Abducted American freed Kimberly Sue Endicott is free

Abducted American freed

Kimberly Sue Endicott is free this morning, after her dream trip to Uganda turned into a nightmare. Endicott and a guide were kidnapped by gunmen last week while they were on an excursion to see gorillas at a Ugandan national park. The armed gang demanded a ransom of $500, 000. Apparently the California woman and her tour guide were kidnapped at gunpoint in the national park, taken by gunmen who later used their hostages' cell phones to issue ransom demands. At this point, officials have released few details. However, we do know that security forces rescued Endicott and the guide, who were both unharmed, Sunday in the neighboring country, Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to one source, the handover was “quiet and peaceful. ” A ransom was paid to free them. The kidnappers fled the scene of the rescue when law enforcement officers and soldiers moved in. A US defense official said that the US military had provided support to Ugandan security forces. The support included intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets and liaison officers. .

n n n In Other News Kirstjen Nielsen is out as the secretary of Homeland Security. It is being reported that Nielsen didn't resign willingly with her resignation announcement coming after a tense meeting at the White House with the President Trump named Kevin Mc. Aleenan, who is the US Customs and Border Protection commissioner, as Homeland Security's acting secretary. There's been an uptick in violence in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, so the US is pulling troops out of the country. The troops -- who provide military support of diplomatic missions, counterterrorism activities and improving regional security -- are being temporarily relocated. The increase in violence comes from attacks by a renegade Libyan general who has launched an offensive against the country's UN-recognized government. Over an almost two-week span, three black churches in one rural parish have burned in suspicious fires. St. Mary Baptist Church, Greater Union Baptist Church and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church have all burned since March 26 in St. Landry Parish, about 30 miles north of Lafayette. Officials call the blazes "suspicious" and have stepped up the law enforcement presence at other churches in the area. Black churches were often the targets of violence, including arson fires, during the civil rights era. Social media companies could be held legally responsible for any violent content on their platforms under new rules proposed by the UK government. The rules, intended to make the internet safe for kids and other vulnerable groups, would force tech companies to remove from their platforms any content that incites violence, encourages suicide or constitutes cyber-bullying. The government would block access to websites or apps that fail to comply and the senior managers of those tech companies could face civil fines and criminal liability. More details on the proposed rules will be available today in a government position paper. European countries have taken a more robust approach in trying to regulate tech companies than the US has. The Baylor Bears are national champions after they defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 82 -81 on Sunday in the 2019 NCAA women's basketball tournament title game.