Houston

Randy Bryce Wins Wisconsin's Democratic Primary In Race For Paul Ryan's House Seat

Randy Bryce, a union ironworker turned progressive rockstar, won the

Stranded Parrot 'Turns Air Blue' Cursing Out Firefighter During Rescue Attempt

Jessie the parrot was decidedly unimpressed when a firefighter came to rescue

These Are The Chilling Stories Of Abuse Covered Up By The Catholic Church

For decades, stories about clerical sexual abuse committed by Pennsylvania

10 pieces to pack if you're planning a trip within your trip under $50

From cross-country road trips to intercontinental excursions, it’s not out of

AP NewsBreak: Pilot who crashed his own home had hangar code

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A man who died when he flew a plane into his own house after he had been arrested for assaulting his wife had full access to his employer's plane because he had earned the firm's trust, the president of the Utah company said Tuesday.

Genoa collapse: Hundreds more bridges 'at risk' across Italy as ministers blast highways firm

Up to 300 bridges, viaducts and tunnels in Italy are at risk of structural failure, experts warned, as the death toll from the collapse of a bridge in Genoa rose to 39, including three children. There were fears that the number of fatalities could rise further. Matteo Salvini, Italy’s interior minister, said it was hard to tell how many people were still unaccounted for simply because they were on holiday or “under the rubble”. He said the tragedy demonstrated the importance of increasing investments and hinted that EU spending limits could put lives at risk. "If external constraints prevent us from spending to have safe roads and schools, then it really calls into question whether it makes sense to follow these rules," Mr Salvini, who leads the eurosceptic League party, said. "There can be no trade-off between fiscal rules and the safety of Italians." The European Union pushed back against suggestions EU budget rules might be to blame.  "We will not engage in any political finger pointing," the European Commission, the EU's executive in Brussels, said. The commission in Brussels said Italy was receiving billions of euros under the bloc's multi-annual budget for infrastructure investment and was "one of the main beneficiaries of the flexibility" under the 28-nation bloc's fiscal rules. British couple Genoa bridge collapse Around 70 per cent of Italy’s 15,000 motorway bridges and tunnels are more than 40 years old, many of them built during the post-war boom but now carrying far more traffic than they were designed for. Lack of investment, poor maintenance and, in some cases, the involvement of mafia-run building companies that use poor quality concrete to increase profits, could all contribute to disasters like the one in Genoa. “They have problems that, if not addressed in time, could potentially lead to structural failures,” a leading structural engineer told La Repubblica newspaper. “The problem is not so much knowing which structures are at risk, but having the money to finance repairs and maintenance,” said the expert, who asked for anonymity because he works for a company that assesses public infrastructure. Among the structures at risk was the Magliana Bridge in Rome, between the city centre and the capital’s busiest airport, Fiumicino, he said. Italy’s CNR civil engineering society said that many structures dating from the 1960s, when the Morandi Bridge was built, had surpassed their lifespan. It called for a “Marshall Plan" to repair or replace tens of thousands of Italian bridges and viaducts built in the post-war period. As investigators began to study what may have caused a 260ft-long portion of the raised motorway in Genoa to collapse, sending around 35 cars and several trucks plummeting to the ground, Italy’s populist government blamed the private company that managed it. Luigi Di Maio, deputy prime minister and the leader of the Five Star Movement, accused Autostrade per l’Italia of chasing profits at the expense of public safety. “Instead of investing money for maintenance, they divide the profits and that is why the bridge falls," he said. Autostrade, which operates nearly 2,000 miles of Italian motorways, is controlled by the Benetton group through its holding company, Atlantia. Mr Di Maio accused previous Italian governments of turning a blind eye to the upkeep of the country’s motorways because of political contributions. Fire crews told The Telegraph 'we are not going to stop searching' “For the first time there is a government that does not take money from Benetton. Autostrade was protected by previous governments,” he said. “If the bridge was dangerous, then they should have closed it.” The government said it wanted to revoke the contract awarded to Autostrade and hit the company with a massive fine of 150 million euros. "The first thing that should happen is that the heads of Autostrade per l'Italia should step down. And given that there have been breaches (of contract), I announce that we have begun the process for the eventual revocation of their contract and a fine of 150 million euros,” transport minister Danilo Toninelli said on Facebook. Autostrade insisted the bridge had been “constantly monitored” and refuted accusations that it had not invested enough in maintenance. "In the last five years the company's investment in the security, maintenance and strengthening of the network has been over one billion euros a year," it said. Cars and trucks are left on a section of the collapsed Morandi highway bridge in Genoa Credit: Nicola Marfisi/AP As the coalition, which consists of Five Star and the hard-Right League party, called for heads to roll, it emerged that in 2013 the founder of Five Star had opposed plans to build a new motorway that would have alleviated pressure on the Morandi bridge. Beppe Grillo, the founder of Five Star, dismissed warnings that the bridge could collapse as “a fairy tale” on his widely-read blog. When the plans for the new motorway were blocked, one leading industrialist predicted that the Genoa bridge would fail. “When, in 10 years’ time, the Morandi bridge collapses, and everyone is stuck in traffic jams for hours, we’ll need to remember the names of those who said no (to the project),” said Giovanni Calvini, who was then regional president of Confindustria, an employers’ association. Rescue personnel use cranes to sort through debris from the Morandi motorway bridge Credit: VALERY HACHE/ AFP Arcangelo Merella, a former member of Genoa city council with responsibility for transport, said: “I was saying that the bridge was at risk, that it was no longer adequate and that there was the need to find an alternative because the traffic was becoming heavier all the time.” As Genoa’s mayor declared two days of mourning, there was anger among locals over the fact that repeated warnings about the safety of the bridge went unheeded. Several locals told The Telegraph that the structure shook noticeably when trucks rolled across it and many residents worried about crossing over and under it. The bridge had to withstand more than 25 million vehicle crossings a year, with traffic volumes quadrupling in the last 30 years. A truck is perched on the remaining section of the collapsed Morandi bridge Credit:  STEFANO RELLANDINI/ REUTERS The number of vehicles using the bridge was expected to grow by 30 per cent over the next 30 years. An engineering report released in 2009 studied the possibility of the bridge being demolished because of concerns over its structural integrity. “The city is sad and of course the mourning comes first, but the city is also angry, because for years we have talked about substituting this bridge and it was never done,” said Paolo Maggio, a 46-year-old taxi driver. “This will be a huge hit for the economy – it will impact cargo traffic to and from the airport, the ports, to France. For months, Genoa will be cut in half.” Andrea Rescin, one of the first local residents to call the emergency services after the bridge crashed to the ground, said: “It sounded like a bomb had gone off, the first thing I thought was that it was an explosion.” Giuseppe Conte, the prime minister, declared a state of emergency for Genoa, one of the country’s busiest ports, whose main land corridor with France has now effectively been severed. He also announced five million euros of funds going into recovery work.

National Guard deploys thousands of soldiers to California

National Guard soldiers are supporting response efforts, providing unique military capabilities to contain the fires.

Vice President Mike Pence Prays With Mollie Tibbetts' Family During Visit to Iowa

The missing college student hasn't been seen since July 18.

Subaru Ascent Owners Will Get New Cars in Recall

Subaru replaces nearly 300 cars that have compromised frames.

Christine Hallquist Scores Historic Win In Vermont's Democratic Gubernatorial Primary

Christine Hallquist on Tuesday became the country's first openly transgender

Florida Declares State Of Emergency As Red Tide Spreads

Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) declared a state of emergency on Monday as a

Masterpiece Cakeshop Owner Sues Colorado After Refusing To Bake Trans Woman's Cake

Months after winning a Supreme Court case over his refusal to make a wedding

Israel reopens Gaza crossing as truce talks progress

Israel reopened its only goods crossing with the Gaza Strip on Wednesday after closing it to most deliveries on July 9 over months of border tensions, as relative calm returned and truce talks progressed. An Israeli official said on condition of anonymity that an initial set of "understandings" had been reached with the help of Egypt and United Nations officials, leading to calm over the last several days and the opening of the crossing. Humanitarian issues in the blockaded Gaza Strip and the return of the soldiers can be addressed if calm is maintained, the official said, adding that if not, Israel would return to "aggressive" military action.

The Latest: Priest abuse report faults Cardinal Donald Wuerl

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Latest on a grand jury report on clergy abuse in six Pennsylvania Roman Catholic dioceses (all times local):

Russia's S-500: How Putin Could Kill Air Force F-22s and B-2 Stealth Bombers?

Russia’s fearsome new S-500 air and missile defense system has apparently entered production—and is setting new records for missile engagement range.

Wisconsin flipped for Trump. Minnesota nearly did. What do their primaries predict for the midterms?

The results of Tuesday’s primaries in Minnesota and Wisconsin were the latest in a series of revealing soundings from the region — tremors on the electoral Richter scale that help delineate the underlying forces shaping American politics.

Ford to invest $740 million in Detroit train station, city development project

Ford aims to turn the building into a campus of offices for up to 5,000 tech workers and software engineers focused on self-driving vehicles and ancillary technologies and services. The second largest U.S. automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, about 10 miles from Detroit, announced the project in June, but had not previously disclosed costs until a community meeting on Tuesday. The company said Tuesday in a statement it is "working with federal, state and local economic development groups and officials, seeking at least $250 million in tax or other incentives to support the development of the five Corktown sites Ford has purchased." Ford said total investment in the development of the train station and developing 45 acres of vacant land will cost approximately $740 million over the next four years.

Unite The Right Organizer Jason Kessler Gets Yelled At By Dad: 'Get Out Of My Room!'

The "master race" strikes again.

Rising sea levels threatens coastal cities with more tsunamis, scientists warn

Tsunamis will become more common and more ferocious with global warming, scientists have warned after a study found that global sea level rises will increase the risk of coastal cities being wiped out. Smaller earthquakes that currently pose no serious tsunami threat could unleash waves capable of inundating coastal cities, researchers found in a study focusing on the city of Macau in China. Currently it is considered safe from tsunamis, despite lying within a major earthquake zone. At today's sea level, it would take a very powerful earthquake tipping past magnitude 8.8 to cause widespread tsunami flooding in Macau. But a half-metre rise in sea level - predicted to occur in the region by 2060 - could more than double the chances of a huge tsunami swamping the territory, according to the research. A three-foot sea level rise, expected by 2100, would increase the risk up to 4.7 times. The source of the earthquake danger is the Manila Trench, a massive crack in the floor of the South China Sea formed by the collision of two tectonic plates. It has generated numerous earthquakes, though none larger than magnitude 7.8 since the 1560s. A modest rise in sea levels would greatly amplify the tsunami threat from smaller earthquakes, the computer simulation study showed. Cities most prone to natural disaster Lead researcher Dr Robert Weiss, from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in the US, said: "Our research shows that sea-level rise can significantly increase the tsunami hazard, which means that smaller tsunamis in the future can have the same adverse impacts as big tsunamis would today. "The South China Sea is an excellent starting point for such a study because it is an ocean with rapid sea-level rise and also the location of many mega cities with significant worldwide consequences if impacted." The team's findings are reported in the journal Science Advances.

As Madonna Turns 60, What Her Early Life in New York City Was Like

The singer lived in a few different buildings across Manhattan.

There's A Perfect Word For People Who Say 'I'm Not Racist, But...'

There's a new form of 'splaining in town.

Taiwan company bows to China after boycott threat

A Taiwanese coffee chain has become the latest business to bow to pressure from Beijing after Chinese web users threatened a boycott over a visit to one of its stores by the island's president. Tsai Ing-wen stopped off at a Los Angeles branch of the 85C Bakery Cafe this week during a US stopover in which she became the first Taiwanese leader to give a public speech on American soil in 15 years. Taiwan is a self-ruled democracy that considers itself a sovereign state but has never declared formal independence.

Baltimore Police Officer Filmed Punching Man Is Charged With Felony Assault

Two days after resigning from the Baltimore Police Department, a police

Italy hunts for blame in bridge collapse that killed 39

GENOA, Italy (AP) — As more bodies were pulled Wednesday from a mountain of jagged concrete and twisted steel left by a highway bridge collapse that killed 39, prosecutors focused on possible design flaws and past maintenance of the heavily used span, and politicians squabbled over blame.

Manafort trial: Jury to deliberate after prosecutor accuses former Trump campaign manager of lying - as it happened

Closing arguments have concluded in the case against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who is on trial on financial fraud charges. The trial, in Alexandria, Virginia, is the first to arise from US Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Jahana Hayes Could Be Connecticut's First Black Democrat In Congress

With her primary win in Connecticut's 5th Congressional District on Tuesday,

Qatar's emir heads to Turkey for talks with Erdogan

Qatar's emir headed to Turkey on Wednesday for talks with President Tayyip Erdogan who is dealing with a collapse of the lira currency and deteriorating relations with the United States. Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Erdogan are expected to discuss "means of strengthening the existing strategic cooperation between the two countries in various fields", the state news agency QNA reported. Turkey and Qatar have traditionally maintained good ties and Ankara stood by Doha after Saudi Arabia and other Arab states severed diplomatic, trade and travel ties with Qatar last year, accusing it of financing terrorism, a charge Doha denies.

Judge threatened over granting bail for suspects in New Mexico compound case

The courthouse was locked down after a backlash against the judge's decision culminated in threats.

Republicans Are Using An Unprecedented Partisan Vetting Process To Rush Brett Kavanaugh’s Confirmation

WASHINGTON ― Republicans are circumventing the normal vetting process for

Bayer starts Monsanto integration as stock suffers

German chemicals and pharmaceuticals giant Bayer said Thursday that it would begin integrating seeds and pesticides maker Monsanto after a mega-merger, but its stock price was battered by the US firm's legal woes. Two months after the $63 billion deal -- the biggest ever foreign takeover by a German company -- Bayer completed the sale of a final tranche of crop science businesses worth 5.9 billion euros ($6.7 billion) to rival BASF under concessions imposed by cartel watchdogs. With competition authorities' conditions met, "the integration of Monsanto into the Bayer Group can begin," the Leverkusen-based company said in a statement.

11 Things That Surprisingly Don't Affect Your Credit Score

With so many rules to follow and myths to debunk, credit scores can be pretty

The Latest: Attorney says client in federal custody

TAOS, N.M. (AP) — The Latest on 11 children found living in a filthy, makeshift compound in New Mexico (all times local):

Sean Spicer Tries Roasting Andrew Cuomo And Gets Burned By Twitter Users

Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer thought he had a clear shot to

Kellyanne Conway tries to criticize her husband anonymously, but it backfires

Kellyanne Conway, President Trump’s chief counselor, found a unique way to let her husband know how she feels about his public bashing of her boss.

U.S. Secretary of State names special representative for Iran

The move came as the administration prepared to increase economic pressure on Iran by restoring sanctions to force Tehran to end its nuclear weapons program and support for militant groups in the Middle East. Hook will lead a newly established Iran Action Group to coordinate the State Department's pressure campaign on Iran, Pompeo told a news conference. Hook, who has pushed for tough action against Iran and has worked with national security adviser John Bolton, has been leading the department's talks with allies in Europe and Asia to persuade them to support U.S. sanctions and cut off Iran's oil supplies as of November.

At least 76 overdose on synthetic marijuana in 24-hours at US park

A man has been arrested after more than 76 people overdosed in 24 hours after taking synthetic marijuana suspected of being laced with fentanyl – an opioid. The first overdoses were reported at Connecticut’s New Haven Green, a park close to Yale University, late on Tuesday night.

Republicans Plan To Run Close To Trump. A New Poll Shows Why That’s A Bad Idea.

Republicans have made clear they plan to run close to President Donald Trump

Nigerian soldiers protest as Boko Haram attacks surge

Disillusioned and exhausted, Nigerian troops battling a surge in Boko Haram jihadist attacks have reached breaking point, protesting less than six months before presidential polls. The Nigerian army dismissed it as a "misunderstanding", but on Sunday hundreds of soldiers protested in the airport of Maiduguri, the capital of restive northeast Borno state, for several hours, shooting into the air and disrupting flights. "We should not have been here for more than a year but this is our fourth year and still they are asking us to move to Marte," one of the protesting soldiers told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Alert level raised for tiny volcanic isle in southern Japan

TOKYO (AP) — Japan raised alert levels on a small southern volcanic island on Wednesday, urging its 105 residents to prepare for an evacuation amid growing risks of an eruption.

No injuries reported after 2 planes collide at Chicago O'Hare Airport

Two planes collided on the ground at Chicago O’Hare Airport on Wednesday.

Paul Manafort trial: judge hands case to jurors after closing arguments

If convicted, Manafort, 69, could spend the rest of his life in prison. Paul Manafort’s fate is now in a jury’s hands. A Virginia court heard closing arguments Wednesday in the trial of the former Donald Trump campaign chairman on charges of bank fraud, tax fraud and failure to disclose foreign bank accounts.

Twitter Haphazardly Enforces Its Rules. That’s Great For Alex Jones and Infowars.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has faced a barrage of criticism for his company's

The Latest: Crowd protests death penalty at Nebraska Capitol

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Latest on Nebraska's first execution since 1997 (all times local):

'Twelve Apostles' help migrants cross Mexico

In a few minutes, hundreds of undocumented migrants chasing the American dream will ride by atop the train as it passes through her village, Cordoba, crossing the eastern state of Veracruz on its way to the United States. Then one day "The Beast" ground to a halt in Cordoba, and the men jumped to the ground and begged her for help.

Heroic Father Suffers Severe Injuries While Trying to Save Son From Balcony Fall

The father and son both fell over the railing.

US transgender woman wins Democratic nod for governor in Vermont

Christine Hallquist won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in the US state of Vermont on Tuesday, moving a step closer to becoming the nation's first transgender governor, US media reported. "HISTORY MADE! @christineforvt just became the first trans/non-binary gubernatorial candidate from a major political party in American history!" tweeted the Victory Fund, an organization that supports LGBTQ candidates. Hallquist transitioned while heading the Vermont Electricity Coop, several years before launching her gubernatorial bid.