National News

Center ‘Sanitized, Cleaned, Scrubbed’ after Illnesses

BILOXI, Miss. (AP) – The director of a coastal Mississippi convention center says an area of the building has been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected following reports of illnesses among groups that had events there. Gulf coast news outlets report dozens of people who attended a Mardi Gras Ball at the Mississippi Coast Convention Center last weekend reported gastro-intestinal problems. People…

FDA Crackdown on Vaping Flavors has Blind Spot: Disposables

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. government has started enforcing new restrictions on flavored electronic cigarettes. But some teenagers may be one step ahead of them. Parents, students and researchers report that some young people have switched to disposable e-cigarettes, which are not covered by the crackdown on flavors. The newer products are sold under brands like Puff Bar and Stig…

China Reports Virus Death Toll Rises to 811, Surpassing SARS

BEIJING (AP) – Mainland China has reported the virus death toll has risen to 811, surpassing SARS fatalities in the 2002-2003 outbreak. China’s National Health Commission on Sunday says the total cases of the new virus have increased to to 37,198. The outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, killed 774 people and infected more than 8,000 worldwide. Like…

NTSB: No Outward Engine Failure in Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash

Federal investigators say wreckage from the helicopter that crashed last month and killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others did not show any evidence of outward engine failure. That’s according to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board. The Jan. 26 crash killed the former Los Angeles Lakers star, his teenage daughter and seven others. The helicopter…

Not Guilty: Split Senate Acquits Trump of Impeachment

The U.S. Senate has acquitted President Donald Trump of impeachment, ending only the third presidential trial in American history with votes that split the country and tested civic norms. The proceedings also are feeding the tumultuous 2020 run for the White House. A majority of senators expressed unease with Trump’s pressure campaign on Ukraine that resulted in the two articles…

Contractor Charged after Customer’s Body Found in Landfill

FLEMING ISLAND, Fla. – A Florida contractor is facing murder charges after the body of a disgruntled customer was found in a Georgia landfill. Authorities say the body of 65-year-old Susan Mauldin was found last week in a Folkston, Georgia, landfill. She disappeared in October after demanding a refund from 45-year-old Corey Binderim, who had not finished the job she…

China Reports 259 People Have Died of New Virus; 11,800 Sick

A man wearing a face mask rides a nearly empty subway train in Beijing, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. The new virus accelerated its spread in China, and the U.S. Consulate in the epicenter of the outbreak, the central city of Wuhan, announced Sunday it will evacuate its personnel and some private citizens aboard a charter flight. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) BEIJING…

Arizona, California Cases Push US Tally of New Virus to 5

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Health officials say the U.S. has five confirmed cases of the new pneumonia-like virus from China. Two new confirmed cases were announced Sunday – one in Los Angeles County in California and the other in Arizona. All of the U.S. patients had traveled to Wuhan, the Chinese city that is the center of the outbreak. Other…

Retired NBA Star Kobe Bryant, Daughter, 7 Others Killed in Helicopter Crash

NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash on a steep hillside in dense morning fog in Southern California on Sunday, his sudden death at age 41 touching off an outpouring of grief for a star whose celebrity transcended basketball. The chopper went down in Calabasas, about 30 miles  northwest of…