US & World News

Harrowing Tales Emerge From Synagogue; Suspect due in Court

Statistics Show Anti-Semitism has Been on the Rise in the U.S.

PITTSBURGH – A rabbi who helped alert authorities to the synagogue shooting that killed 11 people says it was because of recent security training that he had a cellphone on him and was able to make the call. Rabbi Jeffrey Myers of the Tree of Life in Pittsburgh said Monday on ABC’s “Good Morning America” that he hadn’t always carried…

Sessions Says Bomb Suspect Appears ‘Partisan’

FBI Director Says too Early to Discuss a Motive

WASHINGTON -Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he doesn’t know why pipe bombs were sent to prominent Democrats and CNN but says a Florida man charged in the case “appears to be a partisan.” Sessions and other law enforcement officials are declining to speculate on whether the current divided political climate in America and President Donald Trump’s rhetoric emboldened the man….

One in Custody in Connection With Package Bombs

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Justice Department says a person has been taken into custody in connection with a series of package bombs sent to prominent Democrats. Spokeswoman Sarah Flores says a news conference is scheduled for later Friday. The person’s name was not immediately released. Officials have located 12 devices addressed in recent days to Democratic figures including former President…

More Suspicious Packages Found, These to Booker, Clapper

A Total of 12 Devices Have now Been Recovered

(ABC News via AP)WASHINGTON — Suspicious packages addressed to New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and former National Intelligence Director James Clapper — and similar in appearance to pipe bomb devices sent to other prominent Democrats — have been intercepted, the FBI said Friday, as investigators scrambled from coast to coast to locate the culprit and motives behind a bizarre plot…

Officials Planning to Move Canadian Wolves to Isle Royale

The Move Will Take Place This Winter

HOUGHTON, Mich. (AP) – Officials plan to relocate several gray wolves from the Canadian province of Ontario to Isle Royale National Park this winter. It’s the next step in rebuilding the depleted wolf population at the Lake Superior park. Only two remained until crews took four more wolves to the island from Minnesota this fall. Plans call for transporting 20-30…

No big Powerball Winner; Jackpot now up to $750 Million

No one has won the Powerball Jackpot Since August 11

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – No one has won the big Powerball prize, so the estimated jackpot now grows to $750 million – potentially the fourth-largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history. The next drawing will be Saturday. On Wednesday night, when it was at $620 million, the Powerball jackpot looked sort of puny given all the attention lavished on the…

Police: Multiple People Shot in Kentucky Grocery Store

Authorities Have not Released Extent of Victims' Injuries

JEFFERSONTOWN, Ky. (AP) — Multiple people were shot at a Kroger grocery store Wednesday on the outskirts of Louisville, Kentucky, and one suspect was detained, police said. A dispatcher with the Jeffersontown Police Department who spoke to The Associated Press did not give details on the extent of the victims’ injuries and would not give his name. He also did…

Update: Suspicious Packages also sent to Eric Holder and Rep. Maxine Waters

The Investigation is Still Ongoing

WASHINGTON (AP) – A device intended for former Attorney General Eric Holder is among those intercepted in recent days. That’s according to two people who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press to discuss an ongoing investigation. One of the people says the device was sent to the wrong address. It was then sent back to what was…

Explosive Devices Sent to Obama, Clintons; CNN Evacuated

Neither Clinton or Obama Received the Packages

(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Secret Service has intercepted a bomb that was addressed to Hillary Clinton and also discovered a possible explosive that was sent to former President Barack Obama. Also Wednesday, a police bomb squad was sent to CNN’s offices in New York City and the newsroom was evacuated because of a suspicious package. A U.S….

Agents nab Possible Explosive Devices Sent to Obama, Clinton

Authorities Believe the Explosives are Linked to Another Device Found Monday

(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. Secret Service says agents have intercepted packages containing “possible explosive devices” addressed to former President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. The agency says neither Clinton nor Obama received the packages, and neither was at risk of receiving them because of screening procedures. It says the devices were discovered late Tuesday and early Wednesday….

US official: Explosive Device Found at Clintons’ NY Home

The Device was Found in Chappaqua, New York

WASHINGTON (AP) – A U.S. official says a “functional explosive device” was found at Hillary and Bill Clinton’s suburban New York home. The official says investigators believe the explosive is linked to one found Monday at the compound of liberal billionaire George Soros. The official wasn’t authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity. The…

US Probes Ford Pickup Tailgates Opening Unexpectedly

Ford is Cooperating With NHTSA

DETROIT (AP) – U.S. safety regulators are trying to figure out why the power tailgates on some Ford F-Series pickup trucks can open unexpectedly while the trucks are moving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into F-250 and F-350 Super Duty trucks from the 2017 model year. The agency says In documents posted Wednesday that it has…

Canada now World’s Largest Legal Marijuana Marketplace

Sales Started Just After Midnight

(Stephen MacGillivray/The Canadian Press via AP)TORONTO (AP) – Canada has become the second and largest country with a legal national marijuana marketplace. Sales started just after midnight local time in Newfoundland, Canada’s easternmost province. Tom Clarke of Portugal Cove, once an illegal marijuana dealer and now a licensed retailer, was among the first to make a sale. At least 111…

No Winning Mega Millions Ticket; Jackpot Climbs to $868M

Mega Millions is Played in 44 States

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – No winning lottery ticket was sold for the latest Mega Millions drawing, meaning the estimated jackpot climbs to $868 million. Mega Millions officials say no tickets matched all six numbers to claim the estimated $667 million prize Tuesday night. The numbers were 3, 45, 49, 61, 69 and Mega Ball 9. The next drawing will…

The Latest: Sheriff Dismisses Miami tip in Missing Girl Case

Jayme was Last Seen Sunday Afternoon

BARRON, Wis. (AP) -Authorities looking for a missing Wisconsin teenager whose parents were found dead in their home say a tip placing the girl’s whereabouts in Miami is not credible. Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said during a Tuesday afternoon briefing that Miami police tweeted the information without consulting with Wisconsin investigators. Authorities have been searching for 13-year-old Jayme Closs…

Many in Florida Panhandle Still Without Power

12 Deaths Occured in Bay County

(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)PANAMA CITY, Fla. (AP) – Six days after Hurricane Michael ripped through the Florida Panhandle, nearly 137,000 customers remain without power in an 11-county region that stretches from the Gulf of Mexico to the Georgia border. Michael slammed into the region on Oct. 10 and in the immediate aftermath as many as 400,000 customers in the state were…

Mysterious Paralyzing Illness Found Among Kids in 22 States

At Least 62 Cases Have Been Confirmed

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials on Tuesday reported a jump in cases of a rare paralyzing illness in children, and said it seems to be following an every-other-year pattern. At least 62 cases have been confirmed in 22 states this year, and at least 65 additional illnesses in those states are being investigated, according to the Centers for…

Mega Millions Prize up to $654M, Fourth Largest in US History

The Cash Option is an Estimated $372 Million

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – After nearly three months without a winner, the Mega Millions lottery game has climbed to an estimated $654 million jackpot. Unfortunately, even as the big prize for Tuesday night’s drawing increases to the fourth-largest in U.S. history, the odds of matching all six numbers and winning the game don’t improve. They’re stuck at a miserable…

Microsoft co-Founder Paul Allen Dies at 65

Allen Owned the Portland Trail Blazers and the Seattle Seahawks

(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)SEATTLE (AP) — Paul Allen, who co-founded Microsoft with his childhood friend Bill Gates, has died. He was 65. Allen’s company Vulcan Inc. said in a statement that he died Monday. Earlier this month Allen said the cancer he was treated for in 2009, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, had returned. Allen, who was an avid sports fan, owned the…

Sears Files for Chapter 11 Amid Plunging Sales, Massive Debt

Sears is Filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection

NEW YORK (AP) – The company, inundated by debt and falling sales, said Monday that it would begin liquidation sales and close another 142 stores before the end of the year. The company that dominated the American retail landscape in the 20th century joins a long list of stores ravaged by changing technology and shopping patterns. Some stores have pulled…

Prince Harry and Meghan Expecting Their First Child in Spring

The Royal Couple is Expecting Their First Child

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Prince Harry and his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, are expecting their first child in the spring, Kensington Palace said Monday. The announcement came hours after Harry and the former Meghan Markle arrived in Sydney at the start of a 16-day visit to Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand. Hundreds of people gathered to catch a…

Toyota Recalls Trucks, SUVs and Cars to fix air bag Problem

Recall Expected to Begin October 22

DETROIT (AP) – Toyota is recalling more than 168,000 pickup trucks, SUVs and cars because the air bags may not inflate in a crash. The recall covers 2018 and 2019 Tundra pickups and Sequoia SUVs as well as 2019 Avalon sedans. Toyota says the air bag control computer can erroneously detect a fault when the vehicles are started. With a…

Thousands of Young US Children get no Vaccines, Survey Finds

The Survy did not ask why the Kids Weren't Vaccinated

NEW YORK (AP) — A small but growing proportion of the youngest children in the U.S. have not been vaccinated against any disease, worrying health officials. An estimated 100,000 young children have not had a vaccination against any of the 14 diseases for which shots are recommended, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released Thursday. “This…

‘Unimaginable Destruction’: Hurricane Smashes Rows of Houses

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (AP) — The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have defied evacuation orders. At least two deaths were blamed on Michael, the most…

Hurricane Michael Slams Into Florida with 155 mph Winds

The Storm is Expected to Remain a Hurricane as it moves Over Georgia

  PANAMA CITY, Fla. (AP) — Supercharged by abnormally warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, Michael slammed into the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday with potentially catastrophic winds of 155 mph, the most powerful hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland in nearly 50 years. Michael blew ashore near Mexico Beach, a tourist town about midway along the Panhandle, a lightly…

The Latest: Michael Strengthens Into Category 3 Hurricane

Some Areas Could see 13 Feet of Storm Surge

(Nick Tomecek/Northwest Florida Daily News via AP)TALLAHASSEE, Florida (AP) – Forecasters say Michael has strengthened into a major hurricane with winds of 120 mph. The National Hurricane Center in Miami says in a Tuesday evening advisory that Michael has become a Category 3 hurricane and is moving north across the Gulf of Mexico at 12 mph. The hurricane is about…

Starbucks Provides Backup Care Benefit to US Workers

Employees Will get up to to Backup Care Days Each Year

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)SEATTLE (AP) – Starbucks’ U.S. employees have a new benefit: subsidized backup care for children and adults. The company says employees will get up to 10 backup care days each year to use when regular care is unavailable. More than 180,000 employees will be eligible. In-home backup care for kids or adults will cost employees $1…

BREAKING: UN Ambassador Haley resigning

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley is resigning, The Associated Press has learned. President Donald Trump tweeted that he has a “big announcement with my friend Ambassador Nikki Haley in the Oval Office at 10:30 a.m.” Congressional and Trump administration officials told the AP that Haley plans to resign. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized…

Limo That Crashed Killing 20 Failed Safety Inspection Last Month

The Limo ran a Stop Sign and Slammed into an Unoccupied SUV

(Tom Heffernan Sr. via AP) SCHOHARIE, N.Y. (AP) — The supersized limousine that crashed and killed 20 people outside a country store failed a safety inspection last month and shouldn’t have been on the road, and the driver wasn’t properly licensed, New York’s governor said Monday. The state moved to shut down the owner, Prestige Limousine, as state and federal…

Michael Strengthens Into a Hurricane, Menaces Florida

Michael Could Reach 111mph Winds by Tuesday

MIAMI (AP) — A tropical weather system that rapidly strengthened into Hurricane Michael on Monday is likely to keep growing stronger ahead of an expected strike on Florida’s Panhandle by midweek, forecasters said. Michael could strengthen into a major hurricane with winds topping 111 mph by Tuesday night before an expected strike Wednesday on the Panhandle or Big Bend, according…

Nobel Peace Prize Honors the Fight Against Sexual Violence

Both Honorees are the First From Their Countries to Receive a Nobel Prize

(AP Photos/Christian Lutz, file)OSLO, Norway (AP) – A Congolese doctor who treats rape victims and an Iraqi woman who speaks out for those – like herself – who were raped and tortured by the Islamic State group won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for their work to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. Dr….

Supreme Court Nominee Kavanaugh Clears Crucial Senate Hurdle

The Senate Voted 51-49 to Limit Debate

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON (AP) — A deeply divided Senate pushed Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination past a key procedural hurdle Friday, setting up a likely final showdown this weekend in a battle that’s seen claims of long-ago sexual assault by the nominee threaten President Donald Trump’s effort to tip the court rightward for decades. The Senate voted 51-49 to…

Arizona Company Recalls More Than 6.5 Million Pounds of Beef

The Recall was Announced Thursday

TOLLESON, Ariz. (AP) – An Arizona company has recalled more than 6.5 million pounds of beef that could be contaminated with salmonella. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced the recall Thursday. An investigation traced products including ground beef and beef patties to JBS Tolleson, Inc. Federal officials say the raw beef was packaged between July…

Utah vet Confessed to Sending Ricin Envelopes, Officials say

No Attorney has Been Listed for Allen

(Davis County Sheriff’s Office via AP) SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah Navy veteran confessed to sending four envelopes containing the substance from which ricin is derived to President Donald Trump and members of his administration, authorities said in court documents. William Clyde Allen III, 39, made the confession while speaking with investigators after his arrest at his house…

Wounded Deputies in South Carolina Were Investigating sex Assault

Suspect in Shooting of Seven Officers is Competitive Rifleman

(AP Photo/Sean Rayford)FLORENCE, S.C. – Authorities have named the suspect they believe shot seven police officers in South Carolina as they tried to serve a search warrant. WIS-TV reports that Florence County Chief Deputy Glenn Kirby identified the suspect Thursday as 74-year-old Fred Hopkins, a military veteran and a disbarred lawyer who has been charged several times in recent years,…

Police Boost Security at Capitol Amid Tension Over Kavanaugh

Some Senators Using Police Escorts

WASHINGTON (AP) – The impassioned fight over Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court has led to heightened security at the Capitol, with some senators using police escorts to shield them from protesters. Capitol police have arrested dozens of protesters in recent days and stepped up their presence in Capitol hallways. Some Republican senators have expressed unease over protesters who…

Packages With Suspected Ricin Sent to Pentagon, Navy Chiefs

The Envelopes had Been Found Monday

WASHINGTON (AP) — Authorities at a Pentagon mail screening facility found two envelopes suspected of containing ricin, a poison made from castor beans, and turned them over to the FBI for further analysis, officials said Tuesday. One envelope was addressed to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who is traveling in Europe this week, and the other to the Navy’s top officer,…

Amazon ups Hourly Wage to $15, Will Advocate for Higher pay

The Federally Mandated Minimum Wage Stands at $7.25 per Hour

(AP Photo/Richard Drew, File) NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon, which has faced political and economic pressure to raise pay for thousands of employees, is boosting its minimum wage for all U.S. workers to $15 per hour starting next month and said it will push for an increase in the federally mandated minimum wage, which now stands at $7.25 per hour….

Minnesota Senator on Saturday Night Live

Sen. Amy Klobuchar Portrayed on Saturday Night Live Cold Open

DULUTH, Minn.- The Land of 10,000 Lakes had some representation on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live this past weekend. The show’s cold open parodied the Senate Judiciary Meeting of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, featuring celebrities portraying all the politicians who voiced questions or remarks. Among these politicians was Sen. Amy Klobuchar (DFL). Portrayed by SNL alum Rachel…

Man Acquitted in Pregnant Woman’s Slaying in North Dakota

Hoehn Would Have Faced Life in Prison if Convicted

(Michael Vosburg /The Forum via AP, Pool) FARGO, N.D. (AP) — A North Dakota man was acquitted Friday of helping to kill a pregnant neighbor by tightening a rope around the woman’s neck after his girlfriend cut the baby from her womb. William Hoehn, 33, was charged with conspiracy to commit murder in the August 2017 death of 22-year-old Savanna…

GOP Agrees to FBI Probe of Kavanaugh, Delaying Senate Vote

The Investigation Should be Completed no Later Than October 5

(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Republican leaders have agreed to delay a final vote on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh to allow time for an investigation by the FBI of the sexual misconduct allegations against him. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 Republican, says, “There’s going to be a supplemental background investigation,” which would delay a…

GOP Advances Kavanaugh After Flake Calls for FBI Probe

The Committee Vote was 11-10 Along Party Lines

(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool) WASHINGTON (AP) — After a flurry of last-minute negotiations, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination for the Supreme Court Friday after informally agreeing with a late call from Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona for a one week investigation into sexual assault allegations against the high court nominee. It was unclear whether Republican leaders,…

Facebook says 50M user accounts affected by security breach

The Company is not Aware if any of the Accounts Were Misused

NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook says it recently discovered a security breach affecting nearly 50 million user accounts. The hack is the latest setback for Facebook during a year of tumult for the global social media service. In a blog post , the company says hackers exploited its “View As” feature, which lets people see what their profiles look like…

Kavanaugh, Ford Hearing Underway

(Melina Mara/Pool Photo via AP)WASHINGTON (AP) — In a clash along a polarized nation’s political and cultural fault lines, the Senate Judiciary Committee began its historic hearing Thursday in which Brett Kavanaugh hoped to salvage his Supreme Court nomination by fending off allegations by Christine Blasey Ford that he’d molested her when both were in high school. Ford sat impassively…

Uber Agrees to $148M Settlement With States Over Data Breach

The pay out Will be Divided Among the States

CHICAGO (AP) — Uber will pay $148 million and tighten data security after the ride-hailing company failed for a year to notify drivers that hackers had stolen their personal information, according to a settlement announced Wednesday. Uber Technologies Inc. reached the agreement with all 50 states and the District of Columbia after a massive data breach in 2016. Instead of…

Judge Says Cosby not Entitled to Bail

Cosby is Sentenced to Three to 10 Years in Prison

(Montgomery County Correctional Facility via AP) NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A judge has told Bill Cosby that he’s not entitled to bail while the 81-year-old comedian appeals his sexual assault conviction. Judge Steven O’Neill sentenced Cosby on Tuesday to three to 10 years in state prison. His lawyers are arguing that Cosby should remain on home confinement pending appeals. O’Neill…

‘Multiple Victims’ Reported in Maryland Shooting

Active Shooter Situation Reported

PERRYMAN, Md. (AP) — Authorities say multiple people have been shot in northeast Maryland in what the FBI is describing as an “active shooter situation.” The Harford County Sheriff’s Office tweeted that there was a shooting Thursday morning in the Perryman area that involves “multiple victims.” They warn that the situation is still fluid and ask people to avoid the…

Survey Finds 2 Million US Teens are Vaping Marijuana

(AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)(AP) – A school-based survey shows nearly 1 in 11 U.S. students have used marijuana in electronic cigarettes, heightening concern about the new popularity of vaping among teens. E-cigarettes typically contain nicotine, but results published Monday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics mean a little more than 2 million middle and high school students have used the devices…