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Republicans gained confidence on Thursday that U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh would win Senate confirmation, this after two wavering lawmakers responded positively to an FBI report on accusations of sexual misconduct against the judge. The report was sent by the White House to the Senate Judiciary Committee in the middle of the night. Democrats have denounced it as a “whitewash” that was “too narrow in scope” and claimed it ignored critical witnesses. Thousands of anti-Kavanaugh protesters rallied outside the Supreme Court and entered a Senate office building, holding signs such as “Believe Survivors” and “Kava-Nope.” Depiste this, Republicans moved forward with plans for a key procedural vote on Friday and a final vote on Saturday on confirming Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.. ...Read Full Story

The Justice Department asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to block a lower court order for Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to be questioned by lawyers for a group of states challenging a decision by President Donald Trump’s administration to ask people taking part in the 2020 census whether they are citizens. The Justice Department told the Supreme Court the states should not be allowed to probe Ross’s “mental state” in deciding to add the citizenship question to the census, saying that compelling testimony from high-ranking officials is rarely justified. The U.S. Constitution mandates a census every 10 years. It is used to determine the allocation of seats in Congress and at the state level, the drawing of political boundaries and the distribution of billions of dollars in federal funds to communities.. ...Read Full Story

New York state officials are probing the tax practices of President Donald Trump and his family; this following a New York Times report on their use of tax avoidance schemes that they called “deceptive and potentially fraudulent.” The Department of Taxation and Finance has opened an investigation; it can collect fines and penalties and also refer criminal actions to the attorney general’s office. The alleged actions took place three decades ago, likely putting any criminal liability past the statute of limitations. “The Tax Department is reviewing the allegations in the NYT article and is vigorously pursuing all appropriate avenues of investigation,” said department spokesman James Gazzale in a statement. A spokeswoman for the attorney general’s office declined to comment.. ...Read Full Story

On Tuesday, the Dow hit a record closing high but another drop in Facebook shares weighed on both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, driving both to finish in the red. The Dow was boosted by names such as Boeing and Caterpillar as investors remained upbeat on trade-sensitive companies following the deal negotiated between the United States, Canada and Mexico. Meanwhile, Facebook fell 1.91 percent. The social media company disclosed its worst security breach eve on Friday, and faces continuing calls for legislation to force technology firms to take responsibilities for online security seriously.. ...Read Full Story

About 225 million mobile devices across the U.S. will receive a test emergency alert on Wednesday. It’s the first nationwide test for a wireless phone emergency alert. It will be sent at 2:18 p.m. EDT. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said that it will sound like an Amber Alert or flood warning. The subject will read: “Presidential Alert.” The text will say: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” A test of broadcast systems will happen at 2:20 p.m. EDT. FEMA officials say the test will last about a half-hour; meaning people may get it at different times. They expect about 75% of all wireless users to get the alert. The alert would be used in the event of a major nationwide emergency.. ...Read Full Story

On Monday, President Donald Trump spoke about the new free trade deal with Canada and Mexico, saying it was “a win” for U.S. workers. Washington and Ottawa reached an agreement on Sunday after weeks of talks to update the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement. The United States forged a separate trade deal with Mexico, the third member of NAFTA, in August. The new agreement is called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and is aimed at bringing more jobs into the United States, with Canada and Mexico accepting more restrictive commerce with the United States, their main export partner. At the White House, President Trump said “these measures will support many – hundreds of thousands – American jobs.”  He said the deal was “the most important” the United States had ever made. . ...Read Full Story

A classmate of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh at Yale University, Charles Ludington, will provide information to the FBI on Monday. News of Ludington’s involvement was first reported by The Washington Post, who said he planned to give a statement to the FBI at its field office in Raleigh, North Carolina, “detailing violent drunken behavior by Kavanaugh in college.” In a copy of his statement provided to the publication, Ludington, a professor at North Carolina State University, described Kavanaugh as a “belligerent and aggressive” drunk. During his Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last week, Kavanaugh was repeatedly asked about his drinking habits in school, but denied having a problem. However in his statement, Ludington wrote that “if he lied about his past actions on national television, and more especially while speaking under oath in front of the United States Senate, I believe those lies should have consequences.” A senior U.S. official confirmed that the White House counsel’s office directed the FBI to interview the following witness list of four: Kavanaugh friends Mark Judge and P.J. Smyth, Leland Keyser, a friend of Ford’s who Ford says was at the party, and Deborah Ramirez, who accused Kavanaugh of exposing himself to her when they were both students at Yale University.. ...Read Full Story

A car explosion in downtown Allentown left three men dead, including the likely “perpetrator,” officials said Sunday. Federal authorities who are leading the investigation planned on conducting autopsies, saying “we know there’s been a criminal incident.” District Attorney James Martin told reporters at a news conference Sunday that “we have a high degree of confidence that the perpetrator was probably killed in the incident.” No further information about the possible cause of Saturday night’s blast, including whether it was a bomb, but Martin said, “Loads of us in law enforcement” are confident “this was A. an isolated incident and B. there’s no continuing threat.” The FBI, state police, and city and county authorities are investigating along with the ATF. Autopsies were planned Monday on the three males found dead after the 9:30 p.m. explosion, Lehigh County Coroner Scott Grim said Sunday afternoon. Grim said he would probably be able to release the names Monday once their identities are confirmed and their families are notified.. ...Read Full Story

After a full day of testimony from Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, the first woman who accused the judge of sexually assaulting her, President Donald Trump reinforced his support of Kavanaugh. In a tweet on Thursday evening, the President said, “Judge Kavanaugh showed America exactly why I nominated him. His testimony was powerful, honest, and riveting. Democrats’ search and destroy strategy is disgraceful and this process has been a total sham and effort to delay, obstruct, and resist. The Senate must vote!”  Ford accused Kavanaugh of trying to rape her when they were teenagers. Kavanaugh has vehemently denied all of her allegations, as well as the allegations made against him by two other women. Both Ford and Kavanaugh sat through hours of questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee as well as an outside prosecutor who Republicans hired to ask questions on Thursday. Ford spoke emotionally when describing her allegations. Kavanaugh began his testimony with anger in his voice, but also became very emotional during his opening statement. The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a vote on whether to confirm Kavanaugh for Friday, but Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein and other Democrats have called for the vote to be delayed.. ...Read Full Story

The White House said on Thursday that President Donald Trump and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein have agreed to delay their planned meeting on Thursday until next week, so as not to interfere with the Senate hearing for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Trump had expected to meet with Rosenstein, who oversees the probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, to discuss a news report that he had suggested secretly recording the president and recruiting Cabinet members to remove him from office. The meeting between the president and deputy attorney general was originally scheduled in the wake of a flurry of conflicting reports Monday, saying Rosenstein had either quit or was set to be fired. At the time, Trump was in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. . ...Read Full Story

The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates for the third time this year. Policymakers under Chairman Jerome Powell unanimously agreed to raise the federal funds rate a quarter percentage point, to a range of 2% to 2.25%. The rate helps determine rates for mortgages, credit cards and other consumer borrowing. “Our economy is strong,” Powell said at a press conference on Wednesday. “These rates remain low, and my colleagues and I believe that this gradual returning to normal is helping to sustain this strong economy.” Central bankers raised expectations for a fourth rate hike in December, with a majority now in favor of such a move. In June, policymakers were split on whether the Fed should raise rates four times this year or three. Looking ahead to 2019, Fed officials expect at least three rate hikes will be necessary, and one more in 2020. The Fed raised its expectation for economic growth this year to 3.1% from 2.8%, but for 2019, Fed officials expect growth to slow to 2.5% amid worries about the growing trade rift between the United States and China. . ...Read Full Story

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump said that Democratic attacks on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh over allegations of sexual misconduct were “disgraceful,” and would backfire on the party in November. “If the Democrats are playing this game that is disgraceful. It is a disgrace to the country. And I think you are going to see it in the midterms,” Trump said in New York, where he was meeting with Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe during the United Nations General Assembly. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats on Wednesday urged President Donald Trump to withdraw Kavanaugh’s nomination. In a letter, all 10 Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee called on Trump to either withdraw Kavanaugh from consideration, or order an FBI investigation “into all allegations.” Kavanaugh was accused on Wednesday by another woman of engaging in sexual misconduct at parties while he was a student at Georgetown Preparatory School in the 1980s. The allegation came from Julie Swetnick, 55, who said she observed the future Supreme Court nominee at parties where women were verbally abused, inappropriately touched, made “disoriented” with alcohol or drugs and “gang raped.” Judge Kavanaugh has repeatedly denied allegations that he behaved inappropriately toward women. . ...Read Full Story

President Donald Trump delivered a speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday in which, among other things, he touted his Administration’s accomplishments, spoke about the importance of American sovereignty and patriotism, and criticized “the ideology of globalism.”  Mr. Trump opened his annual address by boasting that his administration “has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country,” which was met with laughter by the other world leaders at the assembly. “Didn’t expect that reaction,” President Trump said, “but that’s O.K.”  Trump said in part, “Each of us here today is the emissary of a distinct culture, a rich history and a people bound together by ties of memory, tradition and the values that make our homelands like nowhere else on earth. That is why America will always choose independence and cooperation over global governance, control and domination.”  The President added: “The United States will not tell you how to live or work or worship. We only ask that you honor our sovereignty in return.”. ...Read Full Story

Michael Kors is buying the Italian fashion house Versace in a deal worth more than $2 billion. The deal Tuesday comes just 14 months after the New York handbag maker spent $1.35 billion adding to its portfolio Jimmy Choo. Michael Kors remains the chief creative director at Kors, but the expanding company will be renamed Capri Holdings Ltd., with $8 billion in projected annual sales. Gianni Versace founded the Versace brand in 1978, becoming a major force bringing to prominence Milan ready-to-wear; with Versace’s murder 21 years ago, his sister, Donatella Versace, took over creative direction and his brother Santo continued on the business side. The Versace family still controls 80 percent of the company, with the investment firm Blackstone owning the remaining 20 percent. Donatella Versace presented her latest collection for next spring and summer last Friday during Milan Fashion Week. “This is a very exciting moment for Versace,” she said. “It has been more than 20 years since I took over the company along with my brother Santo and daughter Allegra.” Donatella, who holds a 20 percent stake in the business, will stay onboard as creative director and the family will become shareholders in the larger business. Kors said Tuesday that it plans to open 100 new Versace stores (there are 200 in operation) at the same time that it amplifies online sales of the brand.. ...Read Full Story

The Dallas police officer who fatally shot her neighbor inside his own apartment was fired Monday, the same day the man was buried in his Caribbean homeland. Police Chief U. Renee Hall dismissed Officer Amber Guyger during a hearing Monday, according to a statement posted on Twitter. According to Dallas police, Guyger is charged with manslaughter in the Sept. 6 shooting that left 26-year-old Botham Jean dead, and she was fired because of her arrest. Guyger claims she thought she had encountered a burglar inside her own home when she shot Jean.  She turned herself in three days later , and is currently out on bond. A statement from police said an internal investigation concluded that on Sept. 9, Guyger “engaged in adverse conduct when she was arrested for Manslaughter.” Dallas police spokesman Sgt. Warren Mitchell later said that when an officer has been arrested for a crime, “adverse conduct” is often cited in the officer’s termination.. ...Read Full Story

More than a week after Hurricane Florence made landfall, officials in South Carolina are advising thousands of people to evacuate amid an imminent threat of river flooding. Record flooding is expected in Georgetown County, where residents received a pre-recorded phone message alerting them about the threat on Saturday. The message explained that even areas that aren’t predicted to flood are at risk because they could become isolated if roadways flood. “If you’ve received a message from your county emergency management office telling you to evacuate due to flooding … you need to do exactly that: leave,” the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) tweeted.  The SCEMD has also designated multiple shelters for both residents and their pets, which were set to open at 7:00 a.m. EDT on Monday. Ahead of the anticipated cresting of the Waccamaw River, the SCEMD advised residents who weren’t ordered to leave to prepare to evacuate if needed, avoid flooded roads and limit unnecessary travel. Flooding from four rivers in South Carolina were the primary concerns for the National Weather Service (NWS), sparking flood warnings for multiple counties.. ...Read Full Story

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On Sunday, attorneys for California professor Christine Blasey Ford said she has agreed to testify before a Senate panel on Thursday morning about her sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. This news comes after a week of developments that cast doubt on the Senate’s confirmation of Kavanaugh, once considered a safe bet. Ford has said that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a high school party 36 years ago. Kavanaugh, a federal appeals court judge, has denied the allegations and said he would be willing to testify. “Despite actual threats to her safety and her life, Dr. Ford believes it is important for senators to hear directly from her about the sexual assault committed against her,” said the statement from her attorneys Debra Katz, Lisa Banks and Michael Bromwich. The hearing is set for 10 a.m. on Thursday.. ...Read Full Story

An arrest has been made in the stabbing death of a jogger in a Washington neighborhood, a week after she became engaged. 35-year-old Wendy Karina Martinez was stabbed multiple times in Logan Circle on Tuesday night. On Thursday, authorities announced the arrest of suspect Anthony Crawford. He was charged with first-degree murder while armed. Crawford, a D.C. resident with a criminal past, was found Wednesday with the help of surveillance footage and tips from the public, said D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham. Crawford, 23, was not cooperative with police and had a hand injury when he was apprehended, Newsham said. “We feel very confident that we have in our custody the person responsible for this murder,” said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. Newsham said there’s no information to suggest the victim and suspect knew each other or any evidence to suggest it was a robbery. He described the stabbing as an “unprovoked attack,” adding that investigators had not determined a motive. Martinez can be seen on surveillance video from Tuesday night stumbling into a restaurant near the 1400 block of 11th Street NW in search of help. The restaurant’s manager called police, and Martinez was taken to a hospital where she died from her injuries a short time later, police said. Wendy Martinez’s family said in a statement that Martinez had gotten engaged last week, and described her as “an avid runner … a devout Christian, a wonderful friend, and a driven professional.”. ...Read Full Story

Multiple people were killed Thursday in a shooting on the campus of a Rite Aid distribution center in Harford County, Maryland, authorities said. The female suspect was taken into custody and is in critical condition at a local hospital, Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler said at a news conference Thursday. The shooting was reported just after 9 a.m. Thursday at the Liberty Support facility, which is part of a Rite Aid distribution center. The facility is located just south of Aberdeen, Maryland. Gahler said multiple people were dead and injured. Dr. Raymond Fang, medical director at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Trauma, said four adults were brought to the hospital with gunshot wounds Authorities say all the shots fired inside the facility came from a single handgun. No shots were fired by law enforcement.  There is no additional threat to the area, officials say.  The shooting comes nearly a year after a gunman opened fire inside his workplace in Edgewood, Maryland, shooting five people, killing three. Edgewood is located about 10 miles from Aberdeen. . ...Read Full Story

Five people were wounded Wednesday morning when a gunman opened fire in a small Wisconsin city, police said. Middleton Police Chief Charles Foulke said police received a call of a shooting at 10:25 a.m. at a building housing several businesses. The shooting occurred in the offices of WTS Paradigm, a business products software company, where “officers engaged the suspect, and he was shot by officers,” Foulke said. A witness said that he recognized the gunman as someone who worked in the building. Other employees in the building told the station that they went into a windowless room and called 911. Judy Lahmers, a business analyst for WTS Paradigm, told The Associated Press that she was at her desk when she heard the gunshots. She ran out of the building and hid behind a car.  Middleton is a little more than 90 miles west of Milwaukee. The motive for the shooting is not yet known. . ...Read Full Story

Federal prosecutors in Maryland indicted three men Wednesday on charges of bilking more than 400 investors of $364 million in an elaborate Ponzi scheme. Victims were small business owners, pro-athletes, doctors, and lawyers in Maryland and throughout the nation. Prosecutors charged Kevin Merrill, 53 of Towson, Jay Ledford, 54, of Nevada, and Camerson Jezierski, 28 of Texas, with conspiracy, wire fraud, identity theft, and money laundering. US Attorney for Maryland Robert Hur said “the defendants lured their victims with promises of an investment opportunity that seemed too good to be true. Unfortunately, it was too good to be true.” According to the indictment the three spent approximately $75 million they made from the scheme to buy six luxury homes in Maryland and Florida, multiple automobiles, expensive jewelry, boats and shares of a plane, and they gambled away $25 million at casinos. The Baltimore division of the FBI is looking for more victims to come forward as the investigation is ongoing. Merill and Ledford have detention hearings scheduled for later this week, and Jezierski was released but expected to appear in Baltimore federal court Monday.. ...Read Full Story

As rivers continue to rise in North Carolina — several of them at record levels — on Tuesday, officials warned of flooding and hazards in areas already ravaged by historic rainfall produced by former Hurricane Florence. Florence made landfall as a Category 1 on Friday before it was downgraded, but is lingering along the East Coast days later, spawning deadly tornadoes and threatening downpours across the Northeast. In Fayetteville, about 100 miles from the North Carolina coast, the Cape Fear River was anticipated to crest by early Wednesday, reaching nearly 62 feet — about 4 feet higher than during Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and close to double its flood-stage level.  The Cape Fear River is expected to remain at flood stage through the weekend, and city officials said in a statement on Tuesday that “even though the heavy rains have ended, the flood hazard to life and property is real. Do not become complacent.” President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit parts of North Carolina on Wednesday, the White House said.. ...Read Full Story

President Donald Trump declassified documents relating to the early days of the FBI’s Russia investigation, including a portion of a secret surveillance warrant application and former FBI Director James Comey’s text messages. Trump made this move Monday in response to calls from his allies in Congress who say they believe the Russia investigation was tainted by anti-Trump bias within the ranks of the FBI and Justice Department. Trump’s decision will result in the release of text messages and documents involving several top Justice Department and FBI officials who Trump has repeatedly attacked over the last year. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Trump’s decision in a written statement, saying the president had directed the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Justice Department to declassify the documents “at the request of a number of committees of Congress, and for reasons of transparency.” It was unclear how soon the documents would be released.. ...Read Full Story

President Trump on Monday defended his latest nominee to the Supreme Court as “somebody very special” but said “we want to go through a full process … and hear everybody out” regarding the sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh. Said Trump, “if it takes a little delay, it’ll take a little delay. I’m sure it will work out very well.” Trump has not spoken to Kavanaugh about the allegation but called a question about whether the judge has offered to withdraw from consideration “ridiculous.” On Monday, Kavanaugh responded to an allegation by Christine Blasey Ford that he sexually assaulted her when they were both in high school in Maryland in the 1980s. Kavanaugh denied the woman’s allegation, saying in the statement released by the White House that “this is a completely false allegation. I have never done anything like what the accuser describes—to her or to anyone.” He continued, “I am willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee in any way the Committee deems appropriate to refute this false allegation, from 36 years ago, and defend my integrity.” Some senators meanwhile called for both Kavanaugh and Ford to address the matter before lawmakers.. ...Read Full Story

Republican Rep. Chris Collins will remain on the ballot in November despite suspending his re-election bid last month, his attorney confirmed Monday.  Mark Braden, Collins’ attorney, cited possible legal challenges that could result from efforts to remove Collins from the ballot. Collins faces charges of securities fraud, wire fraud and false statements related to alleged insider trading. Collins has rejected the charges as “meritless” and vowed to fight them. However, he last month announced that he would suspend his re-election campaign, saying he believed his decision was in the “best interests” of his constituents. National and state Republican officials had hoped to replace Collins on the ballot in light of his legal troubles,, but now his decision to move forward with his re-election could put his solidly Republican seat in jeopardy.. ...Read Full Story

The woman who accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her during their teenage years has identified herself in a report from The Washington Post, speaking bout the allegations publicly for the first time. Her account of the situation was detailed in a confidential letter sent to Democratic lawmakers. On Sunday, the Post identified Kavanaugh’s accuser as Christine Blasey Ford, 51, a research psychologist in northern California. After the report was published Sunday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called on Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley to delay the confirmation vote “until, at a very minimum, these serious and credible allegations are thoroughly investigated.” Sens. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii; Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; and Kamala Harris, D-Calif., also called for the vote to be postponed. Sen. Dianne Feinstein wrote Sunday, “I support Mrs. Ford’s decision to share her story, and now that she has, it is in the hands of the FBI to conduct an investigation. This should happen before the Senate moves forward on this nominee.” The Judiciary panel is currently scheduled to hold a vote to advance Kavanaugh’s nomination on Thursday. GOP leaders have been aiming to have him confirmed as a Supreme Court justice before high court’s new term begins in October. Kavanaugh has denied the allegations, saying in a statement, “I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time.”. ...Read Full Story

Police in North Carolina arrested five people Saturday night as looters began to break into stores in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. Wilmington Police confirmed the arrests on Twitter but did not immediately release the identities of the five individuals. “Charges are pending and those details will be released as they become available,” police said. Police later posted on Twitter saying they were working to identify the thieves and would “will charge them to the fullest extent of the law.” The city of Wilmington, in response to looting reports, extended its curfew for the affected area, issuing a citywide curfew running from 10 pm until 6 am. The National Hurricane Center said that “catastrophic flooding” is expected in certain parts of the Carolinas as Florence remained stationary over the region. At least 11 deaths have been linked to this storm, so far.. ...Read Full Story

At least four people were injured Thursday after dozens of houses caught fire due to suspected gas line explosions in three communities north of Boston. Massachusetts State Police said they have responded to 39 fires in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover, and expected that number to rise. Residents living in those communities who have gas service from Columbia Gas were told to evacuate their homes. The 35 fires in Andover have been extinguished. Authorities said it was still too early to speculate what sparked the sprawling explosions, but emergency crews were working on depressurizing the gas lines. At least 4 people, including a firefighter were injured by the fires, according to the Associated Press.  Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker tweeted that he’s urging residents to follow instructions from local officials about evacuations and to suspend their gas usage.. ...Read Full Story

New information is emerging in the confirmation process for Judge Brett Kavanaugh to be the next Supreme Court Justice.The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, says she has received “information” about Brett Kavanaugh and has passed it on to the FBI. Feinstein said in a statement Thursday: “I have received information from an individual concerning the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. That individual strongly requested confidentiality, declined to come forward or press the matter further, and I have honored that decision. I have, however, referred the matter to federal investigative authorities,”Feinstein’s statement comes shortly after the Senate Judiciary Committee set a vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation for next Thursday. Feinstein has not shared details about the letter beyond her statement Thursday, and no other senators on the Judiciary Committee have been permitted to see it, according to reports.. ...Read Full Story

Apple Inc. unveiled larger iPhones and watches based on the design of current models on Wednesday, confirming that the company is making only minor changes to its lineup. Apple wants users to upgrade to newer, more expensive devices as a way to boost revenue as global demand for smartphones levels off.  Apple uses the ‘S’ suffix when it upgrades components but leaves the exterior design of a phone the same. This year’s new phones are the XS, with a 5.8-inch (14.7-cm) screen, the larger XS Max, with a 6.5-inch (16.5-cm) screen, and a 6.1-inch iPhone Xr made of aluminum, with an edge-to-edge liquid retina display. Apple also announced the new Apple Watch Series 4 range with edge-to-edge displays which are more than 30 percent bigger than displays on current models. The new watch will also be a health device, able to detect an irregular heartbeat and start an emergency call automatically if it detects a user falling down, potentially appealing to older customers. It said it had approval for the device from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.. ...Read Full Story

The longtime executive producer of 60 Minutes is leaving CBS amid accusations of inappropriate behavior. The New York Times reports that Jeff Fager was ousted, this just two days after network CEO Leslie Moonves stepped down due to similar claims. Fager was accused of sexual misconduct by six former employees in early August, when The New Yorker reported he allegedly touched women inappropriately at company parties, and other CBS employees claimed that Fager protected those accused of sexual harassment in the workplace. Fager has denied all claims. A memo from CBS News President David Rhodes states that Fager’s departure “is not directly related” to the allegations of sexual misconduct. “However, he violated company policy and it is our commitment to uphold those policies at every level,” wrote Rhodes. However in a statement, Fager said the network “terminated my contract early because I sent a text message to one of our own CBS reporters demanding that she be fair in covering the story. My language was harsh and, despite the fact that journalists receive harsh demands for fairness all the time, CBS did not like. One such note should not result in termination after 36 years, but it did.” CBS stated that Fager’s second-in-command, Bill Owens, will lead 60 Minutes while they search for a new executive producer. ...Read Full Story

A man who caused a disturbance at a Southern California hospital was taken into custody and a handgun was recovered Tuesday, but authorities now say there’s no evidence that he fired any shots. Noone was hurt in the incident at Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center near Los Angeles, according to reports. The suspect threw a chair through a window before pulling out a handgun at a medical office building separate from the main hospital. The man was unarmed when he surrendered without incident a short time later just outside the building, and a gun was later found. The man was described as a 34-year-old resident of nearby Lynwood, and there were unconfirmed reports that he was a patient at the hospital. Police and Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies cleared the building room by room. Downey is a city of about 110,000 people southeast of downtown Los Angeles.. ...Read Full Story

Those living within the path Category 4 Hurricane Florence were advised on Tuesday to “take action now” by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Florence is headed toward the Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic states with 140 mph winds and is expected to make landfall late Thursday or early Friday. More than 1.5 million people have been ordered to evacuate. FEMA Associate Administrator Jeff Byard warned residents in a press conference to expect infrastructure damage, power outages, and that the storm “has the potential to cause loss of life. We cannot emphasize the importance to take action now.” . ...Read Full Story

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert confirmed in a statement that the U.S. is shutting down the Palestine Liberation Organization’s office in Washington D.C., blaming the PLO for not taking “steps to advance the start of direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel.” National Security Advisor John Bolton also announced the Trump administration’s closure of the PLO office at a speech before the conservative Federalist Society. He announced the U.S. will ban ICC judges and prosecutors from entering the U.S., sanction their funds in the U.S. financial system, and prosecute them in American courts. Just minutes before Bolton made his announcement, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley convened a special meeting of the Security Council to discuss ways to combat corruption around the world.. ...Read Full Story

 Hurricane Florence grew even stronger early Monday afternoon as the storm continued moving across the Atlantic Ocean, with it’s eye set on parts of the U.S. mid-Atlantic coast. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said in a special noon advisory, that Florence rapidly intensified to a potentially catastrophic Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 130 mph. Only an hour before, Florence had been upgraded to Category 3 strength but the storm soon grew stronger as it moved over warm Atlantic waters. Its center will move between Bermuda and the Bahamas from Tuesday to Thursday, before approaching the Carolinas on Thursday.. ...Read Full Story

A Dallas police officer was arrested Sunday on a manslaughter warrant in the shooting of a black man at his home, Texas authorities said. The Texas Department of Public Safety said in a news release that Officer Amber Guyger was booked into the Kaufman County Jail and that the investigation is ongoing. It said no additional information is available at this time. A statement from the Dallas Police Department Saturday says the officer is Amber Guyger, a four-year veteran of the force assigned to the Southeast Patrol Division. Guyger has told investigators that she was off-duty on Thursday night when she mistakenly went to the wrong apartment and shot Botham Jean. In the days following Jean’s death, rumors have swirled around the internet showing a photo taken from Jean’s Instagram account with him pictured, smiling, with three other women. Many have stated that one of the women in the photo was Guyger, but that rumor was shot down after Jean’s former employer, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, LLC, said that the women were colleagues of Jean’s. Jean, of St. Lucia, a Caribbean island, had previously attended Harding University in Arkansas before working for PriceWaterhouseCoopers, LLC in Dallas.. ...Read Full Story

Hurricane Florence strengthened Sunday as it moved across the Atlantic toward a possible direct hit on the U.S. Southeast by the end of the week. The storm prompted warnings for residents up and down the coast, and red flags flying on beaches warned swimmers to stay out of waters. Florence passed the 74 mph threshold from tropical storm to hurricane Sunday morning, and by evening its winds were up to 85 mph. Drawing energy from the warm water, it could become a Category 4 hurrixane with winds of 130 mph or more by Tuesday. Forecasters urged residents from South Carolina to the mid-Atlantic to get ready,with some forecasting models showing it could unload a foot or two of rain in places, causing devastating inland flooding.. ...Read Full Story

In a move that broke Senate rules, Democratic Senator Cory Booker released confidential committee documents on Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh regarding racial profiling. The move was headed by New Jersey Senator Booker, as well as Senators Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Dick Durbin of Illinois. Booker said he understood by releasing documents and emails that were deemed only available to Senate Judiciary Committee members — and not to the general public — could result in expulsion from the Senate. Booker said, “I understand the penalty comes with potential ousting from the Senate…I openly invite and accept the consequences of my team releasing that email right now.” Booker released 12 pages of emails from 2002 that Kavanaugh sent during his time as a staffer for President George W. Bush. With the email subject line “racial profiling,” Kavanaugh discussed whether “airport security and other law enforcement” should be working toward a “race-neutral” system after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, according to the emails released by Booker’s office. . ...Read Full Story

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reaffirmed his commitment to a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula and to the suspension of all future long-range missile tests.  He also reaffirmed his faith in President Donald Trump’s efforts to settle a nuclear impasse, according to South Korean officials and the North’s official media. Kim also reportedly expressed frustration with outside skepticism about his nuclear disarmament intentions and demanded that his “goodwill measures” be met in kind. A South Korean delegation returned from talks with Kim where they set up a summit for Sept. 18-20 in Pyongyang between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, their third meeting since April.. ...Read Full Story

Health and safety officials are investigating an illness that struck people on an Emirates Airline flight from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday morning. Seven crew members and three passengers were taken to the hospital, Emirates Airline said.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said around 100 people on the overnight Flight 203 had complained of illness with symptoms ranging from a cough to a fever. Ten people were taken off the plane for treatment at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, said Eric Phillips, press secretary for New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. He said nine others were found to be sick but declined medical attention. The aircraft was carrying around 521 passengers. Phillips stated “the plane’s been quarantined and the CDC is on the scene.” Though it has not been determined what caused the illness, Phillips stated that possibly a “flu outbreak” in Mecca, Saudi Arabia might be to blame, saying “it appears some of the ill passengers came from Mecca before getting on in Dubai.”. ...Read Full Story

President Trump on Wednesday continued to slam Bob Woodward’s new book, “Fear: Trump in the White House”, that paints an unflattering picture of his presidency. “The book means nothing,” Trump told reporters at the White House during a meeting with Kuwaiti emir. “It’s a work of fiction.” Excepts of the book published by the Washington Post on Tuesday has Woodward quoting several current Trump administration officials — including Chief of Staff John Kelly and Secretary of Defense James Mattis — making disparaging comments about the president.  But Trump said both men disputed Woodward’s account, and were “insulted” by the remarks attributed to them. Kelly was in the room Wednesday as Trump spoke. The White House has issued several statements since the excerpts were published, including one from Kelly who said “the idea I ever called the president an idiot is not true.” In a statement in response to complaints from the White House staff and the president, Woodward was unwavering, however, saying “I stand by my reporting.”  The release date for Woodward’s 448-page book is September 11th.. ...Read Full Story

On Tuesday it was reported that Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey is set to appoint Former Senator Jon Kyl to the Senate seat left open by the late Sen. John McCain. Kyl is a former Republican senator for Arizona, serving three terms alongside McCain as one of the highest-ranked GOP lawmakers before retiring in 2013. He has agreed to serve until a special election can be held in 2020 but has indicated that he will not run to keep the seat at that time. Since retiring from politics, Kyl has worked as a lobbyist with Covington and Burling, representing financial service companies and pharmaceutical industries. McCain died last month after a yearlong bout with brain cancer. His widow, Cindy McCain, called Kyl a “dear friend” and expressed support for his appointment. Reports state that Kyl may be sworn into office as early as Tuesday night.. ...Read Full Story

Amazon became the second company worth $1 trillion on Tuesday morning, hitting the milestone one month after Apple became the first company to do so. Early trading pushed Amazon past the $2,050.27 per share mark it needed to hit a $1 trillion valuation. Shares dipped slightly afterwards, but were still up about 1 percent on the day. Just this year so far, Amazon’s shares have surged by more than 70 percent in 2018. The company’s success has made CEO Jeff Bezos the richest man in the world by far, with a net worth of about $150 billion. In July, Amazon reported $52.9 billion in revenue during the second quarter, along with a record $2.5 billion in profit. Part of the reason for it’s success is said to be that Amazon has morphed into a powerhouse on several fronts, from entertainment to cloud services to advertising.. ...Read Full Story

A weather system moving quickly toward the central U.S. Gulf Coast became a tropical storm Monday morning, bringing the threat of storm surges, strong winds and heavy rain to millions in the Southeast. Tropical Storm Gordon was about 15 miles west-southwest of Marco Island in Florida, as of Monday afternoon, according to the National Hurricane Center. Maximum sustained winds were clocked at 50 mph and the system is moving west-northwest at 16 mph. Gordon could be near hurricane strength when it makes landfall along the central Gulf Coast. Florida Gov. Rick Scott said the biggest impact is expected to be heavy rain. At 8 p.m. on Monday, Gordon’s top sustained winds had accelerated to 60 mph, was about 385 miles east-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and was moving west-northwest at 17 mph. The weather service projected that it would turn north in the next couple of days and that it was likely to make landfall as a hurricane somewhere along the central Gulf Coast overnight Tuesday.. ...Read Full Story

Arizona authorities say they have found the body of a woman who was among four people missing after two boats crashed on the Colorado River. Mohave County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Anita Mortensen says 51-year-old Christi Lewis was found Monday in a section of the river that borders California and Arizona. Authorities say a boat carrying 10 people and another vessel with six people on board collided head-on Saturday night, ejecting more than a dozen people. Both boats sank and passing boaters pulled people from the water. None of the people in the two boats were wearing life vests. The search is continuing for the three other missing people.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan State announced Thursday that the NCAA has cleared them of any rules violations in relation to sexual abuse committed by former gymnastics team physician Larry Nassar, and of allegations raised in a February ESPN report accusing the athletic department of mishandling sexual assault complaints made against football players and basketball assistant. In a news release, Michigan State said it recently had received a letter from Jonathan F. Duncan, NCAA vice president for enforcement, informing the school the NCAA was closing both inquiries. The NCAA opened its inquiry in January; two Michigan State officials have been charged with crimes in connection with their handling of prior complaints (including, most recently, the school’s former longtime gymnastics coach, Kathie Klages) and legal experts questioned whether mishandling allegations of sexual abuse fell under the jurisdiction of the NCAA, which traditionally polices athletic departments for competitive violations.  The ESPN report accused Michigan State officials of “a pattern of widespread denial, inaction and information suppression” relating to sexual assault claims involving the basketball and football teams. While the NCAA found no rules violations, Michigan State’s Title IX office, which handles allegations of gender discrimination and sex crimes on campus, has drawn criticism for its handling of several cases over the last few years — most notably a 2014 complaint by a Nassar accuser that ultimately exonerated him. . ...Read Full Story

President Trump announced Thursday that he was canceling a pay raise due to most civilian federal employees in January, citing budgetary reasons. In a letter to congressional leaders, the president wrote that locality pay increases would cost $25 billion. Those increases would come on top of a 2.1 percent across-the-board increase for most civilian employees. “We must maintain efforts to put our Nation on a fiscally sustainable course, and Federal agency budgets cannot sustain such increases,” Trump wrote before announcing that for 2019, “both across-the-board pay increases and locality pay increases will be set at zero. Trump’s letter added: “these alternative pay plan decisions will not materially affect our ability to attract and retain a well‑qualified Federal workforce.”. ...Read Full Story

A judge on Wednesday dismissed child neglect charges against three of five people arrested at a remote desert compound in northern New Mexico where 11 children were found living in filth and the body of a 3-year-old boy was discovered. Judge Emilio Chavez ruled that he could not keep the three in custody because prosecutors missed a 10-day limit for an evidentiary hearing to establish probable cause for the neglect charges. Prosecutors could still seek charges for Lucas Morton, Subhannah Wahhaj and Hujrah Wahha by asking a grand jury to indict them, but offered no immediate indication on how they would proceed. Authorities are pushing ahead with other charges filed against the dead boy’s father, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, and his partner, Jany Leveille. They were due in court and are accused of child abuse resulting in death, which could carry life sentences in connection with the death of Abdul-ghani Wahhaj.. ...Read Full Story

President Donald Trump is tweeting that his White House counsel, Don McGahn, will be departing in the fall after the Senate confirmation vote for Judge Brett Kavanaugh to serve on the Supreme Court. Trump praised his top White House lawyer on Wednesday, saying he has “worked with Don for a long time and truly appreciate his service!” McGahn has played a major role in Trump’s overhaul of the federal judiciary with conservative judges. And he played a prominent role in Trump’s selection of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and the president’s nomination of Kavanaugh. McGahn had threatened to resign last year if Trump continued to press for the removal of Robert Mueller as the special counsel overseeing the investigation into Russian election interference.. ...Read Full Story

Pope Francis issued an apology for the “crimes” of the Catholic Church in Ireland, saying church officials didn’t respond with compassion to the many abuses children and women suffered over the years. Francis read the apology out loud at the start of Mass in Dublin’s Phoenix Park. Protesters marched through the Irish town of Tuam and recited the names of an estimated 800 babies and young children who died at a Catholic Church-run orphanage there, most during the 1950s. Francis told the hundreds of thousands of people who turned out for Mass that he met Saturday with victims of all sorts of abuses: sexual and labor, as well as children wrenched from their unwed mothers and forcibly put up for adoption. Ireland has thousands of now-adult adoptees who were taken at birth from their mothers, who had been forced to live and work in laundries and other workhouses for “fallen women.”  Meanhile, conservative Catholic news outlets published a letter attributed to a former Vatican ambassador to the U.S. Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano which accused Vatican officials of knowing about the sexual escapades of ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick since 2000, but making him a cardinal anyway. Francis accepted McCarrick’s resignation as cardinal last month after a U.S. church investigation determined an accusation he molested a minor was “credible.” The Vatican didn’t immediately comment on the letter.. ...Read Full Story

A white former Texas police officer was found guilty of murder on Tuesday for fatally shooting an unarmed black teenager last year as the boy left a house party in a car full of teenagers. Officer Roy Oliver was fired from the Balch Springs Police Department days after the April 2017 shooting. Oliver killed 15-year-old Jordan Edwards after the then-officer fired into a moving car carrying five black teenagers leaving a local house party. Edwards was in the front passenger seat. Oliver testified during the Dallas County trial that he opened fire after seeing the car move toward his partner. He says he thought his partner was in danger; however his partner told jurors he didn’t fear for his life and never felt the need to fire his weapon. Testifying in his own defense, Oliver told the jury the car was about to hit his partner and said he felt he had no other option but to fire. Gross, however, testified that he did not fear for his life and never felt the need to fire his weapon. . ...Read Full Story

Sen. John Sidney McCain III, who rose to the pinnacle of American politics after enduring years as a prisoner of war, died Saturday at the age of 81. At a Monday news conference, the senator’s former presidential campaign manager and family spokesman, Rick Davis, read Sen. McCain’s farewell letter addressed to his fellow Americans. “As John McCain faced mortality, he asked that a letter he has done be read  and added taht the letter was “John’s final words.” In the letter, McCain warned that “tribal” politics weaken America’s greatness and standing in the world. He also expressed optimism in the American people’s ability to work together for the common good. He praised America’s role in liberating “more people from tyranny and poverty than ever before in history” and said the country’s standing and ideals are threatened “when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries … We weaken it when we hide behind walls rather than tear them down.” Ending the letter on an optimistic note, McCain said Americans will get through the challenges facing the country by working together. “We have always had so much more in common than in disagreement,” McCain wrote.  You can see Sen. McCain’s full letter in the linked article below. . ...Read Full Story

The United States and Mexico agreed on Monday to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), putting pressure on Canada to agree to the new terms on auto trade and other issues to remain part of the three-nation pact. President Trump and outgoing Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said talks with Canada would begin immediately. The Mexico-U.S. discussions focused on crafting new rules for the automotive industry. A spokesman for Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said Canada would continue to negotiate, but would only sign a new agreement that is good for the country. The United States, Mexico and Canada do more than 1 trillion dollars in trade between them every year. Trump is expected to send formal notice to the U.S. Congress by the end of the week about his intentions to sign a new trade agreement within 90 days, which would give Mexico’s Pena Nieto time to sign it before he leaves office, the senior U.S. trade official said. U.S., Mexican and Canadian stocks opened higher on Monday on optimism about a trade deal.. ...Read Full Story

Memorial and remembrance plans are being made for Arizona Sen. John McCain, a day after he died following a battle with brain cancer. He will lie in state at both the U.S and Arizona Capitols. McCain will then be buried at the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md. The senator graduated from the Naval Academy and has said multiple times that he wanted to be laid to rest there. Fellow Arizona Republican Senator Jeff Flake have said that former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama have been asked to eulogize the senator. On Sunday, congressional leaders announced that McCain will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the announcement, in coordination with congressional leaders from both parties. The ceremony will take place on Friday, August 31. McCain will also lie in state at the Arizona Capitol on Wednesday, August 29.  Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said in a tweet that “this is a rare and distinct occurrence for a truly special man. John McCain is Arizona, and we will honor his life every way we can.”  Memorial services will be held at North Phoenix Baptist Church on Thursday, Aug. 30, and at the Washington National Cathedral on Saturday, Sept. 1. McCain will be laid to rest at the Naval Academy the following day.. ...Read Full Story

A gunman killed four people and wounded several others on Sunday when he opened fire at a video game tournament that was being streamed online from a restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida. Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said one white male suspect was dead at the scene.  The shooting took place at the Jacksonville Landing, a waterfront dining, entertainment and shopping site in the city’s downtown. It occured during a regional qualifier for the Madden 19 online game tournament at the GLHF Game Bar inside a Chicago Pizza restaurant, according to the venue’s website. The bar was livestreaming the football video game competition when the gunfire started, according to video of the stream shared on social media. Multiple reports are saying that the shooter was a gamer who was competing in the tournament and lost. Citing messages from another player in the room, the gunman appeared to target several victims before killing himself. . ...Read Full Story

As Hurricane Lane began to settle in on Hawaiians, Honolulu braced itself by opening emergency shelters, closing beaches and parks, canceling school for the remainder of the week, as well as putting non-essential government workers on leave. Though the National Weather Service has downgraded the storm to a Category 3, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell on Twitter urged people to prepare for the storm and to remain home if possible. “We do not want people out on the streets as Hurricane Lane approaches,” the mayor said. “We’re using a lot of caution here.” The powerful hurricane unleashed torrents of rain and landslides Thursday that blocked roads on the rural Big Island. As of Friday morning, Lane has already dumped more than 31 inches of rain on Hawaii’s Big Island, bringing catastrophic flooding and the life-threatening flooding could even lead to landslides or mudslides.The center of the hurricane sustained winds of 130 mph was expected to move close to or over portions of the main islands. Rainfall rates in the outer bands of the hurricane may reach 1 to 3 inches per hour, meaning flash flood watches will remain in effect through late on Friday. Lane expected to remain a hurricane for the next 12 to 24 hours but increasing wind shear could weaken the storm more quickly over the next two to three days. The storm is forecast to pull away from Hawaii by late Saturday.. ...Read Full Story

David Pecker, the CEO of American Media Inc.,the publisher of the National Enquirer, has been granted immunity and is cooperating with federal prosecutors as part of the investigation of Michael Cohen and payments made to two women who claim to have had affairs with Donald Trump Court documents unsealed at the time of Cohen’s guilty plea earlier this week outline a pattern of cooperation between AMI and the Trump campaign starting in 2015. Prosecutors claim that AMI and the Enquirer tipped off the Trump campaign of potentially damaging stories. In the case of Karen McDougal, who claims she had an affair with Trump in 2006 and 2007, AMI’s Dylan Howard arranged a $150,000 payment for her limited life rights. Pecker is a friend of Trump’s and would have access to emails and other records to corroborate prosecutors’ claims about the payments and whether Trump was aware of them.. ...Read Full Story

A number of Democrats are calling for the Senate to delay the hearings for Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court, this coming after former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was found guilty on charges including tax fraud. Additionally, former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to eight counts, including two campaign finance violations involving payments to silence women who allegedly had an affair with President Trump before the 2016 election. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor Wednesday that he believed the hearings should be delayed, in large part because Kavanaugh has previously shown support for the idea that a president cannot be indicted. . ...Read Full Story

Former longtime Trump attorney Michael Cohen pleaded guilty Tuesday to eight counts, including two campaign finance violations involving payments to silence women he believed could be detrimental to the 2016 presidential campaign. Cohen testified in federal court that Donald Trump himself directed Cohen to commit a crime.  Cohen’s sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 12, with bail set at $500,0000. The government calculates he should spend between 51 and 63 months in prison. Federal prosecutors claimed Cohen concealed more than $4 million from the IRS and, in 2016, made $280,000 in payments to two women who planned to speak publicly about their affairs with a “presidential candidate.”  In all, Cohen pleaded guilty to five counts of tax evasion; one count of making false statements to a financial institution; one count of willfully causing an unlawful corporation contribution; and one count of making an excessive campaign contribution at the request of a candidate.. ...Read Full Story