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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — Campus police pepper-sprayed as many as 30 demonstrators after Santa Monica College students angry over a plan to offer high-priced courses tried to push their way into a trustees meeting, authorities said.

Raw video posted on the Internet Tuesday evening showed students chanting “Let us in, let us in” and “No cuts, no fees, education should be free.”

Students were angry because only a handful were allowed into the meeting, and when their request to move the meeting to a larger venue was denied, they began to enter the room, said David Steinman, an environmental advocate who is running for Congress as a Green Party candidate.

Two officers were apparently backed up against a wall, and began using force to keep the students out of the room. Steinman said both officers used pepper spray.

“People were gasping and choking,” Steinman said.

Marioly Gomez, 21, said she was standing in a hallway outside the meeting with several hundred other students who wanted to get into the meeting.

“I got pepper-sprayed without warning,” she said.

Santa Monica College spokesman Bruce Smith said he believed it was the first time pepper spray had been used to subdue students on campus.

“It was the judgment of police that the crowd was getting out of hand and it was a safety issue,” he said.

Trustee David Finkel called on campus officials to look into Tuesday evening’s events.

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In the shower, on the way home from the bar, while mowing the yard — who among us has not belted out some classic rock when we thought we were alone or among close friends.

But this guy knew he had an audience: the cop in the front seat. And now he has an audience on YouTube as well, after this was posted last night by Mark Delfigalo.

You will wish you’d never been born at all if you make it all the way through this one. Check out his vocalizations on the musical parts at about 3:42.

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Andrew Breitbart in 2009 (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari, File)

Conservative Internet entrepreneur Andrew Breitbart has died in Los Angeles of natural causes at the age of 43, officials said.

Breitbart, 43, passed away unexpectedly from natural causes shortly after midnight in Los Angeles, his lawyer and the Los Angeles Coroner’s Office confirmed this morning.

“We have lost a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a dear friend, a patriot and a happy warrior,” the statement on his website said. “Andrew lived boldly, so that we more timid souls would dare to live freely and fully, and fight for the fragile liberty he showed us how to love.”

The outspoken media entrepreneur helped launch The Huffington Post and was an editor at The Drudge Report. He gained notoriety after launching a series of news websites, such as Big Government, Breitbart.com and Breitbart.tv.

Last year, BigGovernment.com released a series of photos that led to the resignation of New York Rep. Anthony Weiner and the site also broke the story about ACORN child sex trafficking scandal.

He also wrote two books “Hollywood, Interrupted” and New York Times bestseller “Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World.”

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(via Hank for Senate Facebook page)

A 9-year-old cat who is “tired of politicians that have their claws out” has launched an unusual campaign for an open Senate seat in Virginia, according to a report from WTTG Fox 5 DC.

Hank the Cat, an Independent from Springfield, has a campaign in full swing for U.S. Senate in Virginia, at a time when some voters might be looking for an outside-the-box candidate.

He is based out of his family’s house in Springfield, Virigina, the report said.

“If any sort of lobbyist needs to get to him, they would have to do that with cheese,” says Campaign Manager Matthew O’Leary.

Hank, hoping to be a write-in candidate,  faces politicians in George Allen and Tim Kaine for the open seat.

Here’s a description of  Hank  on his campaign’s  Facebook page:

From the very first day, Hank has been a fighter. Born to a single mother living on the streets, Hank, his mother, and his siblings were taken to an animal shelter and sat on death row.

Shortly before their execution, Hank and the rest of his family were saved by an animal rescue group called Animal Allies. Hank was adopted to a loving family, and he was raised by his adopted brother Sammy

Hank’s campaign is in full swing with signs and stickers and advertisements. He also has a Twitter, Facebook, website and a campaign commercial.

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(Photo: Urban Combing, Flickr)

To celebrate National Pancake Day, IHOP will be giving away free pancakes today, but the breakfast restaurant chain is asking customers to donate money to local charities.

Customers can get one free short stack of pancakes today at any IHOP location. Instead of paying for the pancakes, IHOP is asking customers to donate to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital or other designated local charities.

Since 2006, IHOP has raised nearly $8 million. The restaurant chain hopes to raise $2.7 million this year.

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel got an unpleasant surprise last week.

As Merkel sat down for dinner, a waiter behind her lost his balance and spilled five beers on the back of the chancellor, but according to the Huffington Post, Merkel wasn’t too upset by the beer shower.

“She turned around and grinned at me,” said Martin D, who accidentally spilled the beers.

The waiter told a German newspaper that another waiter was supposed to serve Merkel, but she was too nervous to do it. The 21-year-old stepped up, but he said it didn’t go according to his plan.

“I was shoved from behind,” he said. “I tried to catch the beers, but it was too late.”