US & World News

Senate Confirms Gina Haspel as new CIA Director

Haspel is the First Female Director of the CIA

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate has confirmed Gina Haspel as the first female director of the CIA following a rocky nomination process that reopened debate about one of the darkest chapters in the spy agency’s history. Thursday’s vote was 54-45. Republican John McCain was absent. Haspel’s nomination was contentious because of her role in a former…

Multiple People Hurt After School bus, Dump Truck Crash in New Jersey

Mount Olive Mayor Says 'It's a Horrific Scene'

(Jay Faltings via AP) MOUNT OLIVE, N.J. (AP) — A school bus and dump truck collided on a New Jersey highway Thursday, ripping apart the bus, knocking it on its side and injuring multiple people, according to police. The school bus was on the median of Interstate 80 in Mount Olive and the front end of the bus appeared to…

Romaine Lettuce Outbreak Update: 172 Sick in 32 States

Health Officials Say the Lettuce Should no Longer be in Stores

PHOENIX (AP) – Health officials say nearly two dozen more cases of a food poisoning outbreak linked to romaine lettuce grown in Arizona have been reported. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that the total number of people sickened by a strain of E. coli is now 172 across 32 states. At least 75 people have been…

DA Says Kids Shot With Crossbows, Waterboarded

FAIRFIELD, Calif. (AP) – California prosecutors say 10 children rescued from a filthy, abusive home were subjected to `waterboarding,’ shot with crossbows and had scalding water poured on them. Solano County prosecutors included the details in a motion to increase the bail of Ina Rogers, who was charged with nine counts of felony child abuse Wednesday. She has not entered…

Senate Backs Effort to Restore ‘Net Neutrality’

Final Vote was 52-47

(Carolyn Kaster, Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate has voted to kill a Federal Communications Commission rule that repealed the Obama administration’s ban on internet providers blocking or slowing down certain content. Back in December, the FCC repealed “net neutrality” rules that ensured equal treatment for all web traffic. The Obama-era rule prevented providers such as AT&T, Comcast and Verizon…

Students Praised After Wednesday Morning School Shooting Incident

The 19-year-old Gunman was Taken Into Custody

(Rachel Rogers/Sauk Valley Media via AP)DIXON, Ill. (AP) -Authorities say students did exactly as they were trained to do when a school resource officer and a former student exchanged gunfire at a northern Illinois high school. Officer Mark Dallas shot and injured the 19-year-old gunman at Dixon High School and took him into custody Wednesday morning. At a news conference…

Tulsa mom Stabbed Eldest Daughter up to 70 Times

Ahmad Stabbed, hit Daughter in Head with Pickaxe and set Home on Fire

(Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office via AP) TULSA, Okla. (AP) — A Tulsa mother stabbed her eldest daughter 50 to 70 times, struck her head with a pickaxe then set their home on fire, before fleeing the scene with the youngest of her three daughters, according to police. Taheerah Ahmad, 39, was arrested in downtown Tulsa Tuesday afternoon. Authorities accuse her…

Explosion Targeted California Office

One Woman was Killed and Three Others Injured

(Mindy Schauer/The Orange County Register/SCNG via AP)LOS ANGELES (AP) – Two officials have told The Associated Press that an office in a Southern California medical building was targeted by an explosive package. The officials were briefed on the investigation but not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press Wednesday on condition of anonymity. One woman…

Michigan State and Nassar Victims Reach $500M Settlement

Nassar Also Possessed Child Pornography and is Serving Decades in Prison.

(Cory Morse/The Grand Rapids Press via AP, File) EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan State University has reached a $500 million settlement with hundreds of women and girls who say they were sexually assaulted by sports doctor Larry Nassar in the worst sex-abuse case in sports history. The deal was announced Wednesday by Michigan State and lawyers for 332 victims….

North Korea Threatens to Cancel Trump-Kim Summit Over Drills

Sanders Says Threats From North Korea to Scrap Meeting Were 'Fully Expected'

(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Wednesday threatened to scrap a historic summit next month between its leader, Kim Jong Un, and U.S. President Donald Trump, saying it has no interest in a “one-sided” affair meant to pressure the North to abandon its nuclear weapons. The warning by North Korea’s first vice foreign minister came hours…

US Says it’s Going Ahead With North Korea Summit Plan

South Korea's Yonhap News Agency Reported That the North Was Threatening to Cancel the Summit With That Country

(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)SEOUL, South Korea-The United States says it is going ahead with plans for the meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. A spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department says the U.S. has not heard anything directly from Pyongyang or Seoul that would change that. Her comment came shortly after South Korea’s Yonhap News…

Police end dig for Remains of Missing Girls

Police Will Soon Decide Whether to dig Again or Search Elsewhere

(AP Photo/Mike Householder)MACOMB TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Police looking for the remains of up to seven girls who have been missing for decades stopping digging Tuesday in suburban Detroit, suspending a multi-day effort while they decide whether to search elsewhere in Michigan or resume the excavation in roughly the same area. Authorities repeatedly have said they’re confident they will solve…

Analysis Shows Depression Diagnosis Rate High in Minnesota

Minnesota has a Diagnosis Rate of 5.8 Percent

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – An analysis of claims by Blue Cross Blue Shield of America finds Minnesota with one of the highest rates of depression in the country. The health insurer examined medical claims from more than 41 million commercially insured members from 2013 to 2016 and compared the depression rates by state, age and gender. Minnesota, with a depression diagnosis…

Fertilizer Giant, Mosaic, Moving Headquarters to Florida

There is no Word yet on how Many Employees will be Affected

PLYMOUTH, Minn. (AP) – One of Minnesota’s largest public companies is moving its headquarters to Florida. The fertilizer giant, Mosaic Co., says it will relocate its corporate headquarters from the Twin Cities suburb of Plymouth to Hillsborough County, Florida to be closer to its phosphate mines and to accomplish long-term savings. The Fortune 500 company mines potash and phosphate and…

UN Agency Calls for all Countries to rid Foods of Trans fat

The WHO Wants all Nations to rid Trans-fat in Next 5 Years

NEW YORK (AP) — The World Health Organization is calling on all nations to rid foods of artificial trans fats in the next five years. The United Nations agency has in the past pushed to exterminate infectious diseases, but now it’s aiming to erase a hazard linked to chronic illness. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was expected to issue the…

Supreme Court Makes Sports Betting a Possibility Nationwide

The Supreme Court Ruled 6-3

(AP Photo/John Locher) WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday struck down a federal law that bars gambling on football, basketball, baseball and other sports in most states, giving states the go-ahead to legalize betting on sports. The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to strike down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. The 1992 law barred state-authorized sports gambling…

White House Declines to Condemn Aide’s McCain Remark

Sanders Says the Aide Still Works for the White House

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)WASHINGTON (AP) -The White House is refusing to condemn a staffer who said during a closed-door meeting that Arizona Sen. John McCain’s opinion “doesn’t matter” because “he’s dying anyway.” Kelly Sadler was discussing McCain’s opposition to President Donald Trump’s nominee for CIA director Gina Haspel. Former Vice President Joe Biden says a White House official’s comments…

More Financial Loss as Mail Delivery Slumps for USPS

The USPS is Reporting Another Quarterly Loss

(AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. Postal Service is reporting another quarterly loss. That’s because strong gains in package deliveries were outweighed by an unrelenting decline in mail volume and the costs of its health care and pension obligations. The financial report released Friday comes amid sharp criticism from President Donald Trump, who says the Postal Service is…

14-year-old Arrested, 1 Shot at CA High School

The School Remains on Lockdown

PALMDALE, Calif. – Officials say a 14-year-old high school student has been taken into custody after shooting a classmate at their high school in the California city of Palmdale. Los Angeles County sheriff’s Capt. Darran Harris tells KTTV Friday that the student was taken into custody and a gun was recovered at the scene. The shooting happened at Highland High…

Oldest Person in US Dies; Pennsylvania Woman was 114

Delphine was Born in 1903

photo: twitterHUNTINGDON, Pa. (AP) – A funeral home says a 114-year-old Pennsylvania woman who was the oldest person in the United States has died. The Robert D Heath Funeral Home said that Delphine Gibson died Wednesday. Gibson had been living at a Huntingdon nursing home since 2004, when she was 100. She attributed her long life to good food, her…

Summit is set: Trump-Kim to meet June 12 in Singapore

Summit in Singapore

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump is envisioning “a very special moment for world peace” after announcing he will meet North Korea’s Kim Jong Un for summit talks in Singa pore on June 12. Trump revealed the highly anticipated setting and date after hosting a 3 a.m., made-for-TV welcome home for three Americans who had been held by Kim’s government….

Trump to get Millions From Sale of New York Housing Complex

Trump Received up to $5 Million in Income From his Ownership of the Complex

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) NEW YORK (AP) — The nation’s largest subsidized affordable housing complex was just sold for hundreds of millions of dollars, with some of the money going to a prominent critic of government housing programs: President Donald Trump. Trump and other investors in Starrett City in Brooklyn have sold the 46-building complex to two real estate firms…

Prince’s Turks & Caicos Island Mansion Heading for Auction

PROVIDENCIALES – Prince’s beloved island mansion located on Providenciales Island in Turks and Caicos will be heading for auction. The 10,000 square foot island retreat, which has two private beaches, will be heading to auction on July 12th. The mansion boasts 6 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, floor to ceiling glass doors, a pool and plenty of outdoor living areas with picturesque…

Pence Says One Detainee ‘Hadn’t Seen Daylight’

The Administrations is not Ignoring the North's Adbysmal Human Rights Record

(AP Photo/Susan Walsh) WASHINGTON (AP) – Vice President Mike Pence is revealing new details about the conditions of the three Americans freed by North Korea, saying one was evidently kept fr om the daylight. Pence tells ABC News that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told him that, during a refueling stop in Anchorage, “one of the detainees asked to go…

Trump to Greet North Korea Detainees Upon Return to U.S.

Summit Date and Place Will be Announced in Next Three Days

(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump is set to greet three Americans who were detained in North Korea when they return to the U.S. early Thursday. Trump is promising “quite a scene” at a middle-of-the-night arrival ceremony outside Washington. Their release is the latest sign of improving relations between two longtime adversaries as they prepare for a historic…

A Look at Iran’s Nuclear Program Under 2015 Deal

Iran Denies Ever Seeking Atomic Weapons

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)(AP) – President Donald Trump announced Tuesday he will withdraw the United States from a 2015 agreement with Iran and world powers under which Tehran agreed to limit its nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief. European countries and other proponents of the deal say it prevents Iran from quickly developing nuclear weapons. Critics of the deal, including…

Dig Resumes Near Where Cold Case Teen’s Body Found in 2008

Officers are Looking for the Remains of 12-year-old Kimberly King

MACOMB TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) – Police are digging in woods northeast of Detroit near where the body of a 13-year-old girl who went missing in 1986 was found more than a decade ago. Authorities believe up to half a dozen bodies of missing girls could be buried in a wooded area northeast of Detroit. Dwyer says “there’s maybe four to…

World to Learn Fate of Iran Nuclear Pact Tuesday Afternoon

Trump Will Disclose his Decision at 2 p.m.

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is preparing to tell the world whether he plans to follow through on his threat to pull out of the landmark nuclear accord with Iran and almost surely ensure its collapse. There are no signs that European allies enlisted to “fix” the deal have persuaded him to preserve it. In…

Iowa Governor Signs Strictest Abortion Regulation in US

It Marks the Strictest Abortin Regulation in the Nation

(AP Photo/Barbara Rodriguez)DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Friday signed a law banning most abortions if a fetal heartbeat can be detected, or at around six weeks of pregnancy, marking the strictest abortion regulation in the nation — but setting the state up for a lengthy court fight. The Republican governor signed the legislation in her…

North Dakota mom, Three Kids Dead in Apparent Homicides, Suicide

The Police are not Looking for Suspects

(AP Photo/Dave Kolpack)GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — A mother and her three children were found dead Thursday inside a northeastern North Dakota home, and police said their deaths were apparent homicides and a suicide. Police said 35-year-old Astra Volk and her children, 14-year-old Tyler Talmage, 10-year-old Aidan Talmage and 6-year-old Arianna Talmage all had gunshot wounds. A handgun was found…

US Adds 164,000 Jobs; Unemployment Down to 3.9 pct.

The Rate is the Lowest Since December 2000

(AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. employers stepped up hiring in April as the unemployment rate fell to 3.9 percent, evidence of the economy’s resilience amid the recent stock market chaos and anxieties about a possible trade war. The Labor Department says employers added a decent 164,000 jobs last month, up from an upwardly revised 135,000 in March….

More Than 100 in Shelters After Volcano Erupts on Hawaii’s Big Island

Roughly 1,500 Have Been Evacuated

(U.S. Geological Survey via AP)HONOLULU (AP) – More than 100 people are staying the night in shelters after Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island erupted. The eruption sent molten lava through forests and bubbling up from paved streets and forced the evacuation of about 1,500 people who were still out of their homes Friday after Thursday’s eruption. Henry Calio says…

Clinton Impeachment Lawyer to Represent Trump

Emmet Flood Joining Legal Team

(Marissa Rauch/Williams & Connolly LLP via AP)WASHINGTON (AP) – Veteran Washington, D.C., lawyer Emmet Flood, who represented President Bill Clinton during his impeachment process, is joining the White House to represent President Donald Trump in the special counsel’s Russia investigation. White House spokesman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement Wednesday that Flood would be joining the White House staff…

Military Plane Crashes Near Airport in Georgia

No Immediate Word of Injuries

Photo: twitter/savannah firefightersSAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — The Air Force says a National Guard cargo plane has crashed near an airport in Savannah, Georgia. In a tweet, the Chatham County Emergency Management Agency says the plane crashed Wednesday at the intersection of two roads. The Savannah Morning News reports the C-130 plane was from the Air National Guard 165th Airlift Wing….

With Girls Joining the Ranks, Boy Scouts Plan a Name Change

The Change Will Take Effect Next February

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)NEW YORK (AP) – The Boy Scouts are getting a name change. The Boy Scouts of America says the program for 11- to 17-year-old boys will become Scouts: BSA starting next year. The new name was meant to be a welcoming sign to girls who will start joining the program next year. Girls are already allowed to…

Guitar Legend Gibson Seeks Bankruptcy Protection

Gibson was Founded in 1894

(Samuel M. Simpkins/The Tennessean via AP, File)NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The maker of the Gibson guitar, omnipresent for decades on the American rock `n’ roll stage, is filing for bankruptcy protection after wrestling for years with debt. Gibson guitars have been esteemed by generations of guitar legends. After Chuck Berry died, his beloved cherry-red Gibson guitar was bolted to the…

US Warns Liquid Nicotine Packets Resemble Juice Boxes, Candy

Children Could Mistakenly Drink the Liquids

(FDA via AP)WASHINGTON (AP) – Federal health authorities are issuing warnings to makers of liquid nicotine whose packaging resembles children’s juice boxes, candies and cookies. The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday the packaging practice is illegal for vaping formulas. The agency says children could mistakenly drink the liquids, which are intended for use in e-cigarettes and vaping devices. Exposure…

Welcome to the Partisan Fury, Michelle Wolf

Wolf is Facing Criticism and Praise After White House Correspondents Dinner

(Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File)NEW YORK (AP) – White House Correspondents Association roaster Michelle Wolf joins a club with the likes of Kathy Griffin, Stormy Daniels and David Hogg – little-known or unknown figures who suddenly became surrogates for the hyper-partisan rhetorical warfare of the Trump era. President Donald Trump tweeted his disgust at Wolf’s routine Monday, she was a…

Get Ready for the Most Expensive Driving Season in Years

Crude oil Prices are at the Highest Level in Three Years

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Get ready for a little bit more pain at the pump this summer. Crude oil prices are at the highest level in more than three years and expected to climb higher, pushing up gasoline prices along the way. The U.S. daily national average for regular gasoline is now $2.81 per gallon. That’s up from about $2.39…

Will Sprint-T-Mobile Combo Hurt Consumers?

The Deal was Announced Sunday

(AP) NEW YORK (AP) – Consumer advocacy groups are worried that T-Mobile’s bid for Sprint will likely lead to higher cellphone plans because there’s less competition. The watchdog group Common Cause says low-income consumers seeking more affordable services will be particularly hurt. But Mark Lowenstein, a mobile-industry consultant, says the move shouldn’t be seen as a consolidation in the wireless…

U.S. Olympians Honored at White House Celebration

Team Shuster Among Those Honored

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the White House hosted a celebration for Team USA. Team Shuster was among more than 200 athletes that attended the celebration alongside President Donald Trump. President Trump told the members of the 2018 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams during his speech this morning, “You made us very proud!.” The President was presented with flags signed by…

Romaine Lettuce Outbreak Update: 98 People Sick in 22 States

46 People Have Been Hospitalized

(AP Photo/Matthew Mead, File) NEW YORK (AP) – The food poisoning outbreak linked to romaine lettuce has spread to three more states. Health officials on Friday said they now have reports of 98 cases in 22 states, with the addition of Mississippi, Tennessee and Wisconsin. The outbreak is blamed on E. coli bacteria in romaine lettuce grown in Yuma, Arizona….

Britain’s new Prince is Named Louis Arthur Charles

Louis is Fifth in Line to the Throne

(John Stillwell/Pool photo via AP, File)LONDON (AP) – The new prince has a name. Britain’s royal palace says the infant son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has been named Louis – pronounced LOO-ee – Arthur Charles. The palace said Friday that the baby’s full title is His Royal Highness Prince Louis of Cambridge. William and Kate’s third child…

Coast Guard Lifts Safety Zone in Port of Duluth-Superior

DULUTH, Minn. – The United State Coast Guard has issued the following press release this morning: The Coast Guard Captain of the Port has lifted the previously established a safety zone in the Port of Duluth-Superior, Friday morning. The safety zone from buoy gated pair “3” and “4” in the vicinity of Barker’s Island southeast through the harbor, including the Superior entry…

Kim Jong Un Steps Across Korean Border, Makes History

Historic Summit for North and South Korea

(Korea Summit Press Pool via AP)GOYANG, South Korea (AP) — In a historic summit more striking for its extraordinary images than its substance, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in set aside a year that saw them seemingly on the verge of war, grasped hands and strode together Friday across the cracked concrete marking the…

Cosby Convicted of Sexually Assaulting Woman

Cosby Could Face 10 Years in Prison on Each Count

(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)NORRISTOWN, Pa. – Bill Cosby has been convicted of drugging and molesting a woman in the first big celebrity trial of the #MeToo era. A jury outside Philadelphia convicted the “Cosby Show” star of three counts of aggravated indecent assault on Thursday. The guilty verdict came less than a year after another jury deadlocked on the charges. Cosby…

Embattled VA Nominee Withdraws

Trump Says There Will be Consequences

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump is praising Ronny Jackson, who has just announced he will withdraw from consideration as Veterans Affairs secretary. Trump says there will be consequences for the Democratic senator who led the charge against Jackson. In a phone interview with “Fox & Friends” Thursday, Trump says Jackson “would have done a…

Ronny Jackson Said to Have Crashed car While Drunk

Jackson Says he Never Wrecked a car

Photo: US NavyWASHINGTON (AP) – A summary of allegations against President Donald Trump’s pick to head the Department of Veterans Affairs says he recklessly prescribed drugs, had his own private stock of controlled substances and got drunk and crashed a government car. The summary was released by Democrats as the White House rallied behind Dr. Ronny Jackson. Based on conversations…

Former Police Officer Named as Serial Killer

Joseph James DeAngelo has Been Identified as the "Golden State Killer"

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A suspected California serial killer who committed at least 12 homicides and 45 rapes throughout the state in the 1970s and ’80s was identified Wednesday as a former police officer, an official said. A law enforcement official identified Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, who was fired from the Auburn Police Department, as the Golden State Killer. The…