Ex-NBA star Lamar Odom is alert and improving, his aunt says

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Lamar Odom is alert and his condition is improving after the former NBA star was found unconscious at a Nevada brothel a week ago, his family said Monday. Alvina Alston, publicist for Odom’s aunt JaNean Mercer, said the former reality-TV personality is undergoing testing, but there is no word yet on […]

6-year-old boy fatally shoots 3-year-old brother in Chicago

CHICAGO (AP) – A 6-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed his 3-year-old brother while playing “cops and robbers” with a gun their father told investigators he had obtained illegally from a gang member, Chicago police said Sunday. Police said the two boys were playing Saturday evening when the older boy reached on top of the […]

Man charged with punching flight attendant released on bond

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) – A man accused of punching a flight attendant and threatening to blow up a flight from New York City to Florida has been released on bond. Local news media report that 29-year-old Alija Kucuk was released Monday on $50,000 bail and must wear a GPS ankle monitor. Kucuk was […]

Baltimore ‘hero mom’ reflects on city riots 6 months later

Monday marks six months since Freddie Gray died after being placed under arrest by Baltimore police. In the following days, riots erupted around the city. Among the most iconic moments during the unrest was when mother Toya Graham tore her son off the streets. Graham was hailed a hero, but today, she still can’t find […]

Under Clinton, State’s cybersecurity suffered

WASHINGTON (AP) – The State Department was among the worst agencies in the federal government at protecting its computer networks while Hillary Rodham Clinton was secretary from 2009 to 2013, a situation that continued to deteriorate as John Kerry took office and Russian hackers breached the department’s email system, according to independent audits and interviews. […]

Experts say free speech at stake in ‘American Sniper’ appeal

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Legal experts say important free speech issues will be at stake when an appeals court considers whether former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura is entitled to the $1.8 million judgment he won against the estate of “American Sniper” author Chris Kyle. Kyle’s widow, Taya Kyle, appealed after a jury and judge sided with […]

Thousands rush across as Croatia opens border with Serbia

BERKASOVO, Serbia (AP) — Thousands of people trying to reach the heart of Europe surged across Serbia’s border into Croatia as police ended a two-day bottleneck Monday that had reduced many to mud-caked misery. The surprise move allowed an estimated 3,000 more migrants to travel into Croatia bound for Slovenia, the next agonizing obstacle looming […]

Crackdown: Amazon sues to stop phony product reviews

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon is stepping up its fight against bogus product reviews on its site, suing more than 1,000 people for allegedly offering to post glowing write-ups for as little as $5 apiece. The complaint, filed in state court in Seattle on Friday, takes aim at what is believed to be a burgeoning […]

Florida Senate to remove Confederate battle flag from seal

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – The Florida Senate is removing the Confederate battle flag from the chamber’s official seal. The entire Senate on Monday agreed to revise the seal that now contains the battle flag along with four other flags that have flown in Florida. The Senate seal is located prominently in the Senate chambers in […]