# data[].attributes.body
Kylie Jenner might be pregnant and due in February

# data[].attributes.body
Kylie Jenner is pregnant???????
She has released some pictures but has yet to say she is.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
After news of her pregnancy broke Friday, the reality TV star posted two pics over the weekend on her official Instagram account.

The first photo posted Sunday showed Jenner and a group of her friends wearing robes with the caption "mornings :-)"

Her stomach is hidden by what appears to be a column.

The next photo, posted an hour later, shows Jenner and her bff, model Jordyn Woods.

In the photo, the makeup mogul has her shirt slightly lifted and her hand on her stomach.

"Yesterday was cute," the caption read. "Hope you had the happiest of birthdays Jordy. Love you forever ever and beyond.."

Two sources close to the family confirmed to CNN on Friday that Jenner is pregnant and due in February.

The 20-year-old has been in a relationship with rapper Travis Scott since April.

Neither has spoken publicly yet about the pregnancy news.

The pair was spotted Saturday in Las Vegas, where Scott was performing during the iheartRadio Music Festival.

Jenner was wearing what has been her recent look of a baggy T-shirt and jeans.

The 10-year anniversary special of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" aired Sunday on E!, but there was no mention of Jenner's pregnancy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
kylie jenner posts first photos since baby news broke - cnn

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Kylie Jenner posts first photos since baby news broke

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
After news of her pregnancy broke Friday, the reality TV star posted two pics over the weekend on her official Instagram account. The first photo posted Sunday showed Jenner and a group of her friends wearing robes with the caption "mornings :-)" Her stomach is hidden by what appears to be a column.

# data[].attributes.body
Puerto Rico is still a mess since Hurricane Maria hit. Millions of people are left without power. Puerto Rico is also facing another danger, the Puerto Rico Dam is releasing water, putting 70,000 people in even more danger.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Guajataca Dam is "releasing water" after suffering "infrastructure damage" following the Category 5 storm, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló told CNN late Sunday.

"Right now, as it stands, a couple of hours after I went through Isabela, part of the dam did break it is releasing water," Rosselló said. "And that dam is partly concrete, partly soil. So as water runs through, erosion starts having its toll on the dam and my concern is at some point it'll break."

An engineer was assessing the site and seeing what steps could be taken to mitigate the risk, Rosselló said.

A flood warning for western Puerto Rico has been extended until 8.15 a.m. ET Monday, according to a tweet late Sunday by the National Weather Service of San Juan.

About 70,000 people in the area of the Guajataca Dam were told to evacuate on Friday, according to the National Guard. With more than 95% of wireless cell sites out of service, authorities had to physically go to thousands of residents to warn them of the potential collapse.

Communications cut

Without power and communications in much of the island, millions of people, including city leaders and first responders, have been cut off from the world since Maria hit Wednesday.

Flying over Puerto Rico Sunday, CNN's Leyla Santiago said residents could be seen along the highways searching for a cellphone signal.

"The island from above is a completely different color" due to the lack of trees, Santiago said, while pools are filled with black water and debris. The storm had ripped the roofs of houses, exposing their interiors to the sky, she said.

At least 10 people have been confirmed killed by the hurricane.

A doctor at Canovanas Medical Center -- one of the few hospitals with a working generator -- said they were running out of fuel to keep it going.

Dr. Norbert Seda told CNN that the center only had 2-3 days left of medical supplies and medicine.

None of the three hospitals CNN visited had running water and all said they had just days of supplies left.

However, the Gov. Rosselló guaranteed that the people of Puerto Rico would have access to enough food and water to survive.

"We have centers that will distribute water and food, we've already started getting shipments. Today, as a matter of fact, we had a million liters of water come in to Puerto Rico. We have half a million servings of food and other resources." Rosselló also said the island has enough fuel for the next 20 days.

He issued a plea to US Congress for a suitable aid package as the US territory recovers from the damage caused by Hurricane Maria. "Congress can act. If they don't act, my fear is that we will see massive migration, it will be depleting the human resource here in Puerto Rico and it will be effecting demographic change in the United States as well."

Authorities flew over the island Saturday, and were stunned by what they saw. Roads are completely washed away and others are blocked by debris, isolating residents.

"It was devastating to see all that kind of debris in all areas, in all towns of the island," Jenniffer González, the island's non-voting representative in Congress told CNN.

"We never expected to have a lot of debris in so many areas. A lot of roads are closed, older ones are just gone," she added.

Roselló met with more than 50 mayors and representatives from across Puerto Rico on Saturday. Some described the conditions in their communities as "apocalyptic" and said there have been incidents of looting in both homes and stores.

Army, more federal aid coming

US President Donald Trump has pledged federal help for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

The Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration said 4,000 members of the US Army Reserves have been deployed to the island to help with Hurricane Maria recovery.

"Federal partners are aggressively working to meet and overcome challenges to opening ports and restoring power to bring additional life-saving commodities and personnel into disaster-affected areas," the Federal Emergency Management Agency said in a statement.

Several flights and sea vessels with meals, water and generators have been arriving or are headed to Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands affected, the agency said.

Brock Long, the FEMA director, said on Twitter Sunday he would visit Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands on Monday.

Maria marching north

Meantime, the US East Coast bracing for high winds and treacherous surf from Hurricane Maria, days after the storm caused widespread devastation in the Caribbean.

Early Monday the National Hurricane Center said Maria was expected to pass "well east" of the southeast coast during the next day or so.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for north of Surf City, North Carolina, to the Virginia border, as well as North Carolina's Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds. A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for Cape Lookout to Duck.

"The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline," the center warned, while dangerous swells were expected to increase along the Mid-Atlantic coast.

The storm hit Dominica, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the US Virgin Islands and the Turks and Caicos, a British overseas territory.

CNN's Rafael Romo and Samantha Beech contributed to this report.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
hurricane maria: dam threatens to burst in devastated puerto rico - cnn

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Nicole Chavez and Susannah Cullinane, CNN

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Hurricane Maria: Puerto Rico Dam may burst

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Guajataca Dam is "releasing water" after suffering "infrastructure damage" following the Category 5 storm, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló told CNN late Sunday. "Right now, as it stands, a couple of hours after I went through Isabela, part of the dam did break it is releasing water," Rosselló said.

# data[].attributes.body
The grandmother of an 8 year old boy who police said was beaten to death by his mother's ex-boyfriend told authorities he died protecting his 7 year old sister from the alleged boyfriend, who was the child molester of his 7 year old sister.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The grandmother of an 8-year-old boy who police said was beaten to death by this mother's ex-boyfriend told Fox 40 that the boy died protecting his sister from his mother's child-molester ex-boyfriend.

Deandre Chaney Jr., 23, attacked Dante Daniels with a hammer and lighter fluid, Fox 40 reported, citing a criminal complaint. Chaney, a reported violent two-strike felon and sex offender, beat Dante in the early morning hours of Sept. 1, while performing a lewd act on his 7-year-old sister, authorities said. The boy died six days later.

Authorities said Chaney, at one point, turned the hammer an knife on the girl and the mother, who was reportedly out at the time of the incident. Brown told Fox 40 that the 7-year-old girl is fine, but will likely never see out of her left eye again.

"Trying to save his sister from this child molester," Monique Brown, the boy's grandmother said. "And that's why he was beat the worst."

Brown called her grandson a hero. She said the boy was beaten with a hammer "down to his spine."

"They couldn't save his brain," she said.

Dante never made it to his second day of third grade at Oakridge Elementary in South Sacramento, the report said.

Chaney was arraigned on murder, attempted murder and charged with lewd acts with a child under 14.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Boy, 8, died protecting sister, 7, from his mom's child-molester ex, grandmother says

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The grandmother of an 8-year-old boy who police said was beaten to death by this mother's ex-boyfriend told Fox 40 that the boy died protecting his sister from his mother's child-molester ex-boyfriend. Deandre Chaney Jr., 23, attacked Dante Daniels with a hammer and lighter fluid, Fox 40 reported, citing a criminal complaint.

# data[].attributes.body
Kylie Jenner post her first photo after all the pregnancy rumors,she still hasn't confirmed it but two source are saying she due in February.http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/25/entertainment/kylie-jenner-instagram-posts/index.html

# data[].attributes.body
Parents outraged over profanity on homework that they"re giving to children in school.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
profanity-laced homework outrages parents - cnn video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Profanity-laced homework outrages parents - CNN Video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A music teacher was removed from a Georgia classroom after handing out an assignment containing profanity-laced rap lyrics. CNN affiliate WSB has more.

# data[].attributes.body
Alejandro Villanueva, a tackle for the Stealers and former Army Ranger, is the only one to come out of the locker room and stand for the National Anthem

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
For Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, being "respectful of our football team" trumped the right of Steelers offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva to show respect for the national anthem.

A former Army Ranger, Villanueva was the only player from the team to break from the coach's orders and come out of the tunnel Sunday in Chicago to stand for The Star Spangled Banner.

Speaking after his team's 23-17 loss to the Bears, Tomlin appeared to take a swipe at the Bronze Star recipient's decision.

"Like I said, I was looking for 100 percent participation, we were gonna be respectful of our football team," Tomlin said.

Tomlin told the media prior to kickoff Sunday the Steelers would not come out of the locker room for the national anthem, adding the intent was to have his team focus on the game and not President Trump's comments blasting players who chose to protest during the playing of the Star Spangled Banner.

"Many of them felt like something needed to be done. I asked those guys to discuss it and whatever they discussed that we have 100 percent participation or we do nothing," Tomlin said after the game. "They discussed it for an appropriate length of time and they couldn't come to an understanding, so they chose to remove themselves from it. They were not going to be disrespectful in the anthem so they chose not to participate, but at the same time many of them were not going to accept the words of the president."

Villanueva, who served three tours in Afghanistan, decided to stand his ground instead and placed his hand over his heart while the anthem played.

Villanueva has previously spoken out about former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's decision to kneel during the national anthem, saying his actions may "send the wrong message."

"I don't know if the most effective way is to sit down during the national anthem with a country that's providing you freedom, providing you $16 million a year...when there are black minorities that are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan for less than $20,000 a year," Villanueva told ESPN in 2016.

He added: "I will be the first one to hold hands with Colin Kaepernick and do something about the way minorities are being treated in the United States, the injustice that is happening with police brutality, the justice system, inequalities in pay. You can't do it by looking away from the people that are trying to protect our freedom and our country."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin raps Alejandro Villanueva for standing for national anthem

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, being "respectful of our football team" trumped the right of Steelers offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva to show respect for the national anthem. A former Army Ranger, Villanueva was the only player from the team to break from the coach's orders and come out of the tunnel Sunday in Chicago to stand for The Star Spangled Banner.

# data[].attributes.body
Top North Korean official say US bombers will be shot down

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
North Korean missiles demolish a U.S. aircraft carrier and several jets in the latest stark imagery to come out of Pyongyang, this time as part of a Sunday propaganda video that also mocked President Trump as a "mad man."

The 90-second video released on the DPRK Today news site one day after U.S. jets flew over waters east of North Korea, began with images mocking Trump before flashing to a submarine-launched missile striking the USS Carl Vinson, Yonhap News Agency reported. The aircraft carrier is seen exploding and disintegrating into pieces.

Meanwhile, words flash across the screen warning America against considering military action: "Should F-35, B-1B or the Carl Vinson lead the U.S attack, they will head to the grave in that order."
VIDEO: INSULTS ESCALATE BETWEEN TRUMP AND NORTH KOREA
Another clip showed a medium-range ballistic missile shooting down a B-1B bomber and an F-35 fighter jet, engulfing both in computer-generated fire.

Those same B-1B bombers stationed in Guam and F-15C Eagle fighter escorts flying out of Okinawa, Japan entered international airspace over waters east of North Korea on Saturday. U.S. Defense Department spokeswoman Dana White said the mission was to send North Korea a "clear message" Trump has "many military options to defeat any threat."

Trump and North Korea's war of threats escalated last week when Trump called Kim Jong Un a "rocket man [who] is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime." The president first debuted the nickname in a tweet days earlier, but made a firm stance against Kim and the hermit kingdom during his address to the United Nations General Assembly. He's since changed the nickname to "little rocket man."

"North Korea's reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles threatens the entire world with unthinkable loss of human life," Trump said, vowing to "totally destroy" the dictatorship.
WHY TRUMP'S ECONOMIC MOVES AGAINST NORTH KOREA MAY DO MORE TO TAME KIM THAN ANY INSULT
Kim fired back by calling the president a "mentally deranged U.S. dotard" who had "denied the existence of and insulted me and my country in front of the eyes of the world."

Both leaders have dubbed each other a "mad man." North Korea's foreign minister Ri Yong-ho said Trump's rhetoric makes a missile attack on "the entire U.S. mainland inevitable all the more."

"None other than Trump himself is on a suicide mission," Ri told the General Assembly on Saturday. "In case innocent lives of the U.S. are lost because of this suicide attack, Trump will be held totally responsible."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
North Korea blows up US aircraft carrier, bombers, jets in new propaganda video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
North Korean missiles demolish a U.S. aircraft carrier and several jets in the latest stark imagery to come out of Pyongyang, this time as part of a Sunday propaganda video that also mocked President Trump as a "mad man." The 90-second video released on the DPRK Today news site one day after U.S.

# data[].attributes.body
Miss Turkey loses her crown over a tweet, from making political comments.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Itir Esen, 18, was crowned Thursday, but a few hours later she lost the title after it emerged she had tweeted about last year's failed coup in Turkey. In the tweet, she said her period had begun, "representing the martyrs blood."

The tweet has since been deleted, but there are screen grabs available.

"To celebrate July 15 Martyr's Day, I began the morning by getting my period. I am celebrating the day by bleeding representing the martyrs blood," the tweet read.

Esen tweeted on the anniversary of last year's coup attempt in which around 250 people died.

"We announce with regret that the tweet was indeed sent out by Itir Esen," Can Sandikcioglu, president of the Miss Turkey Organization, said on the contest's website.

"It is not possible for the Miss Turkey Organization, which aims to introduce and support Turkey in the world, to accept such a post."

On her Instagram account,Esen said her tweet was not related to "July 15 or our national values" and apologized for the "misunderstanding."

"I made this post with innocence during a sensitive time without thinking. As any one who feels like a victim during their menstruation, it does not contain any meaning other than 'it is July 15 and this is my situation right now,' " she wrote on Instagram.

"I just want to say this: as an 18-year-old girl, I had no political agenda when I posted," she said.

Following the decision, runner-up Asli Sumen was crowned Miss Turkey. She will now represent the country in the Miss World contest in China in November.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has cracked down on opposition since the failed coup, firing thousands of civil servants and incarcerating journalists and opposition politicians. He then won a referendum that strengthened his powers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
miss turkey loses her crown over controversial tweet - cnn

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Miss Turkey loses her crown over controversial tweet

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Itir Esen, 18, was crowned Thursday, but a few hours later she lost the title after it emerged she had tweeted about last year's failed coup in Turkey. In the tweet, she said her period had begun, "representing the martyrs blood." The tweet has since been deleted, but there are screen grabs available.

# data[].attributes.body
Football fans across America were clamoring for the jersey of Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva on Monday, a day after the former Army Ranger broke team orders by being the only player to come out of the locker room for the national anthem.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
For Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, being "respectful of our football team" trumped the right of Steelers offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva to show respect for the national anthem.

A former Army Ranger, Villanueva was the only player from the team to break from the coach's orders and come out of the tunnel Sunday in Chicago to stand for The Star Spangled Banner.

Speaking after his team's 23-17 loss to the Bears, Tomlin appeared to take a swipe at the Bronze Star recipient's decision.

"Like I said, I was looking for 100 percent participation, we were gonna be respectful of our football team," Tomlin said.

Tomlin told the media prior to kickoff Sunday the Steelers would not come out of the locker room for the national anthem, adding the intent was to have his team focus on the game and not President Trump's comments blasting players who chose to protest during the playing of the Star Spangled Banner.

"Many of them felt like something needed to be done. I asked those guys to discuss it and whatever they discussed that we have 100 percent participation or we do nothing," Tomlin said after the game. "They discussed it for an appropriate length of time and they couldn't come to an understanding, so they chose to remove themselves from it. They were not going to be disrespectful in the anthem so they chose not to participate, but at the same time many of them were not going to accept the words of the president."

Villanueva, who served three tours in Afghanistan, decided to stand his ground instead and placed his hand over his heart while the anthem played.

Villanueva has previously spoken out about former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's decision to kneel during the national anthem, saying his actions may "send the wrong message."

"I don't know if the most effective way is to sit down during the national anthem with a country that's providing you freedom, providing you $16 million a year...when there are black minorities that are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan for less than $20,000 a year," Villanueva told ESPN in 2016.

He added: "I will be the first one to hold hands with Colin Kaepernick and do something about the way minorities are being treated in the United States, the injustice that is happening with police brutality, the justice system, inequalities in pay. You can't do it by looking away from the people that are trying to protect our freedom and our country."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin raps Alejandro Villanueva for standing for national anthem

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, being "respectful of our football team" trumped the right of Steelers offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva to show respect for the national anthem. A former Army Ranger, Villanueva was the only player from the team to break from the coach's orders and come out of the tunnel Sunday in Chicago to stand for The Star Spangled Banner.

# data[].attributes.body
North Korea thinks Trump declared war against them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"Last weekend Trump claimed that our leadership wouldn't be around much longer and declared a war on our country," Ri said, according to an official translation of his remarks to reporters in New York.

"Since the United States declared war on our country, we will have every right to make all self-defensive counter measures, including the right to shoot down the United States strategic bombers at any time even when they are not yet inside the aerospace border of our country," Ri said.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Monday that the US has not declared war on North Korea, adding, "Frankly, the suggestion of that is absurd."

Sanders said it is "never appropriate" to shoot down another nation's aircraft in international waters and the administration plans to continue to protect the area.

Earlier on Monday, State Department spokesperson Katina Adams told CNN the US seeks a "peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

But the US military "will take all options to make sure that we safeguard our allies and our partners and our homeland so if North Korea does not stop their provocative actions we'll make sure we provide options to the President to deal with North Korea," according to Col. Rob Manning, a Pentagon spokesman.

Asked about Ri's charge that Trump's comments were a declaration of war, Manning, said: "Our job as the Department of Defense is as you know is to make sure that the President is provided military options, we'll continue to do that, and we have a deep arsenal of military options to provide the President so then he can decide how he wants to deal with North Korea and the regime."

"We are postured and we are ready to fight tonight," he added.

The US Navy will also continue to maintain its presence near the Korean peninsula despite the latest round of harsh rhetoric and threats of a military strike from Pyongyang.

Two US defense officials told CNN on Monday that the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier will conduct scheduled naval maritime exercises with the South Korean navy off the peninsula at the end of October.

While the officials said the exercises are long scheduled and not in response to recent tensions, similar exercises have prompted strong condemnation from North Korea in the past.

War of words

The ongoing war of words between the two nations also saw several new fiery salvos on Saturday, a day on which the US military, in a show of force, flew bombers in international airspace over waters east of North Korea and the detection of mysterious seismic activity refueled concerns over the rogue nation's nuclear ambitions.

Speaking at the UN on Saturday, Ri said that Trump had made a missile attack on the US mainland inevitable by insulting the dignity of North Korea.

"None other than Trump himself is on a suicide mission," Ri said in a speech at the UN General Assembly. "In case innocent lives of the US are harmed because of this suicide attack, Trump will be held totally responsible."

Trump took on Twitter Saturday night to respond to Ri's remarks.

"Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at UN If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer!" Trump wrote.

The US and North Korea exchanged a series of verbal volleys last week as the UN met in New York.

In his speech Tuesday, Trump threatened to "totally destroy" North Korea if the US was forced to defend itself or an ally. He then tweeted on Friday that Kim was "obviously a madman" who would be "tested like never before."

Kim responded to the US President's speech in a rare televised statement in which he said Trump would "pay dearly" for the threats and accused him of being "mentally deranged."

Shortly after Kim's televised address, North Korea's foreign minister said his country could test a powerful nuclear weapon over the Pacific Ocean in response to Trump's threats of military action.

Military posturing

The US military also sent its own message to Pyongyang on Saturday as B-1B Lancer bombers from Guam and F-15C Eagle fighter escorts from Okinawa, Japan, flew in international airspace over waters east of North Korea, according to the Pentagon.

It's the farthest north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that US fighters or bomber aircraft have ever flown this century, the Pentagon said.

The flight underscored "the seriousness with which we take DPRK's reckless behavior," the Pentagon said, using an acronym for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"This mission is a demonstration of US resolve and a clear message that the President has many military options to defeat any threat," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement.

"North Korea's weapons program is a grave threat to the Asia-Pacific region and the entire international community. We are prepared to use the full range of military capabilities to defend the US homeland and our allies."

The bomber flights are a common response to North Korean actions that the United States and its allies perceive as hostile.

A key part of the US military's "tip of the spear," US B-1 bombers have been seen regularly over the Korean Peninsula in recent months amid escalating tensions with Pyongyang -- running regular training flights with Japanese and South Korean fighter jets that often provoke the ire of the North Korean regime.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
north korea accuses trump of declaring war - cnnpolitics

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
North Korea accuses Trump of declaring war

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"Last weekend Trump claimed that our leadership wouldn't be around much longer and declared a war on our country," Ri said, according to an official translation of his remarks to reporters in New York.

# data[].attributes.body
If North Korea's foreign minister hoped to draw a response from U.S. President Donald Trump with his Saturday speech to the U.N. General Assembly, he succeeded. "Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N.," the president tweeted late Saturday. "If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer!"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If North Korea's foreign minister hoped to draw a response from U.S. President Donald Trump with his Saturday speech to the U.N. General Assembly, he succeeded.

"Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N.," the president tweeted late Saturday. "If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer!"

The president was referring to Ri Yong Ho, who on Saturday called Trump "a mentally deranged person full of megalomania," and promised that a strike on the U.S. mainland was "inevitable."

"Little Rocket Man" was Trump's now-infamous label for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

With his tweet, Trump seemed to reiterate a previous asserton that any strike by North Korea against the U.S. or its allies would be met with an overwhelming response.

The address by Ri in New York City began as the Pentagon announced it had flown bombers and fighter escorts to the farthest point north of the Korean Demilitarized Zone by any such American aircraft this century.

"This mission is a demonstration of U.S. resolve and a clear message that the president has many military options to defeat any threat," Defense Department spokesman Dana White said in a statement.

"North Korea's weapons program is a grave threat to the Asia-Pacific region and the entire international community. We are prepared to use the full range of military capabilities to defend the U.S. homeland and our allies," White said.

The Pentagon said B-1B bombers from Guam, along with F-15C Eagle fighter escorts from Okinawa, Japan, flew in international airspace over waters east of North Korea on Saturday. Unlike on previous so-called "show of force" missions, the U.S. aircraft were not accompanied by South Korean or Japanese planes.

"While conducted unilaterally, this mission was coordinated with regional allies - namely the Republic of Korea and Japan - and was a strong testament to our ironclad alliance," U.S. Pacific Command spokesman Cmdr. Dave Benham told Fox News, using the official name for South Korea.

B-1 bombers are no longer part of the U.S. nuclear force, but they are capable of dropping large numbers of conventional bombs.

U.S. Pacific Command would not be more specific about many years it had been since U.S. bombers and fighters had flown that far north of the DMZ, but Benham noted that this century "encompasses the period North Korea has been testing ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons."

At the United Nations, Ri said that his country's nuclear force is "to all intents and purposes, a war deterrent for putting an end to nuclear threat of the U.S. and for preventing its military invasion, and our ultimate goal is to establish the balance of power with the U.S."

He also said that Trump's depiction of Kim as "Rocket Man" makes "our rocket's visit to the entire U.S. mainland inevitable all the more."

Trump on Friday had renewed his rhetorical offensive against Kim.

"Kim Jong Un of North Korea, who is obviously a madman who doesn't mind starving or killing his people, will be tested like never before!" the president tweeted.

On Thursday, Trump announced more economic sanctions against the impoverished and isolated country, targeting foreign companies that deal with the North.

"North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile development is a grave threat to peace and security in our world and it is unacceptable that others financially support this criminal, rogue regime," Trump said as he joined Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in for a meeting in New York.

Hours later, Kim responded by saying Trump was "deranged" and vowed the president would "pay dearly" for threatening to "totally destroy" North Korea if the U.S. was forced to defend itself or its allies against an attack.

In a speech last week at the United Nations, Trump had issued the warning of potential obliteration and mocked the North's young autocrat as a "Rocket Man" on a "suicide mission."

Trump's executive order expanded the Treasury Department's ability to target anyone conducting significant trade in goods, services or technology with North Korea, and to ban them from interacting with the U.S. financial system.

Trump also said China was imposing major banking sanctions, too, but there was no immediate confirmation from the North's most important trading partner.

If enforced, the Chinese action Trump described could severely impede the isolated North's ability to raise money for its missile and nuclear development. China, responsible for about 90 percent of North Korea's trade, serves as the country's conduit to the international banking system.

North Korea has said it intends to build a missile capable of striking all parts of the United States with a nuclear bomb. Trump has said he won't allow it, although the U.S. so far has not used military force to impede the North's progress.
Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Trump: North Korean leaders 'won't be around much longer' if they strike US

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If North Korea's foreign minister hoped to draw a response from U.S. President Donald Trump with his Saturday speech to the U.N. General Assembly, he succeeded. "Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N.," the president tweeted late Saturday. "If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer!"

# data[].attributes.body
Jennifer Lopez announced on Sunday that she is donating $1 million from the proceeds of her Las Vegas show to hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Jennifer Lopez announced on Sunday that she is donating $1 million from the proceeds of her Las Vegas show to hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico.

She made the announcement at a press conference Sunday alongside New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Speaking first in Spanish and then in English, Lopez announced the donation would go to charitable organizations and other nongovernmental organizations.

She also announced that she and boyfriend, former New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez, are "utilizing all of our resources and relationships in entertainment, sports and business to garner support for Puerto Rican and Caribbean relief efforts," and that they have secured a commitment for help from Major League Baseball and the Yankees.

Lopez also announced that she's been working with Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Mavericks player J.J. Barea, that the group is ready to send two planes filled with supplies to San Juan when air travel is cleared.

Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico, leaving 100 percent of the island without power. The hurricane was a Category 4 storm with winds of 155 miles per hour when it made landfall on the U.S. territory Sept. 20.

Lopez is one of many artists, including Ricky Martin and Luis Fonsi, who have posted about how much help the island needs since the storm.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Jennifer Lopez to donate $1 million for Puerto Rico relief

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Jennifer Lopez announced on Sunday that she is donating $1 million from the proceeds of her Las Vegas show to hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico. She made the announcement at a press conference Sunday alongside New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Speaking first in Spanish and then in English,...

# data[].attributes.body
An usher is hailed as a hero for stopping a church gunman

# data[].attributes.body
North Korea threatens to shoot down us planes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"Last weekend Trump claimed that our leadership wouldn't be around much longer and declared a war on our country," Ri said, according to an official translation of his remarks to reporters in New York.

"Since the United States declared war on our country, we will have every right to make all self-defensive counter measures, including the right to shoot down the United States strategic bombers at any time even when they are not yet inside the aerospace border of our country," Ri said.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Monday that the US has not declared war on North Korea, adding, "Frankly, the suggestion of that is absurd."

Sanders said it is "never appropriate" to shoot down another nation's aircraft in international waters and the administration plans to continue to protect the area.

Earlier on Monday, State Department spokesperson Katina Adams told CNN the US seeks a "peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

But the US military "will take all options to make sure that we safeguard our allies and our partners and our homeland so if North Korea does not stop their provocative actions we'll make sure we provide options to the President to deal with North Korea," according to Col. Rob Manning, a Pentagon spokesman.

Asked about Ri's charge that Trump's comments were a declaration of war, Manning, said: "Our job as the Department of Defense is as you know is to make sure that the President is provided military options, we'll continue to do that, and we have a deep arsenal of military options to provide the President so then he can decide how he wants to deal with North Korea and the regime."

"We are postured and we are ready to fight tonight," he added.

The US Navy will also continue to maintain its presence near the Korean peninsula despite the latest round of harsh rhetoric and threats of a military strike from Pyongyang.

Two US defense officials told CNN on Monday that the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier will conduct scheduled naval maritime exercises with the South Korean navy off the peninsula at the end of October.

While the officials said the exercises are long scheduled and not in response to recent tensions, similar exercises have prompted strong condemnation from North Korea in the past.

War of words

The ongoing war of words between the two nations also saw several new fiery salvos on Saturday, a day on which the US military, in a show of force, flew bombers in international airspace over waters east of North Korea and the detection of mysterious seismic activity refueled concerns over the rogue nation's nuclear ambitions.

Speaking at the UN on Saturday, Ri said that Trump had made a missile attack on the US mainland inevitable by insulting the dignity of North Korea.

"None other than Trump himself is on a suicide mission," Ri said in a speech at the UN General Assembly. "In case innocent lives of the US are harmed because of this suicide attack, Trump will be held totally responsible."

Trump took on Twitter Saturday night to respond to Ri's remarks.

"Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at UN If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer!" Trump wrote.

The US and North Korea exchanged a series of verbal volleys last week as the UN met in New York.

In his speech Tuesday, Trump threatened to "totally destroy" North Korea if the US was forced to defend itself or an ally. He then tweeted on Friday that Kim was "obviously a madman" who would be "tested like never before."

Kim responded to the US President's speech in a rare televised statement in which he said Trump would "pay dearly" for the threats and accused him of being "mentally deranged."

Shortly after Kim's televised address, North Korea's foreign minister said his country could test a powerful nuclear weapon over the Pacific Ocean in response to Trump's threats of military action.

Military posturing

The US military also sent its own message to Pyongyang on Saturday as B-1B Lancer bombers from Guam and F-15C Eagle fighter escorts from Okinawa, Japan, flew in international airspace over waters east of North Korea, according to the Pentagon.

It's the farthest north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that US fighters or bomber aircraft have ever flown this century, the Pentagon said.

The flight underscored "the seriousness with which we take DPRK's reckless behavior," the Pentagon said, using an acronym for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"This mission is a demonstration of US resolve and a clear message that the President has many military options to defeat any threat," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement.

"North Korea's weapons program is a grave threat to the Asia-Pacific region and the entire international community. We are prepared to use the full range of military capabilities to defend the US homeland and our allies."

The bomber flights are a common response to North Korean actions that the United States and its allies perceive as hostile.

A key part of the US military's "tip of the spear," US B-1 bombers have been seen regularly over the Korean Peninsula in recent months amid escalating tensions with Pyongyang -- running regular training flights with Japanese and South Korean fighter jets that often provoke the ire of the North Korean regime.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
north korea accuses trump of declaring war - cnnpolitics

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
North Korea accuses Trump of declaring war

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"Last weekend Trump claimed that our leadership wouldn't be around much longer and declared a war on our country," Ri said, according to an official translation of his remarks to reporters in New York.

# data[].attributes.body
The worlds largest woman died cause of heart disease and kidney dysfunctions. She weighed 1,102 pounds and was only 37 years old

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The 37-year old Egyptian woman weighed 1,102 pounds (500 kg), her family reported, prior to undergoing weight reduction surgery at Saifee Hospital in Mumbai in March.

All signs looked positive immediately following the surgery for Eman, who had lost more than 200 pounds prior to the operation.

"She is very happy, she started dancing in her bed," Dr. Muffazal Lakdawala, the surgeon who performed her laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy operation, told CNN in March. "Her smile has come back." The procedure involves removing part of the stomach so that only a "sleeve," roughly the size and shape of a banana, is left behind, along with the muscle that controls emptying food into the intestine.

On September 9, Eman celebrated her 37th birthday.

Early difficulties

Eman's family said Eman had weighed 11 pounds (5 kg) at birth and suffered from thyroid problems since she was a child. The thyroid gland produces hormones that help regulate metabolism. By fifth grade, she'd stopped going to school because she'd begun to have difficulties moving and walking.

For the past two decades, Eman has barely left her room, her family reported. She suffered a stroke and, unable to move or communicate, her weight increased to more than 1,000 pounds. Her health deteriorated rapidly.

Her sister created a social media campaign last year and Lakdawala responded by offering to help. His proposed three-and-a-half year plan including two operations to help her reduce her weight to less than 220 pounds (100kg).

Eman overcame a number of hurdles to reach what her family had hoped to be a life-saving surgery in Mumbai, including an initial refusal to grant her a visa because of her inability to get to the embassy in person. After surmounting that problem with the help of an Indian minister, she then faced the difficulty of boarding an airplane.

Egypt Air specially adapted a cargo plane to transport her to India.

Following the surgery, Lakdawala said her kidney function had improved.

"She has done well post-surgery," he told CNN in March. At that time, he intended for her to lose another 155 to 175 pounds (70 to 80 kg) within the next couple of months. The plan was to then send her home to Egypt and schedule a second surgery for next year.

Eman was later transferred to Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi. There, her condition was managed by a medical team of more than 20 doctors in different specialties.

However, her heart and kidneys could no longer function.

Her family expressed appreciation for the care provided by Burjeel Hospital and the support of the people of the UAE, according to the hospital statement. "Our prayers and heartfelt condolences go out to her family," Burjeel Hospital staff said in the statement.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The 37-year old Egyptian woman weighed 1,102 pounds (500 kg), her family reported, prior to undergoing weight reduction surgery at Saifee Hospital in Mumbai in March. All signs looked positive immediately following the surgery for Eman, who had lost more than 200 pounds prior to the operation.

# data[].attributes.body
Tom Brady says things about Trumps comments on players taking a knee during the national anthem. Trump said that if you do not stand for the national anthem, then they should be either suspended or fired.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was the latest "friend" of President Donald Trump's to speak out against his comments this past weekend about NFL players taking a knee during the national anthem.

Trump called for the NFL to "fire or suspend" those who kneel during the opening anthem.

"If NFL fans refuse to go to games until players stop disrespecting our Flag & Country, you will see change take place fast. Fire or suspend!" Trump tweeted on Sunday, which followed similar comments he made Friday at a rally in Huntsville, Alabama.

Brady, who has said in the past that he's friends with the current commander-in-chief, spoke out Monday, saying "I certainly disagree with what he said. I thought it was just divisive."

After Trump's comments, various teams either took a knee together on Sunday or stayed in the locker room during the national anthem.

Brady, 40, was interviewed on WEEI's "Kirk and Callahan" show Monday morning, one day after he linked arms with his fellow Patriots to show unity.

"Like I said, I just want to support my teammates," Brady said of his actions. "I am never one to say, 'Oh, that is wrong. That is right.' I do believe in what I believe in. I believe in bringing people together and respect and love and trust ... I have been blessed to be in locker rooms with guys all over the United States over the course of my career ... The one thing about football is it brings so many guys together - guys you would never have the opportunity to be around."

Brady said what makes a football team so special is that "we're all different."

"I think everyone has the right to do whatever they want to do. If you don't agree, that is fine. You can voice your disagreement, I think that is great. It's part of our democracy. As long as it is done in a peaceful, respectful way, that is what our country has been all about," he continued.

Brady followed in the footsteps of another Trump friend, Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft, who released a statement Sunday admitting how "deeply disappointed" he was "by the tone of the comments made by the president."

"I am proud to be associated with so many players who make such tremendous contributions in positively impacting our communities. Their efforts, both on and off the field, help bring people together and make our community stronger. There is no greater unifier in this country than sports, and unfortunately, nothing more divisive than politics," Kraft said.

The taking of a knee by NFL players began last year when former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick declined to stand during the national anthem before a preseason game against San Diego.

He later explained to reporters that he was doing so to peacefully incite "significant change" regarding racial oppression in this country.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tom Brady speaks out against Trump's 'divisive' comments

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was the latest "friend" of President Donald Trump's to speak out against his comments this past weekend about NFL players taking a knee during the national anthem. Trump called for the NFL to "fire or suspend" those who kneel during the opening anthem.

# data[].attributes.body
North Korean his declared war king Jo yon say he will shot down every war plane.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said Monday that his country has the right to shoot down American warplanes in response to Trump's "declaration of war" on North Korea.

Ri said his country has "every right to take countermeasures ... including to shoot down United States strategic bombers, even when not inside the air space border of our country," he said in brief remarks outside his hotel in New York, where he is still attending the U.N. General Assembly. "The question of who won't be around much longer will be answered then."

Ri was referring to Trump's tweet last week that said, "Kim Jong Un of North Korea, who is obviously a madman who doesn't mind starving or killing his people, will be tested like never before!"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
North Korean minister says Trump has declared 'war' on our country

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said Monday that his country has the right to shoot down American warplanes in response to Trump's "declaration of war" on North Korea. Ri said his country has "every right to take countermeasures ... including to shoot down United States strategic bombers,...

# data[].attributes.body
A girl from Rhode Island collapses at a soccer game, and later dies at the hospital.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A Rhode Island school district is mourning the death of a popular student-athlete.

Chariho Regional School District Superintendent Barry Ricci says 17-year-old senior Maddie Potts collapsed during a soccer match on Saturday and died at the hospital of a brain aneurysm on Sunday.

He said in a statement that her death was unrelated to the game.

Ricci says the Richmond resident was captain of the soccer team, a member of the school's lacrosse team and a top student.

In a statement, Ricci said Potts "represented the very best of our school as an artist, an athlete, a classmate, a teammate and a friend."

Ricci said counseling would be available to students and staff in the middle and high schools starting Monday.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Rhode Island girl collapses at soccer game, dies at hospital

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A Rhode Island school district is mourning the death of a popular student-athlete. Chariho Regional School District Superintendent Barry Ricci says 17-year-old senior Maddie Potts collapsed during a soccer match on Saturday and died at the hospital of a brain aneurysm on Sunday. He said...

# data[].attributes.body
Holly Bobo's killer(Zachary Adams) sentenced to life in prison for abduction, rape and murdering of  holly bobo

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
holly bobo convicted killer sentenced to life  - cnn video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Holly Bobo convicted killer sentenced to life - CNN Video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The man convicted of the death, rape, and abduction of 20-year-old nursing student Holly Bobo was sentenced to life without parole.

# data[].attributes.body
Trump is declaring war against North Korea from Trump tweet but State deportment saying that we are not going to war

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"Last weekend Trump claimed that our leadership wouldn't be around much longer and declared a war on our country," Ri said, according to an official translation of his remarks to reporters in New York.

"Since the United States declared war on our country, we will have every right to make all self-defensive counter measures, including the right to shoot down the United States strategic bombers at any time even when they are not yet inside the aerospace border of our country," Ri said.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Monday that the US has not declared war on North Korea, adding, "Frankly, the suggestion of that is absurd."

Sanders said it is "never appropriate" to shoot down another nation's aircraft in international waters and the administration plans to continue to protect the area.

Earlier on Monday, State Department spokesperson Katina Adams told CNN the US seeks a "peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

But the US military "will take all options to make sure that we safeguard our allies and our partners and our homeland so if North Korea does not stop their provocative actions we'll make sure we provide options to the President to deal with North Korea," according to Col. Rob Manning, a Pentagon spokesman.

Asked about Ri's charge that Trump's comments were a declaration of war, Manning, said: "Our job as the Department of Defense is as you know is to make sure that the President is provided military options, we'll continue to do that, and we have a deep arsenal of military options to provide the President so then he can decide how he wants to deal with North Korea and the regime."

"We are postured and we are ready to fight tonight," he added.

The US Navy will also continue to maintain its presence near the Korean peninsula despite the latest round of harsh rhetoric and threats of a military strike from Pyongyang.

Two US defense officials told CNN on Monday that the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier will conduct scheduled naval maritime exercises with the South Korean navy off the peninsula at the end of October.

While the officials said the exercises are long scheduled and not in response to recent tensions, similar exercises have prompted strong condemnation from North Korea in the past.

War of words

The ongoing war of words between the two nations also saw several new fiery salvos on Saturday, a day on which the US military, in a show of force, flew bombers in international airspace over waters east of North Korea and the detection of mysterious seismic activity refueled concerns over the rogue nation's nuclear ambitions.

Speaking at the UN on Saturday, Ri said that Trump had made a missile attack on the US mainland inevitable by insulting the dignity of North Korea.

"None other than Trump himself is on a suicide mission," Ri said in a speech at the UN General Assembly. "In case innocent lives of the US are harmed because of this suicide attack, Trump will be held totally responsible."

Trump took on Twitter Saturday night to respond to Ri's remarks.

"Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at UN If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer!" Trump wrote.

The US and North Korea exchanged a series of verbal volleys last week as the UN met in New York.

In his speech Tuesday, Trump threatened to "totally destroy" North Korea if the US was forced to defend itself or an ally. He then tweeted on Friday that Kim was "obviously a madman" who would be "tested like never before."

Kim responded to the US President's speech in a rare televised statement in which he said Trump would "pay dearly" for the threats and accused him of being "mentally deranged."

Shortly after Kim's televised address, North Korea's foreign minister said his country could test a powerful nuclear weapon over the Pacific Ocean in response to Trump's threats of military action.

Military posturing

The US military also sent its own message to Pyongyang on Saturday as B-1B Lancer bombers from Guam and F-15C Eagle fighter escorts from Okinawa, Japan, flew in international airspace over waters east of North Korea, according to the Pentagon.

It's the farthest north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that US fighters or bomber aircraft have ever flown this century, the Pentagon said.

The flight underscored "the seriousness with which we take DPRK's reckless behavior," the Pentagon said, using an acronym for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"This mission is a demonstration of US resolve and a clear message that the President has many military options to defeat any threat," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement.

"North Korea's weapons program is a grave threat to the Asia-Pacific region and the entire international community. We are prepared to use the full range of military capabilities to defend the US homeland and our allies."

The bomber flights are a common response to North Korean actions that the United States and its allies perceive as hostile.

A key part of the US military's "tip of the spear," US B-1 bombers have been seen regularly over the Korean Peninsula in recent months amid escalating tensions with Pyongyang -- running regular training flights with Japanese and South Korean fighter jets that often provoke the ire of the North Korean regime.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
north korea accuses trump of declaring war - cnnpolitics

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
North Korea accuses Trump of declaring war

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"Last weekend Trump claimed that our leadership wouldn't be around much longer and declared a war on our country," Ri said, according to an official translation of his remarks to reporters in New York.

# data[].attributes.body
After 15 years in vegetative state, man responds to nerve stimulation.A car accident at 20 years old left a French man in a vegetative state for 15 years. But after neurosurgeons implanted a vagus nerve simulator in his chest, the man, now 35, is showing signs of consciousness, according to a study published Monday in the journal Current Biology.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Vagus nerve stimulation is already used to help people with epilepsy and depression. This cranial nerve runs from the brain to other parts of the body, including the heart, lungs and gut; vagus means "wandering" in Latin.

The study results challenge ideas that consciousness disorders lasting longer than 12 months are irreversible, the researchers believe.

A demonstration of what's possible

Vagus nerve activity is "important for arousal, alertness and the fight-or-flight response," wrote Dr. Angela Sirigu in an email. She is an author of the study and neuroscientist at the Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod in Lyon, France.

Sirigu and her colleagues decided to test the ability of vagus nerve stimulation to restore consciousness in a patient in a vegetative state. Patients in a vegetative state show no evidence of consciousness, mental function or motor function. Unlike a coma, a vegetative state includes intermittent periods of eye opening; this seemingly hopeful sign, though, is not a normal waking, just a random physiological occurrence.

Vagus nerve stimulation begins with a surgeon implanting a device in the chest and threading a wire under the skin. This wire joins the vagus nerve and the device, which sends electrical signals along the nerve to the brain stem (where the spinal cord and brain connect) and in turn this transmits impulses to certain areas in the brain.

Stimulating the vagus nerve activates "a natural physiological mechanism," wrote Sirigu in an email.

Sirigu and her colleagues selected the man, who had been in a vegetative state for 15 years "showing no sign of change since his car accident," she wrote. "We therefore put ourselves in a difficult challenge by selecting a patient with the worst outcome."

The reason for that choice is that if any changes occurred in the patient after vagus nerve stimulation, then "these could not be the result of chance," she added.

After a single month of stimulation, the patient's attention, movements and brain activity significantly improved, according to the authors.

"Our results show major changes at the brain level," Sirigu said. One electroencephalogram or EEG signal, "a brain rhythm previously shown to distinguish vegetative from minimally conscious state patients, significantly increased," she wrote, particularly in areas important for "movement, body sensations and awareness." A PET scan, a type of imaging test, showed increases in metabolic activity in the brain, as well.

Dr. Nicholas Schiff, a neuroscientist at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian who also researches consciousness, said some will look at this case and say, "It's one patient, and they didn't really move him into a new functional category. And then they will say, 'What's the point here?' " said Schiff, who was not involved in this study.

Yet the new study is "another demonstration of what is possible to do, and it's a new technique, and it might have some real advantages for some patients," he said.

The human brain's 'greater potential'

"The general point here is that taken together with all the other information that we have now, it's very clear that the severely injured human brain has greater potential than it's given credit for," Schiff said. "So you can lay around for years and, in principle, still be responsive to medications, devices and other things."

Even with that much brain injury, you can still "move the dial," said Schiff.

What's new in this study is stimulation of the vagal nerve on the outside of the brain, he said. "The nerve sends impulses down into the stomach area," he explained. Instead, the researchers send impulses up through the nerve, and that activates the brain through multiple synaptic pathways.

In the United States, an estimated 50,000 patients are in a vegetative state, and about 300,000 are in a minimally conscious state, Schiff said.

"We've now known for a long time that we can do something for very severely injured brains, but the science has not been met with any kind of infrastructure to catch up with it," he said. More funding for research is needed, he added.

Dr. James L. Bernat, a professor of neurology and medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, referred to the new case report as "provocative" and "exciting."

Bernat, who also was not involved in the research, praised Sirigu and her colleagues for their choice of patient: someone in a long-term vegetative state.

"If they had, for example, chosen someone who had been in a vegetative state for three months after a traumatic brain injury and then showed improvement a month later with the intervention, a critic might say, 'Well, wait a minute. We know that a lot of people who are vegetative for three months spontaneously improve in that time period, so it may not be the intervention,' " Bernat said.

He noted that every case of vegetative state is unique based on what caused damage to the brain, how severe that injury was and what regions were harmed.

A vegetative state can be caused by a variety of injuries, including traumatic brain injury, injury to neurons caused by a lack of oxygen and blood flow during cardiac arrest or meningitis, he explained.

For these reasons, the vagus nerve stimulation technique will not work with all patients, Bernat noted, still it's worth doing more studies to find out which patients will benefit from it.

A better understanding of how brain damage harms consciousness would involve learning about how the brain maps the pathways of normal consciousness, said Bernat. "How does normal consciousness occur? And how does unconscious occur?" Bernat asked. "There's a lot of basic work that needs to be done."

Plausibly, this work would also contribute to explaining neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's disease, as well as cognitive impairment resulting from traumatic brain injury.

New research of consciousness "has the potential to extend beyond the relatively small group of people who have these conditions," said Bernat. Consciousness disorders are, in a sense, "an orphan group of diseases that has been somewhat neglected, not entirely, but somewhat by funding agencies," Bernat said. "I would like to see more funding for research."

Sirigu said she is planning a large study involving collaboration with several research centers to confirm and extend the therapeutic potential of the vagus nerve stimulation technique.

"More basic research will also be important for advancing our understanding of this fascinating capacity of our mind to produce conscious experience," she said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
After 15 years in vegetative state, response to nerve stimulation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Vagus nerve stimulation is already used to help people with epilepsy and depression. This cranial nerve runs from the brain to other parts of the body, including the heart, lungs and gut; vagus means "wandering" in Latin. The study results challenge ideas that consciousness disorders lasting longer than 12 months are irreversible, the researchers believe.

# data[].attributes.body
he Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers stayed off the field during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner." One player from the Steelers, Alejandro Villanueva, walked out from the tunnel for the anthem.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The NFL says it won't fine teams that stayed in the locker room during the national anthem on Sunday.

The Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers stayed off the field during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner." One player from the Steelers, Alejandro Villanueva, walked out from the tunnel for the anthem.

The teams decided to sit out after President Trump said NFL owners should fire players who protest during the anthem. The president referred to a player who disrespects the flag as a "son of a bitch."

Players have been kneeling during the anthem since last year, when former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee to protest the treatment of black Americans, particularly by the police.

Related: ESPN takes on the politics of Trump

NFL rules say teams have to be on the field at least 10 minutes before kickoff. Normally, skipping the anthem would violate that rule. Failure to be on the field on time typically results in a fine, NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart said.

Lockhart told reporters Monday there would be "no discipline" for teams that weren't on the field on Sunday.

CNNMoney (New York) First published September 25, 2017: 10:56 AM ET

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
NFL says teams that skipped anthem won't be fined

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers stayed off the field during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner." One player from the Steelers, Alejandro Villanueva, walked out from the tunnel for the anthem. The teams decided to sit out after President Trump said NFL owners should fire players who protest during the anthem.

# data[].attributes.body
Survivors in Mexico Earthquake take pictures  of where they were burried alive.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
earthquake survivors describe the moment it hit - cnn video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Earthquake survivors describe the moment it hit - CNN Video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
People trapped in the rubble after the Mexico City earthquake count themselves lucky. CNN's Ed Lavandera spoke to survivors in the hospital about their rescue.