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Virginia's Governor Race Is Shaping Up To Be A Close One

Virginians will head to the polls to choose a new governor in less than a month, and as three new surveys show, the race is shaping up to be a close one.

ISIS Losing Its 'Capital' Is A Pivotal Defeat For The Terrorist Group

The self-described Islamic State finally lost its tenuous grip on the Syrian city of Raqqa on Tuesday as U.S.-backed forces retook the extremist group’s last major urban territory following a four-month military campaign.

Harvey Weinstein donated $10K to Bill Clinton's legal fund during Lewinsky sex scandal

It’s been 20 years since the sex scandal between Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky rocked the White House and the nation.

Capital Murder Charges Filed Against Muslim Teen's Accused Killer

A man accused of killing 17-year-old Nabra Hassanen in Sterling, Virginia in June may face the death penalty after a grand jury charged him with capital murder and rape on Monday.

Flight crew accused of 'screaming' as plane plummets 20,000 feet in minutes

A scary moment up in the air turned even more horrific as passengers aboard a plummeting plane claimed the flight crew started freaking out. AirAsia flight QZ535 left from Perth, Australia Sunday  and headed to Bali, Indonesia. However,  shortly after takeoff the plane dropped almost 23,800 feet in nine minutes, according to the Associated Press. SEE ALSO: Scared of flying? For the love of God, don't watch this video. The pressurization issue in the cabin prompted oxygen masks to drop from the ceiling amid emergency announcements from the crew, which were apparently far from calm. One passenger, Clare Askew, said that, "The panic was escalated because of the behavior of staff who were screaming, looked tearful and shocked." Another passenger told news outlets, "They went hysterical. There was no real panic before that. Then everyone panicked." Videos posted to social media showed the chaos. An aviation expert says AirAsia should not be allowed to fly in and out of Australia until it meets safety standards. @DamoNews #9News pic.twitter.com/q7MTxylzRt — Nine News Australia (@9NewsAUS) October 16, 2017 Adding to the onboard confusion were emergency announcements coming in in different languages — so not all passengers were clear on what was going on.  12) What happened on board the #QZ535 is what Airbus had warned about in a note published in 2007, that the overall aviation industry does not provide sufficient training to flight crew and cabin crew for cabin decompression awareness — CaptRahmat (@CaptRahmat) October 16, 2017 The airline has apologized for the incident that shook the 145 passengers on board. A mechanical issue apparently caused the cabin to depressurize and forced pilots to descend. The flight is under investigation. One passenger desperately messaged her family thinking the flight was doomed, Australian outlet SBS reported.  Not a smooth flight. WATCH: 10 most intense airplane dogfights in film history

Remains found in crocodile believed to be missing Queensland pensioner

Human remains have been found inside a crocodile that is believed to have killed a pensioner in Queensland last week.  The 4.3-metre estuarine crocodile was captured on Monday night at the Mowbray River near Craiglie in northeast Australia, close to where Anne Cameron went missing from an aged care facility near Port Douglas seven days ago. The 79-year-old is thought to have become disorientated on a walk and wandered into dense bushland. Police later found clothing, a walking stick with her name and human remains beside a crocodile-infested creek near Four Mile Beach, about a mile from the aged care facility. Wildlife officers set traps  to try to catch the creature that is believed to have killed Ms Cameron. The captured animal was examined in Cairns on Tuesday, with human remains found inside. A Saltwater Crocodile is pictured at the Australian Reptile Park in Sydney  Credit:  Ian Waldie/Getty Images "Investigations continue with officers preparing a report for the coroner," police said. Isabella Eggins, a granddaughter of Ms Cameron, said  last week the family feared she had died in tragic circumstances. “It is my deep regret to inform you that following an extensive search and the discovery of certain items as a result of that search, we have the firm belief that my mother Anne Cameron has passed away in tragic circumstances,” Ms Eggins said on Facebook. Saltwater crocodiles, which can grow up to seven metres long and weigh more than a tonne, are a common feature of the vast continent's tropical north and kill an average of two people a year. A series of crocodile attacks in the region in recent years has prompted calls for the state government to order a cull – a move that has so far been rejected. Ms Cameron's family also said they did not want to see any crocs culled. "The crocodiles... are not responsible for being crocodiles, and doing what crocodiles do," her son Craig Eggins said, according to the Cairns Post.

Bodies Found Embracing in Joshua Tree May Be California Couple Who Went Missing in Park 3 Months Ago

Authorities are working to identify two bodies discovered in Joshua Tree nearly three months after a young couple went missing in the California national park

Tamika Mallory Says She Was Kicked Off An American Airlines Flight

Activist Tamika D. Mallory said Sunday that she was unfairly kicked off of an American Airlines flight over a seating dispute.

Trump: Ask Kelly if Obama Called When His Son Died

Pres. Trump defended his claim that his predecessor didn’t call the families of fallen soldiers on Tuesday, by alluding to former Gen. John Kelly’s son, a Marine who died in Afghanistan.

Mandalay Bay Security Guard Shot By Gunman Appears To Have Gone Into Hiding

Where is Jesus Campos, the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino security guard shot earlier this month during a confrontation with the Las Vegas gunman?

Harrowing viral footage shows 3-year-old riding a 20-foot python

Shocking footage that shows a little boy riding a 20-foot python in the streets of northern Vietnam is quickly making its way around the internet. 

Thousands Are Fleeing Puerto Rico. Some Don't Know If They'll Ever Return

Deborah Drahus Capo knew she’d have to leave Puerto Rico the moment she emerged from the bathroom where she had holed up throughout Hurricane Maria last month.

'Very unusual' mistrial in woman's burning death

BATESVILLE, Miss. (AP) — The jury in the tense murder trial of a Mississippi man charged with setting a 19-year-old friend on fire and leaving her to die handed a bailiff a note: They have reached a verdict.

Islamic State group loses emblematic Syria stronghold Raqa

US-backed forces took full control of Raqa from the Islamic State group on Tuesday, defeating the last jihadist holdouts in the de facto Syrian capital of their now-shattered "caliphate". The victory caps a battle of more than four months, hammering another nail in the coffin of the jihadist group's experiment in statehood, which has collapsed in the face of offensives in Syria and Iraq. Inside Raqa, overjoyed fighters from the Kurdish-Arab Syrian Democratic Forces celebrated and raised their yellow flag in the city's Al-Naim traffic circle, which became known as "Hell Roundabout" after jihadists used it for gruesome public executions.

Israel uncovers Roman structure at foot of Jerusalem's Western Wall

Israeli archaeologists in Jerusalem's Old City on Monday unveiled a newly unearthed section of the Western Wall and the first Roman public structure ever discovered in the city, they said. Archaeologist Joe Uziel said he and his colleagues knew the wall section was there and had expected to find a Roman street at its base. The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), which conducted the two-year dig, said that historical sources mentioned such structures but in 150 years of modern archaeological research in the city none had been found.

Crews push to contain California fires, search for bodies

By Jim Christie SANTA ROSA, Calif. (Reuters) - Crews fought their way across rugged, steep terrain on Tuesday in a push to gain full control of the deadliest wildfires in California history, as search-and-rescue teams picked through an ashy moonscape of destroyed homes looking for victims. "There are still some concerns that if the west winds come up or we get some erratic winds they could push our lines, but as of right now we're looking pretty good," Steve Crawford, a fire operations chief, told reporters at a briefing in Sonoma County in the heart of California's celebrated wine country. Already 41 people have been confirmed killed in the fires, which erupted last week and were driven by dry, hot winds into Northern California communities, giving residents little or no chance to escape.

Bill Cosby Accusers Demand Academy Kick Out Cosby And Polanski Too

Two of the more than 50 women who have accused comedian Bill Cosby of sexual assault are demanding he and film producer Roman Polanski be immediately removed from the Academy of Motion Pictures.

'Did Mike make you pray?' Trump reportedly mocks Pence's 'religiosity'

According to a lengthy "New Yorker" magazine profile of Mike Pence, the president has been known to mock the vice president’s evangelical values behind closed doors.

Philippine President Declares Marawi City 'Liberated' From Terrorists

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has declared Marawi City liberated from terrorists, signalling an end to almost five months of fighting in the southern Philippine city.

Hospital delays life-saving kidney transplant for toddler after his donor father violates parole

Life-saving surgery for a two-year-old boy has been put on hold due to what his mother describes as red tape at the hospital. A J was born without kidneys and suffered a stroke two months ago. Emory University Hospital in Atlanta decided to delay surgery until next year after finding out Mr Burgess violated his parole when he was charged with possession of a firearm.

Side-By-Side ‘Before And After’ Photos Show What Having Kids Does To You

A New York dad’s Instagram callout is showing just how much kids wear out their parents.

Ex-deputy pleads guilty in his neighbor's shooting death

WAVERLY, Ohio (AP) — A former deputy sheriff who was acquitted in the fatal shooting of an unarmed man after a car chase pleaded guilty on Monday to reckless homicide in the fatal shooting of a neighbor he said had asked him for a lesson on how to disarm someone.

Hillary Clinton breaks toe falling down stairs, misses BBC interview

Hillary Clinton was delayed arriving for the filming of the BBC's Graham Norton Show due to a broken toe. The former US presidential candidate arrived for the recording of Norton's BBC One show wearing a surgical boot. Mrs Clinton said: "I was running down the stairs in heels with a cup of coffee in hand, I was talking over my shoulder and my heel caught and I fell backwards. "I tried to get up and it really hurt. I've broken my toe. I've received excellent care from your excellent health service." Mrs Clinton is said to be "very apologetic" after missing her slot on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour due to delays. The former presidential candidate was due to speak about why she lost the 2016 US presidential election to Republican Donald Trump. Hillary Clinton appeared on the BBC's Graham Norton Show wearing a surgical boot. Credit: Ian West/PA Presenter Jane Garvey apologised to listeners close to the programme's end, saying: "Hillary Clinton has been delayed this morning, as I've already said ... she's not going to make it before the end of the programme. I'm really, really sorry about that. I think you probably understand just how sorry I am. "But we are working very, very hard to get this interview rescheduled and Hillary Clinton is very apologetic. "So what can I say, that's the situation." It follows a string of late arrivals by the former US secretary of state over the weekend. Mrs Clinton was about 45 minutes late for a speech at the Cheltenham Literature Festival on Sunday to promote her new book, What Happened. She was also delayed a similar amount of time on Saturday, when she was presented with an honorary doctorate at Swansea University. Meanwhile, her husband Bill was forced to postpone a planned intervention in Northern Ireland's political stalemate because of storm Ophelia. The Press Association understands the former US president had been due in the region on Monday to meet warring political parties as they continue to struggle to reach a deal to restore the collapsed Executive. But the visit was called off at late notice due to the severe weather warnings. It is understood the visit may still take place on Tuesday.

Judge Orders Trump Administration To Turn Over DACA Emails

The Trump administration must turn over all emails and memos used to make its decision to phase out Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the 2012 program created to protect undocumented youths from deportation, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

Wildfire toll hits 45 in Portugal-Spain but rain brings respite

Overnight rain and calmer winds have helped firefighters tame a spate of deadly wildfires that broke out over the weekend, devouring homes and killing 41 people in Portugal and another four in northern Spain. Portugal's civil protection agency said Tuesday that the 15 biggest fires, which had raged through the centre and the north of the country, had been brought under control, but that the death toll had risen. "We've gone from 37 dead to 41," civil protection agency spokeswoman Patricia Gaspar told AFP.

Lena Headey Recalls How Harvey Weinstein Made Her Feel 'Powerless'

As women come forward to accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct, they paint an increasingly clear picture of the once-powerful studio executive’s disturbing predatory behavior.

Bowe Bergdahl pleads guilty to desertion after being captured by Taliban

US Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl - who was held hostage by the Taliban for five years after going missing from his post in Afghanistan - has pleaded guilty to desertion. The 31-year-old, who disappeared from a remote combat outpost in the summer of 2009 and was called “a traitor” by Donald Trump, also pleaded guilty to a charge of misbehaviour before the enemy. Bergdahl, from Idaho, was held for five years by the Haqqani network, the same militant faction linked to the Taliban, that held American Caitlan Coleman and her family hostage for five years until being freed last Wednesday.

Woman facing deportation seeks sanctuary a second time

DENVER (AP) — A Peruvian woman has sought sanctuary for a second time in Colorado rather than board a Tuesday flight to her native country as ordered by U.S. immigration authorities, supporters said.

China’s 19th Party Congress and How the Mighty Xi Jinping Could Fall

China looks set to be the example of what can happen when nineteenth century absolutism fails in the twenty-first century. The Communist Party will convene its week-long Nineteenth National Congress in Beijing on Wednesday. Xi Jinping, just proclaimed “the world’s most powerful man” by the Economist, looks like he has set in motion a chain of events that will lead to the end of China’s one-party state.

Everything You Need To Host The Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner

Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner for the first time or you’ve held this event for decades, there are certain pitfalls that are hard to avoid in Thanksgiving prep.

The Story Behind That 2,000-Year-Old Thracian Chariot You Saw on Reddit

The photo of an ancient Thracian chariot alongside the bones of two horses and a dog has quickly risen to the top of Reddit today (Oct. 13), with more than 65,000 likes. A team of archaeologists led by Veselin Ignatov, of the Istoricheski muzej Nova Zagora, a museum in Bulgaria, discovered the 2,000-year-old wooden chariot in 2008. In 2009, Ignatov and his team also found a brick tomb, containing the remains of a man dressed in what appears to be armor, near the chariot.

Florida Governor Declares State of Emergency Over White Nationalist Richard Spencer's University Speech

Gov. Rick Scott said a "threat of a potential emergency is imminent"

Boeing could rebut Airbus deal with new plane, partner

Bombardier's alliance with Airbus creates new hurdles for Boeing, but the US giant could respond by deepening its collaboration with Brazil's Embraer and launching a new aircraft, analysts say. The surprise deal with Airbus was designed to let Bombardier proceed with its C Series program and avert draconian US sanctions that had been ordered in a preliminary Commerce Department decision in response to a Boeing complaint. "Anything that's good for Airbus is bad for Boeing of course," said Jim Corridore, an analyst at CFRA Research, summarizing the reaction of many observers to the Airbus-Bombardier venture.

In A First, Scientists Spot Light Amid Gravitational Waves Emitted By Colliding Stars

Scientists for the first time have detected both gravitational waves and light from the collision of two dead, incredibly dense neutron stars.

North Korea Says Nuclear War 'May Break Out Any Moment'

North Korea warned a United Nations committee on Monday that a nuclear conflict “may break out any moment,” continuing a bombastic war of words between the East Asian country and the United States that has only increased in recent months.

130 Years in Prison Recommended for Okla. Parents Convicted in ‘Worst Case of Child Abuse’ Seen by Police

An Oklahoma mom and dad each face a long stay behind bars after a jury recommended a sentence of 130 years each following the pair’s conviction for what a police officer termed the “worst case of child abuse” he’d seen

The Latest: Napa Valley school remain closed until Monday

NAPA, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on California wildfires (all times local):

Stunning Photos Show Faces Of Poverty That Are Rarely Seen

A new portrait campaign asking people to think differently about people living in poverty appeared on billboards in New York City’s Times Square on Tuesday.

Thousands of anti-government protesters rally in Ukraine

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Several thousand government protesters rallied outside Ukraine's parliament Tuesday and some urged President Petro Poroshenko to step down.

Just a miniature horse riding in the back of a car

Sometimes, you need to make do with what you've got. Hannah Waskel was driving in Altoona, Iowa, with her friends on Saturday when they pulled up to a red light and spotted something a little off. In the back seat of the compact car next to them, they saw a miniature horse, just chilling. SEE ALSO: Woman tests limits of pet-friendly motel with her horse This is the most Iowa thing that has EVER happened to me pic.twitter.com/H4qjYBJ3bC — Hannah (@hannahwaskel) October 14, 2017 “This is the most Iowa thing that has EVER happened to me," she wrote on Twitter. It's not clear where the horse was headed, but Waskel says that the people in the car noticed they were laughing at their unusual passenger, so they waved and rolled down the window for the horse.  Never change, Iowa. Never change. WATCH: This small army of robots will do your shopping for you

Secret of gold finally found: precious metals are forged in cataclysmic collision of neutron stars

The secret of creating gold has fascinated alchemists for thousands of years, but now scientists have finally solved the mystery. Precious metals are forged in the cataclysmic collision of neutron stars and then flung out into the universe where they eventually aggregate with other stardust into larger bodies, like planets or comets. Previously scientists had theorised that such cosmic smashes could create the vast amount of energy needed to create gold, platinum and silver, but for the first time, they have actually recorded it happening. On August 17, astronomers in the US picked up a signal from two neutron stars crashing together 130 million years ago, when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth. Jets and Debris from a Neutron Star Collision 00:44 The impact, known as a ‘kilanova’ was so powerful that it shook not only space but also time, sending ripples - or gravitational waves - through the fabric of the universe. After the ripple was detected on Earth, astronomers across the world pointed their telescopes to the area of space from which it had originated and soon also picked up the bright afterglow from the collision. Inside that light were the distinct chemical signatures for gold, silver and platinum. Dr Joe Lyman, of the University of Warwick, who was observing at the European Southern Observatory, in Germany, was the first to alert the scientific community to the fact they were witnessing a completely new event. The neutron star crash was so powerful it shook time and space sending a ripple out across the universe  Credit: LSC/Sonoma State University  “The observations showed we were observing a kilonova, an object whose light is powered by extreme nuclear reactions,” he said. “This tells us that the heavy elements, like the gold or platinum in jewellery, are the cinders, forged in the billion degree remnants of a merging neutron star.” Neutron stars are created when giant stars die in spectacular supernovas. Their cores collapse, allowing protons and electrons to meld together to form neutrons, creating small yet incredibly dense stars. Just a teaspoon of neutron star material would have a mass of about a billion tons. Einstein?s theory about gravitational waves explained 02:01 The two stars which were detected in August were as heavy as our Sun, yet only six miles (10km) across. They existed in a galaxy called NGC 4993. The pair drew towards each other over millions of years, and revolved around each other increasingly quickly as they got closer – eventually spinning around each other five hundred times per second, until they crashed, forming either a larger neutron star or collapsing into a black hole. The origins of gold The spacetime ripples created by the collision were detected by the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory in Washington and Louisiana (Ligo). It was here the first discovery of gravitational waves was made in September 2015, confirming a prediction made by Albert Einstein 100 years ago and earning three pioneers of the project a Nobel Prize. In that instance, black holes collided so only the ripples were detected because everything else was swallowed inside. But neutron stars are relatively lighter than black holes, so when they collide and merge, a small part of their mass and radiation does escape and can be detected along with gravitational waves. The Theory of Relativity Professor David Wiltshire, Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Canterbury, said: “The first discovery of gravitational waves from the merger of two neutron stars is an historic event. “It is every bit as exciting as the first discovery of gravitational waves from merging black holes. Since this involves neutron stars that radiate light, for the first time we can also see what is going on in an extreme astronomical event that shakes up space-time.” Dr J.J. Eldridge, astrophysicist at the University of Auckland, added: “We’re all made of stardust, but gold, silver and platinum are made of neutron stardust. “In this particular event, it’s likely that 100s or 1000s of Earth masses of gold and other elements were made. If the rate of neutron stars mergers is as high as we now think, these dying stars are now the source of most of these elements in the universe.” The discovery has also solved the mystery of what creates short wave gamma ray bursts which are picked up on Earth and could help pinpoint how fast the universe is expanding. Dr Samantha Oates, of Warwick’s Astronomy and Astrophysics group added: “This discovery has answered three questions that astronomers have been puzzling for decades: what happens when neutron stars merge? What causes the short duration gamma-ray bursts? Where are the heavy elements, like gold, made? In the space of about a week all three of these mysteries were solved.” The new findings were published in research papers in the journals Nature, Nature Astronomy and Science.  

Trump Says Obama Didn't Call Parents of Fallen Soldiers

The president suggested his predecessor did not call the families of fallen soldiers.

Woman Steals Credit Card of 7-Eleven Clerk Who Was Having a Seizure: Cops

Instead of helping, the female customer, known as a regular of the 7-Eleven, reached into his pocket and took his credit card, local authorities said.

Delaware indicts 18 inmates in deadly prison riot

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Sixteen inmates have been charged with first-degree murder and assault, and face life in prison if convicted in the death of a corrections officer during February's riot at Delaware's maximum-security lockup.

Kevin James Explains Why 'Kevin Can Wait' Killed Off His Wife

Kevin James said his sitcom “Kevin Can Wait” killed off his on-screen wife after last season because “we were literally just running out of ideas.”

The U.S. Navy Just Parked a Guided-Missile Submarine Right Near North Korea

As tensions with North Korea continue to rise, the United States continues to bring more long-range precision striking power into the region. On October 13, USS Michigan (SSGN 727)—an Ohio-class guided-missile submarine—pulled into a South Korean naval base in the port city of Busan. While the U.S. Pacific Command states that Michigan’s visit to the Republic of Korea (ROK) was long planned, the message to North Korea is clear—the United States will stand by Seoul if Pyongyang makes any aggressive moves.