US & World News

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…

Sen. Johnson Says Panel Should Hear From Kavanaugh Accuser

Voting Will Take Place Later This Week

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson says the Senate Judiciary Committee should hear from a woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were in high school. Johnson said in a Monday interview on WTMJ radio in Milwaukee that “this woman is willing to come forward and tell her story and…

Two Dead as Florence Drenches the Carolinas

Another 20 to 25 Inches of Rain on the way

WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — A mother and infant in North Carolina are dead after a tree fell on their home – the first two fatalities of Hurricane Florence. The Wilmington Police Department said Friday that the two were killed when a tree fell on their house. The father was transported to a hospital for treatment. No other information was given….

GM Recalls 1.2M Pickups, SUVs for Power Steering Problem

GM Recalled 2014 Model Year Trucks Last Year for the Same Problem

(AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File) DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is recalling 1.2 million big pickup trucks and SUVs mainly in North America because of power-assisted steering problems that have been cited in a number of accidents. GM says the power steering can fail momentarily during a voltage drop and suddenly return, mainly during low-speed turns. Such a failure increases the…

Florence Rolls Ashore in Carolinas, Tears Buildings Apart

Top Sustained Winds Have Dropped to 85 mph

WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) – Wind speeds are kicking up far from the coast in central South Carolina as Hurricane Florence slowly makes its way along the coast. The National Weather Service reported wind gusts of up to 21 mph on Friday morning in Columbia. That’s about 220 miles from Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, where Florence made landfall as a Category…

Calling Teen Vaping ‘Epidemic,’ Officials Weigh Flavor ban

Recent Data Points to a Sharp Increase in Underage use of Handheld Nicotine Products

(AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials are sounding the alarm about rising teenage use of e-cigarettes, calling the problem an “epidemic” and ordering manufacturers to reverse the trend or risk having their flavored vaping products pulled from the market. The warning from the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday cited recent data that points to a sharp…

Families Gather at World Trade Center Site

Nearly 3,000 People Were Killed in the Attacks

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)NEW YORK (AP) – Americans are commemorating the Sept. 11 terror attacks with somber tributes, volunteer projects and a new monument to victims. Thousands of victims’ relatives, survivors, rescuers and others are expected at Tuesday’s ceremony at the World Trade Center. President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, arrived at the airport in Johnstown on Tuesday shortly…

Carolinas Brace for Extremely Dangerous Hurricane Florence

Florence has Strengthened to Potential Category 4 Hurricane

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Florence rapidly strengthened into a potentially catastrophic Category 4 hurricane on Monday as it closed in on North and South Carolina, carrying winds and water that could wreak havoc over a wide stretch of the eastern United States later this week. The first effects were already being seen on barrier islands Monday as dangerous rip currents…

Trump Aide Papadopoulos Gets 14 Days in Prison

Defense Lawyers Asked for Probation

(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos has been sentenced to 14 days in prison for lying to the FBI. The sentence was imposed Friday in federal court in Washington. He is the first former campaign aide to be sentenced in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. Papadopoulos apologized for his actions, telling a judge that he…

Four Dead in Cincinnati Bank Shooting

The Gunman is Deaceased

CINCINNATI (AP) – Police in Cincinnati say the suspect in a downtown shooting that left four dead and two wounded didn’t work for the bank where the gunfire took place. Police Lt. Steve Saunders says Fifth Third Bancorp says the man was not a current or past employee. The gunman was among the four who died. Two other people were…

Major Opioid Maker to pay for Overdose-Antidote Development

Purdue is Making a $3.4 Million Grant to Harm Reduction Therapeutics

(AP Photo/Douglas Healey, File)(AP) – A company whose prescription opioid marketing practices are being blamed for sparking the addiction and overdose crisis says it’s helping to fund an effort to make a lower-cost overdose antidote. OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma announced Wednesday that it’s making a $3.4 million grant to Harm Reduction Therapeutics, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit, to help develop a low-cost…

Jet Quarantined in New York After Reports of Sick Passengers

100 of the 520 People on Board Were Being Evaluated

NEW YORK (AP) – A plane was quarantined at New York’s Kennedy Airport amid reports of numerous ill passengers aboard a flight from Dubai. There were conflicting reports about how many people were sick aboard the Emirates flight, which landed around 9:10 a.m. Wednesday. The airline says about 10 passengers were ill and got medical attention “as a precaution.” The…

Midwest Economic Conditions Take Leap Forward

The Survey Covers Nine States

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A monthly survey report suggests economic conditions in nine Midwest and Plains states took a leap forward last month. The report released Tuesday says the Mid-America Business Conditions Index jumped to 61.1 in August, compared with 57.0 in July. It’s the 21st straight month that the index remained above growth neutral 50.0. Creighton University economist Ernie…

At least 8 injured after Chicago explosion, roof collapse

The Cause of the Explosion is Still Unclear

CHICAGO (AP) — At least eight people were injured Thursday when an explosion caused a section of roof to collapse at a Chicago water reclamation plant, trapping some of the injured people inside, authorities said. Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Merritt told the Chicago Tribune that eight people had been taken to area hospitals and were in serious-to-critical condition. At…

Bubble gum Flavored Children’s Advil Recalled

THe Doseage Cups Were Marked Teaspoons Instead of Milliliters

(AP) – Pfizer Consumer Healthcare is voluntarily recalling one lot of children’s Advil suspension bubble gum flavored medication in the four ounce bottle due to consumer complaints that the dosage cup could lead to overdose. Pfizer says they received customer complaints that the dosage cup on the bottle was marked by teaspoons and the label instructions are in milliliters. The…

Wisconsin DNR to Relocate 300 Ruffed Grouse to Missouri

The Goal is to Capture 100 Birds

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin wildlife officials plan to relocate 300 ruffed grouse to Missouri. The Department of Natural Resources plans to move about 100 birds annually over the next three years to east-central Missouri’s River Hills region. DNR officials say ruffed grouse are native to Missouri but the population there has declined over the last several decades as forests…

Texan Says he’s Selling 3D-Printed gun Plans, Despite Ruling

Tuesday Morning Wilson had Already Received 400 Orders

(Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP, File) AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The owner of a Texas company that makes untraceable 3D-printed guns said Tuesday that he has begun selling the blueprints through his website to anyone who wants to make one, despite a federal court order barring him from posting the plans online. Cody Wilson said at a news conference that…

Pruitt Center Hopes to Better UWS Mental Health

New Mindfulness and Wellbeing Center Opens at University of Wisconsin-Superior

SUPERIOR, Wis.- As fun as college may be, those 4 years are no walk in the park. A 2016 UCLA study found that in over 100 different institutions, 33% of students had considered suicide in college, due to stress. Today, the University of Wisconsin-Superior opened up a safe place for stressed students to go. Different faculty, staff and members of…

Bear Attack Injures 10-Year-old boy in Yellowstone Park

Initital Investigations Allege the Bear was a Grizzly Bear

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A bear charged a family hiking in Yellowstone National Park on Thursday, knocking down and injuring a 10-year-old boy before his parents were able to drive the animal off with bear spray, park officials said. The unidentified boy from Washington state was transferred to a hospital for puncture wounds to his back, wounds around his buttocks…

Ex-CDC Director Thomas Frieden Arrested on sex Abuse Charge

He is Charged With Forcible Touching, sex Abuse and Harassment

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)NEW YORK (AP) — A former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been arrested in New York on a sex abuse charge. The New York Police Department says Thomas Frieden was arrested on Friday morning in Brooklyn. WABC says Frieden surrendered to face charges that he grabbed the buttocks of a…

Iowa Student Killed by ‘Sharp Force Injuries’

No Details About What Caused the Injuries

(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)BROOKLYN, Iowa (AP) – Preliminary autopsy results show that Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts was killed by “multiple sharp force injuries.” The state medical examiner has determined that Tibbetts’ death was a homicide. No details were released about what caused the sharp force injuries. The agency says further examination may result in additional findings. The Division of Criminal…

Sears to Close Another 46 Stores in November

As of May 5, Sears had About 894 Stores

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. (AP) — Sears Holdings Corp. is closing another 13 Kmart stores and 33 Sears stores as sales shrink and losses grow. The ailing company said Thursday that liquidation sales at the 46 unprofitable stores marked for closure will start Aug. 30, and the stores will close in November. The company said it informed its workers. The move…

Manafort Juror Says one Holdout Prevented 18-Count Conviction

The Federal Jury Found Manafort Guilty on Eight Counts

(Dana Verkouteren via AP) WASHINGTON (AP) — A juror in Paul Manafort’s financial fraud trial says a lone holdout prevented the jury from convicting the onetime Trump campaign chairman on all 18 counts. Jurors repeatedly tried to persuade the holdout to “look at the paper trail” but she insisted there was reasonable doubt, juror Paula Duncan told Fox News. “We…