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RELATED PHOTOS: Katy Perry’s Most Outrageous Twitpics While Charles’ partnership with the brand kicks off today, we’ll have to wait until later this month to see him debut the brand’s new mascara designed to work on all lash types, CoverGirl So Lashy! Just wrapped another great @COVERGIRL shoot. Honored to have the pleasure to announce the very first COVERBOY, James Charles! Follow him @JCharlesBeauty!" According to a press release from the brand, all CoverGirls “are role models and boundary-breakers, fearlessly expressing themselves, standing up for what they believe, and redefining what it means to be beautiful,” and who better to embody that ethos than Instagram sensation James Charles. One year ago, he boldly chose to launch his Instagram to the world, using transformative, dynamic makeup looks to showcase the many facets of his personality, serving as an inspiration to anyone who might have been afraid to do the same.” James Charles has racked up over 400,000 followers in just one year of posting, thanks to masterful skills and an extensive array of looks, ranging from wild... ... to just plain stunning.

– If a woman can be president, who's to say a man can't be a CoverGirl. On Tuesday, the makeup company's current spokesperson, Katy Perry, announced James Charles as the first ever "CoverBoy" on her Instagram page. Charles, a 17-year-old "aspiring makeup artist," started using makeup only a year ago but has already amassed more than 430,000 followers on Instagram, the Huffington Post reports. According to People, Charles will appear in TV, print, and digital ads for "So Lashy" mascara later this month and will work with CoverGirl through 2017. "I am so thankful and excited," Charles posted on Instagram. "And yes I know I have lipstick on my teeth. It was a looonnnnggg day." CoverGirl says it wants to work with "role models and boundary-breakers, fearlessly expressing themselves, standing up for what they believe, and redefining what it means to be beautiful," Teen Vogue reports. The company calls Charles an inspiration. Teen Vogue is definitely on board, stating: "We're firm believers that anyone on the gender spectrum should be able to share their passion for makeup without facing outdated stereotypes and negative judgement." E! Online puts it more succinctly: "Work, boy, work!" (This woman did her makeup to distract herself from a 10-hour labor.)

Pia Farrenkopf had set up her bills to be paid automatically through a bank account, a neighbor cut her grass and her mail was sent to a nearby post office while her body sat for years in the back seat of a vehicle in her Pontiac, Michigan, garage. Farrenkopf stopped working in 2008 and the last withdrawal from the account was in March 2013, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in March. Robert Gerds, administrator for the Oakland County medical examiner’s office, said Farrenkopf’s family was notified Tuesday of the positive identification and her body has been released. “This has brought some closure for our family, knowing we may finally lay Pia to rest,” a posting on a Facebook page dedicated to her by a niece said Tuesday.

– Pia Farrenkopf had a poodle named Baby and a cat named Bungee, had traveled the world, and—though estranged from family and friends—was described as kind and private. And now, DNA has positively identified Farrenkopf as the mummified body found in the backseat of her Jeep in March. “This has brought some closure for our family, knowing we may finally lay Pia to rest,” says a message posted to Facebook on July 15. However, officials still don’t know how Farrenkopf died, MLive.com reports—her badly decomposed body was missing the heart, liver, and lungs, which are usually used to determine cause of death, and mummified muscle didn’t yield any results in a toxicology test, the Oakland County Deputy Medical Examiner explains to the Detroit Free Press. “The possibility of hypothermia or any drug or chemical intoxication cannot be ruled out,” he says. Though the death was treated initially as a homicide, investigators have found no evidence that the Pontiac, Michigan, woman—who would have turned 50 this year—was murdered, the Times Herald adds. Her assumed time of death has been pinned down, however, by subpoenaing bank, health, and phone records, which indicate she died in early 2009. Reuters reports that investigators also found out Farrenkopf was seen alive in early 2009. She’d stopped working in 2008 and, following her death, her bills were paid automatically; the money ran out last year, eventually leading to her discovery.

Necco sales have spiked more than 50% more than 82%. Embed this Source: Bulk candy sales from CandyStore.com Short for New England Confectionary Company (“Co”), Necco is the maker of Necco Wafers, Mary Janes, Clark Bars, Candy Buttons, Squirrel Nut Zippers and more beloved old-fashioned candy. Those candy hearts with little amorous messages on them are a Valentine's Day staple, and Sapers says Sugar Heaven will buy up as many as it can if it looks like NECCO won't survive. It's like people say they're chalky or whatever," Haugh says. At Sugar Heaven in Somerville, Mass., David Sapers points out that there is a lot more NECCO on his shelves than just those controversial wafers. The flavors have been described as “tropical drywall,” “plaster surprise,” and “attic citrus.” One Twitter commentator calls it a candy that “only a psychopath would like.” And yet, like anything appreciated only after it... The classic roll has an incongruous mix of flavors, including orange, licorice and clove. I still have a fine collection of Red Ryders & I watch the movie “A Christmas Story” every Christmas & still eat the occasional wafer. If you’re making chalkboard art, then by all means. "They're definitely not a normal thing for people to love. That's the best thing in the entire world," Scannell says.

– CandyStore.com is calling it "the Great NECCO Wafer Panic," and that's no exaggeration. Terrified by reports that the New England Confectionery Co. may soon be out of business, fans of the candy company's sugar wafers are stocking up, with one woman offering to exchange her 2003 Honda Accord for CandyStore.com's hefty stash. The offer was refused, so she bought 48 rolls instead, reports the Boston Globe. Jon Prince of CandyFavorites.com tells NPR that another fan tried to buy his entire stock of NECCO Wafers and cried after learning sales were being limited. "They said they couldn't imagine a world without their NECCO wafers," says Prince. Of course, not everyone loves the wafers, which come in flavors like chocolate, clove, and licorice. "I mean, it is really like chewing on chalk," one man tells NPR. More likely to be missed are NECCO's conversation hearts, always a hit around Valentine's Day. A few weeks after this year's holiday, NECCO said it would be forced to close—meaning 395 lost jobs at its factory in Revere, Mass.—unless it found a buyer by May. NECCO sales on CandyStore.com have jumped 82% in the aftermath, while wafer sales have spiked 150%. The turnaround might not be enough to save NECCO, but "who knows, NECCO wafers might make a comeback the way Twinkies did," Revere's mayor tells the Wall Street Journal.

New Charlie Sheen Texts: 'The Beast Is Alive' Now officially fired from Two and a Half Men as of Monday, Charlie Sheen is gearing up for his confrontation with Warner Bros.In a text to PEOPLE, Sheen writes: "Put yourself in my shoes for one warlock nanosecond.

– If you were hoping that Charlie Sheen’s long overdue firing might get the tiger-blood-drinking star off your television set and computer screen for a while … no such luck. Sheen reacted to his ouster in plenty of predictably bizarre ways, which the Hollywood Reporter helpfully rounds up: He drank out of a bottle labeled “Tiger Blood” while waving around a machete on the roof of Live Nation. He released another episode of Sheen’s Korner, which involved him smoking a cigarette out of his nose. He texted People the following: There is “war to wage … The winds are howling tonight. The gods are hungry. The beast is alive. And awake. And deadly.” Meanwhile, TMZ snagged a copy of the letter Warner Brothers sent to Sheen’s lawyer justifying his firing, and New York actually read all 11 pages. Buried amidst the obvious (“Your client … appears to be very ill”), the magazine found some new details. Though Sheen claims he was always ready for work, the letter says he frequently “had difficulty remembering his lines and hitting his marks.” Perhaps even more damning, the letter claims there actually was—despite what Sheen has said—a morals clause in his contract, which he violated by “furnishing cocaine to others.” Click for photos of Sheen waving his machete.

For 17 years, Juan Reinaldo Sanchez served as a bodyguard to Fidel Castro. But when he became disillusioned with the Cuban dictator’s hypocrisy and tried to retire in 1994, Castro had him thrown in prison. Sanchez made 10 attempts to escape the island, finally making it to Mexico by boat, then across the Texas border in 2008. Now he reveals all in his new book, “The Double Life of Fidel Castro.” In this excerpt, Sanchez explains how he lost faith in the revolution — and “El Jefe.” The end of 1988. A day like any other was coming to a close in Havana. In a few minutes, my life would be overturned. Fidel had spent his afternoon reading and working in his office when he stuck his head through the door to the anteroom, where I was, to warn me that Abrantes was about to arrive. Gen. José Abrantes, in his 50s, had been minister of the interior since 1985 after having been, notably, the commander in chief’s head of security for 20 years. Utterly loyal, he was one of the people who saw El Jefe daily. While they met, I went to sit in my office, where the closed-circuit TV screens monitoring the garage, the elevator and the corridors were found, as well as the cupboard housing the three locks that turned on the recording mikes hidden in a false ceiling in Fidel’s office. A moment later, the Comandante came back, opened the door again, and gave me this instruction: “Sánchez, ¡no grabes!” (“Sánchez, don’t record!”) The interview seemed to go on forever . . . one hour went by, then two. And so, as much out of curiosity as to kill the time, I put on the listening headphones and turned Key No. 1 to hear what was being said on the other side of the wall. Disillusioned Their conversation centered on a Cuban lanchero (someone who smuggles drugs by boat) living in the United States, apparently conducting business with the government. And what business! Very simply, a huge drug-trafficking transaction was being carried out at the highest echelons of the state. Abrantes asked for Fidel’s authorization to bring this trafficker temporarily to Cuba as he wanted to have a week’s vacation in his native land, accompanied by his parents, in Santa María del Mar — a beach situated about 12 miles east of Havana where the water is turquoise and the sand as fine as flour. For this trip, explained Abrantes, the lanchero would pay $75,000 — which, at a time of economic recession, wouldn’t go amiss . . . Fidel was all for it. But he expressed a concern: How could they ensure that the parents of the lanchero would keep the secret and not go and blab everywhere that they had spent a week near Havana with their son, who was supposed to live in the United States? The minister had the solution: All they had to do was make them believe their son was a Cuban intelligence officer who had infiltrated the United States and whose life would be gravely endangered if they did not keep his visit to Cuba absolutely secret. “Very well . . .” concluded Fidel, who gave his agreement. It was as if the sky had fallen in on me. I realized that the man for whom I had long sacrificed my life, the Líder whom I worshipped like a god and who counted more in my eyes than my own family, was caught up in cocaine trafficking to such an extent that he was directing illegal operations like a real godfather. The Comandante, with his talent for dissimulation, went back to work as if nothing was amiss. One has to understand his logic. For him, drug trafficking was, above all, a weapon of revolutionary struggle more than a means of making money. His reasoning was as follows: If the Yanks were stupid enough to use drugs that came from Colombia, not only was that not his problem — as long as it was not discovered, that is — but, in addition, it served his revolutionary objectives in the sense that it corrupted and destabilized American society. Icing on the cake: It was a means of bringing in cash to finance subversion. And so, as cocaine trafficking increased in Latin America, the line between guerrilla war and trafficking drugs gradually blurred. What was true in Colombia was just as true in Cuba. For my part, I never managed to accept this twisted reasoning, in absolute contradiction to my revolutionary ethics. Sham Trials In 1986, when economic aid from Moscow was starting to dry up, Castro founded the MC Department (for moneda covertible, or “covertible currency”), which traded in goods — illegal and legal — for hard currency from third parties, principally Panama. The MC Department soon acquired another nickname, the “Marijuana and Cocaine Department.” But the Americans became suspicious of Cuba’s drug dealing, and scandal loomed. Fidel decided to take action to nip any possible suspicion about him in the bud. He used the official daily paper, Granma, to inform its readers that an inquiry had been opened. Among the arrested were the respected revolutionary general Arnaldo Ochoa and the minister I had overheard talking to Castro, José Abrantes. The Machiavellian Fidel, while declaring himself “appalled” by what he pretended to have discovered, claimed that “the most honest imaginable political and judicial process” was under way. Obviously, the reality was completely different. Comfortably installed in his brother Raúl’s office, Fidel Castro and Raúl followed the live proceedings of Causa No. 1 and Causa No. 2 on the closed-circuit TV screens. Both trials were filmed — which is why one can today see large sections of it on YouTube — and broadcast to every Cuban home, though not live: The government wanted to be able to censor anything that might prove embarrassing. Fidel even had the means to alert the president of the court discreetly, via a warning light, whenever he thought a session should be interrupted. And during breaks, the president of the court, the public prosecutor and the jury members would swarm out onto the fourth floor of the ministry to take their instructions from Fidel, who, as usual, organized and ordered everything, absolutely everything. The Videotape At the end of these parodies of justice, Gen. Ochoa was condemned to death. José Abrantes received a sentence of 20 years of imprisonment. After just two years of detention in 1991, he would suffer a fatal heart attack, despite his perfect state of health, in circumstances that were, to say the least, suspicious. There followed the most painful episode of my career. Fidel had asked that the execution of Ochoa and the three other condemned men be filmed. And so, two days later, on a Saturday, a chauffeur arrived at the residence, where I was, to deliver a brown envelope containing a ­Betamax cassette video. Castro’s wife, Dalia, told Fidel’s men they should watch it. The video had no sound, which made the scenes we began to watch even more unreal. First, we saw vehicles arriving in a quarry at night, lit by projectors. I have often been asked how Ochoa faced death. The answer is clear and unambiguous: with ­exceptional dignity. As he got out of the car, he walked straight. When one of his torturers proposed to put a band over his eyes, he shook his head in sign of refusal. And when he was facing the firing squad, he looked death square in the face. Despite the absence of sound, the whole excerpt shows his courage. To his executioners, who could not be seen in the footage, he said something that one could not hear but which one could guess. His chest pushed out and his chin raised, he probably shouted something like, “Go on, you don’t frighten me!” An instant later, he crumpled from beneath the bullets of seven gunmen. Castro made us watch it. That’s what the Comandante was capable of to keep his power: not just of killing but also of humiliating and reducing to nothing men who had served him devotedly. His Brother’s Keeper After Ochoa’s death, Raúl Castro plunged into the worst bout of alcoholism of his life. He had taken part in the assassination of his friend. He turned to vodka, which had long been his favorite drink. There was doubtless another factor involved: having watched the elimination of his counterpart, Abrantes, Raúl could logically fear that he, too, would be hounded from his position of defense minister. The government No. 2 was dead drunk so often that the ministers and the generals could not have failed to miss it. The ­Comandante decided to go and lecture his younger brother. I heard Fidel admonishing his brother, launching into a long, moralistic tirade. “How can you descend so low? You’re giving the worst possible example to your family and your escort,” began the Comandante. “If what’s worrying you is that what happened to Abrantes will happen to you, let me tell you that Abrantes no es mi hermano [is not my brother]! You and I have been united since we were children, for better and for worse. So, no, you are not going to experience Abrantes’ fate, unless . . . you persist with this deplorable behavior. “Listen, I’m talking to you as a brother. Swear to me that you will come out of this lamentable state and I promise you nothing will happen to you.” Sure enough, shortly afterward, Fidel spoke out in praise of Raúl, applauding his integrity and his devotion to the Revolution. Raúl, for his part, carried on drinking vodka, but in far more reasonable quantities. From “The Double Life of Fidel Castro: My 17 Years as Personal Bodyguard to El Lider Maximo” by Juan Reinaldo Sanchez with Axel Gyldén. Copyright © 2015 by the author and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Press, LLC.

– Fidel Castro, ragtag communist revolutionary? Not according to a new book that chronicles his alleged luxurious lifestyle and drug-smuggling into the United States. A former bodyguard to Castro, Juan Reinaldo Sanchez—who fled Cuba in 2008 and has made similar allegations before—describes them fully in The Double Life of Fidel Castro: My 17 Years as Personal Bodyguard to El Lider Maximo. In a juicy New York Post excerpt, Sanchez claims that he overheard Castro meeting with a loyal general, José Abrantes, about drug trafficking: "What business!" Sanchez writes, with co-writer Axel Gylden. "Very simply, a huge drug-trafficking transaction was being carried out at the highest echelons of the state." According to the book, Castro and Gen. Abrantes discussed smuggling cocaine into the US. Castro's reasoning: "If the Yanks were stupid enough to use drugs that came from Colombia, not only was that not his problem ... it served his revolutionary objectives in the sense that it corrupted and destabilized American society," the book reads. Sanchez also accuses Castro of covering up his involvement by engineering sham trials that led to the deaths of two devoted officers, including Abrantes; this fueled the alcoholism of brother Raul, who feared he would be next. Imprisoned in Cuba for two years before fleeing, Sanchez has already accused Castro of secretly living a luxurious life that includes an 88-foot yacht and a Caribbean getaway island, the Miami Herald reported last year.

A network rep claims that the decision to not move forward with the animated comedy came before an anonymous woman alleged that the former 'Silicon Valley' star sexually assaulted her in 2001. Miller has denied the claims, writing in a statement with his wife, Kate, that the woman is "using the current climate to bandwagon and launch these false accusations." “It is unfortunate that she is choosing this route as it undermines the important movement to make women feel safe coming forward about legitimate claims against real known predators.” “ Miller began ‘shaking [her] violently’ and punched her in the mouth during sex. The woman alleges that while she and Miller were seeing each other in college at George Washington University in 2001, the actor strangled her and punched her in the mouth during sex. In a wide-ranging exit interview with The Hollywood Reporter at the time, Miller took shots at executive producer Alec Berg ("I don't know how smart [Alec] is. “He anally penetrated me without my consent, which I actually believe at that point I cried out, like, ‘No,’ and he didn’t continue to do that—but he also had a [beer] bottle with him the entire time. Among them: Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One, DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon 3, Kristen Stewart starrer Underwater and Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool 2. This year, HBO aired his stand-up special, and Comedy Central started airing The Gorburger Show, what Miller has previously told The Daily Beast is his “passion project” about a murderous alien talk-show host.

– Comic and Silicon Valley star TJ Miller is the latest celeb accused of sexual assault, but he and his wife have issued a joint statement strongly denying the allegations. The Daily Beast first reported the accusations, made by an anonymous woman who knew Miller from their days at George Washington University more than a decade ago. She claims Miller assaulted her in two separate incidents: In the first, she says he punched her in the mouth during consensual sex, fracturing a tooth. In the second, she says he forcefully choked her during sex and "anally penetrated me without my consent." On Instagram, Miller denies the claims, which were addressed by a student court at the time, though the school will not divulge the outcome. “We met this woman over a decade ago while studying together in college, she attempted to break us up back then by plotting for over a year before making contradictory claims and accusations," writes Miller with his wife, Kate. He adds that he's sure an investigation would clear him. Miller also accuses the woman of "using the current climate to bandwagon and launch these false accusations." Meanwhile, the Hollywood Reporter notes that Comedy Central announced Tuesday it was canceling Miller's animated series, The Gorburger Show, after one season. However, a network rep says the move is not related to the new controversy.

Herrera, of the 2400 block of South Marshall Boulevard, was dead at the scene. The youngest person killed during one of the bloodiest weekends in Chicago this year, 15-year-old Michael Westley, was fatally shot by a police officer Sunday night. The rash of violent crime came as Chicago has seen a large dip in overall homicide and shooting numbers so far this year. When asked whether this weekend's shooting numbers cast doubt on the department's crime-fighting strategies, Chicago police spokesman Adam Collins insisted they are working, noting the city has so far in 2013 posted its lowest homicide totals in years. Collins also reiterated a position that police Superintendent Garry McCarthy has expressed publicly throughout the year when discussing the department's crime-fighting efforts. We're halfway through one of the least-deadly years in recent Chicago homicide history, but here's a reminder that summer is just getting started: at least 41 were shot and 7 killed in Chicago this weekend. Earlier Saturday, about 10:50 p.m., Ricardo Herrera, 21, was killed and two others were wounded in a shooting in the Little Village neighborhood when a gunman opened fire in the 2500 block of South Ridgeway Avenue. What's perhaps most striking about the Tribune report is the amount of residue from the violence still left on the streets, which they describe as "literally stained:" "In the city’s Little Village neighborhood, 15 lit memorial candles stood in blood...About five miles away, a long trail of blood remained splattered in a Northwest Side alley — and on the bumper of a nearby car — where 16-year-old Kevin Rivera tried to run from a gunman on a bicycle, authorities told the Tribune." He was killed late Saturday when a gunman on a bicycle shot Rivera as he walked in an alley not far from his home on the 1500 block of North Keystone. He collapsed down the block from where he was shot about 11:45 p.m. Friends and family gathered Sunday outside the Humboldt Park home of Kevin Rivera to sign a poster and light candles to remember the 16-year-old. Victims this weekend include Kevin Rivera, a 16-year-old who tried to flee gunmen on his bike; Ricardo Herrera, 21; Todd Wood, 40, who was killed in a mass shooting at a club (two others were wounded); Cortez Wilberton, 31; Jamal Jones, 19; and Antwon Johnson, 24, who was shot by police: "[Johnson was shot] after he raised a 9-millimeter handgun in their direction after bailing from a moving car and falling, police said. His mother disputed that account. "It's not true," said Stacy Liberty. “How could someone have a gun and point it to you if they’re already on the ground?” Liberty said the car had been lurching down the block because the people in the car were trying to identify an address. The presence of a police car behind them must have made Johnson nervous, his mother said." "He hasn’t been in trouble in a while," said Liberty, who rushed to the scene and recalled seeing her son's lifeless body in the alley. A few minutes after midnight Sunday, 40-year-old Todd Wood, of the 8100 block of South St. Lawrence Avenue, was killed and three others were wounded when a gunman walked up to the open door of the club in the 900 block of East 79th Street in the Chatham neighborhood and opened fire. Three others were wounded in that attack, police said. Cortez Wilberton, 31, of the 200 block of South Lavergne Avenue, was fatally shot about 1:30 a.m. Sunday. A former gang member, Wilberton had a lengthy criminal record that included at least 30 arrests, according to court records. Still recovering from reconstructive surgery, he mostly stayed indoors at night but was gunned down at 1:35 a.m. on the 200 block of South Keeler Avenue in the Austin neighborhood. Her son, Jamal Jones, was shot at about 1:15 a.m. Sunday while riding his bike home from a family member's house through the 7400 block of South Parnell Avenue in the Englewood neighborhood, police and relatives said. Jones, of the 8800 block of South Yale Avenue, died about an hour later at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. And when Jamal Jones's family went to the scene where the 19-year-old was shot, they found his bike still there, along with needles left behind from the paramedics. “While we’ve had fewer murders to date this year than any year since the mid-1960s, there’s more work to be done and we won’t rest until everyone in Chicago enjoys the same sense of safety,” Collins wrote.

– The news out of Chicago just five days ago was encouraging: after a murder-riddled 2012, this year's murder rate had plummeted to a level not seen in 50 years. Today, the news is of a darker nature. Between Friday afternoon and Sunday, a total of 46 people were shot in the city, seven fatally, per the Tribune. (Other sources put the tally slightly lower.) The stat does represent a sort of improvement: The Tribune reports that around this time last year, those numbers were 53 and nine, respectively. And the Atlantic Wire notes that a deadlier weekend has already occurred in 2013: January closed with eight deaths. The youngest victim, 16-year-old Kevin Rivera, apparently tried to flee from a gunman on a bicycle late Saturday. The dead teen's family was just two weeks away from a move from their sometimes dangerous Hermosa neighborhood.

Funeral of Olivia Arevalo, an 81-year-old indigenous shaman of the Shipibo-Conibo tribe who was shot dead near her home in Ucayali, in Pucallpa, Peru April 21, 2018. Woodroffe traveled to Peru to learn about ayahuasca and plant medicine so he could become an addictions counselor, according to his post on the crowdfunding website Indiegogo.com.

– The Canadian man lynched in the Amazon last Thursday is the No. 1 suspect in the death of an octogenarian shaman, prosecutors say. Reuters reports on the new evidence that brought them to that conclusion: a silver-colored pistol prosecutor Ricardo Jimenez says Sebastian Woodroffe purchased in early April. They were told by a witness that the pistol tumbled out of the 41-year-old's backpack when locals, angry over Olivia Arevalo's death, grabbed him; he was subsequently lynched. Jimenez says no weapon has been found, but "he is the main suspect." As for a motive, Jimenez says Arevalo's son owed Woodroffe nearly $4,500, though Jimenez told the BBC Arevalo's family claims Woodroffe became enraged when Arevalo wouldn't conduct an ayahuasca ceremony for him. Meanwhile, the AP reports Peru's attorney general has ordered two suspects be arrested in connection with Woodroffe's death. It adds forensic experts are examining the Canadian's remains to see if there is any evidence of his shooting Arevalo. (This ayahuasca ceremony ended in death in 2015.)

The anti-abortion activists, who named their group the Center for Medical Progress, began releasing a series of covertly recorded videos in July alleging that Planned Parenthood sold fetal tissue to researchers for a profit in violation of federal law. "Game on," Daleiden told BuzzFeed News by email. "I look forward to deposing all the CEOs, medical directors, and their co-conspirators who participated in Planned Parenthood's illegal baby body parts racket." Planned Parenthood filed a racketeering lawsuit against anti-abortion activist David Daleiden and his Center for Medical Progress group on Thursday, calling the group "a complex criminal enterprise conceived and executed by anti-abortion extremists." She cited the attack in November on a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado in which three people were killed; the man arrested in the shooting depicted himself in court as a "warrior for the babies."

– The undercover "sting" videos targeting Planned Parenthood were part of a "complex criminal enterprise" created by "anti-abortion extremists," according to a federal lawsuit filed by the organization. The lawsuit filed Thursday against an anti-abortion group called the Center for Medical Progress accuses the group of committing fraud and breaking racketeering laws to obtain videos of Planned Parenthood employees discussing the transfer of organs from aborted fetuses, Reuters reports. The lawsuit states that the group's activities lasted years and involved the use of fake government IDs, the creation of a fake company, and "large-scale illegal taping" as part of an effort to "demonize Planned Parenthood." "The people behind this fraud lied and broke the law in order to spread malicious lies," Planned Parenthood executive vice president Dawn Laguens tells the AP. "This lawsuit exposes the elaborate, illegal conspiracy designed to block women's access to safe and legal abortion." She says no Planned Parenthood staff were involved in any wrongdoing. "My response is: Game on," Center for Medical Progress founder David Daleiden tells BuzzFeed, adding that he is looking forward to "taking the depositions of all the Planned Parenthood CEOs" that he claims profited from tissue sales. The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages, and Planned Parenthood lawyer Beth Parker tells the AP that the amount will include the cost of extra security for clinics.

Arguably, the only widely-known soccer player remaining in the 2018 World Cup is Brazil’s Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior. His rolling on the field during a game against Serbia, after being knocked by an opponent, has become both a meme and a hashtag. It's not often that a commercial can be super relevant and timely, but somehow, the team behind advertising for KFC in South Africa was ready to turn a great World Cup moment into a bit of marketing genius. #NeymarRolling is all the rage these days. Absolutely unreal advertisement from KFC South Africa 😂🤣pic.twitter.com/5MqGJkDB6L — Jack Grimse (@JackGrimse) July 5, 2018 Diving, the term for soccer players trying to trick referees into thinking that they’re injured, is a controversial tactic aimed at getting referees to call fouls, which can lead to penalty kicks, or yellow or red cards. The World Cup has been on everyone’s lips lately but it’s Neymar's elaborate diving, rolling and flopping that has been dominating conversations.

– Neymar's histrionics on the soccer field have become legendary, but now they may also prove lucrative—at least for KFC South Africa, if its latest ad draws people into its restaurants. Fortune reports on the chain's minute-long spot, which shows a soccer player flailing and rolling after he falls during a play. He rolls right out of the stadium, through town, and right to the door of KFC, where he's suddenly able to stand to place his order. See it here. The spot doesn't reference Neymar by name, but the Brazilian superstar has been known to do some theatrical rolls of his own—see here. Sports Illustrated and USA Today think KFC is clearly mocking Neymar, though EWN suggests the ad came out at the start of the tournament, prompting it to ask, "Did KFC Predict Neymar Flopping"?

Senators have voted to pass the federal government's bill legalizing recreational marijuana by a vote of 52-29, with two abstentions, paving the way for a fully legal cannabis market within eight to 12 weeks. Independent Sen. André Pratte, who disagrees with the government's decision to force provinces to accept home cultivation, said he was angry the bill passed without the major amendments posed by the Senate. The conflict between the elected House of Commons and the unelected Senate ramped up last week with the government’s rejection of several key Senate amendments — most notably one linked to home cultivation. The legislation -- an electoral promise of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party --allows adults in Canada to legally possess and use small amounts of recreational cannabis. Some critics say the penalties are too harsh and not proportional to similar laws like those around selling alcohol to minors. However, the government's own task force recommended 18, warning that setting the age limit too high could continue to encourage youth to buy marijuana on the illegal market. Among the 13 amendments that the federal Liberals rejected were the proposal to allow the provinces and territories to ban home-grown marijuana, and a proposed change to prohibit pot producers from distributing branded merchandise. A spokesperson for Manitoba’s justice minister told Global News on Tuesday that the minister is “satisfied that provinces have the legal authority to restrict home grown cannabis, up to and including prohibition” and that the Manitoba would be “willing to defend our position if challenged.” WATCH: How teach province is tackling marijuana legalization READ MORE: Quebec premier won’t rule out legal challenge if Ottawa allows home-grown cannabis Impaired driving bill still languishing One other complication also remains: the government’s second marijuana bill, linked to drug-impaired driving. That window of time between when the bill passes and when it becomes federal law is to allow for the provinces, territories, municipalities, police forces, and other stakeholders to make sure their piece of the pot pie is operating in accordance with the new rules. Quebec, Manitoba and Nunavut have all decided they don’t want to allow home grows, in spite of the federal government’s desire to permit four plants per household. <a href="https://t.co/y9CKJo7054">https://t.co/y9CKJo7054</a> —@LindaFrum Another significant Senate amendment quashed by the government would have banned the distribution of branded "swag" by pot companies, such as T-shirts, hats and phone cases that display a company logo. On Monday, the government gave notice of its position on the Senate changes, stating that it “respectfully disagrees” with these two changes.

– Canadian lawmakers have taken the final step toward legalizing recreational marijuana—and it will become official as soon as Queen Elizabeth II's representative signs off on it. A bill ending the country's 95-year prohibition on cannabis passed Canada's Senate by a vote of 52 to 29, CTV reports. After royal assent is granted—which could happen as soon as Wednesday—the government will set a date for the new law, Bill C-45, to come into force. The bill grants provinces a "buffer period" of eight to 12 weeks to prepare for legal marijuana sales, meaning Canadians over 18 could be able to buy legal pot as soon as September, the CBC reports. Canadians will also be allowed to grow small amounts of pot for recreational use. Independent Sen. Tony Dean, the bill's Senate sponsor, said he was feeling "great," Global News reports. "We've just witnessed a historic vote for Canada. The end of 90 years of prohibition," he said. He added that it is now time to start addressing the harms of cannabis and the $7 billion illegal market, an approach echoed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. "It’s been too easy for our kids to get marijuana - and for criminals to reap the profits," he tweeted. "Today, we change that." The bill makes Canada only the second country, after Uruguay, to legalize recreational use of cannabis nationwide, reports the BBC. (Canadian pot growers started ramping up production last year.)

North Korea has carried out what it says is the demolition of its nuclear... (Associated Press) PUNGGYE-RI, North Korea (AP) — North Korea carried out what it said is the demolition of its nuclear test site Thursday, setting off a series of explosions over several hours in the presence of foreign journalists. Asia correspondent Tom Cheshire was the only British broadcaster invited to watch a series of explosions at the facility ahead of planned talks between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Image: A satellite image of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site before the explosions The deputy director of the North Korea Nuclear Weapons Institute told Sky News that the destruction of the facility had been "conducted with high levels of transparency" in a bid to bring "peace and stability" to the Korean peninsula and the world. Image: Kim Jong Un has pledged not to stage more nuclear tests North Korea has insisted it will not give up nuclear weapons unilaterally ahead of a planned summit with Mr Trump, scheduled for 12 June in Singapore.

– North Korea carried out what it said is the demolition of its nuclear test site Thursday, setting off a series of explosions over several hours in the presence of foreign journalists. The explosions at the nuclear test site deep in the mountains of the North's sparsely populated northeast were centered on three tunnels into the underground site and a number of observation towers in the surrounding area, reports the AP. The planned closing was previously announced by Kim Jong Un ahead of his planned summit with President Trump next month. Sky News correspondent Tom Cheshire was on hand, and described it thusly: "We hiked up into the mountains and watched the detonation from about 500 meters away. ... There was a huge explosion, you could feel it. Dust came at you, the heat came at you. It was extremely loud." The North's decision to close the Punggye-ri nuclear test site has generally been seen as a welcome gesture by Kim to set a positive tone ahead of the summit. Even so, it is not an irreversible move and would need to be followed by many more significant measures to meet Trump's demands for real denuclearization. By bringing in the foreign media, mainly television networks, the North is apparently hoping to have images of the closing—including explosions to collapse tunnel entrances—broadcast around the world. The group included an AP television crew. The North did not invite international inspectors to the ceremony, which limits its value as a serious concession. (Pyongyang is apparently all over the place on Thursday.)

Story highlights NSC confirms Peter Kassig, American shown on video, is being held by ISIS ISIS claims to have beheaded another Westerner Video appears to show the killing of Alan Henning, a British aid worker A short video released by ISIS on Friday shows the apparent beheading of British aid worker Alan Henning, with the executioner blaming the death on the United Kingdom for joining the U.S.-led bombing campaign against the group. "Obama, you have started your aerial bombard of Shams (Syria), which keep on striking our people, so it is only right that we strike the next of your people," a masked militant said. Henning, 47, nicknamed "Gadget," had joined an aid convoy and was taken captive on Dec. 26, shortly after crossing the border between Turkey and Syria. The Associated Press could not immediately verify the video's authenticity, though it was released in the same manner as other Islamic State group videos. The full beheadings are not shown in the videos, but the British-accented, English-speaking militant holds a long knife and appears to begin cutting the three men, American reporters James Foley and Steven Sotloff and British aid worker David Haines.

– ISIS today released another video showing the beheading of a hostage, this time British citizen Alan Henning, reports AP. The video follows the same pattern as the previous three, in which an Islamic State fighter rants against the West. At the end of the video, the militant threatens an American aid worker who has been identified as Peter Kassig, a former US Army veteran who became a volunteer in the Mideast. "Obama, you have started your aerial bombard of Shams (Syria), which keep on striking our people, so it is only right that we strike the next of your people," says the militant. Henning, a taxi driver, was captured in Syria last year while delivering food and water as a volunteer to people affected by the civil war, reports CNN. His wife had pleaded publicly for his release.

The President’s Executive Order falls squarely within his lawful authority in seeking to protect our Nation’s security, and the Department will continue to defend this Executive Order in the courts.” (Daron Taylor/The Washington Post) Watson was one of three federal judges to hear arguments Wednesday about the ban, though he was the first to issue an opinion. A federal judge in Maryland says he will issue a ruling in a lawsuit challenging President... (Associated Press) The Latest on legal challenges to the Trump administration's revised travel ban (all times Pacific unless noted): 12:50 p.m. A federal judge in Hawaii has put President Donald Trump's revised travel ban on hold. In a blistering 43-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Derrick K. Watson pointed to Trump’s own comments and those of his close advisers as evidence that his order was meant to discriminate against Muslims and declared there was a “strong likelihood of success” that those suing would prove the directive violated the Constitution. "The illogic of the Government’s contentions is palpable," wrote Watson, an appointee of President Barack Obama. “The notion that one can demonstrate animus toward any group of people only by targeting all of them at once is fundamentally flawed.” Early Thursday, a federal judge in Maryland issued a second, narrower injunction against the measure — suspending only the portion that stopped the issuance of visas to citizens of six Muslim-majority countries. The judge spent much of the Wednesday hearing grilling the lawyers about two seemingly conflicting federal laws on immigration — one which gives the president the authority to keep any class of aliens out of the country, and another that forbids the government from discriminating on the basis of nationality when it comes to issuing immigrant visas. At a rally in Nashville on Wednesday, Trump called the Hawaii court ruling “terrible” and asked a cheering crowd whether the ruling was “done by a judge for political reasons.” He said the administration would fight the case “as far as it needs to go,” including up to the Supreme Court, and rued that he had been persuaded to sign a “watered-down version” of his first travel ban. I think we should go back to the first one and go all the way which is what I wanted to do in the first place." Show me the right way to do it legally.’ ” Watson also pointed to a recent Fox News appearance by Stephen Miller, in which the president’s senior policy adviser said the new ban would have “mostly minor technical differences” from the previous iteration frozen by the courts, and Americans would see “the same basic policy outcome for the country.” “These plainly-worded statements, made in the months leading up to and contemporaneous with the signing of the Executive Order, and, in many cases, made by the Executive himself, betray the Executive Order’s stated secular purpose,” Watson wrote. “The danger is clear, the law is clear, the need for my executive order is clear.” Sarah Isgur Flores, a spokeswoman for the Justice Department, said in a statement: “The Department of Justice strongly disagrees with the federal district court’s ruling, which is flawed both in reasoning and in scope. Trump effectively abandoned the earlier, broader version of his travel ban order after the bulk of it was blocked by another federal judge and a three-judge appeals court panel declined to allow Trump to restore it. "The President’s actions might have been more aggressive than those of his predecessors, but that was his prerogative," Judge Jay Bybee and four other Republican-appointed appeals judges wrote in a dissent from the decision not to reconsider the appeals court's earlier ruling. The administration could have defended the first ban in court — though it chose instead to rewrite the president’s executive order in such a way that it might be more defensible. In that case, U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang also pointed to statements by Trump and his advisers made that, in Chuang’s opinion, indicated the executive order was “the realization of the long-envisioned Muslim ban.” “These statements, which include explicit, direct statements of President Trump’s animus toward Muslims and intention to impose a ban on Muslims entering the United States, present a convincing case that the First Executive Order was issued to accomplish, as nearly as possible, President Trump’s promised Muslim ban,” Chuang wrote. Watson's ruling — applicable "in all places, including the United States" — blocked two core provisions of Trump's redrafted order: a 90-day halt in issuance of visas to citizens of six majority-Muslim countries and a 120-day halt of refugee admissions from around the globe. The judge's 43-page decision was issued about two hours after a court session in Honolulu during which he heard arguments over the legality of the revised order, which Trump signed last week. A federal judge in Hawaii on Wednesday issued a sweeping freeze of President Trump’s new executive order hours before it would have temporarily barred the issuance of new visas to citizens of six Muslim-majority countries and suspended the admission of new refugees. The rulings followed a series of four court hearings on Trump's revised travel ban held in the hours before it was set to take effect. In addition to the court sessions in Honolulu and Greenbelt, Maryland, two hearings took place in Seattle, where U.S. District Court Judge James Robart listened to arguments on a suit filed by individuals in Washington state and their family members abroad. In addition, a group of about half a dozen states asked Robart, the same judge who issued the injunction last month blocking Trump's first travel ban, to declare that his initial ruling covers the president's replacement order. Ferguson said Robart should consider Washington state's new emergency motion for a temporary restraining order if he doesn't see fit to issue an order in the case by the rights group or to rule immediately on a prior motion by Washington state. Several individuals and groups including the American Civil Liberties Union originally filed the lawsuit in February over the initial ban, which was blocked in court and later revised. “They bear the burden of showing irreparable harm … and there is no harm at all,” said the acting U.S. solicitor general, Jeffrey Wall, who argued on behalf of the government in Greenbelt, Md., in the morning and by phone in Hawaii in the afternoon. Justice Department lawyers argued that Trump was well within his authority to impose the ban, which was necessary for national security, and that those challenging it had raised only speculative harms. The Maryland suit was filed last month by two refugee aid groups, the International Refugee Assistance Project and HIAS, a Jewish charity that facilitates refugee resettlement in the U.S. for the federal government. Bob Ferguson, the Washington state attorney general who asked Robart to block the measure, called the Hawaii ruling “fantastic news.” Justin Cox, a staff attorney for the National Immigration Law Center who argued for a restraining order in the case in Maryland, said, “This is absolutely a victory and should be celebrated as such, especially because the court held that the plaintiffs, that Hawaii was likely to succeed on its establishment clause claim which essentially is that the primary purpose of the executive order is to discriminate against Muslims.” Cox said while the judge did not halt the order entirely, he blocked the crucial sections — those halting the issuance of new visas and suspending the refu­gee program. Lornet Turnbull in Seattle contributed to this report.

– A federal judge in Hawaii blocked President Trump's revised travel ban just hours before it was set to go into effect across the country, the Washington Post reports. Hawaii had filed a lawsuit over the new executive order, which halted visas for citizens from six Muslim-majority nations for 90 days and stopped new refugees for 120 days, claiming it hurts tourism, business, and universities and would keep people from those six countries from visiting family in Hawaii. The state alleged the order, which also cuts the number of refugees allowed in the US next year in half, was essentially a Muslim ban. US District Judge Derrick Watson froze the order Wednesday, saying Hawaii has a "strong likelihood of success on their claim," according to Politico. More than six states are currently trying to halt the new travel ban, the AP reports. Arguments against it were also scheduled to be heard in Maryland and Washington state on Wednesday. Trump issued the revised travel ban after his first attempt was blocked by a federal judge in Washington state. Justice Department lawyers defending the new executive order said the ban was well within the president's power and claimed its potential harms were only speculation.

UW research shows biannual spike in divorce filings Deborah Bach News and Information To everything there is a season — even divorce, new research from University of Washington sociologists concludes. The study by associate sociology professor Julie Brines and doctoral candidate Brian Serafini, both of the University of Washington, examined filings for divorce in Washington State from 2001 to 2015. Their research, presented Aug. 21 at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in Seattle, suggests that divorce filings may be driven by a “domestic ritual” calendar governing family behavior. Filing for divorce is such an emotional thing, so if you’ve given all you can through the winter holidays, hoped for the best during the spring, then stuck it out through the summer holidays, August just naturally becomes a prime time of year to say goodbye. “People tend to face the holidays with rising expectations, despite what disappointments they might have had in years past,” Brines said in a press release. September Is Also A Month Of New Beginnings [Embed] While September may not be thought of a new start with the same vigor as New Years, it is a new beginning in some ways: The kids go back to school, the sweltering summer is behind us, and pumpkin spice latte season is just around the corner, so the need to change with the season could play a role, too. It’s like an optimism cycle, in a sense." By August People Are Even More Secure [Embed] For those who didn’t make the move to file for divorce in March, August becomes a big month because it can take a while for someone to find the nerve to actually go through with it. What they found is that there is, indeed, a season for divorce, or rather two months out of the year where people are most likely to file for it: March and August. So for those who realize that the holidays and the New Year didn’t offer the change for which they had hoped and want a divorce, they might need to get their finances in order first. Though the same considerations apply in summer, Brines thinks the start of the school year school may hasten the timing, at least for couples with children. “That leads me to think that it takes some time emotionally for people to take this step,” Brines said.

– They didn't set out to do a study on divorce, but two University of Washington researchers poring over a range of sociological data saw such a clear pattern emerge that they've ended up with one: It turns out that that married couples divorce most often in March and August. When the researchers plotted the data from 2001 to 2015, the divorce spike in those two months was both striking and consistent, they write in a press release. And while that data comes exclusively from Washington state, it seems to apply nationwide. The researchers followed up with a look at data from Ohio, Minnesota, Florida, and Arizona, and found the same pattern. So what's going on? They think winter holidays and summer vacations are a big factor. These are both "culturally sacred times for families," says associate sociology professor Julie Brines, per the UW release. That is, couples may be reluctant to split around Christmas, or just ahead of an annual vacation, and instead view those times instead as an opportunity to mend a troubled relationship. "One last shot," as Brines puts it, per the Atlantic. If they fail, the added stress of the holidays or the tight quarters of a vacation then push the couple toward divorce. The delay from post-holidays to March in the divorce filings may be because the holidays put such a heavy dent in the wallet, notes Bustle. That's less of an issue in the summer, and the researchers speculate that, for couples with kids, the start of school may actually speed things along. (This woman was selling her wedding dress to pay for her divorce, complete with "stench of betrayal.")

The birds proved to have a remarkable ability to distinguish benign from malignant human breast histopathology after training with differential food reinforcement; even more importantly, the pigeons were able to generalize what they had learned when confronted with novel image sets. The birds’ histological accuracy, like that of humans, was modestly affected by the presence or absence of color as well as by degrees of image compression, but these impacts could be ameliorated with further training. Advertisement Sponsored Watanabe, S. et al. However, such innovations in medical imaging must be validated—using trained observers—in order to monitor quality and reliability. The basic similarities between vision-system properties of humans and pigeons also suggested that, if pigeons were confronted with pathology and radiology study sets of increasing difficulty, then their task accuracy would track that achievable by domain-expert human observers. Initial experiments focused on conventionally stained and digitally scanned breast pathology slides, starting with low (4×) and extending to medium (10×) and high (20×) levels of magnification.

– Human radiologists, look out. Pigeons turn out to be expert mammogram readers after very little training, at least according to a study published this week in PLoS ONE. Using 16 pigeons in a chamber with a touchscreen, scientists trained them to peck at one of two colored buttons to correspond with the type of image they were being shown; if they got it right, they got food. It turns out that those beady little eyes picked up patterns showing malignant versus benign breast tissue very well and very fast. At first, as they were trained for what to spot, they were right 50% of the time. "In some sense, the pigeon and the person are starting at the same place," says one researcher, experimental psychologist Edward Wasserman. "They're equally naive." But a mere two weeks into the experiment the pigeons were identifying the images correctly 85% of the time, reports the Washington Post. What's more, the birds were able to take what they'd learned from the first, familiar set of slides and apply it to new images they'd never seen before, boasting a success rate that was just a few percentage points lower. And they performed even better as a flock than individually—with a success rate maxing out at 99% when required to "vote" as a group, reports Gizmodo. It's more likely that robots, not pigeons, will be the ones to take the place of humans someday. But Wasserman hopes pigeons will be taken more seriously and studied more closely. "The pigeon has kind of a bum rap," he says. "Humans are not the only intelligent animals walking and swimming and flying on Earth." It's also helpful, he tells Discover, that they're "workaholics." (Pigeons have a biological GPS.)

– A New York Times exposé by Sarah Maslin Nir about the exploitation of nail salon workers has caught the attention of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who announced he's putting emergency measures into place to go after wage theft and health hazards in the industry, the AP reports. In a statement cited by the Times, Cuomo said he's setting up a task force, effective immediately, to check salons individually, come up with mandates to protect workers from possibly dangerous chemicals wafting around their salons, and conduct a six-language educational campaign to let workers know this kind of debasement isn't OK. "We will not stand idly by as workers are deprived of their hard-earned wages and robbed of their most basic rights," Cuomo said in the statement. Several government agencies, including the Health Department, were spurred into action last week after the two-part Times article ran. Rules going into effect ASAP include publicly posted signage (in different languages) in salons listing workers' rights, a requirement that manicurists wear gloves and masks, and a mandate that all salons are bonded so employees can recoup wages if it's found they've been denied rightful earnings, per the Times. Cuomo's office says the task force agencies won't probe workers' immigration status. Creating the emergency plan allowed Cuomo to skirt red tape. "The article highlighted a significant problem in New York State," the governor's general counsel tells the Times. “We cannot wait to address the problem." (What could help protect workers: more "green" salons.)

FILE - In this Tuesday, March 24, 2015 file photo, an Alaska Airlines jet takes off at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in SeaTac, Wash. A San Diego man banned from Alaska Airlines for touching a... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Tuesday, March 24, 2015 file photo, an Alaska Airlines jet takes off at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in SeaTac, Wash. A San Diego man banned from Alaska Airlines for touching a flight attendant says he's a victim of discrimination against men. Timon denies the claim, and said he touched the woman “politely” on her back — not her buttocks — to get her attention and order a drink. He said his gesture was misunderstood as sexual harassment, and he was met by police who escorted him off the plane. I’m blowing up... It’s unnecessary. It’s discrimination toward me,” Timon said. Alaska spokeswoman Ann Johnson confirmed that Timon cannot fly on the airline pending the outcome of an investigation but said she could not provide specifics about his case. "Alaska Airlines will not tolerate any type of sexual misconduct that creates an unsafe environment for our guests and crew members and we are fully committed to do our part to address this serious issue," Johnson said. Johnson said Alaska is working to develop and update policies and training “to ensure that crew members have the tools they need to prevent, identify and address sexual harassment on board, and will have more to say about what that looks like later this winter.” Alaska has been in the news following incidents of alleged harassment. On its website, the union applauded recent efforts from Alaska (and also United Airlines) “to help end sexual harassment.” The Harbor Police Department confirmed that its officers took statements from Timon and others. He said he later pressed his call button, and a male flight attendant came by and told him he’d had been cut off from alcohol, that he’d assaulted the flight attendant and that police would be waiting for him in San Diego. The longtime owner of a company that bought and sold medical equipment said he’d had one drink, was not unruly and was “100 percent sober” at the time of the encounter. “What about us guys?” Timon said. “I can’t tap a flight attendant on her back to politely ask for something, yet I get accused of something? It’s out of control and I am pissed.” Timon — who said he was embarrassed in front of other passengers — said he has contacted an attorney to consider bringing legal action.

– A San Diego man banned from Alaska Airlines for touching a flight attendant says he's a victim of discrimination against men. Mike Timon, angry over his treatment by the airline, tells the San Diego Union-Tribune that he was banned for touching the female flight attendant on the buttocks as he sat in first class on a flight from Oregon to San Diego on Dec. 26. Timon says he touched the woman politely on her back to get her attention so he could order a drink. Timon, who owns a medical equipment company and frequently flies first class, said that when no drink came, he pressed his call button, and a male flight attendant came to say he had been cut off. Timon said he had only had a single drink and was sober. He says his gesture was misunderstood as sexual harassment, and he was met by police who escorted him off the plane. Police took statements from Timon and others but there was no further action. "For me to be accused of this, and for me to be escorted off the plane by police? This is it. I'm blowing up," Timon says. "It's unnecessary. It's discrimination toward me." He says widespread concern over sexual harassment has hurt men like him. "It's out of control and I am pissed," he says. Alaska spokeswoman Ann Johnson confirmed that Timon cannot fly on the airline pending the outcome of an investigation but said she could not provide specifics about his case, the AP reports. "Alaska Airlines will not tolerate any type of sexual misconduct that creates an unsafe environment for our guests and crew members and we are fully committed to do our part to address this serious issue," Johnson said.

I started throwing up," said one 16-year-old worker, who worked pulling tops off of tobacco plants to help increase yields, according to Human Rights Watch, which interviewed 141 youths aged 7 to 17 working on tobacco farms in Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Human Right Watch, which documented working conditions for children in four U.S. states, said it found many children on tobacco farms were in direct contact with the plant's leaves, leading to serious ailments consistent with nicotine poisoning. While there is no accurate count of youths working in U.S. tobacco fields, it is not illegal for children to hold jobs in agriculture, and many do so out of financial need. The group notified 10 tobacco companies of its findings, including Altria Group Inc, Lorillard Inc, Philip Morris International Inc, and Reynolds American Inc, and urged them to boycott tobacco from farms that do not have policies in place to protect workers younger than 18. Children reported vomiting, nausea, headaches, and dizziness while working on tobacco farms, all symptoms consistent with acute nicotine poisoning. Campaigners want more explicit language polices that clearly ban child labour. She told Human Rights Watch how she felt while topping tobacco: I felt very tired. It also contacted other cigarette makers as well as two tobacco leaf merchant companies, Alliance One International and Universal Corp. "We want them to put strong child labor provisions into these contracts saying: 'We won't buy your tobacco unless you can assure us that you're not using hazardous child labor,'" Jo Becker, the group's top advocate for youth issues, told Reuters.

– Children are toiling in unsafe conditions, suffering everything from breathing problems to vomiting, and putting in 12-hour days and 72-hour weeks. Think we're talking a third-world sweatshop? It's what's happening right now on US tobacco farms, Human Rights Watch alleges in a report today. The group spoke to 141 tobacco farm workers aged 7 to 17, and found that many came in bare-skin contact with tobacco plants. That can cause acute nicotine poisoning—and indeed, 66% of those polled reported symptoms consistent with that, including dizziness, nausea, and headaches. "On the first day when I was working [chemicals] got on my face a lot and I didn't know until I got home later that my face was burning," one 13-year-old worker tells the BBC. US labor laws protecting child laborers have exceptions for agricultural jobs, the group explains, allowing children of any age to work the fields, and those 12 and older to work unlimited hours. An attempt to change that for tobacco farms died in 2012. HRW shared its findings with tobacco producers, and most expressed concern. Philip Morris, which has the toughest child labor policy, tells Reuters that it believes there's an opportunity to impose an industry-wide standard. The complete report is here.

– The Federal Reserve dropped a bombshell today, announcing that it would spend $45 billion a month on bond purchases to keep interest rates low, and that it would keep its short-term rates near zero as long as it takes to get unemployment below 6.5%. It will also keep up its current practice of spending $40 billion a month on mortgage bonds, the AP reports, bringing its total monthly spending to $85 billion, and growing its now almost $3 trillion portfolio. This is a "historic move" that "will change how we think about Fed policy, yet again," writes Sudeep Reddy at the Wall Street Journal. Instead of pegging its targets to specific time frames, the Fed is now tying its policies to specific economic outcomes. The policy is sometimes referred to as the "Evans rule," because Chicago Fed President Charles Evans has been pushing for it for months. The Fed is also sending a strong, loud signal that it's willing to allow inflation to rise if that's what it takes to reduce unemployment.

“Please, let us not at this late date attempt to convince ourselves and the public that there was sufficient time to delve deeply” into candidates’ documents, he wrote. “What she did was she covered herself and the rest of her coaching staff.” Kate Sweeney and Dick Edwards, the leaders of the Rutgers search panel, wrote an e-mail Tuesday to the other committee members to defuse growing criticism of Hermann’s selection. But in the weeks since her hiring, she and other Rutgers officials have defended her character against claims that she was verbally abusive toward volleyball players she coached at Tennessee in the 1990s. In recent days, Democratic lawmakers in New Jersey have called for the resignations of Robert L. Barchi, the university president, and Hermann. "As members of the Search Advisory Team, you all had the opportunity to examine Julie’s credentials, to spend some time with her when she was on campus, and to provide us with your thoughts regarding her candidacy as Rutgers’ next Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. There was also no mention she was named in a sex discrimination lawsuit while an administrator at Louisville, he said. In the Louisville lawsuit, Mary Banker, an assistant track and field coach, claimed she was fired as retaliation for complaining to Hermann and the university’s human resources department about sexual discrimination by the head coach. But, with nearly 15 search committee members asking questions, the lawsuit never came up during Hermann’s 75-minute interview, Garutti said. “There was very little information about the candidates disseminated to the larger committee,” he wrote. Rutgers spokesman Greg Trevor also declined to comment on the e-mails. Chris Christie voiced support for Barchi on Tuesday and dismissed criticism of Hermann as “character assassination.” Rutgers on Wednesday released a copy of its contract with Parker Executive Search, a Georgia -based firm, which it hired for $70,000 to manage the search for an athletic director. Banker, in an interview Wednesday night, questioned Rutgers’s decision to hire Hermann to clean up its athletics department. She also criticized Gov.

– Rutgers University is scrambling to deal with reports that its newly minted athletic director and supposed scandal slayer Julie Hermann has a spotty past of her own—complete with abuse allegations and a sex-discrimination settlement—and emerging emails show bickering and complaints among the very board of trustees that appointed Hermann in the first place. Trustees say they were given the names of two finalists the day before the first was to be interviewed, and they spent only 75 minutes interviewing Hermann, reports the Star-Ledger. "It was not enough time," says one. "Let’s not present this as any kind of exemplary process. Subsequent events have proven otherwise.” The search leaders tried via email to smooth things over, telling trustees, "You all had the opportunity to examine Julie’s credentials, to spend some time with her when she was on campus. As you know, there was strong support for Julie." That prompted a string of emails that the lone student on the search committee likened to "a professional catfight in my email inbox." Adding insult to injury, Rutgers paid an executive search company $70,000 to vet finalists for the job, notes the New York Times; now, the school is also paying a crisis-management company $150,000 to deal with the scandals' fallout.

This combative behaviour is similar to actions directed towards infanticidal males by the mothers of targeted infants in several rodent, primate and carnivore species (see review in13). "Killer whale moms are notorious for helping their adult sons and daughters by sharing food with them and leading them, and maybe even providing mating opportunities for adult male offspring," Towers explained.

– Scientists have observed a behavior never before seen in killer whales, and it makes for a grim discovery. Following strange calls from orcas off the northeastern coast of British Columbia's Vancouver Island in December, researchers observed the first known case of infanticide among the whales. After tracking down the orcas and hearing a ruckus in the water, the scientists spotted a male orca with a newborn calf in its mouth, being chased by the calf's mother and other members of its family. As the male's mother attempted to intervene, the calf's mother "hit the male so hard that ... his blubber was shaking on his body and you could see blood flying through the air," ecologist Jared Towers tells the CBC. "We were really quite horrified and fascinated." The male still didn't let go of the calf, which had died by that point, according to Newsweek. Researchers, describing the case in Scientific Reports, say the male orca likely killed the calf so the male orca could mate with the infant's mother. In other mammals, infanticide "forces the infant's mom into a fertile state much quicker," Towers says. He adds researchers previously thought female orcas were picky about mates, but this behavior suggests "females don't have a lot of choice when it comes to breeding." The CBC notes $9 million the Canadian government has dedicated to orca research may reveal more about the endangered species in time, as Washington state works on protection, per Time. (Orca pregnancies are failing.)

Kate Middleton marked another milestone in her new life as a royal today, delivering her first public address as the Duchess of Cambridge. When Kate Middleton arrived at the East Anglia Children's Hospice (EACH) at the Treehouse center in Ipswich on Monday morning for her first ever public address, royal fashion fans were shocked at the Duchess' fashion choice. VIDEO: Watch Kate Middleton's first public speech The 30-year-old's cobalt blue Reiss dress (from the label's 2008 collection) came straight from her mother's closet, and Kate even styled it the same way: with black pumps, a thick belt and matching clutch.

– Members of the adoring public who didn't get quite enough of Kate Middleton's perfectly British voice while watching her exchange vows with Prince William had a chance for another fix today: The Duchess of Cambridge gave her first public address as royalty, speaking at the opening of a children's hospice in England. Middleton, a patron of the hospice, called it "inspirational" and apologized that her husband, who is deployed, could not be in attendance, ABC News reports. (Us points out that Middleton apparently wore her mom's dress for the occasion.)

"Simmons, 67, has indeed retreated increasingly further from the spotlight in recent years, causing the New York Daily News to investigate claims that he is purposely being kept from his close friends and family.Mauro Oliveira, Simmons' former assistant, told the NYDN in an article published on Saturday that during his last visit to Simmons' mansion, the trainer told him they could no longer see each other.

– It was the article that launched a thousand, well, articles: an extensive New York Daily News piece on Richard Simmons published Saturday that claimed the "intensely social public figure" has for the last two years essentially vanished, having stopped responding to calls and emails, and suggested an overly controlling live-in housekeeper, Teresa Reveles, is to blame. The fitness guru's rep, Tom Estey, called the claims "untrue and preposterous" in a statement to People, saying Simmons just wanted a break "after 40 years of being in the spotlight." To USA Today, Estey said, "I don’t want the readers ... to think this man is a Howard Hughes recluse in his own home." But, still, no word from Simmons himself ... until Sunday night. In a phone conversation with ET, Simmons said quite plainly, "I am not kidnapped. I am just in my house right now. This is how I want to live my life right now. And to all the people that are worried about me, please don't be. If I was in any trouble, if I was hurting in any way, I would reach out. It is time right now for Richard Simmons to take care of Richard Simmons." He too cites his 40 years of being in the public eye, and references a "very difficult" knee replacement surgery. But he says, "I still weigh 150. I work out every day. I have a gym at the house, and I am very healthy." (Here are 14 reasons to love Simmons' Instagram feed.)

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson elbowed out reigning top-ranked Robert Downey Jr. to become the world's highest-paid actor--and scored his biggest ever annual paycheck in the process. McCarthy, 45, is this year's biggest dollar gainer year over year; her earnings are up $10 million on 2015's estimate thanks in part to a reported eight-figure payday for Ghostbusters. The erstwhile wrestler’s millions and millions came from upfront fees for movies including Central Intelligence and Fast 8, as well as the forthcoming Baywatch in which he’s set to play Mitch Buchannon. A staple of the Fast and Furious franchise, the stellar box office performance of his recent films (including 2015’s hit San Andreas) have seen his quotes skyrocket. “I started to think if I could do anything to build women up rather than the constant tear down I’m going to do it,” McCarthy, who started her own all-sizes clothing line, told FORBES. “And I have a decent smile.” He bested second-ranked Jackie Chan ($61 million), who mints money with movies in China, and Matt Damon, who tallied $55 million largely off the success of The Martian to boost his earnings 120% year over year. Rounding out the top five is perennial list member Tom Cruise (No. 4, $53 million) and Johnny Depp (No. 5, $48 million), the latter of whom received a restraining order against him in May, after his wife, Amber Heard, alleged he physically and verbally abused her. The couple reached a $7 million divorce settlement in August; Heard donated the cash to charity. The damning accusations did not impact his earnings during our scoring period--he pocketed an estimated eight figures upfront apiece for the latest Pirates of the Caribbean installment and box office bomb Alice Through the Looking Glass--but his paychecks look set to plummet next year. The only returnee to the ranking: Harrison Ford, who sneaks on with an outsized payday for his return as Han Solo in 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He most recently made the list in 2009. To wit, 30% of the list hail from outside the U.S.; Chinese actress Fan Bingbing makes the cut for the second consecutive year, while Charlize Theron, a dual citizen of South African and the U.S., returns to the list for the first time since 2013. Shah Rukh Khan ($33 million), the top-ranked Indian actor, banked as much as Downey Jr. , while Akshay Kumar ($31.5 million) earned the same as Brad Pitt in our scoring period. Almost universally, a gender pay gap persists. For the second year in a row, the odds are in her favor: Jennifer Lawrence is once again the world's highest-paid actress, notching $46 million pretax over 12 months--$13 million more than second-ranked Melissa McCarthy, who pocketed $33 million. That ratio is a little lower than the 79 cents a white woman is typically paid to every dollar a white man makes, but better than the pay disparity Hispanic or Black women typically face. While top actresses can negotiate eight figure upfront fees plus a cut of profits for leading parts in big budget movies, there are simply fewer of those roles available for women. In fact, there are more roles for men, period: Male characters comprise an overwhelming 71% of all speaking roles in movies, according to a recent study. Four women, up from three in 2015, banked more than $20 million compared with 18 of the world's leading men (a separate list of highest-paid actors will be published Thursday). Vin Diesel: The Film Star Of The Future Combined, the world's 20 highest-paid actors earned a whopping $703.5 million between June 1, 2015 and June 1, 2016, before management fees and taxes. When women are on screen, they are likely to be eye candy for a male gaze: Women appeared in sexy attire more than a third of the time and were shown partially or fully nude 27.5% of the time, three times as much as men. Men in movies can also have longer careers than the top-earning women: 95% of the highest-paid actors are over 40, compared with half of the actresses. The same study found that men fill nearly three quarters of all roles for characters over 40. In our rankings, all of the highest-paid actresses are under 50, while 45% of the actors are 50-plus. In fact, two of the actors on the list, Ford and Amitabh Bachchan, are even in their seventies. Just missing the cut this year is 64-year-old Liam Neeson, whose earnings dropped below the $15 million barrier to entry. Seth Rogen, Chris Hemsworth and Channing Tatum were among the drop-offs, largely due to quieter years or movies that fell outside our scoring period. Where last year's ranking evaluated 18 women, this year's list has returned to the top 10 to give a more accurate portrait of acting's earning elite. Earnings estimates are based on data from Nielsen, Box Office Mojo and IMDB, as well as interviews with agents, managers and lawyers. Full List: The World’s Highest-Paid Actresses 2016 In an industry where a pay gap with male actors still exists, 90% of the world's highest-paid actresses supplement their on-screen earnings with endorsements.

– The Rock, Jackie Chan, and Matt Damon walk into a bar … and the Rock should probably pay for drinks, as the actor otherwise known as Dwayne Johnson has been named the world's highest-paid male actor by Forbes. Thanks to 2015 earnings of $64.5 million (his largest payday ever), Johnson knocked Robert Downey Jr. off the pay pedestal, helped along by upfront compensation from blockbusters such as this year's Central Intelligence and next year's Fast 8. Chan followed close behind on the Forbes list with $61 million, while Damon came in third with $55 million, boosted mainly by The Martian. Here, the top five and their 2015 earnings: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, $64.5 million Jackie Chan, $61 million, Matt Damon, $55 million Tom Cruise, $53 million Johnny Depp, $48 million Forbes ranked actresses as well, with Jennifer Lawrence earning the No. 1 spot with $46 million, followed by Melissa McCarthy at $33 million and Scarlett Johansson at $25 million. The magazine notes that comparing the two sets of earnings underscores the gender pay gap that still exists, with top-earning Lawrence earning just 71% of Johnson's pay. The top 5 women actors and their 2015 earnings: Jennifer Lawrence, $46 million Melissa McCarthy, $33 million Scarlett Johansson, $25 million Jennifer Aniston, $21 million Chinese actress Fan Bingbing, $17 million Check out the top breadwinners in both the men's and women's categories.

Get into the mix on Twitter by following @Shaqcast or using #Shaqcast - follow The Big Podcast with Shaq on Instagram and Facebook - or email your best stuff to TheBigPodcastWithShaq@gmail.com.

– Apparently there's a belief circulating in the NBA that the Earth is flat. Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers first revealed his flat-Earth beliefs back in February, and now retired basketball player Shaquille O'Neal has revealed he's on the same page. In an episode of his podcast broadcast late February but only recently picked up by the media, Shaq said, per Sports Illustrated: "It’s true. The Earth is flat. The Earth is flat. Yes, it is. Listen, there are three ways to manipulate the mind—what you read, what you see, and what you hear." He used an example involving Christopher Columbus, arguing that Columbus didn't really discover America because there were already "fair-skinned people" living here when Columbus arrived. Then he got into the real nitty gritty. He explained that he drives from coast to coast, and it certainly seems flat to him: "I’m just saying. I drive from Florida to California all the time, and it’s flat to me. I do not go up and down at a 360-degree angle, and all that stuff about gravity, have you looked outside Atlanta lately and seen all these buildings? You mean to tell me that China is under us? China is under us? It’s not. The world is flat." Kenny Ducey at SI says that while he wants to believe this is all a joke, both Irving and O'Neal seem to be taking it seriously; Irving, for example, has continued to defend his beliefs. Ben Rohrbach at Yahoo Sports, who first uncovered the Shaq podcast, agrees that Irving is not kidding around (or trying to make some sort of point about "fake news," as NBA commissioner Adam Silver suggested), and points out that at least two other NBA players have agreed with him.

Marie Reeves, Davis' mother and Bernard Reeves' wife, said even though her husband may not have understood everything that was going on Saturday, his simple presence meant so much. THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT Enlarge | Buy This Image Miriam Reeves and her fiance, Mark Davis, were planning a traditional wedding ceremony at their church in Ypsilanti, Mich., when she realized about a month ago that someone very special would be missing: her father. Bernard Reeves, 64, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2006, and moved to the Foundation Park Alzheimer’s Care Center in Toledo about two years ago when his symptoms worsened. "My dad has been my hero my entire life and I know that if he was well, he would be at my wedding front and center," Miriam Davis, 31, told The Blade before the ceremony (http://bit.ly/VwRES7). And I thought, ‘Why not move it there and it would be more of a special event,’ ” Mrs. Davis said before the ceremony. PHOTO GALLERY: Click here for more photos from the ceremony And as so many brides imagine for their special day, a beaming Bernard Reeves walked his daughter down the aisle Saturday morning, while those in attendance fought — many with little success — to hold back sentimental tears. Miriam Reeves is escorted down the aisle by her father Bernard Reeves, 64, who has Alzheimer's, and her mother Marie Reeves, right, during the Reeves / Davis wedding at Foundation Park Alzheimer's Care... (Associated Press) Pastor Robert Davis, the father of the groom, center, conducts the marriage ceremony between Miriam Reeves, left, and Mark Davis beneath the gazebo in the courtyard of Foundation Park Alzheimer's Care... (Associated Press) Miriam and Mark Davis, of Canton, married Saturday at the Foundation Park Alzheimer's Care Center in Toledo. Reeves also was a police chaplain for a time. Most recently, he was a pastor at the New Creation Church in Detroit.

– Most weddings have at least a few wet eyes in attendance. But when 30 guests watched Miriam Reeves escorted down the aisle by her beaming father Saturday, few could hold back their tears. Just a month earlier, Miriam, 31, decided to move her traditional church wedding in Michigan to the garden at the Foundation Park Alzheimer's Care Center in Toledo, Ohio, where her father, Bernard Reeves, 64, has been a resident since his Alzheimer's symptoms got worse two years ago. She had been worried he'd wander off if he had to leave the center to attend a wedding elsewhere. "My dad has been my hero my entire life and I know that if he was well, he would be at my wedding front and center," Miriam tells the Toledo Blade. "And I thought, 'Why not move it there and it would be more of a special event.'" The staff was enthusiastic, she says, adding that she believes her wedding was the first to be held at the center. Her father served in the Army during the Vietnam War, then became a police chaplain, and was also a pastor in Detroit, reports the AP. He is now in an advanced stage of the disease, but he still recognizes his daughter. (Also over the weekend, a New York cop got to see the baby he saved 20 years ago get married.)

“I am here to announce what I’m sure will be the most talked-about executive action this month,” Obama joked during the Pardoning of the National Turkey, a tradition where the president excuses one turkey and an alternate from becoming a Thanksgiving entree.

– "I am here to announce what I’m sure will be the most talked-about executive action this month," President Obama quipped yesterday as he pardoned a pair of Thanksgiving turkeys named Mac and Cheese. He admitted that he found the Pardoning of the National Turkey "a little puzzling," but said "with all the tough stuff that swirls around in this office it's nice once in a while just to say, 'Happy Thanksgiving,'" CNN reports. The White House held an online campaign this year where users could tweet in favor of saving Mac or Cheese, Politico reports. Cheese won, but Obama said both would be spared "a terrible and delicious fate." "I know some will call this amnesty, but don't worry, there’s plenty of turkey to go around," Obama joked. This is the sixth turkey pardon of Obama's presidency and the novelty definitely appears to have worn off for Malia and Sasha. The girls, now 16 and 13, looked on with "barely contained disdain," and Malia said, "Nah" when her father asked her if she'd like to pet Cheese, Gawker reports (it shares a gif of their "teen face"). The daughters aren't the only ones with disdain for the tradition. Critics call it a mockery of real presidential pardons and note that the birds don't tend to spend long, peaceful retirements on farms: They're not bred to live long and most end up dead within a few months of the "pardon."

The Arab League observer mission is expected to announce this week that Syria has failed to implement a peace plan brokered by the regional bloc. Activists said at least 18 people died Tuesday, and six Syrian soldiers were killed late Monday near Damascus. The United Nations estimated in December that at least 5,000 people have been killed since protests against the government of President Bashar al-Assad broke out in March. The government rejection of armed intervention followed a remark from the leader of Qatar, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who was quoted Sunday as saying Arab troops should be sent to Syria to stop the deadly violence _ the first statements by an Arab leader calling for the deployment of troops inside Syria. Qatar, which once had close relations with Damascus, has been a harsh critic of crackdown and withdrew its ambassador during the summer. The Syrian foreign ministry source told SANA on Tuesday that "it will be unfortunate to see Arab blood flow on Syrian territory just for the purpose of serving known agendas, especially that the foreign conspiracy against Syria has become very clear". The government says terrorists are behind the uprising, not reform-seekers, and that armed gangs are acting out a foreign conspiracy to destabilize the country. Uri Rosenthal also said he would keep pressing for further European Union sanctions and a U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria. Tug-of-war at UN International diplomats at the UN Security Council, meanwhile, are debating a new resolution that will call for an end to the violence and is set to come to a vote in two weeks. The state-run SANA news agency quoted a "credible source" at the foreign ministry as saying on Tuesday that the country is "shocked" by the Qatari emir's comments, which "could worsen the conflict and kill the chances of Syria working closely with Arabs". Earlier in the day, SANA said that an "armed terrorist group" launched rocket-propelled grenades at an army checkpoint late Monday, killing an officer and five army personnel about six miles (nine kilometers) southwest of Damascus.

– Syria may have begrudgingly agreed to let Arab League observers into the country, but it's not about to do the same with Arab troops. Responding angrily to the emir of Qatar's suggestion that troops intervene, Syria's foreign ministry made clear it won't stand idly by if foreign soldiers move in, reports AP. "The Syrian people reject any foreign intervention in its affairs, under any title, and would confront any attempt to infringe upon Syria's sovereignty and the integrity of its territories," said a statement. Syrian officials were reportedly "shocked" at the proposal and warned it could "kill the chances of Syria working closely with Arabs," according to al-Jazeera. As for the Arab League's observer mission, it's expected to wrap up this week by announcing that Syria has failed to put a League-brokered peace plan into place. The mission is widely seen as a failure, with at least 400 people killed since the first observers deployed in late December.

If you can't make it to SXSW, here's the next best thing: The Texas Nationalist Movement, which is exactly what it sounds like, will be holding a rally tomorrow in front of the state capitiol in Austin to push for a referendum on secession from the United States.

– Yesterday was Texas Independence Day, and one group of Texans celebrated it by rallying on the steps of the state Capitol, urging secession from the US. The Texas Nationalist Movement is unhappy with both Democrats and Republicans, and is especially concerned with the growing national debt and rising taxes, reports the AP via the Houston Chronicle. "Texas can take better care of itself than Washington," says the group’s VP. "We are here to raise interest in the Legislature of the possibility of secession to cure the ills of America." The small but passionate group want state lawmakers to allow Texans to vote on whether or not to declare independence. "The only way is to secede and wipe the slate clean," says a radio show host. "We secede, and then we reform this government based on an absolute return back to basic principles." Adds the group’s membership director, “This is a cake that’s been baking for 85 years.” The demonstrators are no fans of Gov. Rick Perry; one calls him “a big government fraud who claims to be conservative.” Mother Jones notes that State Rep. Leo Berman, a birther, sponsored the rally.

Now the state says proceeds from the work belong to them Curtis Dawkins, a Michigan prisoner and publishing sensation, could be forced to repay the costs of his incarceration from the proceeds of his literary work. Not long after that story appeared, Mr. Dawkins received the court summons, demanding partial “reimbursement to the state for Defendant’s cost of care while incarcerated.” Image Kimberly Knutsen says the deal her partner, Mr. Dawkins, landed for “The Graybar Hotel” has helped support their family. Credit Leah Nash for The New York Times Michigan is one of more than 40 states where prisoners can be forced to pay for the cost of their incarceration, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law. Laws that allow the government to charge prisoners “room and board” or “cost of care” fees have proliferated in recent decades, as states charge inmates and parolees for everything from medical care, clothing and meals to police transport, public defense fees, drug testing and electronic monitoring. During the last fiscal year, Michigan collected some $3.7 million from 294 prisoners, who account for just a fraction of the state’s nearly 40,000 inmates. But as the cost of mass incarceration has soared, with more than 2.2 million adults in prisons and jails across the United States, some states have grown more aggressive in seeking money from prisoners and formerly incarcerated people. Around the country, some 10 million people owe $50 billion in fees stemming from their arrest or imprisonment, according to a 2015 Brennan Center report.

– A Michigan convict who won accolades for his book of short stories may be forced to give up all he earned from his book deal. Curtis Dawkins' debut, The Graybar Hotel, was published in July by Scribner and details life behind bars in ways that have thrilled readers. Michigan's Department of Treasury is less enthused, however, and has filed a court complaint that asks that 90% of the convicted killer's reported $150,000 advance be given to the state as payment for the cost of his imprisonment. Michigan's attorney general reportedly filed the complaint, which states that Dawkins is not entitled to the money or to transfer any of it to his family, not long after his victim's brother complained publicly about the book deal, per the Guardian. Because he cannot afford an attorney, Dawkins is scheduled to defend himself in the case. Dawkins has in the past expressed remorse for the 2004 botched robbery that led to the murder of Thomas Bowman. The New York Times reports he intends to argue that the same law the attorney general says allows the state to keep the profits also stipulates that courts must consider a convict's obligation to provide for his children or spouse when deciding such cases. Michigan is one of some 40 states with laws on the books that allow the government to force inmates to pay for incarceration. According to the Times, Michigan collected $3.7 million from fewer than 300 of the state's 40,000 inmates. A hearing in Dawkins' case is scheduled for Feb. 26 in Kalamazoo.

In this 2012 photo provided by David Chick, actress Holly Woodlawn sits on Fisherman's Pier in Malibu, Calif. Woodlawn, who starred in the 1970 Paul Morrissey film "Trash" and was immortalized in the... (Associated Press) Woodlawn died Sunday in Los Angeles after a battle with cancer, said her former caretaker and friend Mariela Huerta. As Reed sang: “Holly came from Miami, F-L-A/Hitchhiked her way across the USA/Plucked her eyebrows on the way/Shaved her legs and then he was a she/ She says, ‘Hey, babe, take a walk on the wild side.’” Now, the woman Reed sang about — and whose raw talent pop artist Andy Warhol commandeered for two of his famous underground films — is gone. Holly Woodlawn died Sunday at 69. Woodlawn received critical acclaim for her film roles, but she couldn't find mainstream success. " Woodlawn explained in a 2007 interview with the British newspaper The Guardian that she didn't get to know Reed until after the song was released in 1972. Born Harold Danhakl, she took on the name Holly Woodlawn after running away from home at age 15 and hitchhiking to New York City, where she became one of Warhol's drag queen "superstars." LOS ANGELES (AP) — Holly Woodlawn, the transgender actress made famous by Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey in their 1970s films "Trash" and "Women in Revolt," has died. I like those people.” [Lou Reed and the single greatest second of recorded music in rock-and-roll history] Woodlawn did not object to being immortalized, and called “Walk on the Wild Side” “completely true.” But two Warhol films and getting name-checked in a very famous song didn’t lead to a life of leisure. Of her time as a Warhol superstar, she told the Guardian: "I felt like Elizabeth Taylor! Little did I realize that not only would there be no money, but that your star would flicker for two seconds and that was it. But it was worth it, the drugs, the parties, it was fabulous."

– Holly Woodlawn, one of Andy Warhol's "drag queen superstars" who was also immortalized in Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side," died Sunday at age 69 after battling cancer, the AP reports. Born in Puerto Rico, her mother moved Holly—who was, at that point, Harold—to New York and then Miami Beach, the New York Times reports. Woodlawn hitchhiked back to New York at 16, where she was a go-go dancer, among other things: "I was turning tricks, living off the streets and wondering when my next meal was coming," she wrote in her 1991 memoir. While performing in a friend's musical in 1969, Woodlawn told a journalist that she was one of Warhol's superstars, and though that wasn't actually true at that point, her comment got his attention and led to what the Times refers to as Woodlawn's "underground stardom." Warhol's filmmaking partner Paul Morrissey cast her in the 1970 film Trash as the girlfriend of a heroin addict, and the performance got good reviews. She went on to star alongside two other transgender actresses in Morrissey's 1971 film Women in Revolt; both films were produced by Warhol. In 1972, Reed wrote the first lines of his now-classic song about Woodlawn at Warhol's suggestion, the Washington Post reports: "Holly came from Miami F-L-A / Hitchhiked her way across the USA / Plucked her eyebrows on the way / Shaved her legs and then he was a she / She says, 'Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side.'" She went on to do a few more films and perform as a cabaret artist, but by the end of the 1970s she was working at a Benihana in Miami. She moved to California in the 1990s, where she studied fashion design and had a few more roles, most recently in Amazon's Transparent. (Click to read about 24 transgender historical figures.)

– Michael Lohan continues his Father of the Decade duties by giving a new interview to the ever-so-classy Star magazine in which he claims daughter Lindsay is a high-class escort, Radar reports. "She is getting paid to date rich men," and mother "Dina is pimping her out," he says. Other "insiders" back him up, including one who says that the days-long "dates" include LiLo's hotel and travel costs, food, jewelry, and "other gifts." But no sex—or at least, not that anyone is saying. She's supposedly been paid to be seen on the arm of a Southeast Asian prince and a rich Spanish-American painter. It's far from the only troubling LiLo story bubbling up: A source also tells Us that last fall, Lindsay did $50,000 worth of damage to a fancy New York hotel room. "Her suite had so many cigarette burns, they had to change all the carpets," the insider says. "She is not allowed back at any W hotel in NYC, ever!" And then, of course, there are Lohan's legal problems. She could still be facing jail time for allegedly lying to police after her June car accident, but her longtime attorney Shawn Holley planned to make a plea deal involving rehab for Lindsay instead. But Lohan fired Holley as the attorney was on her way to court to make the deal Monday, TMZ reports. Even so, Holley entered a not-guilty plea on Lohan's behalf yesterday, and the Atlantic Wire notes that the next hearing is set for Jan. 30.

But now Joukje van Rijswijk at the VU University Medical Center Amsterdam in the Netherlands and her colleagues have conducted a larger study. Behind her conclusions lies a large randomised comparative study in which 479 patients with standard indications for IUI (unexplained or mild male factor infertility) were randomly assigned to 15 minutes of immobilisation immediately after insemination or to immediate mobilisation. With most patients having several cycles of IUI in their treatment course, the comparison was based on a total of 950 cycles of immobilisation and 984 cycles of mobilisation. "In our opinion," said Dr van Rijswijk, "immobilisation after IUI has no positive effect on pregnancy rates, and there is no reason why patients should stay immobilised after treatment." Another smaller Dutch study published in 2009 also found that 15 minutes bed rest improved pregnancy rate and "should be offered to all women treated with intrauterine insemination". For example, it is known that sperm can survive in the uterus for several days – there is no reason why bed rest would affect this, says van Rijswijk, who presented the findings this week at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Endocrinology annual meeting in Helsinki, Finland. Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a very common fertility treatment in which a sample of sperm cells (from donor or partner) in fluid are injected directly into the uterus.

– Good news for those trying to conceive: A new study suggests there's no reason for you to continue lying down, immobile, after having sex. There's a widespread belief that lying still after sex helps give the sperm time to get where they need to go, and the same belief has transferred over to women getting intra-uterine insemination (IUI), a fertility treatment in which sperm are injected directly into the uterus. "There’s a lot of anxiety that after IUI if you stand up, everything will fall out," an expert from the University of Southampton tells New Scientist. Two studies have found that resting in bed for 15 minutes after getting IUI did increase success rates, but they were small studies. The new, larger study out of Amsterdam's VU University Medical Center disputes that belief. Researchers looked at 479 women getting IUI, most of whom got multiple rounds; they collected information on nearly 2,000 cycles overall. Women were randomly assigned to either get up and move immediately after treatment or stay on bed rest for 15 minutes before moving. Of the cycles incorporating bed rest, 32% resulted in pregnancy—while 40% of the cycles after which the women immediately moved resulted in pregnancy. "In our opinion," says the lead researcher in a press release, "immobilization after IUI has no positive effect on pregnancy rates, and there is no reason why patients should stay immobilized after treatment." She would not "generalize" the results to give advice to couples attempting to get pregnant via traditional intercourse, but the Southampton expert thinks the study likely applies there, too. (This woman became pregnant after her doctor said she couldn't, and now she's suing.)

Law enforcement received a call around 9 a.m. on Thursday reporting the death. Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington has died, Brian Elias of the Los Angeles County coroner's office confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. Bennington was 41. Linkin Park Singer Commits Suicide By Hanging Linkin Park Singer Chester Bennington Dead, Commits Suicide by Hanging EXCLUSIVE 12:32 PM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Bennington was home alone at the time of the suicide. Bennington, a Phoenix native, was open about his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction, which occurred at various times during his life. On May 26, Bennington sang Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" at the Los Angeles memorial service of Soundgarden rocker Chris Cornell, who had died by suicide. "The Cornell family is overwhelmed by the heartbreaking news about Chester Bennington which tragically comes so soon after their family's own loss," a Cornell family spokesperson told the Associated Press. Bennington is survived by his wife, Talinda Ann Bentley, and six children.

– Another suicide in the rock world: TMZ reports Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington has hanged himself. He was 41. The site's report comes via police sources who say his body was found before 9am local time at a home in Palos Verdes Estates, California. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed Bennington's death by way of the Los Angeles County coroner's office, which says it is investigating a "possible suicide" at his home. TMZ points out that Bennington counted Chris Cornell among his close friends. He tweeted this letter to Cornell upon learning of his May death and sang "Hallelujah" at Cornell's funeral. Cornell would have turned 53 today. Bennington leaves behind six children from two marriages.

Stormy Daniels's attorney Michael Avenatti said Michael Cohen has several audio recordings of President Trump Donald John TrumpAustralian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull ousted by party rivals CNN's Cuomo clashes with Kellyanne Conway over Cohen hush-money payments Lawmaker who pushed to impeach Nixon: Trump ‘systematically’ abusing power MORE discussing women who have come forward after allegedly having affairs with Trump. The New York Times reported Friday that Cohen, a longtime lawyer and fixer for Trump, secretly recorded Trump discussing paying Playboy model Karen McDougal ahead of the 2016 election to keep her from talking about their alleged relationship more than a decade earlier. ADVERTISEMENT Avenatti told MSNBC on Friday that there are more tapes. “I know for a fact that this is not the only tape,” Avenatti said. "I think this is a very serious matter and I think that any or all audio tapes that Michael Cohen has in his possession relating to this president should be released for the public.” "There are multiple audio recordings, and our position is that they should be released immediately. So again, the American people can decide what the next steps are. Period." – @MichaelAvenatti tells @mitchellreports pic.twitter.com/nivEFYYJ2J — MSNBC (@MSNBC) July 20, 2018 Avenatti said the FBI is already in possession of the tapes after they raided Cohen’s home, office and hotel room in April as part of a criminal investigation into his business dealings. “There’s nothing that’s stopping Michael Cohen from releasing the audio recordings that he made between him and the president concerning my client, Ms. McDougal, and others,” Avenatti said. And there is a reason why I used the term that I did and demanded the release of the #TrumpTapes as opposed to the #TrumpTape. If Michael Cohen is a patriot, then ALL of the tapes should be released to the American people. Now. Too much is at stake. #Basta — Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) July 20, 2018 Rudy Giuliani, a member of Trump's legal team, said in The New York Times article that McDougal, a former model who says she had a yearlong affair with Trump shortly after he married first lady Melania Trump Melania TrumpHypocrisy charge against Trump over in-laws’ citizenship is wrong Trump asks State to look at ‘large scale killings of farmers,’ prompting furious South Africa response The Memo: Cohen, Manafort hurricane hits Trump MORE, was never paid the amount in question. Giuliani said the recording about McDougal is less than two minutes long and shows Trump did nothing wrong, according to the Times. Trump told Cohen in the recorded conversation to make a potential payment in the form of a check so it could be documented, Giuliani said in the article. “In the big scheme of things, it’s powerful exculpatory evidence,” Giuliani said. Trump has denied the allegations from McDougal and Daniels. McDougal is suing the owner of the National Enquirer, saying the company paid her $150,000 for a story about the alleged affair but then withheld it from publication. Daniels, the adult-film star whose real name is Stephanie Clifford and who also says she had an affair with Trump more than a decade ago, was paid $130,000 by Cohen days before the 2016 presidential election. Giuliani revealed earlier this year that Trump reimbursed Cohen for the payment, despite the president previously denying that he had any knowledge of it. Daniels is suing both Trump and Cohen for libel after denying her claims of an affair.

– If President Trump and former attorney Michael Cohen weren't already on the outs, the revelation that Cohen secretly recorded at least one of their phone conversations has cinched it. The president took to Twitter Saturday morning to express his displeasure and to suggest that Cohen might have broken the law. The FBI seized the recording during its raid on Cohen's office earlier this year, but the tape only came to light this week. On Saturday, Trump reiterated he wasn't happy about that April raid, either. "Inconceivable that the government would break into a lawyer’s office (early in the morning) - almost unheard of," he wrote. "Even more inconceivable that a lawyer would tape a client - totally unheard of & perhaps illegal. The good news is that your favorite President did nothing wrong!" The tape is of a phone conversation Cohen had with Trump shortly before the election in which they discuss a possible payment regarding former Playboy playmate Karen McDougal, who planned to go public with allegations of an affair. Presidential attorney Rudy Guiliani has heard the tape, and he says it is not legally damaging to Trump. Plus, no payment was ever made, he says. Prosecutors have been looking into the McDougal controversy—the National Enquirer, owned by a Trump ally, eventually paid her $150,000 but then killed the story—to see whether any campaign finance laws were violated. Meanwhile, Stormy Daniels attorney Michael Avenatti tells MSNBC that he knows "for a fact" more Cohen-Trump tapes exist and should be made public, reports the Hill.

Cato Berntsen Larsen was able to climb through the toilet seat opening to recover the phone lying at the bottom of the outhouse, but was unable to climb back out again (AFP Photo/Drammen Fire Department) Oslo (AFP) - Firemen in Norway came to the rescue Friday of a man who climbed into an outdoor public toilet to retrieve a friend's cell phone, after he got stuck in the tank. I was down there for one hour, and it was very unpleasant”, Larsen says to the local newspaper Drammens Tidende, which was the first news medium to report the story. He ultimately decided to contact the fire brigade to help end his ordeal in the small town of Drammen outside Oslo. "It was damn disgusting - the worst ever experience. "I was down there an hour, I was panicking," he said, adding there were "animals" crawling on his body. I will never go down a toilet again." Now my body hurts, and I will go home and get some rest”, he tells VG. Dopey Cato Berntsen Larsen, 20, volunteered for the disgusting task because he was thin enough to get inside. Seconds later he was standing at the bottom of the tank, with feces up to his thighs. Then I started panicking because I hate confined spaces and couldn't move." Photo: TERJE BRINGEDAL Out of service His friends called for help. Overcome by nausea and vomiting, he tried in vain to pull himself of the tank, and which is only emptied once a year, according to VG.

– There are good friends and then there's Cato Larsen of Norway. The 20-year-old climbed into the tank of an outdoor toilet Friday after his friend dropped his cellphone into it, AFP reports. According to VG, the friends decided Larsen was the only one skinny enough to get into the toilet and retrieve the phone. "Slim enough to get into it, but not slim enough to get out," Larsen clarifies. He found himself standing thigh-deep in excrement—the toilet is only emptied once per year—and unable to climb out. Larsen was, understandably, vomiting; in addition to the human waste, he says there were animals crawling on him. After an hour of Larsen trying to escape the poo-poo prison, his friends called the local fire department. Firefighters quickly cut Larsen out of the toilet using a chainsaw. A spokesperson for the department notes "it was pretty full down there." Larsen was disinfected and treated for bruising on his arms, and he also says he received some animal bites, per the Sun. "It was disgusting as hell. The worst thing I have ever experienced," Larsen tells VG. "I will never enter a toilet again." And he didn't even get the phone, according to AFP. (That classic summertime pool smell? It's pee.)

The City of Houston wants sermons from pastors engaged in the legal battle over the controversial equal rights ordinance.In a subpoena to five members of the Houston Area Pastors Council, the city is requesting a long list of documents and communications.

– Conservative pastors in Houston complain that the city is trampling on religious freedoms in the battle over a controversial equal-rights ordinance introduced earlier this year. The city's lawyers have subpoenaed several high-profile pastors opposed to the law, seeking, among other things, "all speeches, presentations, or sermons" related to the law, homosexuality, and openly gay Mayor Annise Parker, reports the Houston Chronicle. The law's opponents are suing the city, claiming that it was wrong to determine that an effort to force a repeal referendum didn't gather enough signatures. Plaintiffs call the move "harassment" and a violation of First Amendment rights. "For a city government to step into churches and ask pastors to turn in sermons, it's gone too far. This is not what America, the nation is about," one pastor who received a subpoena tells KTRK. But a city attorney says that since some of the signatures on the repeal petition were gathered at churches, the sermons are part of the case. "If they choose to do this inside the church, choose to do this from the pulpit, then they open the door to the questions being asked," he says.

Spokeswoman Candy Thomson said Iorns was part of a group of four paddle boarders who were on the water off Tolly Point around 6:30 p.m. One of the people in the group saw Iorns face down in the water behind them and they attempted to rescue him and bring him to shore, Thomson said. As a precaution, somebody in the group sent Maryland Natural Resources Police a message with their route, Thomson said. Rathgeb said Iorns was wearing an inflatable life jacket, but the device did not inflate. "They pulled him back on his board and did CPR while pulling him back toward shore," Thomson said. He was taken to Anne Arundel Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, he said. "He was in good shape, he was comfortable around the water, he was well known in our paddleboard community." Capital SUP, a paddle boarding group and business in Annapolis, said in a statement on Facebook that Iorns “went out for a downwind paddle with fellow Capital SUP paddlers and unexpectedly drowned.” “We are still processing how it happened,” the group wrote. “We are at a loss for words. He was our brother. He was an inspiration to everyone on and off the water.” Iorns was profiled by National Geographic last year, which described him as a competitive paddle boarder who’d lost his arms in a motorcycle accident. In an interview, Iorns described the challenges of paddle boarding while being an amputee, saying “whenever I paddle board, it’s a team sport because someone is getting my board, someone’s helping me with my arms, so that’s my team.” “80 percent of my goal is accomplished by making it to the race,” he said. Yates was helping the other man to move the boat to Herrington Harbor South while wind gusts were up to 25 knots as he was a more experienced boater, Thomson said. Thomson said that he was with his family having a picnic at the park and went to the crabbing pier where he was swept into the water during particularly rough conditions. Iorns died Wednesday evening after venturing out into the Chesapeake Bay from Annapolis, MD, according to Maryland Natural Resources Police Public Information Officer Candy Thomson.

– A double-amputee Army veteran who was called an "adventure seeker" and "strong-willed man" by friends died Wednesday in the Chesapeake Bay while paddleboarding, NPR and the Washington Post report. Cody Iorns, 25, pushed off land near Annapolis, Md., around 6pm Wednesday with three other paddlers, but rough conditions—including 5-foot-waves and 25mph wind gusts—soon caused Iorns to fall behind his friends. "They all of a sudden looked back and noticed that Cody had fallen from his paddleboard and was face down in the water," Candy Thomson, a rep for the Maryland Natural Resources Police, tells NPR. The others pulled Iorns, whose life jacket hadn't inflated, back onto his board and administered CPR, which medics took over when they arrived on the scene, but it was too late. Iorns was pronounced dead at Anne Arundel Medical Center; the state medical examiner said the cause of death was accidental drowning. The Capital Gazette notes Iorns' death brings the number of boat-related fatalities so far for 2018 to 10; last year by this time there had only been four. "We're on pace for one of the deadliest years boating-wise in Maryland," says MNRP Capt. Brian Rathgeb. The Annapolis paddleboard community, meanwhile, is mourning the loss of Iorns, a former Army medic who lost his arms after a 2015 motorcycle accident but had become an inspiration in the stand-up paddleboard community. His story had just been featured by National Geographic last year. "He was our brother," paddleboard company Capital SUP Annapolis posted on Facebook. "He was an inspiration to everyone on and off the water."

Reviving a 20-year debate over illnesses of veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf war, a new scientific paper presents evidence that nerve agents released by the bombing of Iraqi chemical weapons depots just before the ground war began could have carried downwind and fallen on American troops staged in Saudi Arabia. The gas set off repeated chemical weapons alarms at U.S. troop points in Saudi Arabia, the report said, but commanders said they were false alarms, because if the troops had been hit with sarin gas, there would have been casualties.

– A controversial new paper may shed light on Gulf War syndrome, a collection of symptoms seen in veterans of the 1991 conflict: Chemical weapons could be to blame. The researchers assert that when US troops bombed chemical weapons depots in Iraq, the neurotoxin sarin was sent into the atmosphere then carried by the wind all the way to American encampments 300 miles to the south. From there, weather conditions may have driven the toxin downward, potentially exposing troops to it for several days. Troops were told that chemical weapons alarms that blared at the time were false alarms, the New York Times reports. The theory has been raised before; the new paper supports it using intelligence and weather reports. The researchers also noted a correlation between the number of times troops say they heard the alarm and the severity of their symptoms. Satellite images in the report show yellow gas over the US encampments, USA Today adds. Almost half of 700,000 Gulf War veterans have made claims for disability, with many citing symptoms whose cause remains mysterious. The Pentagon has maintained that the gas couldn't have traveled far enough to present a threat, and other experts have agreed.

The excavation also unearthed three barrels stacked on top of one another and tied together that served as a basic well. READ MORE: Danish research gives new details on Ice Age extinction Huge urban dig But what’s also interesting is that the barrels were usually used for something else before becoming latrines, and the markings on the barrels reveal who owned it and whether it was used for the transportation of goods or storage of fish. A number of Medieval latrines -- still filled with their original contents -- have been unearthed in Denmark, according to archaeologists working in one of the largest urban archaeological excavations in Danish history. Many of the barrels, which were found during 2013, are in excellent condition and their contents can provide a unique insight into the dietary habits of people living some seven hundred years ago. Visitors can go on a free tour of the excavation every Tuesday and Thursday at 1:00 pm and can visit the archaeologists' workshop every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 3:00. The digs revealed numerous latrine barrels dating back to the 1300s and still filled with their intended content, proving – among other things – that human excrement still has a putrid odour even if it is centuries old.

– One of the biggest urban archaeological digs Denmark has ever seen has uncovered a lowly part of history. "We are talking about 700-year-old latrines. And yes, they still smell bad," an archaeologist explains. The team stumbled on what appears to be a 14th-century communal toilet area in the medieval town of Odense, unearthing a number of medieval barrels filled with human waste. And in case you were wondering, the poop the barrels contained was in "excellent condition," reports Discovery News, with the Copenhagen Post explaining that its "putrid odor" hadn't diminished over the centuries. But it's more than just stinky. It actually tells researchers a lot about how the people of the time lived. (LiveScience notes latrine samples from roughly the same period in Cyprus revealed the intestinal parasites that plagued the crusaders there.) "Preliminary results of analysis show that raspberries were popular in Odense in the 1300s," the head archaeologist reveals. "The contents also contain small pieces of moss, leather, and fabric, which were used as toilet paper." Want to take a whiff for yourself? Well, you're in, um, luck. The site offers free tours, two days a week. (Latrines found in Pompeii have revealed some unusual Roman eating habits.)

US Department of Labor sues Oracle America Inc. for discriminatory employment practices Lawsuit could cost company millions in federal contracts SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit against Oracle America, Inc. alleging the leading technology company has a systemic practice of paying Caucasian male workers more than their counterparts in the same job title, which led to pay discrimination against female, African American and Asian employees. The Department of Labor in its complaint alleges that Oracle "refused to produce" compensation data, hiring data, and "any material demonstrating whether or not it had performed an in-depth review of its compensation practices." "If he can reform the tax code, reduce regulation and negotiate better trade deals, the US technology industry will be stronger and more competitive than ever.” Oracle has many contracts with the federal government, which are worth hundred of millions of dollars.

– Oracle provides contracting services for the feds via its cloud computing software, resulting in "hundreds of millions" of dollars in government contracts, per a Labor Department release. That means the tech company has to adhere to federal nondiscriminatory hiring practices, which a DOL lawsuit announced Wednesday says has not been the case, CNN reports. The complaint alleges Oracle has, in a "systemic practice," extended higher paychecks to white males over female, African-American, and Asian workers with the same job title. On the flip side, the company is also accused of having a bias toward Asian workers (specifically, Asian Indians, per BuzzFeed), with "targeted recruitment" and "referral bonuses" coaxing "its heavily Asian workforce to recruit other Asians." The DOL has been trying to address complaints of a lack of diversity in Silicon Valley, and it has filed suit in recent months against other federal contractors, including Google to turn over compensation data, data software firm Palantir for discriminating against Asian applicants, and JPMorgan Chase for gender discrimination in a complaint also filed Wednesday, per Reuters. But here's where the politics supposedly come into play, which is what Oracle claims is the underlying impetus: Oracle CEO Safra Catz and Peter Thiel, co-founder of Palantir, are both members of President-elect Trump's transition team, with Catz saying last month she would "tell the president-elect that we are with him and will help in any way we can." An Oracle spokeswoman calls the suit "politically motivated" and "wholly without merit."

But in the Senate, the effect was exactly what establishment Republicans had feared: While Tea Party energy powered some victories, concerns about Tea Party extremism also cost them what could have been easy gains — most notably in Nevada, where the Senate Democratic leader, Harry Reid, survived a challenge from Sharron Angle, a Tea Party favorite. Angle in April when she was polling at 5% in the Republican primary and appeared to have no shot at her party's nomination. Tea-party victors included Republican Rand Paul, who claimed the Senate seat in Kentucky, and the GOP's Marco Rubio, who defeated former Gov. But in the final days, Mr. Reid was getting aid from Democrats across the country for a huge get-out-the-vote effort to mobilize loyal supporters. And just as Tea Party supporters do not always agree on what the agenda is, most Americans disagree with many of the goals proclaimed by Tea Party candidates. "We're going to talk to them about what we expect from them," she said, "and what they can expect from us if they don't uphold our core values." He expects lawmakers like Mr. Paul who campaigned on a promise to balance the federal budget within a year and pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution to put forward proposals to do so.

– The Tea Party proved itself to be a major force in yesterday's elections, but a force for what has yet to be determined. "No one in this movement is stopping today. This is not an endgame. This is just a beginning," a leader of the Tea Party patriots told the Wall Street Journal as candidates backed by the movement swept to victory in Florida and Kentucky. In Delaware and Nevada, however, the fears of the GOP establishment were realized as Tea Party-backed candidates were defeated in races the Republicans had expected to win easily. Exit polls found that 40% of voters supported the movement, though there was little agreement on which specifics of the Tea Party agenda they backed. Many who considered themselves Tea Party supporters backed compromising with the Democrats to some degree, though activists say they have no intention of compromising even with the GOP establishment. “If Republican leaders think for a minute that they’re going to suck us in and continue business as usual, they’re wrong," a Tea Party activist who ran Rand Paul's primary campaign in Kentucky told the New York Times.

Data Sources Six independent literature searches were conducted using Scopus and PubMed databases with the following key words “ Ixodes scapularis ,” “ Ixodes pacificus ,” and “tick” to identify relevant articles and abstracts published from 1996 through 25 August 2015. Even more alarming, the blacklegged tick is now considered established in twice the number of counties as in 1998. The data presented here suggest that I. scapularis over the past two decades has expanded from its northeastern focus northward into upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and northern Maine; westward across Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, and New York; and south- and southwestward into West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina ( Fig. The results showed that the blacklegged tick has been reported in more than 45 percent of U.S. counties, compared to 30 percent of counties in 1998. Reforestation and an increased population of deer, which host the ticks, have contributed to the increase in distribution. “The observed range expansion documented in our study highlights a need for continuing and enhancing vector surveillance efforts, particularly along the leading edges of range expansion. The report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, published in the Journal of Medical Entomology, found that the parasites that carry the disease -- known as blacklegged ticks -- are now found in nearly half of all U.S. counties. Lyme disease is transmitted by the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) and the western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus), and the range of these ticks is spreading, according to research published in the Journal of Medical Entomology. "To get Lyme disease, you don't have to live out in the country," he said.

– Nearly half of all counties in the US are now home to ticks that carry Lyme disease, including areas where they'd never before been documented, researchers at the CDC report in the Journal of Medical Entomology. That's up from 30% of counties in 1998, with the Guardian reporting that the number of Lyme disease incidents has tripled in the US since the '90s. The biggest increases were seen in northern and northeastern states, reports CBS News, which singles out Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Vermont, and Wisconsin. It's not surprising, then, that while some 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported annually, the real figure is estimated at a staggering 330,000 people every year. While Lyme disease continues to be fairly easy to treat via antibiotics, if left untreated it can lead to serious symptoms, including chronic joint inflammation and even heart and neurological problems years after infection, reports the CDC, which adds that the best preventive measures are removing ticks as quickly as possible and applying pesticides. Biologists blame reforestation, growing deer populations, and climate change for the fast spread of ticks that carry Lyme disease, reports the Guardian, and the researchers note in a press release the rise of the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) in particular. (Warmer autumns allow ticks more time to feed and infest.)

US president and Japanese host give fish a large feast on second day of former’s five-nation tour of Asia Donald Trump and the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, have taken a forceful approach to feeding fish on the second day of the US president’s five-nation tour of Asia. Standing beside a pond brimming with colourful koi in the Akasaka palace in Tokyo, the two men upended their wooden containers and dumped the entire contents of fish food into the pond Fishy business: Trump and Abe dump fish food into precious koi pond Subscribe to Guardian News ► http://bit.ly/guardianwiressub Support the Guardian ► https://theguardian.com/supportus The Guardian YouTube network: The Guardian ► www.youtube.com/theguardian Owen Jones talks ► http://bit.ly/subsowenjones Guardian Football ► http://is.gd/guardianfootball Guardian Science and Tech ► http://is.gd/guardiantech Guardian Sport ► http://bit.ly/GDNsport Guardian Culture ► http://is.gd/guardianculture

– It's probably one of the most-repeated phrases when teaching kids about how to feed fish: just a pinch. It's a directive President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe most definitely did not follow while the two visited the Akasaka palace's koi carp pond Monday. The Guardian reports that the men began by spooning a bit of food in before "appearing to lose patience" and essentially dumping the contents of the boxes they held into the pond. While some in the media were quick to pounce on Trump for the apparent gaffe, the Guardian notes that video footage shows he was simply imitating Abe's approach.

"Is this the kind of excessive spending Mitt Romney is hiding on his tax returns?"

– You could be forgiven for thinking Snooki’s debut literary venture, A Shore Thing, is perhaps not for you … but maybe you just haven’t been considering all the reasons to buy it. The Jersey Shore star herself offered up 10 such reasons last night on the Late Show With David Letterman. At the very least, you should consider a purchase because—as she said in reason No. 4—“If everybody buys my book, the economy will be fixed.” Watch in the gallery—or click for a hilarious list of excerpts from the novel.

‘Roseanne’ canceled after star’s racist tweet ABC canceled the relaunched “Roseanne” program on Tuesday amid an uproar over a racist tweet by Roseanne Barr, the show’s lead actor, about Valerie Jarrett, a longtime adviser and close friend of former President Barack Obama‘s. — Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) May 30, 2018 Barr's tweet spree began several hours after Channing Dungey, president of ABC Entertainment, issued a statement to USA TODAY denouncing Barr's original tweet, after the star's apology failed to halt a backlash that included the show's consulting producer, Wanda Sykes. Barr used Jarrett’s initials and said “Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby.” Later the ABC prime-time star issued a full-fledged apology: I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans. "I should have known better. I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks," Barr said. Barr apologized for the tweet, describing it as "a bad joke." "It was 2 in the morning and I was ambien tweeting-it was memorial day too-i went 2 far & do not want it defended-it was egregious Indefensible," Barr tweeted. you can take @RoseanneOnABC out of racism but you can’t take the racism out of @therealroseanne ... https://t.co/sJs7Hn5zrn — Don Cheadle (@DonCheadle) May 29, 2018 "you can take @RoseanneOnABC out of racism but you can’t take the racism out of @therealroseanne," he said. — Wanda Sykes (@iamwandasykes) May 29, 2018 “Roseanne’s recent comments about Valerie Jarrett, and so much more, are abhorrent and do not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show,” Gilbert tweeted. "I am disappointed in her actions to say the least." — Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) May 29, 2018 Barr recently finished the first season of her rebooted sitcom, which ranked as one of the most-watched shows of the TV season.

– A racist joke on Twitter has cost Roseanne Barr her show. ABC on Tuesday canceled the reboot of Roseanne amid a storm of criticism directed at its star, reports CNN. The move came after Barr apologized not once but twice on Tuesday for a jarring insult directed at former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. In a since-deleted tweet, Barr wrote, "muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj." As the post began getting traction Tuesday, Barr took to Twitter again. "I apologize. I am now leaving Twitter," she wrote. And then came a lengthier mea culpa: "I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans. I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks. I should have known better. Forgive me-my joke was in bad taste." Related coverage: ABC: "Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show," says the network's statement, per USA Today. Jarrett: Now a senior fellow at the University of Chicago Law School, she declined to comment through a spokesperson, reports Politico. Jarrett is black, and she was born in Iran to American parents. Sykes bailed: Before ABC's move, African-American comedian Wanda Sykes, credited as a consulting producer on Roseanne, tweeted that she would not be returning to the show, reports Entertainment Weekly. Sara Gilbert: The Roseanne star, who was instrumental in the show's reboot, also distanced herself early. The comments "are abhorrent and do not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show," she tweeted. "I am disappointed in her actions to say the least."

In an article published today in PeerJ, Mycologists Bryn Dentinger and Laura Martinez-Suz from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London set out to ask this question by using DNA-based taxonomy. Some of the most sought-after of wild mushrooms are the sweet and nutty Boletus edulis and allies, often referred to by the Italian common name porcini. Drs Dentinger and Suz arbitrarily selected 15 pieces of mushroom from the packet and sequenced the fungal DNA barcode region for each. They then compared these sequences to sequences in the International Nucleotide Sequence Database and classified them based on evolutionary relationships. "None of them had scientific names, so these were essentially new species to science," Dentiger told CBC science columnist Torah Kachur.

– That scientists discovered three new species of mushrooms isn't all that unusual. That they did so in their local supermarket is why it's making headlines. Scientists in London picked up a packet of dried porcini mushrooms at the grocery store and then used a technique known as DNA barcoding, explains the CBC. When they attempted to match the DNA profiles of the dried mushrooms to known species, they discovered that three of the 15 pieces they tested were previously unknown to science. Introducing Boletus meiweiniuganjun, Boletus bainiugan, and Boletus shiyong. All come from China, as do about half the porcini mushrooms sold in Europe, reports Science 2.0. It's not so much a bombshell discovery as evidence of the "enormously diverse and completely under-documented" world of fungi, says the blog post. These particular porcinis have likely been consumed for decades; it's just that nobody had taken the time to categorize them. That said, the researchers were surprised to get hits on three of only 15 specimens, notes Kew.org. The new research is published in the journal PeerJ. (Scientists still can't figure out what these mushroom-like creatures are in the deep sea.)

- A Manassas father said it is a miracle his son is alive after the teenager went into cardiac arrest at baseball practice, but a fellow teammate of his son certified in CPR is being credited for saving his life. "When you get struck in the chest and there is about three hundredths of a second in between each heartbeat and basically if you are hit by something in that time, at the right speed, it stops your heart." "By the time I got to him from home plate to third base, he was non-responsive," Tim Smith said. "When I got to him he was stiff, like his body was trying to breathe but his eyes were rolled back in his head, and he wasn't responding," Smith recalled. So I yelled, ‘Does anybody know CPR?’” There was only one person on the field who did – Steve’s friend and teammate, Paul Dow, who is also a lifeguard. “I felt terrible because I didn't know if he was going to be okay because he did die in my arms.” Paul said he continued doing compressions as they waited for paramedics while he relied on his faith in God. “There is no way in heck I did that by myself,” he said. Steve was flown to a trauma center and his family said what happened next is almost unbelievable – he came to just two days later and was feeling just fine by the third day. Steve Smith is fortunate to be able to play ping pong with Paul Dow, a friend and baseball teammate who Smith said saved his life. He said he remembers getting ready for baseball practice the day of the accident, but nothing from practice itself. “For everyone else, it seemed overwhelming. "I jump in, did CPR, like, I felt like I was having a spiritual conversation with him as he is sitting there slowly dying." Steve said it was tough to find the right words to thank his friend. “I still feel like I couldn't do anything to repay him,” said Steve. For more information on the Hands on Heart CPR Program, go to fems.dc.gov/page/hands-hearts-cpr-program.

– Two Virginia teens are suddenly more than just baseball teammates after a near-death experience during a practice July 14, NBC Washington reports. Steve Smith was running the bases when a throw from the catcher inadvertently nailed him under his left armpit, causing cardiac arrest. “His heart stopped immediately," his father and coach, Tim Smith, tells ABC News. "When I got to him he was stiff, like his body was trying to breathe but his eyes were rolled back in his head." Teammate Paul Dow started performing CPR, a skill he had recently learned during lifeguard training. Dow tells NBC that performing CPR on Smith “felt like I was having a spiritual conversation with him.” Twelve minutes after Dow started CPR, medics arrived and used a defibrillator to restart Smith's heart. Smith was unconscious for a few days but woke up July 17 feeling fine. Tim Smith credits Dow for preventing his son from suffering brain damage and probably saving his life. “It’s a miracle,” he tells ABC. Dow says God helped him save his teammate. “There is no way in heck I did that by myself,” he tells Fox 5. Smith says he likely wouldn't be alive if it weren't for Dow. "Before the accident, we were friends," he tells NBC. "Now, we're actually brothers.”

Story highlights Acute flaccid myelitis, known as AFM, affects the body's nervous system Minnesota typically sees less than one case per year Thirty-eight cases of AFM have been confirms in the US in 2018, CDC says (CNN) Six children in Minnesota have been diagnosed with a rare "polio-like" disease since mid-September, state health officials said. News Release October 5, 2018 Contact information Statement on cases of acute flaccid myelitis The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) issued the following statement today regarding reported cases of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) in six children around the state over the last few weeks. Acute flaccid myelitis, known as AFM, affects the body's nervous system -- specifically, the spinal cord -- and can cause paralysis. Symptoms usually include a sudden onset of arm or leg weakness and loss of muscle reflexes, but can also include drooping eyelids, slurred speech and difficulty swallowing. By the end of the week, he was vomiting and stayed home. AFM came to the attention of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2014 after clusters of cases were discovered in Colorado and California and linked to the spread of a type of virus known as EV-D68. The disease typically affects children; all the recent cases in Minnesota were in children younger than 10. Cases have been reported from the Twin Cities, central Minnesota and northeastern Minnesota. Three cases in 2014 While this is the largest cluster to be reported in Minnesota, it is not the first in the state. Minnesota had three cases in 2014, and single cases in some years since then. It can be a complication following a viral infection, but environmental and genetic factors may also contribute to its development. AFM is a rare but potentially severe condition that can arise following an infection, and in some cases it can lead to death, paralysis or other long-term health impacts.

– A rare condition known for its polio-like effects has been diagnosed in six Minnesota children since mid-September. Per CNN, the condition is called acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM, and damages the body's nervous system. While uncommon, AFM is serious and can lead to paralysis or even death. The state usually sees just one case of the illness per year, which the Star-Tribune reports has health officials now issuing alerts to doctors statewide. And, unlike the viral disease polio, AFM's more elusive cause means there is no vaccine. "Disease investigators are working aggressively with health care providers to gather information about the cases," the Minnesota Department of Public Health said in a statement. "The department is also in contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to share information." AFM most commonly affects young children and the cases in Minnesota, which are not isolated to one region but have instead been seen in multiple parts of the state, have all occurred in patients under age 10. AFM is believed to be most frequently triggered by some separate viral infection, leading officials to urge parents to ensure children follow basic preventative measures including hand washing, staying up-to-date on vaccinations, and avoiding mosquito bites when at all possible. Officials also want parents to be aware of early signs of AFM, which include weakness or stiffness of the neck, drooping eyelids, difficulty swallowing, and slurred speech. With no vaccine, all doctors can do in these cases is treat symptoms and hope effects like limb paralysis aren't permanent. (Meanwhile, the CDC says the disease may be on the rise.)

– The world is discussing the self-proclaimed Islamic State in Paris today, with President Francois Hollande opening a conference attended by leaders and diplomats from 25-plus countries by saying "there is no time to lose. Iraq's combat against terrorism is also ours." Or so hopes Iraqi president Fuad Masum, who urged those in attendance to expand the fight against ISIS to Syria, reports the New York Times. "We must not allow them to have sanctuaries. We must pursue them wherever they are." The Times notes that, thus far, the US has OKed only intelligence gathering over Syria. More on the ISIS front: Not in attendance at the conference: Iran. Though France "initially opened the door to a possible role" by the country, per the Times, John Kerry put the kibosh on the idea over fears it would dissuade Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern states from participating. Iran, for its part, says that Syria should have been invited to the table. Though it was announced yesterday that several Arab nations have agreed to join the fight against ISIS, with the BBC reporting that the anti-ISIS coalition now stands at about 40 countries including 10 Arab states, specifics remain in short supply. A BBC analyst describes a "scramble to craft a coherent plan from contributions offered" by the countries. The Wall Street Journal reports that while no officials have named which Mideast states might also conduct airstrikes, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar likely have the ability to join the US campaign. As far as those airstrikes go, five weeks of them (150 strikes since President Obama's speech last Wednesday, notes the New York Times) have halted the militants' progress, US officials tell the Journal, but the paper points out that ISIS has reacted by becoming more "stealthy." Equipment isn't moved in open convoys; electronic communications have been curtailed; tarps and foliage are increasingly used to shield militants from drones; and militants are hiding among locals. The upside is that "ISIS has not gained any land since the airstrikes started," per one official. The downside is that they may be tougher to track.

The suspect parked a van filled with what he believed were explosives outside the building and tried to detonate it. Authorities say 21-year-old Quazi Nafis was arrested Wednesday morning after a sting operation that involved the FBI and New York Police Department. ET] A man has been arrested for planning to blow up the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, according to a federal law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation. The man was arrested as part of a string operation conducted by the FBI and NYPD as part of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, a federal law enforcement source said.

– The FBI says it has foiled a plot to blow up the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, reports CNN. The story follows a familiar pattern: It was a sting operation, and the suspect was actually dealing with agents from the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force of New York City. They supplied him with what he thought was a car bomb, and he reportedly tried to detonate it outside the bank, reports AP. The suspect is identified as Bangladeshi national Quazi Nafis, 21, and authorities say he came to the US in January to carry out an attack. "In a written statement intended to claim responsibility for the terrorist bombing of the Federal Reserve Bank on behalf of al-Qaeda, Nafis wrote that he wanted to 'destroy America' and that he believed the most efficient way to accomplish this goal was to target America’s economy," said a Justice Department press release.

The ricin-laced letters sent to President Obama and Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker were both postmarked April 8 and sent from Memphis, Tenn., signed "I am KC and I approve this message." Sen. Carl Levin said a staff member at his Saginaw, Mich., office would spend the night in a hospital as a precaution after discovering a suspicious letter. / AP A U.S. official has confirmed an arrest in the investigation of recent mailings of suspicious letters to President Obama and a senator, CBS News correspondent Bob Orr reported Wednesday evening. In a statement, the Department of Justice announced the arrest of Paul Kevin Curtis, "the individual believed to be responsible for the mailings of the three letters sent through the U.S. According to the FBI bulletin, both letters, postmarked April 8, 2013 out of Memphis, Tenn., included an identical phrase, "to see a wrong and not expose it, is to become a silent partner to its continuance." In addition, both letters are signed: "I am KC and I approve this message." The envelope addressed to the White House, the FBI said in a statement Wednesday, also initially tested positive for ricin and was immediately quarantined by U.S. Secret Service personnel. When the test results on one of the letters, addressed to Roger Wicker, R-Miss., came back from the Ft. Dietrick lab Wednesday, various officials described them as "weak," "low-grade" and "less than one percent toxin," CBS News has learned. Another letter was addressed to a Mississippi justice official. After the arrest was announced, a Mississippi state lawmaker, Democratic Rep. Steve Holland of Plantersville, said his 80-year-old mother, Lee County Justice Court Judge Sadie Holland, received a threatening letter last week with a substance that has been sent to a lab for testing. Curtis was arrested at his home in Corinth, Miss., at about 5:15 CT, after an investigation by federal, state and local agencies. Johnson said there were “great consistencies” between the letter received by the Mississippi judge and the letters directed to Wicker and President Obama. The FBI is assisting the sheriff’s office in the investigation to determine whether the letters were sent by the same person. He expected to learn preliminary results of tests on the letter by Thursday. firefighter dressed in a protective suit walks out of a government mail screening facility in Hyattsville, Md., Wednesday, April 17, 2013. An FBI official told NBC News that the agency did not initially believe the letters were related to the attack on the Boston Marathon on Monday. As authorities scurried to investigate three questionable packages discovered in Senate office buildings, reports of suspicious items also came in from at least three senators' offices in their home states. Capitol police were also investigating a suspicious package at the office of Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala. Shelby’s staff had not been evacuated. At least one of the letters addressed to Wicker tested positive in a preliminary field test for ricin. At a senators-only briefing on Tuesday about the bombing, senators were also briefed by Sergeant at Arms Terence Gainer about the Wicker letter that tested positive in initial tests. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., told reporters that the senators were told the suspected letter writer writes a lot of letters to members. Field tests are conducted anytime suspicious powder is found in a mail facility, and the FBI cautioned that field tests and other preliminary tests can produce inconsistent results.

– Federal authorities have arrested a man identified as Paul Kevin Curtis of Tupelo, Mississippi, in the mailing of letters laced with toxin to President Obama and Sen. Roger Wicker, reports the Clarion-Ledger. Not much is known about the suspect at this point, though both letters were signed, "I am KC and I approve this message." Each also contained the message, "to see a wrong and not expose it, is to become a silent partner to its continuance." The letters were flagged at mail-sorting facilities before reaching their intended targets. Initial tests turned up positive for the poison ricin, but NBC News reports that it's still not clear just how potent the letters were. Further tests are under way. The letters were postmarked on April 8. CBS News says there were three in all, one to Wicker, one to Obama, and one to a Mississippi justice official. (Claire McCaskill had previously said that a suspect identified in the case was known to be a prolific letter-writer to lawmakers.)

Delaware County resident Chris Reynolds received just such a shocking delivery from PayPal on Friday, when he opened his monthly statement from the online money-transfer company via email and saw that his ending balance was $92,233,720,368,547,800.

– It's not too often you see the word "quadrillionaire" in a headline. Actually, probably never, considering Chris Reynolds of Media, Penn., was the first man to ever be one—albeit very, very briefly. Reynolds opened his PayPal statement this month to find he had been credited $92,233,720,368,547,800. (As ABC News explains, his account read "-92,233,720,368,547,800.00," which represented not a negative balance but a credit.) But as the saying goes, his good fortune was fleeting: He logged on to find his balance had been reverted to zero. PayPal addressed the mishap Wednesday, telling the BBC, "This was obviously an error and we appreciate that Mr. Reynolds understands this was the case." As a thank you for that understanding, it has offered to make a donation to the charity of Reynolds' choice. But what PayPal told Reynolds had to smart a bit: It apologized for the "inconvenience," he says. Turns out it's an inconvenience for the rest of us, too: Had the balance been a correct one, Reynolds tells the Philadelphia Daily News he would have used it to "pay the national debt down. Then I would buy the Phillies, if I could get a great price." (In other tales of riches denied, click to read about inventors who saw no windfall from their big idea.)

2, the Black Lives Matter never protests when every 14 hours someone is killed in Chicago, probably 70–80 percent of the time a black person. Rudy Giuliani calls Black Lives Matter ‘inherently racist’ We cannot have neighborhoods under siege by both those that may be doing criminal acts and by those that are supposed to be protecting citizens from danger. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) says his criticism of the Black Lives Matter movement does not mean he is indifferent to black suffering. ADVERTISEMENT “A lot of the protection of this city of New York is for black people because 70 percent of the murders in New York City are black. When things like profiling, pulling people over disproportionately, searching people walking down the street excessively, locking people up unreasonably and shooting people unnecessarily are all realities, then we have a severe problem in this country. Blacks don’t make excuses about their communities, therefore police, officials and ex-officials shouldn’t make excuses for those officers that cross the line and abuse their power. Where are they when the young black child is killed?” Giuliani on Sunday said the phrase “Black Lives Matter” is both “anti-American” and “inherently racist.” National debate is raging over the role of the Black Lives Matter movement following the fatal shooting of two African-American men by police in separate incidents last week.

– Rudy Giuliani is being criticized after calling the term "black lives matter" ''inherently racist"—and he's not backing down. During a Sunday appearance on CBS' Face the Nation, Giuliani said "when you say black lives matter, that's inherently racist." He went on to say "black lives matter. White lives matter. Asian lives matter. Hispanic lives matter. That's anti-American and it's racist," the AP reports. In a Monday appearance on Fox & Friends he doubled down, saying, per the Hill, "A lot of the protection of this city of New York is for black people because 70% of the murders in New York City are black. ... I believe I saved a lot more black lives than Black Lives Matter." In a New York Daily News column, the Rev. Al Sharpton says Giuliani's comments reveal "an appalling lack of understanding" of the issue, and cites "that repeated and documented pattern of profiling, excessive force, and shootings by police that we see in our communities and not in others."

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Embed 0:48 autoplay autoplay Copy this code to your website or blog Doctors were forced amputate a man's foot and part of his leg after it was shredded in a mall's escalator — the third such incident in China in less than a week. The 35-year-old man, identified only as Zhang, was mopping the escalator's steps at the Longemont Shopping Mall in Changning district on Saturday when his left foot was caught in the section where the stairs meet the floorplate. In a statement, the mall told the paper that that it was investigating the incident, adding that the worker had "improperly" stepped on his mop. "The brush of the mop was trapped inside the gap in the stairs, which caused cracks in the comb plate," the mall said in a statement. It was the second serious incident involving an escalator on the mainland in a week; 30-year-old mother Xiang Liujuan died after she fell through an escalator floorplate at a shopping mall in Jingzhou .

– Another day, another devastating escalator accident in China. An employee at Longemont Shopping Mall in Shanghai's Changning district had his foot and part of his leg amputated after becoming trapped in an escalator on Saturday, according to the South China Morning Post. The worker, identified simply as Zhang, was cleaning the escalator with a mop when he reportedly stepped on it. The mall described the 35-year-old's action as an "improper" one, and said the mop's brush became "trapped inside the gap in the stairs, which caused cracks in the comb plate." Video of the incident shows the escalator's floor plate breaking away, and Zhang's left foot falling inside the moving staircase. A relative reportedly told local media, "The doctor said he had to amputate the [foot] to avoid the injuries from deteriorating." The accident is the fourth escalator tragedy in China in a week. As previously reported, Xiang Liujuan, 30, was killed a week before Zhang's incident when she similarly fell through an escalator floor plate at Anliang department store in Hubei province. A graphic video shows Xiang pushing her son to safety before she is sucked to her death. Days after that accident, a 1-year-old's arm was seriously injured after it became trapped in an escalator in Guangxi province, NBC News reports, and a 6-year-old was injured Saturday after his foot was caught in an escalator in Beijing. The incidents have led to escalator quality inspections in Shanghai and Hubei. (Workers reportedly warned the mother just before she was swallowed by the escalator.)

He said the new security measures are “chilling.” To Alec Baldwin: America needs your Trump impersonation “They don’t want to hear us.” Townsend said.

– Is the Trump administration going to be a family affair? Nepotism rules prevent Donald Trump from hiring his children to serve in his administration, but sources tell CBS News that the president-elect is already looking into getting top-secret security clearances for his children, a move that, for now, would have to be approved by the current administration. They could get the clearances by being declared national security advisers. Trump kids Ivanka, Eric, and Donald Jr. are on his transition team, as well as son-in-law Jared Kushner. A member of the transition team, however, denies that top-secret clearances had been requested for Trump children, saying it's "not something I'm expecting right now," Politico reports. In other developments: The Wall Street Journal reports that Rudy Giuliani is rumored to be Trump's leading choice to replace John Kerry as secretary of state. "One never knows," Giuliani said Monday evening when asked if his job title would soon include the word "secretary." A source tells Politico that the transition team has become chaotic since Chris Christie was ousted. The insider says that in an approach reminiscent of how Dick Cheney ran George W. Bush's transition, the campaign officials that replaced Christie have discarded much of his work to focus on picking Trump loyalists. The Washington Post reports that in his first press conference since the election, President Obama described Trump as sincere about wanting to be a good president. "This office has a way of waking you up," said Obama, who was on his way out of town for a final foreign trip that will take in Greece, Germany, and Peru. A source tells the New York Daily News that the Secret Service has been holding talks with the NYPD about how to protect Trump when he's at Trump Tower. The source says the NYPD has told the Secret Service to forget about its plan to shut down Fifth Avenue whenever Trump is in town. The AP reports that students protesting Trump's election walked out of classes Monday in cities including Denver, Los Angeles, and Seattle, where more than 5,000 from 20 middle and high schools skipped classes to protest.

SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea’s top three military officials have been removed from their posts, a senior U.S. official said, a move analysts said on Monday could support efforts by the North’s young leader to jump-start economic development and engage with the world. Kim Jong Un is preparing for a high-stakes summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore on June 12, the first such meeting between a North Korean leader and a sitting U.S. president. Three of North Korea’s top military officials have been replaced, a South Korean news agency reported Monday, marking an apparent shake-up in leader Kim Jong Un’s inner circle before next week’s planned summit with President Trump. But, if confirmed, the moves suggest another step in Kim’s ongoing reorganization in military leadership — this time bringing in younger military overseers to replace older ranks possibly at odds with his outreach to the United States and its ally South Korea, experts said. But he and the two other generals who reportedly were promoted to top positions — No Kwang Chol and Kim Su Gil — have been seen at major party and military events with the North’s leader over the past two years, according to 38 North, a website that closely follows North Korean affairs. This could be a sign that the North Korean leader is “pursuing a new policy to become a developing country without nuclear weapons, rather than a poor country with nuclear weapons,” he said. All the officials who were reportedly promoted were younger than those dismissed, according to Yonhap, including the new general staff chief, Ri Yong Gil, who at 63 is 21 years younger than the outgoing Ri Myong Su. “This points to two things: the consolidation of Kim Jong Un’s power as the sole leader of North Korea and strengthened cooperation between the North’s party and military as the country works towards further economic development,” said Yang Moo-jin, professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. It’s good to have these people in high office to provide him follow-through,” Madden said. “These are guys that are Kim Jong Un guys — Kim Jong Un loyalists and people who he trusts,” Madden said, noting that Kim also may have wanted to make sure his handpicked military chiefs are in charge when he leaves for the Singapore summit.

– In preparation for the Singapore summit, Kim Jong Un has reportedly shaken up North Korea's military leadership—though it's not clear whether it's the kind of reshuffle that involves executions or mere demotions. According to South Korea's Yonhap news agency, all three of North Korea's top military leaders have been replaced, the Guardian reports. A senior US official confirmed to Reuters that the three leaders had been ousted. Yonhap named the military leaders as defense chief Pak Yong Sik, Korean People's Army chief of staff Ri Myong Su, and Kim Jong Gak, head of the KPA's General Political Bureau. All three men, including 84-year-old Ri Myong Su, were replaced by younger deputies. Analysts believe Kim is sidelining powerful figures from father Kim Jong Il's generation ahead of the summit. Their replacements "are guys that are Kim Jong Un guys—Kim Jong Un loyalists and people who he trusts," Michael Madden of the North Korea Leadership Watch website tells the Washington Post. Madden believes Kim made the changes because he wants to have the new military leaders in charge of the country while he is away—and to help oversee changes including possible denuclearization. "So if there are policies he needs to implement, these are people who are not going to be resistant to that and they will make sure his policies are implemented in a timely fashion," Madden says. (Syria's Bashar al-Assad is also interested in meeting Kim.)

Trump also starred, informally at least, in Wisconsin's Senate primaries as Republicans try to deny Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin a second term. More people are working in Wisconsin than ever before. — Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) August 15, 2018 The primary came a day after President Donald Trump — who at times has criticized Walker — tweeted that the Wisconsin governor "has done incredible things for that Great State" and had Trump's "complete & total Endorsement." “I vote as far left as I can, and I’m not too impressed with Republicans — whether they say they are or not,” he said. His background in education gives him a chance to go after Walker on an issue that Democrats see as a weak spot for the governor. Walker’s team, for instance, has noted that Evers called Walker’s last state budget “kid-friendly,” possibly limiting how effective Evers could be in arguing against Walker’s funding for schools. Johnson, his underfunded opponent, circulated Pawlenty's critique far and wide, telling voters that he was a steadfast supporter of the president. (Photo: Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) Lieutenant governor In the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, former state Rep. Mandela Barnes of Milwaukee appeared on track to defeat Sheboygan businessman Kurt Kober.

– In a historic moment for the transgender rights movement, former power company exec Christine Hallquist won the Democratic primary for Vermont governor Tuesday, becoming the first transgender candidate from a major party to win a gubernatorial primary. Hallquist, who transitioned from male to female in 2015, was chief executive of the Vermont Electric Cooperative before entering politics, the New York Times reports. Annise Parker of the LGBTQ Victory Fund praised the victory as a "defining moment," though she added that Hallquist won "not because of her gender identity, but because she is an open and authentic candidate ... who speaks to the issues most important to voters." In other results: Vermont also nominated Sen. Bernie Sanders to seek a third term, the AP reports. He won the Democratic primary, but is expected to run as an independent again. In Minnesota, Sen. Tina Smith defeated Richard Painter, George W. Bush's former ethics counsel, in the Democratic primary, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. In November, she will face Republican state Sen. Karin Housley in a race to decide who will finish the last two years of former Sen. Al Franken's term. Rep. Keith Ellison has won the Democratic primary for Minnesota attorney general despite allegations of domestic violence involving an ex-girlfriend that surfaced days before the election, the Washington Post reports. He placed far ahead of the other four candidates in the race, and is expected to face Republican former state lawmaker Doug Wardlow in November. In Wisconsin, Democrat Tony Evers won an eight-way gubernatorial primary and promised to end Republican Gov. Scott Walker's "reign of terror," the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Walker, who is seeking a third term, cruised to victory in the GOP primary. Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who once called President Trump "unhinged and unfit for the presidency," was trying to get his old job back but lost the GOP primary to pro-Trump candidate Jeff Johnson, the AP reports. Former National Teacher of the Year Jahana Hayes won the Democratic primary for the House seat being vacated by scandal-plagued Rep. Elizabeth Esty, the Hartford Courant reports. If she wins in November, Hayes will be the first black Democrat from New England elected to the House.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The latest on a deadly crash on the Las Vegas Strip (all times local): Las Vegas Metro police and crime scene investigators look over a sedan believed to have been involved in an incident where police said a woman intentionally swerved her car into pedestrians on the Las... (Associated Press) People crowd on a sidewalk while police cars and ambulances gather on a street after a car drove onto a busy sidewalk and mowed down people outside a casino in Las Vegas, NV., Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015. A... (Associated Press) Police and emergency crews respond to the scene of an incident along Las Vegas Boulevard, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015, in Las Vegas. Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo told reporters Monday that 24-year-old Lakeisha N. Holloway wouldn't stop and it appeared from video that it was an intentional act. He confirmed that a 3-year-old toddler was in the car with the driver and was unharmed. Video provided by Newsy Newslook She finally drove the 1996 Oldsmobile around the corner and parked it at a hotel before speaking with the valet. Police believe she was headed to Dallas to find her daughter's father after they had a falling out. Lombardo said Holloway did not appear to be drunk when she talked with officers, but a drug expert said she appeared to be under the influence of a stimulant. Investigators said Holloway had run out of money and that she and her daughter had been living in the car. A woman in her 20's drove her vehicle onto the sidewalk of Las Vegas Boulevard injuring 37 people and killing one just after 6:30 p.m. Sunday. A 3-year-old toddler in the back seat, apparently her child, was in good condition under the care of child services, Lombardo said. Prosecutors say they expect to file murder charges and other counts against the driver who crashed into pedestrians on the Las Vegas Strip, killing an Arizona woman and injuring dozens of others. District Attorney Steven Wolfson added that it was too early to determine whether the death penalty could or would be sought. A 10 a.m. press conference with the sheriff is scheduled to offer updates on the Sunday night crash. She said it was her understanding that Holloway had a hotel room in Las Vegas, contrary to officials’ remarks that she was living out of her car. The Clark County Coroner's Office identified the person killed as Jessica Valenzuela, 32, of Buckeye, Ariz. Holloway lived in Oregon and had been in Las Vegas for about a week, apparently living in her 1996 Oldsmobile sedan and parking it at garages throughout the city, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said. The driver, who is not from Las Vegas, has been taken to Clark County Detention Center. She was interviewed and tested for impairment, Metro Capt. The female driver of the 1996 Oldsmobile four-door sedan was arrested near the Tuscany hotel on Flamingo Road shortly after the crash, which happened in front of the Paris Las Vegas and Planet Hollywood hotels. ___ 7:20 a.m. Four college students from Oregon were among those hurt when a vehicle plowed into pedestrians on a sidewalk outside a Las Vegas Strip casino. Skip Ad Ad Loading... x Embed x Share Police arrested 24-year-old Lakeisha Holloway of Oregon in connection with the deadly crash that left one person dead and more than 30 injured. ___ 7:10 a.m. A hospital official says three people who were injured in a crash on the Las Vegas Strip are in critical condition. Authorities say a car intentionally drove on and off the sidewalk into crowds near the Planet Hollywood casino-hotel Sunday night, mowing down dozens of pedestrians. One person died there, and the rest brought in for treatment have been released, including an 11-year-old. Las Vegas Boulevard is open after nearly 11 hours of being shut down following Sunday night's crash and the one person who lost their life has been identified by the coroner.

– The woman accused of intentionally steering her car into crowds on the sidewalk of Las Vegas Boulevard on Sunday has been identified as 24-year-old Lakeisha Holloway, who is believed to be from out of state and had been in Vegas for about a week, investigators say, possibly living in her car. Holloway is described as "stoic" in the aftermath, reports USA Today, and reportedly asked a valet to call 911 after describing her actions. Police say she may have had an argument with the father of her 3-year-old daughter, who was in the vehicle; a drug expert at the scene further tells the AP that the suspect was on some type of "stimulant," though the Review-Journal reports that she wasn't exhibiting severe impairment, citing police sources. Formal charges are expected later Monday or early Tuesday, the DA tells USA Today. A 32-year-old Arizonan, Jessica Valenzuela, has been identified as the sole casualty thus far.

The 33-year-old hiker from... (Associated Press) Recovering at a Fresno hospital, Gregg Hein, 33, said Wednesday that he was a couple days into a solo hike high in the Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks northeast of Fresno when a large rock crushed his right leg above the ankle. From a wheelchair Tuesday at Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, Hein talked about breaking his leg on July 5, hiking down from 13,600-foot Mount Goddard, and his eventual rescue Thursday by a National Park Service helicopter. After letting out a yelp, the Clovis man said his first thought was treating his dangling leg and protruding bone to boost his chances of making it out alive. FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A hiker who was stranded for six days in California's Sierra Nevada with a badly broken leg says survival mode kicked in when he treated his own injury and sought sustenance by eating crickets and moths, and drinking melting ice. Back home, Doug Hein reported his son missing two days after he didn't return home as planned. As he lay bleeding, Hein contemplated applying a makeshift tourniquet, a device used to tightly clench blood vessels connected to an injury. Alive and safe at Community Regional Medical Center, Hein has a lot to look forward to. In the future, Hein plans to carry a reflective mirror, which can be used to signal rescue aircraft; a satellite-linked device, which can be used to alert rescuers about a location; and more medical supplies and gear. "I've got a long time to get him back home and get him cornered and say, 'Hopefully you've learned from this,'" Doug Hein said.

– Hiking alone has its disadvantages, and experienced climber, rafter, and trail runner Gregg Hein got up close and personal with most of them earlier this month. Two days into a solo hike in the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks near Fresno, Calif., his footing set loose a boulder that caused the 33-year-old to fall 150 feet and broke his right leg in three places, leaving his foot "dangling" and his bone protruding out of his skin more than an inch. Knowing that a tourniquet would later lead to amputation, he took his chances and went without it; the bleeding eventually slowed. "I have to get these next moments right," Hein tells the AP. "What do I do to make sure I have the best chance for a positive outcome?" Part of that meant surviving for at least three days; he wasn't expected home for another two, so that's how long it would take for a search party to be dispatched. Hein abandoned his heavy pack on Mount Goddard, taking a poncho, pocket knife, whistle, and bivvy sack with him as he scooted to a glacier; there, he nursed his injury with ice for four days, surviving on melted ice, moths, and crickets. He then decided he'd have a better chance of being spotted elsewhere; held his leg together using hiking poles, a belt, and a cord; and crawled for about a mile. On day six—July 10—two helicopters flew above him several times. "It was kind of wrenching," he tells the Fresno Bee. Around 7:30pm, a "fortuitous" moment arrived: A crew was dropped off just 50 feet from him, and when he saw the searchers spot him, he rolled onto his back and "breathed a deep sigh of relief." Full recovery is expected to take months. Hein plans to get back in the wilderness—though next time not alone, he says. (Check out which insect this man survived on for months in the wild.)

Story highlights Lego tower in Budapest confirmed as world's tallest by Guinness World Records Tower reaches 34 meters over city's St. Stephen's Basilica Local school children helped build the structure, which was topped by a Rubik's cube -- a Hungarian invention Imagine the size of the box this one came in -- a Lego tower stretching 36 meters into the sky above the Hungarian capital Budapest. School children helped to build the structure, and the mayor of the city's fifth district put the final block in place.

– Lego lovers will be stoked by this news: Budapest, Hungary, is now home to a 114-foot-tall Lego tower to rival the city’s most picturesque architecture, CNN reports. The Guinness Book of World Records has put its official stamp on the project, declaring the multi-colored structure—which features a profile of Pac-Man and is topped by a Rubik’s cube (Hungary's contribution to pop culture)—the "tallest structure built with interlocking plastic bricks." The Lego Store Budapest will be listed as the record holder. And for a too-cute spin on the story, the Guardian reports that school kids helped snap together some of the hundreds of thousands of blocks needed to build the tower. Sadly, somewhere in Delaware a bunch of students may be weeping—they held the previous record of nearly 113 feet, CNN notes. (More quirky Lego news: Lego people will outnumber real people by 2019.)

One day after a professor was arrested over a dead body found in his office, the University of Hong Kong welcomed new students to campus with its newly-minted president promising to help them and staff cope with the tragedy. Associate Professor Cheung Kie-chung of the Department of Mechanical Engineering was arrested after police found the decomposing body of his 52-year-old wife at his office. The police made a surprise inspection at Cheung’s office at Haking Wong Building and found the wooden box, which was made with six wooden plates and assembled with screws and silicone glue.

– A professor at the University of Hong Kong emailed students Tuesday morning to calm them regarding a police presence at the residence hall in which he lived with his family and served as warden. "They are here to investigate a missing person case," wrote Cheung Kie-chung, who'd told police his wife vanished on Aug. 17 following an argument. "There is nothing to worry about among the students." Later that day, police say they found a wooden box at Cheung's office on the university's main campus. Inside was a malodorous, bloody suitcase holding a woman's body, an electrical wire around her neck, police superintendent Law Kwok-hoi says, per the New York Times. Police allege 53-year-old Cheung strangled his 52-year-old wife after a family dispute. The dispute allegedly involved the couple's daughter and bathroom cleanliness, per CNN, while the Hong Kong Free Press specifically refers to "toilet hygiene." After the daughter left their residence, Cheung's wife is believed to have confronted her husband for not supporting her in the dispute, police say. She wasn't seen exiting the building, though surveillance video did show Cheung taking out a wooden box measuring roughly 10 by 20 by 30 inches. A member of the department of engineering as well as the school's governing council, he was charged Wednesday with murder as university officials offered counseling to Wei Lun Hall residents, per the South China Morning Post. (Another Hong Kong professor is accused of killing his wife and daughter with a gas-filled yoga ball.)

The company, founded eight years ago by Mark Zuckerberg in a Harvard dorm room, raised the target range to between $34 and $38 per share in response to strong demand, from $28 to $35, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday. An investor holds prospectus explaining the Facebook stock after attending a show for Facebook Inc's initial public offering at the Four Season's Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts May 8, 2012. The Menlo Park, Calif., company's initial price range put Facebook's valuation at $77 billion to $96 billion, but that rises to $93 billion to $104 billion under the new price range as investor interest ramps up. Facebook's capital-raising target far outstrips other big Internet IPOs. Google raised just shy of $2 billion in 2004, while last year Groupon tapped investors for $700 million and Zynga raked in $1 billion. " Students began to get frustrated as the weeks wound on without more news of the IPO date. Facebook also extended the time frame for its $1 billion acquisition of mobile app maker Instagram, projecting that the deal would close in 2012 instead of closing in the second quarter as it had previously indicated. Wall Street had expected Facebook to increase its price range, with investors eager to get a slice of a strong consumer brand. After hearing that Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs would set the roadshow schedule, he started to call and email bankers at both companies regularly. Mr. Baggini was pleased that its research and development expenditures had ticked up but wasn't sure why revenue growth per user had slowed. The IPO is already "well-oversubscribed," which is why the company will close its books earlier than expected, the source said.

– Looks like Facebook's IPO roadshow has done a pretty good job of drumming up investor interest. The company has raised its IPO price range up to $34 to $38 a share from $28 to $35 a share, sources tell the Wall Street Journal. The new price range gives the company founded by Mark Zuckerberg—who turned 28 yesterday—a valuation of $104 billion. At the mid-point of $36, Facebook would raise $12.1 billion with the IPO. The company plans to close the books on the IPO today, set the price range on Thursday, and start trading on Friday, sources tell Reuters. Small investors are jumping at the chance to get in on Silicon Valley's biggest-ever IPO, although many larger investors doubt whether its $3.7 billion in revenue and $1 billion in profits last year deserve such a high valuation, the Journal notes. "It's a cult stock," says the chief investment officer of investment-management firm Granite Investment Advisors.

At first, the 25-year-old waitress at Mac's Grub Shack in Spring Hill, Tennessee didn't even notice the note scrawled on the back of the receipt left by a "very sweet couple" who'd ordered beers, a burger and hot dogs. The unidentified diners had left a $36 tip on a bill that couldn't have been more than $30, Hudson told ABC News. In addition to the $36, the couple also left Hudson with a note explaining the heartfelt meaning behind the digits. "Today is my brother's b-day," it said, written behind the credit card receipt. "He would have been 36 today. Every year I go eat his favorite meal (hot dogs) and tip the waitress his age. Happy B-day Wes." Courtesy of Claire Hudson "Today is my brother's b-day," read the note. Courtesy of Claire Hudson She posted the picture to Reddit, where it quickly got noticed, as people were moved by the story. "The owner of my restaurant, Michael McCray, is trying to contact the patrons and find out what Wes liked on his hot dogs so we can add it to the menu," she said. This experience has definitely given me the idea to do the same thing on his birthday every year.

– A waitress in Tennessee was brought to tears this week when a customer left her a generous tip and a moving message. Claire Hudson, 25, was serving tables at Mac's Grub Shak in Spring Hill on Sunday when a "very sweet couple" sat down and ordered beers, a burger, and hot dogs, Today.com reports. It was only after they left that a cashier pointed out the $36 tip the man had left on his $28.12 bill, along with a note on the back. "I didn't know what to say," Hudson tells ABC News. "I was in tears when I read it." It read: "Today is my brother's b-day. He would have been 36 today. Every year I go eat his favorite meal (hot dogs) and tip the waitress his age. Happy B-day Wes." "It's the best tip I've ever gotten," Hudson says, "not because of the money, but because of the meaning." Hudson posted a photo of the bill on Reddit after she finished up her shift that night. "When I woke up I was on the front page," she says. "It had over 1.5 million views on Imgur and 350,000 upvotes on Reddit." Hudson and the owner of Mac's Grub Shak now want to honor the man that inspired the generous gratuity. They hope to track down the tipper to find out exactly what Wes liked on his hot dogs so the eatery can "name a hot dog after him." Hudson adds she may start a similar tradition herself. "My best friend, he died about three years ago. This experience has definitely given me the idea to do the same thing on his birthday every year," she says. "It was deeply moving and just the coolest thing that's ever happened." (This waitress got a big tip just when she really needed it.)

In this undated photo released by Proyecto Vaquita, a porpoise is seen trapped in a fishing net at the Gulf of California. The group of military dolphins, dubbed the Seal Team 6, was specially trained by the U.S. Navy to use their deep-diving and sonar skills to locate undersea mines and other objects, according to the Navy. "Jim Fallin of the U.S. Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific said Tuesday that the dolphins' participation is still in the planning stage," the Associated Press reported on Jan. 3. Considered the world's most endangered marine mammal species, vaquitas, which have dark rings around their eyes and mouth, live only in the upper parts of the Gulf of California in Mexico, according to the Cetacean Specialist Group.

– The world's smallest porpoise is also ever smaller in number, its population decimated in recent decades thanks to what the Washington Post describes as "a cruel mixture of fishing nets and economics." The vaquita, or "little cow," has gotten tangled up in fish nets since World War II, when fishermen began to seriously hunt a species of sea bass called totoaba. The porpoise, known for sporting a little smirk, is a marine mammal that would drown in the nets where they couldn't swim to the surface for air, and the appetite for totoaba has not diminished as the fish's bladder is used in Chinese medicine and considered a delicacy there, fetching more than $4,000 for just one. The Mexican government has frantically decided to try to capture the remaining survivors, now around 60, to try to save the species. The US is joining in, too, offering up another marine mammal to help: the dolphin. The US Navy is training the so-called Seal Team 6 of dolphins, which already prowl around for underwater mines, to find the last surviving vaquita, which live between the Mexican mainland and Baja California Peninsula. "Their specific task is to locate," one expert says. "They would signal that by surfacing and returning to the boat from which they were launched." Unfortunately, the vaquita doesn't thrive in captivity, where they would need to remain to be safe from fishing nets. They also reproduce very slowly, with one calf every other year. Not everyone is on board with the plan, adds Live Science. "I don't like this idea at all," says a rep for World Wildlife Fund Mexico. "The risk of killing a vaquita while catching them is very high. With only 50 or 60 animals left, we can't play with that." (Dolphins appear to chat much like humans.)

Niagara Regional Police have ruled out the “vast majority” of missing-persons cases they have reviewed across Canada related to their ongoing investigation into a female torso found in the Niagara River. New York State Police Capt. Steven Nigrelli said Tuesday that because the U.S. shares the river with Canada, it's possible the person may have entered the water from there. They called on the public to check on female family members, co-workers or neighbors they haven't heard from in some time.

– Canadian authorities found a woman's torso floating at the bottom of Niagara Falls last Wednesday, and they suspect it may be a missing American, the AP reports. Police have classified the case as a homicide investigation, and “we are prepared to say that it was a dismemberment," says a Canadian police spokesman. Investigators have pored over 50 or so Canadian missing-person case files, but believe none "fits the parameters" of the discovered body, Niagara's regional police inspector tells the Niagara Falls Review. “We have met with our American policing partners who continue to review missing-persons reports in their jurisdiction," he says. State police have a begun a search through missing person records in New York, but may expand the investigation to other states. “There’s a good possibility this person entered the water from the US,” says a state police spokesman. The body, missing limbs and a head, is that of a middle-aged white female with a pierced navel.

"We then developed a technique for reactivating the heart in a so-called heart in a box machine.

– For 20 years, the heart transplant unit at Sydney's St. Vincent's Hospital has been working hard to figure out a way to transplant a dead heart into a live patient. Today doctors from the team announced their work had paid off: They have successfully completed three transplants using hearts that had stopped beating for 20 minutes—said to be the first such transplants in the world, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Two of the patients are already up and about, while the most recent recipient is still recovering in intensive care. Heart transplants typically rely on organs taken from brain-dead donors whose hearts are still beating; the Herald reports the new development could save 30% more lives. The surgeon who performed the operations says he "kicked the air" after he realized the first surgery had gone well. The secret to their success lies in cutting-edge technology and the preservation solution in which the nonbeating hearts are immersed. The heart is first placed in a special "heart in a box" machine that warms it up and keeps it beating for about four hours before the transplant operation. The preservation solution, which alone took 12 years to develop, minimizes damage to the organ after it has stopped beating and helps ensure it both survives the surgery and functions in the recipient's body, Sky News reports. Michelle Gribilas, a 57-year-old who had congestive heart failure, tells the Herald that she was "very sick" before having the operation two months ago, and "now I'm a different person altogether. I feel like I'm 40 years old." (This woman wants to live out her heart donor's bucket list.)

Write to Josh Mitchell at joshua.mitchell@wsj.com Corrections & Amplifications: Borrowers enrolled in plans that forgive student debt owe an average of about $51,000 and a combined $269 billion, according to Education Department statistics cited by the Government Accountability Office. The GAO report finds that estimates of the cost to the government of income-driven repayment plans -- which eventually discharge a student's remaining debt after 20 years or more of payments -- has jumped from $28 billion to $53 billion for student loans issued from 2009 to 2016. WASHINGTON—The federal government is on track to forgive at least $108 billion in student debt in coming years, as more and more borrowers seek help in paying down their loans, leading to lower revenues for the nation’s program to finance higher education. “At a time when our nation is facing a mammoth national debt, the Department of Education has expanded a student loan program that will cost twice as much as originally estimated,” Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-Wyo. [What you need to know about Obama’s latest student loan plan before enrolling] To help people manage their student loans, the Obama administration has expanded programs that cap monthly payments to a percentage of earnings and eventually forgives the balance. In addition to debt forgiveness under income-driven repayment programs, the administration is also moving to forgive loans for borrowers who can show they were lured to enroll at schools—mostly for-profit colleges—that used deceptive advertising. On the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump spoke favorably about income-driven repayment plans, saying in one speech that “students should not be asked to pay more on their loans than they can afford.” He proposed in a speech a repayment program that would be even more generous than the programs already available to student loan borrowers. Data released by the Department of Education this year indicated that those programs have seen steady increases in enrollment. “You need to hire a firm that is skilled at estimating the value of financial securities to tell you what these loans are worth and what they’ll cost taxpayers.” As it stands, there are 5.3 million people enrolled in an income-driven repayment plan with about $353 billion in outstanding student loans. And the fiscal 2017 cohort of student loans is expected to carry a cost five times that of the 2012 cohort. The department’s estimates assumed no growth in enrollment, even as the Obama administration was seeking to enroll two million additional borrowers in the plans. “If you go through the report, there are just basic things that they missed or that they didn’t do.” Jason Delisle, a resident fellow who specializes in higher ed finance at the American Enterprise Institute, said the report was a vote of no confidence in the department’s abilities to estimate what income-driven repayment will cost taxpayers. ), who ordered the GAO study, has criticized the Obama administration’s use of executive authority to sweeten terms of the repayment plans, which he said would add to the national debt. Ted Mitchell, undersecretary at the Education Department, said such programs “are helping millions of borrowers successfully manage loan repayment, particularly those for whom standard repayment may prove challenging.” He added that the administration has proposed changes to reduce costs. She also said the GAO report showed important fixes that the Department of Education could make in its cost estimates. The department in its annual budget report said the money being repaid through other student loan programs offsets some of the expense of the income-driven plans. It’s possible that Republican lawmakers looking to tackle the costs associated with the programs could take steps like capping the amount of loan debt that can be taken out for graduate studies, eliminating Public Service Loan Forgiveness or otherwise limiting student borrowing.

– A new report out of the Government Accountability Office reveals that the federal government will forgive at least $108 billion in student loan debt in the coming years, a higher amount than official estimates out of the federal government's Education Department, the Washington Post reports. The GAO report, which Inside Higher Ed says is "highly critical," looked at the federal government's income-driven repayment plans, which cap borrowers' monthly payments based on their income and, in some cases, ultimately forgive the balance of the debt entirely. Currently, $355 billion is owed under income-driven repayment plans, and the GAO report found that $137 billion of that will never be repaid. Of that, $108 billion will be forgiven under the terms of the plans, and $29 billion will be written off due to disability or death. Those amounts only cover loans made through the current school year, the Wall Street Journal reports. Income-driven repayment plans were passed by Congress in the 1990s and 2000s, but the Obama administration beefed some of them up and increased efforts to enroll people in them; currently 5.3 million borrowers are enrolled. The GAO report could offer ammunition to congressional Republicans looking to trim such programs in an attempt to rein in costs. "Really what the GAO is saying is that the Obama administration’s expansion of this program has been done without good information about the effects," says one higher-ed finance expert.

They also benefited from a national moratorium on foreclosures following the robo-signing scandal and from Maryland’s unusually long foreclosure process, one of the most protracted in the nation. During the real estate boom, the Ritters earned six-figure incomes by flipping houses — buying and reselling rapidly. Keith and Janet Ritter did not make a single mortgage payment on the showcase home along the Potomac River after buying it at the end of 2006. One man, who did not give his name, said, “This is reality.” The mortgage on the million-dollar house passed through several lenders, at least two of which tried to foreclose. As its value skyrocketed, the couple borrowed against it to buy other properties in Fort Washington that they would fix up and then sell. Between 2006 and 2008, housing prices in Prince George’s County fell 17 percent while the number of properties in foreclosure surged from 3,094 to 32,338, according to a state report. The Ritters ran into financial trouble once the housing bubble burst. In 2010, the Riverview Road house went into foreclosure for the second time shortly after Kondaur Capital, a California company that buys and services troubled home loans, purchased the note from Morgan Stanley. Neighbors in the small development of custom-built, high-end homes were reluctant to talk to a reporter about the eviction. Kondaur did not return calls and e-mails asking for comment. In March, after an article about the couple appeared in The Washington Post, sheriff’s deputies pulled up to the house but had to leave because of another last-minute bankruptcy filing by Janet Ritter. Attorneys for Kondaur successfully foreclosed on the house late last year and obtained an eviction order in December. Kondaur’s lawyers last week secured the court order that allowed the eviction to go forward.

– After buying their million-dollar house in 2006, a Maryland couple never made a single mortgage payment; now they've been evicted after a long struggle, reports the Washington Post. Keith and Janet Ritter made a fortune, temporarily, buying and flipping homes during the housing bubble, and they bought their $1.3 million home with no money down, according to a previous article in the Post. Then they lost much of their wealth when the bubble burst and have been fighting eviction ever since. Though two mortgage lenders attempted to foreclose on the home, the couple managed to avoid such a fate for years thanks to multiple bankruptcy filings across several states. Maryland also has one of the country's longest foreclosure processes. California property buyer Kondaur Capital finally got an eviction order in December. Police attempted to evict the Ritters in March but were barred by another bankruptcy filing; this week's successful eviction follows a court order last week.

Gibson, who built a wellness empire on the back of claims she cured terminal brain cancer through diet and lifestyle, has admitted deceiving her followers 'None of it’s true': wellness blogger Belle Gibson admits she never had cancer Disgraced wellness blogger Belle Gibson, who built an online community and sold a recipe book off the back of claims she cured terminal brain cancer through diet and lifestyle alone, has admitted she never had cancer. Above anything, I would like people to say, ‘OK, she’s human.’” Gibson’s wellness empire, which included a mobile phone app called The Whole Pantry and a website and recipe book of the same name, began to fall apart in March when it was revealed she never made thousands of dollars in charity donations she promised off the back of money raised through her success. In an interview with the Australian Women’s Weekly in 2016, Gibson admitted she never had cancer at all, saying: “None of it’s true.” On Monday night Mortimer said her executive assistant had received an email from Gibson in response to notification that the penalty would be handed down on Thursday.

– In March, Belle Gibson was found guilty of breaching consumer law with her false claims on how she'd beaten her supposed brain cancer. On Thursday, Melbourne's Federal Court of Australia handed down the fine the Aussie blogger will pay as a consequence: around $320,000, the BBC reports. The 25-year-old had made a name for herself in her home country when she claimed she'd beaten her cancer through a regimen of healthy living and eating, which she monetized via an app and cookbook she created, both called The Whole Pantry. Per the AP, the fine was handed down due to Gibson's claims that proceeds from the app and cookbook would go to different charities. But the charities never got those funds, and that's when questions started to pop up about Gibson herself. It was in mid-2015 when Gibson finally admitted she'd never had brain cancer, or other cancers she'd also initially said she had (she later called those misdiagnoses). Gibson's "pitch" for people to throw money her way "overwhelmingly used groups likely to evoke sympathy because of their vulnerabilities—young girls, asylum seekers, sick children," federal judge Debra Mortimer said in March. The Guardian notes the court had spent months trying to figure out a penalty for Gibson, and Consumer Affairs Victoria, which brought the case against Gibson, said she could've faced a fine of up to $860,000. But Mortimer had previously said it was pointless to issue a fine that Gibson would be unable to pay. Gibson wasn't in court to hear Mortimer's decision, instead sending an email response to the AP that said, "Thank you for the update. Much appreciated."

On Wednesday, Barack Obama nominated Avril Danica Haines to be the deputy director of the CIA, replacing Michael Morell, who twice served as acting director of the agency but took much of the blame for editing the highly controversial talking points around the 2012 attack on the consulate in Benghazi. Taking over the job is Haines, 43, who has been deputy counsel to the president for national security affairs since 2010, marking the first time a woman has ascended to the agency’s second highest position. Mr. Morell, 54, is leaving voluntarily, officials said, after a full career that has included two recent stints as acting director of the spy agency, first after the departure of Leon E. Panetta in 2011 and then after the resignation of David H. Petraeus last year over a sex scandal. Ms. Haines is an unusual choice because she is not an intelligence professional, though in her two years at the White House she has been deeply involved in intelligence programs and got to know Mr. Brennan when he was President Obama’s counterterrorism adviser. Final Draft References to al-Qaeda were removed while the document was still being drafted by the CIA, according to White House officials who briefed reporters.

– CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell has announced his retirement, making way for the first woman to take the job. Avril Haines, 43, is a White House lawyer who has worked in the State Department and Senate Foreign Relations Committee. She hasn't worked in an intelligence post before, Bloomberg notes, but her work at the White House has been steeped in intelligence-related matters, the New York Times reports. President Obama had initially nominated her to the post of State Department legal adviser; she would have been the first woman in that job, too, the Times notes. Morell, for his part, was involved in the drafting of White House talking points on Benghazi. He's leaving to spend more time with his family, he says, though he will also join the President's Intelligence Advisory Board. "Whenever someone involved in the rough and tumble of Washington decides to move on, there is speculation ... about the 'real reason,'" Morell says. "But when I say that it is time for my family, nothing could be more real than that." (Odd aside about his successor: The Daily Beast reports that Haines co-owned a Baltimore bookstore in her 20s, and the store hosted regular "Erotica Nights," during which she would do readings.)

The Lithuanian site, Ponar, holds mass burial pits and graves where up to 100,000 people were killed and their bodies dumped or burned during the Holocaust. Now, thanks to the cooperative work of Dr. Jon Seligman of the Israel Antiquities Authority, Prof. Richard Freund of the University of Hartford, Paul Bauman of Advisian of Calgary, Canada and the Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum, the tunnel has been rediscovered. A team of archaeologists and mapmakers say they have uncovered a forgotten tunnel that 80 Jews dug largely by hand as they tried to escape from a Nazi extermination site in Lithuania about 70 years ago. The pit in the Ponar forest where Jews were massacred (Photo:Ezra Wolfinger, NOVA) Some of the workers resolved to attempt a daring escape by digging a tunnel from the pit that was used as their prison. For decades, the exact location of the tunnel remained a mystery, and archaeologists couldn’t dig at the site for risk of disturbing more than the 100,000 remains buried at Ponar. However, advances in archeological technology allowed Freund and his team to study the site using noninvasive techniques, including ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). Using radar and radio waves to scan beneath the ground, the researchers found the tunnel, a 100-foot passageway between five and nine feet below the surface, the team announced on Wednesday.

– A 100-foot escape tunnel dug by Jewish prisoners using only their hands and spoons has been unearthed in Lithuania, a research team announced Wednesday. From 1941 to 1944, about 100,000 people (70,000 of them Jews from nearby Vilnius) were slaughtered by the Nazis, then dumped into burial pits in Lithuania's Ponar forest—systemic murder that started even before the gas chambers in what archaeologist Richard Freund tells the New York Times was "ground zero for the Holocaust." To cover up the massacre, the Nazis forced 80 Jews from the nearby Stutthof concentration camp to exhume the bodies, burn them, and hide the ashes, Ynetnews reports. These "corpse unit" members were kept in a deep pit during the night, and some spent those hours digging an escape tunnel. On the night of April 15, 1944, 40 of them made a break for it. Guards shot many on sight, but 11 escaped and survived the war to tell the story of the legendary tunnel. The research team led by Freund used a special geophysical process to locate the tunnel, combining radar and electrical resistivity tomography, which uses electricity to examine natural objects in the ground and soil disturbances that may have been caused by digging. These nonintrusive search methods allow scientists to explore sites that previously were off-limits, notes PBS, which will air a Nova documentary on the discovery in 2017. It also puts to bed the belief that stories told through the years about the tunnel were only a myth. "As an Israeli whose family originated in Lithuania, I was reduced to tears on the discovery of the escape tunnel," an archaeologist with the Israel Antiquities Authority tells Ynetnews. "[It] enables us to present not only the horrors of the Holocaust, but also the yearning for life." (Evidence of an escape tunnel was found under the Sobibor concentration camp.)

Baldwin's bizarre outburst capped a day that began at 12:55 a.m., when he was rushed to Lenox Hill Hospital after his 14-year-old daughter, Ireland, dialed 911, sources said. Still, cops had Baldwin checked out and doctors released him after deciding he was no threat to himself, sources said. Actor Alec Baldwin was rushed to a New York City hospital Wednesday night after his daughter called 911 concerned for the "30 Rock" star's health.

– Alec Baldwin's ugly came out yesterday after his brief stint in a hospital when he grabbed a New York Post photographer. "This guy! This guy!" the actor yelled as he rushed from his apartment building lobby to grab lensman Tim Wiencis' collar before police pulled him off, reports the New York Daily News. Seconds earlier a witness reportedly overheard Baldwin muttering to himself: "They are the scum of the earth." Wiencis called his confrontation with Baldwin an "assault," but did not press charges. Earlier yesterday Baldwin left a Manhattan hospital after his teenage daughter called 911, disturbed that her father said during an argument over the phone that he was "going to take some pills; I'm going to end this." Sources tell Fox News Ireland Baldwin was not in New York at the time, despite previous reports that she found her father "unresponsive."

Diane Black, who is running for governor of Tennessee, made the comments while speaking to a group of ministers during a “listening session” recently, according to HuffPost, which reported the story and included audio of the remarks. And so what this does is actually dedicates a fund," Black said. “Pornography, it’s available, it’s available on the shelf when you walk in the grocery store,” she said. Yeah, you have to reach up to get it, but there’s pornography there,” she continued. “All of this is available without parental guidance. During a meeting last week with local pastors, Black raised the issue of gun violence in schools and why it keeps happening.

– Pornography is playing a "big part" in the spike in school shootings, according to a Republican congresswoman running for governor of Tennessee. While discussing school shootings during a meeting with pastors in Clarksville last week, Rep. Diane Black said porn is "available on the shelf when you walk in the grocery store" and "without parental guidance," per HuffPost, which has the audio. "I think that is a big part of the root cause," she continued, also pointing to the "deterioration of the family" and violent movies. The 67-year-old briefly noted mental illness is also something "we've got to address," per the Washington Post. A rep later elaborated, saying Black "believes the breakdown of families and communities plays a significant role in instances of school violence." Meanwhile, Black has introduced a bill to crowdfund President Trump's wall along the border with Mexico, whose president vowed again Tuesday never to pay for it. "If someone wants to send in money to the federal government to help to build the wall, they can do so, but … what this does is actually dedicates a fund," Black tells NewsChannel5.

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration prohibited the State of Indiana on Wednesday from carrying out a new state law that cuts off money for Planned Parenthood clinics providing health care to low-income women on Medicaid. In a letter to Indiana officials, Dr. Berwick said the state law “would eliminate the ability of Medicaid beneficiaries to receive services from specific providers for reasons not related to their qualifications to provide such services.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story For years, federal law has banned the use of Medicaid money to pay for abortion except in certain cases. Mitch Daniels, who signed the bill into law, declined to comment Wednesday. But state officials said Wednesday that they intended to continue enforcing the state law, which took effect on May 10, when it was signed by Gov.

– The White House has—as promised—moved to block an Indiana law that strips Planned Parenthood of Medicaid funds. State officials have been notified that the law, which cuts off funding to Planned Parenthood because some clinics perform abortion services, violates Medicaid rules because states aren't allowed to choose where recipients receive health care services, reports the New York Times. State officials say they plan to continue enforcing the law, which was signed by Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels last month. The federal government's move is "a strong rebuke to Indiana” that should serve as a warning to other states seeking to defund Planned Parenthood," the president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America tells the Indianapolis Star. Medicaid officials have signaled that the state could lose $4 billion in federal funding if it refuses to comply with the administration's decision.

David Allan Coe in 1983 (Photo: AP file/Rudolph Faircloth) Country music singer-songwriter David Allan Coe pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Cincinnati to income tax evasion and owes the IRS more than $466,000, officials said.

– Well, this is about what you'd expect from the guy who wrote the song "Take This Job and Shove It": David Allan Coe owes the IRS more than $466,000 in back taxes. The country music singer-songwriter, 76, pleaded guilty to income tax evasion in federal court in Cincinnati yesterday, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. He faces up to three years in prison—precisely the amount of time he spent in the Ohio State Penitentiary in his younger days, reports Rolling Stone. The US Attorney's Office says Coe arranged to get much of his payment in cash when he performed, which was partially "an effort to impede the ability of the IRS to collect on the taxes owed." He then spent that cash "on other debts and gambling," the office says in a press release. Perhaps the quirkiest detail in that release: Coe apparently refused payment in $50 bills, because he considered them bad luck and "would not gamble with them."

Some preset news feeds and a Twitter "daily photo" stream introduce you to the concept, and you are prompted to add your Twitter and Facebook credentials so you stay on top of your own social networks and share interesting things you find with your friends. Flipboard's launch was as chaotic as it seemed from the outside. Flipboard is available for free now in the App Store and requires an iPad running iOS 3.2 or later. Major publishers have slowly been rolling out their visions of how an analog magazine should look and work in a digital world full of iPads. Will it have the capability of doing what we want? It's perhaps the best way I've found to read The Onion on my iPad. For starters, you're currently limited to just nine sections. Check out this morning's post on the Digital Media blog: Meet Flipboard: Mike McCue's stealth "social magazine." Having run Tellme before, one of the things I learned about running a big network, is it's one thing to have some people not be able to get on the way they want to get on, but as long as people who are on the network are having a good experience you're totally cool. We think we can bring a totally new form of advertising to the table that will allow publishers to monetize their content by a factor of ten from what they're currently doing with banner ads.If you look at web pages today, they basically are battlegrounds between content and ads. Flipboard reminds me of Blogshelf, the awesome iPad app that gives blogs and RSS feeds an iBooks-style makeover. This is an unfortunate reality of Web services that get temporarily overwhelmed, but things should settle down soon.

– Flipboard may be the first true killer app for the iPad, a "social magazine" that weaves information from your Facebook and Twitter feeds together with personalized, aggregated news content into an attractive, intuitive presentation. The app's smooth, magazine-like appearance has drawn almost universal acclaim—check these reviews from PC World and CNET. In fact, Flipboard's biggest drawback so far may be that demand since its launch last week has periodically paralyzed its servers. A key feature of Flipboard is its ability to extract links embedded in Twitter by services like bit.ly and present that content upfront as part of your personal "magazine." The company intends to wed that kind of social media content with conventional publishing, CEO Mike McCue tells Business Insider, while serving ads alongside both. The resulting revenue will be split with publishers in an arrangement McCue says will allow publishers to "monetize their content by a factor of ten from what they’re currently doing with banner ads."

Story highlights Slain officer identified as Paul Tuozzolo, a 19-year NYPD veteran He and other officers were pursuing a suspect in a reported home invasion (CNN) A New York City police sergeant was killed and another officer was wounded Friday afternoon in a shootout with a Bronx home invasion suspect, Police Commissioner James O'Neill said.

– Two NYPD officers responding to a home invasion in the Bronx were shot Friday afternoon, and CNN reports one of them has died. The New York Daily News reports that the "heavily-armed gunman" was killed in the firefight. The second officer's injuries were said to be non-life-threatening.

– Add Edmunds.com to the list of companies dreaming of emulating Amazon's success. With last year's quiet launch of a service called Price Promise, the car shopping website is trying to "be as close as possible to Amazon.com for the automotive experience," president Seth Berkowitz explained at an industry gathering yesterday. What that means, per the Detroit Free Press: Berkowitz says car shoppers' No. 1 gripe is the lack of a clear, exact car price; Price Promise cuts out the haggling that follows as a result by allowing dealers to email the exact price of a vehicle found on the site to shoppers who request it. Shoppers can then print out a certificate bearing the number; the dealer must sell the car for that price. Ergo, no haggling. Though the site hopes the feature will set it apart from the competition, TrueCar.com has offered a similar program since 2009, the Free Press notes; it claims 6,200 participating dealers, to Edmunds.com's 600. The service also doesn't factor in a buyer's credit history, which could change the monthly payments, points out the Wall Street Journal. Price Promise doesn't necessarily meaning getting the lowest price, either. Dealers say they sell cars to Price-Promise users for $300 to $500 more than traditional buyers. But according to Berkowitz, it's a worthwhile tradeoff for those looking to save time and avoid headaches.

The complaint filed in San Mateo County states that Marie Hatch moved into her Burlingame cottage more than 60 years ago at the request of her friend Vivian Kroeze, who owned the property and needed companionship after her husband died. They each passed down the lifetime guarantee of tenancy for Hatch — but when the final woman died, so did the verbal agreement, the current landlord says.

– Attorneys for a 97-year-old woman being booted from her Northern California home filed suit Friday to enforce a long-ago promise by the landlord that the woman could live there until she died, the AP reports. The complaint states Marie Hatch moved into her Burlingame cottage more than 60 years ago at the request of her friend Vivian Kroeze, who owned the property and needed companionship after her husband died. Hatch was promised a lifetime tenancy, and the promise was honored by Kroeze's daughter and granddaughter after Vivian Kroeze died in 1980. But in 2006, the granddaughter was murdered by her boyfriend and her estranged husband, David Kantz, took over collecting rent. This month, Kantz's attorney told Hatch and her 85-year-old roommate to vacate within 60 days. Kantz previously told the San Francisco Chronicle that he felt terrible about evicting the women but had no choice given that the agreement is not in writing and he has to provide for his sons. The newspaper's story prompted calls and emails from hundreds of people offering help. One call came from a Joe Cotchett, a high-profile civil attorney whose firm is representing Hatch free of charge. "This is one of the most egregious acts of taking advantage of one of our community's most vulnerable citizens that I have seen in my legal career," one of Hatch's lawyers says. The complaint claims elder abuse as well as breach of contract.

Atlanta (CNN) NFL players must stand during the National Anthem this season, team owners decided Wednesday, a reaction to fierce backlash against some who took a knee in symbolic opposition to the systemic oppression of people of color, including by police. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said during a news conference at the meeting in Atlanta that teams whose players and personnel do not stand and show respect for the flag and the anthem will be fined by the league. "We want people to be respectful of the national anthem," commissioner Roger Goodell said. "We want people to stand, that's all personnel, and make sure that they treat this moment in a respectful fashion that's something I think we owe. We've been very sensitive in making sure that we give players choices, but we do believe that that moment is an important moment and one that we are going to focus on." Statement from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell pic.twitter.com/1Vn7orTo1R — NFL (@NFL) May 23, 2018 With this change, the NFL's game operations manual will be revised to remove the requirement that all players be on the field for the anthem.

– The NFL changed its rule book Wednesday to stop players from kneeling during the national anthem. All 32 team owners approved a new rule designed to ban players from sitting or kneeling on the field in protest during the anthem, reports ESPN. However, the league said players could remain in the locker room and emerge once the anthem is over. Previously, all players had to be on the field during the anthem. The NFL will fine teams whose players disobey, but the teams themselves will decide on the penalties for individual players, reports CNN. "This season, all league and team personnel shall stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem," said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in a statement. "It was unfortunate that on-field protests created a false perception among many that thousands of NFL players were unpatriotic," he added. "This is not and was never the case." All of this began in 2016, when former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the anthem to protest police brutality.

"The House bill is not an honest effort at compromise," said the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada. The House, in the wee hours of Friday morning, had passed its latest version of a stopgap spending bill after rejecting on Wednesday a nearly identical version of the legislation, which is needed to keep the government open after Sept. 30 and to provide assistance to victims of natural disasters. By a narrow margin, 213 Republicans supported the plan, along with six Democrats; 179 Democrats opposed it, joined by 24 Republicans. Speaker John A. Boehner had solicited the views of his colleagues at a meeting of the House Republican Conference, where lawmakers expressed frustration at the setback they suffered Wednesday on the bill to provide $3.65 billion in disaster relief. “It fails to provide the relief that our fellow Americans need as they struggle to rebuild their lives in the wake of floods, wildfires and hurricanes, and it will be rejected by the Senate,” Reid said of the House bill. Without a resolution, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief fund will run out of money early next week and the rest of the government would be forced to shutdown Oct. 1. In addition, after a 90-minute meeting with the House GOP Conference on Thursday afternoon, the leadership agreed to an additional, largely symbolic cut by striking $100 million from a loan program that funded the bankrupt solar panel manufacturer Solyndra. Boehner’s leadership team knew that it would need Democratic votes to approve the plan, but only by Wednesday afternoon did they fully understand that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) But that plan ran headlong into the political realities of their divided chamber — as well as a congressional calendar that provides for a week-long recess starting Friday so that Jewish lawmakers can observe their holidays next week. This cut infuriates Democrats in the House and the Senate, who say the program is creating thousands of jobs at automakers and auto parts suppliers.

– House Republicans got their ducks in a row late last night, passing a spending measure nearly identical to the one that went down in flames Wednesday. But that might not be enough to prevent a government shutdown, because the Senate is drawing a hard line against the bill, the Washington Post reports. Boehner won conservatives by slicing $100 million from the loan program that benefited Solyndra, and warning that if the bill didn’t pass, he’d be forced to compromise with Democrats. Like the failed bill, the new version also cuts some funding from an energy efficient car program. Democrats who back the program—which they say creates thousands of auto-related jobs—were outraged, and the Senate immediately vowed to reject the bill because it didn’t provide enough funding for disaster relief efforts. “The House bill is not an honest effort at compromise,” Harry Reid told the New York Times. “They moved even further toward the Tea Party.” But if something doesn’t pass, FEMA will run out of money next week, and the government will shut down Oct. 1.

Image copyright AP Image caption Women wearing burkinis will be invited to change into a more "respectful" costume The mayor of Cannes in southern France has banned full-body swimsuits known as "burkinis" from the beach, citing public order concerns. Anyone caught flouting the new rule could face a fine of €38 (£33). A Muslim woman wears a "burkini" on a beach in Sydney. "Beachwear manifesting religious affiliation in an ostentatious way, while France and its religious sites are currently the target of terrorist attacks, could create the risk of disturbances to public order," the ruling says. France's approach to religious attire has long stoked controversy: The country in 2010 passed a law that bans the burqa, an Islamic veil that completely covers women's faces and bodies.

– Many would consider a full-body swimsuit less offensive than a skimpy bikini. Not the mayor of Cannes, apparently. David Lisnard says "burkinis"—modest swimwear worn by some Muslim women—are a "symbol of Islamic extremism" and aren't allowed on the French city's beaches. Should a woman be spotted wearing one, she'll be asked to change into something else or leave, David Lisnard tells the BBC. Offenders of the city's new rule—in effect since July 28, reports NBC News—may also face a $42 fine. French law bans people from wearing the burka and niqab in public, but there's no nationwide ban on burkinis. "Access to beaches and for swimming is banned to any person wearing improper clothes that are not respectful of good morals and secularism," says Lisnard. "Beachwear which ostentatiously displays religious affiliation, when France and places of worship are currently the target of terrorist attacks, is liable to create risks of disrupting public order." However, Lisnard says the Jewish kippah and Christian cross will still be allowed on beaches. A rep for the Collective Against Islamophobia in France calls the ban "illegal, discriminatory, and unconstitutional," while the League of Human Rights says it will take its opposition to court.

Spanish police have arrested an American woman for issuing death threats against the astrophysicist Stephen Hawking at a science event on the island of Tenerife. The woman had apparently been issuing threats against Hawking for years, but the situation got out of hand in recent days, when the threats proliferated over e-mail an in the social media.

– An American woman was arrested Wednesday in Spain for sending dozens of death threats to Stephen Hawking then trailing him to an astronomy festival in the Canary Islands, Gizmodo reports. According to El Pais, the unnamed 37-year-old woman lives in Norway and has no previous criminal record. Authorities were tipped off by one of her children, who found more than 100 tweets and emails she had sent to Hawking, threatening to kill him. When Hawking gave his first lecture this week at the Starmus Festival, he was flanked by two police officers. The woman was arrested nearby. The woman was staying at a hotel near where Hawking was staying. Authorities found evidence of religious extremism, including items contradicting Hawking's claim that God doesn't exist, in her room. They also found details of Hawking's home and office and plans for how to approach him. The BBC reports the woman was also in possession of a map of Hawking's festival itinerary. After her arrest, the woman told police she loves Hawking and would never try to hurt him. Authorities believe the woman has psychological issues. She was given a four-month suspended prison sentence for harassment and threats. In addition, she is not to come within 1,600 feet of Hawking or communicate with him on social media for eight months. Sources say Hawking never felt he was in danger.

Story highlights "Why should we believe (Boehner) at all?" asks New York City Council speaker Vote on the relief bill is a priority, Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader Cantor say President Obama: "Our citizens are still trying to put their lives back together" "We're getting what New York and New Jersey need," Rep. King says The promise of $60 billion can do a lot to calm outrage. That point was underscored Wednesday, when House leaders met with irate representatives from New York and New Jersey who felt they had been ignored by House Speaker John Boehner when he scrapped a planned vote late Tuesday on a massive aid package for Superstorm Sandy victims. "We're getting what New York and New Jersey need, and that's all that counts," Rep. Peter King, R-New York, told reporters after emerging from a 20-minute meeting with Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. "We're all big boys; we understand that all that counts is the bottom line." A vote on $9 billion for immediate aid is now set for Friday, with the balance of $51 billion due for consideration January 15. JUST WATCHED Christie: Boehner wouldn't take my calls Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Christie: Boehner wouldn't take my calls 06:00 JUST WATCHED Sandy victim to Congress: 'You stink' Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Sandy victim to Congress: 'You stink' 01:57 JUST WATCHED GOP's King bashes own party over Sandy Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH GOP's King bashes own party over Sandy 01:19 For its part, the Senate plans to vote by unanimous consent on Friday on the $9 billion but is waiting to see what is in the larger package before announcing a plan for that, a Senate Democratic leadership aide said. "On the second tranche, we will need to see more details before we decide how to proceed," the aide said. "As the Senate has shown by passing our bipartisan bill, we consider getting aid to the victims of Sandy a superlative priority, but we need to know more about the contents of the bill before deciding on a path forward." Democrats were less mollified. "While it would have been far better had they passed the Senate's bill today, at least this provides a path to produce the needed $60 billion for New York and New Jersey by the end of the month," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, in a statement. "It's really unbelievable how Speaker Boehner and his party could just walk away," said Christine Quinn, speaker of the New York City Council. "To promise us a vote weeks from now? Why should we believe him at all? It's just shocking." In a statement, Boehner and Cantor said "critical aid" to storm victims should be the first priority of the new Congress, which convenes Thursday. Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Cleaning crews work in Manhattan's financial district following damage from Superstorm Sandy on Monday, November 12. View photos of New York's recovery. Hide Caption 1 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Evelyn Faherty hugs a friend on Sunday, November 11, while discussing the damage done to her home by Superstorm Sandy in the Breezy Point neighborhood of Queens, New York. Hide Caption 2 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Volunteers shovel sand and water out of the basement of Monir Islam's home in the Rockaway Park neighborhood of Queens, New York, on Sunday. The Rockaways peninsula in Queens was one of the areas hardest hit by Sandy. See photos of Rockaway's continuing struggles Hide Caption 3 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Furniture and other belongings are strewn under and around a beach house damaged by Sandy on Saturday, November 10, in Mystic Island, New Jersey. Hide Caption 4 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Streets in Ortley Beach, New Jersey, were destroyed by Sandy. Hide Caption 5 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Clean-up continues on Saturday, November 10 among piles of debris where a large section of the iconic boardwalk was washed away in the heavily damaged Rockaways. Hide Caption 6 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Mac Baker, right, poses with her niece Nytaisha Baker next to pots of water she heats on the floor with small flames for a bit of warmth in Baker's unheated apartment in the Ocean Bay public housing projects in the Far Rockaway neighborhood in Queens on Friday, November 9. Hide Caption 7 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Theresa Goddard, her apartment still without electricity, is overwhelmed while discussing her living conditions on Thursday, November 8, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Hide Caption 8 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A police officer carries blankets donated by Ikea for people affected by Superstorm Sandy in Brooklyn. Hide Caption 9 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Debris from Superstorm Sandy is seen on a beach Thursday in Long Branch, New Jersey. Hide Caption 10 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Troops from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the U.S. Navy help local residents remove household items damaged by Superstorm Sandy on November 6, in the New Dorp Beach neighborhood of Staten Island, New York. Hide Caption 11 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Voter Sheresa Walker uses a flashlight for poll worker Lloyd Edwards in a tent set up as a polling place in Queens, New York. Hide Caption 12 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A poll worker directs people to a temporary polling center in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York. Polling sites in Coney Island and the surrounding area were damaged during Superstorm Sandy. Hide Caption 13 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Michael Fischkelta, 8, lies on his cot with his mother, Jenifer Wilson, in a Red Cross evacuation shelter set up in the gymnasium of Toms River High School on Monday, November 5, in Toms River, New Jersey. View photos of the recovery efforts in New York. Hide Caption 14 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Ruth Hawfield sits next to her cot Monday in a Red Cross evacuation shelter at Toms River High School. Hide Caption 15 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A woman fills out an early voting ballot on Sunday, November 4, in Jersey City, New Jersey. Gov. Chris Christie ordered early voting stations to stay open through the weekend in an effort to get people to vote despite the damage done by Superstorm Sandy. Hide Caption 16 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A woman sifts through her mother's damaged home for items to save Sunday in the Breezy Point neighborhood of Queens, New York. Hide Caption 17 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A workman repairs damage to the steeple of the First United Methodist Church on Sunday in Port Jefferson, New York. Hide Caption 18 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – People sift through their damaged home on Sunday in Breezy Point. Hide Caption 19 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A statue of a firefighter stands in front of a burned down house Sunday in Rockaway, New York. Hide Caption 20 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Abraham Cambrelen, 19, takes the Staten Island Ferry to go check on his mother Sunday while New York recovers from Hurricane Sandy. Hide Caption 21 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Crowds wait for free gas on Saturday, November 3, at the Bedford Avenue Armory in Brooklyn, New York. Hide Caption 22 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A house sits devastated by Superstorm Sandy on Friday, November 2, in Union Beach, New Jersey. The cost of the storm's damage in the U.S. is estimated at between $30 billion and $50 billion, according to disaster modeling firm Eqecat. Hide Caption 23 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A baby picture lies beneath rubble in a neighborhood devastated by the storm in Union Beach on Friday. Hide Caption 24 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Flood-damaged belongings sit on the side of the road in Union Beach on Friday. Hide Caption 25 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Park Choul works by flashlight in his deli in New York's East Village on Thursday, November 1. More than 3.3 million customers remained without electricity in 15 states and the District of Columbia four days after Sandy barreled ashore. Hide Caption 26 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Geronimo Harrison's apartment in the East Village remains without power or water Thursday. He's using candles for light and a gas stove for heat. Hide Caption 27 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Water gets pumped out of a business in the East Village on Thursday. Hide Caption 28 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A roller coaster sits in the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday after the Fun Town pier it sat on in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, was destroyed by Superstorm Sandy. Hide Caption 29 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Amusement-park rides lie mangled on the beach after the Fun Town pier in Seaside Heights was destroyed. Hide Caption 30 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – The arcade at the FunTown pier in Seaside Heights is in ruins. Storm damage is expected to cost tens of billions of dollars. Hide Caption 31 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – The inside of a gas pump is exposed at a closed station that was recently under floodwater on Thursday, November 1, in Hoboken, New Jersey. Superstorm Sandy, which made landfall along the New Jersey shore, has left the state with a fuel shortage due to logistical problems and power failures. Hide Caption 32 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – People wait in line for fuel at a Shell Oil station onThursday in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Fuel shortages have led to long lines of cars at gasoline stations in many states. Hide Caption 33 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Cars wait in line for fuel at a Gulf gas station in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Hide Caption 34 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A woman leaves an Exxon gas station that was out of fuel on Thursday in North Bergen, New Jersey. Hide Caption 35 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Bridget De La Torre holds her daughter Neve, 3, as daughter Paz sits nearby while they rest and charge devices on Thursday. They were at a shelter for those affected by Superstorm Sandy at Saints Peter and Paul Church in Hoboken, New Jersey. Bridget's family has no electricity or hot water, and their car was destroyed by flooding. Hide Caption 36 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Waves break in front of an amusement park destroyed by Superstorm Sandy on Wednesday, October 31, in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. At least 56 people were killed in the storm. New Jersey suffered massive damage and power outages. Hide Caption 37 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – People walk near the remains of burned homes in the Breezy Point neighborhood of Queens, New York, on Wednesday. Hide Caption 38 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – An overview of the fire damage in Queens, New York, following Hurricane Sandy. Residents in hard-hit areas sifted through the wreckage of Sandy on Wednesday as millions remained without power. Hide Caption 39 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Buildings on the shoreline are pictured from Air Force One as it prepares to land in Atlantic City, New Jersey, carrying President Barack Obama, who visited areas hardest hit by the unprecedented storm. Hide Caption 40 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – President Barack Obama speaks as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie looks on, as they visit a shelter for Hurricane Sandy victims in Brigantine, New Jersey. Hide Caption 41 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – The shadow of Air Force One is cast on the water as it prepares to land in Atlantic City on Wednesday, October 31. Hide Caption 42 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Residents in the Rockaway section of Queens, New York, wait to charge their phones at a government generator. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey resumed operations on limited schedules Wednesday, and the New York Stock Exchange commenced trading after being closed for two days. Hide Caption 43 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Motorists drive through standing water in Hoboken, New Jersey. Known as the Mile Square City, the low-lying neighborhoods suffered deep flooding resulting from the storm surge associated with Hurricane Sandy. Hide Caption 44 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A member of Army National Guard Unit Gulf 250 from Morristown, New Jersey, evacuates victims of Hurricane Sandy in Hoboken on Wednesday, October 31. Hide Caption 45 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Residents traverse flooded streets as clean up operations begin in Hoboken, New Jersey. Hide Caption 46 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – New Jersey Natural Gas technician Carlos Rojas inspects a leaking gas main that is under water at a home damaged by Hurricane Sandy in Long Beach Island, New Jersey. Hide Caption 47 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A resident looks through the remnants of his home in the Breezy Point neighborhood of Queens, New York. Hide Caption 48 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Flood-damaged streets are viewed in the Rockaway section of Queens, New York, where the historic boardwalk was washed away due to Hurricane Sandy. Hide Caption 49 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – People walk past homes damaged by Hurricane Sandy in Long Beach Island, New Jersey. Hide Caption 50 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Traders stand outside of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Wednesday, October 31. U.S. equity markets resumed trading Wednesday for the first time this week after Hurricane Sandy. Hide Caption 51 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – People board the ferry, one of the few functioning transportation systems, in Hoboken, New Jersey, on Wednesday, October 31. Hide Caption 52 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Members of the State University of New York Maritime Academy aid in the relief efforts, using row boats to help victims from in Hoboken, New Jersey. Hide Caption 53 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Jimmy Lee, owner of The Nail Store, begins the cleanup of his shop from damage done by Hurricane Sandy in Hoboken, New Jersey. Hide Caption 54 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Blaine Badick and her fiancee Andrew Grapsas cross a flooded street with their dog while leaving their home in Hoboken. Hide Caption 55 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Residents walk through the area where the boardwalk was washed away in the Rockaway neighborhood of Queens, New York, on Wednesday. Hide Caption 56 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – The Rockaway boardwalk in Queens, New York, was stripped down to the piers by Superstorm Sandy. Hide Caption 57 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – People look at a damaged section of the Rockaway boardwalk in Queens, New York, on Wednesday. Hide Caption 58 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – People walk down a flooded street on Wednesday, October 31, in Hoboken, New Jersey. Hide Caption 59 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A man charges his cellphone at a home that still has power in Hoboken, New Jersey, on Wednesday, October 31. As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 2 million customers in New Jersey were without power. Hide Caption 60 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A firefighter stands on the porch of a home destroyed by fire in Queens on Wednesday. Hide Caption 61 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Customers line up to buy supplies at an Ace Hardware with a power generator in Hoboken, New Jersey, on Wednesday. Hide Caption 62 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Superstorm Sandy stripped the steps from the deck of this home in Long Beach Island, New Jersey. Hide Caption 63 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Superstorm Sandy left a car buried in sand in Long Beach Island, New Jersey. Hide Caption 64 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A helicopter flies past damaged homes in Long Beach Island, New Jersey, on Wednesday, October 31. Hide Caption 65 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A man makes his way through floodwater and debris in Long Beach Island, New Jersey, on Wednesday. Hide Caption 66 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A police car patrols an empty waterfront neighborhood without power in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Wednesday. Hide Caption 67 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Concrete piers are all that remain of the destroyed boardwalk in Atlantic City on Wednesday. Hide Caption 68 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Debris from damaged property and the remains of a boardwalk litter the shoreline in Atlantic City on Wednesday. Hide Caption 69 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Waterfront property in Atlantic City lays in tatters on Wednesday. Transportation in the state was crippled by floodwaters, as well. Hide Caption 70 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – "We are in a state of crisis all across this state," Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Cory Booker told CNN on Wednesday. "It's going to be a challenging time." Hide Caption 71 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A police car patrols an empty waterfront neighborhood that lost power at dawn in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Wednesday. Hide Caption 72 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – People wait for buses along New York's Sixth Avenue on Wednesday. Hide Caption 73 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Superstorm Sandy stripped New York's historic Rockaway boardwalk down to its foundation. Hide Caption 74 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A woman examines damage to the Rockaway neighborhood in New York on Wednesday. Hide Caption 75 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Commuters ride a NY Waterway ferry from Jersey City, New Jersey, on Wednesday, the first day of operation since the storm hit. Hide Caption 76 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A man rides on the front of a forklift while recording flood damage for insurance purposes in Little Ferry, New Jersey, on Wednesday. Hide Caption 77 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Con Edison employee John Shammah pauses while working on a steam pipe on First Avenue in New York City on Wednesday. Hide Caption 78 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – CNN iReporter Jordan Shapiro captured this view of the Williamsburg Bridge in New York at 11 p.m. on Tuesday, October 30. Half of the bridge and Brooklyn is lit, while the Manhattan side and the surrounding part of the island remain shrouded in darkness. Hide Caption 79 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Dog owners in Alexandria, Virginia, gathered to see the flood waters left by Hurricane Sandy on Tuesday. Hide Caption 80 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Taxis sit in a flooded lot Tuesday in Hoboken, New Jersey. Hide Caption 81 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – People take pictures of a flooded street Tuesday in Hoboken. Hide Caption 82 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A man stands near a homemade road block on Tuesday in Little Ferry, New Jersey. Hide Caption 83 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – People wait in line to fill containers with gas at a Shell station in Edison, New Jersey, on Tuesday. Superstorm Sandy left much of Bergen County flooded and without power. Hide Caption 84 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Aerial images from the U.S. Coast Guard show the coastline in Brigantine, New Jersey, on Tuesday. Sandy struck land near Atlantic City, New Jersey, around high tide Monday night. Hide Caption 85 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Homes and other buildings in Brigantine were destroyed in Sandy's wake. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie described the devastation in the state as "unthinkable." Hide Caption 86 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Brigantine saw extensive damage from high winds and flooding. Hide Caption 87 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Homes are flooded Tuesday in Tuckerton, New Jersey. President Barack Obama signed major disaster declarations for New Jersey and New York, clearing the way for federal aid. Hide Caption 88 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A resident walks down a street covered in beach sand due to flooding from Hurricane Sandy in Long Beach, New York on Tuesday. Hide Caption 89 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Firefighters work to extinguish flames in a home in the Breezy Point neighborhood of Queens on Tuesday. The massive fire broke out during the storm and destroyed at least 80 homes Hide Caption 90 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Ted Wondsel, owner of Ted's Fishing Station in Long Beach, assesses the damage to his business Tuesday. Hide Caption 91 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – People wait outside a shelter at the Bergen County Technical Schools Teterboro Campus on Tuesday in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. Hide Caption 92 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Utility workers from Delmarva Power replace a power pole that was damaged during Hurricane Sandy in Ocean City, Maryland, on Tuesday. Hide Caption 93 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Dale Kelly sits on a bench Tuesday on a flooded street in Ocean City, New Jersey, which was hit hard by Superstorm Sandy. Hide Caption 94 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Ted Wondsel, left, of Point Lookout works on part of a dock destroyed in the storm in Long Beach on Tuesday. Hide Caption 95 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – West Broadway in Long Beach is covered in beach sand due to flooding from Hurricane Sandy on Tuesday. Hide Caption 96 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Residents walk along a street covered in beach sand after floodwaters from Superstorm Sandy retreated Tuesday in Long Beach. Hide Caption 97 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A small plane damaged in the storm sits on a runway in Farmingdale, New York, on Tuesday. Hide Caption 98 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Streets remain flooded in portions of Ocean City, New Jersey. Hide Caption 99 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Utility workers repair a traffic signal damaged by the storm in Ocean City, New Jersey, on Tuesday. Hide Caption 100 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A Virgin Mary statue stands in the Breezy Point neighborhood of Queens, New York, on Tuesday after a fire fed by high winds destroyed at least 80 homes, officials said. Hide Caption 101 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – President Barack Obama outlines the federal government's response to Superstorm Sandy at the Red Cross headquarters in Washington. Hide Caption 102 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Firefighters work to contain the fire in Queens on Tuesday. Some 200 firefighters battled the six-alarm blaze. Hide Caption 103 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A man surveys damage to sailboats Tuesday at a marina on City Island in New York. Hide Caption 104 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – "My message to the federal government: no bureaucracy, no red tape, get resources where they're needed as fast as possible, as hard as possible, and for the duration," Obama said in Washington Tuesday. Both Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney canceled campaign events. Hide Caption 105 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – People stand on a mound of construction dirt on Tuesday to view a section of the uptown boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey, that was destroyed by flooding. Hide Caption 106 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A firefighter looks through debris in Queens on Tuesday. In September, the same area endured severe weather as a powerful cold front brought heavy rain, high winds and a tornado. Hide Caption 107 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A malfunctioning generator billows black smoke at a building in New York on Tuesday. Hide Caption 108 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Mitt Romney helps gather donated goods for storm relief Tuesday in Kettering, Ohio. Hide Caption 109 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Emergency personnel help a resident of Little Ferry, New Jersey, onto a boat after rescuing her from floodwater on Tuesday. Hide Caption 110 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Dean Walter, left. and Henry Young walk along a seawall in Scituate, Massachusetts, with their surfboards after going into the heavy surf for about 20 minutes on Tuesday. Hide Caption 111 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Superstorm Sandy left New York's South Street Seaport flooded and covered in debris on Tuesday. Hide Caption 112 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Passers-by look at a car that was crushed by a tree near New York's financial district on Tuesday. Hide Caption 113 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Pedestrians and bikers cross the Brooklyn Bridge after the storm on Tuesday. Hide Caption 114 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – People stand among the debris of the destroyed section of Atlantic City, New Jersey's, uptown boardwalk on Tuesday. Hide Caption 115 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Sailboats rest on the ground after being tipped over by Superstorm Sandy on City Island, New York, on Tuesday. Hide Caption 116 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Onlookers watch a dangling crane, damaged in the winds of Superstorm Sandy, atop a luxury high-rise under construction in midtown Manhattan on Tuesday. Hide Caption 117 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – An onlooker snaps a photo of the damaged crane on Tuesday. Hide Caption 118 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Jolito Ortiz helps clean up a friend's apartment on New York's lower east side on Tuesday. Hide Caption 119 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A tidal surge created by Sandy flooded the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel in New York on Tuesday. Hide Caption 120 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A worker cuts down a tree near American University in Washington on Tuesday. Hide Caption 121 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A home badly damaged by Superstorm Sandy sits along the shoreline in Milford, Connecticut, on Tuesday. Hide Caption 122 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – An emergency worker carries a resident through floodwaters in Little Ferry, New Jersey, on Tuesday. Hide Caption 123 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Police walk past debris left by the storm at Battery Park in New York on Tuesday. Hide Caption 124 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Floodwater splashes into the window of a building on the shore in Bellport, New York, on Tuesday. Hide Caption 125 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Rescue workers use a hovercraft to rescue a resident using a wheelchair from floodwaters in Little Ferry, New Jersey, on Tuesday. Hide Caption 126 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A resident of Little Ferry, New Jersey, assists in rescue efforts with his personal watercraft on Tuesday. Hide Caption 127 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – The HMS Bounty, a 180-foot sailboat, is submerged in the Atlantic Ocean about 90 miles southeast of Hatteras, North Carolina, on Monday, October 29. Hide Caption 128 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A man walks through the debris of a 2,000-foot section of Atlantic City, New Jersey's "uptown" boardwalk on Tuesday. It was destroyed by flooding from Sandy. Hide Caption 129 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Downed trees are removed near the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington on Tuesday. Hide Caption 130 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Heavy surf buckles Ocean Avenue in Avalon, New Jersey, on Tuesday. Hide Caption 131 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Sam Rigby walks on Tuesday near an uprooted tree that grazed his house and hit his neighbor's house in Washington. Hide Caption 132 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A photographer shoots waves in Lake Michigan generated by the remnants of Sandy as they crash into the Chicago shoreline on Tuesday. Hide Caption 133 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A police officer helps remove a tree branch brought down during the storm in Washington on Tuesday. Hide Caption 134 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy 11.sandy.damage.1030 – A man takes pictures of cars from the steps of a home on a flooded street at Hoboken in New Jersey, on Tuesday. Hide Caption 135 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A woman wades through water at the South Street Seaport in New York City on Tuesday. Hide Caption 136 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A street light and utility pole lie on the street in Avalon, New Jersey, on Tuesday. Hide Caption 137 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Atlantic City, New Jersey, resident Kim Johnson inspects the area around her flooded apartment building on Tuesday. Hide Caption 138 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A power line knocked over by a falling tree blocks a street in Chevy Chase, Maryland, on Tuesday. Hide Caption 139 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Workers shovel debris from the streets in Ocean City, Maryland, on Tuesday. Hide Caption 140 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter flies over Central Park in New York on Tuesday. Hide Caption 141 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – A man jogs near a darkened Manhattan skyline on Tuesday after much of New York City lost electricity. Hide Caption 142 of 143 Photos: Photos: Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – Workers clear a tree blocking East 96th Street in Central Park in New York on Tuesday. View more photos of the recovery efforts in New York. Hide Caption 143 of 143 The comity contrasted sharply with the outrage that had exploded earlier in the day over Congress' inaction on the package, pitting even fellow Republicans against Boehner. It was "disappointing and disgusting to watch," said New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, blaming "the toxic internal politics of the House majority." "New Jersey deserves better than the duplicity we saw on display," he said, adding, "shame on Congress." Christie, a Republican, said he had tried to reach Boehner on Tuesday night after the latter canceled a vote on the aid bill, which had already been approved by the Senate. "He did not take my calls," said Christie. In a news conference, Christie said he joined people of his state in feeling "betrayed" and added that the move summarizes "why the American people hate Congress." In a statement, Christie and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo wrote: "This failure to come to the aid of Americans following a severe and devastating natural disaster is unprecedented. The fact that days continue to go by while people suffer, families are out of their homes, and men and women remain jobless and struggling during these harsh winter months is a dereliction of duty. " Boehner did not make public remarks and did not post about the issue on social media. GOP leadership sources said Boehner was worried it would be a bad political move for him to allow a vote on the new federal spending after a long day of getting pummeled by his own House Republicans for not demanding enough spending cuts in the fiscal cliff bill. Civility was restored late in the afternoon. "As far as I'm concerned, that was a lifetime ago," King said. "I know it was last night, but the bottom line is we're going forward getting what we believe is necessary." Earlier, King had slammed his own party. "The Republican Party has said it's the party of 'family values.' Last night, it turned its back on the most essential value of all, and that's to provide food, shelter, clothing and relief for people who have been hit by a natural disaster," King told CNN. King said he chased Boehner "all over the House last night" and that Boehner had said everything would be taken care of after the vote on the fiscal cliff. But Boehner left. King called the House leadership's move a "knife in the back." "Anyone from New York or New Jersey who contributes one penny to the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee should have their head examined," King said. It's very rare for a lawmaker to call on anyone not to support his own party. But on Wednesday afternoon, King said he would vote for Boehner in leadership elections scheduled for Thursday. A senior GOP leadership aide said Boehner will make a Sandy aid package "his first priority in the new Congress," which begins its term Thursday. When a new Congress begins, both chambers have to begin from scratch with legislation, so the Senate's passage of a previous bill will be moot. Michael Steel, Boehner's spokesman, said the speaker is "committed to getting this bill passed this month." Before the House adjourned Wednesday, President Barack Obama urged a vote. "It has only been two months since Hurricane Sandy devastated communities across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut as well as other Eastern states. Our citizens are still trying to put their lives back together," Obama said in a statement. "When tragedy strikes, Americans come together to support those in need. I urge Republicans in the House of Representatives to do the same, bring this important request to a vote today, and pass it without delay for our fellow Americans," Obama said. Scott Mandel, vice president of New York's Long Beach City Council, told CNN, "The money was needed yesterday, and the fact that there's an obstacle in the way for whatever reason and a vote wasn't allowed to go forward was inexcusable." The money would improve the city's ability to withstand damage from winter storms, Mandel said. Fiscal cliff battle held up the measure The tumultuous process of getting the fiscal cliff deal passed in the House had held up the relief measure, and many House Republicans opposed the size of the Senate bill. "Leadership was all-consumed with the cliff procedure," Rogers told reporters off the House floor late Tuesday. "And they really have not had the time to devote to this because of that." Sandy killed at least 113 people in the United States and left millions of people without power after running up the East Coast in late October. The storm hit hardest in New York and New Jersey. Cuomo has put storm-related costs at $41.9 billion, while Christie has estimated a price tag of $36.8 billion. The bill includes grant funding for owners of homes and businesses, as well as funding for public improvement projects on the electrical grid, hospitals and transit systems to prevent damage from future storms. John Stone, a resident of New York's Staten Island, owned two homes before the storm. One was destroyed; the other was so severely flooded that it remains unlivable. But he expressed no anger over the House's decision. "They'll just have to do it all over again, I suppose. What can you say?" "It's a lot of money," he said, adding "there's a lot of other things they've got to do." He tends to vote Republican and doesn't plan to turn away from the party, he said, although, he added, "I don't give them much money anyway." He's been living with relatives in New Jersey.

– Peter King is more than just unhappy that the House failed to vote on a Sandy relief bill last night: Now he's calling for New York and New Jersey residents to stop donating money to the GOP over the matter, CNN reports. "Anyone from New York or New Jersey who contributes one penny to the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee should have their head examined," King tells the network. Many other lawmakers are similarly distressed, including New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who issued a bipartisan joint statement calling out the House's "inaction and indifference." ABC News has video of King calling out John Boehner specifically on the House floor today, calling his decision to delay the vote a "cruel knife in the back." Rep. Frank LoBiondo gave a similarly epic floor speech, and he tells PolitickerNJ.com that he and Boehner got in a yelling confrontation over the issue yesterday. "This is absurd. I’ve never been this angry," he says. "This could have been a poster child for bipartisanship, instead, this is what we have." And in a press conference today, Christie further slammed Republicans and Boehner. Per CNN: "There is only one group to blame for the continued suffering of these innocent victims: the House majority and their speaker, John Boehner."

See the Radiant Photos Josh Olins In what they describe as a "landmark" photoshoot, British Vogue has unveiled portraits of Princess Kate , for the magazine's centenary issue, and several of the photos will be displayed in the National Portrait Gallery starting this weekend.The shoot, by photographer Josh Olins and set in Norfolk's English countryside, features Kate in "casual clothes rather than adopting a more formal approach," the magazine said in a statement.Two of Olins' portraits will be on display at the gallery, in the Vogue 100: A Century of Style exhibit, beginning Sunday. The Duchess, who is Patron of the National Portrait Gallery, will see the exhibition for herself on Wednesday on an official visit to the Gallery. She is the most senior member of the Royal family to appear on the cover of the magazine since Princess Diana, who featured on four covers, including a posthumous appearance in October 1997.

– Vanity Fair calls it "something of a royal coup": The 100th anniversary edition of the British version of Vogue is graced by none other than Kate Middleton on its cover, in what is the royal's fashion editorial debut. (Princess Diana covered the magazine four times.) British photographer Josh Olins took the seven photographs included in the issue in the Norfolk countryside in January; at Kate's request, the images are what Vanity Fair calls "country chic" rather than high glamour. Indeed, Yahoo describes the cover shot as "perfectly country chic, from the beautiful brown suede jacket paired and white button-down to her forest green wide-brimmed hat." In another image, she's clad in a $1,015 pair of Burberry trousers and a $50 red- and black-striped top. The Telegraph notes the shoot marked the first time that a professional make-up artist did Kate's makeup before she was photographed, and says Sally Branka "persuaded the Duchess to do without her usual black eyeliner and heavy blusher, with striking results." People reports British Vogue editor-in-chief Alexandra Shulman called the images "a fitting tribute to a young woman whose interest in both photography and the countryside is well known." Indeed, four new photos of Princess Charlotte have been released in advance of her first birthday on Monday; the photographer: Kate, reports Us Weekly.

A wave of celebrities has begun speaking out against Woody Allen, more than two decades after his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow alleged that he molested her, which Allen has long denied. In December, Farrow wrote an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times asking why actors who spoke out against other Hollywood men in the #MeToo movement continued to support Allen. This week, Timothée Chalamet announced he's donating his entire salary from his work in an upcoming Woody Allen movie to three charities that fight sexual abuse and harassment, including Time's Up. FARROW: Except every step of the way, my mother has only encouraged me to tell the truth. Alec Baldwin, who has appeared in three of Allen’s films, said in a Jan. 16 tweet that the “renunciation” of Allen is “unfair and sad.” Allen has long denied Farrow’s allegation, and he has never been charged with a crime. The allegations were first made in 1992. In 2014, after Allen received a lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes, Farrow detailed the allegations in an open letter in the New York Times. Allen again denied the allegations in an op-ed published in the Times in 2014. Only on "CBS This Morning," Dylan Farrow is speaking candidly for the first time on television about her sexual assault allegations against her adoptive father, actor and director Woody Allen. FARROW: I'm not angry with them. But it does make the betrayal and the hurt that much more intense. “Honestly, it’s the decision that I have made in my life that is the most inconsistent with everything I stand for and believe in, both publicly and privately. “I want to be worthy of standing shoulder to shoulder with the brave artists who are fighting for all people to be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.” Farrow responded in a tweet: “Glad to see this.” Natalie Portman Actor Natalie Portman celebrates The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards with Moet & Chandon at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. Over the past two weeks, several celebrities have voiced their support for Dylan, including actress Natalie Portman. It seems to have worked – and, sadly, I'm sure Dylan truly believes what she says. “I am so sorry, Dylan,” wrote Sorvino, one of the woman who accused Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment. “If I had known then what I know now, I would not have acted in the film.

– One person vigorously reupping her claims in the wake of the #MeToo movement: Dylan Farrow, who continues to insist her father, Woody Allen, molested her when she was a child at the home of her mother, Mia Farrow. On Thursday, Farrow appeared on CBS This Morning and says she wishes there'd been a trial since "I was already traumatized" from the alleged assault on August 4, 1992. That's when Farrow says her "hero" led her to the attic of Mia Farrow's Connecticut residence and "touched my labia and my vulva with his finger." Dylan Farrow was 7 at the time. The now-32-year-old mom told interviewer Gayle King she felt it was necessary to finally come forward on TV, saying, "I want to show my face and tell my story. ... I want to speak out. Literally." And she has supporters in high places, including Mira Sorvino and Natalie Portman, per Time. Although Allen vowed in 2014 to never again comment on the allegations from his adopted daughter, he broke that vow Thursday. "I never molested my daughter," the director says in a statement to CBS News. He adds two investigations—one by a hospital's child abuse clinic and another by child welfare investigators in New York—previously "concluded that no molestation had ever taken place" and it was "likely a vulnerable child had been coached to tell the story by her angry mother during a contentious breakup. ... Sadly, I'm sure Dylan truly believes what she says." Dylan Farrow refutes that, noting that "my mother has only encouraged me to tell the truth," adding she wonders why "this crazy story of me being brainwashed" is more believable than her own account. (One person who's backing Allen this week: Alec Baldwin.)

(CNN) The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday night advised pregnant women to postpone travel to Mexico, Puerto Rico and parts of Central America and South America due to the presence of the Zika virus. The Zika virus is part of the flavivirus family, which contains the deadly yellow fever virus, as well as West Nile, chikungunya, and dengue. With the exception of West Nile virus, which is predominantly spread by culex-species mosquitoes, the arboviruses that recently reached the Western Hemisphere have been transmitted by aedes mosquitoes, especially the yellow fever vector mosquito A. aegypti. The possibility that Zika may yet adapt to transmission by A. albopictus, a much more widely distributed mosquito found in at least 32 states in the United States, is cause for concern. Of greater concern is the explosive Brazilian epidemic of microcephaly, manifested by an apparent 20-fold increase in incidence from 2014 to 2015, which some public health officials believe is caused by Zika virus infections in pregnant women.

– The US has reached an unhappy milestone: the first case of brain damage in a baby linked to the "explosive pandemic of Zika virus infection." The baby was born recently in Oahu, Hawaii, and suffers from microcephaly, smaller-than-normal head and brain, the New York Times reports. The mother—who had lived in Brazil last year, a hotspot for the mosquito-borne illness—was likely infected early in her pregnancy before leaving for Hawaii. Meanwhile, the CDC on Friday advised pregnant women, along with those trying to become pregnant, to avoid traveling to areas known for Zika, including Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico, CNN reports. Carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the Zika virus typically causes only mild symptoms, or none at all, reports the Times. Late last year, however, health officials in Brazil began to find a correlation between the disease and an increase in cases of microcephaly. More than 3,500 cases, including 46 infant deaths, in the nation may be linked to Zika, CNN reports. In the US, 14 imported cases of the virus were diagnosed in returning travelers between 2007 and 2014, plus a total of eight in 2015 and so far this year. Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci notes that factors like urban crowding and international travel "can cause innumerable slumbering infectious agents to emerge unexpectedly."

Lawyers are counseling couples considering divorce to do it this year — before a 76-year-old deduction for alimony payments is wiped out in 2019 under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Under the old system, if a highest-tax bracket, soon-to-be ex spouse was set to pay $100,000 per year in alimony, they would get a deduction off the top — at the highest tax rate of around 40% — so they would only be out around $60,000. These determined how much alimony payments should be and when such payments should end. Projected to raise $6.9 billion over the next decade, the repeal is one of the ways Republicans defrayed the cost of their tax rewrite. Under the new bill, alimony paid by one spouse to the other will not be tax deductible, and the spouse receiving the alimony no longer has to pay taxes on it. Added to the code in 1942, lawmakers have long believed it was unfair to tax people on the alimony they paid when the money was not available for them to spend. “When everyone thought the deduction deadline was going to be Dec. 31, we had a rush of clients,” said Madeline Marzano-Lesnevich, president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. “We’re shifting the tax, and it’s not to the detriment of the person receiving the money,” said Marzano-Lesnevich. Many will say, “Get me before a judge so I can plead my case.” In an early draft of the tax legislation, House Republicans suggested it was unfair to offer a special break to divorcees, saying the repeal “prevents divorced couples from reducing income tax through a specific form of payments unavailable to married couples.” The repeal is one of only a handful of provisions in the tax law that didn’t take effect immediately.

– An alimony deduction to be erased in 2019 under the new tax plan has lawyers preparing for a wave of divorces this year—and eying complications for recipients beyond. Payers have long received a tax break on alimony, while recipients have paid income tax on payments. But after Dec. 31, 2018, alimony will no longer be deductible for the payer, and recipients won't need to pay income tax on it, reports Politico. While this will help recipients—primarily women—in one sense, they'll suffer in other ways. As lawyer Madeline Marzano-Lesnevich tells Yahoo, a man in the highest income-tax bracket who pays his wife $100,000 in alimony in 2018 ($85,000 for the woman after taxes) actually pays about $60,000 with the deduction. Without it, he might argue $60,000 is all he can afford to pay, leaving the wife with $25,000 less than before. Attorneys predict the change will complicate divorce negotiations and lead to more cases being heard in court. But some say women will be disproportionally injured by it. "The repeal reduces the bargaining power of vulnerable spouses, mostly women, in achieving financial stability after a divorce," a lawyer tells Politico. Others point out alimony recipients may have a harder time saving for retirement as contributions to retirement accounts often have to come from taxed income, per CNBC. Marzano-Lesnevich says her firm has already had "a rush of clients … demanding we get them divorced immediately" to avoid such complications in 2019. More couples are expected to follow suit this year. Politico reports removing the deduction is expected to raise $6.9 billion over the next decade and help offset the cost of tax cuts outlined in the GOP bill.

Egypt's Interior Ministry offered a rare expression of regret Saturday after riot police were caught on camera a day earlier beating a protester who had been stripped of his clothes, and then dragging the naked man along the muddy pavement before bundling him into a police van. Egyptians flee tear gas fired by security forces during an anti-President Mohammed Morsi protest in front of the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Feb. 1, 2013. Thousands of protesters denouncing... (Associated Press) Egyptian protesters shout anti-Mohammed Morsi slogans before clashes in front of the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Feb. 1, 2013. Thousands of Egyptians marched across the country, chanting... (Associated Press) Egyptian riot police beat a man, after stripping him, and before dragging him into a police van, during clashes next to the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Feb. 1, 2013. Protesters denouncing... (Associated Press) An Egyptian protester throws a tear gas canister back during clashes with riot police in front of the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Feb. 1, 2013. Thousands of protesters denouncing Egypt's... (Associated Press) Egyptian riot police beat a man, illuminated by the green light of a protester's laser, after stripping him, and before dragging him into a police van, during clashes next to the presidential palace in... (Associated Press) The video of the beating, which took place late Friday only blocks from the presidential palace where protests were raging in the streets, further inflamed popular anger with security forces just as several thousand anti-government demonstrators marched on the palace again on Saturday. The uprising that toppled longtime leader Hosni Mubarak in 2011 was fueled in part by anger over police brutality. In the footage aired live on Egyptian TV, at least seven black-clad riot police used sticks to beat 48-year-old Hamada Saber, who was sprawled out on the ground, shirtless and with his pants down around his ankles. In a statement, the Interior Ministry voiced its "regret" about the assault, and vowed to investigate. But it also sought to distance itself _ and the police in general _ from the abuse, saying it "was carried out by individuals that do not represent in any way the doctrine of all policemen who direct their efforts to protecting the security and stability of the nation and sacrifice their lives to protect civilians." Later in the day, however, Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim put the blame elsewhere entirely, saying initial results from the public prosecutor's investigation indicated that Saber was undressed by "rioters" during skirmishes between police and protesters. "The Central Security Forces then found him lying on the ground and tried to put him in an armored vehicle, though the way in which they did that was excessive," Ibrahim said. President Mohammed Morsi's office called Saber's beating "shocking", but stressed that violence and vandalism of government property is unacceptable. The abuse took place as thousands of protesters chanted against President Mohammed Morsi on Friday. The march was part of a wave of demonstrations that have rocked Egypt since last week's second anniversary of the 2011 revolt, leaving more than 60 people dead and plunging the country into turmoil once again. In what appeared to be an effort to protect the police from a harsh backlash over the video, Ibrahim said that nearly 400 policemen have been wounded this past week in clashes, and warned that the disintegration of police will lead to even wider-spread chaos in the Arab world's most populous nation. "The collapse of police will affect Egypt and transform it into a militia state like some neighboring nations," Ibrahim said, alluding to Libya where militias comprise the bulk of security after that nation's uprising. Already some Islamists have warned they could set up militias to protect their interests, while a group calling itself "Black Bloc" whose followers wear black masks claim to defend protesters opposed to the Islamist president's rule. Rights groups have accused Morsi of not taking steps to reform the Interior Ministry, which was the backbone of Mubarak's regime. Police under Mubarak were notorious for using excessive force against protesters and beating those in custody. In a defining image of post-Mubarak violence against protesters, Egyptians were outraged last year when military police were caught on camera dragging a veiled woman through the streets during a protest, pulling her conservative black robe over her head and revealing her blue bra. Protesters and rights groups have accused police of using excessive force this past week during a wave of mass demonstrations in cities around the country called by opposition politicians, trying to wrest concessions from Morsi. But many protesters go further, saying Morsi must be removed from office. They are accusing his Muslim Brotherhood of monopolizing power and of failing to deal with the country's mounting woes. Many have been further angered by Morsi's praise of the security forces after the high death toll. Some have taken to attacking government buildings, from prisons to police stations to courthouses. The chaos prompted Morsi to order a limited curfew in three provinces and the deployment of the military to the streets. The main opposition National Salvation Front said Saturday that the "gruesome images" of Saber's beating demand the interior minister's resignation. Also Saturday, Prime Minister Hisham Kandil visited Cairo's Tahrir Square and the area around the presidential palace. He said those who are camped out there are neither protesters nor revolutionaries. He said protesters "do not torch, attack hotels, rape women, steal from shops, they do not burn the presidential palace." In an impassioned speech Saturday carried live on Egyptian state TV, Kandil said the street violence and political unrest that has engulfed the country for more than a week is threatening the nation's already ailing economy. "The Egyptian economy is bleeding," he said. "It is holding itself, but if this situation persists it will be dangerous, extremely dangerous." Foreign currency earners such as tourism and foreign investment have dried up in the past two years of political unrest. Foreign reserves currently estimate at around $15 billion, less than half of where it stood before the 2011 uprising that ousted Mubarak. The Egyptian pound has also lost around four percent of its value due to the turmoil and planned austerity measures threaten to curb subsidies relied on by millions of poor Egyptians. Kandil called on the opposition to back away from any more protests or marches. Also Saturday, Mubarak's former interior minister, Habib al-Adly, was found guilty of abusing his position by forcing police conscripts to work on his mansion and land outside Cairo. Both he and former riot police chief Hassan Abdel-Hamid were sentenced to three years in prison and fined around $340,000. The verdict can be appealed. Al-Adly is already serving time for corruption and was sentenced to life in prison with Mubarak for failing to prevent the killing of nearly 900 protesters during the 2011 revolt that ousted the longtime leader. Both men appealed, and will be given a retrial.

– Egypt's Interior Ministry offered a rare expression of regret today after riot police were caught on camera a day earlier beating a protester who had been stripped of his clothes, and then dragging the naked man along the muddy pavement before bundling him into a police van. The video of the beating, which took place late yesterday only blocks from the presidential palace where protests were raging in the streets, further inflamed popular anger with security forces just as several thousand anti-government demonstrators marched on the palace again today. The uprising that toppled longtime leader Hosni Mubarak in 2011 was fueled in part by anger over police brutality. In the footage aired live on Egyptian TV, at least seven black-clad riot police used sticks to beat 48-year-old Hamada Saber, who was sprawled out on the ground, shirtless and with his pants down around his ankles. In a statement, the Interior Ministry voiced its "regret" about the assault, and vowed to investigate. But it also sought to distance itself—and the police in general—from the abuse, saying it "was carried out by individuals that do not represent in any way the doctrine of all policemen." Later in the day, Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim put the blame elsewhere entirely, saying initial results from the public prosecutor's investigation indicated that Saber was undressed by "rioters" during skirmishes between police and protesters. Click for more.

From Russia With Cheats Russia has been a hotbed of slots-related malfeasance since 2009, when the country outlawed virtually all gambling. Vladimir Putin, now prime minister, came up with the idea in 2006 when he was president after the Interior Ministry linked several gaming operations in Moscow to Georgian organized crime. I’m a family man and I come here every day and lose all my money. “I’m upset but I guess I’ll have a little rest and re-visit my job situation in August,” said Elena, a slot machine operator who has worked in the gaming business for five years.

– An iPhone and a few well-timed button pushes by a mysterious patron was all that was needed to make a Missouri casino's slot machine pay out lots of cash. But this wasn't just a random scammer who'd figured out how to play the machine: It was part of an elaborate Russian hacking scheme Brendan Koerner explores for Wired. That patron, Murat Bliev, was a member of a St. Petersburg cheat group, a willing participant in what Koerner describes as a "hotbed of slots-related malfeasance." This underground movement originated in 2009, when then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin decided to make most gambling illegal to curb organized crime. All of the slot machines in Russian casinos had to go somewhere, and so many of them ended up with high bidders (including Bliev's organization), who then poked around in the machines' coding to figure out how to exploit them. How the racket-runners worked: They figured out the patterns behind the machines' pseudorandom number generators, or PRNGs, which, while difficult to crack, aren't impossible if someone can get into the machine's insides. But because the "temporal state" of each machine is different, additional surveillance steps were needed in combination with the PRNG intel—and a casino security expert figured out how the hackers pulled it off. The scheme involved cellphones with video, a tech team back in St. Petersburg, and vibrating "timing markers" sent to the players to indicate when to hit. While Bliev and others were eventually busted, the hacking still lives on via enhanced methods, as there's "no easy technical fix. "A finger that lingers too long above a spin button may be a guard's only clue," Koerner writes. More on the cheat at Wired. (How slot machines feed gambling addictions.)

“The study’s findings are based on 5 million individual human scores and pave the way for the development of powerful language-based tools for measuring emotion,” Dodds and his team wrote.

– If you're in a foul mood, it might be time to learn Spanish. Languages, and the people who use them, tend to favor using positive words over negatives, researchers find, and they've learned that that's particularly true in Spanish. Experts at the University of Vermont and the MITRE Corporation went through volumes of text from all kinds of sources: books, the news, music lyrics, movie subtitles, and more, including some 100 billion words used on Twitter, UVM reports. Investigating 10 languages, they picked out the 10,000 most common words, then had native speakers rank these words on a nine-point happiness scale; "laughter," for instance, was rated 8.5, while "greed" came in at 3.06. All 24 types of sources reviewed resulted in scores above the neutral 5, meaning they leaned "happy." In other words, "people use more positive words than negative ones," a researcher says. As far as individual languages go, here are the top five happiest ones, via Discovery: Spanish Portuguese English German French Chinese came in last of the 10 languages in the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Positive-language data has also resulted in an actual happiness meter, known as the hedonometer, UVM notes. It follows Twitter posts in English to determine when the happiest words are being used. Christmas, it shows, is a very happy day, while celebrity deaths correlate with low points. Meanwhile, Boulder, Colorado, is apparently the happiest city (at least among Twitter users), while Racine, Wisconsin, appears to be the most miserable. (If you need a lift, try changing the way you walk.)

The nine-track album "Everything Is Love" dropped Saturday on the Tidal music streaming service that Jay-Z partially owns. He also confirms the rumor that he turned down a Super Bowl Halftime Show offer: “I said no to the Super Bowl/You need me, I don’t need you/Every night we in the end zone/Tell the NFL we in stadiums too.” Beyoncé calls out Spotify on the track “NICE.” She raps, “If I gave...two fucks about streaming numbers woulda put Lemonade up on Spotify.

– Out of the blue, Beyonce and Jay-Z dropped a joint album that's being described as both unexpected and long-rumored, reports Pitchfork. But Everything Is Love is not all sunshine and rainbows from the duo now going by The Carters, particularly for the Grammys (where Jay-Z went 0-8 at the 2018 awards) and Spotify, which gets a couple of F-bombs from Bey. Jay-Z also confirms that he turned down the Super Bowl halftime show, rapping, well, "I said no to the Super Bowl / You need me, I don’t need you/ Every night we in the end zone / Tell the NFL we need stadiums too." The couple's daughter, Blue Ivy, also gives a shout-out to her 1-year-old twin siblings, notes the AP, and a music video released with the nine-track album features the couple hobnobbing in Paris' Louvre museum. Everything Is Love is available on Tidal.

During the Sirius XM interview, the former Saturday Night Live personality, who is 58, said he “never defended” Barr, who lost her job over racist remarks, or Louis C.K., who was dropped by FX after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct. Norm Macdonald told Howard Stern he was “confused” when he made controversial comments about the #MeToo movement in an interview published in The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday. “You’d have to have Down Syndrome to not feel sorry for [the victims of sexual misconduct]. You want that to be the future world.” Macdonald has a new show coming to Netflix, and the comedian’s press appearances this week was supposed to raise awareness about it. The victims didn’t have to go through [losing everything in a day].” On The Howard Stern Show, Macdonald did not apologize for those comments. “Of course, people will go, ‘What about the victims? “I wish I never had to do an interview, especially a print interview, because they edit it and put it together and ask you questions that maybe you don’t want to answer,” he said. Jimmy said, ‘Come back whenever you want, but I think it might hurt the show tonight.’” Macdonald added that he spoke to Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos before he issued his apology Tuesday on Twitter. “He is one of the greatest people to ever come into my life,” he said. “He knows I am a good person. “If my words sounded like I was minimizing the pain that their victims feel to this day, I am deeply sorry,” he wrote. Norm Macdonald Has a Show is set to debut on September 14th.

– Norm Macdonald attempted to explain his controversial #MeToo comments in an interview with Howard Stern Wednesday—and managed to make things worse. The comedian landed himself in a fresh controversy after insulting people with Down syndrome in an effort to express empathy for victims of sexual misconduct, Yahoo reports. "You'd have to have Down syndrome to not feel sorry" for harassment victims, said Macdonald, who'd told the Hollywood Reporter he was glad #MeToo had "slowed down a bit" and that he felt bad for friends like Louis CK, who "lost everything in a day." He told Stern, however, that "#MeToo is what you want for your daughters. You want that to be the future world." "Down syndrome. That's my new word," Macdonald told Stern. His remarks were met with a fierce backlash on social media. Down syndrome "is not something that prevents someone from having emotion, feeling empathy, or understanding the importance of a movement like #MeToo," tweeted one critic. Macdonald, whose Tonight Show appearance was axed after his #MeToo remarks, has a new show coming to Netflix, called Norm Macdonald Has a Show. In his Stern interview, he called himself a "dumb guy" who got "confused" when interviewers were "asking me about a whole bunch of things at the same time," Rolling Stone reports. He apologized in a tweet for his remarks about Louis CK and Roseanne Barr, saying he would "never defend their actions."

"When we first ... learned of the situation, I had a high degree of anxiety because there were so many guards who were unaccounted for," Adams County Sheriff Chuck Mayfield said, praising the efforts of law enforcement and those with the private company that runs the facility. He said they know where some of them are and doesn't believe any more are injured. It was a far different scene about 24 hours before. A guard at a southwest Mississippi prison died Sunday and several other employees were injured during a disturbance involving hundreds of inmates that continued into the evening, authorities and the prison's operator said. County and state authorities were on site within an hour to maintain the perimeter and help the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) bring the situation under control, according to Mayfield, who noted that FBI agents were also there. Four inmates had to be taken to area emergency rooms for treatment -- for injuries such as a stab wound, a concussion and rib injuries -- though Mayfield said he didn't think any of them needed to be admitted. The sheriff stressed that the public was never in danger, as the riot was confined within the facility and there were no breaches of its perimeter.

– A 23-year-old guard has been killed and 16 workers injured in a riot by hundreds of inmates at a private Mississippi prison. Three inmates were also hospitalized, though one has since been returned to prison. The riot broke out at the Adams County Correctional Facility in Natchez at around 2:40pm yesterday, according to the AP. Some two dozen employees were taken hostage, and local and state law enforcement agencies had to be called in to quell the violence. They quickly regained control of most of the prison, but one section held out until 2:45 this morning, CNN reports. "I just want people to understand that no one has gotten out and no one will," a local county sheriff assured the public during the standoff. "We have all our deputies out here and ready. The county can sleep well because we've got it secured." The Tennessee-based company running the facility did not reveal what triggered the violence. The prison houses some 2,500 prisoners—many of them illegal immigrants—for the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

If you meet him, he didn't seem like he was angry." Congratulations to Rand Paul and his campaign--this was a big win. Time will tell, but we really do think he's a different kind of politician — and hopefully [he'll] send a message to the GOP that we want something different."

– Rand Paul's resounding Senate win in Kentucky's GOP primary represents a major upset for the Republican Party and a major victory for the Tea Party movement. Paul—who led opponent Trey Grayson by 59% to 35% with 89% of precincts reported—tapped into voter anger at Washington far more successfully than Grayson, notes Manu Raju at Politico, predicting the win will send shockwaves through the Republican Party nationwide. Much about Paul's win was specific to Kentucky, however, Joshua Green writes in the Atlantic, arguing that last night's result doesn't necessarily signal major Tea Party gains this fall. The Kentucky primary was closed, he notes, so there's no sign that Independents or Democrats will back a Tea Party candidate. Paul also had the support of a celebrity dad who brought name recognition, money, and volunteers, and faced an opponent whose family members were well-known Democratic fundraisers until recently.

A husband and wife opened fire on a... (Associated Press) This undated photo provided by the California Department of Motor Vehicles shows Syed Rizwan Farook who has been named as the suspect in the San Bernardino, Calif., shootings.

– Whatever San Bernardino gunman Syed Rizman Farook's problem was, it wasn't the result of his upbringing, if his brother is anything to go by. The brother, whose name is Syed Raheel Farook, was falsely identified as the gunman by some media outlets because the names are so similar, but he is, in fact, a decorated Navy veteran, BuzzFeed reports. The brother joined up in August 2003 and left the service in August 2007, and Navy records state that he received the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon during his service, which included time as an information systems technician on the USS Enterprise. A Navy spokesman tells the New York Daily News that Farook was a computer technician who also received an award for good conduct. Investigators are still trying to piece together a motive for the rampage the other Syed R. Farook allegedly carried out with wife Tashfeen Malik. A "veritable armory," including at least a dozen pipe bombs, was found at their home, and officials say they're probing possible links to Islamic extremists but haven't found firm evidence of radicalization, the Los Angeles Times reports. Associates, including colleagues who survived the massacre, say they simply don't understand how the man they knew could have done this. "This was a person who was successful, who had a good job, a good income, a wife, and a family. What was he missing in his life?" a man who worshiped with him at a mosque in San Bernardino tells the AP.

UPDATE: A suspect has been charged for the killings FLINT, MI - A woman at the center of a bellwether Flint water crisis lawsuit was one of two women who were shot to death inside a townhouse earlier this week.

– One of the first people to file a lawsuit alleging her child was poisoned by the water in Flint, Mich., was shot dead this week, reports Michigan Live. Sasha Avonna Bell was found dead in a townhouse in the city on Tuesday along with another female victim, Sacorya Renee Reed. A 1-year-old child found at the home was uninjured; it isn't clear if the child is Bell's. Police say one person is in custody, though no one has been charged. "Sasha was a lovely young woman who cared deeply for her family, and especially for her young child," says Bell's attorney, calling her death "tragic and senseless." He adds her case will continue in state court. It's among 64 lawsuits on behalf of 144 children against six companies that handled Flint's water. Days before the shooting, a mother and her 9-year-old son were also shot in Flint, per Michigan Live.

A photo of the worker was posted on Reddit Wednesday morning with the title, "I was going to buy a frosty from Wendys until I saw the employee do this."

– If you thought gross fast-food-worker images started and ended with the Taco Bell licker, brace yourself for the latest photo, which seems to show a Wendy's employee dispensing ice cream directly into his mouth. The image was posted to Reddit yesterday, along with this quip: "I was going to buy a frosty from Wendys until I saw the employee do this." A number of Redditers pointed out the photo was apparently taken behind the counter, though (so, ostensibly, a fellow employee/friend is the likely shutterbug). The Journal Sentinel got in touch with a Wendy's rep late yesterday; he was not amused. "If true, this is totally inexcusable. We are investigating and will take action."