| CDC doctor's disappearance: Parents share chilling last text message from missing son Posted: 27 Feb 2018 07:43 AM PST  The parents of missing doctor Timothy Cunningham shared the last text message they received from their son before his disappearance two weeks ago. Cunningham, a highly regarded epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, went missing after he left work mid-day on Feb. 12, complaining of feeling ill. After Cunningham, 35, failed to report to work or contact his family over the next two days, his parents, Terrell and Tia-Juana Cunningham, drove down to Georgia from their house in Maryland to check on their son.
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| No Jail For Texas Teen Who Lied About Being Raped By 3 Black Men Posted: 27 Feb 2018 12:28 PM PST  On Thursday, 19-year-old Breana Harmon of Pottsboro pleaded guilty to four felony charges of tampering with physical evidence and government documents in relation to false reports of kidnapping and sexual assault. "She's very remorseful for what she did and what she said, and that's why she decided to plead guilty," Harmon's attorney Bob Jarvis told the Sherman Herald Democrat. On March 8, 2017, Harmon was reported missing to the Denison Police Department after witnesses noticed the door to her vehicle was open with personal items, including a phone and keys, scattered on the ground.
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| Supreme Court hears arguments on power of public employee unions Posted: 26 Feb 2018 08:39 AM PST  The justices will decide whether state government workers who choose not to join a union must still pay a share of union dues to cover the cost of negotiating contracts.
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| Four dead after blast destroys shop and home in English city of Leicester Posted: 25 Feb 2018 11:30 PM PST ![Four dead after blast destroys shop and home in English city of Leicester]( "Four dead after blast destroys shop and home in English city of Leicester") By Darren Staples LEICESTER, England (Reuters) - At least four people were killed and four more injured when a blast destroyed a convenience store and a home in the central English city of Leicester on Sunday, British police said. "There are four confirmed fatalities at this stage and a number of people still undergoing treatment in hospital," Leicestershire Police Superintendent Shane O'Neill said. "We believe there may be people who have not yet been accounted for and rescue efforts continue in order to locate any further casualties." He said there was no immediate indication that the explosion was linked to terrorism.
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| Gun-Carrying GOP Lawmaker Calls For Assault Weapon Ban: 'Not One More School Shooting' Posted: 27 Feb 2018 08:32 AM PST  Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), a combat veteran and gun-carrying National Rifle Association member, is supporting a ban on "assault-style weapons" in the wake of a deadly mass shooting earlier this month.
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| Doyle Lee Hamm execution: Repeated jabbing of death row inmate in attempted lethal injection amounts to torture, says lawyer Posted: 26 Feb 2018 08:55 AM PST  Convicted murderer Doyle Lee Hamm, 61, who has spent more than half his life on death row, was returned to his cell after more than two hours of effort by the execution team. Bernard Harcourt, who has represented Hamm for 28 years, claimed the "botched" execution attempt led to at least 12 puncture wounds from failed needle placements. "It was a gory, botched execution," he said.
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| PNG troops respond to major 7.5 quake as aftershocks feared Posted: 25 Feb 2018 08:29 PM PST  Papua New Guinea sent troops and rescue workers Monday to respond to a powerful earthquake in the Pacific nation's mountainous interior, with unconfirmed reports of fatalities and warnings of aftershocks and landslides. Assessment teams were heading to affected areas near the 7.5-magnitude quake's epicentre, which the US Geological Survey said was some 90 kilometres (55 miles) south of Porgera in Enga province. "It is advisable to stay out of multi-story buildings, to be aware of the potential of landslides, and to be prepared to move to open ground in the event that an aftershock is felt," the chief secretary to the government, Isaac Lupari, said in a statement.
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| Hope for answers in Alfa-Bank chief's son-in-law's guilty plea Posted: 26 Feb 2018 07:57 AM PST  Rachel Maddow looks at some of the questions surrounding Alfa-Banks interactions with Donald Trump and his campaign and notes that Alex Van der Zwaan, who pled guilty in a case brought by Robert Mueller is the son-in-law of a co-founder of Alfa-Bank.
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| Jared Kushner's Security Clearance Has Been Downgraded: Reports Posted: 27 Feb 2018 12:53 PM PST  All other White House aides working on high-level interim clearances also had their access downgraded, according to a memo reportedly sent to staffers on Friday. Earlier that same day, Trump said he would leave it up to his chief of staff, John Kelly, to decide what access Kushner should have.
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| Democrats Sue Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker To Force Him To Call Special Elections Posted: 26 Feb 2018 03:52 PM PST  A Democratic group is suing Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) over his refusal to call special elections for two seats in the state legislature. In December, two Republican lawmakers ― an assemblyman and a state senator ― resigned to take jobs in the Walker administration. The governor has said he won't call a special election for the vacant seats, leaving them to be filled in the regularly scheduled November election, in order to save the state money. Democrats contend that Walker is delaying the vote in hopes of holding on to two GOP seats after Democrats unexpectedly won a January special election in a Wisconsin district that Donald Trump had carried handily in 2016.
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| U.S. appeals court says Title VII covers discrimination based on sexual orientation Posted: 26 Feb 2018 08:59 AM PST ![U.S. appeals court says Title VII covers discrimination based on sexual orientation]( "U.S. appeals court says Title VII covers discrimination based on sexual orientation") The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overruled prior decisions and said that a worker's sex is necessarily a factor in discrimination based on sexual orientation. The 2nd Circuit revived a lawsuit by the estate of Donald Zarda, a former skydiving instructor on Long Island who said he was fired after he told a customer he was gay and she complained. Zarda's estate was backed in the appeal by dozens of large companies, including Alphabet Inc's Google, Microsoft Corp, CBS Corp and Viacom Inc.
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| Melania Trump cuts ties with aide whose firm profited from inauguration Posted: 27 Feb 2018 02:42 AM PST  NBC's Andrea Mitchell and panel report on First Lady Melania Trump cutting ties with an aide whose company made $26 million on the inauguration.
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| So That Baby Definitely Wasn't Crying On 'Walking Dead,' Right? Posted: 27 Feb 2018 05:01 AM PST  By all accounts, the most recent episode of "Walking Dead" was tragic (RIP Carl). In the Season 8 midseason premiere on Sunday, Carl enjoyed a touching moment with his sister Judith (Chloe and Sophia Garcia-Frizzi), saying goodbye before his inevitable death from a zombie bite.
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| Family Dog Walks Out Of Rubble After 5 People Killed in Tornado, Deadly Floods Posted: 26 Feb 2018 05:40 AM PST  Central U.S. through Appalachia experienced gale force winds and heavy rains over the weekend.
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| Is Ivanka Trump unqualified? Newsroom readers respond Posted: 27 Feb 2018 03:24 PM PST  "Ivanka and Jared must return to NYC and stay out of U.S. politics." "She's qualified, she's designed handbags, stilettos and a wonderful perfume fragrance, Ugh!" Newsroom readers are joining the chorus questioning if Ivanka Trump has too much power. The first daughter and adviser to dad President Trump recently traveled to the Winter Olympics in South Korea, the latest eyebrow-raising appearance as part of her controversial post. Pundits and the public have long questioned her role and influence, but now White House chief of staff John Kelly is also said to be concerned. This week he made the call to downgrade the security clearance of Ivanka's husband, Jared Kushner. According to a report, Kelly is frustrated and questioning whether the first daughter has the qualifications to represent the administration. Newsroom seems to agree: "We have children playing king and queen while poppa plays President," one reader wrote. Another chimed in: "To represent the U.S. should be an earned honor, not appointing relatives." What do you think? Does Ivanka deserve her power in the White House? Join the conversation in Newsroom.
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| Murder caught on Facebook Live Posted: 26 Feb 2018 08:22 AM PST  55-year-old Prentis Robinson was live-streaming on Facebook his walk home after having his phone stolen when he was suddenly approached by a man who killed him in cold blood.
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| New Yorker arrested in Japan over severed head in suitcase Posted: 26 Feb 2018 03:37 PM PST  An American tourist has been arrested in Japan after police found the severed head of a woman in a suitcase in his holiday rental flat. Yevgeniy Vasilievich Bayraktar, 26, from New York, is currently in custody and being questioned by police following the discovery in Osaka last week. The victim is believed to be a woman, 27, from Sanda in Hyogo prefecture, who was last seen on CCTV cameras alongside Mr Bayraktar, just hours before she went missing on February 16. Security footage reportedly captured the pair meeting at a train station in Osaka around midnight and then entering the apartment building together. The woman had earlier told a friend that she was planning to meet a man she had met via a social networking site, according to local newspapers. Arms, legs, and a torso were also found in a mountainous area nearby Credit: AFP Her relatives raised the alarm with police on February 17 when she failed to return home and her mobile phone stopped working. Mr Bayraktar was captured on security footage entering and leaving the flat several times on February 16 with a suitcase, but there was no further sign of the woman. Six days later, police searched the flat and arrested Mr Bayraktar after receiving a tip that he was confining a woman in the flat before discovering a head in a suitcase. Arms, legs, and a torso were also found in a mountainous area nearby. Mr Bayraktar is thought to have arrived in Japan in January for a sightseeing trip and was booked to stay in the flat for around a week. He has denied the allegations and remained silent during police questioning, according to media reports. Japan has long enjoyed a reputation as one of the world's safest countries, with its crime rates among the lowest for industrialised nations. Last month, preliminary police data for 2017 showed that the number of recorded crimes in Japan had fallen to a record low of just over 915,000 incidents. However, every year, a number of violent crimes also hit the headlines, including the so-called "Twitter killer" Takahiro Shiraishi, who was arrested last year after reportedly luring nine young people he found via social media to his home before killing them.
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| US general: Russia is both 'arsonist and fireman' in Syria Posted: 27 Feb 2018 01:29 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia is seeking to counter U.S. diplomatic influence by stoking conflict in Syria even as it portrays itself as an arbiter in the civil war, the top American general in the Middle East said Tuesday in notably pointed criticism of Moscow.
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| US should lower 'threshold for talks' with N. Korea: Seoul Posted: 26 Feb 2018 11:56 AM PST  South Korean President Moon Jae-in urged the United States to "lower the threshold for talks" with North Korea on Monday as his aides held rare talks with a Pyongyang general on ways to defuse tensions. Moon has sought to use the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics that ended on Sunday to open dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang in the hopes of easing a nuclear standoff that has sparked global security fears. Pyongyang mounted a charm offensive during the Games, sending athletes, cheerleaders and performers.
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| West Virginia Governor Tells Striking Teachers To Get Back In The Classroom Posted: 26 Feb 2018 04:32 PM PST  West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) told his state's striking teachers they "need to be back in the classroom" as he spoke at a series of town halls on Monday. Speaking and taking questions in Wheeling, Martinsburg and Morgantown throughout the day, Justice urged the state's educators to end their strike Tuesday and promised he'd establish a task force in the next seven to 10 days to look into some of their concerns. The comments come days after Justice faced criticisms that he's missing in action at the state Capitol. His administration has denied a Freedom of Information Act request to view his calendars and appointment books.
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| Hitler Built a World War II Submarine That Was Revolutionary. It Ended Up a Total Failure. Posted: 26 Feb 2018 10:53 AM PST  Hitler Built a World War II Submarine That Was Revolutionary. Some were used for target practice. The only surviving vessel of its class today is the Wilhelm Bauer, which the modern Germany navy converted into a research vessel.
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| Two stowaways on US-bound flight from Ecuador die after falling from aircraft Posted: 27 Feb 2018 01:46 PM PST  Two men thought to have been stowaways on a US-bound flight from Ecuador have died after they fell from the aircraft, it has been reported. The Jose Joaquin de Olmedo airport in Guayaquil was closed for an hour and a half as their bodies were removed from the runway. Employees at the airport noticed three objects falling from the plane and officials believe the pair either fainted or were ejected.
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| Authorities are Searching for the Person Who Fatally Shot a Man on Facebook Live Posted: 25 Feb 2018 09:00 PM PST  A suspect is being held without bail in the fatal stabbing of a medical student in a library.
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| Trump's Approval Rating Drops Back To His Worst With 2 New Polls Posted: 25 Feb 2018 06:15 PM PST  Donald Trump's approval rating has slumped again to match the lowest of his presidency, according to two new polls.
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| Nassar victims help unveil sweeping child abuse legislation Posted: 26 Feb 2018 08:50 PM PST  LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Victims of imprisoned former sports doctor Larry Nassar helped unveil what they described Monday as a sweeping rewrite of Michigan laws related to childhood sexual abuse, saying the changes would ease the ability to stop abuse and bring justice to survivors.
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| Prison fight caught on camera Posted: 27 Feb 2018 09:56 AM PST  A fight broke out in the maximum security section of the Cook County Jail in Illinois. Two inmates were taken to area hospitals for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Sixteen inmates were charged with 'mob action.'
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| 22 Poolhouse Ideas and Design Inspiration Posted: 26 Feb 2018 01:27 PM PST |
| Georgia's Lieutenant Governor Tells Delta To Give NRA Back Its Discounts, Or Else Posted: 26 Feb 2018 05:55 PM PST  Georgia's lieutenant governor said on Monday he would work to derail a multimillion-dollar tax cut that would benefit Delta Air Lines unless the company reinstated its relationship with the National Rifle Association. Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, who also serves as president of the Georgia state Senate, intimated in a tweet he would "kill any tax legislation" as punishment to Delta, which last week said it would end its discount program for members of the NRA. Delta, headquartered in Atlanta, is one of more than a dozen companies that have distanced themselves from the gun lobby following the massacre of 17 people at a Florida high school on Feb. 14.
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| The February 2018 Air War between Israel, Syria and Iran Was Brief and Violent Posted: 26 Feb 2018 07:06 AM PST  Many of us woke up on the morning of Feb. 10, 2018 to news of air-to-ground clashes between the Israeli Air-Space Force and the forces of the Bashar Al Assad's regime in Syria and its allies from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. An unmanned aerial vehicle operated by the IRGC was shot down over Israel. Then one of the IASF's F-16s crashed – apparently shot down – over Israel.
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| After Unsuspecting Mom Is Crushed in Central Park, How to Spot a Troublesome Tree Posted: 26 Feb 2018 02:02 PM PST  Anne Monoky is still in a neck brace after the incident six months ago.
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| Monica Lewinsky: 'I'm Not Alone Anymore' Thanks To The Me Too Movement Posted: 26 Feb 2018 07:45 AM PST  "I'm so sorry you were so alone," Lewinsky wrote in a recent essay for Vanity Fair, recalling a message she received from a leader of the Me Too movement. Lewinsky's essay in the magazine's March edition describes how she grappled with isolation and trauma after her affair with then-President Bill Clinton became public in 1998. "Somehow, coming from her ― a recognition of sorts on a deep, soulful level ― [those words] landed in a way that cracked me open and brought me to tears," Lewinsky continued.
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| Obama Photographer Throws Epic Shade At Trump With Throwback Running Picture Posted: 27 Feb 2018 06:40 AM PST  Former White House photographer Pete Souza dug deep into his archives to troll President Donald Trump, once again.
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| Harley-Davidson's 115th Anniversary Promises Tons of Fun Posted: 27 Feb 2018 12:41 PM PST  Harley-Davidson's 115th Anniversary Promises Tons of Fun Special bikes, long rides home, and a huge, citywide party in Milwaukee are just the start Harley-Davidson turns 115-years-old this year, and the venerable Motor Company plans to celebrate with a bang.
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| Dubai police: Bollywood's Sridevi drowned in hotel bathtub Posted: 26 Feb 2018 05:25 AM PST  DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Indian actress Sridevi drowned in her hotel bathtub after losing consciousness, the Dubai police said in a statement Monday, though two police officials said she was also under the influence of alcohol at the time.
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| Two police officers sentenced for sexually assaulting women while on duty Posted: 27 Feb 2018 10:04 AM PST  A pair of former Los Angeles police officers were sentenced to 25 years behind bars after pleading no contest to charges of sexually assaulting multiple women. Luis Valenzuela and James Nichols abusing their authority to prey on vulnerable women, luring them into their car and warning of repercussions if they did not perform sex acts on them, prosecutors from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office said. The abuses often occurred when the pair was on duty, they told Los Angeles County Superior Court.
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| Johnnie Walker Whisky Bottles Have a Female Logo Now. Meet 'Jane Walker' Posted: 26 Feb 2018 08:07 AM PST  Johnnie Walker is rolling out a female version of its iconic logo, an attempt to draw more women to the world's best-selling scotch
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| 'Black Panther' Success Will Help Fund Boys & Girls Clubs' STEM Centers Posted: 26 Feb 2018 03:08 PM PST  Just as the advanced fictional nation of Wakanda revealed its technology to the world in "Black Panther," Disney is helping the Boys & Girls Clubs of America introduce advanced tech to America's youth. BGCA's STEM Centers of Innovation give kids the chance to learn from advanced technologies like 3D printers, robotics and high-definition video production equipment.
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| U.S. threatens action against Iran after Russia U.N. veto Posted: 26 Feb 2018 08:09 PM PST  By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS/TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - The United States threatened unilateral action against Iran on Monday after Russia vetoed a western bid for the United Nations Security Council to call out Tehran for failing to prevent its weapons from falling into the hands of Yemen's Houthi group. "If Russia is going to continue to cover for Iran then the U.S. and our partners need to take action on our own. If we're not going to get action on the council then we have to take our own actions," U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley told reporters during a visit to Honduran capital Tegucigalpa.
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| Rare Identical Newborn Triplets 'Doing Better Than Expected' Posted: 27 Feb 2018 10:31 AM PST  Their father, Caleb Choge, said his first thought when he realized he would have triplets was, "Our car doesn't fit. I need a bigger car."
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| Oakland mayor stands behind ICE warning despite critics Posted: 26 Feb 2018 05:46 PM PST  Two days after sending out a rare warning that residents in her city might be subject to widespread operations by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf is standing by her controversial decision.
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| Democratic Governor Confronts Trump: 'Less Tweeting ... More Listening' Posted: 26 Feb 2018 12:48 PM PST  WASHINGTON ― Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee (D) on Monday urged President Donald Trump to lay off Twitter and instead listen to Americans and back away from one of his suggestions for dealing with mass shootings. Trump has suggested that arming 20 percent of the nation's teachers could help prevent school shootings like the one that occurred earlier this month in Parkland, Florida, that claimed 17 lives. The president also has said that those teachers trained to use firearms could even receive extra pay. "I've listened to the biology teachers and they don't want to [be armed] at any percentage," the former U.S. House member said.
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| Gardner's use of private firm for investigation questioned Posted: 27 Feb 2018 02:59 PM PST  JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Attorneys for Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens are questioning why St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner hired a private out-of-state company to perform the investigation that led to his indictment, rather than relying on St. Louis police.
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| Church officials: Holy Sepulchre to remain closed Posted: 26 Feb 2018 11:50 AM PST  JERUSALEM (AP) — Leaders of the two largest Christian denominations in Jerusalem on Monday said the Church of the Holy Sepulchre will remain closed indefinitely to protest an Israeli attempt to tax their properties in the holy city, shuttering one of Jerusalem's most venerable and popular holy sites.
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