has done a good job of rectifying that problem and it appears they now understand better why they need to do the same for their newest console.

We likely won’t be seeing a ton of new titles until E3 comes and goes merely because there will probably be a fairly big reveal at that convention.

Once the convention is over,  Wii U games should be coming out at a faster pace if Nintendo can be believed.

Wii U Games Release Pace Will ‘Increase Dramatically’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

San Diego narcotic detectives investigating the incident suspect an unnamed 33-year-old woman was a victim of a drug mule scam when she reported witnessing two unknown men approach and try to remove items from her vehicle’s undercarriage an hour after her regular commute from Mexico to San Diego, where she works.

Around 4 am Friday the motorist was sitting in her parked car, having arrived at work early, when the men approached. According to her statement, she startled the two men who ran back to a black sedan and fled.

After contacting the police she was informed she had unknowingly smuggled nearly 30 pounds of marijuana across the US border, secured to her car in six bundles with powerful magnets, placed there before she trekked into the states.

The investigation is ongoing and authorities are uncertain who exactly attached the drugs to the woman’s car. Narcotics detectives want to remind drivers to check their vehicle before crossing the border to ensure it’s free of illegal or unknown items.

It has been suggested drug cartels may be involved as they target students and professionals who regularly cross the border.

Anyone with a consistent routine can easily become an unwitting drug mule and be tracked with GPS or tailed after the packages are attached.

Last year, CNN reported a similar circumstance in the case of Juan Andres (his real name changed to protect the identity of the young man in his 30s). Unfortunately, Andres wasn’t as lucky as the unidentified woman.

Andres previously commuted three-and-a-half miles from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico to the University of Texas in El Paso every weekday to study music education.

Andres had to undergo a rigorous background check with US Customs and Border Protection in order to receive a special clearance, permitting an easier border-crossing with a SENTRI pass (Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection). The SENTRI allows the pass-holder to waive the standard vehicle check.

Applicants are fingerprinted, complete an in-person interview with a Customs and Border Protection officer, and cannot have a previous criminal history. If the applicant is seen to pose little to no risk for illegally transporting drugs and weapons, they are given the easy pass. SENTRI pass holders can use dedicated lanes when crossing the border and have to comply with specific requirements.

The problem is the law-abiding students and professionals who regularly cross the border are targeted by Mexican drug cartels. In Ciudad Juarez, agent for the violent cartels scout for potential victims in crowded areas like malls.

In November 2010, Andres unknowingly fell victim to drug trafficking as he was randomly selected for inspection by border control while crossing the Stanton Street Bridge. Customs and Border Protection agents found two black duffle bags of marijuana in the trunk of his 2007 Ford Focus.

Without evidence of tampering, the young man was arrested, detained, and interrogated on the US side of the border. Andres was charged with drug possession with the intent to distribute and spent six months in US jail awaiting trial. He continued to profess his innocence.

The following May, Andres was found guilty by a jury of possession and intent to distribute marijuana and faced up to three years in prison. Had he had a criminal record, he could’ve been sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. Three days after his conviction, Andres was called back to court for a status hearing, where he discovered his attorney had filed a motion for an acquittal. A pattern of similar cases persuaded the judge in the case to insist the prosecution investigate further. The case against Andres was eventually dismissed and he was released.

The scam works through a network, targeting innocent drivers with SENTRI passes. Lookouts are paid to monitor their habits, recording the make, model, and color of their cars, and the times of day they pass over the border.

Once a consistent routine is established, the criminals find an opportunity to copy the vehicle identification number (VIN) and some plant GPS on the car. The VIN number aided in circumventing the key code access, as any trained locksmith can use the information to produce a key. The keys are used to access the trunk of the target car the night before, marijuana in duffle bags are deposited inside, and the conspirators wait until the unsuspecting “blind mule” driver carries the package across the border. The drugs are then retrieved on the US side.

[Image via Shutterstock]

Woman Unknowingly Ferried Drugs Across The Border is a post from: The Inquisitr

England-based Stuart Hughes is selling a brand new iPhone 5 for the bargain basement price of just $15 million.

The phone was built with a gold case and then encrusted with diamonds to give it that “I just spent way too much on this phone” look.

So what exactly does $15 million get you from a $299 Apple device? How about a gold-plated antenna and gold-plated back panel alongside 600 flawless white diamonds. The iPhone 5′s Home button has even been replaced with a rare 26-carat black diamond that is worth a whopping $14.5 million.

Stuart Hughes hand crafted the iPhone 5 in Liverpool.

The $15 million price tag for this new iPhone far eclipses the previous records which included an iPhone 4G for $2.5 million and a gold-plated iPad 2 that sold for $8 million. Both of those devices were also made by Stewart Hughes.

While Hughes’ previous devices were just as gaudy and full of expensive jewelry, this new device is by far the best in terms of sheer craftsmanship.

The iPhone 5 features the same specs as the smartphones available at pretty much every wireless carrier on the planet.

Luxury smartphone that are outside of most peoples reach are nothing new, the team at Vertu routinely makes high-end smartphones. However, even Vertu tends to stay in the 5-6 figure range, let alone surpassing the $15 million mark.

I have a feeling this phones buyer will be more interested in the rare black diamond than they will be in owning yet another Apple iPhone device.

So what do you think, could you pay $15 million for an iPhone 5 even if you had the money to do so? Perhaps Samsung should answer with a $20 million Samsung Galaxy S4, although I think Samsung’s plastic body design might lower its “luxury” value.

$15 Million iPhone 5 Now Available For Sale is a post from: The Inquisitr

Gears of War: Judgement might not be selling as well as their developers would have liked but they aren’t giving up just yet. The next DLC for the game, called Call to Arms is due out later this week.

Despite being released just a month ago, it appears that the game’s maker is trying to keep things fresh and new on a pretty constant basis. It was just a few weeks ago that the Haven map pack was released entirely free for the title.

This new DLC will contain three new multiplayer maps as well as a new game mode called “Master at Arms.” The maps will allow for a mix of  different kinds of play including close quarter and vertical.

Gears of War: Judgement’s Call to Arms DLC has six new armor and gun skins. There is apparently a grand total of 10 new achievements that can be unlocked with this extra game play.

Top notch players will enjoy the Master at Arms game mode, because it requires the players to kill enemies with each of the 2o different weapons that are offered up in the game. The player will have to do this without going into melee or close quarter fighting modes.

The game maps include places and situations like Boneyard. This area demonstrates the fact that earth really couldn’t have traditional memorials and funerals once the horde began launching their attacks. Battles will take place in one of the makeshift graveyards that became the norm.

Those who have a season pass for this game are actually the only ones who will be able to grab the DLC on April 23. For those who weren’t forward thinking enough for the company’s liking, they will have to wait until April 30.

Gears of War: Judgement season pass holders will get the DLC free of charge on April 23 and everyone else can buy it on April 30 for $12.50 (1000 MSP).

‘Gears of War: Judgement’ Getting ‘Call To Arms’ DLC April 23 is a post from: The Inquisitr