- U.S.Olivier KnoxDefying critics, Obama nominates Cuba ambassador
Secretary of State John Kerry, right, is greeted on the tarmac by Jeffrey DeLaurentis at José Martí International Airport in Havana, Aug. 14, 2015. Facing down congressional opponents of his historic outreach to Cuba, President Obama announced Tuesday that he has chosen highly respected career diplomat Jeffrey DeLaurentis to be the first U.S. ambassador to Havana in 55 years. DeLaurentis is currently the top official at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba.
- PoliticsLiz GoodwinClinton: Trump ‘bragged’ about not paying taxes
“He actually bragged about gaming the system to get out of paying his fair share of taxes,” Clinton told the crowd of roughly 1,500 at Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh. “I think there’s a strong possibility he hasn’t paid federal taxes a lot of years, and this is a man who goes around calling our military a disaster, who goes around criticizing every institution from health care to education, our vets,” Clinton said. During the debate, Clinton brought up that the last tax returns Trump turned over to the public — from the 1970s — show that he paid nothing in federal income tax for several years.
- U.S.Inside EditionTeacher Invited 2 Students to Her Home for Sex: Cops
A substitute teacher was arrested last week after police say she had sexual encounters with students she invited to her Georgia home. While Cherokee County Sheriff's Office officials said the students were at the age of consent for the state, it was 38-year-old Laura Rich's position of authority that makes her alleged deeds a crime. Rich is accused of starting a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old shortly after she began substitute teaching in early 2015, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Jay Baker said.
- BusinessThe DriveHere's Our First Look at Mercedes-Benz's Futuristic Electric Concept Car
Automakers across the board are filling more and more of their lineups with utopian people-movers for the 21st Century, and Mercedes-Benz is no exception. To tease its new electric concept car before its full reveal at the Paris Motor Show this week, Mercedes-Benz released a short clip of the vehicle showing off a few details and hinting at other clues on the new car. Previously, The Drive reported on how Daimler, Mercedes-Benz's parent company, has been looking to start up its own electric car sub-brand to rival Tesla.
U.S.AFPHundreds flee as wildfire scorches California hillsidesA fierce wildfire south of San Francisco has forced hundreds of people to flee their homes as fast-moving flames fed by withering temperatures have consumed nearly 2,500 acres (1,012 hectares). Several cannabis plantations are also threatened by the wildfire, with several already reduced to ashes, the AFP photographer said.
- WorldForeign Policy MagazineRussia Is In Tailspin Over MH17 Shootdown Report
A new Dutch-led investigation of the 2014 deadly shoot-down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in a separatist-held area of Ukraine corroborates what was already widely documented: A Russian Buk missile system caused the crash. Prosecutors stopped short of directly blaming Moscow, which has denied involvement. Moscow’s spin machine quickly took flight after the inquiry’s report became public.
- WorldYahoo News PhotoIsraeli ex-president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shimon Peres dies at age 93
Israeli ex-president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shimon Peres died on Wednesday, some two weeks after suffering a major stroke, triggering an outpouring of grief for the historic figure and beloved statesman. Peres, who was 93, held nearly every major office in the country, serving twice as prime minister and also as president, a mostly ceremonial role, from 2007 to 2014. Peres died around 3:00 am (0000 GMT), Rafi Walden, who was Peres’s personal doctor and also his son-in-law, told AFP.
- U.S.Christian Science MonitorWhy did an Ohio cop drive a man 100 miles to his sister's funeral?
A man rushing to meet up with his family after the sudden death of his 15-year-old sister was shown some kindness from an Ohio state police officer who sympathized with him, offering to escort him on the 100-mile journey back home. “Everybody knows how much I dislike Cops but I am truly Greatful for this Guy,” Mark Ross wrote in a Facebook post Sunday. In a time when tensions between white police officers and the black community run high, the heartwarming story was a breath of fresh air for many, quickly becoming a viral Facebook post that was shared nearly 100,000 times as of Tuesday afternoon.
U.S.Reuters'Bridgegate' witness says Governor Christie knew of lane closuresBy Joseph Ax NEWARK, N.J. (Reuters) - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was aware of a politically motivated scheme to close lanes at the George Washington Bridge in 2013 as it was unfolding, a key prosecution witness testified on Tuesday at the criminal trial of two former Christie associates. David Wildstein, a former executive at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey who masterminded the plot, told jurors in Newark federal court that he and Bill Baroni, another Port Authority executive, discussed the lane closure with Christie before a memorial service marking the 12th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks at the World Trade Center. The testimony marked the first specific evidence federal prosecutors have presented to back their contention that the Republican governor knew at the time about the scandal known as "Bridgegate," despite his repeated denials.
U.S.Associated PressDefense chief: 9/11 bill could be devastating to US militaryLegislation that would allow the families of Sept. 11 victims to sue the government of Saudi Arabia for allegedly backing the terrorists who carried out the attacks could be devastating to the U.S. military, according to Defense Secretary Ash Carter. Carter's admonition, detailed in a letter to a senior member of Congress and released Tuesday, comes as lawmakers prepare to vote to override President Barack Obama's veto of the bill. Carter said he's sympathetic to the intent of the measure, but cautioned the legislation could lead to the public disclosure of American secrets and even undercut counterterrorism efforts by sowing mistrust among U.S. partners and allies.
PoliticsMichael WalshDonald Trump: I opposed Iraq War, just call Sean Hannity!Feel free to call Sean Hannity if you want to know what Donald Trump thought about invading Iraq before the war started. Trump frequently touts his purported opposition to the now-unpopular war as proof of his vision when it comes to foreign policy. “I did not support the war in Iraq,” Trump said at the debate.
- U.S.Inside EditionGirl, 9, Tearfully Appeals for Peace Following Fatal Police Shooting: 'I Can't Stand How We're Treated'
A little girl brought a Charlotte city council meeting to its knees with her emotional plea amid unrest in the area that followed the fatal shooting of a black man by police. "It's a shame that our fathers and mothers are killed and we can't see them anymore," Zianna Oliphant told City Council members at the meeting Monday. "It's a shame that we have to go through that graveyard and bury them. Zianna was one of several children who showed up with their parents at the meeting, where councilmembers sat for hours as residents demanded change in the wake of Kevin Lamont Scott's September 21 death.
- EntertainmentThe DriveThe Genesis G90 Lowballs Mercedes-Benz, Tweaks Lexus
Of course, Hyundai doesn’t actually have a doting mother. Then came the second-gen Hyundai Genesis sedan, surely the industry’s biggest surprise for 2015—and not only for its lavish features at a sub-$40,000 starting price. On its polished heels comes this Genesis G90.
WorldAFPTourists flee volcano at popular Indonesia hiking spotHundreds of tourists have fled a volcanic eruption at a popular Indonesian hiking destination, an official said Wednesday, expressing fears some may have stayed behind to document the natural wonder. Around 1,000 tourists, including about 600 foreigners, were believed to be in the area when Mount Barujari sent columns of ash and smoke shooting high into the sky over holiday island Lombok Tuesday, according to the official disaster agency. Barujari is a small cone within the crater of Mount Rinjani, Indonesia's second-highest volcano and a major attraction for foreign tourists visiting the archipelago.
- HealthU.S.News & World ReportShould a Part-Time Job Be Part of a Retirement Plan?
No longer can the average worker count on a defined pension plan to fund retirement. Social Security is estimated to become insolvent in 2034, and surveys show many workers are not saving enough on their own. Beyond that, people are living longer and health care costs are increasing at more than twice the rate of inflation, says Ann Minnium, certified financial planner and principal of Concierge Financial Planning in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.
WorldReutersFormer Israeli president Shimon Peres in grave condition: mediaClose relatives of former Israeli president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shimon Peres rushed to his hospital bedside on Tuesday amid media reports that his condition had deteriorated and he was close to death. Peres, 93, was hospitalized following a major stroke two weeks ago and his condition was improving before he suffered a severe setback on Tuesday, according to Israeli media. Peres, Israel's most eminent elder statesman, was part of almost every major development from the country's founding in 1948.
U.S.TribuneFirefighter Killed, Several Injured in Explosion at NYC HomeA firefighter was killed and at least six other people, including multiple NYPD officers, were injured during a gas explosion at a Bronx home that may have been acting as a meth lab, sources said Tuesday.
WorldReutersTaiwan's third typhoon of the month kills at least four, injures hundredsBy J.R. Wu TAIPEI (Reuters) - The third typhoon to hit Taiwan this month killed at least four people and injured hundreds on Tuesday, knocking down trees and cutting power to millions. Major cities in Taiwan announced schools and offices would be shut for a second day on Wednesday as the island's weather authorities said that due to the large diameter of the typhoon, heavy rain and strong wind would not significantly abate until Wednesday afternoon. At least 329 people were injured and more than 14,000 evacuated, the government's Central Emergency Operation Center said late Tuesday.
- WorldForeign Policy MagazineNew Philippine Leader Wants to Boot U.S. Commandos as ISIS Seeks a Foothold
If Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte makes good on his threats to turn away from his country’s 65-year-old alliance with the United States, the first casualty would likely be the U.S. military mission there, which has become a model for successful counterterrorism operations worldwide. After warning earlier this month that the U.S. military contingent of several hundred troops has to go, Duterte said Monday that his country’s alliance with Washington had reached “a point of no return” and on Wednesday he said an upcoming joint military exercise would be the last with the United States. The threat to push out the team of up to 100 U.S. Special Operations Forces, along with an additional 300 to 500 American conventional troops, comes as concerns mount in Washington and Southeast Asia about the Islamic State’s efforts to spread its tentacles in the region.
- PoliticsLiz GoodwinTrump boasts at debate that he did ‘good job’ on birther issue
Hillary Clinton sharply criticized Donald Trump for pushing a “racist birther lie” about President Obama during a heated exchange at Monday night’s presidential debate at Hofstra University. Moderator Lester Holt asked Trump to explain his yearslong campaign supporting the conspiracy theory questioning Obama’s citizenship and birthplace. “I was the one that got him to produce the birth certificate, and I think I did a good job,” Trump said.
U.S.AFPThree injured in US school shooting after teen suspect kills fatherA teenage gunman who injured three people at a South Carolina elementary school before being arrested carried out the attack after killing his father, local officials said Wednesday. The teen, whom the authorities did not identify, shot two boys -- one in the leg, the other in the foot -- as well as a teacher in the shoulder at Townville Elementary in the west of the US state, area officials told reporters. "The investigation is in initial stages... it's going to be a very slow, methodical and meticulous investigation," Captain Garland Major of the Anderson County Sheriff's Office said.
- BusinessThe DriveDJI's New Mavic Pro Drone Is Compact, Capable, and Can Fly Itself
With up to 27 minutes of flight time on a single charge, pilots can use the Mavic Pro's three-axis gimbal to take photos and record video from a stable aerial platform—making it ideal for aerial selfies or live-streaming video.
WorldAFPUS owes blacks reparations over slavery: UN experts"There has been no real commitment to reparations and to truth and reconciliation for people of African descent," the report said. Working group chairman Ricardo A. Sunga told reporters that the panel believed several models of reparations could work in the US context, including "elements of apology" and a form of "debt relief" to the descendants of enslaved people. "We are very troubled that these are on the rise," he added, without naming Trump specifically but calling on officials and "even candidates" to watch their words.
- EntertainmentABC News VideosFirst Look at Starliner Capsule
Astronaut Bob Behnken gives us a first look at the Starliner capsule. Lima Bob bank and I am an astronaut at the Johnson Space Center and one of four astronauts identified as the commercial crew cadre. Doug Hurley Eric both Sonny Williams and myself Bob Franken are all assigned to work with those basics and mowing the develop the next vehicles that we'll take astronauts of the International Space Station.
U.S.ReutersIowa city flood prevention system holds back Cedar RiverPublic Works Director Jen Winter said that the Cedar River, which winds its way through the city, had crested at just over 22 feet (7 m) on Tuesday morning and was receding. Mayor Ron Corbett said that he felt confident the worst of the flood danger had passed with minimal impact, though he cautioned there was still some risk until the river reached its normal level again, which is expected later this week. "Tomorrow we'll wake up on the winning side," Corbett told residents and members of the media on Tuesday.
