Blast To Relocate Home Games To Towson University

RadioOnFire.com - The Baltimore Blast have a new home field, and it isn't in Baltimore.

Starting next season, the indoor soccer team will move home games from Royal Farms Arena to SECU Arena, on the campus of Towson University as part of a three-year deal. Their season kicks off in Towson on Nov. 10.

"We think this place is very beautiful and it's not seen very much because it's off the road a little bit," owner Ed Hale said.

Blast games at the arena will seat 4,000, far fewer than the capacity of their old home, but that's by design, Hale said. The inspiration for the more intimate venue with a smaller field struck Hale during this year's run for the league championship. They played Soles de Sonora for the Major Arena Soccer League championship. Hale came back with the trophy, but also inspiration from Centro de Usos Multiples, Sonora's 8,600-seat arena. Royal Farms Arena, which seats 14,000, is cavernous by comparison. The fans in Sonora, Hale said, made for an intimate, wild experience.

"It was loud, it was crazy, it was fun," Hale said. "That's what we hope to replicate here."

When team officials ran the move by fans, Hale said, they were all for it. Towson, Hale said, will offer "access and affordability," with cheaper concessions and parking included. In addition to partnerships with other Towson sports, they'll also reach out to community groups and nonprofits to provide family-friendly experiences.

Towson officials see the Blast as part of their own larger engagement strategy.

"We talk a lot about this campus about trying to foster and being great community partners," Towson athletic director Tim Leonard said. "In order to do that, we have to reach out and partner with folks in greater Baltimore."

Hale said the move wasn't made because of anything done wrong by Royal Farms Arena staff, and praised arena general manager Frank Remesch for all he's done for the team's home of 37 years. That said, the relationship between Hale and the city-owned arena has been contentious in recent years. In 2015, he won a lawsuit against arena operator SMG and advertising firm Legends Sales and Marketing for using advertising billboards that belong to him, The Baltimore Sun reported in the time. Hale's firm won millions in damages, according to online court records.

The Blast has been a perennial attendance leader in the league, but the average Blast attendance in recent years is a couple thousand more than they'll be able to fit in Towson.

Several players last season, including star defender Pat Healey and goalkeeper Chris Fenner, are alumni of Towson's now-defunct men's soccer team. Neither has yet struck a new deal with the Blast, but 10 players from the championship squad have, general manager Kevin Healey (Pat Healey's father) said.

Coach Danny Kelly said he's excited about the team's new home.

"It's going to be quite an intimate setting," Kelly said. "Our fan support has been unbelievable, we expect the same here."

Source WBAL

Armed Suspects Rob Pub Full Of Police Officers Attending Party

RadioOnFire.com - Two men who police said robbed a pub in Woodlawn may not have expected it to be full of police officers.

Baltimore County police have two suspects in custody who they said robbed a pub Tuesday night at gunpoint.

The armed suspects walked in to Monaghan's Pub a little before 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. It turns out that the pub was hosting a police officer's retirement party with dozens of off-duty officers in attendance.

"I'm sure that they weren't planning on there being a large room filled with police officers," Baltimore County police Officer Jennifer Peach said.

Investigators said two men entered the take-out portion of the restaurant and held an employee up at gunpoint.

"At that time, the person who had been behind the counter knew that there was a retirement party for a police officer happening, so they went into the other portion and alerted the officers to the fact that they had just been involved in an armed robbery," Peach said.

Investigators said the suspects had just left the restaurant, but they didn't get far before the off-duty officers at the party ran out and took them into custody.

Police didn't say how much cash Joseph McInnis III, 21, and Tyree McCoy, 22, initially got away with, but they said none of the employees, patrons or officers were injured.

McCoy and McInnis are charged with armed robbery and possession of a handgun. They are being held without bond at the Baltimore County Detention Center.

Source WBAL

Houston-Area Floodwaters Recede But Dangers Still Loom

Credit Associated Press

RadioOnFire.com - HOUSTON (AP) -- Major dangers for the U.S. Gulf Coast area loomed Wednesday with the threat of major flooding further east near the Texas-Louisiana line and an explosion at a Texas chemical plant as Harvey's floodwaters began receding in the Houston area after five days of torrential rain.

Beaumont and Port Arthur, Texas, struggled with rising water as the area was pounded with what remained of the weakening storm, while Houston's fire department said it would begin a block-by-block search Thursday of thousands of flooded homes. Assistant Fire Chief Richard Mann said the searches were to ensure "no people were left behind."

The confirmed death toll climbed to at least 31, including six family members - four of them children - whose bodies were pulled Wednesday from a van that had been swept off a Houston bridge into a bayou.

"Unfortunately, it seems that our worst thoughts are being realized," Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said after the van that disappeared over the weekend was found in 10 feet of muddy water.

Reporting live @wbalradio this AM from @wbaltv11 @RedCross phone bank as folks are calling 410-261-2300 to donate to help TX flood victims pic.twitter.com/2dnAnfZeVd

— Scott Wykoff (@ScottWykoffWBAL) August 31, 2017

Another crisis related to Harvey emerged at a chemical plant about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Houston. A spokeswoman for the Arkema Inc. plant in Crosby, Texas, said late Wednesday that the flooded facility had lost power and backup generators, leaving it without refrigeration for chemicals that become volatile as the temperature rises.

"The fire will happen. It will resemble a gasoline fire. It will be explosive and intense in nature," said Janet Smith, spokeswoman for the French company that owns the plant.

The last of the plant's employees evacuated on Tuesday and residents within 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) were told to leave.

Arkema submitted a plan to the federal government in 2014 outlining a worst-case scenario that said potentially 1.1 million residents could be affected by such an event over a distance of 23 miles, according to information compiled by a nonprofit group. But the company said Wednesday that a worst-case scenario was "very unlikely."

Another threat was emerging east of Houston where weather conditions deteriorated close to the Louisiana line.

Beaumont and Port Arthur worked to evacuate residents after Harvey completed a U-turn in the Gulf of Mexico and rolled ashore early Wednesday for the second time in six days. It hit southwestern Louisiana as a tropical storm with heavy rain and winds of 45 mph.

Source WBAL

Former Head Of Baltimore's Gun Trace Task Force Indicted In Racketeering Case

RadioOnFire.com - The former officer in charge of the Baltimore Police Department's Gun Trace Task Force is the eighth indicted in a racketeering conspiracy that ensnared seven of his former subordinates.

Sgt. Thomas Allers, 49, of Linthicum Heights, was indicted last Thursday. The federal indictment was unsealed with his Wednesday arrest, the U.S. attorney's office says.

Allers allegedly shook down victims, some of whom hadn't committed crimes, swore false affidavits and submitted false incident reports.

Allers, a 21-year veteran, took charge of the task force in July of 2013. He was reassigned in June of last year. All alleged robbery and extortion incidents are said to have taken place in that time.

While Baltimore police have distributed a headshot of Allers, they have yet to comment on the case.

State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby said in a statement that, as for the other officers in this case and in recent cases surrounding questionable body camera video, her office now has to examine closed and pending cases that may be affected by Allers' indictment.

"As prosecutors, we will remain vigilant in our pursuit of justice on all fronts and we will continue to do our part to restore public trust and build confidence in the criminal justice system," Mosby said.

Prosecutors cited several examples of allegations in the indictment. On or around April 3, 2015, Allers and others executed a search warrant on a Baltimore home and found $6,000. The money was a mix of money the homeowners made buying and selling used cars and the wife's tax refund money. They allegedly took all but $300 of that money, and filed a false incident report stating that just $223 was seized.

In early March of 2016, Allers and others executed another city search warrant. The resident had $200 in her purse, which her daughter got the day before at a birthday, $900 to pay the month's rent, $300 to pay her power bill and $8,000 in proceeds from drug sales. Allers allegedly approved a false report that said that just $1,624 had been seized, when more than $7,000 was actually stolen, prosecutors say.

Late the following month, Allers and others allegedly robbed a residence after arresting someone who lived there. They allegedly took more than $10,000. He allegedly approved a false incident report, however, that didn't say any money had been seized. One of the residents was later shot and killed because he couldn't repay a drug-related debt, prosecutors say.

Allers also allegedly alerted other members of the task force about investigations of their conduct.

He faces nine counts of robbery and extortion under an indictment that alleges that he stole more than $90,000. The charges carry up to 20 year in prison if convicted. An initial appearance is set for Wednesday afternoon.

The seven officers initially charged in the case were arrested in March. They allegedly robbed people during traffic stops and claimed false overtime. One was separately charged in a federal drug case. Two officers, who have since left the department, pleaded guilty in July. Also last month, new indictments were issued against three officers and two civilians in the case.

Allers has been the subject of an investigation before. He was put on administrative duty in 1997--less than a year after he joined the force--after he fatally shot a man suspected of stabbing two women. Police at the time say the suspect lunged at Allers' service weapon, according to a Baltimore Sun report at the time.

Source WBAL

MMA Fighter Derrick Lewis Saves a Family with Confederate Flag in Houston

RadioOnFire.com - As the death toll for Hurricane Harvey reaches 30 souls, we have only begun to comprehend the destruction left in its wake. People from all over the country have done their part to help those touched by the storm, donating what they can and rescuing those in need. Among those people was MMA fighter Derrick Lewis, who waded through waist deep water to save a family holding a confederate flag. Lewis, known as the 'black beast' in the MMA world, returned to his home state with his pickup Truck to help those stranded after news of Harvey's destruction reached him.

'It feels good to help people,” Derrick Lewis wrote on Twitter of his heroic efforts. “I picked up one guy and his family, his wife ― he just kept apologizing to me, because all he really had was his clothes, and he wanted to take his Confederate flag. He wanted to take that with him, and he just apologized and said, ‘Man, I’ll sit in the back of your truck, man. I don’t want to have my flag inside of your truck like this.’ I said, ‘Man, I’m not worried about that."

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments.

Source: huffingtonpost.com

Joel Osteen Blames City of Houston for Church Shelter Issues

RadioOnFire.com - Pastor Joel Osteen recently received backlash after his organization allegedly shuttered their church to oncoming homeless victims of Hurricane Harvey in Houston. Since then, the pastor and his team made sure to let everyone know the church was open arms to homeless victims, even going as far as buying a massive amount of inflatable air mattresses and placing them in the megachurch that can fit almost 17,000 people in it.

Since then, Osteen went on CBS’ This Morning to address the backlash essentially placing the blame for the mix-up on the city of Houston. Osteen said, “The city runs shelters. They asked for a distribution center. We could’ve been a shelter from day one if they needed that. Somebody created a notion that, you know what, we’re not open in time but they’re not sitting here seeing that the mayor is saying don’t stay on the streets, don’t get on the streets, that this building is a safety issue.”

Osteen went on to say that “There was flooding. If we didn’t have our flood gates out back here, it was within one foot. This building flooded in 2001, the whole bottom floor. It would’ve been a safety concern at the start.”

Source: YouTube

US Conducts Successful Nuclear Missile Defense Test Off Coast of Hawaii

RadioOnFire.com - North Korea has been conducting missiles tests, with their most recent one occurring this past Tuesday. The rogue nation flew missiles over Japanese territory, with the missile landing in the Pacific Ocean. Now, reports surfaced saying the United States has conducted a successful nuclear missile defense test of their own.

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency, as well as the Navy, conducted a nuclear missile defense test that took place off of the coast of Hawaii. The MDA noted that the test was scheduled in advance and that it was done from the USS John Paul Jones. The test comes only one day after North Korea fired off a ballistic missile over Japanese territory. The MDA gave the reasoning behind the test, saying the test gives the naval part of their missile defense system a better chance of intercepting ballistic missiles.

Source: twitter.com

Secretary of Defense Freezes Transgender Military Ban

RadioOnFire.com - Defense Secretary Jim Mattis announced late Tuesday that the president's ban on transgender troops would be frozen for further review which effectively allows transgender troops to remain serving in the military. In a statement on the matter Mattis said, "Once the panel reports its recommendations and following my consultation with the secretary of Homeland Security, I will provide my advice to the president concerning implementation of his policy direction... In the interim, current policy with respect to currently serving members will remain in place."

Check out Mattis' entire statement above.

Houston Best Buy Was Charging $42 for Bottles of Water, Chain Apologizes

RadioOnFire.com - Best Buy issued an apology after one of its Houston stores was caught selling cases of water for ridiculously high prices. A photo showed 12 packs of SmartWater advertised for $29.98 each, while a 24 pack of Dasani was going for $42.96.

Immediately after the photo appeared online, social media accused Best Buy of taking advantage of the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey. Many people are currently struggling to find food, shelter, and water. Best Buy had this to say,

"This was a big mistake on the part of a few employees at one store on Friday. As a company we are focused on helping, not hurting affected people. We're sorry and it won't happen again. Not as an excuse but as an explanation, we don't typically sell cases of water. The mistake was made when employees priced a case of water using the single-bottle price for each bottle in the case."

Source: complex.com

Aaron Rodgers: I Think Because of Kaepernick's Protest, He's Not on a Team

RadioOnFire.com - Aaron Rodgers did not hold back during an exclusive interview with ESPN when he made it clear that the only reason Colin Kaepernick isn't on an NFL team is because of his anthem protests and that it would be "ignorant" to think otherwise. This is a bold statement for Rodgers who is usually adamant about keeping private.

The former Super Bowl MVP has joined a growing list of white athletes in support of Kaepernick's protest, not to mention the rally outside of the NFL headquarters protesting for Kaepernick's circumstance. Although Rodgers agrees that agrees that Kaepernick is being blackballed, don't expect him to kneel alongside fellow protestors, but at the least, he supports those that chose to kneel. Thoughts? Let us know in the comments.

Source: espn.com

Joel Osteen Says If Anyone Was Turned Away from Church It Was a Mistake

RadioOnFire.com - Televangelist Joel Osteen made a round of appearances on news networks on Wednesday, August 30, to dispute claims that his mega church kept its doors closed to the public as Hurricane Harvey began to intensify earlier this week. Osteen says not only were there plans to accommodate the community in need in its time of crisis, but that the church was actually never closed to the public, even if the doors were locked.

"The church is always open. We've received people when the flood waters went down or began to recede here, but uh, you know, the convention center is four miles down the road and I think a lot of people went there," Osteen said, sticking to the defense he provided upon learning of a growing backlash on the internet. Osteen has contended that the reason his church was late in getting around to harboring survivors is that the 16,800 seat Lakewood Church was itself steeped in water. He implied that the controversy is a fabricated one that has been drummed up by social media. "Once we could get the waters down and the staff in here we were going to kick it into gear, but uh, I don't know," the popular pastor told TMZ, before pointing out that his church has always been depended on to aid in relief of disaster, as was the case during Tropical Storm Allison in 2001.

When confronted about the video posted by a social media user who walked up to the empty church and filmed its dry surroundings, as thousands scrambled for shelter, Osteen projected the failure on to staffing and logistics. "Anybody is welcome to come, and anybody should have been welcome to come. If they were turned away it was the security company or something," he said. "But, understand too, we didn't have all of the staff here, and um, you know, our people live here and work here as well so, it's kind of difficult all the way."

Source: youtube.com

Singer Tweet Admitted to the Hospital for Blood Clots

RadioOnFire.com - Prayers have been going around for R&B singer Tweet, as it was learned on Tuesday [August 29] that she has been hospitalized with a severe case of blood clots in her organs.

Both Tweet's daughter, Shenice Johnson, and her boyfriend, Pastor Jamal Bryant took to social media to confirm the singer's condition and to ask that fans keep her in their thoughts. Tweet reportedly has blood clots in her right arm and in both of her lungs. Blood clots, specifically DVT blood clots, can be fatal if left untreated. Should a piece of a DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) clot break off from a location in your body (typically one's legs), it can travel through the blood stream and become lodged in the lungs, causing a Pulmonary Embolism, which can lead to death.

Tweet's family remains positive that all will be healed. Both Pastor Bryant and Johnson expressed their confidence that divine intervention is underway to return them a healthy loved one. "We are believing God for total recovery! She’s my world and I know she’s in God’s hands," Johnson wrote on Instagram.

Tropical Storm Harvey Makes Landfall Swallowing Another Texas City

RadioOnFire.com - While countless Houstonians are still waiting for rescue, Tropical Storm Harvey has now swallowed another Texas city.

"Our whole city is underwater right now but we are coming!" Port Arthur Mayor Derrick Freeman posted Wednesday morning on Facebook. "If you called, we are coming. Please get to higher ground if you can, but please try (to) stay out of attics."
At least 19 deaths related to Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath have been reported in Texas. One of them, Houston police Sgt. Steve Perez, drowned while trying to get to work.

In Port Arthur -- about 90 miles east of the devastated Houston area -- the deluge was so severe that floodwaters overwhelmed the Bob Bowers Civic Center, which was serving as a shelter. It was evacuated Wednesday after taking on water overnight, according to volunteer Ana Platero.

Police made an appeal for volunteers to bring boats and help.
"Rescue boats welcome in Port Arthur to assist emergency personnel," the police department posted on Facebook. The city is asking anyone trapped to hang a white towel, sheet or shirt outside to alert rescuers.

Source CNN

Chuck D. Presents This Day in Rap and Hip Hop History

RadioOnFire.com - I can not think of a more qualified person than the great Chuck D of Public Enemy fame  to create this comprehensive, chronological survey of rap and hip hop from 1973 to the present by Chuck D, arguably the most influential rapper in the world.


In the more than 40 years since the days of DJ Kool Herc and "Rapper's Delight," hip hop and rap have become a billion-dollar worldwide phenomenon. Yet there is no definitive history of the genre-until now.


Based on Chuck's long-running show on Rapstation.com, this massive compendium details the most iconic moments and influential songs in the genre's recorded history, from Kurtis Blow's "Christmas Rappin'" to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill to Kendrick Lamar's ground-breaking verse on "Control." Also included are key events in hip hop history, from Grandmaster Flash's first scratch through Tupac's holographic appearance at Coachella.


Throughout, Chuck offers his insider's perspective on the chart toppers and show stoppers as he lived it. Illustrating the pages are more than 100 portraits from the talented artists specializing in hip hop.

Get The Book HERE

Source: www.hachettebookgroup.com

Diamond K Morning Show Interview: Author Leslie Parker

 

RadioOnFire.com - Recently, author Leslie Parker came to RadioOnFire's Baltimore studio to talk about her new book "Cycles of Pain". She shared several painful personal experiences on the #DiamondKMorningShow and how she is stronger because of them. Watch the interview and see links to the book below.

Amazon

Diamond K Morning Show: Award Winning Author L.C. Rogers

RadioOnFire.com - Recently on the #DiamondKMorningShow I had a chance to sit down with an Award winning author, mom, wife named L.C. Rogers. She is the creator of the "TJ's Lessons" book series, and an epic new novel called "Pocketbook Diaries: Part 1 - The Escape From Aphrodan." Please check out the interview and links to her work below.

TJ's Lessons Book Series

Pocketbook Diaries: Part 1

Apple CEO Tim Cook Takes $89 Million Bonus After Soaring Stock Prices

RadioOnFire.com - Apple CEO Tim Cook just added to his incredible $785 million estimated net worth after receiving an $89.7 million bonus. The big pay day is the result of Apple stock taking a large leap this year. After starting around $115 in January, the stock has hit its $160+ peak, symbolizing a 39 percent increase so far in 2017.

In return for Apple's stock doing so well, Cook is receiving well... more Apple stock. His bonus is 560,000 shares of Apple stock which are valued at roughly $160.15 each.

The buzz around Apple has been growing as details leak about the upcoming iPhone 8, which will be the largest one yet and is reported to have a retail price of a whopping $999. Nonetheless, people will continue to ditch their old iPhones for the shiny new product which is scheduled to drop in September.

Source: complex.com

President Trump Delivers Speech to Houston Flood Victims: What a Turn Out

RadioOnFire.com - Hurricane Harvey hit Texas with record-breaking rainfall and devastation in its wake.Some people have lost everything they own, and some have even lost their lives. Tuesday (Aug. 30), President Donald Trump arrived and addressed a crowd in Corpus Christi before leaving for Austin.

"Thank you, everybody, what a crowd, what a turnout," said Trump sparking criticism about his obsession with crowd numbers and his narcissism. Some say it felt more like one of his rallies rather than help for the people. Trump thanked Texas Governor Greg Abbott, as well as senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, all of whom are Republicans.

"This is historic, it's epic what happened, but you know what, it happened in Texas and Texas can handle anything," Trump finished before waving a Texas flag in the air with cheers from the crowd.

Kevin Hart's Harvey Relief Challenge Has Raised $800K So Far

RadioOnFire.com - Hurricane Harvey has been a force that has devastated the state of Texas, in particular, the city of Houston, leaving hundreds of thousands stranded after massive flood waters rose more than 15 feet high. Comedian Kevin Hart began the Hurricane Harvey challenge as an effort to raise money for the devastating storm and it caught on quickly. Many celebrities excepted Kevin Hart's challenge, including Chris Brown, DJ Khaled, The Rock and much more. So far, the challenge has raised over $800,000. Stay tuned for more updates on the rescue efforts in Houston.

Hogan To Propose Bill To Tighten Violent Crime Sentencing

RadioOnFire.com - Larry Hogan said Tuesday he plans to propose legislation to tighten sentencing for violent criminals in the upcoming session, part of an effort to quell a surge in Baltimore bloodshed.


Hogan, a Republican, said he is planning a "truth in sentencing" measure as part of a package of bills in the legislative session that begins in January. He told reporters after a closed-door meeting of the Baltimore City Criminal Justice Coordinating Council that too many judges are waiving prison sentences for probation for repeat violent criminals.

"I believe that that's not acceptable, and we keep putting those same exact violent people on the streets," the governor said.

Hogan also expressed displeasure that judges declined to attend the meeting.

"We wanted input," Hogan said. "They refused to come."

With 231 slayings so far this year, Baltimore is on pace to have more than 300 homicides in 2017, threatening to make new records for bloodshed in the city for the third consecutive year.

Mayor Catherine Pugh, who attended Tuesday's meeting, announced a violence prevention plan earlier this month. She echoed the governor's concerns about repeat violent offenders and his frustration that representatives of the judiciary were not in attendance.

"I guess we'll keep calling them," Pugh, a Democrat, said.

Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said he also believes tougher sentencing needs to be part of the solution.




Source WBAL

Ravens Extend Harbaugh's Contract

RadioOnFire.com - The Baltimore Ravens have extended the contract of head coach John Harbaugh, the team announced Monday.

Harbaugh's contract was set to expire in 2018. It's not yet clear how many more years have been added.

Harbaugh took the helm in 2008. Since then, the Ravens have gone 85-59, with six playoff appearances and one Super Bowl championship.

Source WBAL

The 2017 VMAs Drew Lowest Ratings in MTV History

Image via Getty/Michael Tran

RadioOnFire.com - The MTV Video Music Awards are facing a huge ratings slump.

According to the Washington Post, this year’s award show drew a total of 5.4 million viewers, making it the lowest-rated VMAs in history—or at least since 1994, when Nielsen started measuring the show.

Some of you might’ve seen this coming, as the 2017 broadcast coincided with the highly anticipated Game of Thrones season finale, which reportedly drew 12.07 million viewers Sunday night. But this year’s historically low viewership wasn’t exactly shocking. The VMAs has seen a steady decline in ratings for the past several years: 6.5 million watched the 2016 broadcast, 9.8 million watched the year before, and 10.3 million tuned into 2014’s. The highest-rated broadcast was 2002’s with 11.95 million viewers.

So, what’s going on? Are the VMAs losing relevancy? And, if so, why?

The Washington Post points out that although Game of Thrones completely dominated Sunday night, the VMAs were able to beat the HBO series among teenage viewers. Again, not too shocking when you consider teens have been MTV’s core demographic since, well, forever.

It’s also important to note that the VMAs are now available to stream online, which might explain the steady drop among TV audiences. The 2016 awards show reportedly drew 45.8 million streams on Facebook, and 4.4 million streams in 2015. This year, you could watch online if you had an existing cable TV subscription. So maybe audiences are still tuning in—just not in the traditional way.

Source Complex.com

After Backlash, Pastor Joel Osteen Now Opens Church To People Needing Shelter

RadioOnFire.com - Houston is currently experiencing massive floods due to Hurricane Harvey, which has left numerous homeowners and residents displaced, as well as some dead. People have been searching for places in the area as a refuge away from the monstrous storm, with many looking at Pastor Joel Osteen and his megachurch as a potential spot. However, representatives from Osteen’s church said that the church was flooded and was not able to take anyone in. Osteen’s megachurch has the capacity to hold up to 16,800 people at once. Osteen and his church were met with backlash, especially with reports of the storm getting worse in areas in terms of flooding.

Since then, Joel Osteen has addressed the situation via Twitter, saying “Victoria and I care deeply about our fellow Houstonians. Lakewood’s doors are open and we are receiving anyone who needs shelter.” Osteen made it clear that his church would open their doors to anyone who was made homeless by the storm and even went as far buying a massive number of air mattresses for people to sleep on while staying there. Despite opening his church up to those displaced by the storm, Osteen is still receiving backlash, with many saying he only offered up the facility after being called out for not doing so in the first place.

Oklahoma Police Chief Outed as Owner of White Supremacist Record Label

RadioOnFire.com - Many workers, company owners, and more having been getting exposed as being with white supremacist factions, and now an Oklahoma police chief is joining the list of people who moonlight as white supremacists. The man in question, Bart Alsbrook, was just hired last week by the department as Colbert, Oklahoma’s police chief. However, Alsbrook was exposed when a reporter from KXII in Texoma, Oklahoma began to take a look at a single hate group that was presented on a “hate map” created by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The reporter ended up finding a website for an ISD Records, which reportedly filed paperwork in 2004. The paperwork was signed by a Bart Alsbrook. According to the reporter’s notes, the label released tracks like “Hitler Was Right,” and “Start Up The Panzers.” When asked about it by the news, Alsbrook said he is not the same Alsbrook behind that website. However, the network noted that they searched for that name extensively and could not find another Bart Alsbrook in the United States. KXII said, “When we called him back to ask him about it, Alsbrook claimed a group of skinheads stole his wallet and began using his name after a fight at a heavy metal concert in the 1990’s.” Bart Alsbrook is the third police chief that the Colbert, Oklahoma department has hired in 2017.

Source: rawstory.com

BIG3 Championship: Former NBA players Harrington, Martin win inaugural title

RadioOnFire.com - The BIG3, the summer three-on-three basketball league featuring ex-NBA players started in part by Ice Cube, held its championship game on Saturday with familiar faces all over the court.

In the end it was Trilogy outlasting the 3-Headed Monsters, 51-46 to take home the inaugural BIG3 championship in Las Vegas.

The 3-Headed Monsters overcame the loss of former NBA highlight machine Jason Williams, who went down for the season with a knee injury in the team's first game, to make it all the way to the title game. Coached by Hall of Famer Gary Payton, their roster featured former NBA players Rashard Lewis, Kwame Brown, Eddie Basden, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Kareem Rush and Hakim Warrick.

McCants, who finished third in the BIG3 in scoring, was named the BIG3 Championship MVP after putting up 22 points in the title game.

After Merger, You Can Now Buy the Amazon Echo at Whole Foods

RadioOnFire.com - Recently, Amazon announced a merger with Whole Foods Market Incorporated. According to reports, Amazon bought Whole Foods Inc. for $13.7 billion and made it clear that once the merger went through that they would be slashing the prices of goods at the supermarket by almost 43 percent. The merger is not without some cross-promotion though, as Amazon has already begun to place their products along with signage in some Whole Foods locations.

On the first day, social media users who entered Whole Foods posted photos of signage that said “Pick Of The Season” on it. But instead of fruit or vegetables being on the sign, Amazon’s Echo was placed on it. One photo finds a picture of the Amazon Echo and Amazon Echo Dot with their prices slashed right next to a bale of peaches. Another photo features the devices directly in the window of a Whole Foods location.

Source: twitter.com

Police Identify & Arrest Alt-Right Marcher who Fired Shot in Charlottesville

RadioOnFire.com - Authorities continue to make arrests for crimes documented from the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville earlier this month, with police detaining 52-year-old Richard Wilson Preston for firing a shot at counter protesters outside of Emancipation Park. Preston was booked on Saturday, August 26, only one day after booking Daniel Patrick Borden, 18, for participating in the beating of Deandre Harris that was captured on video and went viral in the days that followed the violent rally.

Preston is said to have yelled the n-word at a counter protester before drawing his firearm and aiming in the direction of dissenters with the intention of intimidating rivals. After gesturing as though he was about to let off, Preston slightly tilted the gun so that he would hit the ground, and followed through with the threat. Video of the incident, which was discovered by ACLU staffers who've been mining through footage from the rally, was published immediately after Preston's arrest. The FBI had already gotten to review a copy sent to them on August 17, as did the Charlottesville Police Department, which received a copy on the 20th.

Local authorities have been facing ridicule over what many believe was a failure to act on the violence witnessed in the Virginia town. Corinne Geller of the Virginia State Police has responded to queries into the force's lack of action as it pertains to the shooting by claiming that officers weren't aware of the incident taking place because they could not hear the blast through “the loud volume of the crowd yelling and chanting, drums and music.”

Hurricane Harvey Leaves Massive Destruction in its Path

RadioOnFire.com - It seems Hurricane Harvey isn't quite done yet. CNN reported this morning that the storm has about 4-5 more days of rain and wind and it will cause much more flooding that it already has. This is extremely unfortunate because the destruction it has already left behind is devastating.

As you can see in the video above, there is a large amount of flooding, cars underwater, homes destroyed and that's just what can be seen in this video. Others have posted photos and videos of boats flipped over, trees snapped in half, homes ripped open and more.

First responders have already started to save people stranded by high water but there is so much more that will need to be done once this storm fully passes. So far the casualty count is at two-- a man died in a fire in Rockport and a woman was swept away by the flood in Houston. We're hoping that the count stays there.

We will keep you all updated as more news becomes available but in the meantime let's hope that the storm doesn't create anymore damage.