Man Commits Suicide After Losing Wi-Fi Connection For 25 Minutes

Posted on March 7, 2015 by JP

LAREDO, Texas –

A Laredo family is in mourning today after a young man took his life late Friday evening. Tom Brink, 24, hung himself from the rafters of his home, leaving behind a note for his loved ones detailing his spiral into depression.

“I can’t believe this I spend so much money on my internet and it goes down all the time. I can’t take it anymore, it has been about 25 minutes now, and still no connection. I lived a great life, but I don’t want to live in a world were I can’t come home and watch my favorite TV shows on Netflix, or check my Facebook feed and just unwind a bit. I just got to the end of Breaking Bad and my connection kicked off right during the cliffhanger. I can’t do this anymore, I’m sorry.”

Brink’s mother Mary remembers Tom as an easy going person who never let drama get into his life. She told us that she was completely blind-sided by his death and would never expect her son to do such a thing because he had a lot of things going his way.

“He just got a new job, and he was going to be making over 6-figures,” said Mary. “He had the whole world at his fingertips. His girlfriend was beautiful and smart, he had a new puppy named Gremlin, and he even was looking into buying a home. I cannot believe that he’s gone. The internet is a foul, evil place, but not having it is even worse.”

Mary Bring is urging parents to make sure their children are raised with strong Wi-Fi connections, and to make sure that their kids know that there are more options in life than just watching videos on the internet, such as TV on DVD or even old VHS tapes.

Representatives for Brink’s internet service say that there was no issue with the service on their end, and Brink more than likely would have been able to reset his connection by unplugging his router, waiting 30 seconds, and plugging it back in.

Government Secretly Installing Adware On New Computer Hard Drives

Posted on March 7, 2015 by Justin Birch

UNITED STATES –

One retired IT expert from New York revealed a shocking truth that the United States has quietly feared since the advent of the personal computer: our hard drives are infected with government adware.

While not functionally dangerous, adware is an intrusive and annoying invasion of privacy. The man, 67, who chooses to remain anonymous, discovered adware on a newly purchased computer while investigating its contents. Experts have since become involved, and say that this adware is a very recent trend that may have started as early as this year. The anonymous IT expert shared his findings with Empire News exclusively.

“The adware is designed to do very subtle things. It hijacks your browser when you search for certain terms, for example redirecting you to government propaganda websites when you Google the question ‘is America at war?’. The worst I found so far is a popup advertisement asking for donations, and a backdoor that is capable of installing election campaign propaganda on one’s machine.”

To address the matter immediately before it spread, President Obama commented directly on the man’s findings, stating that “it’s not that bad.”

“It really doesn’t hurt anything,” President Obama said. “There is no damage being done to your hardware. We have things we want to show to people on a private basis, and this is the most effective way.”

Since the secret has been leaked, an official government statement has been released detailing a ten-year slow integration of government control into personal computers via adware and other so-called “malicious” software. According to the U.S. Government, the general reception has been overwhelmingly positive. The original finder of the adware has since gone silent on the matter.

Most Liquor Stores Throughout U.S. Now Accepting Food Stamps

Posted on March 6, 2015 by JP

WASHINGTON, D.C. –

If you happen to be on the lower peg of the economic ladder and also enjoy a stiff beverage, great news is coming your way. To any person in the United States that is given food stamps, you will now be eligible to use these benefits at any liquor store in the nation. For any amount of benefits that you receive, you will be able to spend any amount of your food stamps on any type of alcoholic beverage, beer or hard liquor.

In an attempt to curb the illegal sale of food stamps, government officials decided to “cut out the middle man” and allow them to be used for alcohol.

“Basically, many recipients of food stamps were selling their monthly allotment, handing over the card, and taking cash. They’d then use the cash to buy booze or drugs,” said senator Mitch Larson (D-Delaware.) “We can’t very well allow people to use their food stamp cards to buy drugs, but we can stop the sale of food stamp money by just allowing it to be able to be used for alcohol. It’s just economics at work, really.”

While food stamps were invented to help out those that couldn’t afford to buy the items to cook a hot meal, many people who receive the benefits say that as adults, they should have the right to choose what their government handout can be used on at any given time.

“I’m 68-years-old, and if I want a bottle of bourbon with my Hungry Man dinner, then sumbitch, I should be able to get one,” said Marv Gordon, a Vietnam Veteran who receives $225 a month in food stamp benefits. “My grandson was giving me money before, and I’d let him take the card to the store and pick up some food for himself, but this is a lot easier.”

Already many liquor stores are accepting food stamps at their locations, and members of congress say that all stores selling alcohol must accept food stamps by April 31st of this year.

There has been an outcry from the public, especially Republican voters, that the benefits are already abused enough, and that adding alcohol sales will only further compound the issue. Government officials say, though, that those people complaining about the change happen to not need any government help, so their opinions don’t really matter.

Airline Passenger Arrested After Causing Panic, Chaos During Flight

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Justin Birch

LOS ANGELES, California –

Tragedy struck as chaos ensued aboard a flight from Los Angeles bound for New York last week when one man learned where free speech ends and endangering the safety of others begins.

The classic example of “shouting Fire! In a crowded theater” describes a situation in which one’s freedom of speech is limited to prevent unnecessary panic and disaster. Toward the end of the flight, a 24-year-old man looking for amusement shouted clearly: “Tacos! Check out the free tacos!”

Immediately the plane erupted into a clamor of yelling, panic, and frustration, as passengers left their seats and began frantically searching the plane for free tacos. The pilot, co-pilot, and flight attendants, all also rushed to search for the tacos, leaving the plane completely unattended. The man’s identity remains anonymous for his protection.

The shouter’s friend, who was sitting next to him at the time, told police that he tried to diffuse the situation, but frenzy had already consumed the flight. The plane eventually flew past its destination and crashed into the ocean, killing 3, and wounding 7 before help could arrive.

The man was convicted to only one month of prison, but was forced to buy each passenger a year supply of tacos from their store or chain of choice, and may serve up to ten years on taco probation, banning him from every Taco Bell and Fajita Grill in the country.

“It sucks for the people that died, but we got free tacos, so it’s pretty cool,” one passenger commented. “I hope this teaches him a lesson on how powerful words can be.”

New Reality Show to Follow Meghan Trainor’s Sudden Descent into Obscurity

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Josh Marcus

NEW YORK CITY, New York –

NBC has revealed plans of a new reality show, which will follow the rapid demise of Meghan Trainor’s career after the success of her smash hit, All About That Bass, dies down. Filming has reportedly already started, tracking an excited and optimistic Trainor at what she believes is the beginning of a long and prosperous life in the limelight.

“The show will be called, Meghan Trainor: the Unsurprising Story,” said producer Gary Rockerforth. “Viewers will get to see what is by now a familiar scenario. An artist – say, Gotcha or Carly Rae Jepson – releases a track that becomes everyone’s ‘song of the year’. It’s stuck in everyone’s heads for months, countless YouTube covers are released which bring even a more brief fame to that YouTuber, and only the ‘superstar’ thinks it’s the breakthrough they’ve always waited for. A year later, the public nostalgically Googles the song in an attempt to remember who sang it.”

Trainor herself appeared over the moon at the announcement.

“This past year has been overwhelming to say the least,” she gushed to TMZ. “First, my song was picked up by all the major stations and I couldn’t have predicted the impact it would have. Now my own reality show! I can’t even begin to imagine what’s next.”

Friends of Trainor have revealed their own reluctance at appearing in the show with her.

“Meghan is great and I love her, but I don’t want to be in her situation,” said one close friend. “If I’m on her show, my fame will come and go even faster than hers.”

News is currently coming in that NBC has cancelled the series, which had already been knocked down to a mini-series, due to the fact that there’s not likely to be more than five episodes and already waning public interest.

Woman At Walmart Arrested For Shoplifting; Police find $100 Worth Of Groceries In Her Vagina

Posted on March 6, 2015 by JP

PITTSTON, Pennsylvania –

A woman is facing charges and fines after being arrested Thursday evening at a Walmart store in Pittston, Pennsylvania. Police arrested and charged Holly Fray with grand theft after store employees said that they had seen her walking through the store, sticking food up her dress.

Officer Charles Langan of the Pittston PD said that Fray was given a full body search after she was handcuffed, and several oranges fell onto the floor between her legs.

“I thought she stuffed a bunch of things in her pants so I gave her a fast pat down, when I felt nothing and saw items begin to fall out of her pants, I knew something was up,” said Officer Langan. “A female officer was called in after Miss Fray was brought to the station, and a more thorough search was initiated.”

“They asked me to come do a full cavity search on a recently arrested shoplifter, which is very unusual,” said Officer Felicia Anne, a policewoman for over 10 years. “They told me that they thought she was holding groceries in her vagina, and I literally laughed out loud. They told me about the oranges and not feeling anything during the pat down, so I took her in the back and sure enough, we found nearly $100 worth of groceries inside of her vagina. A dozen eggs, bread, milk, a few more oranges, as well as a full porterhouse and a rack of bacon were in there, plus a lot more. I was shocked.”

Walmart’s store policy is to push for full prosecution on all shoplifters, but the store manager in Pittston says that the company found the entire situation so laughable, that they won’t be pressing charges on Fray. Walmart says the stolen items were returned to them by Pittston PD, and were able to be placed back on the shelves

Local Moms to Let Go of the Soccer Excuse and Simply Get Together to Gossip and Shout Abusive Comments

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Josh Marcus

SUBURBIA, United States –

In a hammer blow to the growth of soccer in the United States, the nation’s moms have reportedly decided to let go of their long-time excuse and simply meet up to gossip and scream insults at each other. The move comes amid rumors of waning interest and unrest from the kids forced to play the sport.

“I don’t hate soccer,” said Eamonn Rogers, 12. “But it’s such a drag to hear mom shouting at my coach every week, making him play me in every game while she talks to Stan’s mom about my teachers giving me bad grades.”

Stan was quick to come out in support of his friend’s comments.

“I know my mom loves shouting at people,” he told Empire News. “She’s always doing it at home. Soccer has given her the perfect excuse to do so in public, and it’s quite embarrassing to be around. I’m quite relieved that shit is over.”

Chairperson of the local Union of Soccer Moms (USM), Tracey Povich, spoke on behalf of her friends and colleagues, in telling a press conference that “this has been a long time coming. The format of the games – an hour at most, with us having to watch out for stuff to remark to our kids about – does not facilitate good gossip time. We’ve now decided that an afternoon at the park is a better way to bitch about our ‘friends’ and shout at random people walking by.”

The MLS, however, is not impressed by the news, saying it will damage the sport, possibly irreparably, tarnishing America’s status in the game among the rest of the world in the process. However, some coaches have welcomed the news, saying that “at least we’ll no longer get pissy little brats who think their parents can get them into the squad. Having to deal with entitled mothers, used to bossing coaches around, is one of the worst parts of the profession. Sometimes we just give in to them, that’s why our league is still so bad.”

Man Electrocuted, Dies While Smoking E-Cigarette

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Bob The Empire News Potato

BOSTON, Massachusetts –

Michael Del, a 34 year old construction worker from Boston, Massachusetts, was killed early last Wednesday as the e-cigarette he was smoking sent a jolt of electricity through his body, knocking him unconscious. Del, who was on a lunch break while working an overnight on job site in Cambridge, had reportedly been using the e-cigarettes to help quit smoking, a habit he had for nearly 20 years. He was rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital where doctors were unable to revive him. They pronounced him dead at 7:18AM.

“Michael started smoking really young. It was my fault. I smoked around him all the time, and left cigarettes laying around,” Said Charmaine Del, Michael’s mother. “He had decided he wanted to quit. We both did, and we heard the e-cigs were a good way to help. So I bought us both one to get started. He’d only been using it for about a week.”

Reports from the hospital were that Del had been using his e-cigarette while it was plugged into his truck, charging. E-cigarettets are small, pen-sized items that contain internal batteries, and smokers can add nicotine-infused flavor ‘cartridges’ into them. Just like a cell phone, the batteries can be charged, and most e-cigarettes come with USB charger similar to that of a phone.

The instructions for most e-cigarettes that have chargers insist that you do not try to use them while charging, but like most men Del apparently skipped the directions and opted to just try and figure out how they worked using trial-and-error. Unfortunately for him, the warnings posted on the package for this product were extremely important.

A representative for Black, INC., the manufacturer of the e-cigarette Del had purchased, released a statement expressing their condolences.

“We at Black are extremely saddened to learn that one of our products has caused the death of a customer. We are terribly sorry, as these unfortunate events are never easy for anyone. We send or deepest sympathies to his family. As this is the first such death from e-cigarettes though, we’d like to remind people that we’re still doing far better than Big Tobacco, whose death toll is in the millions.”

E-cigarettes have been a continued source of controversy since they first launched only a few short years ago, and the debate about their safety in comparison to a traditional cigarette has caused a stir in the medical community. This is the first death caused by e-cigarettes since their widespread use began in 2003.

Obama Signs Bill Forgiving All Student Loan Debt

Posted on March 5, 2015 by Bob The Empire News Potato

WASHINGTON, D.C. –

Americans who are under the financial strain of repaying student loan debt may now be off the hook for their education costs. President Obama signed a new federal bill this week releasing any student who has accrued outstanding debt because of the high interest rates and outrageous balances caused by college loans.

“Any student, past or present, who has taken loans from the federal government within the last 10 years to pay for higher education, will no longer be required to pay back those loans.” Said President Obama. “This forgiveness also is to be extended to any student currently enrolled in college, who may need financial assistance for the next several years as they finish their degrees.”

The idea of student loan forgiveness has been in the news for several years now, as students are forced year-after-year to leave school due to crippling costs of a higher education in the US. With most students not able to afford any facet of college without loans, the government has given out nearly $1 trillion dollars to those seeking a form of higher education. Although certain costs of school are generally offset by private loans, grants, and scholarships, almost every student currently in a 2 or 4-year program has some existing loans with the US government.

“Education is the single most important thing in my mind when it comes to furthering this great nation.” Said Obama. “I can think of no better way to help the young people, this next generation of thinkers and doers, than by helping them to stand on their feet more firmly, and to give them some hope that they can and will receive their degrees, and they can work towards a future for themselves and their families, and not just a future of paying back debt.”

Although the bill was signed on Thursday afternoon in a live press conference, the forgiveness of loans will not begin until the end of 2016 at which point current and former students will begin to see interest and repayment amounts dwindle automatically, eventually leaving everyone with a complete zero-dollar balance.

Even while the government has decided to forgive loans from the public sector, private held companies such as Sallie Mae, the leading lender for higher education, still has sky-high interest rates and non-budging repayment schedules. With close to $1 billion in net income every year, Sallie Mae has stated that they are not interested in following suit with the governments plan for loan forgiveness.

“We are a private company, and private lenders. We have no interest in not pursuing every possible avenue to squeeze every penny we can out of our borrowers.” Said Carla Edwarton, CEO of Sallie Mae. “Education is important to us, but paying back your loans are what we care about. We aren’t loan sharks, we aren’t going to break your kneecaps if you don’t pay, as much as we would like to…[But] you can bet we love making all that sweet, sweet high-interest rate cash.”

Students who are currently making payments or have defaulted on their loans can expect to receive a packet letter within the next 3 to 4 months detailing how their assistance loans will be forgiven and what percentage, if any, will be left owed to private companies and firms.

New Wave of Emo Teens Paint Rooms in Bright Pink in Order to Defy Convention

Posted on March 5, 2015 by Josh Marcus

UNITED STATES –

For time immemorial, gloomy teenagers have represented their isolation with heavy use of the color black. What the current generation calls “emo kids” have been no exception to the rule. They dye their hair dark black, wear black clothing, and even use copious amounts of black eyeliner and nail polish.

It is exactly the long-running convention of this trend that today’s emo generation is starting to turn against. In research conducted by the Childhood Development Agency (CDA), data has emerged that more and more angry teens are painting their rooms bright pink.

“We … defy… modern society… the man,” mumbled one such child. “Our parents expectations of us don’t matter! We’ll paint our rooms whatever color we want!”

“As long as it’s not black,” interjected another teen. “That’s so conformist. No lonely and creative teen has ever painted their room pink before.”

While the changing trend has been a great boon for colored paint, black paint itself admitted to having a mountain ahead of it to climb.

“When I got into this, my aim was to not conform to other paints’ ideas of beauty,” said black paint. “I would not be like those happy-clappy types who don’t know anything about meaning in life or existentialism. Now the kids think that I’ve sold out. Well, I haven’t, and I won’t give up my perch as the harbinger of sorrow that easily.”

Parents of teens joining the pink paint craze have reacted with pleasant surprise, mostly indicating that the house has brightened and the angst created by the darkness has dissipated.

As of press time, most emo teens have abandoned the idea, considering other options such as brown or golden honeysuckle.

“Our parents know nothing about the depth of feeling in paint colors,” they said. “If they think pink paint is better, it’s because they’re totally deluded by societal norms. We were almost swept in, but now we know the dangers, and will continue fighting the norms of society with paint.”