Baton Rouge news

• FBI: Hacking tool info could be of use to 'hostile entities'

  30-01-2017 20:01
  
  WASHINGTON - The FBI is defending its decision to withhold information on how it unlocked an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino, California, shooters.The Justice Department earlier this month released heavily redacted records in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit from The Associated Press and other media organizations.Among the information withheld were details about how much the FBI paid to a third party to unlock the work phone of Syed Rizwan Farook as well as the identity
  
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• Quebec mosque attack suspect appears in court

  30-01-2017 19:24
  
  QUEBEC CITY - Quebec mosque attack suspect Alexandre Bissonnette has made a brief court appearance at which he did not enter a plea.Bissonnette appeared in a white prisoner jumpsuit. He stared at his feet and fidgeted during the hearing.His next court date is Feb. 21.Quebec authorities released the names of the six people killed in a shooting attack at a mosque.They have been identified as Mamadou Tanou Barry, 42; Abdelkrim Hassane, 41; Khaled Belkacemi, 60; Aboubaker Thabti, 44; Azzeddine Soufi
  
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• Draft order would target immigrants on welfare

  30-01-2017 19:16
  
  WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is considering an executive order that would target some immigrants for deportation if they become dependent on government assistance.The Associated Press has obtained a copy of the draft order that calls for the identification and removal "as expeditiously as possible" of any legal immigrant who relies on certain kinds of public welfare benefits.The order, if signed, would also focus the government's efforts on blocking immigrants who are likely to become rel
  
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• Trump fires acting attorney general

  30-01-2017 19:13
  
  WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump has fired Acting Attorney General Sally Yates after she announced she would not defend his controversial immigration order.He is naming Dana Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, to serve in her place.The White House press office says in a statement Monday that Yates "has betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States."The statement calls Yates an Obama adminis
  
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• Boy Scouts will allow transgender children into programs

  30-01-2017 18:24
  
  DALLAS - The Boy Scouts of America says it will allow transgender children who identify as boys to enroll in its boys only programs.The organization announced Monday that it had made the decision to base enrollment in boys only programs on the gender a child or parent lists on the application to become a scout. The organization had previously held a policy that relied on the gender listed on a child's birth certificate.A spokeswoman for the organization says it made the decision based on states
  
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• Parish presidents prioritize three major construction projects at drainage summit

  30-01-2017 17:57
  
  ASCENSION - Five area parish presidents agreed to a unified, regional approach to gain funding and move forward with construction of three major projects at a drainage summit Monday.The summit, called by Ascension Parish President Kenny Matassa, was attended by representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers, the Amite River Basin Commission, the Pontchartrain Levee District, and the offices of Congressman Garret Graves and Senator Bill Cassidy. Additionally, State Senator Eddie Lambert, and St
  
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• George HW Bush is released from Houston hospital

  30-01-2017 17:33
  
  HOUSTON - Former President George H.W. Bush has been released from a Houston hospital where he received treatment for pneumonia for more than two weeks.Bush spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement Monday that the 92-year-old Bush is thankful for the prayers and kind messages he's received during his stay at Houston Methodist Hospital and for the "world-class care" from doctors and nurses.Bush was experiencing breathing difficulties when he was admitted Jan. 14. During his treatment, which incl
  
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• Zachary residents receiving late notices for water bills but no bill

  30-01-2017 17:15
  
  ZACHARY – Some Zachary residents are receiving yellow notices on their mailboxes claiming that their water bill is late, however no bill shows up. For resident Rolando Williams, the amount for his bill fluctuates from $130 to $180 or even $250.
  However Williams says that sometimes he doesn't even receive a bill, only a notice that his payment is late."It's never a bill, it's always a discontinuing notice," he said.The notices Williams receives say that failure to pay his bill
  
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• Death of La. TV personality puts spotlight on forgotten Leland College in Baker

  30-01-2017 17:07
  
  BAKER – The death of a northeast Louisiana TV personality brings back memories of the often forgotten Leland College in Baker.Ernie Miles, of KNOE TV, was a graduate of the black Baptist school that holds historical significance in the African American community. The school closed in 1960. The campus was founded in Baker in 1923 after spending fifty-three years in New Orleans.Miles, who would have been 90-years-old in 2017, died earlier in January. Funeral services for Miles were this
  
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• Man already jailed, now held for triple murder in NOLA

  30-01-2017 16:47
  
  GRETNA - Authorities say a 31-year-old man has been arrested in connection with last week's shooting deaths of three people in suburban New Orleans.The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office announced Monday that Corey Woods of Metairie was already in jail on unrelated charges when three counts of first-degree murder were added Friday.The victims in the Jan. 22 shooting in Metairie were 16-year-old Monica Bates, 24-year-old Deneka Lotts and 25-year-old Malcolm Wallace.Col. John Fortunato, the sheriff
  
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• Ohio mom made up story about 4-year-old in stolen car

  30-01-2017 16:03
  
  COLUMBUS - Police say an Ohio woman who said her 4-year-old daughter was sleeping in her car when it was stolen made up the story so officers would quickly find the vehicle.Columbus police say the car was located Monday morning and the child was found unharmed. But police had indicated she wasn't found with the vehicle.Police said later Monday that the car was stolen, but the child was never in it.The mother's call reporting her daughter was in the stolen car had resulted in an Amber Alert. Poli
  
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• Baton Rouge man attempts to rob, murder victim for sleeping with his girlfriend

  30-01-2017 15:56
  
  BATON ROUGE - Police say they arrested a man Sunday after he attempted to rob and shoot another man who had slept with his girlfriend.Erik Woods, 23, of Baton Rouge knocked on the victim's door Thursday morning, asking for a cold drink. The victim, who sells drinks out of his home, obliged and went to his kitchen to grab something.When the victim turned around, Woods was inside his apartment with a gun pointed at him. Woods allegedly accused the victim of "messing around" with
  
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• Baton Rouge man attempts to murder, rob victim for sleeping with his girlfriend

  30-01-2017 15:56
  
  BATON ROUGE - Police say they arrested a man Sunday after he attempted to rob and shoot another man who had slept with his girlfriend.Erik Woods, 23, of Baton Rouge knocked on the victim's door Thursday morning, asking for a cold drink. The victim, who sells drinks out of his home, obliged and went to his kitchen to grab something.When the victim turned around, Woods was inside his apartment with a gun pointed at him. Woods allegedly accused the victim of "messing around" with
  
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• BRPD to offer concealed handgun class for women Feb. 18

  30-01-2017 15:48
  
  BATON ROUGE – The Baton Rouge Police Department is offering a concealed handgun class for women on Feb. 18.
  The class will be taught by BRPD firearm instructors from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Joint Law Enforcement Training Center located at 999 W. Irene Road in Zachary.The course is $100 and is open to women 21 years old and older. Participants will have to provide their own handguns and ammunition for the class.Class size is limited to 30 participants per session. Participants
  
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• 4-year-old Metairie boy struck by vehicle while walking along Airline Highway

  30-01-2017 15:31
  
  JEFFERSON PARISH – A four-year-old boy was struck by a vehicle while he and his mother were walking along Airline Highway in Metairie. The incident happened on Sunday around 6 p.m. on Airline Highway south near North Lester Avenue.
  The investigation revealed that the child and his mother were walking south on the right shoulder of the highway. A Chevrolet Suburban driven by 64-year-old Joe Hutshell, was traveling on the highway in the right lane when the boy broke free from hi
  
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• Angola Prison Rodeo tickets go on sale Wednesday

  30-01-2017 15:18
  
  ANGOLA - Warden Darrel Vannoy has announced tickets for the 2017 Angola Prison Rodeo will go on sale Wednesday, Feb. 1.The warden invites the public to come and enjoy the prison's annual rodeo featuring witness offenders in a variety of competitive events, including convict poker, wild cow milking, bull riding, and more. The prison gates open at 9:00 a.m., and the “Wildest Show in the South!” starts at 2:00 p.m. The event will also feature offender
  
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• U.S. Department of Energy grants LSU $1.5 million industrial engineering grant

  30-01-2017 14:40
  
  BATON ROUGE - LSU is one of 27 universities across the country that will receive funding from U.S. Department of Energy in the form of an industrial engineering grant.LSU will receive about $1.5 million over five years. The award will be in the form of cooperative agreements and are subject to congressional approval.The grant will be used to construct and operate an Industrial Assessment Center.IACs provide training for undergraduate and graduate engineering students in manufac
  
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• Mexico earmarks $50 million to back migrants in US

  30-01-2017 14:25
  
  MEXICO CITY - Mexico's top diplomat says his country will spend about $50 million to hire lawyers for migrants facing deportation in the United States.The money will also go to outreach programs "to promote respect for Mexicans' rights."Foreign Relations Secretary Luis Videgaray says the effort "isn't about obstructing the enforcement of the law in the United States, or much less oppose law enforcement."Videgaray also says Mexico understands "it will be necessary to make some changes" to the Nor
  
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• Key Emmett Till witness gave false testimony, historian says

  30-01-2017 13:35
  
  NEW YORK - The woman at the center of the trial of Emmett Till's alleged killers has acknowledged that she falsely testified he made physical and verbal threats, according to a new book.Author Timothy Tyson told The Associated Press on Saturday that Carolyn Donham broke her long public silence in an interview with him in 2008. His book, "The Blood of Emmett Till," comes out next week.Emmett Till was a 14-year-old black teenager tortured and killed in 1955 in Mississippi for allegedly whistling a
  
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• Victim of N. 23rd Street shooting dies, suspect still at large

  30-01-2017 13:30
  
  BATON ROUGE – The victim of a shooting that took place in the 1700 block of North 23rd Street on Jan. 20 has died, according to Baton Rouge Police.The victim, 35-year-old Devin Johnese, died on Sunday after remaining in critical condition for a few days following the shooting.Investigators believe the shooting stemmed from an altercation between the suspect and Johnese.
  BRPD released photos of the shooting suspect, however he has not been identified at the time of this post.An
  
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• State pursues partnership to move I-10 Capital Corridor forward

  30-01-2017 13:29
  
  BATON ROUGE – The Department of Transportation and Development announced that a Request of Information has been issued to accelerate enhancements to the I-10 Capital Corridor through a Public-Private Partnership.A Public-Private Partnership (P3) consists of a private investor providing the necessary capital for construction in exchange for long-term financial contributions from a public entity. Officials say that this is the first time the state has officially considered pursuing alter
  
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• Georgia couple gets 20 years in prison for locking son in basement

  30-01-2017 13:28
  
  LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - A former Georgia Tech linebacker and his wife face 20 years in prison for locking their son in a basement for 18 months and for neglecting another son's cancerous skin tumor.Local news media reports say Recardo and Therian Wimbush also sentenced Monday to 10 years of probation. A jury found the couple guilty Friday of three counts of child cruelty.The couple will be barred from contacting the two sons, now 16 and 10, until they are 21 years old. The couple can have supervise
  
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• Senators Kennedy, Cassidy voice support of Trump's travel ban; Richmond calls 'unjust'

  30-01-2017 13:27
  
  BATON ROUGE – Senators John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy both voiced their opinions in support of the temporary travel ban issued by President Donald Trump on Jan. 27, while Congressman Cedric Richmond called the ban "unjust."President Trump signed an executive order banning citizens from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen from entering the United States for 90 days. The ban also prevents all refugees from entering the country for 120 days and bans the entry of those fleein
  
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• Senators Kennedy and Cassidy voice support of Trump's travel ban

  30-01-2017 13:27
  
  BATON ROUGE – Senators John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy both voiced their opinions in support of the temporary travel ban issued by President Donald Trump on Jan. 27.President Trump signed an executive order banning citizens from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen from entering the United States for 90 days. The ban also prevents all refugees from entering the country for 120 days and bans the entry of those fleeing from Syria indefinitely.Senator Kennedy released a statem
  
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• Elementary students in Port Allen to participate in NFL Saints camp

  30-01-2017 12:53
  
  PORT ALLEN – Cohn Elementary students in Port Allen will get the opportunity to participate in the NFL New Orleans Saints/ Gatorade Junior Training Camp on Friday, Feb. 3.The program targets third, fourth and fifth graders and focuses on getting more children playing the game of football, while influencing them to be better in the game of life, organizers say.The program will also include the director of the program addressing topics of education, goal-setting, healthy life-styles and
  
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• Man arrested for setting van on fire after threatening to blow it up

  30-01-2017 12:15
  
  BATON ROUGE – A man was arrested for setting a van on fire after threatening to blow it up during an argument with a woman.  Orlan Alley, 60, was arrested for one charge of communication of planned arson.The incident happened on Jan. 29 in the 10000 block of Boardwalk Drive when Alley and a woman were arguing. During the argument, Alley told the woman that he was going to blow up a van that belonged to the woman's boyfriend and wanted the boyfriend to be in the van at the time
  
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• School shootings rise when economy struggles, study suggests

  30-01-2017 12:10
  
  WASHINGTON - A new study finds that school shootings rise when the economy tanks, even as violent crime in general appears to be unaffected.Researchers analyzed data from 379 shootings in schools between 1990 and 2013 and found a link between changes in national and local unemployment rates and the frequency of shootings.Most were targeted attacks - often not fatal - and suicides, according to the study in Monday's journal Nature Human Behaviour. Only six percent of the shootings studied were ra
  
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• Woman stabbed boyfriend with butcher knife during argument

  30-01-2017 11:44
  
  BATON ROUGE – A woman was arrested after she stabbed her boyfriend with a butcher knife during an argument.The Baton Rouge Police Department arrested 57-year-old Sonya Cockran on charges of aggravated second degree battery and domestic abuse battery.The incident happened on Jan. 29 around 5:50 a.m. when police responded to an area hospital in regards to a victim with three stab wounds. The victim told police that the he got into an argument with Cockran when she grabbed a butcher knife
  
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• New acting attorney general Boente sworn in

  30-01-2017 11:33
  
  WASHINGTON - Dana Boente has been sworn in as acting attorney general after Donald Trump fired Sally Yates for refusing to enforce his travel ban.White House spokesman Michael Short says Boente was sworn in around 9 p.m. Monday.The hastily arranged ceremony came after Trump swiftly fired Boente's predecessor for instructing Justice Department lawyers to stop defending Trump's travel and refugee ban.Reporters and news photographers were not invited to witness the ceremony.The White House says in
  
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• Woman arrested after killing pet, posting video on social media

  30-01-2017 09:33
  
  MONTEGUT - Police arrested a Bourg woman Thursday after she killed a pet rabbit and posted a video to social media in December.A Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office deputy responded to the 100 block of La. Highway 55 after the video was shared several times. The owner of the animal called Animal Control who told her to contact the sheriff's office. Jazmine Babin, 18, was issued a misdemeanor summons for slamming the animal to the ground, which left it wounded.
  
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• Left lane now open on I-10 EB near Grosse Tete exit

  30-01-2017 08:36
  
  9:27 a.m. - (IBERVILLE) The left lane is now open on I-10 eastbound just before the Grosse Tete exit. The right lane remains blocked due to car fire. The delay from this incident has reached the Ramah exit.9:06 a.m. - (IBERVILLE) I-10 eastbound is closed just before the Grosse Tete exit due to a vehicle fire.8:50 a.m. - (BATON ROUGE) The right lane is now open, accident now blocking right shoulder on I-12 westbound at Essen Lane.8:34 a.m. - (BATON ROUGE) The right lane is blocked on I-12 westbou
  
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• All lanes open on I-10 EB near Grosse Tete exit after vehicle fire

  30-01-2017 08:36
  
  10:06 a.m. (IBERVILLE) All lanes are now open on I-10 eastbound just before the Grosse Tete exit. The delay from this incident is about five miles long. 9:27 a.m. - (IBERVILLE) The left lane is now open on I-10 eastbound just before the Grosse Tete exit. The right lane remains blocked due to car fire. The delay from this incident has reached the Ramah exit.9:06 a.m. - (IBERVILLE) I-10 eastbound is closed just before the Grosse Tete exit due to a vehicle fire.8:50 a.m. - (BATON ROUGE) The right l
  
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• Spanish Town flamingos flock to university lakes

  30-01-2017 08:20
  
  BATON ROUGE - It is a sign that Baton Rouge carnival season is here.The Krewe of Spanish Town flamingos flocked to the university lakes Monday morning.Within hours, kayakers made every effort to pluck a bird or two from the water. They are usually transplanted to the front of their family home.Surprisingly, no one was risky enough to swim in the cold water for a flamingo, yet.Every year, the Krewe of Spanish Town secretly stocks the lakes, marking the beginning of the Spanish Town Mardi Gras sea
  
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• Toyota not number 1

  30-01-2017 07:38
  
  TOKYO - Toyota has relinquished the title of the world's biggest automaker, reporting Monday that it sold 10.175 million vehicles worldwide in 2016, fewer than Volkswagen's 10.31 million. General Motors reports its tally next week. If GM's number falls short, it will be the first time the German automaker has become No. 1. It's a milestone achievement VW amid the emissions cheating scandal.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Miss France crowned Miss Universe in Philippines

  30-01-2017 07:36
  
  MANILA, Philippines - A 23-year-old dental student from France has won the Miss Universe crown.Iris Mittenaere from the city of Lille in northern France was visibly overwhelmed as the crowd erupted in cheers and applause in the Philippines' Manila Bay.First runner up was Miss Haiti, Raquel Pelissier, a 25-year-old survivor of the devastating 2010 earthquake that destroyed her hometown.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Air France turns away 21 from Muslim countries for Trump ban

  30-01-2017 07:23
  
  PARIS - Air France has blocked 21 passengers from Muslim countries from traveling to the U.S. because they would have been refused entry under President Donald Trump's new immigration ban.Air France said in a statement it was informed Saturday by the U.S. government of the new restrictions, and had no choice but to stop the passengers from boarding U.S.-bound flights.An airline spokeswoman says today that the 21 people were taken back to their point of departure or otherwise taken care of. She w
  
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• Plan for Trump state visit sparks increased opposition

  30-01-2017 07:22
  
  LONDON -The British prime minister's office says a state visit by President Donald Trump later this year will go ahead, despite increasing calls for it to be canceled over Trump's temporary ban on residents of seven majority-Muslim countries entering the United States.Prime Minister Theresa May's Downing St. office says, "An invitation has been extended and accepted."Permalink| Comments
  
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• 2 Embassies tell travelers from certain countries to not pursue U.S. visa

  30-01-2017 07:21
  
  LONDON - The U.S. Embassies in London and Berlin have advised people from the seven countries affected by President Donald Trump's travel ban not to seek a visa, or schedule an appointment - even if they are a dual nationals.The statement posted on the London embassy's website today issued the guidance to "aliens from the countries of Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen."It says, "if you are a national, or dual national, of one of these countries, please do not schedule a visa app
  
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• Doctors Without Borders: Trump endangers lives

  30-01-2017 07:19
  
  LONDON - Doctors Without Borders says U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order suspending entry for refugees from Syria into the United States is putting lives in danger.The Paris-based advocacy group says Trump's order "will effectively keep people trapped in war zones, directly endangering their lives."Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French-language acronym MSF, called Trump's order "an inhumane act against people fleeing war zones."It called on the U.S. government to lift the
  
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• Smoke 'em if ya got 'em, as legalized marijuana takes hold

  30-01-2017 07:18
  
  PORTLAND, Maine - It's a green Monday in Maine.The first tangible results of state voters' decision to legalize marijuana are being felt as possession and home growth of marijuana becomes legal.Voters narrowly passed the ballot question in November, and the waiting period between the vote and legalization has expired.Contentious aspects linger, including what rules should govern businesses that will sell marijuana, such as retail stores and social clubs. But it's now legal to smoke it, gift it,
  
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• Google launches fund that could donate $4M to ACLU, others

  30-01-2017 07:16
  
  MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - Google has created a crisis fund that could raise up to $4 million for four immigrant rights organizations.Google has confirmed a USA Today report that it is funding an initial $2 million for the fund that can be matched with up to $2 million in donations from employees. The money will go toward the American Civil Liberties Union, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, the International Rescue Committee and the U.N. Human Rights Commission.Company executives are also donati
  
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• White House: Supreme Court choice could be announced today

  30-01-2017 07:15
  
  WASHINGTON - A White House official says President Donald Trump could announce his pick for the Supreme Court as early as today.Trump originally said the announcement would come on Thursday, but the official says the timeframe could be sped up.Three federal appeals court judges are said to have emerged as leading candidates: Neil Gorsuch, Thomas Hardiman and William Pryor. The official says the president has also been considering Diane Sykes, one of his early favorites for the high court seat.Wo
  
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• Delta US flights grounded due to "automation issues"

  30-01-2017 07:14
  
  WASHINGTON - Delta airlines says about 150 flights have been canceled, with more expected, following a systems outage Sunday.Delta flights have started taking off again and a ground stop has been lifted.The airline says a waiver has been issued for travel that was scheduled for yesterday and today, for rebooking by Feb. 3.Permalink| Comments
  
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• 57-nation Islamic body calls US travel ban a 'grave concern'

  30-01-2017 07:11
  
  DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - The world's largest body of Islamic nations says it has "grave concern" over President Donald Trump's banning of travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries, warning such moves would only embolden extremists.The statement from the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation marked the first official public criticism coming out of Saudi Arabia. On Sunday, Trump called Saudi King Salman and invited him to visit Washington amid widespread protests in the U.S. over
  
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