Columbiana

Fugitive priest accused of molesting teen arrested in Georgia, Louisiana cops say

Rev. Patrick Wattigny was removed from public ministry in early October.

Fight for justice continues in 2004 murder of Louisiana woman

Courtney Coco’s partially-clothed body was found in an abandoned building near Winnie, Texas, on October 4, 2004. It is unclear how the 19-year-old from Alexandria, Louisiana ended up 200 miles away in Texas. A week later, Courtney’s car was located in Houston, Texas. Her death was ruled a homicide but the case has gone cold and her killer has never been found. The Alexandria Police Department and the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office are investigating.

U.S. Postal Service returns 137 mail processing machines to service

The U.S. Postal Service told a U.S. judge on Friday it has returned 137 mail processing machines to service since August as it works to deliver millions of ballots. U.S. District Judge Emmett Sullivan had ordered the return of mail sorting machines if removals could impact timely election mail deliveries ahead of the Nov. 3 presidential election. The Postal Service said since Aug. 18, 137 mail processing machines have been returned to service and it has not removed any additional machines from service.

Mexico City discourages large gatherings as COVID-19 hospitalisations rise

The mayor of Mexico City, the country's largest city, on Friday called on residents to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people as the capital grapples with a surge of coronavirus hospitalisations. Health authorities have been warning that large gatherings, such as the Nov. 1-2 Day of the Dead festivities that usually draw hundreds of thousands of people nationwide, could prompt another wave of infections. The pandemic has led to more than 874,000 infections and killed nearly 87,900 people in Mexico.

Crews battling largest wildfires in Colorado history brace for high winds

Crews battling a string of wildfires in drought-stricken Colorado braced on Friday for the return of high winds that have stoked flames in what authorities have called an unprecedented outbreak of late-season wildfires. Three of the largest wildfires in Colorado's history have raged this year and two of them are still growing. The largest, the Cameron Peak Fire, has scorched more than 206,000 acres (83,360 hectares), according to the fire-reporting site InciWeb, and as of Friday morning it was 57 percent contained.

'Boogaloo Bois' member charged in connection to shooting at Minneapolis police station

Prosecutors say Ivan Harrison Hunter, 26, fired 13 rounds from an AK-47 during Minneapolis protests in late May.

Georgia teen apologizes for Black church murder plot, sentenced to juvenile detention

This week a Georgia teen accused of plotting to attack a predominantly Black church in 2019, issued an apology in court before being sentenced to four years in a juvenile facility and probation. According to CNN, the young woman’s plot eerily resembled the one carried out by Dylann Roof at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Carolina five years ago. Fortunately, authorities intercepted her plans and she was arrested last November before being able to carry the attack at the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Gainesville, Georgia.

Wildfire smoke may help virus spread, mouthwash helps curb it

Large wildfires may be linked to increases in COVID-19 cases and deaths in the San Francisco area, according to a paper in the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences. Researchers found that between March and September, increases in smoke particles, other wildfire pollutants and carbon monoxide levels corresponded to increases in daily COVID-19 diagnoses and total COVID-19 deaths. While correlation does not necessarily mean causality, coauthor Sultan Ayoub Meo of King Saud University in Saudi Arabia said air pollution provides a means for viruses to move around the environment.

J&J preparing to resume U.S. trial of COVID-19 vaccine candidate

Johnson & Johnson said on Friday it was preparing to resume a large clinical trial of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine in the United States after an independent safety panel recommended enrollments for the study. Last week, the company paused its late-stage trial after a study participant became ill. J&J at the time said it was not clear if the volunteer had received the vaccine or a placebo and that it would take at least a few days for an independent data and safety monitoring board to evaluate the illness.

Biden says he would if elected mandate masks in interstate transportation

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Friday said he would mandate masks in all interstate U.S. transportation if elected after the Trump administration rejected requirements. "As president I will mandate mask wearing in all federal buildings and all interstate transportation because masks save lives - period," Biden said in a speech in Delaware. On Monday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a "strong recommendation" that all passengers and employees on airplanes, trains, subways, buses, taxis and ride-share vehicles wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Texan in far-right Boogaloo Bois charged with rioting in Minneapolis protest, feds say

The Texas man was stopped with an AK-47-style rifle at an Austin protest, too, officials say.

Judge orders Miami attorney accused of bank robberies held before trial

Just days ago, Miami attorney Aaron Honaker was listed as a “member in good standing” by the Florida Bar, while he claimed in his bio to have graduated from Duke University’s prestigious law school.

‘Boogaloo Boi’ charged in fire of Minneapolis police precinct during George Floyd protest

Ivan Harrison Hunter, a Texas rightwing extremist, bragged about helping to set the fire then was seen shooting 13 rounds at the buildingA rightwing extremist boasted of driving from Texas to Minneapolis to help set fire to a police precinct during the George Floyd protests, federal prosecutors said.US attorney Erica MacDonald said on Friday that she has charged Ivan Harrison Hunter, a 26-year-old Texas resident, with traveling across state lines to participate in a riot. The charges are the latest example of far-right extremists attempting to use violence to escalate national protests against police brutality into an uprising against the government, and even full civil war.The case also reveals the extent of the coordination between violent members of the nascent far-right “Boogaloo Bois” movement operating in different cities across the country.According to the complaint, Hunter sent multiple private messages on Facebook bragging of his actions in Minneapolis on the night of 28 May and morning of 29 May, writing, “I set fire to that precinct with the Black community,” and, “My mom would call the FBI if she knew.”Video shot that night shows a person later identified as Hunter firing 13 rounds from a semiautomatic assault-style rifle on the 3rd precinct police station while people believed to be looters were inside. He then high-fived another person and shouted, “Justice for Floyd!” according to the complaint.Later, he privately messaged Steven Carrillo, another alleged “Boogaloo Boi” in California, urging him to “go for police buildings”, according to the federal criminal complaint.“I did better, lol,” Carrillo allegedly replied.Hours before Carrillo sent that message, according to the complaint, federal prosecutors say Carrillo had driven to Oakland with an accomplice, and, as protesters were demonstrating blocks away, shot two officers guarding a federal courthouse in downtown Oakland, killing one, David Patrick Underwood.Carrillo was later charged with killing another law enforcement officer, a Santa Cruz sheriff’s deputy, in an ambush attack in June.Police in Austin, Texas, stopped a pickup truck, in which Hunter was a passenger, on 3 June for multiple traffic violations. Hunter had six loaded magazines for a semiautomatic rifle in a tactical vest he was wearing. Officers also found multiple firearms in the truck.Several days after the stop, federal agents learned of Hunter’s online affiliation with Carrillo. MacDonald said Hunter made his initial court appearance on Thursday in San Antonio, Texas. It is unclear if he has an attorney.This is a developing story. More details soon

Pennsylvania can not reject mail-in ballots due to signature discrepancy -state court

Pennsylvania is a battleground state whose 20 Electoral College votes are key to victory for both Republican President Donald Trump and Biden. Democrats hailed the move while Republicans were critical.

Member of far-right group charged with rioting at George Floyd protests

Ivan Harrison Hunter, a self-described member of far-right group Boogaloo Bois, has been charged with one count of rioting

Ghislaine Maxwell’s family launch operation to get her out of New York prison

Ghislaine Maxwell’s family have launched “Operation GGO” – a “get Ghislaine out of jail" campaign, complaining that her human rights have been violated in a New York prison. The heiress, on remand for child sex trafficking charges linked to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, has been the victim of “cruel” and “vindictive” treatment by the US authorities, it is claimed. Brian Basham, a public relations veteran and close friend of the family, has alleged that Ms Maxwell has lost 25lbs while in jail and that when she complained, the prison authorities simply removed her scales to prevent her from recording any further weight loss. Ms Maxwell, a vegan, was not being fed a proper diet and went 20 hours without food in recent days, he said. He also complained that she was forced to wear clothes made of paper and was refused permission to wear a bra because of fears she is a suicide risk. Prison guards, he said, have stopped talking to her and she is in isolation in a cell 9ft by 7ft. Letters from family have not reached her, Mr Basham has alleged. Epstein killed himself in a New York jail last year while awaiting trial. Mr Basham has now offered his services to the family for free to secure her bail before a trial on six counts relating to child sex trafficking and procurement charges and perjury due to take place next summer.

Scott Peterson, who killed pregnant wife, faces death penalty at resentencing

“At this point in time, we are on track to retry" the death penalty case, a prosecutor told a judge in California on Friday.

Far-right extremist shot at Minneapolis' police precinct to spark violence during Floyd protests, FBI says

A far-right extremist has been accused of opening fire on Minneapolis' third police precinct and sparking violence during May's George Floyd protests.Ivan Harrison Hunter, a 26-year-old from Texas, was charged Friday with one count of interstate travel to participate in a riot. An admitted member of the "Boogaloo Bois," Hunter opened fire on the precinct and later looted it and helped set it on fire, the FBI said in a sworn affidavit released Friday.The Minneapolis police's third precinct was just a block from where Floyd was killed, and became the center of protests against police violence that devolved into the destruction of the precinct and buildings around it. Hunter is one of several far-right extremists accused of intentionally ramping up that violence. Armed with a mask and tactical gear, Hunter fired 13 rounds at the precinct while officers were inside and ran away shouting "Justice for Floyd," the FBI alleges. He later bragged about "help[ing] the community burn down that police station" on Facebook.Hunter admitted he was member of the Boogaloo movement, a collection of far-right, anti-government extremists intent on sparking a second civil war. He was in contact with other self-described Boogaloo Bois who arranged a trip to Minneapolis. He also texted with Steven Carrillo, another Boogaloo member who later shot and killed a sheriff's deputy in California.More stories from theweek.com Trump loses on the merits Who won the final 2020 debate? Call it a draw. Get ready for Trump TV, America

Florida inmates can get stimulus checks following court ruling, corrections officials say

Following a court ruling, Florida corrections officials said Friday that inmates who receive stimulus payments of up to $1,200 will have the money deposited into their accounts.

Colombia vice-president tests positive for coronavirus

Colombian Vice-President Marta Lucia Ramirez has tested positive for coronavirus, the government said on Friday, but is asymptomatic and in good health. Ramirez, 66, took a test on Thursday ahead of her planned attendance at a conference with provincial governors, her office said in a statement. Contact tracing will be conducted, it added.

Scott Peterson, who killed pregnant wife, should again get death penalty, prosecutors say

“At this point in time, we are on track to retry" the death penalty case, a prosecutor told a judge in California on Friday.

Utah Man charged with damaging Yellowstone while digging for infamous Forrest Fern treasure

Chest was found in June after thousands searched across America

Moscow says number of deaths from COVID-19 up 21% in September from August

COVID-19 was the main cause of death for 543 people in Moscow in September, up 21% from August, the Russian capital's healthcare department said on Friday as the spread of the coronavirus intensified. Moscow, the city worst hit by the pandemic in Russia, said it had recorded 11,159 total deaths in September, 1,441 more than in September 2019 and 1,702 more than the average of the previous three years. Earlier on Friday, authorities said Russia's daily tally of new coronavirus cases had hit a record 17,340, including 5,478 in Moscow, taking the national tally to 1,480,646 since the pandemic began.

Report: Seattle officers used excessive force at protests

A Seattle police officer who slammed a protester's head to the ground, another who punched a demonstrator in the head a half dozen times and a third officer who put his knee on the necks of two looting suspects violated policies against using excessive force, an independent agency tasked with investigating police misconduct said Friday. Protests erupted in Seattle and across the country this summer after George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer.

France's Macron: Expect to live with virus at least till mid-2021

France will have to live with the coronavirus at least until next summer, President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday. Macron, who was speaking during a visit to a hospital in Pointoise, near Paris, said there were no plans at this stage to reduce curfews aimed at preventing the virus spreading but that curfews could even be extended. "When I listen to scientists I see that projections are for at best until next Summer," he said, adding it was too early to say if France was headed towards new full or partial lockdowns.

White teen pleads guilty to plot to attack Black churchgoers in Georgia

Prosecutors said the teenager had outlined plans for the attack in a notebook and that a search of her book bag revealed two knives and a T-shirt that read “free Dylann Storm Roof."

Black couple didn't provoke shooting by police, relative says

“My daughter said she put her hand up, and if she didn’t put her hand up, she said, ‘Mama, I would be dead,’” the girlfriend's mother said.

Legal limbo: Hundreds of Louisville protesters still waiting to learn their fate months after arrest

In many cities, protesters arrested this summer have had cases dropped or resolved. But in Louisville, many are still waiting for their day in court.

Houston officer killed two weeks before retirement

Sgt. Harold Preston, who led ‘from the front,’ died at an area hospital with his family by his side. A longtime Texas police officer just two weeks away from his retirement was shot and killed Tuesday while responding to a domestic violence call. Houston Police Sgt. Harold Preston, 65, suffered multiple head wounds after the 41-year force veteran responded to a call at a local apartment complex.

19-year-old plotted to kill Joe Biden, court documents indicate

He allegedly posted a meme about killing Biden and traveled to a Wendy's within 4 miles of Biden's home.

Bulgarian PM self-isolates after deputy minister tests positive for COVID-19

Borissov said he had a negative result from a coronavirus test he took earlier on Friday before his meeting with Keith Krach, U.S. under secretary at the State Department for economic growth, energy and the environment in Sofia. Borissov said he was informed in the afternoon that deputy Construction Minister Nikolay Nankov had tested positive for COVID-19 and decided to self-isolate until the health authorities decide whether he should be quarantined or not.

Early TV ratings data show drop for second Trump-Biden debate

More than 50 million people watched Republican U.S. President Donald Trump debate Democratic challenger Joe Biden on the six largest broadcast and cable television networks, according to preliminary Nielsen ratings data released on Friday. The numbers for the Thursday night face-off fell from initial figures for the pair's first debate in September. The figures represent the audience average across Walt Disney Co's ABC, Viacom Inc's CBS, Comcast Corp's NBC and MSNBC, Fox News Channel and CNN, owned by AT&T Inc.

A 17-year-old white supremacist apologized for her plot to attack a Black Georgia church and was sentenced to juvenile detention

Caitlyn Pye had a notebook detailing her plan to hurt Black churchgoers, a t-shirt that said "free Dylann Roof" with swastikas.

U.S. housing market heats up ahead of election but not all feel the glow

"I don't think there's any question that we've seen significant improvement," said Jim Baird, chief investment officer for Plante Moran Financial Advisors. The National Association of Realtors this week reported U.S. existing home sales surged in September to levels not seen in more than 14 years. It has also been a boon for builders, who are as confident as they've ever been, the National Association of Home Builders reported this week, as they rush to meet the demands of a severely under-supplied housing market.

Austria prints a postage stamp to remember COVID-19 by, on toilet paper

Austria's postal service has united two aspects of the coronavirus pandemic in a stamp printed on toilet paper that people can also, at a push, use for social distancing. The novelty item is printed on three-ply toilet paper, in reference to the hoarding that occurred earlier this year, an urge that has recently started rearing its head again.

Pelosi, Trump trade blame on COVID-19 stimulus talks; Senate Republicans on sidelines

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Friday it still was possible to get another round of COVID-19 aid before the Nov. 3 general election, but that it was up to President Donald Trump to act, including bringing along reluctant Senate Republicans. Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin countered that Pelosi must compromise to get an aid package, saying significant differences remained between the Republican administration and Democrats. "Now we're talking and we'll see what happens but at this moment I would say that I actually think Nancy would rather wait 'til after the election," Trump told reporters in an Oval Office appearance together with Mnuchin.

A man stepped out of his van to steal the phone of a 64-year-old Black woman who collapsed while jogging in St. Louis

St. Louis police have not yet identified the man involved in the incident in the ongoing investigation.

Accused thief may have gotten away — if it weren’t for his severed finger, TN cops say

A cell phone isn’t all he left behind.

Slovaks begin mass testing in virus hotspots as cases surge

The government hopes the antigen tests, along with a partial lockdown, can help control a sharp rise in infections. "I didn't think twice about it and I wanted to have it done," Tomas Spisiak, a sales manager at a textile firm, said after taking the test in Dolny Kubin.

U.S. faces half a million COVID-19 deaths by end-February, study finds

More than a half million people in the United States could die from COVID-19 by the end of February, but around 130,000 of those lives could be saved if everybody were to wear masks, according to estimates from a modelling study on Friday. The estimates by researchers at the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation showed that with few effective COVID-19 treatment options and no vaccines yet available, the United States faces "a continued COVID-19 public health challenge through the winter." "We are heading into a very substantial fall/winter surge," said IHME Director Chris Murray, who co-led the research.

Kentucky governor wants AG to release ‘everything’ in Breonna Taylor case

‘I trust Kentuckians with the truth,’ says Andy Beshear. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear is calling for his state’s attorney general, Daniel Cameron, to release “all information” related to the grand jury proceedings in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor. The proceedings have come under intense scrutiny after grand jurors failed to indict any officers in the slaying of the 26-year-old emergency medical technician in her apartment on March 13.

Moms of those killed by police honored by Truth Hope and Justice Initiative

After losing children to police violence, mothers across the country are being paid tribute to during a digital event pushing police reform. When George Floyd took his last breath with Derek Chauvin‘s knee in his neck, he called out for his mother, who had passed away two years prior to his murder. Moms who lost their own children to police violence in which there was no such video footage to go viral wonder if their offspring cried the same pleas during their final breaths.

Austrian Airlines begins offering rapid pre-boarding COVID-19 tests

Lufthansa's Austrian Airlines is offering rapid pre-boarding coronavirus tests free to passengers on one of its routes as part of a group-wide plan to make such tests standard, the company said on Friday. The antibody tests, which provide results within 15 minutes, will be offered to passengers on a voluntary basis before they board flights to Berlin from Vienna Airport from Friday, Austrian Airlines said. "We must break down the borders that corona has built up in recent months," Chief Operating Officer Jens Ritter said in the statement, which acknowledged that for the time being these tests are no substitute for the standard PCR tests required by national authorities.

Germany finds five new African swine fever cases in wild boar

Five more cases of African swine fever have been confirmed in wild boars in the eastern German region of Brandenburg, Germany’s federal agriculture ministry said on Friday. The new discoveries bring the total number of confirmed cases to 91 since the first one on Sept. 10. All were in wild animals with no farm pigs affected.

More than 50 million Americans have cast ballots in presidential election

The eye-popping figure is a sign of intense interest in the contest between Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden, as well as Americans' desire to reduce their risk of exposure to COVID-19, which has killed more than 221,000 people across the United States. The high level of early voting has led Michael McDonald, the University of Florida professor who administers the U.S. Elections Project, to predict a record turnout of about 150 million, representing 65% of eligible voters, the highest rate since 1908. On Friday, Trump will hold rallies in the battleground state of Florida, where opinion polls show a tight race and over 4 million votes have already been cast, approaching half the total four years ago.

U.S. business activity picks up in October: IHS Markit

U.S. business activity increased to a 20-month high in October, but the pace of new business growth and new orders eased slightly amid the lingering COVID-19 pandemic and caution ahead of the Nov. 3 presidential election. Data firm IHS Markit said on Friday its flash U.S. Composite PMI Output Index, which tracks the manufacturing and services sectors, rose to a reading of 55.5 this month. A reading above 50 indicates growth in private sector output.

Portugal orders masks for busy outdoor areas as COVID spikes

Face masks will have to be worn in crowded outdoor areas across Portugal, parliament decided on Friday, in a scramble to contain the surge in coronavirus cases. The measure, valid for at least 70 days, orders residents aged 10 or over to wear masks outside whenever physical distancing cannot be guaranteed. "It should have happened a long time ago, more than six months ago," taxi driver Antonio Jose, 68, said, wearing a mask as he waited for his next customer.