Baton Rouge news

• Felony charges for 2 who secretly filmed Planned Parenthood

  28-03-2017 21:20
  
  LOS ANGELES - California prosecutors say two anti-abortion activists who made undercover videos of themselves trying to buy fetal tissue from Planned Parenthood have been charged with 15 felonies.State Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced the charges Tuesday against David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt. The two operate the California-based Center for Medical Progress.The allegations say the pair filmed 14 people without their consent between October 2013 and July 2015, most of them in San Fran
  
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• USA Hockey, women's players reach agreement to avoid boycott

  28-03-2017 21:13
  
  USA Hockey has reached a wage agreement with women's national team players to avoid a boycott of the world championships.USA Hockey announced the agreement Tuesday night.Players were seeking a four-year deal that included payment outside just the six-month Olympic period.US captain Meghan Duggan says in the statement that the players "stood up for what we thought was right and USA Hockey's leadership listened."USA hockey executive director Dave Ogrean says "this process has, in the end, made us
  
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• 2 die in northeast Mississippi plane crash

  28-03-2017 20:28
  
  ABERDEEN, Miss. - An experienced pilot and a passenger have died after a plane crash in northeast Mississippi.Monroe Emergency Management Director Bunky Goza tells WTVA-TV that the single-engine Mooney M20 left Monroe County Airport around 6:15 a.m. Tuesday, bound for Madison.The plane never arrived, and emergency workers found wreckage in a wooded area south of the Aberdeen airport after 11 a.m.Monroe County Coroner Alan Gurley says 73-year-old Richard Arlin Justice of Hatley, was the
  
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• Trumps says he expects a health care deal soon

  28-03-2017 20:25
  
  WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump says he expects to make a deal on health care, even though his first attempt failed just a few days ago.Trump is hosting a reception for senators and their spouses at the White House. It attracted both Republicans and Democrats.He says the bipartisan crowd is "a very good thing" and predicts a deal on health care will happen "very quickly."He says: "I know that we're all going to make a deal on health care. And that's such an easy one."Trump also sees potentia
  
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• Lawsuit: Waffle House grease seeped onto neighbor's property

  28-03-2017 20:10
  
  ANNISTON, Ala. - An Alabama man says in a federal lawsuit that grease and sewage from a nearby Waffle House seeped onto his property, doing thousands of dollars in damage.Mack Crook Jr. of Anniston is seeking a total of $800,000 from Norcross, Georgia-based Waffle House Inc.At issue is a Waffle House in Anniston that's adjacent to Crook's property.Crook maintains that the restaurant's "grease interceptor" continuously leaked grease and fluid into the ground. He says a combination of grease and s
  
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• House votes to block Obama-era online privacy rules

  28-03-2017 20:06
  
  WASHINGTON - The House has voted to block online privacy regulations issued during the final months of the Obama administration.It's the first step toward allowing internet providers such as Comcast, AT&T and Verizon to sell the browsing habits of their customers.The Federal Communications Commission rule was designed to give consumers greater control over how internet service providers share information. But critics say the rule adds costs, stifles innovation and picks winners and losers am
  
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• Wells Fargo to pay $110 million to settle fake account suit

  28-03-2017 19:44
  
  NEW YORK - Wells Fargo says it will pay $110 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over up to 2 million accounts its employees opened for customers without getting their permission.It's the first private settlement that Wells has reached since the company paid $185 million to federal and local authorities late last year after authorities said its employees, driven by high-pressure sales tactics, opened the accounts to meet unrealistic sales goals.The settlement, announced late Tuesday, will i
  
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• Bodies of 2 UN experts, interpreter found in Congo

  28-03-2017 19:40
  
  BENI, Congo - Congolese authorities say the bodies of an American and a Swedish U.N. expert and their interpreter have been found in the Central Kasai region where they recently disappeared.Police inspector general Charles Bisengimana said Tuesday the bodies of the two U.N. experts were identified after being found Monday.Government spokesman Lambert Mende says tests confirm the bodies are the experts and their local interpreter.Michael Sharp of the U.S., Zaida Catalan of Sweden and interpreter
  
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• Child reportedly struck by vehicle on Jefferson Ave.

  28-03-2017 19:17
  
  BATON ROUGE - A child was reportedly struck by a vehicle on Jefferson Avenue near N 23rd Street Tuesday evening.The incident occurred just after 7 p.m. The condition of the child is unknown at this time. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.Permalink| Comments
  
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• 15-year-old on bicycle struck by vehicle on Jefferson Ave.

  28-03-2017 19:17
  
  BATON ROUGE - A 15-year-old was reportedly struck by a vehicle on Jefferson Avenue near N 23rd Street, according to the Baton Rouge Police Department.The incident occurred just after 7 p.m. Tuesday evening in the 2300 block of Jefferson Avenue.BRPD said the 15-year-old was on a bicycle at the time he was struck. His injuries appear to be non-life threatening, according to BRPD. Check back for more updates.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Student enrollment decrease following flood to impact Livingston teachers

  28-03-2017 18:31
  
  LIVINGSTON – Some teachers will not be returning to Livingston Parish following the August flood, due to a decline in student enrollment.Parish schools got back to their campuses following the flood just weeks ago and more changes are coming for the staff."Some schools, they lose populations so they have to lose teachers, some gain populations so they add teachers. This year we have more losing than we have adding," Superintendent Rick Wentzel said.According to Wentzel, 42 teacher posi
  
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• Governor Edwards pushes education package

  28-03-2017 18:14
  
  BATON ROUGE- Closing loopholes for some voucher students and eliminating corporal punishment for disabled children are some of Governor John Bel Edwards' proposals for the upcoming legislative session. The administration released its education package in a news release Tuesday afternoon.Edwards is supporting a bill by State Representative Franklin Foil (R-Baton Rouge) which would make it illegal for teachers to use corporal punishment on students with disabilities. "This bill m
  
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• Suspect shot in botched armed robbery released from hospital, arrested

  28-03-2017 17:38
  
  BREAUX BRIDGE - A man responsible for an attempted armed robbery last week has been released from the hospital and arrested Tuesday.According to the St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Office, 26-year-old Joseph Broussard Jr. and 31-year-old Drew Schexnider were shot while attempting to rob a Breaux Bridge homeowner at gunpoint Mar. 21.Broussard was released from the hospital and booked into the St. Martin Parish Correctional Center on charges of attempted first-degree murder
  
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• Tony Benford named LSU men's basketball assistant coach

  28-03-2017 17:29
  
  BATON ROUGE – LSU head men's basketball coach, Will Wade, has named Tony Benford to serve as assistant coach for the 2017-2018 season.Benford comes to LSU after serving as the head coach at the University of North Texas and a career of more than 25 years in NCAA Division 1 basketball."Tony is the next step in our efforts to build a winning basketball program that all LSU fans can be proud of. His experience as both a head coach and long-time assistant on the recruiting trail will help
  
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• Alarm company responds, agrees to resolve issues

  28-03-2017 17:22
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS - Following a report Monday, Vivint Home Security says it's working with the customer who reached out to 2 On Your Side to resolve the issues.Teresa Clement says she purchased a home security system from Vivint in January and the installation was never completed. Monday, she told WBRZ she wanted out of her contract and Tuesday, Vivint responded.Vivint says it's canceled Clement's account and plans to schedule a time to remove equipment from her home. "We're sorry for the frustrati
  
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• 30 days and counting before 2017 Jazz Fest launch

  28-03-2017 16:28
  
  NEW ORLEANS - It's 30 days and counting until nearly 600 performers converge on the New Orleans Fair Grounds Race Course for the annual celebration of music known as Jazz Fest.The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival will be held over two weekends, April 28-30 and May 4-7 featuring Stevie Wonder, Maroon 5, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Harry Connick Jr., Aaron Neville, Snoop Dogg, Nas, Meghan Trainor, Herb Alpert, Alabama Shakes and Darius Rucker.Organizers Tuesday released the festival's
  
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• Gas skimmers with 4,000 credit card numbers found in nine parishes

  28-03-2017 16:23
  
  The state has seen an increase in skimming devices at gasoline pumps, according to Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain.According to Strain, in the past month, the department has confiscated at least 15 skimming devices throughout the state."Our inspectors seem to be finding one or two skimmers on a weekly basis. Consumers are also alerting our office more often which helps us track down these devices," Stain said.The confiscated devices contained 4,000 credi
  
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• President Trump asserts immunity against defamation claims

  28-03-2017 16:14
  
  NEW YORK - Republican President Donald Trump's lawyers say he's immune while president from defamation claims brought by a former contestant on his reality TV show "The Apprentice."The lawyers say in a New York state Supreme Court filing Monday they'll formally ask for dismissal of the January claims by Summer Zervos. They say the Constitution immunizes Trump from being sued in state court while president.The lawyers say a long line of U.S. Supreme Court cases requires courts to show deference t
  
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• SEC asks Arkansas to exempt stadiums, arenas from gun law

  28-03-2017 15:55
  
  LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - The Southeastern Conference says it wants Arkansas lawmakers to exempt college sporting events such as football games from a new law greatly expanding where concealed handguns are allowed, citing concerns about safety at its games.SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said Tuesday that the measure signed into law last week by Gov. Asa Hutchinson creates concerns for the conference and its member institutions. The new law allows people with concealed handgun licenses to carry on colleg
  
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• LAGOP chief accepts Trump administration appointment

  28-03-2017 15:11
  
  BATON ROUGE – The Executive Director of the LAGOP is heading to Washington D.C.According to a statement by the Republican Party of Louisiana, Jason Doré will serve in President Donald Trump’s administration.“We’ve experienced great success over the past six years with Jason Doré’s leadership,” LAGOP Chairman Roger Villere said. "We wish him every success in serving President Trump and our nation." The LAGO
  
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• Man accused of not completing construction work on home

  28-03-2017 14:46
  
  BATON ROUGE – Police say a man has been arrested for not completing construction work on a home that he was paid more than $1,000 to do.The Baton Rouge Police Department arrested 48-year-old Andrew Darian on charges on home improvement fraud, felony theft and misapplication of payment.According to police, the victim stated that he hired Darian of Fresh Look Exteriors to install windows at his home. The victim stated that he entered into a contract with Darian in October and paid him a
  
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• Police: Woman posing as Target worker stole $40K in iPhones

  28-03-2017 14:34
  
  ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Police in Virginia are looking to identify a woman who impersonated a Target employee so that she could steal over $40,000 worth of iPhones.Investigators say on March 15 an unidentified woman walked into a Target store in Alexandria dressed as an employee. The woman gained access to the store's stock room, where she placed over $40,000 worth of iPhones in a box and then left.Fairfax County police say in a statement the suspect is not affiliated with the store, but appears to ha
  
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• Coroner: New Orleans drug overdose deaths doubled in 2016

  28-03-2017 14:16
  
  NEW ORLEANS - The New Orleans coroner says that overdose deaths in the city doubled last year.Dr. Jeffrey Rouse says in a news release Monday that 211 people died of accidental drug-related deaths in 2016 as compared to 92 the previous year.Rouse says it's likely the first time overdose deaths have surpassed homicides in the city's history. There were 175 homicides in the city last year.Rouse says the city is in the middle of a "public health crisis" linked to the national opiate epidemic.He say
  
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• Man who attacked BR police officer charged with identification theft, forgery

  28-03-2017 14:05
  
  BATON ROUGE – A man faces forgery charges after investigators say he tried to cash a stolen check at a Baton Rouge bank last month.According to Baton Rouge Police, Thomas Bennett was charged with two counts of access device fraud, forgery, identification theft and misdemeanor theft.Investigators say Bennett, accompanied by Kaleigh Sullivan, went to the Regions Bank on South Sherwood Boulevard on Feb. 6 to negotiate a forged check. Before officers arrived at the scene, Bennett fled the
  
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• Baton Rouge woman arrested for contractor fraud

  28-03-2017 13:24
  
  BATON ROUGE - A woman was arrested for contractor fraud after she allegedly tried to take advantage of a flood victim. Deputies arrested 58-year-old Ora Williams of Baton Rouge after she reportedly lied to the victim about being a licensed contractor.According to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, the victim's home took on three to four feet of water during the August floods. After her home was gutted in September, Williams was referred to her for contracting work.
  
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• Secret Service examines suspicious package near White House

  28-03-2017 13:21
  
  WASHINGTON - The Secret Service says they have taken a man into custody who was carrying a package near the White House after he made suspicious comments to an officer.A Secret Service official says an explosive ordinance team was on the scene on Tuesday morning to examine the package about a block from the White House.A security perimeter was established near the White House grounds, but Secret Service officials say all other West Wing activity is proceeding normally.The investigation comes aft
  
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• SUV drives through home on Rhodes Avenue

  28-03-2017 13:09
  
  BATON ROUGE – Police are investigating how a Chevrolet Tahoe ended up between a house and an oak tree Tuesday afternoon.Witnesses tell WBRZ that the SUV had turned from Monroe Avenue onto Rhodes Avenue, traveled around the tree and into a home.Photos from the scene significant damage to a front window of the home. Baton Rouge Police are on the scene.  Permalink| Comments
  
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• Baton Rouge residents discuss police policy recommendations

  28-03-2017 12:32
  
  BATON ROUGE - City leaders and Baton Rouge residents got a chance to review recommendations for local police policy Tuesday evening.It's just one of the many meetings planned to further discuss the police policy review. The review will then go to the City Council at the conclusion of all public meetings.Police transparency was among one of the topics discussed at Tuesday's meeting. Residents said they believe transparency plays a major role in community policing. Janet Holder has made suggestion
  
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• Amazon tests grocery pickup service in Seattle

  28-03-2017 09:53
  
  NEW YORK - Amazon is testing a grocery pickup service in Seattle.The AmazonFresh Pickup service is currently open only to Amazon employees. Eventually, members of Amazon's $99-a-year Prime loyalty program will be able to order groceries online and drive to a pickup location, where crews will deliver items to the car.Amazon says orders will be ready in as little as 15 minutes after being placed. The service is being tested in two locations in Seattle, where Amazon is headquartered.The service is
  
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• World Video Game Hall of Fame names 2017 finalists

  28-03-2017 09:42
  
  ROCHESTER - The World Video Game Hall of Fame's 2017 finalists span decades and electronic platforms, from the 1981 arcade classic "Donkey Kong" that launched Mario's plumbing career to the 2006 living room hit "Wii Sports," that made gamers out of grandparents.The hall of fame at The Strong museum in Rochester says Tuesday that 12 video games are under consideration for induction in May.They include: "Final Fantasy VII," ''Halo: Combat Evolved," ''Microsoft Windows Solitaire," ''Mortal Kombat,"
  
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• Freedom Caucus leader says he'll force health care repeal vote

  28-03-2017 09:37
  
  WASHINGTON - A member of the House Freedom Caucus says he will force the House to vote on a full repeal of former President Barack Obama's health care law in a month if the chamber hasn't acted to roll back the statute.Alabama Republican Mo Brooks also said Speaker Paul Ryan indicated the House would revisit the issue and that it would be "fairly immediate."Brooks spoke after divided House Republicans met to discuss strategy. Four days ago, Ryan abruptly canceled a vote on a GOP bill an
  
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• Police: woman reported bogus robbery in February

  28-03-2017 09:16
  
  BATON ROUGE – Police say a woman was arrested for making a false police report after finding out she lied about being robbed by four women in February.Ebony Shanetel Hammond, 24, was charged with one felony count of false swearing for purpose of violating public health or safety.Arrest documents say Hammond reported in February that four women sprayed her in the face with mace and broke her arm in a robbery.The East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office charged 44-year-old Tanga Wagne
  
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• Controversial councilman quits, moves away after flood

  28-03-2017 08:55
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS – Councilman Chris Davis resigned from his seat on the city's governing body.Davis resigned, he said in a letter, because damage to his family's home after the August flood was too great. Davis lived on Oakwood Drive, off Range south of I-12. The are was inundated with water during the flood.Davis wrote to the council, like the river changed its course and flooded their community, his family needed to change course and start a new life elsewhere – the Advocate
  
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• Southeastern begins voting for mascot makeover

  28-03-2017 08:23
  
  HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University fans will start voting Tuesday to decide between two makeover choices for the university’s lion mascot.According to SELU, a committee of students, alumni, staff and stakeholders narrowed down the selections to two. Voting for "Roomie's Makeover" began Tuesday and will be open for one week until April 4.“Perodically [sic], Roomie gets a facelift to keep up with changing trends,” Erin Cowser said. “It is
  
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• US home prices rose in January by most in 2 years

  28-03-2017 08:05
  
  WASHINGTON - U.S. home prices jumped in January from a year earlier at the fastest pace in nearly 2 ½ years, as a tight supply of houses for sale spurred bidding wars in many cities.The Standard & Poor's CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city home price index increased 5.7 percent in January, the most since July 2014.Americans stepped up home buying in January, even as mortgage rates rose. Many buyers likely sought to close their deals before rates increased further. The Federal Reserve i
  
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• Public meeting set for District 12 residents

  28-03-2017 07:11
  
  BATON ROUGE - If you live in District 12, and wish your voice could be heard, tonight is the night.Newly elected Metro-councilwoman Barbara Freiberg is hosting a meeting at St. Aloysius Parish Hall on Stuart Ave.Several members from the city-parish, including DPW and the District Attorney's office, will be on hand to answer your questions, as well.The meeting runs from 6:00-7:30 pm. Permalink| Comments
  
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• Will Smith, 'Fresh Prince' cast enjoy brief reunion

  28-03-2017 06:48
  
  Eds: APNewsNow. With AP Photos.
  By The Associated PressWill Smith has reunited with his "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" cast mates.Alfonso Ribeiro, who played Smith's Tom Jones-loving cousin Carlton on the 1990s sitcom, posted a picture on Instagram on Monday of the cast getting together. Joined by Smith and Ribeiro were Tatyana Ali, Karyn Parsons, Daphne Reid and Joseph Marcell. James Avery, who had the role of Smith's Uncle Phil, died in 2013.Ribeiro writes in the caption that it's "always amazing
  
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• Tax overhaul effort lacks advantages Reagan enjoyed in 1986

  28-03-2017 06:44
  
  WASHINGTON - The fundamentals of tax overhaul were strong some 30 years ago.A popular president, Republican Ronald Reagan, pushed the landmark 1986 measure. Powerful and experienced congressional leaders shepherded the legislation with bipartisan support. Key players had established, trusting relationships.The situation facing President Donald Trump features none of those advantages. His party is divided and his congressional leadership is weakened after the health care debacle. Key players are
  
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• Club shooting victim: 'All I was thinking about was my kids'

  28-03-2017 05:24
  
  CINCINNATI - A mother of five who was wounded in the Cincinnati nightclub shooting is describing a chaotic scene in which she and other club patrons were crawling over one another to reach the exits.One man was killed and Angel Higgins and 15 other people were injured in the shooting at the Cameo club, a popular hip-hop music spot.Higgins, who was shot in the leg, tells WCPO-TV that all she could think about was her kids.Police say the initial investigation indicates a dispute in the bar escalat
  
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• Graham says Nunes' objectivity 'in question'

  28-03-2017 05:22
  
  WASHINGTON - A Republican senator says the House intelligence chairman has "put his objectivity in question" when it comes to investigating Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 election.Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina conservative, stopped short of saying whether Rep. Devin Nunes should recuse himself from the probe. But Graham tells the NBC "Today Show" that "most Americans want to know, who did he meet with and what did he see?"Nunes has claimed there is evidence of incidental federal s
  
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• Dem says Nunes should step down from intel panel

  28-03-2017 05:22
  
  WASHINGTON - Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., a member of the House intelligence committee, is calling on Chairman Devin Nunes to step down from the panel.Speier had already said Nunes should recuse himself from the panel's Russia investigation. On Tuesday, she told CNN that Nunes should go farther.She said: "I'm asking for him to step down in the interest of our integrity."Nunes has acknowledged reviewing information on the White House grounds a day before he told reporters that Trump and his asso
  
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• 'Sanctuary cities' fight

  28-03-2017 05:21
  
  NEW YORK - City leaders across the U.S. are vowing to intensify their fight against President Donald Trump's promised crackdown on cities that protect people in the U.S. illegally from being deported.New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito says, "We are going to become this administration's worst nightmare."She was at a Monday gathering of municipal officials from urban centers such as San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Chicago and Philadelphia.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Cyclone slams NE Australia

  28-03-2017 05:19
  
  TOWNSVILLE, Australia - A powerful cyclone has slammed into Australia's tropical northeast coast, tearing down fences, snapping trees and knocking out power to thousands. Cyclone Debbie made landfall in Queensland state Tuesday as a Category 4 storm, packing winds up to 160 mph.Permalink| Comments
  
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• From Oakland to Vegas

  28-03-2017 05:17
  
  PHOENIX - Sometime in the not distant future, they will become the Las Vegas Raiders. NFL owners approved the Raiders' move to Vegas 31-1 at the league meetings in Phoenix. Miami was the lone dissenter. Until the move, likely in 2020, Mark Davis' team still belongs to Oakland. Davis insists the club should still be considered a part of the Bay Area community.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Police: 2 Miami officers wounded in 'ambush-style' shooting

  28-03-2017 05:15
  
  MIAMIb - Two Miami-Dade County police officers have been wounded in what authorities called "an ambush-style" shooting.Authorities say the plainclothes officers were shot Monday night while investigating at the Annie Coleman Apartments on the city's north side. The officers were part of the Homicide Task Force-Gang Unit.Miami-Dade Police Director Juan Perez says fellow officers used a pickup truck to bring their wounded colleagues to the hospital. Perez says they are listed in stable condition a
  
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• President Trump calls global warming a "hoax"

  28-03-2017 04:00
  
  WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is taking steps to unravel his predecessor's plans to curb global warming. Today, Trump plans to sign an executive order to suspend, rescind or flag for review more than a half-dozen measures in an effort to boost domestic energy production in the form of fossil fuels. Trump has called global warming a "hoax" invented by the Chinese.Permalink| Comments
  
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• State lawmakers seek to protect birth control

  28-03-2017 03:48
  
  CARSON CITY, Nevada - Democratic lawmakers in some states are pressing ahead with efforts to protect birth control access, Planned Parenthood funding and abortion coverage in case they are jeopardized in the future.Republican leaders in Congress withdrew a bill last week that would have repealed former President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, halted Planned Parenthood's federal funding and curtailed the ability of many low-income women to obtain affordable birth control.Despite that setback
  
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