US & World News

Hospice Nurse from Minnesota Missing After Leaving Denver Bar

Photo courtesy of helpfindadam.com DENVER (KMSP) – Members of a Minnesota family have flown to Colorado to help look for a 29-year-old man who went missing Friday after leaving a bar in Denver. Adam Gilbertson was last seen the Syntax Physic Opera Bar & Restaurant shortly before 1 a.m. on Friday. His cellphone has been shut off and attempts to reach him…

US Judge Steps Down After Accusations of Sexual Misconduct

(Fox News) SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A prominent U.S. appeals court judge announced his retirement Monday days after women alleged he subjected them to inappropriate sexual conduct or comments. Judge Alex Kozinski of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in a statement that a battle over the accusations would not be good for the judiciary. He said he’ll…

Amtrak Train Hurtles Off Overpass; At Least 6 People Killed

RACHEL LA CORTE - AP

Courtesy: FOX NewsDUPONT, Wash. (AP) — An Amtrak train making the first-ever run along a faster new route hurtled off an overpass Monday near Tacoma and spilled some of its cars onto the highway below, killing at least six people, authorities said. The death toll was expected to rise. Seventy-eight passengers and five crew members were aboard when the train…

FCC Votes Down Obama-era ‘Net Neutrality’ Rules

NEW YORK (AP) – The Federal Communications Commission has voted on party lines to undo sweeping Obama-era “net neutrality” rules that guaranteed equal access to internet. The agency’s Democratic commissioners dissented in the 3-2 vote Thursday. The FCC’s new rules could usher in big changes in how Americans use the internet. The agency got rid of rules that barred companies…

What is Net Neutrality and Why Does it Matter?

NEW YORK (AP) — “Net neutrality” regulations, designed to prevent internet service providers like Verizon, AT&T, Comcast and Charter from favoring some sites and apps over others, are on the chopping block. On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission plans to vote on a proposal that would not only undo the Obama-era rules that have been in place since 2015, but…

As ‘Net Neutrality’ Vote Nears, Some Brace for a Long Fight

NEW YORK (AP) — As the federal government prepares to unravel sweeping net-neutrality rules that guaranteed equal access to the internet, advocates of the regulations are bracing for a long fight. The Thursday vote scheduled at the Federal Communications Commission could usher in big changes in how Americans use the internet, a radical departure from more than a decade of…

Disney Buying Large Part of 21st Century Fox in $52.4B Deal

TALI ARBEL - AP

(AP) NEW YORK (AP) — Disney is buying the Murdoch family’s Fox movie and television studios and some cable and international TV businesses for about $52.4 billion, as the home of Mickey Mouse tries to meet competition from technology companies in the entertainment business. Disney’s all-stock deal for 21st Century Fox gives it the studios behind Avatar, “The Simpsons” and…

GOP Says It’s Got A Deal on Taxes; Cuts Coming for Next Year

STEPHEN OHLEMACHER, ANDREW TAYLOR, & MARCY GORDON - AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — Confident congressional Republicans forged an agreement Wednesday on a major overhaul of the nation’s tax laws that would provide generous tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans — Donald Trump among them — and deliver the first major legislative accomplishment to the GOP president. Middle- and low-income families would get smaller tax cuts, though Trump and…

Wall Street Mixed as Financials Drag After Fed Rate Hike

NEW YORK (Fox News) – The S&P 500 ended slightly lower on Wednesday pressured by the financial sector after the Federal Reserve announced a widely expected interest rate hike but kept its rate outlook for coming years even as it projected faster U.S. economic growth. The quarter-percentage-point rise in the overnight lending rate, which marked the third hike this year, came…

Omarosa Resigns from Trump Administration Job

WASHINGTON (Fox News) – “Apprentice” star turned White House official Omarosa Manigault Newman will leave the Trump administration next month, according to the White House. “Omarosa Manigault Newman resigned yesterday to pursue other opportunities,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. “Her departure will not be effective until January 2018. We wish her the best in future…

Annual Germinid Meteor Shower to Appear in a Sky Near You

Courtesy: NASA/Lauren Harnett TAMPA (FOX 13) – One of the most eye-catching meteor showers will peak Wednesday night.  The annual Geminid meteor shower has arrived, with the potential of one or two visual meteors per minute. You may see a few early in the evening, but the best viewing times will be between 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., says FOX 13’s meteorologist Tyler Eliasen….

Gov. Mark Dayton Appoints Lt. Gov. Tina Smith to Serve as US Senator

Courtesy of Minnesota Governor’s Office  ST. PAUL, Minn. – Gov. Mark Dayton announced Wednesday during a press conference at the Minnesota State Capitol, that he will appoint Lt. Gov. Tina Smith to serve as United States Senator for Minnesota. Smith will be appointed to serve a one-year term in the Senate, concluding in January 2019. Minnesotans will chose a U.S….

‘Man Flu’ is Real, Researcher Claims

(Shutterstock) (FOX NEWS) – The so-called “man flu” has been a punchline for decades, but according to one expert it may be time to stop taking it lightly. Dr. Kyle Sue, a Canadian doctor whose findings are published in the British Medical Journal, claims that physiological differences between men and women can lead to different responses to colds and viruses….

Officer Honored for Adopting Baby from Opioid Addicted Mom

Albuquerque officer, Ryan Holets, holds his newly adopted daughter, Hope, after being recognized by the city of Albuquerque on Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. (AP) ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A routine call about an Albuquerque convenience store theft turned into a life-transforming moment for an officer who came across upon a pregnant woman he found using heroin. That officer later volunteered…

Trump Signs $700 Billion Military Budget into Law

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed into law a sweeping defense policy bill that authorizes a $700 billion budget for the military, including additional spending on missile defense programs to counter North Korea’s growing nuclear weapons threat. But there’s a catch. The $700 billion budget won’t become reality until lawmakers agree to roll back a 2011 law…

Trump Says Accusations of Sexual Misconduct ‘Fabricated’

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump, pushing back against women accusing him of sexual misconduct, insisted Tuesday he’s the target of “false accusations and fabricated stories of women who I don’t know and/or have never met.” Trump lashed out on Twitter a day after three women who previously accused him of sexual harassment shared their stories on…

Education Department Urged to Resume Loan Cancellations

WASHINGTON (AP) – A government watchdog is urging the Education Department to resume the process of forgiving student loans for tens of thousands of Americans who were defrauded by for-profit colleges. In a report published Monday, the Office of Inspector General, an independent body within the education agency, recommends that the department restart “review, approval, and discharge process” for defrauded…

3 Trump Accusers Speak Out, Call for Congressional Probe

WASHINGTON (AP) — Three women who have previously accused President Donald Trump of sexual harassment shared their stories on NBC’s “Megyn Kelly Today.” Jessica Leeds, Samantha Holvey and Rachel Crooks on Monday told of alleged harassment by Trump spanning decades. The White House called the claims false and “totally disputed in most cases.” It said “the timing and absurdity of…

Pentagon to Allow Transgender People to Enlist in Military Despite Trumps Opposition

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is allowing transgender people to enlist in the military beginning Jan. 1, despite President Donald Trump’s opposition. The new policy reflects growing legal pressure on the issue, and the difficult hurdles the federal government would have to cross to enforce Trump’s demand to ban transgender individuals from the military. Two federal courts already have ruled…

Suspect in Savanna Greywind Death Pleads Guilty

CREWS, 38, OF FARGO, ORIGINALLY PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT MURDER, KIDNAPPING AND GIVING FALSE INFORMATION TO OFFICERS.

Brooke CrewsFARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — Brooke Crews, charged in the murder and kidnapping of Savanna Greywind, changed her plea to guilty. In Cass County Court this morning she plead guilty to all charges. Crews, 38, of Fargo, originally plead not guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping and giving false information to officers. Crews is expected to be sentenced on Tuesday, January…

Former Amazon Analyst Gets 6 Months for Insider Trading

SEATTLE (AP) – A former Amazon analyst has been sentenced to six months in prison and a $2,500 fine after admitting he tipped off a college friend to details about the company’s upcoming first-quarter earnings report in spring 2015. Brett D. Kennedy was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty to a federal insider trading charge in September. Prosecutors said his former…

Trump Signs 2-Week Spending Bill to Avoid Shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump has signed a spending bill to avoid a government shutdown and keep the federal government running through Dec. 22. The president signed the two-week spending bill at the White House after the House and Senate acted to prevent a government shutdown this weekend. The White House and congressional leaders are negotiating a longer-term agreement….

Wisconsin Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Texas Child Sex Sting

  HOUSTON (AP) – Prosecutors say a Wisconsin man must serve 11 years in federal prison for traveling to Texas with the intention of having sex with a 4-year-old girl. Benjamin David Sherwood of La Crosse, Wisconsin, was sentenced Thursday in Houston as part of an online sting. The 42-year-old Sherwood, in August, pleaded guilty to travel with intent to…

Trump Says Government Shutdown Possible, Blames Democrats

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump warned Wednesday that a government shutdown was possible this weekend because Democrats were demanding to have “illegal immigrants pouring into our country,” tossing incendiary rhetoric onto a partisan showdown that had been showing signs of easing. Trump’s comments risked roiling a White House meeting with congressional leaders of both parties planned…

Wildfires Continue to Ravage Southern California

101 Freeway Fire Dec. 5, 2017 (AP) LOS ANGELES (AP) — A wildfire erupted in Los Angeles’ exclusive Bel-Air section Wednesday as yet another part of Southern California found itself under siege from an outbreak of wind-whipped blazes that have consumed multimillion-dollar houses and tract homes alike. Hundreds of homes across the L.A. metropolitan area and beyond were feared destroyed…

Trump Declares Jerusalem Israel Capital, Smashing US Policy

Palestinians burn a poser of President Donald Trump during a protest in Bethlehem, West Bank, Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2017. President Trump forged ahead Tuesday with plans to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital despite intense Arab, Muslim, and European opposition to ma move that would upend decades of U.S. policy and risk potentially violent protests. (AP)     WASHINGTON (AP) —…

‘Silence Breakers’ Named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year

(Time Magazine) NEW YORK (AP) – The “Silence Breakers” – those who have shared their stories about sexual assault and harassment – have been named Time magazine’s Person of the Year. Numerous women have spoken out publicly since October about sexual misconduct by dozens of high-profile men in entertainment, media, business, and sports. Time praised those who have given “voice…

Where Protected Lands Stand After National Monument Review

“Moonhouse” in McLoyd Canyon which is part of Bears Ears National Monument, near Blanding, Utah. (AP File) SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — President Donald Trump earlier this year ordered U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to conduct an unprecedented review of 27 monuments established by former presidents over more than two decades on lands and waters revered for their natural beauty…

Russia Barred from 2018 Winter Olympics

Olympic ringsLAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Russian athletes will be allowed to stand on the medal podium at the Winter Olympics — just not with their anthem playing or their nation’s flag rising above them. The International Olympic Committee barred Russia and the its sports leaders from the upcoming games in South Korea after its lead investigator concluded members of the…

NASA Nails Test on Voyager Spacecraft, 13 Billion Miles Away

This rendering provided by NASA shows Voyager 1. NASA has nailed a thruster test on Voyager 1, a spacecraft 13 billion miles away. CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – NASA has nailed an engine test on a spacecraft 13 billion miles away. Last week, ground controllers sent commands to fire backup thrusters on Voyager 1, our most distant spacecraft. The thrusters…

Trump Offers Full Support for Embattled Republican Roy Moore

Roy Moore (AP) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump endorsed embattled Republican Roy Moore in the Alabama Senate race on Monday, looking past sexual misconduct allegations against the GOP candidate to argue that his vote is needed in Congress. Trump tweeted early Monday that “Democrats refusal to give even one vote for massive Tax Cuts is why we need Republican…

GOP Nears Senate OK of Tax Bill After Flurry of Final Deals

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans used a burst of eleventh-hour horse-trading Friday to edge to the brink of Senate passage of a $1.4 trillion tax bill, as a party starved all year for a major legislative triumph took a giant step toward giving President Donald Trump one of his top priorities by Christmas. “We have the votes,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch…

Russell Simmons Steps Down from Companies Amid Allegation

AP File Photo, Russell Simmons, July 2015. NEW YORK (AP) – Russell Simmons has stepped away from his companies following a second allegation of sexual misconduct, though the Def Jam founder again denied ever being violent. Screenwriter Jenny Lumet, who co-wrote “The Mummy” in 2017 and “Rachel Getting Married” in 2008, penned an essay published by The Hollywood Reporter on…

Trump Weighs Plan to Replace Tillerson with CIA’s Pompeo

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (AP) WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is discussing a plan to oust Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and replace him with CIA Director Mike Pompeo in a major shake-up of President Donald Trump’s national security team, administration officials said Thursday. The move would put Pompeo, a former congressman who has grown close to Trump…

Wisconsin Senate Leaders Say Sex Complaints Should Remain Secret

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Republican and Democratic leaders in the state Senate say sexual harassment complaints in their chamber should remain secret. The Assembly and Senate chief clerks refused to release complaints their offices have received over the last decade, saying releasing them would discourage reporting. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said Thursday that he and Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling…

‘Today’ Show Host Matt Lauer Fired Over Inappropriate Sexual Behavior

Lauer Was Let Go Monday Night

Courtesy of WikipediaNEW YORK-Matt Lauer’s former “Today” show colleagues were emotional on-air while dealing with the aftermath of his firing by NBC for what it termed “inappropriate sexual behavior.” Co-host Savannah Guthrie fought back tears while calling Lauer “my friend and my partner.” She added that she was “heartbroken” for her unnamed colleague who the network said reported Lauer’s behavior…

Woman Charged in Pregnant Fargo Woman’s Death to Change Plea

William Hoehn (left) and Brooke Crews FARGO, N.D. (AP) – A woman charged in the death of a pregnant North Dakota woman intends to change her not-guilty plea. Thirty-eight-year-old Brook Crews filed a change-of-plea notice Monday in Cass County, North Dakota court. A hearing is set for Dec. 11. Crews and her boyfriend, 32-year-old William Hoehn, are each charged with…

North Korea Fires Intercontinental Ballistic Missile into Japanese Waters

KATHERINE LAM, NICOLE DARRAH - FOX NEWS

A global map which shows the estimated range of North Korea’s missiles (AP) (FOX NEWS) – North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) around 1:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, the first such launch from the rogue regime in more than two months, a U.S. official confirmed to Fox News. The missile, believed to be an ICBM by the Pentagon…

House Panel to Weigh Bill Expanding Gun Rights

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans moved forward on legislation to expand gun owners’ rights, the first gun-related measure since mass shootings in Las Vegas and Texas killed more than 80 people. The Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a National Rifle Association-supported bill that would allow a gun owner with a state-issued concealed carry permit to carry a…

Egypt: Militants Kill at Least 235 in Attack on Sinai Mosque

(AP) EL-ARISH, Egypt (AP) — Militants attacked a crowded mosque during Friday prayers in the Sinai Peninsula, setting off explosives, spraying worshippers with gunfire and killing at least 235 people in the deadliest ever attack by Islamic extremists in Egypt. The attack targeted a mosque frequented by Sufis, members of Islam’s mystical movement, in the north Sinai town of Bir…

AG to Represent Evers in Lawsuit Despite Conflict

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Republican Gov. Scott Walker ordered the state Department of Justice on Wednesday to represent schools Superintendent Tony Evers in a lawsuit alleging Evers is illegally writing education regulations without Walker’s permission, even though the agency believes Evers is overstepping his authority. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first reported Wednesday that Walker ordered DOJ attorneys to replace Department…

Olympic Gymnastics Ex-Doctor Pleads Guilty to Sex Charges

Dr. Larry Nessar appears in court for a plea hearing in Lansing, Mich., Wed., Nov. 22, 2017. (AP) LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A former doctor accused of molesting girls while working for USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University pleaded guilty Wednesday to multiple charges of sexual assault and will face at least 25 years in prison. Larry Nassar, 54, admitted…