- 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.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.
- 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.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.ReutersMissouri fraternity suspended after being accused of racial slurs
The University of Missouri said on Wednesday a fraternity accused of making racial slurs toward a group of black students had been suspended, less than a year after allegations of racism on campus ignited protests. The university's Legion of Black Collegians said in a statement that two black students were in front of the Delta Upsilon fraternity house late on Tuesday when several white students passed by and one uttered a racial obscenity. As police officers arrived at the scene, additional racial slurs were heard from the white students by the black students, according to the group.
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.
BusinessAssociated PressHow the Dow Jones industrial average fared on TuesdayNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks closed higher after a survey showed consumer confidence is at a nine-year high, a sign Americans will keep spending in the months to come. Technology and consumer stocks made the largest gains.On Tuesday:The Dow Jones industrial
U.S.ReutersFBI Director calls 'stop and frisk' an important tool when used rightWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey told a House of Representatives panel on Wednesday that the police tactic known as "stop and frisk" is an important tool when used right. Comey told the panel that
- U.S.Yahoo News PhotoDeadly house explosion in the Bronx
A battalion chief who had been considered a rising star in the New York Fire Department was killed Tuesday when a row house exploded as he was supervising an evacuation following the report of a gas leak. Authorities are looking into whether the building
PoliticsChristopher WilsonDown Ticket #15: The most fascinating House contest of 2016, how the Clinton-Trump debate will shake up down-ballot races (and more!)Republican candidate Jason Lewis and Democrat Angie Craig vie for Minnesota’s Second Congressional District. ST. PAUL, Minn. — As you may have heard, there’s a race this year between a well-organized and well-financed centrist Democratic woman (with an Arkansas background) and a political newcomer, a Republican who ran against the party establishment with some far-right views and a long history of controversial, even offensive, statements.
- U.S.Inside EditionMassive Search Underway for Missing 11-Year-Old Girl Considered A Runaway
An 11-year-old North Carolina girl who vanished Tuesday after getting off her school bus was found safe after emerging from the woods outside her the following night. The Conover Fire Department confirmed in a tweet Wednesday night that Emily Dowdle was found safe. The girl had skipped nine straight days of school, a fact her parents only found out Monday, Catawba police chief Duane Cozzen told InsideEdition.com.
- BusinessThe DriveMercedes Is STILL Running "Self-Driving Car" Ads For The NOT Self-Driving E-Class
Just when you thought the saga of Mercedes-Benz claiming the 2017 E-Class was a “Self-Driving Car” was over, well, it’s not over. The saga began with early ads for the new E-Class stating “Introducing A Self-Driving Car from a very Self-Driven Company.” As I pointed out in my review of Mercedes’ DrivePilot, in no universe does the Mercedes system make it a Self-Driving Car, or anywhere near Level 4 Autonomy. Mercedes DrivePilot is no more than ADAS, and nowhere near Tesla’s state-of-the-art Autopilot system, which is at or slightly above Level 2.
- WorldForeign Policy MagazineSitRep: Russia Implicated in Airline Shoot Down; U.S. Strike in Afghanistan Under Investigation
Russia shot down airliner. A Dutch-led investigation to be released Wednesday has concluded that a Russian surface-to-air missile system shot down a Malaysia Airlines plane over Ukraine two years ago, killing all 298 on board.
- U.S.ABC News VideosCongress To Attempt Override Presidential Veto of 9/11 Saudi Bill
Congress is expecting to override President Obama's veto of the 9/11 Saudi Bill, which would allow victims' families to the sue the Saudi government for its ties to terrorism. At least to seek justice against Saudi Arabia yet the bill would have paved the way for the families to sue the Saudi government. The president vetoed a bill allowing 9/11 families to sue Saudi Arabia in US courts.
WorldAFPTough times for S.Africa's all-female anti-poaching unitSouth Africa's all-female "Black Mambas" anti-poaching team had never lost a rhino since they were formed in 2013, but the killing of two animals earlier this month shattered their proud record. The two rhinos, one of which was pregnant, were shot dead and their horns hacked off by poachers on a full moon night, underlining the crisis that threatens the species. The Black Mambas are made up of 36 unarmed female rangers, aged from 19 to 33, based at the Balule Game Reserve in Limpopo province on the edge of Kruger National Park.
- 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.
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.Christian Science MonitorThe sheriff of Ericson Street
Not long after Mike Costello moved into a renovated brick ranch on Ericson Street earlier this year, he was helping the cable guy at his house when shots rang out – first one, then another. As a cop, Mr. Costello knew exactly what the pops were. At first, he couldn’t see anything amiss, but then Raymond Hinton came running fast around the corner.
PoliticsDylan StablefordThis is the surreal 1997 press conference Donald Trump held to discuss Alicia Machado’s weightOn May 17, 1996, in Las Vegas, Alicia Machado, a 19-year-old from Venezuela, was crowned Miss Universe, the beauty pageant that Donald Trump would buy later that same year. Eight months later, in New York City, Trump, the contest’s new executive producer, stood next to Machado as she rode a stationary bike surrounded by a scrum of local cameramen and news reporters and flanked by a personal trainer. “I went to the Miss Universe contest last year,” Trump told reporters.
U.S.Associated PressSuspect in Dallas-area shooting rampage arrestedA man suspected in a pair of Dallas-area killings was arrested Tuesday at an apartment about 150 miles to the south near Austin, police said. Silvestre Franco-Luviano was arrested about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday after a standoff at an apartment in Georgetown, about 25 miles north of Austin, said Georgetown Police Chief Wayne Nero.
BusinessAFPDrone halts traffic at Dubai airportAn unauthorised drone forced Dubai airport to halt air traffic for about half an hour on Wednesday in the second such incident in four months, the airport authority said. Airspace around the world's busiest airport for international flights was closed between 8:08 and 8:35 am (0408 and 0435 GMT) "due to unauthorised drone activity," Dubai Airports said on its Twitter account.
U.S.ReutersU.S. announces $364 million more in aid for SyriansThe U.S. State Department said on Tuesday it was providing an additional $364 million in humanitarian assistance to help Syrians caught up in the country's civil war, bringing total U.S. humanitarian spending for Syria to about $5.9 billion. Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration Anne Richard said the funding would help provide food, shelter, safe drinking water, medical care and other support for millions of Syrian refugees and the communities that host them. Richard told a State Department briefing about three-quarters of the additional funding would help people still inside Syria and the rest would assist Syrians who have fled the country.
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.
- BusinessJ.D. Power and AssociatesTest Drive: 2017 Toyota Highlander
For 2017, Toyota's popular midsize, Highlander 3-row crossover SUV gets a substantial refresh that is sure to keep it on the shopping lists of American families. Headlining the list of changes, Toyota installs a long list of driver-assistive and collision-avoidance safety technologies as standard equipment for all 2017 Highlander trim levels. Additionally, the V-6 engine is new, paired with a new 8-speed automatic transmission and adding both power and efficiency to the SUV.
