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Florida Woman Arrested For Kidnapping Her Cousin’s Baby

Allegedly, Stephanie Luna Augustin, 23, coerced her 14-year-old cousin to help her kidnap a relative’s baby. Reportedly, Augustin was still reeling from a recent miscarriage. Her loss is what authorities believe was the motive behind breaking into a Miami home and kidnapping two-month old Taraji Kemp. The boy put a handgun (which may have actually been a BB gun) purchased earlier in the day from Walmart to the mother’s head, while Augustin grabbed the child. The teen eventually confessed his involvement to his parents. The 7th grader is currently being held in juvenile detention. Amber Alerts led to her arrest by the highway patrol as she drove down the Florida turnpike. Augustin had left the baby unattended in her Orlando apartment. She is facing a litany of charges related to the kidnapping including aggravated child abuse, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, armed burglary of a dwelling, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and kidnapping. At the request of the suspects mother, Augustin will also receive a psych evaluation as ordered by the judge. The Sun Sentinel

Obama Puts His Own Spin On “Take Your Child To Work Day” 

President Obama wants to encourage the youth, especially girls and people of color, to pursue careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. His new initiative, ‘Take Your Child to the Lab’ Week will allow 5,000 students visit nearly 100 national labs throughout 20 states. Obama also held a career fair at The White House for students from DC and Baltimore. In a recent interview with Popular Science magazine, Obama shared the importance of the new program. “Whether it’s setting foot on the moon, developing a vaccine for polio, inventing the Internet or building the world’s strongest military, we’ve relied on innovative scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians to help us tackle the toughest challenges of our time.” Phys.org

Toddler Tells Police “I Need A Beer”; Mother Arrested For Endangerment 

Neighbors alerted police in Lubbock, Texas that an infant was home alone. When authorities arrived, they found a three-year-old in a roach infested apartment covered with red bumps. “As soon as I entered I was overwhelmed by the filthy state of the apartment” noted an officer in a report of the scene. “There were piles of dirty and moldy dishes on the counter, stove, and sink. The kitchen was in no way sanitary or functional” added the report. The child repeatedly told police that she was hungry and according to the officers, the infant also said, “I need a beer”. Children’s Protective Services has since taken custody of the infant. “I had probable cause to believe that [the little girl] had not been fed, washed, or provided with any type of general medical care or treatment for an unsafe amount of time” wrote the officer. The child’s mother, Shauna Lee Bennett has been arrested and she’s currently being held at the Lubbock County Detention Center. CBS

Department Of Education Sued For Neglecting Students With Special Needs

According to reports, forty percent of New York city’s disabled students are not getting their full school services including extra tutoring and therapy as required by state law. Out of the city schools’ 187,000 kids, two-thirds of the special needs students are minorities; African American or Hispanic boys from impoverished neighborhoods. New York City Public Advocate Letitia James has since filed lawsuit against the Department of Education for its failure to maintain it’s Special Education Student Information System (SESIS). James said the city has spent $130 million on SESIS over the last seven years but students with learning disabilities are continuously “not receiving the programs they are entitled to under the law.” In April, James has a court appearance with the city for a second lawsuit over lack of air conditioning on school buses transporting students with disabilities to school in the summer months. Politico/NY Daily News

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