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Prosecutors say Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ request for acquittal or new trial should be swiftly rejected

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal prosecutors are urging a federal judge to quickly reject Sean “Diddy” Combs ’ request that he throw out a jury verdict or order a new trial after a jury convicted the music maven of two prostitution-related charges.Prosecutors said in papers filed shortly before midnight Wednesday that Combs masterminded elaborate sexual events for two ex-girlfriends between 2008 and last year that involved hiring male sex workers who sometimes were required to cross multiple state lines

Gymnast who sparked abuse inquiry into coach at elite US academy says she ‘needed to speak out’

He said investigators “went as far with it as we could” in 2022, without a victim seeking charges and have been conducting a thorough investigation since receiving the new complaint in 2024.Wade declined comment on whether investigators reached out to Weldon and other potential victims identified in 2022, saying only that police opened “lines of communication with different people” that later paid off.Weldon said she met with investigators Tuesday and they asked her to identify herself in an ima

Prosecutors link LA contract to Smartmatic ‘slush fund’ as voting tech firm battles Fox in court

voting-technology market.But Smartmatic has said its business tanked after Fox News gave President Donald Trump’s lawyers a platform to paint the company as part of a conspiracy to steal the 2020 election.Fox itself eventually aired a piece refuting the allegations after Smartmatic’s lawyers complained, but it has aggressively defended itself against the defamation lawsuit in New York.“Facing imminent financial collapse and indictment, Smartmatic saw a litigation lottery ticket in Fox News’s cov

Students face new cellphone restrictions in 17 states as school year begins

Jamel Bishop is seeing a big change in his classrooms as he begins his senior year at Doss High School in Louisville, Kentucky, where cellphones are now banned during instructional time.In previous years, students often weren’t paying attention and wasted class time by repeating questions, the teenager said. Now, teachers can provide “more one-on-one time for the students who actually need it.”Kentucky is one of 17 states and the District of Columbia starting this school year with new restrictio

Reporter says former aide to New York City Mayor Eric Adams gave her a chip bag filled with cash

I feel so bad right now,” Greco said, according to The City.In response to the report of the bag filled with cash, Adams’ reelection campaign said it had suspended Greco from further work as an unpaid volunteer and that Adams had no prior knowledge of Greco’s actions.The City reported Greco had texted Honan to meet her inside a Whole Foods store after they both attended the opening of Adams’ campaign headquarters in Harlem.When given the chip bag, Honan at first thought Greco was just givi

State Department employee fired after questioning talking points on Israel and Gaza

“Despite a close working relationship with many of my dedicated and hardworking colleagues, I was targeted following two events last week when I attracted the ire of the 7th floor and senior officials in Embassy Jerusalem: stating we are against forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza as President Trump and special envoy Witkoff have both previously claimed and cutting a reference to Judea and Samaria,” Ghoreishi said, referring to the floor where top leaders have offices at the State Depart

Pierce County leaders prep for 750K visitors during 2026 World Cup

We’re expecting three-quarters of a million people, visitors from around the world,” Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello said.Mello, along with other county officials and representatives from Pierce Transit, held a summit Wednesday morning. County leaders outlined their plans to ensure the event’s success, creating an enjoyable experience for visitors who are expected to extend their stays to explore everything Washington has to offer.“We got to put ourselves in the shoes

King County Executive candidate to unveil plan to fight retail theft amid Fred Meyer closures

Claudia Balducci, a candidate for King County Executive, will unveil her plan to address retail theft during a news conference Thursday morning at the Fred Meyer store on Southeast 240th Street in Kent.On Monday, it was announced that two Fred Meyer stores — one in Everett and one in Kent — would close. The stores are two of five Fred Meyer locations in the area that Kroger, the owner of Fred Meyer and QFC, plans to shut down, citing a rise in retail theft.Balducci will be joined by Kent Mayor D

John Curley sheds light on Katie Wilson endorsement for Seattle mayor, sees ‘redefinition of socialism’

After a more subtle showing of support, KIRO host John Curley officially endorsed Katie Wilson for Seattle mayor this week.“I’ve never done anything like ‘I’m going to endorse somebody,’ but I endorsed Katie Wilson, and the reason I endorse Katie Wilson running for mayor — looks like she’s going to beat Bruce Harrell — it’s because I said I want to see it as a socialism experiment, and it’s a redefinition of socialism,” Curley said on “

Frank Caprio, Rhode Island judge who drew a huge online audience with his compassion, dies at age 88

One shows him listening sympathetically to a woman whose son was killed and then dismissing her tickets and fines of $400.In another clip, after dismissing a red-light violation for a bartender who was making $3.84 per hour, Caprio urged those watching the video not to duck out on their bills.“If anyone’s watching I want them to know you better not eat and run because you’re going to get caught and the poor people who are working hard all day for three bucks an hour are going to have

18 arrested during pro-Palestinian protest at Microsoft in Redmond

Eighteen people were arrested during a pro-Palestinian protest at the Microsoft campus in Redmond, the Redmond Police Department (RPD) reported via Facebook.RELATED STORIES8 arrested as protesters clash again, this time near City Hall, following Cal Anderson rally that turned violent8 protesters arrested after fire, vandalism break out during Seattle rally to end ICE raidsProtesters burn American flags outside Seattle federal building; more protests to happen Wed nightPolice were sent to a large

Islamic State extremists exploit instability in Africa and Syria, UN experts say

has seen a resurgence of activity by the Islamic State in the Sahel — in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger — and in West Africa the group has emerged “as a prolific producer of terrorist propaganda and attracted foreign terrorist fighters, primarily from within the region,” said Vladimir Voronkov, who heads the U.N. Office of Counter-Terrorism.He said arrests in Libya have revealed logistics and financing networks with connections to IS in the Sahel.In Somalia, Voronkov said, a large-scale IS attack

Near-term chances of an eruption at Alaska’s Mount Spurr volcano now considered ‘extremely low’

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Officials lowered the alert level for a volcano near Alaska’s largest city to normal Wednesday, which they said indicates that Mount Spurr is “quiet” months after showing signs of activity that raised the possibility of an eruption.Over the past few months, signs of unrest at the 11,070-foot (3,374-meter) volcano near Anchorage have gradually decreased, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory, which added that no ground deformation has been detected since March. The

Murdered Seattle dog walker to be honored with plaque

Several witnesses tried to intervene, including one man who grabbed a bat, but police said Haynes pulled out a knife.Dalton’s car was found later near Madison Park. Police said Dalton’s dog, Prince, was also found stabbed to death and left inside a recycling bin in the park.Family and friends of Dalton packed the courtroom before Haynes’ arraignment in September.Dalton’s granddaughter, Melanie Roberts, was hoping to face Haynes in person. However, Roberts said she’s not surprised the suspe

Man charged with killing an ‘American Idol’ exec and husband will undergo mental evaluation

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A man charged with fatally shooting an “American Idol” music supervisor and her husband in their Los Angeles home will undergo mental evaluation to determine whether he’s fit to stand trial, a judge ruled Wednesday. Raymond Boodarian, 22, was set to be arraigned in a courthouse in Los Angeles but did not enter a plea. A judge suspended the criminal proceedings against him while a psychiatrist examines him to determine his competency.He’s charged with two counts of

Pierce County seizes 55 animals in illegal breeding raid

Pierce County Animal Control and deputies served a warrant Monday to seize 55 animals from a South Prairie property, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) reported.Several dogs, cats, deer, raccoons, opossums, and other animals were rescued from the property located in the 300 block of Southwest 3rd Street.RELATED STORIESSecond seizure of neglected animals in Thurston County in 2 weeks'Truly horrific': More than 200 animals rescued from poor living conditions in Thurston County'Absolut

2 more beachfront homes near collapse as a hurricane waves pound North Carolina’s Outer Banks

<block>Two homes on the North Carolina Outer Banks sit precariously in the high waves with their days seemingly numbered. Since 2020, 11 neighboring homes have fallen into the Atlantic Ocean.While the swells from storms like Hurricane Erin make things worse, the conditions threatening the houses are always present — beach erosion and climate change are sending the ocean closer and closer to their front doors.The two houses in the surf in Rodanthe have received plenty of attention as Erin passes several hundred miles (kilometers) to the east. The village of about 200 people sticks out further into the Atlantic than any other part of North Carolina.Jan Richards looked at the houses Tuesday as high tides sent surges of water into the support beams on the two-story homes. She gestured where two other houses used to be before their recent collapse.“The one in the middle fell last year. It fell into that house. So you can see where it crashed into that house. But that has been really resilient and has stayed put up until probably this storm,” Richards said.<hl2>The ocean has destroyed at least 11 houses since 2020</hl2>At least <a href="https://www.nps.gov/caha/learn/news/threatened-oceanfront-structures.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">11 other houses</a> have toppled into the surf in Rodanthe in the past five years, according to the National Park Service, which oversees much of the Outer Banks.Barrier islands like the Outer Banks were never an ideal place for development, according to experts. The islands <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/barrier-islands.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">typically form</a> as waves deposit sediment off the mainland. And they move based on weather patterns and other ocean forces. <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_currents/media/supp_cur03c.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Some even disappear</a>.Decades ago, houses and other buildings were smaller, less elaborate and easier to move from the encroaching surf, said David Hallac, superintendent of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.“Perhaps it was more well understood in the past that the barrier island was dynamic, that it was moving,” Hallac said. “And if you built something on the beachfront it may not be there forever or it may need to be moved.”<hl2>The Outer Banks even had to move their famous lighthouse from the sea</hl2>Even the largest structures aren’t immune. Twenty-six years ago the Outer Banks most famous landmark, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse <a href="https://www.nps.gov/caha/learn/news/cape-hatteras-lighthouse-restoration-project.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had to be moved</a> over a half-mile (880 meters) inland.When it was built in 1870, the lighthouse was 1,500 feet (457 meters) from the ocean. Fifty years later, the Atlantic was 300 feet (91 meters) away. And erosion keeps coming, Some places along the Outer Banks lose as much as 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4.5 meters) of beachfront a year, Hallac said.“And so every year, 10 to 15 feet of that white sandy beach is gone,” Hallac said. “And then the dunes and then the back-dune area. And then all of a sudden, the foreshore, that area between low water and high water, is right up next to somebody’s backyard. And then the erosion continues.”<hl2>‘Like a toothpick in wet sand’</hl2>The ocean attacks the houses by the wooden pilings that provide their foundation and keep them above the water. The supports could be 15 feet (4.5 meters) deep. But the surf slowly takes away the sand that is packed around them.“It’s like a toothpick in wet sand or even a beach umbrella,” Hallac said. “The deeper you put it, the more likely it is to stand up straight and resist leaning over. But if you only put it down a few inches, it doesn’t take much wind for that umbrella to start leaning. And it starts to tip over.”A single home collapse can shed debris up to 15 miles (25 kilometers) along the coast, <a href="https://www.deq.nc.gov/managing-threatened-oceanfront-structures-ideas-interagency-work-group/open" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to a report</a> from a group of federal, state and local officials who are studying threatened oceanfront structures in North Carolina. Collapses can injure beachgoers and lead to potential contamination from septic tanks, among other environmental concerns.The <a href="https://www.deq.nc.gov/managing-threatened-oceanfront-structures-ideas-interagency-work-group/open" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> noted that 750 of nearly 8,800 oceanfront structures in North Carolina are considered at risk from erosion.<hl2>There are solutions but they are expensive</hl2>Among the possible solutions is hauling dredged sand to eroding beaches, something that is already being done in other communities on the Outer Banks and East Coast. But it could cost $40 million or more in Rodanthe, posing a major financial challenge for its small tax baseOther ideas include buying out threatened properties, moving or demolishing them. But those options are also very expensive. And funding is limited.Braxton Davis, executive director of the North Carolina Coastal Federation, a nonprofit, said the problem isn’t limited to Rodanthe or even to North Carolina. He pointed to erosion issues along California’s coast, the Great Lakes and some of the nation’s rivers.“This is a national issue,” Davis said, adding that sea levels are rising and “the situation is only going to become worse.”</block>

US attorney will no longer bring felony charges against people for carrying rifles or shotguns in DC

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors in the nation’s capital will no longer bring felony charges against people for possessing rifles or shotguns in the District of Columbia, according to a new policy adopted by the leader of the nation’s largest U.S. attorney’s office.That office will continue to pursue charges when someone is accused of using a shotgun or rifle in a violent crime or has a criminal record that makes it illegal to have a firearm. Local authorities in Washington can prosec

What to know about the Menendez brothers’ parole hearings

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lyle and Erik Menendez are scheduled to face separate parole hearings beginning Thursday in California and — depending on the outcomes — could eventually be released from prison nearly 30 years after being convicted of killing their parents.A panel of parole officers will evaluate each of the brothers via videoconference. They’ll appear from prison in San Diego.In 1995, a jury convicted both brothers of first-degree murder in the 1989 murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez i

Mike Collins argues he can unite Georgia GOP in challenge to Democratic US Sen. Jon Ossoff

<block>JACKSON, Ga. (AP) — Second-term Georgia Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins is seeking to solidify support as he seeks the GOP nomination to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff in 2026.Collins, who’d declared his intent to run in July, officially launched his candidacy Tuesday in his hometown of Jackson and then spoke at a Georgia Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Columbus. He’s trying to appeal to both President Donald Trump’s base and more traditional business conservatives. The owner of a trucking company and son of a former congressman, Collins has won endorsements from dozens of Republican state lawmakers, despite GOP Gov. Brian Kemp backing newcomer Derek Dooley. Fellow GOP congressman Buddy Carter also is in the race.Collins argues he can unite the party.“They know I’m MAGA — everybody knows that,” Collins said. “But they also know that I can talk to the more moderate Republicans that we have out there.”Ossoff is the only Democratic incumbent seeking reelection in 2026 from a state that Trump won, making him a top GOP target. Republicans had hoped that Kemp himself would run, but he declined. Kemp and Trump had discussed seeking a mutual candidate to challenge Ossoff, but Trump hasn’t chosen yet. Collins and his backers say they believe Trump will ultimately back Collins.“I think it’s a matter of time,” said Bruce LeVell, who headed Trump’s national diversity coalition in 2016 and spoke at Collins’ Tuesday rally. Carter and Dooley are also seeking Trump’s nod. Carter, who calls himself a “MAGA” warrior, touted his support for Trump’s budget law Wednesday and called for looser environmental and regulatory permitting. He said he hopes to win Trump’s endorsement “sooner rather than later” and expressed confidence that his fundraising would let him keep pace with other Republicans.“I am obviously the conservative candidate,” Carter said. “I’m the one who has been a mayor. I’ve been in the state legislature. I’ve been in Congress for 10 years. And my voting record is clear, I’ve been voting with Donald Trump 98% of the time.” Carter was mayor of the city of Pooler outside Savannah. Dooley, a former University of Tennessee football coach and son of the University of Georgia’s legendary football head coach Vince Dooley, attended Wednesday’s luncheon but declined interview requests. He’s been setting up a run as a political outsider.Ossoff made his own case to the business community. On Wednesday, in a question-and-answer session before the chamber, he never mentioned Trump by name. He spoke to less partisan issues like supporting veterans’ health care and seeking money for Georgia’s military bases. But he did make the case that the Trump administration was hurting the United States’ standing in the world by scaling back on diplomacy and international aid while cutting U.S. research and incentives for new technologies and roiling trade with new tariffs.“Frankly we are engaged in tremendous self-harm right now in this competition with China,” Ossoff said.The national party has been attacking Ossoff, including a current round of mailers and ads arguing he backed higher taxes because he opposed Trump’s budget bill.Collins is touting a list of supporters from each of Georgia’s 159 counties, including state lawmakers and county leaders, building the idea that the party is choosing him even if Kemp isn’t behind him. While it’s common for campaigns to release such lists, Collins released his at a very early stage. He also has at least one supporter from each county when the state Republican Party doesn’t have an organized committee in each county.“I do think that Mike checks all the boxes,” said Ben Tarbutton III, a longtime Georgia business leader who is serving as Collins’ finance chairman. Tarbutton was chairman of the Georgia Chamber when it endorsed Kemp’s reelection bid in 2022.Collins also had some well-wishers present Tuesday who haven’t endorsed him, including Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, another Jackson resident whom Trump has endorsed in his Republican bid for governor. Two top GOP contenders for lieutenant governor also attended.Both Collins and Carter have kind words for Kemp. But many Republicans are mystified by Kemp’s support for Dooley.“I don’t know what the hell Brian Kemp is doing,” LeVell said. “I have no idea.”</block>