Military

The Latest: Rain predicted for North California fire zone

The Associated Press

The Latest on California's wildfires (all times local): 8:10 a.m. Officials say they have contained almost half of a Northern California deadly blaze that razed a town and killed at least 63 people. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Friday the wildfire that destroyed the town of Paradise is now 45 percent contained, up from 40 percent Thursday morning. The department says...

2-year-old wanders away from home, drowns in Texas lake

by Jared Leone, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

A 2-year-old boy died Thursday after wandering away from home and drowning in a nearby lake. >> Read more trending news The toddler was found in Lake Houston, about five minutes after a 911 call was made about the missing child, KTRK reported. Rescuers took the child to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The Latest: CNN's Acosta is he's ready to 'go back to work'

The Associated Press

The Latest on the legal challenge to the White House's decision to strip CNN reporter Jim Acosta of his White House press credentials (all times local): 10:47 a.m. CNN's Jim Acosta has thanked the judge who ordered the Trump administration to immediately return his White House press credentials. Acosta said Friday that he wanted to thank fellow reporters who supported him and the judge for the "...

Tech companies, retailers weigh on US stocks; Oil prices up

AP Business Writer

U.S. stock indexes were mostly lower in early trading Friday, erasing some of the market's gains from a day earlier. Losses in technology companies, big retailers and banks outweighed gains in health care and energy stocks. Crude oil prices headed higher for the third day in a row. KEEPING SCORE: The S&P 500 index fell 1 point to 2,729 as of 10:15 a.m. Eastern Time. The Dow Jones Industrial Average...

Exhausted commuters point fingers after crippling snowstorm

Associated Press

The first snowfall of the season lingered Friday in the Northeast as thousands of exhausted commuters pointed their fingers at politicians and meteorologists for leaving them creeping along highways or stuck in mass transit hubs because of a storm that left seven dead as it moved through the Midwest and South. Some students in West Orange, New Jersey, were forced to sleep at their schools after their...

Tesla’s home solar system price cut can save you up to $5,000

by Theo Thimou, Clark.com

Tesla just lowered the price on its solar shingles and other whole house solar components by up to 25% in an effort to boost sales of its under-performing home solar system. RELATED: Free electricity: Yes, it’s for real and here’s how you could get it! Tesla has confirmed to Reuters that it’s now slashing installation costs on its home solar systems after sales of the systems have...

US energy official sees 'great promise' in eastern Med

The Associated Press

The United States sees "great promise" in developing energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean, a U.S. state department official said Friday, as ExxonMobil and partner Qatar Petroleum began exploratory drilling off Cyprus' southwestern coast. Francis Fannon, the Assistant Secretary of State responsible for energy matters, said the U.S. will continue advancing energy development in the...

DeVos proposes overhaul to campus sexual misconduct rules

Associated Press

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Friday proposed a major overhaul to the way colleges and universities handle complaints of sexual misconduct, adding protections for students accused of assault and harassment, and narrowing the types of cases schools would be required to investigate. Under the plan, schools would be required to investigate complaints only if they occurred on campus or other areas...

Chris Watts murder case: Girlfriend speaks out before Watts’ sentencing

by WSOCTV.com

The woman who said she had an affair with Chris Watts, the Colorado man who is set to be sentenced in the murders of his two daughters and pregnant wife, is telling her side of the story. >> Read more trending news Nichol Kessinger’s exclusive interview with the Denver Post comes days before Watts is set to be sentenced to life in prison. Kessinger, 30, said she started dating...

Jennie-O recalling ground turkey in salmonella outbreak

The Associated Press

Jennie-O Turkey recalled packages of ground turkey in a salmonella outbreak, and regulators say additional products from other companies could be named as their investigation continues. The recall was the first — not counting pet food — tied to a widespread and ongoing outbreak that has resulted in one death and 164 reported illnesses in 35 states. Regulators did not say how many of those...

Wright State moving forward with new $6.5-million archives center

by Max Filby, Staff Writer

Wright State University’s board of trustees is moving ahead with plans for a new $6.5-million archives center on Colonel Glenn Highway across from its main campus. The finance committee of the WSU board of trustees unanimously approved a resolution today to spend $450,000 raised by the Wright State Foundation for phase I of the project. The resolution will now proceed to the full board of trustees...

Popular in News

Man has shootout with police, tells police he ‘wanted to die’

by Natalie Dreier, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

A motorist opened fire on police along a road in Arkansas Sunday. He allegedly told police he wanted to die, according to the probable cause, KFSM reported. A sheriff’s deputy tried to stop Luis Cobos-Cenobio for a traffic violation, but Cobos-Cenobio did not pull over immediately. Eventually he did, but when Cpl. Brett Thompson got out of his cruiser, Cobos-Cenobio got out of his car...

US industrial production ticks up 0.1 percent in October

The Associated Press

U.S. industry expanded slightly in October, with manufacturing growth offsetting declines in mining and utility production. Industrial production ticked up a modest 0.1 percent, the fifth straight monthly gain, following a 0.2 percent advance in September and a sizable 0.8 percent advance in August, the Federal Reserve reported Friday. The Fed said that recent hurricanes lowered production by about...

UN human rights expert says UK cuts to services causing harm

The Associated Press

A U.N. human rights expert says cuts to Britain's social support are causing misery for poorer citizens. Philip Alston, the U.N. rapporteur on poverty, concluded Friday that Britain's government remains in a state of denial about the impact of benefit cuts and says the country's departure from the European Union could make things worse should the economy weaken as expected. Alston says "government...

VW wants to storm car market with mass-market electric model

The Associated Press

German automaker Volkswagen says it will invest 44 billion euros ($50 billion) to develop autonomous and electric cars and expand the appeal of battery-powered vehicles by selling its upcoming I.D. compact for about what a diesel-powered Golf costs. Chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch told a news conference Friday that the company's plans for the next five years aim to make Volkswagen "a worldwide supplier...

Here’s when stores will open for Thanksgiving, Black Friday shopping

by Holly Shively, Staff Writer

It’s that time of year again. Thanksgiving and Black Friday ads are surfacing quickly. Here’s when stores plan to open this year: Kohl’s will open at 5 p.m. Thanksgiving and remain open through Black Friday. The store is offering its well-known deal of $15 Kohl’s cash for every $50 spent. The ad also features a 15 percent off coupon. Sales will begin at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving...

French minister warns of new Cold War from US/China tensions

The Associated Press

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire warned that the trade dispute between the United States and China could escalate into a fresh Cold War. Le Maire made the alarm-sounding comments at a Friday conference in Paris on the World Trade Organization's future. He said there's a "real risk" that a Cold War between China and the United States could arise out of the trade tensions between the...

Deer carcasses left on cars outside Minnesota YMCA

by Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Minnesota police are trying to find out who put deer carcasses on the hoods of two cars parked outside a YMCA in St. Cloud on Wednesday night, WCCO reported. >> Read more trending news Ali Abdullahi, a Somali interpreter who owned one of the cars, said he smelled something foul when he came out of the YMCA, the television station reported. “I thought that this was just somebody...

Ground turkey recall: 90K pounds recalled days before Thanksgiving

by Natalie Dreier, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

If ground turkey is on the menu for Thanksgiving, then you will need to check the freezer. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection service has issued a ground turkey recall, CNN reported. Jennie-O Turkey Store Sales, LLC has recalled 91,388 pounds of raw ground turkey after a sample tested positive for salmonella that matched a strain related to an outbreak, ...

Iraq resumes Kirkuk oil exports after yearlong pause

The Associated Press

Iraq's Oil Ministry says Iraq has resumed exports from its oil fields around Kirkuk, one year after the city was seized by federal forces from the autonomous Kurdish administration in the north of the country. Ministry spokesman Assem Jihad says an agreement was reached with the Kurdish Regional Government to export 50,000 to 100,000 barrels of oil per day, beginning Friday, through a pipeline that...

The Latest: Landmark change to kilogram approved

The Associated Press

The Latest on a scientific meeting on how to define weights and measures (all times local): 1:35 p.m. The international system of measurements has been overhauled with new definitions for the kilogram and other key units. At a meeting in Versailles, France, countries have voted to approve the wide-ranging changes that underpin vital human activities like global trade and scientific innovation. The...

New York school district puts 2-pack limit on condiments for students

by Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

A school district in New York has decided to limit students to dispensing two 9-gram packs of condiments per meal, Newsday reported. >> Read more trending news Eastport-South Manor Assistant Superintendent Timothy Laube sent a letter to parents Tuesday that explained that the condiment crackdown was a move toward healthier eating habits for children and stricter adherence to...

Georgia inmates send heartfelt letter to sheriff after officer's death

by WSBTV.com

A group of Georgia inmates are opening up about a heartfelt letter they sent to the sheriff in the wake of an officer's death in the line of duty. >> Read more trending news Officer Antwan Toney, 30, was shot and killed by a suspect while responding to a call on Oct. 21. The suspect was later killed by police. Last week, Sheriff Butch Conway shared a letter on Facebook...

Teacher: School banned him after he thanked students for saying Pledge of Allegiance

by Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

A longtime substitute teacher at a suburban St. Louis high school said school administrators banned him after he thanked students for reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. >> Read more trending news Jim Furkin, who taught for 10 years as a Parkway South High School substitute in Manchester, Missouri, said the ban was mandated after a student complained...

APNewsBreak: Abrams preparing new challenge in Georgia race

by BILL BARROW, KATE BRUMBACK, Associated Press

Stacey Abrams' campaign is preparing an unprecedented legal challenge in the unresolved Georgia governor's race that could leave the state's Supreme Court deciding whether to force another round of voting. The Democrat's longshot strategy relies on a statute that's never been used in such a high-stakes contest. It is being discussed as Georgia elections officials appear to be on the cusp of certifying...

Honda engineers use algae to capture emissions in spare time

by Matt Sanctis, Staff Writer

Instead of fishing or playing golf, a pair of Honda Powersports engineers have been spending their weekends collecting kitchen grease from bars and restaurants and converting it to homemade biodiesel fuel. Now, their alternative energy hobby is turning into a much larger scale project. Experts said their work at Honda’s Research and Development facility in Raymond, Ohio demonstrated a possible...

Woman who needed soap cleans up with $200K lottery win

by Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

A North Carolina woman who forgot to buy soap while shopping decided to buy a lottery ticket when she walked back into the store. >> Read more trending news Doralee Preston-Price cleaned up big time, winning $200,000 on a holiday scratch-off ticket, WRAL reported. While driving home after shopping, the Fayetteville resident realized she didn’t buy soap, the television...

Hong Kong economy cools as trade tension mounts

The Associated Press

Hong Kong's economic growth sank to a two-year low in the latest quarter and the government warned it will face headwinds from U.S.-Chinese trade tension, weakening global demand and higher interest rates. The Chinese territory's economic output expanded by 2.9 percent over a year earlier in the three months ending in September, down from the previous quarter's 3.5 percent, government data showed...

Police: Toddler dies after shooting himself while parent slept

by WSBTV.com

A Georgia toddler allegedly shot and killed himself Thursday, police said. Investigators said they were called to a residence in Jonesboro around noon Thursday about the shooting. Police said the child’s father, Johnathan Butler, 31, was asleep in his bed when the 2-year-old climbed into bed with him. Officers said the toddler grabbed a handgun that was under a pillow in the bed...

Eurozone central banker suggests rates could stay low longer

The Associated Press

The head of the European Central Bank indicated a first interest rate increase could be postponed if unexpected trouble strikes the 19 countries that use the euro as their currency. Mario Draghi warned in a speech Friday the current economic expansion remains "resilient" as unemployment continues to fall and consumers remain willing to spend. But he cautioned that slowing world trade is...

Mrs. Obama says 'Access Hollywood' tape led her to speak out

AP Entertainment Writer

Michelle Obama said she felt anxious before giving her emotional New Hampshire speech in 2016 condemning Donald Trump for bragging about sexually assaulting women in a recording more than a decade ago. The former first lady recalled that she wrote the outline of her speech addressing Trump's comments on the infamous 2005 "Access Hollywood" tape while sitting in a waiting room as her mother...

Dallas airport workers find fossils more than 11,000 years old

by Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Fossils believed to be more than 11,000 years old were found by two employees of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, KXAS reported. >> Read more trending news Pieces of a mammoth’s tooth and a bison thigh bone were found in a creek at the airport, WFAA reported. “Two employees of the airport’s Environmental Affairs Department found the tooth while...

Allies rally to UK's May amid leadership woes over Brexit

The Associated Press

Supportive Cabinet ministers rallied around British Prime Minister Theresa May on Friday, trying to bolster her leadership after a barrage of resignations over Brexit, as rebel lawmakers pushed to force a leadership challenge. May is battling to save her Brexit plan, and her job, after the draft withdrawal agreement between Britain and the EU sparked fierce opposition from politicians in her Conservative...

Connecticut mom upset after son's hair lit on fire at school

by Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

A Connecticut mother is angry after she said her 17-year-old son’s hair was set on fire, WTNH reported. >> Read more trending news Vivian Mabry, the teen’s mother, said the alleged attack occurred Oct. 26 at Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School in New Haven, the television station reported. Mabry said her son was sitting in piano class when a 15-year-old classmate...

Pelosi sees vocal opposition to her return as House speaker

by LISA MASCARO, MATTHEW DALY, Associated Press

If it was up to most of the Democratic Party, Nancy Pelosi would be the obvious choice to become speaker of the House. But within the ranks of the chamber's Democratic majority, there's a small but persistent group pushing to topple her return as the first woman with the gavel. Pelosi appears be winning the outside game amassing endorsements from a who's who of the nation's Democrats, including former...

Second member of Jacksonville rock band accused of sex crimes

by Christy Turner, ActionNewsJax.com

The lead singer in a Florida-based rock band was arrested Nov. 8 on charges of sex crimes involving a teenager. >> Read more trending news Chad Valeu, 42, of Jacksonville, was charged with unlawful sexual activity with a teen, between the age of 16 and 17, and possession of child porn. Valeu is the second member of the band, Near Empty, arrested on child porn charges. ...

Record setter: David Hockney painting sells for $90.3M

by Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

A painting by David Hockney fetched $90.3 million Thursday night, a record price for a living artist’s work, The New York Times reported. >> Read more trending news Hockney’s 1972 painting, “Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures),” sold in nine minutes at Christie’s, The Guardian reported. The British artist’s work topped the previous...

WikiLeaks chief could see charges, US court filing suggests

Associated Press

The Justice Department inadvertently named Julian Assange in a court filing in an unrelated case, suggesting prosecutors have prepared charges against the WikiLeaks founder under seal. Assange's name appears twice in a recently-unsealed August court filing from a federal prosecutor in Virginia who was attempting to keep sealed a separate case involving a man accused of coercing a minor for sex. In...

Dog steps on drug needle in Milwaukee neighborhood

by Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

A Wisconsin woman walking her dog Tuesday morning had to remove a drug syringe from the animal’s paw when he stepped on it, WISN reported. >> Read more trending news Christina Lawrence and her fiance were walking Jack Daniels, a chocolate lab-golden retriever, when the dog yelped, the television station reported. "Walking around daily, you see caps (to needles) lying in...

World markets subdued on trade, Brexit tensions

The Associated Press

World markets were subdued on Friday as trade tensions and political risks surrounding Britain's exit from the European Union kept investor cautious. KEEPING SCORE: France's CAC lost 0.2 percent to 5,021 while Germany's DAX was down 0.1 percent at 11,344. Britain's FTSE 100 shed 0.3 percent to 7,016. Wall Street was set for a weak open, with Dow futures down 0.4 percent and S&P 500 futures 0.5 percent...

After midterms success, Democrats develop 2020 strategies

Associated Press

Speaking before a gathering of black leaders on Capitol Hill this week, Sen. Kamala Harris offered guidance on when Democrats should fight President Donald Trump and Republicans. "What I've found myself recently saying is this: 'If it's worth fighting for, it's a fight worth having,'" the California Democrat and potential presidential candidate said, pausing, before repeating the phrase...

Massachusetts man uses machete to defend himself during home invasion

by Boston25News.com

A Massachusetts man was listening to a meditation app in his bedroom when suddenly, things took a chaotic turn with a home invasion. >> Read more trending news Two armed teenagers broke into Evan Luongo's home in Lynn. But what they didn't realize is that Luongo, a 37-year-old who keeps a machete under his bed, was fully prepared to defend himself. “But like, &lsquo...

Beloved toy store FAO Schwarz makes its comeback

Associated Press

Three years after it closed its beloved toy store on Fifth Avenue, FAO Schwarz is making a return to New York. A new FAO opens Friday in Manhattan's Rockefeller Center, about 10 blocks from its former home near Central Park. For more than 150 years, FAO Schwarz was known in New York City for its classy and sometimes extravagantly expensive toys. The fantasyland store it opened on Fifth Avenue in 1986...

Trump to honor donor's wife with presidential award

Associated Press

Miriam Adelson is a doctor, philanthropist and humanitarian, but is perhaps best known as the wife of Sheldon Adelson, a Las Vegas casino magnate considered one of the nation's most powerful Republican donors. She gets to add a new title Friday when President Donald Trump honors her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Miriam Adelson is among seven people Trump is recognizing with the medal, the...

Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl feeds barbecue to California firefighters

by Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

This was a call for Dave Grohl, and the Foo Fighters’ lead singer responded in a big way for firefighters battling the blazes in Southern California. >> Read more trending news Grohl used the resources from his company, Backbeat BBQ, to feed firefighters battling the Woolsey Fires in Southern California on Monday night, KSWB reported. “To all the @losangelesfiredepartment...

California GOP ponders way forward after stunning losses

Associated Press

In a speech to fellow Republicans in May, U.S. Rep. Mimi Walters issued an ominous warning about the coming election — California Democrats, she said, were "coming for all of us." She was right. The congresswoman's stunning defeat Thursday in the heart of Orange County, once a nationally known Republican stronghold, extended a Democratic rout that has seen five GOP-held House seats...

Fire death toll hits 63; sheriff says hundreds still missing

by KATHLEEN RONAYNE, BRIAN MELLEY, Associated Press

At least 63 people are now dead from a Northern California wildfire, and officials say they have a missing persons list with 631 names on it in an ever-evolving accounting of the victims of the nation's deadliest wildfire in a century. The high number of missing people probably includes some who fled the blaze and don't realize they've been reported missing, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said. He...

Judge: White House must return CNN's Jim Acosta's credential

The Associated Press

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Friday to immediately return the White House press credentials of CNN reporter Jim Acosta, saying Acosta suffered "irreparable harm" from the decision to bar him. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly, an appointee of President Donald Trump, announced his decision following a hearing. The judge said Acosta's credentials would be returned...

Florida school massacre: Panel to look at medical response

by TERRY SPENCER, DAVID FISCHER, Associated Press

For months, members of the panel investigating Florida's high school massacre have called the sheriff's deputy assigned to guard the campus "a coward" for hiding and not rushing inside in an attempt to stop the shooter. Given an opportunity to confront his critics Thursday, now-retired Broward Sheriff's Deputy Scot Peterson sent his attorney instead before the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High...

Senator spoke of 'difficult' voting for liberals in video

Associated Press

A Republican U.S. senator from Mississippi is shown in a new video talking about "liberal folks" and making it "just a little more difficult" for them to vote. A campaign spokeswoman for Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith criticized the video, saying the senator was joking. The brief clip appeared on social media days after another video showed Hyde-Smith praising someone at a different event...

Heated Georgia gov's race: Absentee ballots in the spotlight

by KATE BRUMBACK, BILL BARROW, Associated Press

As the candidates in the disputed Georgia governor's race retreat further into their corners, counties statewide have begun a court-ordered process of reviewing absentee ballots and counting those previously rejected for missing or incorrect dates of birth. Georgia Secretary of State Robyn Crittenden issued guidance Thursday to counties to review the absentee ballots, count those rejected for missing...

Florida: Hand recount begins for tight US Senate race

by GARY FINEOUT, BRENDAN FARRINGTON, Associated Press

A hand recount began Friday in Florida's acrimonious U.S. Senate contest after an initial review by ballot-counting machines showed Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson separated by fewer than 13,000 votes out of more than 8 million cast. Under state law, a hand review is required when the victory margin is 0.25 percentage points or less. A state website's unofficial results...

Remembering the sweet life of a town wiped out by wildfire

Associated Press

There's a sweet legend about this town: On a blazing summer day in the 1850s, a lumber mill crew with wagon and ox took a break under a grove of tall evergreens. The air was cool, the pine needles fragrant. "Boys," said the team boss, "this is paradise." Thus, more than 170 years ago, Paradise was born. From the start, it was enriched with gold mined from nearby hills and lumber...

MInnesota great-grandma marries boyfriend she rebuffed in 1954

by Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

It took more than six decades, but a Minnesota great-grandmother finally wed her teenage sweetheart. >> Read more trending news Janet Skillingstad, 82, married Gene Ertel, 81, on Oct. 26 -- 64 years after she broke off their engagement, KARE reported. “Not too many people get a second chance,” Ertel told the television station. In 1954, Skillingstad returned the engagement...

AP source: Mueller probe to go on, Whitaker tells Graham

by MARY CLARE JALONICK, MIKE BALSAMO, Associated Press

Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker has told Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham in a meeting that special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation will proceed, according to a person familiar with the meeting. The meeting with Graham and Whitaker Thursday comes as a bipartisan group of senators is pushing legislation to protect Mueller's job. The senators are concerned about Whitaker's past criticism...

Teen accused of strangling mother during argument over grades to be charged as adult

by Jason Kelly and Mike Springer, WFTV.com

A 15-year-old Florida boy accused of killing his mother will be charged as an adult, State Attorney RJ Larizza said Thursday. >> Read more trending news Deputies said Gregory Ramos killed his mother, Gail Cleavenger, Nov. 3 during an argument over his grades at their DeBary home. Investigators said Ramos buried Cleavenger's body beneath a church fire pit with the help of two...

73-year-old woman worried about meth she was smoking asked doctor to test it

by Shelby Lin Erdman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

A 73-year-old Florida woman wanted to make sure what she was smoking was really methamphetamine, so she took the drugs to her doctor for testing. >> Read more trending news Polk County resident Barbara Lee Ray said she was “scared” of what smoking it was doing to her, according to the Miami Herald, which cited an arrest affidavit, and brought her doctor at the Complete...

Florida man says girlfriend's death a suicide; police arrest him on murder charge

by ActionNewsJax.com

A Jacksonville, Florida, man is facing murder charges for his girlfriend’s 2017 death. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said he told officers she committed suicide in a Pine Forest apartment, but JSO's homicide unit says the evidence shows otherwise. Sean Curtis Lovins, 27, appeared in court on Thursday. Police say it all happened at Dunsford Terrace Apartments. JSO responded to a report of...

Was Uber Eats driver justified in shooting, killing customer? Jurors to decide

by Raisa Habersham, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Was Robert Bivines justified in killing Ryan Thornton? That’s the question jurors must answer when deliberations begin Friday morning. >> Read more trending news Bivines, 36, a former Uber Eats driver, has long claimed he shot and killed Thornton, 30, in self-defense after he was threatened while delivering food to Thornton’s Buckhead condominium on the night of...

Georgia sergeant demoted after leaving 13-year-old in freezing police car

by Zachary Hansen, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A police officer in Roswell, Georgia, who was seen on body camera video leaving a 13-year-old boy in a cold patrol car and taunting him in January has been demoted after an internal investigation, police confirmed. Daniel Elzey, who was a sergeant, was demoted to a police officer II and will be suspended for 30 days without pay, Roswell police Chief Rusty Grant told AJC.com. Elzey had been placed...

NYPD shakes up sex crime unit after Weinstein, staffing woes

Associated Press

The New York City Police Department is shaking up its embattled special victims division, where a top detective has twice been accused of interfering in the Harvey Weinstein investigation and a city watchdog says the staff is stretched too thin to properly review sexual assault cases. Deputy Chief Judith Harrison is replacing Michael Osgood as commanding officer, and the unit is being restructured...

Correction: Ailing Iranian-American detained in Iran story

The Associated Press

In a story Nov. 15 about an Iranian-American held in Tehran, The Associated Press reported erroneously that Baquer Namazi had been diagnosed with narcolepsy. The diagnosis was epilepsy. A corrected version of the story is below: Son of Iranian-American detainee asks Tehran 'to show mercy' The family and attorney of an Iranian-American dual national held in Tehran say his health is rapidly deteriorating...

Democrat Porter flips GOP House seat in Southern California

Associated Press

Democrat Katie Porter captured a Republican-held U.S. House seat Thursday in the heart of what once was Southern California's Reagan country, extending a rout of the state's GOP House delegation that might not be over. Porter's upset in Orange County is a sign of changing times in a region once known nationally as a GOP fortress. The coastal county southeast of Los Angeles was home to President Richard...

Parents who allegedly kidnapped their kids found, detained in Georgia

by Steve Burns, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Two parents from North Carolina were detained in Coweta County, Georgia, on Wednesday after authorities said they kidnapped their own children. Police found the parents with their two children behind a gas station in Grantville, Assistant Police Chief Cliff Schriefer said. The man was identified as Christopher Stewart Bryant by a Coweta County sheriff’s official. The woman’s identity was...

How Democrats will rule: Roadmap drafted for House overhaul

AP Congressional Correspondent

House Democrats unveiled a draft rules package Thursday for how they would govern the chamber when they take over the majority in the new Congress next year. The changes are large and small, from a requirement to post legislation at least 72 hours before action is taken to restoring some floor rights for the resident commissioner from Puerto Rico and other nonvoting delegates. One change, proposed...

Police release 911 calls from warehouse shooting suspect

Associated Press

Two hours after authorities say a 30-year-old man shot and wounded three co-workers at an Albuquerque warehouse, he called 911 to tell police he had been the one who opened fire at his workplace after hearing voices in his head. In a pair of 911 calls released Thursday, Waid Anthony Melton also told a crisis negotiator for the Albuquerque Police Department that he was trying to decide whether or not...

Fire refugees camp in Walmart parking lot amid uncertainty

by KATHLEEN RONAYNE, BRIAN MELLEY, Associated Press

Fire refugee Anna Goodnight sat on an overturned shopping cart Thursday in a Walmart parking lot as she ate scrambled eggs and tater tots while her husband drank a Budweiser. The couple was trying to put a good face on a weeklong ordeal that left them uncertain of the fate of their home and now had them camping next to the store with hundreds of others forced to flee from a deadly Northern California...

Mexico's president elect reaches out to business elite

The Associated Press

Mexico's President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has reached out to the country's business elite, announcing the formation of a business advisory council including big names, especially in media. Lopez Obrador said in a pre-recorded video circulated Thursday that he would meet with the council every couple months. Lopez Obrador, who takes office Dec. 1, says Mexico needs the private sector's support...

Missing ballet dancer found in rural Missouri lake in mysterious death

by Shelby Lin Erdman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

A St. Louis ballet dancer was found in a rural Missouri lake Wednesday dead from unknown causes after she disappeared Tuesday, according to news reports. >> Read more trending news The body of Raffaella Maria Stroik, 23, was found in Mark Twain State Park, about 100 miles northwest of St. Louis, after a park ranger found her car in the park Tuesday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported...

FBI re-creates decoy heads Alcatraz inmates used in escape

Associated Press

Half a century after a notorious prison escape from Alcatraz Island, the FBI has created replicas of decoy heads that inmates used to distract guards from a plan that still captivates researchers and tourists. Authorities on Thursday unveiled 3D-printed copies of the decoys that inmates Frank Morris and John and Clarence Anglin constructed with soap, plaster and human hair. Morris and the Anglin brothers...

Meditation helps vets with post-traumatic stress disorder

AP Medical Writer

Meditation worked as well as traditional therapy for military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder in a small experiment sponsored by the Department of Defense. One method preferred by the Department of Veterans Affairs is exposure therapy, but it doesn't work for everyone and many can't handle what it requires: purposely recalling traumatic events and confronting emotions. Meditation could...

11.15.18 Vanguard customer satisfaction drop; Flavored e cigs; New Amazon DVR

Clark.com

Vanguard dropped in the ACSI ratings due to worse customer service. Clark runs through other results from the recent customer satisfaction survey; Juul has announced that it will no longer sell flavors of liquid for its e cigarettes. That is good news for parents; Amazon has a new DVR for cord cutters that is worthy of your consideration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...

Missing North Carolina teacher killed in Mexico, according to Facebook post

by WSOCTV.com

A Facebook page dedicated to the search for a missing Mooresville, North Carolina, teacher announced that Patrick Braxton-Andrew died on Oct. 28 at the hands of a criminal organization while traveling in Mexico. Chihuahua officials and Braxton-Andrew's family desperately searched for the missing backpacker for weeks. The family thanked the Chihuahua governor and attorney general for their "unwavering...

Witness: El Chapo got police escort after escape

Associated Press

When the notorious drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was Mexico's most-wanted fugitive in 2001 following a prison breakout, he was startled to see a police motorcycle pull in front of a car carrying him as it reached the outskirts of Mexico City. A loyal drug cartel lieutenant behind the wheel explained there actually was nothing to fear - the motorcycle and a police car that came up from...

Study finds healthy group of polar bears in sea near Alaska

Associated Press

The first formal count of polar bears in waters between the United States and Russia indicates they're doing better than some of their cousins elsewhere. Polar bears are listed as a threatened species because of diminished sea ice due to climate change. But university and federal researchers estimate a healthy and abundant population of nearly 3,000 animals in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska's northwest...

Winds that fanned Southern California wildfire diminish

Associated Press

Winds that fanned a deadly, destructive Southern California firestorm were fading Thursday and more areas were reopening to residents as firefighters extended containment lines around the vast burn scar. "It's the new abnormal: fires, dryness, lack of moisture, winds," Gov. Jerry Brown said during a visit to a command post in Camarillo, where he also spoke about the transition from firefight...

Utility asked last month to hike bills over California fires

by JONATHAN J. COOPER, CATHY BUSSEWITZ, GARANCE BURKE, Associated Press

A utility facing severe financial pressure amid speculation its equipment may have sparked a deadly Northern California wildfire asked U.S. energy regulators last month for permission to raise its customers' monthly bills to harden its system against wildfires and deliver a sizable increase in profits to shareholders. In an October filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Pacific Gas...

SpaceX successfully launches Falcon 9 rocket from Space Coast and lands it

by Shelby Lin Erdman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket Thursday afternoon from the Kennedy Space Center and landed it on a droneship off the coast of Florida. >> Read more trending news The unmanned rocket carried the Es'hail-2 communications satellite built by Mitsubishi and owned by the nation of Qatar. “Es’hail-2 also features multi-transponder Ka-band capacity, providing...

Trump aide ousted by first lady says service was 'an honor'

Associated Press

A White House aide pushed out by first lady Melania Trump said Thursday that it had been "an honor" to serve in President Donald Trump's administration and that she admires the first family. Mira Ricardel, the deputy national security adviser, departed the White House on Wednesday, a day after the first lady's office issued an extraordinary statement calling for her ouster. "I admire...

Apple signs multiyear deal with film studio A24

AP Film Writer

Apple has signed a multiyear film production deal with A24, the acclaimed New York-based studio behind "Moonlight" and "Lady Bird." People close to the deal who requested anonymity because they weren't authorized to comment confirmed the agreement Thursday. Apple is investing in scripted content with the intention of competing with the likes of Netflix and Amazon. The deal connects...

South Dakota turkeys head to White House seeking pardons

The Associated Press

A pair of South Dakota turkeys will make their way to the nation's capital in the hopes of receiving presidential pardons and avoiding ending up as Thanksgiving dinner at the White House. Tourism officials in the birds' hometown of Huron paraded the turkeys around the city on Wednesday as part of a formal send-off, the Daily Republic reported. Although the turkeys have been presented to presidents...

AP source: Whitaker told Graham that Mueller probe to go on

by MARY CLARE JALONICK, MIKE BALSAMO, Associated Press

Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker told Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham in a meeting on Thursday that special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation will proceed, according to a person familiar with the meeting. The meeting with Graham and Whitaker comes as a bipartisan group of senators is pushing legislation to protect Mueller's job. The senators are concerned about Whitaker's past criticism of...

Forest Service chief vows to rid agency of sexual harassment

Associated Press

Amid scrutiny stemming from fresh revelations of rampant discrimination, bullying, retaliation and sexual misconduct at the U.S. Forest Service, the agency's new chief pledged Thursday that she will "do everything in my power to put us on a path to no harassment." Vicki Christiansen acknowledged to a congressional panel that the Forest Service is in need of a culture change. She pledged...

Sour Patch Kids cereal coming to store shelves, but not everywhere

by Cox Media Group National Content Desk

After weeks of rumors, Post has confirmed there is, in fact, a Sour Patch Kids cereal coming soon. Today reported that the company announced a cereal with the flavors of the sour and sweet gummies will be available Dec. 26. >> Read more trending news The item will only be at Walmart. According to Thrillist, the cereal has a smell similar to the candy. The cereal pieces, which are...

Melania Trump OK with criticism over anti-bullying campaign

Associated Press

Melania Trump says she's OK with the criticism and ridicule she has received for tackling online bullying and remains committed to the issue because "it will provide a better world for our children." The first lady told attendees Thursday at an annual online safety conference to consider using "negative words" directed at them as motivation to help encourage responsible behavior...

Prosecutor: Ohio suspects talked revenge vs. investigators

by ANGIE WANG, ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS, Associated Press

Two women who are the mothers of two suspects in the massacre of a family, and the grandmothers of the other two, pleaded not guilty Thursday to misleading investigators of the crime, which went without any arrests for more than two years. During the court hearing, a special prosecutor said the four suspects in the 2016 killings that left eight dead met before they were arrested and talked about getting...

US cutting counterterror forces in Africa

AP National Security Writer

The Pentagon is reducing its counterterrorism forces in Africa and studying whether to make similar moves elsewhere in the world as part of a broad effort to shift American military focus toward what it calls threats from Russia and China. The planned 10 percent cut from U.S. Africa Command's total force of 7,200 troops will be carried out over several years, the Pentagon said in a brief statement...

Guns seized at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson checkpoints sets national record

by Kelly Yamanouchi, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

More guns have been seized at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport’s security checkpoints in 2018 than at any other airport in the nation, setting a record even before the year is out. >> Read more trending news The Atlanta airport has held the No. 1 spot in the nation for guns uncovered at checkpoints for the last two years. A total of 293 firearms have been found in ...

Man on trial for killing girlfriend's abusive Missouri mom

The Associated Press

A woman whose mother for years made everyone believe her daughter was seriously ill testified Thursday that she talked her boyfriend whom she'd met online into coming to Missouri to kill her abusive mom, believing it was the only way she could be free of her. The testimony from Gypsy Blanchard, 27, came in the trial of her former boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn. His attorneys don't deny that he killed...