US & World News

Officials Believe Body of Iowa Student Mollie Tibbetts Found

Information is not Available Regarding the Location of the Body

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Investigators believe they have found the body of Mollie Tibbetts, a University of Iowa student who has been missing for more than a month. The 20-year-old woman was last seen July 18, jogging in her hometown of Brooklyn in central Iowa. Greg Willey, the vice president of Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa, says a body…

PepsiCo Buys SodaStream for $3.2 Billion

JERUSALEM (AP) — PepsiCo bought carbonated drink maker SodaStream for $3.2 billion on Monday, a move the beverage giant hopes will further help it adjust as consumers drink less traditional soda and opt more for flavored waters and other drinks. The deal is also a boon to SodaStream, which has enjoyed a resurgence after being targeted by anti-Israel boycotters in…

Pence’s Return Highlights White House’s Focus on Minnesota

The White House is Focused on Minnesota Ahead of Election

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence is heading back to Minnesota. Minnesota Republican Party chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan announced Monday that Pence will return to Minnesota Aug. 30 and will be stopping in Bloomington for a fundraising event. It’s the latest evidence of the White House’s keen focus on Minnesota ahead of an election filled with competitive races…

Police work to stop overdoses after 76 fall ill

(AP) – Police swarmed a Connecticut park near Yale University and searched people’s homes for drugs Thursday in an effort to prevent more overdoses from a batch of synthetic marijuana blamed for sending more than 70 people to the hospital. Social workers and mental health professionals also responded to the New Haven Green, where most of the overdoses happened Wednesday….

Woman Sues Surgeon who Wrongly Removed her Kidney

The Surgery was Supposed to Remove an Adrenal Gland and Mass

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – An Iowa woman is suing a South Dakota surgeon and his practice for wrongly removing one of her kidneys. The lawsuit filed by Dena Knapp alleges that Dr. Scott Baker erroneously removed her healthy right kidney instead of removing an adrenal gland and a mass on the gland during a surgery in Sioux Falls in…

Student Stabbed on First day of School in Oklahoma

The Student has Been Airlifted to a Hospital

LUTHER, Okla. (AP) – Investigators say a student has been airlifted to a hospital after a stabbing at a central Oklahoma high school. Oklahoma County sheriff’s spokesman Mark Opgrande says deputies were called to Luther High School in the small town of Luther following the reported stabbing Thursday morning. Opgrande says a student suspected in the attack is in custody….

‘Queen of Soul’ Aretha Franklin has died

Franklin was 76 Years old

(AP Photo/Shea Walsh, file)DETROIT (AP) — Aretha Franklin, the undisputed “Queen of Soul” who sang with matchless style on such classics as “Think,” ″I Say a Little Prayer” and her signature song, “Respect,” and stood as a cultural icon around the globe, has died at age 76 from advance pancreatic cancer. Publicist Gwendolyn Quinn tells The Associated Press through a…

Researchers Look Into Lake Superior Algae Bloom

Researchers Will Know by end of Week if Bloom is Toxic

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) – Scientists are investigating an unprecedented algae bloom in Lake Superior and have sent samples for lab testing to determine if it’s toxic. Minnesota Public Radio reports that kayakers and other visitors to the popular lake shore along eastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin found green scummy algae last week on Lake Superior’s surface. Robert Sterner directs the…

Vermont Nominates 1st US Transgender Candidate for Governor

Hallquist Defeated Three Other Democrats

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)WASHINGTON (AP) – A former utility executive from Vermont has become the first transgender candidate to win a major political party’s nomination for governor. Christine Hallquist defeated three other Democrats en route to victory in Tuesday’s primary. The former CEO of the Vermont Electric Cooperative says she’s running because she feels she has the best plan to help…

Jury Awards $289M to man who Blames Roundup for Cancer

Monsanto has Denied a Link Between Glyphosate and Cancer

(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File) SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A jury’s $289 million award to a former school groundskeeper who said Monsanto’s Roundup left him dying of cancer will bolster thousands of pending cases and open the door for countless people who blame their suffering on the weed killer, the man’s lawyers said. “I’m glad to be here to be able…

Devastating Toxic Algae Bloom Plagues Florida’s Gulf Coast

(AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)LONGBOAT KEY, Fla. (AP) — Tons of dead fish. A smell so awful you gag with one inhale. Empty beaches, empty roads, empty restaurants. A toxic algae bloom has overrun Florida’s southern Gulf Coast this summer, devastating sea life and driving people from the water. “I’ve never seen it this bad,” said 31-year-old Heather Lamb of Venice. She’s…

Cars Plunge as Highway Bridge Collapses in Italy; 22 Dead

A 260 Foot Stretch of the Bridge Collapsed

(Vigili Del Fuoco via AP)MILAN (AP) — A bridge on a main highway linking Italy with France collapsed Tuesday in the Italian port city of Genoa during a sudden, violent storm, sending vehicles plunging  nearly 150 feet into a heap of rubble below. A transport official said at least 22 people were killed and eight injured in the tragedy. A…

Lawmakers vow Action on Google Location Tracking

(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Google records your movements even when you explicitly tell it not to. An Associated Press investigation shows that using Google services on Android devices and iPhones allows the company to record your whereabouts as you go about your day, even if you’ve used privacy settings that are supposed to prevent it from doing so….

Florida Parking lot Shooter Charged in “Stand Your Ground” Case

Drejka has Been Charged with Manslaughter

(Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office via AP, File) FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) – Florida prosecutors have charged a white man in the death of an unarmed black man whose videotaped shooting in a store parking lot has revived debate over Florida’s “stand your ground” law. The Pinellas County State Attorney Bernie McCabe said Monday that 47-year-old Michael Drejka has been charged…

Trump Tweets About Harley-Davidson Boycott

New Tariffs Could Cost the Company $100 Million Annually

NEW YORK (AP) – President Donald Trump is backing calls for a Harley-Davidson boycott amid an ongoing steel tariff dispute. Harley-Davidson drew Trump’s wrath in June after the manufacturer announced it is moving production of motorcycles sold in Europe to facilities outside the U.S. The company blames the decision on tariffs imposed by the European Union to retaliate for tariffs…

Crocs to outsource manufacturing of clogs, other footwear

They are Also Focusing on More Online Sales

(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File) NIWOT, Colo. (AP) — Colorado-based footwear company Crocs Inc. is closing company-owned manufacturing plants in Italy and Mexico by year’s end and replacing its chief financial officer. The company announced the outsourcing of additional manufacturing and the closure of a distribution facility in Mexico Tuesday while reporting a second-quarter profit of $30.4 million, or 35 cents…

NFL Players Protest During Anthem, Drawing Rebuke From Trump

There has Been no Change in the NFL’s Policy Regarding the National Anthem

(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)(AP) – NFL players demonstrated during the national anthem at several preseason games Thursday night, protests that again drew a rebuke from President Donald Trump. Writing on Twitter from his New Jersey golf resort, Trump said Friday players “make a fortune doing what they love,” and those who refuse to stand “proudly” for the anthem should be suspended…

Trump Going Ahead With Taxes on $16B in Chinese Imports

The new Tariffs are in Addition to Existing Tariffs

(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File) WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration announced Tuesday that it will go ahead with imposing 25 percent tariffs on an additional $16 billion in Chinese imports. Customs officials will begin collecting the border tax Aug. 23, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said. The list is heavy on industrial products such as steam turbines…

General Electric Laying off 200 Workers at Turbine Plant

GE Laid off 130 Workers in January

(AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (AP) – General Electric says it’s laying off 200 hourly workers at its upstate New York plant that produces steam turbines for the company’s power unit. Boston-based GE announced Tuesday that the layoffs include unionized manufacturing and assembly employees at its facilities in Schenectady, where Thomas Edison co-founded the company in 1892. Another 25 unfilled…

California Appeals Ruling to let Border Wall Proceed

Trump Needs $25 Billion Over 10 Years for the Border Wall

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — A federal appeals court will hear arguments Tuesday by the state of California and advocacy groups who contend the Trump administration overreached by waiving environmental reviews to speed construction of the president’s prized border wall with Mexico. California is appealing a decision by U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel of San Diego, who sided with…

Apple surges to $1 trillion in market value

Apple is the First Publicly Traded Company to hit $1 Trillion

(AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple is worth $1,001,679,220,000. The maker of the iPhone and other gadgets became the world’s first publicly traded company with a market value of $1 trillion on Thursday. The company reached the milestone a couple of hours into the trading session when its shares reached $207.04. They closed with a gain of 2.9 percent to…

Officials Responding to Active Shooter Reports at Base

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Federal authorities say they’re responding to reports of an active shooter at an Air Force base in Ohio, and the base is on lockdown. Security forces and other emergency responders are outside the hospital at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said via Twitter it’s among several agencies…

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…