News Daypop Archives

Michael Avenatti, Attorney For Stormy Daniels, Out On Bail After Arrest On Domestic Violence Charges

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Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels, made bail Wednesday evening after his arrest earlier on domestic violence charges. Avenatti appeared before a group of reporters and said he will be “fully exonerated,” denying the accusations and thanking the LAPD.  In his brief statement, Avenatti said: “I have never struck a woman. I never will strike a woman. I have been an advocate for women’s rights my entire career and I’m going to continue to be an advocate. I’m not going to be intimidated from stopping what I’m doing. I am looking forward to a full investigation at which point I am confident that I will be fully exonerated.”. ...Read Full Story

Opening Statements At Trial Of Mexican Drug Lord ‘El Chapo’ Guzman Delayed After Juror Dismissal

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Opening statements were delayed Tuesday in the high-profile trial of alleged Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman when a juror had to be excused for an unknown reason shortly before opening statements were set to begin. Guzman, 61, has escaped Mexican jails twice, so Intense security is now in place around the federal courthouse in Brooklyn. “El Chapo” is expected to be kept in Brooklyn during the week, and will be escorted by a highly secure motorcade each time he arrive and departs from court. He has pleaded not guilty to 17 charges, including drug smuggling, money laundering and conspiring to murder. In addition, jurors will receive special security, and will also be transported to and from the courthouse by armed federal marshals. The trial is expected to last about four months. If convicted, Guzman could spend the rest of his life behind bars, and he is currently being held in solitary confinement.. ...Read Full Story

California Woolsey Wildfire Still Spreading Through Los Angeles Area, Expected They Could Burn For Up To Another Week

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Officials said Monday that the Woolsey Fire continues to rage across Southern California, and may still be going a week from now. The deadly blaze has consumed 91,572 acres since it started Thursday in Simi Valley, near the border of Ventura and Los Angeles counties, according to L.A. County Fire Chief Daryl Osby. While reports said the fire was 20 percent contained by midday Monday, fire officials said full containment was still awhile away. “As far as 100-percent containment, we’ll be out here for the next week or two trying to mop this fire up,” Osby told reporters. It is estimated that 370 structures have been destroyed in Ventura and Los Angeles counties, more than double what had been estimated this past weekend.. ...Read Full Story

Satellite Images Reveal Hidden North Korean Missile Bases

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According to U.S. officials briefed on recent intelligence, North Korea is continuing work on its ballistic missile program. This confirms a private report Monday detailing recent improvements made at undeclared military sites. According to one U.S. official, “North Korea has continued its ballistic missile program at a number of bases but it’s significant that they have not tested one in nearly a year; we need to give the diplomats time and space to work.” Reports released Monday said researchers had identified 13 of an estimated 20 undeclared North Korean missile bases, and included a detailed analysis of one facility, the Sakkanmol Missile Operating Base, about 50 miles north of the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea.. ...Read Full Story

Florida Counties Begin Recounting Ballots After Conflicts Arise Follwing The Florida Election Races

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Miami-Dade County elections officials say they’ve started recounting ballots from Tuesday’s election, and officials from the county’s elections office confirmed Saturday evening that they’ve started a machine recount. Considering there were some 800,000 ballots cast, and official will need to load paper ballots into scanning machines, the results of the recount could take days. The unofficial results show that Republican former U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis led Democratic Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum by less than 0.5 percentage points, which will require a machine recount of ballots. In the Senate race, Republican Gov. Rick Scott’s lead over Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson is less than 0.25 percentage points, which will require a hand recount of ballots from tabulation machines that couldn’t determine which candidate got the vote. . ...Read Full Story

Florida Begins Recounting Ballots After Conflict Arises Following Midterms

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Miami-Dade County elections officials say they’ve started recounting ballots from Tuesday’s election, and officials from the county’s elections office confirmed Saturday evening that they’ve started a machine recount. Considering there were some 800,000 ballots cast, and official will need to load paper ballots into scanning machines, the results of the recount could take days. The unofficial results show that Republican former U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis led Democratic Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum by less than 0.5 percentage points, which will require a machine recount of ballots. In the Senate race, Republican Gov. Rick Scott’s lead over Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson is less than 0.25 percentage points, which will require a hand recount of ballots from tabulation machines that couldn’t determine which candidate got the vote. . ...Read Full Story

25 Confirmed Dead And Over 7,000 Structures Burned As California Fires Rage On

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Massive wildfires raging in Northern and Southern California have killed at least 25 people and destroyed thousands of homes as firefighters deal with heavy winds.  According to officials, the largest and deadliest of the infernos is the Camp Fire, which as of Sunday had burned 109,000 acres, leveled 6,453 homes and another 260 commercial structures in Northern California’s Butte County. At least 23 civilians have been killed in the Camp Fire, which began on Thursday and quickly swept through communities in the Sierra foothills, devastating the town of Paradise. . ...Read Full Story

Evacuations Ordered As Northern California Wildfire Grows

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Thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate several Northern California communities due to a fast-moving wildfire that exploded in size Thursday. Panicked residents are racing to help neighbors who had to drive through walls of flames to escape. It was not immediately known if there were injuries or fatalities. According to the Butte County Sheriff’s office, an evacuation order was issued for areas of Paradise, a town of about 27,000 people 180 miles northeast of San Francisco. Cal Fire spokesman Rick Carhart said the wildfire was reported at 6:30 a.m., affecting about 30,000 people in the towns of Paradise, Concow and other small communities. Carhart also said officials were sending as many crews as they could gather. The California Highway Patrol closed a nearby highway and urged motorists to avoid the area. The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for fire dangers in many areas of the state, saying low humidity and strong winds were expected to continue through Friday evening.. ...Read Full Story

​Missouri Duck Boat Captain Indicted In Connection With Sinking That Killed 17 Passengers​

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Federal authorities announced on Thursday that a federal grand jury indicted the duck boat captain whose vessel capsized near Branson, Missouri, killing 17 passengers. Officials said that the captain, 51-year-old Kenneth Scott McKee of Verona, Missouri, was charged with 17 counts of misconduct, negligence or inattention to duty by a ship’s officer. Back on July 19 this tragedy occurred when a Ride the Ducks amphibious boat, dubbed “Stretch Duck 7,” ventured on to Table Rock Lake during a thunderstorm with 60 mph winds. The U.S. Coast Guard found probable cause that the accident “resulted from the misconduct, negligence, or inattention to the duties” by McKee, according to an August court filing. According to the indictment, McKee operated the boat “in violation of the conditions and limitations specified in the vessel’s United States Coast Guard issued Certificate of Inspection.”. ...Read Full Story

US Air Force Test-Launches Missile From California Base

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The U.S. Air Force conducted a test launch of an unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California yesterday. In a statement, the Air Force Global Strike Command said that the missile was launched at 11:01 p.m. Tuesday to determine the accuracy and reliability of the system and such tests “are not related to any real world events.” They also said that the missile’s re-entry vehicle reached its intended target, but further details about the test can’t be released. The Air Force tests Minuteman missiles by launching them from California to a target in the Pacific Ocean.. ...Read Full Story

Police Officer Among 12 Killed In Mass Shooting At Bar In Thousand Oaks, California

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At least 12 people were killed and as many as 10 others were injured when a gunman burst into a packed Southern California bar, tossing smoke grenades and firing dozens of rounds, witnesses and authorities said. The suspect was found dead inside the bar, police said. Police said they responded to the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, about 40 miles west of Los Angeles, just before midnight local time. Hundreds were inside the bar at the time. Sgt. Ron Helus was among the dozen killed overnight, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. Helus was a 29-year veteran and was one of the first on the scene, when he was fired on multiple times. Authorities are working to determine who the suspect was, and what his motive may have been.. ...Read Full Story

President Trump Asks For Attorney General Jeff Sessions Resignation, Effective Immediately

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Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned Wednesday, at the request of President Donald Trump. The announcement was made by the President on Twitter, just a day after the midterm elections. “At your request, I am submitting my resignation,” Sessions wrote to Trump, adding that he was “honored to serve” the president. Sessions’ departure after the midterms was no surprise, given the many conflicts between the two. When Mr. Trump was asked about Sessions’ future at a lengthy press conference Wednesday afternoon, he declined to comment on whether Sessions would be leaving the administration. However, Sessions’ resignation letter had already been submitted earlier in the day. President Trump has now named Matthew Whitaker, Sessions’ chief of staff, as acting attorney general. Whitaker is now set to oversee special counsel Mueller’s probe.. ...Read Full Story

Man Involved In NYC Subway Bombing Convicted Of Terrorism Charges

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A Bangladeshi immigrant who set off a pipe bomb in New York City’s busiest subway station at rush hour last December, was convicted Tuesday of terrorism charges. The conviction of Akayed Ullah was returned in Manhattan federal court after a trial in which the defense maintained that he intended to kill only himself last Dec. 11. Fortunately no one died in the incident.  Prosecutors said that Ullah wanted to maim or kill commuters as part of a “lone wolf” terrorist attack on behalf of the Islamic State group, disputing the defense’s claim and saying Ullah would not have worn a bomb had he wanted to kill only himself. They also cited social media postings by Ullah as well as comments he made after his arrest to investigators. In closing arguments Monday, Assistant U.S. Attorney George Turner said Ullah told investigators after his arrest that he wanted to avenge U.S. aggression toward the Islamic State group and had chosen a busy weekday morning to attack so he could terrorize as many people as possible.. ...Read Full Story

Newlyweds Die In Helicopter Crash, Right After Leaving Their Wedding

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Authorities say that a newlywed couple from Texas died after the helicopter carrying them from their wedding crashed into the side of a mountain in Uvalde, Texas. Uvalde is in northwest Uvalde County, about 100 miles west of San Antonio. Will Byler and Bailee Ackerman Byler were married just before the fatal crash on Saturday evening at the Byler family ranch, just before departing on the helicopter in front of family and friends. The couple – both seniors from Sam Houston State University – were on the way to their honeymoon in San Antonio when their helicopter crashed into the mountain, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Authorities were notified of the crash just after midnight on Sunday morning, but rescue crews were unable to reach the helicopter overnight because of the difficult terrain and “pitch dark” conditions. The helicopter crashed about five to 10 minutes after it took off, said Craig Hatch, an air safety investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board. . ...Read Full Story

U.S. Networks Drop ‘Racist’ Trump Ads As Election Day Approaches

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NBC, Fox News and Facebook all pulled ads by President Donald Trump’s campaign that critics had labeled racist; this coming the day before election day as a fight for control of the U.S. Congress will play out. The 30-second ad, sponsored by Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign, featured courtroom video of an illegal immigrant from Mexico convicted in the 2014 killings of two police officers, juxtaposed with scenes of migrants headed through Mexico.. ...Read Full Story

Utah Mayor Brent Taylor Killed While Serving In Afghanistan

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Officials said on Sunday that a Utah mayor serving in Afghanistan was killed and another service member was wounded in an apparent “insider attack.” Maj. Gen. Jeff Burton, Utah’s adjutant general, said at a news conference Sunday afternoon that North Ogden Mayor Brent Taylor — a major in the Utah National Guard — was killed in the apparent insider attack while serving with his unit in Kabul on Saturday. Burton said Taylor, 39, was “a man of excellence” and an “amazing human being” who was killed while serving in his fourth deployment. Taylor announced on Facebook in January that he was embarking on a one-year deployment to Afghanistan as part of an advisory team training the staff of an Afghan commando battalion. “Serving as mayor of North Ogden city has been one of the greatest honors of my life and the highlight of my civilian professional career,” he said. Taylor became mayor in 2013 after having served on North Ogden’s City Council. He leaves behind a wife and seven children.. ...Read Full Story

Florida Yoga Studio Mass Shooting Leaves Two Dead, Five Injured

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On Friday a gunman killed two people and wounded five at a yoga studio in Tallahassee, FL, before killing himself, police said. No motive for the shootings has been established. A worse tragedy might have been averted thanks to the quick actions of an unidentified man who charged the shooter and the momentary distraction caused the shooter to break off his attack and apparently commit suicide. In a video posted on the Tallahassee police department’s Facebook page, police Chief Michael DeLeo confirmed that the suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. No other suspects are believed to be involved in the incident.

Shooter Poses as Customer and Kills 2 Women at Florida Yoga Studio

Via www.time.com
 

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Thousands Of Google Employees Walk Out To Protest Harassment & Inequality Within Company

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On Thursday, thousands of Google employees walked off the job in offices around the world in protest of the company’s handling of sexual harassment claims. The walkout yesterday took place a week after the New York Times revealed in an article that Google had suppressed allegations of sexual misconduct against several of its executives. The protest, called “Walkout for Real Change,” has five goals: bringing an end to forced arbitration, improving processes for reporting sexual misconduct and reporting publicly on sexual harassment within the company. The organizers of the walkout took aim at what they called a “culture of complicity, dismissiveness, and support for perpetrators.” Both men and women participating in the walkout said they were demanding broad changes in how the company handles harassment complaints, and that they were protesting in solidarity with colleagues who had been victimized under the current system. In a statement, Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said Google is in support of employees who choose to participate in the walkouts.. ...Read Full Story

7-Year-Old Killed By Hit-And-Run Driver At Pennsylvania School Bus Stop

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Authorities say that a 7-year-old boy was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver as he waited at a school bus stop. This marks the fourth incident just this week involving children being hit by cars while waiting to board their school bus. Pennsylvania State Police said theboy, a second-grader, was killed around 7 a.m. A school bus driver discovered the boy’s body at the bus stop and called 911. Investigators said they determined the child was struck by a vehicle, which then fled the scene. The crash comes on the heels of Tuesday’s tragic accident in Indiana, where three siblings were killed by a driver as they waited to board their bus in Indiana, while a fourth child suffered critical injuries. Police said she drove past the bus as its stop-arm was deployed.. ...Read Full Story

Driver Charged In Car Crash That Killed Three Siblings At School Bus Stop In Indiana

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Police in Indiana charged a 24-year-old woman with reckless homicide after a crash at a school bus stop in Rochester left three children dead and one severely injured. According to Indiana State Police, the children were crossing the street to get to their bus stop at approximately 7:15 a.m. Tuesday when they were struck by a 2017 Toyota Tacoma driven by Alyssa Shepherd. Police said that at the time of the crash, the school bus was stopped in front of a mobile home park with its stop arm down and lights flashing. Three students from Mentone Elementary School, identified as 6-year-old twins Xzavier Ingle and Mason Ingle and their sister Alivia Stahl, 9, died at the scene. A fourth child, identified as 11-year-old Tippecanoe Valley Middle School student Maverik Lowe, was last listed in serious condition, after having been airlifted to a hospital with multiple broken bones and internal injuries. Authorities charged Shepherd with three counts of reckless homicide and one count of passing a school bus with the stop arm extended, causing injury. She was booked into Fulton County Jail Tuesday, as police continue to investigate.. ...Read Full Story

Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Suspect Indicted On 44 Charges

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According to grand jury filings on Wednesday, the suspect in the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre faces 44 federal charges in the slaying of 11 worshippers during last weekend’s Shabbat services, 32 of them which are death penalty offenses. Included are 11 counts each of obstruction of the free exercise of religious belief resulting in death and use of a firearm to commit murder during a crime of violence, a conviction on any of which could be punishable by death, according to the indictment. The suspect, 46 year old Robert Bowers of Baldwin, was wounded at the scene of the shooting and was brought into federal court Monday in a wheelchair. He spoke only to answer the judge’s questions. Bowers is accused of the shooting at Saturday morning services at the Tree of Life synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood, after making anti-Semitic posts online. He also said he wanted to kill Jews during his shootout with police. Four police officers were wounded trying to apprehend Bowers, who stands accused of shooting three of the wounded officers. Two civilians were also wounded.. ...Read Full Story

Boston Gangster James ‘Whitey’ Bulger Killed In West Virginia Prison

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James “Whitey” Bulger, one of Boston’s most notorious mobsters in addition to a secret FBI informant, was killed after being transferred to a federal prison in West Virginia. Bulger, 89, was serving a sentence of life in prison, and had recently been transferred to the high-security Hazelton penitentiary in West Virginia. The cause of death has not been specified. Bulger was convicted in August 2013 of 11 murders, among other charges including racketeering, and sentenced to two consecutive life terms plus five years. Bulger was the former leader of the Winter Hill Gang, as well as a FBI informant. He spent 16 years as as one of the nation’s most wanted fugitives before he was captured in Santa Monica, Calif., in 2011. Authorities found inside the apartment more than $800,000 in cash and an arsenal of weapons. He was convicted in 2013 of participating in 11 murders stretching from Massachusetts to Florida to Oklahoma, and was sentenced to life in prison.. ...Read Full Story

President Trump Planning Executive Order To End Birthright Citizenship For Some U.S.-Born Babies

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President Donald Trump said in an interview that he plans to use an executive order to end citizenship rights for babies born in the U.S. to parents who aren’t citizens. However, the idea that he could do so by executive order was immediately opposed by Democrats, legal scholars and even House Speaker Paul Ryan. Trump said, “we’re the only country in the world where a person comes in and has a baby, and the baby is essentially a citizen of the United States … with all of those benefits. It’s ridiculous. It’s ridiculous. And it has to end. It’s in the process. It’ll happen … with an executive order.” However, it is doubtful that a  birthright citizenship can be ended through an executive order and without a change to the Constitution. The Constitution’s 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, says: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”. ...Read Full Story

American ISIS Suspect Freed After Being Held For Over A Year

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United States officials said on Monday that the administration has freed an American citizen whom the military imprisoned without trial for more than 13 months as a suspected Islamic State member.  The man, a dual American and Saudi citizen, was captured in September 2017 by a Kurdish militia in Syria. The Kurds turned him over to the American military, which held him as a wartime detainee at a base in Iraq. Officials said he was released in Bahrain, where his wife and daughter are living. The identity of the man has been kept secret, so he has been called “John Doe” in court filings and public debates.  This case has established the precedent of how the government locked up a citizen for more than a year without charging him with a crime, and the issue of whether the government can or should imprison American terrorism suspects without trial as enemy combatants, rather than prosecuting them.. ...Read Full Story

Student Dead At North Carolina High School After Fight Ends In Gunfire

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A North Carolina high school student shot and killed a fellow student during a fight at their school on Monday, officials said. The shooting prompted a lockdown and dozens of parents rushed to the school to make sure their children were safe. The student accused of firing the fatal shot was arrested quickly, and investigators secured the campus at Butler High School in Matthews, about 12 miles southeast of Charlotte, NC. Students remained inside with the school on lockdown for about two hours after the shooting. The male who was shot died at a hospital, according to local authorities. Neither the suspect nor the victim’s names or ages were immediately released. The shooting happened in a hallway as students were arriving for the day. . ...Read Full Story

FBI Closed In On Pipe Bomb Suspect By Tracking DNA And Social Media Posts

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Cesar Sayoc, the man who is accused of sending 13 pipe bombs through the mail to a range of Democrats and critics of President Trump, left forensic and digital evidence behind that authorities used to track him down and arrest him. According to authorities, they were able to link the DNA found on two bomb packages to a sample that was previously collected by the state of Florida, as well as matching Sayoc’s fingerprints to one from a separate mailing that law enforcement officials said he had previously sent. Investigators also said they had scrutinized Sayoc’s social media accounts and found identical spelling mistakes on his online posts; such as “Hilary” Clinton, and Debbie Wasserman “Shultz”, which matched the mailings he has been charged with sending. Other social media posts by Sayoc trafficked in online conspiracy theories, anti-Semitism and white supremacy. Authorities say this evidence is what led them to the 56-year-old, who had a long criminal history and appeared to be living in his van, showering on the beach or at a local fitness center. Sayoc has been charged with five federal crimes as of Friday.. ...Read Full Story

Victims Of The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Identified

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Eleven people were killed on Saturday when a gunman stormed the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh’s historic Squirrel Hill neighborhood. On Sunday, the victims’ identities were revealed in a news conference. Among those killed were a pair of brothers and a married couple. The oldest was 97 years old, and the youngest 54. Authorities said the suspected gunman, Robert Bowers, made statements about genocide and killing Jewish people. Bowers has been arrested and is being treated for gunshot wounds at a hospital. He was charged late Saturday with 11 state counts of criminal homicide, six counts of aggravated assault and 13 counts of ethnic intimidation in what the leader of the Anti-Defamation League called the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history. Among the victims were brothers Cecil Rosenthal, 59, and David Rosenthal, 54, both of Squirrel Hill; Sylvan Simon, 86, and his wife, Bernice Simon, 84, both of Wilkinsburg; Rose Mallinger, 97; Joyce Fienberg, 75, of Oakland, city of Pittsburgh; Richard Gottfried, 65, of Ross Township; Jerry Rabinowitz, 66, of Edgewood Borough; Daniel Stein, 71, of Squirrel Hill; Melvin Wax, 86, of Squirrel Hil; and Irving Younger, 69, of Mount Washington.. ...Read Full Story

Search Underway For Plane Missing Off South Carolina Coast

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The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday that the U.S. Coast Guard crews are searching for a downed civilian aircraft off the coast of South Carolina. The Coast Guard said that the Piper PA-31 was reported missing about 110 miles off the coast of Charleston at about 11:33 a.m.  It was traveling from South Carolina to the Bahamas, when the Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center received a report from the aircraft of an in-flight emergency. Air traffic control later lost contact with the plane on radar and notified the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. The Coast Guard said the Cutter Hamilton crew will continue to search for the aircraft throughout the night, while air assets will conduct a first light search Friday morning.. ...Read Full Story

Hundreds Of US Troops Heading To The Border To Deal With Migrant Caravan

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Defense Secretary James Mattis is expected to signe an order to deploy hundreds of active duty troops to the southern border, as a caravan of migrants makes its way through Mexico toward the United States. The initial estimate is that 800 to 1,000 service members could deploy in logistical support of Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), such as setting up tents for border authorities. These active duty forces will not act in a law enforcement capacity; instead, they will strictly provide logistical and technical support to CBP.  There are already about 2,000 National Guard troops called up by the governors of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas to support the Trump administration’s border security mission. . ...Read Full Story

Dow Plunges 608 Points And Nasdaq Falls Into Correction, Wiping Out Gains For The Year

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The stock market plunged Wednesday, with the Dow falling more than 600 points, a 2.4% drop and the S&P 500 dropping more than 3% as well. Both the Dow and S&P 500 are now down for the year. The Nasdaq plummeted more than 4%, which is its worst daily drop since August 2011. It is now in a correction, down nearly 13% from its all-time high set earlier this year. Technology stocks and media and communications companies accounted for much of the selling. AT&T dropped after reporting weak subscriber numbers, and Texas Instruments fell after reporting slumping demand. . ...Read Full Story

President Trump Promises Thorough Investigation Into Suspicious Packages Sent To Clintons, Obamas, CNN, And Other U.S. Officials

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On Wednesday afternoon, President Donald Trump said that threats of political violence have no place in the United States, promising a full investigation into suspicious packages that were mailed to prominent Democrats and other organizations. At an event on opioid abuse, Mr. Trump first addressed the incidents, saying “the full weight of our government is being deployed to conduct this investigation and bring those responsible for these despicable acts to justice. We will spare no resources or expense in this effort. In these times, we have to unify, we have to come together, and send one very clear, strong, unmistakable message that acts or threats of political violence of any kind have no place in the United States of America.” Earlier on Wednesday, the Secret Service said it had intercepted suspicious packages sent to former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Packages were also mailed to CNN, billionaire George Soros, NY Governor Andrew Cuomo, and others. All of the packages had a return address of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida Democrat.. ...Read Full Story

Six Children Dead, 12 Sick In Viral Outbreak At New Jersey Healthcare Facility

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The New Jersey State Health Department said Tuesday that six children at a long-term care facility for medically fragile children in Wanaque, New Jersey have died as a result of a severe outbreak of adenovirus, and 12 others have become ill. The Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation “has been instructed not to admit any new patients until the outbreak ends and they are in full compliance. This is an ongoing outbreak investigation,” the health department said. Children at this center are severely disabled and for most, the center is their permanent home; some will live there from birth through age 21. The center is licensed to provide long-term care for 92 children and 135 adults. The strain of adenovirus identified at the center, No. 7, usually causes acute respiratory illness, such as pneumonia, croup and bronchitis, according to the Centers for Disease Control. According to the NJ state health department “unfortunately, the particular strain of adenovirus in this outbreak is affecting medically fragile children with severely compromised immune systems. The combination of a worse strain of adenovirus, together with a fragile population, has led to a more severe outbreak.”. ...Read Full Story

Retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Announces Likely Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

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On Tuesday Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman on the Supreme Court, announced that she has the beginning stages of dementia, and “probably Alzheimer’s disease.” The 88-year-old said in a public letter that her diagnosis was made some time ago and that as her condition has progressed she is “no longer able to participate in public life.” O’Connor added, “while the final chapter of my life with dementia may be trying, nothing has diminished my gratitude and deep appreciation for the countless blessings in my life. As a young cowgirl from the Arizona desert, I never could have imagined that one day I would become the first woman justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.” O’Connor’s announcement of her diagnosis came after a story was published that she had stepped back from public life. Her son, Jay O’Connor, said that his mother had begun to have challenges with her short term memory. O’Connor was 75 when she announced her retirement from the court in 2005, a decision which was influenced by the decline in the health of her husband, John O’Connor III, who himself had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. O’Connor last spoke in public more than two years ago.. ...Read Full Story

Category 4 Hurricane Willa Threatens Mexico’s Pacific Coast

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The National Hurricane Center said on Monday that Hurricane Willa, a potentially catastrophic storm, travelled towards Mexico’s Pacific coast with winds of 155 mph. Forecasters expect the Category 4 storm to make landfall along Mexico’s southwestern coast this afternoon or evening. Willa — described as an “extremely dangerous storm” — is expected to bring life-threatening storm surge, wind and rainfall over west-central and southwestern Mexico. Willa was located about 135 miles south-southwest of Las Islas Marias, Mexico, and some 110 miles southwest of Cabo Corrientes, Mexico, the hurricane center said as of 5 p.m. on Monday. Hurricane warnings were posted for a stretch of shore between San Blas and Mazatlan. A tropical storm warning was in effect for Playa Perula to San Blas and north of Mazatlan to Bahia Tempehuaya.. ...Read Full Story

Six Shot Near Jacksonville Jaguars Stadium Before NFL Game; 3 Reported In Critical Condition

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Six people were wounded, three critically, in a possible gang-related shooting blocks from the Florida stadium where the NFL’s Houston Texans played and defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said several shots were fired about 12:35 p.m. Sunday on a boulevard outside in the general area of the stadium. Five men and one woman were struck by bullets and wounded. He said all were rushed to hospitals, ranging in age from 20s to 70s. The shooting came before the game’s scheduled 1 p.m. start, which went on and concluded without incident. Authorities had no immediate report on what led up to the shootings. The sheriff’s office tweeted that three of the wounded were rushed in critical condition for care. An update on their conditions wasn’t immediately available.. ...Read Full Story

Hundreds Of Thousands March In London Demanding A Second Brexit Vote

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People from across the U.K. gathered over the weekend in London to take part in a public protest over Brexit. The march, which organizers said drew more than 600,000 to west London’s Park Lane, was called by People’s Vote, a group that’s campaigning for the the public to have a say on any final Brexit deal to prevent the ruling Conservative government from forcing it through Parliament. As the March 29, 2019 deadline when Britain officially leaves the EU draws ever closer, the negotiations on Brexit have the general public divided, as well as made anxious many investors and businesses.. ...Read Full Story

Search For Missing Wisconsin Teenager Jayme Closs Continues As FBI Asks For Help

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On Thursday, authorities continued to search the area near the Wisconsin home where 13-year-old Jayme Closs vanished after her parents were murdered while she was inside, prompting a massive search that entered its fourth day yesterday. The Barron County Sheriff’s Department asked for 100 volunteers to meet at the intersection of State Highway 8 and 16th Street to help assist officers looking for Closs. Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said Closs inside the home when her parents, James and Denise Closs, were shot and killed in a town about 80 miles northeast of Minneapolis, Minn.  Jayme has been ruled out as a suspect in her parents’ deaths, but was nowhere to be found when police arrived at the home just before 1 a.m. Monday. An Amber Alert and nationwide search has since ensued, with more than 400 tips pouring in, though no credible evidence has been discovered. More photos were also released of the 13-year-old girl, described as being 5-feet, 100 pounds with green eyes and blond or strawberry-blond hair.  Anyone with information is urged to call Barron County Sheriff’s Department’s tip line at 855-744-3879.. ...Read Full Story

President Trump Threatens To Send Military To Shut Border Over Caravan Of Central Americans Migrants

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On Thursday, President Donald Trump threatened to deploy the military and close the southern U.S. border. This coming as more Hondurans and Salvadorans joined thousands of migrants in Guatemala headed north. Several thousand Honduran migrants traveled this week through Guatemala headed to Mexico, with some hoping to cross into the United States to escape violence and poverty in Central America. On Twitter, the President wrote, “I must, in the strongest of terms, ask Mexico to stop this onslaught – and if unable to do so I will call up the U.S. Military and CLOSE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER!” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo prepared to travel later in the day to Panama and then Mexico City, where he was to meet with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Friday. Trump also threatened to halt aid if Central American governments did not act. In a string of tweets on Thursday, the President also said the issue was more important to him than the new trade deal with Mexico to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement pact.. ...Read Full Story

Medal Of Honor Presented To Sgt. Major (Ret.) John Canley By President Trump At White House

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On Wednesday, Retired Marine Sgt. Maj. John Canley of California –a Vietnam War veteran who saved 20 fellow Marines despite being wounded several times during an intense seven-day battle in 1968 — was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Trump. In an East Room ceremony at the White House attended by many former members of his Alpha Company, Mr. Canley, 80, was decorated by the president for his heroic actions during the Battle of Hue during the communists’ Tet Offensive. Mr. Trump told Mr. Canley that “America is the greatest force for peace, justice and freedom the world has ever known because of you and people like you.” Mr. Canley is a native of Arkansas who enlisted in the military using false papers at age 15, and served in Vietnam for more than five years. During the Tet Offensive, his company of the First Battalion, First Marines Regiment was ordered to take back Hue from communist forces.. ...Read Full Story

Canada Becomes Second Country To Legalize Recreational Marijuana

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Canada has become the second country after Uruguay to legalize possession and use of recreational cannabis. Medical marijuana has been legal in the country since 2001.  At least 111 legal pot shops are planning to open across the nation of 37 million people on the first day, according to an AP survey of the provinces. That is just a sample of what ultimately will be a much larger marketplace. No stores will open in Ontario, which includes Toronto. The most populous province is working on its regulations and doesn’t expect stores until next spring. Canadians everywhere will be able to order marijuana products through websites run by provinces or private retailers and have it delivered to their homes by mail. Canadian provinces and municipalities have been preparing for months for the end of cannabis prohibition. They are responsible for setting out where cannabis can be bought and consumed.. ...Read Full Story

Senator Susan Collins Receives Receive Suspicious Letter In Ricin Scare

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A hazardous materials team was sent to the home of Republican Sen. Susan Collins on Monday, this after her husband received a letter with a note saying the envelope contained ricin. The FBI said preliminary tests on the letter and its contents indicated that there was no threat to the public, and the senator and her husband were allowed to stay in the home Monday night. It was unclear who sent the letter and why. Annie Clark, the senator’s spokeswoman, said “today’s incident is the latest in a series of threats against Senator Collins, her loved ones, and her staff.” The senator’s husband, Thomas Daffron, was at home when the letter arrived on Monday, but Collins wasn’t there. Collins issued a statement, expressing her thanks to first responders and other agencies participating in the investigation. The investigation into the letter, its contents and origin, is ongoing.. ...Read Full Story

CDC Confirms 62 Cases Of ‘Polio-Like’ Illness, Mainly Affecting Children, Across 22 States

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At least 62 cases of a “polio-like” illness causing paralysis in children have been confirmed across 22 states so far this year, according to the CDC. The exact cause of the illness, called Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM), is unknown – although it has been linked to a number of viruses, environmental toxins and genetic disorders.  The condition largely affects children, and often begins with an upper respiratory infection, progresses to weakness, and leaves victims paralyzed within 24 hours. The rapid progression of the illness has drawn attention from medical experts. Though still considered rare, this is the largest outbreak in the nation of AFM since 2016, when there were 149 cases confirmed in 39 states including Washington D.C. There have been at least 386 confirmed cases of AFM in the United States since 2014, including 120 cases in 2014. Experts remind the public that while the effects of AFM are often compared to polio, it is not nearly as widespread.. ...Read Full Story

Paul Allen, Co-Founder Of Microsoft, Dies At Age 65

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Paul Allen, who cofounded Microsoft with Bill Gates, died Monday afternoon after a battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He was 65. Allen was not only a tech billionaire, he was a philanthropist as well as the owner of the Seattle Seahawks and the Portland Trail Blazers. Allen and Gates were childhood friends; Allen was best known for cofounding Microsoft in 1975 with Gates. He left the company in 1983 after receiving a diagnosis for Hodgkin’s disease, which he beat. Earlier this month, Allen announced that he was once again receiving treatment for lymphoma. He was last treated for the disease in 2009. At the time, Allen said that he planned on staying involved with his various business ventures. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella released a statement Monday praising Allen’s “inquisitiveness, curiosity and push for high standards.”. ...Read Full Story

President Trump And First Lady Visits Florida Communities Devastated By Hurricane Michael

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President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump toured the Florida Panhandle and parts of Georgia on Monday, in the wake of mass devastation left by Hurricane Michael last week. The President praised the work being done by Florida Gov. Rick Scott and emergency workers in the wake of the storm.  While speaking to media shortly after landing at Eglin Air Force Base, Trump said “Gov. Rick Scott has done an incredible job. He steps up in the biggest emergencies and the biggest problems.” Trump declared a state of emergency in Georgia last week, releasing federal resources to help the state. The White House said it was fully committed to helping state and local agencies with recovery efforts.. ...Read Full Story

American Retailer Sears Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

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Sears has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, after no longer being able to deal with its massive debt and losses. The company will close 142 stores before the end of the year and its CEO, Eddie Lampert, will step down, though he will remain its chairman. Lampert has blamed the company’s decline on the media, shifts in consumer spending, and the rise of e-commerce, among other reasons. In a statement on Monday, Lampert said: “Over the last several years, we have worked hard to transform our business and unlock the value of our assets.” Lampert said that Sears and Kmart stores “remain open for business” towards the holiday season, and that the bankruptcy process will allow the chain to “strengthen its balance sheet,” to “accelerate its strategic transformation,” and ultimately to “return to profitability.” Sears once dominated the American retail landscape. The company started out as a mail order catalog in the 1880s, but has lagged behind its competition and has incurred massive losses over the years. The operator of Sears and Kmart stores joins a growing list of retailers that have filed for bankruptcy or liquidated in the last few years. . ...Read Full Story

President Trump’s Lawyers Preparing To Answer Questions In Russia Probe

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On Thursday, sources close to the matter said that President Donald Trump’s lawyers are preparing answers to questions for the U.S. special counsel probing Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. This new development appears to show progress after several months of talks between the special counsel, Robert Mueller, and Trump’s legal team in connection with the president answering questions in the investigation. President Trump’s attorney, Rudy Giuliani, said last month that Mueller wanted the president to commit to a follow-up interview to any written questions, which Trump’s legal team was resisting. But sources now say that Mueller is willing to accept written answers to questions without a commitment from Trump’s lawyers over what comes next.. ...Read Full Story

Hurricane Michael Death Toll Rises And Many Florida Residents Are Left Homeless

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Hurricane Michael has left damage and destruction in Florida, where many homes have been destroyed. The storm also has brought flash flooding to hurricane-weary parts of North and South Carolina and Virginia. Florida’s Panhandle is a disaster zone after Michael brought catastrophic winds, heavy rain and devastating storm surge. Some of the worst damage was in Mexico Beach, where the hurricane crashed ashore Wednesday as a Category 4 monster with 155 mph winds and a storm surge of 9 feet. Michael was the third-most powerful hurricane ever to make landfall in the U.S. mainland, and the storm has been blamed for at least six deaths. As of Thursday evening, more than 900,000 homes and businesses in the Southeast had no electricity. Michael hit North Carolina and South Carolina as a tropical storm with heavy downpours and and threats of tornadoes. . ...Read Full Story

Hurricane Michael Weakens To Tropical Storm As It Heads Across Georgia

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The National Hurricane Center said Hurricane Michael weakened to a tropical storm Thursday, with 50 mph winds as it moved across Georgia. The eye of the storm was 30 miles west of Augusta, Ga., as of the NHC’s 5 a.m. EDT update. The storm was moving northeast at 21 mph with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. Yesterday when it made landfall in the Florida Panhandle, Michael sustained 155 mph winds, 2 mph shy of a Category 5 storm. Storm surge watches are in effect from the Ocracoke Inlet to Duck in North Carolina. Michael is expected to head northeast through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia on Thursday as a tropical storm. However, forecasters warn that Michael could intensify again when it reaches the Atlantic Ocean late Thursday or early Friday. Additionally, the NHC forecasts up to 7 inches for eastern Georgia and the Carolinas up to southern New England. Isolated areas could get 9 inches and life-threatening flash floods, and isolated tornadoes are possible Thursday in South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia.. ...Read Full Story

Dow Drops More Than 800 Point In Worst Day Since February

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U.S. stocks slumped to close sharply lower Wednesday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average sank more than 800 points and the S&P 500 had its worst day since February as technology stocks went into freefall. The Dow Jones Industrial Average went down 831.83 points, logging its worst one-day drop since February. Meanwhile the S&P 500 index lost 94.66 points, falling for its fifth straight day, the longest losing streak since November 2016.  Market action has been adversely affected by higher bond yields and interest rates, both of which could signal a new phase in post-crisis markets that have enjoyed a protracted period of ultra-low yields. . ...Read Full Story

Hurricane Michael Upgraded To Category 3 As It Approaches Florida’s Gulf Coast

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Hurricane Michael strengthened to a Category 3 storm on Tuesday as it headed toward Florida’s northeast Gulf Coast. By the time the storm makes landfall, it could be near Category 4 strength, forecasters said, bringing with it catastrophic storm surge, torrential rain and heavy winds. “Hurricane Michael is forecast to be the most destructive storm to hit the Florida Panhandle in decades,” Gov. Rick Scott warned on Tuesday. The storm is expected to move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico through Tuesday and make landfall in the Panhandle on Wednesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. By Tuesday afternoon, Michael’s top sustained winds had risen to 120 mph, and the National Hurricane Center said some additional strengthening is expected before Michael hits Florida. Governor Scott on Tuesday morning urged residents in the path of the storm to evacuate, saying the effects of the storm would start well before landfall.. ...Read Full Story

UN Ambassador Nikki Haley Resigns; To Leave Post At End Of Year

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President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has resigned, and will be leaving her position by the end of the year. Appearing together in the Oval Office, Trump praised Haley as a “fantastic person” who has “done an incredible job” and said he would gladly welcome her back into his administration down the line. The President said that Haley had informed him about six months ago that at the end of a two-year period on the job, she’d want to take a break,  but the announcement caught many White House officials by surprise. Haley said she was leaving because she needed to take time out after an intense six years as governor of South Carolina, directly followed by two years at the U.N. President Trump has a working list of contenders to succeed Haley, according to senior White House officials. The President said he plans to name a successor for the US’s top diplomatic post at the United Nations in two to three weeks. Among the names floated as possible replacements for Haley are: Trump’s former deputy national security adviser Dina Powell, US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell and senior adviser and daughter of the President, Ivanka Trump.. ...Read Full Story

President Trump Says He Has No Plans To Fire Justice Department’s Rosenstein

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President Donald Trump said he had a “good talk” on Monday with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, the Justice Department official in charge of the federal investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, and has no plans to fire him. There has been widespread speculation that Trump might fire Rosenstein after a New York Times report that he had made negative remarks about Trump and offered to record conversations with him. Rosenstein traveled with Trump on Air Force One to Orlando on Monday, and Rosenstein was seen smiling as he walked down the front stairs of Air Force One alongside Trump’s chief of staff, John Kelly. Rosenstein oversees Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. Russia denies interfering and Trump says there was no collusion between his campaign and Moscow.. ...Read Full Story

Google+ Shutting Down After User Data Exposed

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Google said on Monday that it is closing it’s “Google Plus” social network following the discovery of a software glitch this past spring that may have exposed user information of up to 500,000 customers between 20015 and 2018. Ben Smith, Google’s vice president of engineering, confirmed in a blog post the company had detected a “bug” in March that impacted the profiles of as many as 500,000 Google Plus users. While it immediately fixed the security flaw, Google executives opted not to disclose the problem at the time because they feared trouble from regulators after the criticism encountered by Facebook over its privacy issues. The Google Plus data potentially exposed includes names, email addresses, occupations, dates of birth, genders and profile photos. According to Google, 438 third-party applications may have used the application programming interface that allowed possible access to the data. The company will wind down the Google Plus network during a 10-month period expected to be done by the end of next August. Meanwhile, news of the shutting down of Google Plus sent shares down $9.35, or 0. 8 percent, to $1,148.00, on Monday.. ...Read Full Story

20 Killed After Limousine Crash In Upstate New York

Twenty people died on Saturday after a limousine crashed in upstate New York. Safety officials are calling this the nation’s worst road accident in nearly a decade. The crash occurred in the historic town of Schoharie, about 45 minutes west of Albany. According to Christopher Fiore, first deputy superintendent of the New York State Police, a 2001 Ford Excursion limousine failed to stop at an intersection with State Route 30 and crashed into a 2015 Toyota Highlander parked near the Apple Barrel Country Store. All 18 people in the limo, including the driver, died. Two pedestrians who were struck also lost their lives. “This is the most deadly transportation accident in this country since February of 2009,” National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt told reporters. The names of the victims have not been released because next of kin were being notified, the New York State Police said in a statement. Their bodies were transported to the Albany Medical Center, where autopsies were being conducted on each person.. ...Read Full Story

Tropical Storm Michael Expected To Hit Gulf Coast As Hurricane

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Tropical Storm Michael has formed near Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, and is expected to threaten Florida’s Gulf Coast as a hurricane later this week, this according to the National Hurricane Center. On Sunday, the Weather Channel reported that “it’s a tropical storm at the moment, but looks like it will become a hurricane in the next 24 hours and stay a low-grade hurricane before it comes onshore and moves northeast across Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.” The storm is said to be moving quickly, which could mitigate flooding in the Carolinas, where the floodwaters of Hurricane Florence have just receded. The National Hurricane Center forecast that Tropical Storm Michael would become a hurricane on Monday, only two days before it is expected to reach the Gulf Coast. The hurricane center warned residents the storm could bring dangerous surges, rainfall and winds. In anticipation of the storm, Florida Gov. Rick Scott said he would be declaring a state of emergency in the Pensacola region and activate the state’s emergency operations center. ...Read Full Story

20 Killed After Limousine Crash In Upstate New York

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Twenty people died on Saturday after a limousine crashed in upstate New York. Safety officials are calling this the nation’s worst road accident in nearly a decade. The crash occurred in the historic town of Schoharie, about 45 minutes west of Albany. According to Christopher Fiore, first deputy superintendent of the New York State Police, a 2001 Ford Excursion limousine failed to stop at an intersection with State Route 30 and crashed into a 2015 Toyota Highlander parked near the Apple Barrel Country Store. All 18 people in the limo, including the driver, died. Two pedestrians who were struck also lost their lives. “This is the most deadly transportation accident in this country since February of 2009,” National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt told reporters. The names of the victims have not been released because next of kin were being notified, the New York State Police said in a statement. Their bodies were transported to the Albany Medical Center, where autopsies were being conducted on each person.. ...Read Full Story

Ham, Ground Beef Recalled In Two Separate Outbreaks

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Federal health officials said Thursday that one person has died and four were hospitalized in an outbreak of listeria linked to cured hams from North Carolina, The ham recall affects 89,000 pounds of ham products made by Johnston County Hams, Inc. in Smithfield, North Carolina. The ham maker has recalled the hams, which were produced from April 3, 2017 through October 2, 2018,. The CDC has recommended that consumers “return them to the store for a refund or throw them away. Restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell recalled Johnston County Hams products,”. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said they were distributed in Maryland, North Carolina, New York, South Carolina and Virginia. The illnesses that have been reported were in North Carolina and Virginia. . ...Read Full Story