US & World News

TSA Considering Ending Screening at Small Airports

TSA Says no Decision has Been Made

WASHINGTON (AP) – The TSA is considering ending screening of passengers at smaller airports across the country to focus security efforts at the largest airports. It is unclear how advanced the proposal is and whether it will ever be adopted. Still, aviation-security experts reacted with alarm, saying it could make flights at smaller airports inviting targets for terrorists. CNN reported…

Wells Fargo to pay $2.1 Billion for Role in Housing Bubble

NEW YORK (AP) — Wells Fargo is agreeing to pay a $2.1 billion fine to settle allegations it misrepresented the types of mortgages it sold to investors during the housing bubble and subsequent financial crisis. The amount is smaller than fines paid by Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and other big banks in the years following the financial…

NBA Strikes Deal With MGM Resorts to Provide Data to Bettors

This is a Multiyear Arrangement

NEW YORK (AP) – The NBA and WNBA will now share official data with MGM Resorts, a major win for the leagues as they prepare for the anticipated growth of sports betting across the country. MGM will pay the NBA for that data to use in determining outcomes of various bets. The NBA’s stance has been that getting accurate stats…

Video of Abuse at pig Farm Also Highlights Common Practices

the Video was Released Earlier This Month by Mercy for Animals

(Mercy For Animals via AP)DENVER (AP) — Recently released undercover video showing pigs being kicked, hit and punched at a Kentucky supplier for the world’s largest meat producer drew prompt condemnation from animal rights groups and the agricultural industry alike. However, the images sandwiched in between — adult pigs in cages barely bigger than their bodies and a piglet squealing…

Facebook Finds ‘Sophisticated’ Efforts to Disrupt Elections

The Company Removed 32 Accounts

(AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)NEW YORK (AP) – Facebook says it has uncovered “sophisticated” efforts, possibly linked to Russia, to influence U.S. politics on its platforms. The company says it removed 32 accounts from Facebook and Instagram because they were involved in “coordinated” behavior and appeared to be fake. The company says it doesn’t know who is behind the efforts, but…

States Suing Trump Administration, Company Over 3D Guns

At Least 1,000 People Have Already Downloaded AR-15 Blueprintes

(Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP, File) (AP) – Eight states are filing suit against the Trump administration over its decision to allow a Texas company to publish downloadable blueprints for a 3D-printed gun, contending the hard-to-trace plastic weapons are a boon to terrorists and criminals and threaten public safety. The suit, filed Monday in Seattle, asks a judge to block…

Duck Boat Owners Being Sued for $100 Million

Boat Sank This Month Killing 17

KANSAS CITY, Mo.-The owners and operators of a tourist boat that sank this month in Missouri, killing 17 people, put profits over people’s safety when they decided to put the Ride the Ducks boat on a lake despite design problems and warnings of severe weather, a lawsuit alleges. The lawsuit filed Sunday in U.S. District Court in Kansas City seeks…

World Gazes at Total Lunar Eclipse, Longest of This Century

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Curiosity and awe have greeted a complete lunar eclipse, the longest one of this century and visible in much of the world. The so-called “blood moon,” when it turns a deep red, was visible at different times in Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe and South America when the sun, Earth and moon lined up perfectly, casting Earth’s shadow…

Ford Recalls 550K Vehicles That can Roll Away Unexpectedly

Dealers Will Replace the Part at no Cost

(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)DETROIT (AP) — Ford is recalling about 550,000 cars and SUVs in North America to fix a gearshift problem that could cause the vehicles to roll away unexpectedly. The recall covers certain 2013 through 2016 Fusion sedans and some 2013 and 2014 Escape small SUVs. Ford says a bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission…

US Economy Surges to 4.1 Percent Growth Rate in Q2

(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy surged in the April-June quarter to an annual growth rate of 4.1 percent. That’s the fastest pace since 2014, driven by consumers who began spending their tax cuts and exporters who rushed to get their products delivered ahead of retaliatory tariffs. President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that…

Walz Calls for gas tax Increase, Opens Door to Other Hikes

Walz Says he Couln't Rule out Other tax Increases

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Rep. Tim Walz says he’d push to raise the state’s gasoline tax if elected governor to pay for infrastructure improvements. The Democratic congressman included that measure as part of a broader policy package he released with mayors and leaders from across Minnesota on Thursday. Walz called Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton’s failed push for a hike…

Facebook Market Value Plunges $119 Billion

Grappling with Privacy Issues has Sent Stocks Tumbling

(AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)NEW YORK (AP) — The 19 percent loss in Facebook’s stock chopped $119 billion off its market value. It was the company’s worst trading day since going public in 2012, and among the biggest one-day losses of market value in U.S. stock market history. The loss came a day after Facebook revealed that its user base and revenue…

Barbie Maker Mattel to cut More Than 2,200 Jobs

A Spokesman Said job Cuts Will Affect Mainly its Office Workers

(AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)NEW YORK (AP) — Mattel, hurt by the closing of Toys R Us stores, said Wednesday that it will cut more than 2,200 jobs as the maker of Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars seeks to save money. Like other toy companies, Mattel has lost sales as Toys R Us faltered. The toy retailer filed for bankruptcy…

Brock Turner Appeals Sexual Assault Conviction

Turner is Required to Register as a sex Offender for Life

(Dan Honda/Bay Area News Group via AP, File) SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — A lawyer for former Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner argued Tuesday that his client’s attempted rape conviction should be overturned. Turner never intended to rape an unconscious woman, he said. Eric Malthaup told a California appeals court in San Jose that Turner had his clothes on when…

Taco Bell Salsa Con Queso Cheese Dip Recalled for Botulism Risk

If you Experience any Symptoms Seek Immediate Medical Attention

PITTSBURGH & CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE) – As a precaution, approximately 7,000 cases of Taco Bell Salsa Con Queso Mild Cheese Dip are being voluntarily recalled because the affected product is showing signs of product separation which can lead to a potential health hazard. This could create conditions that could allow for the growth of Clostridiumbotulinum ( C. botulinum ), a bacterium…

Farmers Prefer Trump do Trade Deals Than Hand Them Cash

Farmers Feel This is a Short Term Solution

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Many farmers remain critical of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the damage done to commodity prices and markets but were appreciative Tuesday that he offered to provide some cash to help offset their losses. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a $12 billion three-part plan that would borrow money from the U.S. Treasury to pay…

Trump Says it’s ‘sad’ Cohen Recorded him

Trump Suggests the Tape was "cut off"

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump is firing back at his longtime personal attorney Michael Cohen after the release of a recording Cohen secretly made of a conversation between the two men. “What kind of lawyer would tape a client? So sad!” the president says Wednesday on Twitter. The tape, made two months before the 2016 presidential election, captures…

McDonald’s Removing Salads from 3,000 Stores After Illness

The Illness is Caused by the Cyclospora Parasite

(AP Photo) CHICAGO (AP) — McDonald’s is stopping the sale of salads at 3,000 restaurants after people became sick from a parasite causing intestinal illness. The Chicago-based fast-food chain said Friday it’s acting “out of an abundance of caution” until switching to another supplier. Health officials in Illinois and Iowa say they’ve identified roughly 100 combined cases of cyclosporiasis apparently…

Four Types of Goldfish Crackers Recalled, Salmonella Fears

Products can be Returned for a Refund

Photo: Business WireNORWALK, Conn. (AP) – Pepperidge Farm is voluntarily recalling four varieties of Goldfish Crackers because of fears they could potentially have salmonella. The company on Monday took the action after one of its ingredient suppliers notified it that whey powder used in a seasoning may be contaminated. The products were distributed in the United States and no illnesses…

Man Firing Into Toronto Cafes Shoots 14 People, Killing two

Terrorism has not Been Ruled out as a Motive

(Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) TORONTO (AP) — A man walked along a Toronto street firing a handgun into restaurants and cafes, shooting 14 people and killing two before dying after an exchange of gunfire with police. Police Chief Mark Saunders did not rule out terrorism as a motive, though officials did not immediately identify the attacker, other than…

Divers Search for Bodies After Duck Boat Accident Kills 13

Four Adults and Three Children Arrived at the Hshortly After the Accident

BRANSON, Mo. (AP) — Divers searched a Missouri lake Friday for four people still missing after a duck boat packed with tourists capsized and sank in high winds, killing at least 13 people in the tourist town of Branson. Authorities blamed stormy weather for the accident Thursday evening on Table Rock Lake. Winds at the time were blowing as hard…

In the Battle for Twenty-First Century Fox, Comcast Blinks

Fox Made a $32.5 Billion Offer for Sky it Doesn't own

(AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)NEW YORK (AP) — In a battle among media giants for control of Twenty-First Century Fox’s entertainment business, Comcast has blinked. The cable and media company said Thursday that it is dropping its bid, instead focusing on its pursuit of the European pay-TV operator Sky. Fox owns 39 percent of Sky and has also been trying to…

Out of Hospital, Thai Boys Recount Moment They Were Found

All 13 Boys Have Been Described as Recovering Well

CHIANG RAI, Thailand (AP) — Trapped in the recesses of a flooded cave in northern Thailand, the 12 boys and their soccer coach were trying to dig their way out when they heard voices in the darkness. Their coach quickly told everyone to be quiet. “We weren’t sure if it was for real,” said 14-year-old Adul Samon. “So we stopped…

Trump Says he Misspoke on Russia Meddling

Trump Says he Meant to say "Wouldn't"

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he meant the opposite when he said in Helsinki that he doesn’t see why Russia would have interfered in the 2016 U.S. elections. Back at the White House on Tuesday, the president told reporters that he said he meant he doesn’t see why Russia “wouldn’t” be responsible. He also said he accepts the…

Lava Crashes Through Roof of Hawaii Tour Boat, Injuring 23

The Lava Punctured the Boat's Roof

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)HONOLULU (AP) — An explosion sent lava crashing through the roof of a tour boat off Hawaii’s Big Island, injuring 23 people Monday, officials said. A woman in her 20s was in serious condition with a broken thigh bone, the Hawaii County Fire Department said. Three others were in stable condition at a hospital with unspecified…

Trump: Summit With Putin off to a ‘Very, Very Good Start’

The Scheduled 90 Minute Meeting Lasted Over two Hours

(Heikki Saukkomaa/Lehtikuva via AP)HELSINKI (AP) — President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin opened their long-awaited summit Monday with a wink and slouch, respectively, then talked one on one behind closed doors for two-plus hours before the American leader declared their meeting was off to a “very, very good start for everybody.” Neither leader revealed what was discussed. But in…

12 Russians Accused of Hacking Democrats in 2016 US election

12 Russians Charged for Hacking Offenses During 2016 Election

WASHINGTON-The Justice Department has announced charges against 12 Russian intelligence officers for hacking offenses during the 2016 presidential election. The indictments were announced Friday by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein as part of the ongoing special counsel probe into potential coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia. The Russians are accused of hacking into the computer networks of the Democratic…

Trump Stands by ‘Culture’ Criticism of European Immigration

Thousands Protest Trump During U.K Visit

ELLESBOROUGH, England-President Donald Trump is unabashedly repeating his criticism of European immigration policies, saying migrants are “changing the culture.” During a press conference with British Prime Minster Theresa May on Friday, Trump backtracks on his criticism of his counterpart in an explosive interview released as he began his visit to the country. but he reiterates his belief that Europe’s decision…

Trump Replaces High Court’s Swing Vote With Conservative

Kavanaugh is a Former law Clerk for Retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump chose Brett Kavanaugh, a solidly conservative, politically connected judge, for the Supreme Court, setting up a ferocious confirmation battle with Democrats as he seeks to shift the nation’s highest court ever further to the right. A favorite of the Republican legal establishment in Washington, Kavanaugh, 53, is a former law clerk…

Daring Rescue Saves all 12 Boys, Soccer Coach From Thai Cave

The Boys had Been Trapped for 18 Days

MAE SAI, Thailand (AP) — All 12 boys and their soccer coach have been rescued from a flooded cave in northern Thailand, the Thai navy SEALs said Tuesday, ending an 18-day ordeal that riveted people around the world. The SEALs, who were central to the rescue effort, said on their Facebook page that the remaining four boys and their 25-year-old…

Argument Over Fireworks Leads to Shooting Death of Texas man

The man Died Early Sunday From Gunshot Wounds

DALLAS (AP) – Authorities in North Texas say an argument over fireworks lead to the fatal shooting of an 80-year-old man over the weekend. Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin tells The Dallas Morning News Edward Cordero was shot Saturday evening in Lake Bridgeport after complaining to his neighbors about the fireworks they were setting off. The sheriff alleges Cordero retrieved…

Starbucks is Ditching Plastic Straws

The Elimination Will Happen Within two Years

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)NEW YORK (AP) — Starbucks will eliminate plastic straws from all of its locations within two years, citing the environmental threat to oceans. The company becomes the largest food and beverage company to do so as calls to cut waste globally grow louder . Plastic straws have become a flashpoint. A week after its hometown banned…

US Adds a Solid 213,000 Jobs; Unemployment up to 4 pct.

as More People Began Looking for a job not all of Them Found one

(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers kept up a brisk hiring pace in June by adding 213,000 jobs in a sign of confidence despite the start of a potentially punishing trade war with China. At the same time, the unemployment rate rose to 4 percent from 3.8 percent, the government said Friday, as more people began looking for…

Suspect in Minnesota Girl’s Death Released From Prison

Bones Were Found in a Burn Pile at a Residence

HOUSTON, Mo. (AP) – A suspect in the death of a Minnesota girl who was living in Missouri has been released from prison but will remain on a tracking monitor. The Springfield News-Leader reports special prosecutor Steven Kretzer said Thursday 31-year-old Robert Peat Jr. will be released while the state investigates new developments in the 2017 death of 16-year-old Savannah…

Scandal-Plagued EPA Administrator Pruitt Resigns

Deputy Administrator Andrew Wheeler Will Step in

(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he has accepted the resignation of scandal-plagued Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt. Pruitt had become a constant source of embarrassment to a president who had entered Washington promising to “Drain the Swamp.” Pruitt has faced an array of ethical questions about his travel spending, security costs, dealings with industry…

Thai Official Says Boys may be Taken out of Cave in Stages

the Boys Have Been Practicing Wearing Diving Masks and Breathing

MAE SAI, Thailand (AP) — A Thai official overseeing the rescue operation of a soccer team trapped in a flooded cave said the 12 boys and their coach may not all be extracted at the same time depending on their health. Chiang Rai provincial Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn said Wednesday that “all 13 may not come out at the same time….

49 Missing as Boat Overturns in Seas off Thailand

48 Passengers Were Rescued From the Boat

(Thailand Royal Police via AP)PHUKET, Thailand (AP) — A boat carrying dozens of Chinese tourists overturned Thursday in rough seas off southern Thailand and 49 passengers were unaccounted for, an official said. Strong winds were still blowing as searchers looked for the missing people off the tourist island of Phuket in the Andaman Sea. Phuket Gov. Norraphat Plodthong said 48…

Boy, Minnesota Woman die in Separate Alaska Hiking Accidents

A Five Year old and a 32 Year old Both Died in Separate Incidents

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – Two people hiking in southern Alaska died in separate Independence Day accidents. A 5-year-old boy died Wednesday morning when he was struck by falling rock near Worthington Glacier in. Alaska State Troopers say the boy was near the glacier north of Valdez when a boulder the size of a bowling ball rolled off a ledge. The…

Climber on Statue of Liberty Base After Anti-ICE Banner Hung

sic People Taken Into Custody

NEW YORK (AP) – Several people who hung a banner calling for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement from the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal on the Fourth of July have been arrested, and authorities say a person is scaling the statue’s base. National Park Service spokesman Jerry Willis says the climber was at the base beneath the statue’s foot Wednesday afternoon….

Ex-Federal Officer Went to NYC to Sexually Abuse Girls

he Faces at Least 10 Years in Prison if Convicted

NEW YORK (AP) – Prosecutors say a former federal law enforcement officer traveled from Minnesota to New York City with plans to sexually abuse two girls. Ex-Federal Protective Service inspector Jesse Rodriguez was arrested Sunday when he showed up to meet an undercover officer posing as a mother of 8-and-13-year-old girls. Prosecutors say the 62-year-old Rodriguez brought condoms, lubricant, and…

Seattle Bans Plastic Straws, Utensils at Restaurants, Bars

This is the First Major U.S. City to ban Straws in Food Service

(Greg Gilbert/The Seattle Times via AP) SEATTLE (AP) — Looking for a plastic straw to sip your soda? It’s no longer allowed in Seattle bars and restaurants. Neither are plastic utensils in the latest push to reduce waste and prevent marine plastic pollution. Businesses that sell food or drinks won’t be allowed to offer the plastic items under a rule…

Honeybees Finding it Harder to eat at America’s bee hot Spot

The Study is in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

WASHINGTON (AP) – A new federal study finds bees are having a much harder time finding food in America’s last honeybee refuge. The country’s hot spot for commercial beekeeping is the Northern Great Plains of the Dakotas and neighboring areas, where more than 1 million colonies spend their summer feasting on pollen and nectar from wildflowers and other plants. Clint…

Delta Bans pit Bulls as Service Dogs, Sites Safety Concerns

The Change Will Take Effect July 10

(AP Photo/David Goldman)ATLANTA (AP) — Delta Air Lines says it’s no longer allowing passengers to fly with “pit bull type” dogs as service or support animals, a policy that’s being met with criticism by groups that train service dogs and the people who use them. The Atlanta-based airline describes its ban as an “enhancement” to its policy on animals in…

Shooting Suspect had Bitter History With Maryland Newspaper

Ramos was Charged with Five Counts of First-Degree Murder

(Anne Arundel Police via AP)(AP) – A man who police say opened fire at a Maryland newspaper office Thursday, killing five and injuring two others, had a long, acrimonious history with the newspaper, including a lawsuit and years of harassment of its journalists on Twitter. Jarrod Warren Ramos, swiftly arrested by police after the attack, was charged Friday with five…

Five Dead, Others Wounded at Maryland Newspaper Shooting

The Gunman has Been Taken Into Custody

(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A gunman opened fire at a newspaper office in Annapolis on Thursday, killing five people and gravely wounding a number of others before being taken into custody in what appeared to be one of the deadliest attacks on journalists in U.S. history, police and witnesses said. Police gave no immediate details on the…

Officials say Kentucky’s hepatitis A outbreak now worst in US

969 People Have Contracted the Disease

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – The hepatitis A outbreak in Louisville and other parts of Kentucky is now the worst in the country. The Courier Journal reports state health officials confirmed Wednesday at least 969 people have contracted the liver disease. State Public Health department Commissioner Dr. Jeff Howard says the outbreak is the worst on record across the nation and…

Amazon to Acquire PillPack

PillPack Delivers Medications in Pre-Sorted Dose Packaging

SEATTLE & BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jun 28, 2018–Amazon and PillPack today announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Amazon will acquire PillPack. PillPack is a pharmacy designed to provide the best possible customer experience in the U.S. for people who take multiple daily prescriptions. PillPack delivers medications in pre-sorted dose packaging, coordinates refills and renewals, and makes…