8 Australian men charged with 500 sex offenses against girl

PERTH, Australia (AP) – An Australian man was accused Wednesday of allowing seven men to sexually abuse his 13-year-old daughter over the past two years, with police charging all eight men with more than 500 child sex offenses. Western Australia police arrested the men after receiving a tip-off from the public. Police say the father […]

Pilot program to provide federal student aid to prisoners

WASHINGTON (AP) – Some federal and state prisoners could soon be eligible for federal student aid to take college courses while behind bars. The aid would come in the form of Pell grants, which are for low-income people and do not have to be repaid. The Education Department confirmed Tuesday that it would conduct a […]

PHOTO CREDIT: MGN

Dispatcher tells 911 caller, ‘deal with it yourself’

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – A New Mexico dispatcher has resigned after telling a panicked 911 caller who was trying to save the life of a shooting victim to “deal with it yourself.” Matthew Sanchez was reassigned after officials became aware of the call, fire officials said on Monday. But a statement Tuesday evening from the […]

Federal court says state can enforce ‘docs vs. glocks’ law

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Florida can start enforcing a law that restricts what doctors can tell patients about gun ownership. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta on Tuesday issued a new ruling in the legal tussle over the 4-year-old law. A three judge panel for the second time upheld that the law […]

2nd body found in search for missing Florida child

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – Investigators say a second body has been recovered during the search for a missing Jacksonville boy. Jacksonville Sheriff’s divers checking a pond for 21-month-old Lonzie Barton on Tuesday found a submerged late 1980s model Mazda RX-7 with a man’s remains inside. Sgt. Craig Waldrup says the license plate has been recovered […]

By nearly any measure, sunny South Florida is tops in fraud

MIAMI (AP) – Psssst – Need a phony ID? A fraudulent tax refund? Insurance money from a sham car crash? Florida may have just what you’re looking for. Since the first settlers hacked their way into the mangrove tangles and drained much of the swampland, sunny South Florida has been virtually synonymous with shady deals […]

Iran nuclear deal turns up lobbying heat on Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Iran nuclear deal has supercharged congressional lobbying, with President Barack Obama securing the support of a prominent Jewish Democrat and pro-Israel groups pressuring lawmakers in an all-out, big-money drive. Obama, his Cabinet and other allies are making the case that the deal, which calls on Iran to curb its nuclear program […]

Attorney: Islamic State sympathizer is not a terrorist

MIAMI (AP) – A man arrested by the FBI on charges of plotting as an Islamic State sympathizer to detonate a nail-filled bomb on a Florida beach is no extremist, his attorney says. A criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday charges 23-year-old Harlem Suarez of Key West with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction in […]

Fed holds steady on rates, seeks further economic gains

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Federal Reserve appears on track to raise interest rates later this year but signaled Wednesday that it wants to see further economic gains and higher inflation before doing so. A statement from the Fed after its latest policy meeting provided no timetable. Many analysts foresee the first hike in September, though […]

Russian veto expected as Security Council votes on MH17

UNITED NATIONS (AP) – Russia is expected on today to veto a U.N. Security Council resolution that would set up an international criminal court to prosecute those responsible for shooting down a Malaysia Airlines plane over Ukraine a year ago. The foreign ministers of the Netherlands, Australia and Ukraine will address what is likely to […]