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Climate change is having effects on productivity, food supplies, and disease transmission. Reports state that the heat exposure is effecting the health of humans also. Many scientist blame the high levels of carbon for the climate change.

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and heat waves are having the biggest effect - cnn

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Climate change is already here, and heat waves are having the biggest effect

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Climate change is here and affecting our health, with extreme heat in particular also having effects on productivity, food supply and disease transmission, a new global report finds.

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After electric scooters were released in stores across the country in March, many people have been injured from brake malfunctions. Hospitals around the U.S. have reported multiple patients coming in every day with injuries related to these scooters. So far 2 people have died in related accidents, and many have been paralyzed.

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What started out as a typical sunny day in San Diego for Pat Brogan ended with a trip to the emergency room.

She was visiting the seaside city with her husband in August, and they thought it would be fun to rent two of Lime's electric scooters. A San Francisco Bay Area local and an avid cyclist and skier, Brogan liked the idea of zipping around town without using a car. After cruising along for about a mile, the couple started to descend a steep hill. Brogan, 63, eased on the brakes as her scooter gained speed -- only to discover they didn't work.

"I blew through three intersections and luckily didn't get hit," she said. "I'm now going 25 mph heading toward six lanes of traffic."

By the end of the day she'd be in the hospital. And she's not the only one. Starting in March, a handful of tech companies dropped thousands of e-scooters across nearly 100 US cities, and injuries have surged. Two people have been killed in electric scooter accidents. And trauma surgeons are reporting daily occurrences in hospitals from San Diego to Denver to Austin. Some of these injuries have been life-threatening; others have left people permanently disabled.

Silicon Valley is known for "disruption" -- the idea of changing a service or product with technology to make it better. But, over the past few years, many of these innovations have produced unintended consequences. Facebook, originally conceived to "connect" people, is being blamed for undermining political elections around the world. Uber, devised to provide rides at the "touch of a button," is said to exacerbate traffic problems and clog city streets.

Now electric scooters -- first seen as a fun way to solve the last-mile puzzle -- are leading to deadly situations.

"This is disruptive technology," said Dr. Christopher Ziebell, emergency room medical director at Austin's Dell Seton Medical Center. "But this time the disruption is disrupting forearms, elbows and heads."

Scooter accidents happen for a lot of reasons. Sometimes the rider doesn't have control and runs into a curb or wall. Sometimes a car crashes into the rider. And sometimes, the scooter is the problem. Doctors and lawyers report instances when riders say a scooter's throttle got stuck or the brakes failed -- like what happened to Brogan.

As she sped down that hill in San Diego, her husband yelled to Brogan to crash into him in order to break her fall. But she didn't want to send him flying. So moments before careening into the busy intersection, she held her arms up against her chest and slid the scooter out sideways.

"I went about 10 feet skidding on the pavement," Brogan said. "If I didn't crash when I did, I would've been killed. I'm sure of that."

Two surgeries later, Brogan ended up with a broken metacarpal held together with two metal pins in her right hand, along with a cracked knuckle joint, road rash and a hematoma down her entire right leg. Her left hand was so badly swollen, doctors had to cut off her rings.

Some might consider her lucky.

The gory details

Brogan's injury is just one of what looks to be thousands across the US, according to CNET's calculations. Because rentable electric scooters are so new, federal and local officials haven't started tracking accidents, and the companies have declined to release any stats. But some numbers are beginning to appear.

A quick sweep of local news stories brought up at least 50 incidents in the last six months. The tales are often gruesome. Like in San Antonio when a tourist accidentally turned into oncoming traffic and was hit head-on by a pickup truck. Or when an Oklahoma City man, traveling at full speed, clipped a metal drainpipe and was thrown over the handlebars -- breaking both arms. Or when a rider in Cincinnati ran a red light and crashed into two pedestrians, sending them both to urgent care.

Injuries listed in these news reports range from broken ribs, collarbones, scapulas, ankles and femurs to collapsed lungs, ruptured spleens, multiple stitches, black eyes and head fractures.

McGee, Lerer and Associates

CNET spoke to trauma centers in Denver, San Diego, San Francisco and Austin. All reported an uptick in injuries from scooter accidents. It's been just a few months since the vehicles were unleashed onto city streets, so emergency room doctors say they're only beginning to collect data.

"We are seeing some scary injuries," said Dr. Chris Colwell, chief of emergency medicine for Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center. "There's still a lack of recognition of how serious this can be."

Colwell said his emergency room is logging about 10 injuries a week. They range from extensive bruising to severe head trauma. Given the hills in San Francisco, he also sees a lot of road rash.

"We saw a guy who fell over on his back this week," Colwell said. "He ended up going through so many layers of skin, we had to essentially put him to sleep to clean out the gravel embedded in his back."

San Francisco General Hospital is in the unique position of being the only Level 1 trauma center in the city, which means all significant injuries pass through its emergency room. Colwell, along with other doctors and public health specialists, decided in August to conduct an official study on scooter injuries. The idea: to track accidents and identify patterns.

"We'll collect data over the next six months, just to get a snapshot of what's happening," said Dr. Catherine Juillard, trauma surgeon at the hospital and one of the study leads. "We have to remember this is a public health issue. We have to make sure people are safe and that lives are saved."

Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego began tracking injuries in late summer. Dr. Vishal Bansal, medical director of trauma at Scripps, said they've documented more than 30 cases, for an average of about 10 a month. These cases only involve scooter riders, not pedestrians hit by the vehicles.

In Austin, the rate of accidents appears to be even higher. Doctors in Dell Seton's emergency room say they're seeing about 10 injuries a day.

"The vast majority end up getting discharged with cuts and scrapes, maybe a broken bone," said Ziebell. "But some injuries are significant."

The hospital has seen 37 severe traumas since April: eight head injuries, 23 orthopedic injuries, four facial injuries and two "other" injuries. In October alone, doctors say 18 people were admitted to either the intensive care unit or surgeries with overnight hospital stays.

"The folks that had severe head injuries, they're in for a long course of rehab," Ziebell said. "Some people may need lifelong care, like a nursing home."

"If you hit the ground at 20 miles per hour [on a scooter] or a baseball bat hits your head at 20 miles per hour, that's about the same thing," he added.

Do's and don'ts

With every disastrous accident, the scooter companies repeat the same mantra: "Safety is our very top priority," a Bird spokeswoman said.

"We strongly recommend reporting any damaged scooters or incidents that Bird scooters are involved in, as we have a support team dedicated to safety that is available around the clock to address questions and reports we receive," she added.

A Lime spokesman said, "Safety is incredibly important to Lime, and we're constantly educating our riders and developing new tools to promote safety and prevent accidents on our platform."

Other scooter companies have vehicles on city streets, too, including Scoot, Skip, Spin, Lyft and Uber's Jump. But Bird and Lime have more scooters in more cities than their rivals do. Lime said it's given more than 20 million rides around the world, and Bird's latest numbers show it's given more than 10 million. The scooters cost $1 to rent plus 15 cents for every minute of riding time.

Bird and Lime are in the process of rolling out their own in-house scooter models, but for now they still use vehicles made by third-party manufacturers, including Xiaomi and Segway.

When someone buys one of these $500 scooters off the shelf, they get a user manual on vehicle maintenance and the do's and don'ts of riding. Recommendations include "wear a helmet," "avoid contacting obstacles with the tire" and be aware of speed because "the faster the scooter is, the longer it takes to stop." They say a rider should weigh no more than 220 pounds.

Xiaomi and Segway say scooters should be checked before every use and stored in a "cool, dry place." They also say not to ride in the rain or keep scooters outdoors for extended periods, adding that exposure to sunlight and extreme temperatures can "accelerate aging and compromise the scooter."

These recommendations aren't necessarily being followed with rentable scooters.

Bird and Lime warn riders only about hills and obstacles in online video tutorials, which aren't mandatory to watch. You'll see people of all sizes zooming along and even riding double. And the vehicles are usually kept outdoors all day and likely aren't being checked before each use. That doesn't even include what happens to scooters that are also being vandalized.

The fine print of Bird and Lime's user agreements tells riders not to exceed weight limits and to do a basic safety check beforehand. This inspection includes examining the brakes, lights, condition of the frame and trueness of the wheels. It's unclear if most riders know how to do this.

Lime had to recall one of its scooter models, made by the manufacturer Okai, earlier this month after a pattern emerged in which the vehicles' handlebars detached from the baseboard during rides. Company mechanics reportedly tested the scooters and found that some of them broke in half after only a few small hops, according to the Washington Post. More than 40 people reported being thrown from the scooters after the vehicles snapped midride.

"We are actively looking into reports that scooters manufactured by Okai may break," the Lime spokesman said. "As a precaution, we immediately decommissioned all Okai scooters in the global fleet."

SCOOTER CHRONICLES
Electric scooters are invading. Bird's CEO leads the charge The mad, twisted tale of the electric scooter craze
Doctors say the fact that very few people wear helmets is also contributing to the rise in serious injuries.

Bird and Lime do have small stickers affixed to their scooters telling people to wear helmets, but the vehicles don't actually come with helmets. Colwell said only about 30 percent of scooter riders wear helmets, while around 72 percent of cyclists wear them.

Lime launched a $3 million safety campaign earlier this month called "Respect the Ride" that promotes safe riding behavior and gives out free helmets. And Bird says it'll also send a free helmet to anyone who uses its scooters. So far, Bird said it's given away more than 50,000 helmets.

But Bird was also instrumental in repealing California's helmet law for electric scooters. Under current state law, people must wear helmets while riding these vehicles, which can travel at 15 mph. Bird sponsored a bill in February to get rid of that law, which passed in September. Starting January, helmets will no longer be required for scooter riders in California.

Bird said its goal in sponsoring the legislation was to create "consistent ridership rules" between e-scooters and e-bikes since helmets aren't required with e-bikes.

You assume all responsibility

When you sign up to rent a scooter, you must click a button that says you agree to the app's terms of service.

This lengthy multiscreen agreement basically says users take on all responsibility for what happens during rides. Even when it may "result in injury or death to you or others," as Lime's agreement states.

That means if a car hits you, it's your responsibility. You hit a pedestrian? You're liable. What if the scooter's brakes fail? Still your fault.

"Rider agrees that Vehicles are machines that may malfunction," reads Bird's agreement. "Rider assumes full and complete responsibility for all related risks, dangers, and hazards."

These terms of service are similar to what people agree to when they sign up for apps like Uber and Lyft. The Lime spokesman said its agreement is "designed to be user friendly, and is written in plain language so that our riders are properly informed."

"Sometimes accidents do happen," he added, "which is why we have insurance policies and processes in place to support our riders and investigate all incidents."

Despite the user agreements, lawyers across the country say they're still getting dozens of calls from people hurt in scooter accidents.

"No one has ever read that user agreement," said Catherine Lerer, attorney for Santa Monica-based firm McGee, Lerer and Associates.

Lerer said she gets three to four calls a day. It got to be so much that she decided to file a class-action lawsuit against Bird, Lime, Xiaomi and Segway in October. The suit was filed on behalf of nine clients and lists 15 counts against the companies, including aiding and abetting assaults and gross negligence.

"Over and over, it's the same malfunctions that I'm hearing -- the brakes failing, the throttle sticks and the scooter dies midride," Lerer said. "Something is not right."

"The scooter companies like to say safety is their number one priority, but prove it," she added.

Xiaomi and Segway didn't return requests for comment.

When asked to comment on the lawsuit, the Bird spokeswoman said, "Class-action attorneys with a real interest in improving transportation safety should be focused on reducing the 40,000 deaths caused by cars every year in the US."

Bryant Greening, attorney for the firm LegalRideshare in Chicago, said he's also gotten calls from scooter riders. The most common injuries he's hearing about involve user error, like when someone hits a pothole or runs into a curb and can't control the vehicle.

With their smaller wheels, scooters tend to be wobblier than bicycles and more susceptible to bumps in the road and uneven surfaces.

"If you hit a pothole on a bicycle with a big wheel, you could have a problem," forensic kinesiologist James Kent told CNET in an interview in July. "You hit a pothole on this little thing, you're going to go down."

Greening said such cases are difficult to litigate because it's hard to point to anything other than user error.

"You see these images of people bloody and broken and often there's no obvious recourse," Greening said. "These cases are so new and these companies are so new, they have not had the opportunity to make their way through the courts yet. It's still an evolving world."

Hospital bills

After Brogan's crash, her husband rushed her to the local urgent care. While waiting to be seen by doctors, she got several in-app messages from Lime saying she hadn't ended her ride and was still accruing charges.

"Scooter unsafe no brakes now in emergency room multiple fractures," Brogan wrote back.

Once out of the hospital, she emailed Lime to fully recount what happened. They had a brief back-and-forth in which Lime told her to file a claim for review. Brogan wrote back saying her out-of-pocket expenses totaled about $8,000 and asked if Lime would repay those losses. She said she never heard from the company again. Lime's spokesman declined to comment on Brogan's specific claim.

Now, three months later, the pins are out of her knuckles and her bruises have faded. She's still going through therapy to get movement and grip back in both of her hands. Even after everything, Brogan still appreciates the idea of electric scooters -- with some reservations.

"It's a great concept," she said. "But it's not ready for prime time."

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Electric scooters are landing a lot of Americans in emergency rooms

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What started out as a typical sunny day in San Diego for Pat Brogan ended with a trip to the emergency room. She was visiting the seaside city with her husband in August, and they thought it would be fun to rent two of Lime's electric scooters.

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Melania Trump is having to defend her decisions of decorating the White House with red trees. Critiques are saying that the trees look similar to costumes from a tv series "A Handmaid's Tale". To fight back, Melania is saying that she likes the colors of the tree and they are to represent the seal and the stripes on the flag.

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First lady Melania Trump defended her choice of red Christmas tree decorations after they generated criticism on social media.

"We are in 21st century and everybody has a different taste. I think they look fantastic," the first lady said during a panel discussion on the opioid epidemic at Liberty University. "I hope everybody will come over and visit it. In real life they look even more beautiful and you are all very welcome to visit the White House, the people's house."

First lady Melania Trump responds to critiques of her red Christmas trees: "We are in 21st century and everybody has a different taste. I think they look fantastic. I hope everyone will come over and visit it. In real life they look even more beautiful" https://t.co/BXFiQF87NN pic.twitter.com/rLvmYIDwhZ
- ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) November 28, 2018

The criticism about the Christmas trees came after Trump posted a video on Twitter Monday, revealing the red-colored holiday theme inside the White House. Despite its festive look, some Twitter users pointed out that the blood red Christmas trees resembled costumes from a popular Hulu series, "The Handmaid's Tale." Set in a dystopian future about a woman living in a totalitarian society, the streaming service's drama has won six Emmy Awards during its first two seasons and recently confirmed it will have a third season.

According to the White House, the color red was a symbol of valor and bravery, matching the stripes found in the presidential seal.

Vickie Wenstrup, a florist from Amelia, Ohio, designed the now-iconic red berry Christmas trees. She was one of dozens of florists and decorators chosen for the volunteer job.

"It's something I've always wanted to do," Wenstrup, who runs Amelia Florist Wine and Gift Shop, told Cincinnati ABC affiliate WCPO. "I just never dreamed I would do it or get to do it.

"It is literally a miracle that we finished them and they turned out and looked as perfect as they did, because mechanically it was a lot of work."

When asked by Eric Bolling, a political commentator and author, if she gets "enough credit from the media," Trump replied, "They would like to portray different stories and focus on different, unimportant stuff really. And I'm here to shine the light on important stuff."

Andrea Hanks/The White House/Polaris

During the discussion, Trump also mentioned that she knew she would be criticized once she began her "Be Best" campaign. The first lady's "Be Best" campaign focuses on her anti-bullying and anti-drug use initiative, promoting children's well-being.

"But I will do what is right for the next generation and to be focused on helping how to use it and how much to use it -- the social media." she said. "So next generation can be respectful and kind and also sometimes you need to fight back."

First lady Melania Trump says she knew that when she started her "Be Best" campaign she "will be criticized, but I will do what is right" so the "next generation can be respectful and kind, and also sometimes you need to fight back, I'm sorry" https://t.co/AfEIFrfeM5 pic.twitter.com/cbAC5sXSBu
- ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) November 28, 2018

Along with Trump, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar took part in the town hall discussion at the university in Lynchburg, Virginia.

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After 'The Handmaid's Tale' references, Melania Trump defends her red Christmas trees

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First lady Melania Trump defended her choice of red Christmas tree decorations after they generated criticism on social media. "We are in 21st century and everybody has a different taste. I think they look fantastic," the first lady said during a panel discussion on the opioid epidemic at Liberty University.

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Last month in California, a woman was caught on surveillance attacking a McDonald's Employee. She was angry because she didn't get enough ketchup. She had now been arrested and charged with assault.

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A California woman allegedly caught on surveillance video last month assaulting a McDonald's worker after she didn't get enough ketchup has been arrested, authorities said Wednesday.

Mayra Bernice Gallo, 24, was taken into police custody at her Santa Ana home on Tuesday. Police received multiple tips from the public, Cpl. Anthony Bertagna told the OC Register. Police had released surveillance video of the incident that they said showed a suspect walking into a McDonald's on Oct. 27 and becoming enraged.

"She didn't get her ketchup, or enough," Bertagna told the paper. "An employee in the back (of the restaurant) had told her she couldn't go inside, but she did. She was on a mission."

Gallo had ordered food through the McDonald's drive-thru before entering a back door to the restaurant used by employees, so she could ask for ketchup, Santa Ana police said. The employee told Gallo they would be "glad" to help if she went to the front of the restaurant, but instead the 24-year-old "became combative," police told KABC-TV.

She "pushed, punched and choked" the employee, officials said. Surveillance video allegedly shows Gallo slamming the employee's head into drink machines.

While other employees tried to intervene, it wasn't until an unidentified man believed to be with the suspect entered the restaurant that the woman left, police said.

Gallo was charged with suspicion of assault at the Santa Ana Police Department Jail, police said.

"There's no reason to physically assault someone because you didn't get enough ketchup," Bertagna told KTLA-TV.
Fox News' Kaitlyn Schallhorn contributed to this report.

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California woman who allegedly 'punched, choked' McDonald's employee is arrested

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A California woman allegedly caught on surveillance video last month assaulting a McDonald's worker after she didn't get enough ketchup has been arrested, authorities said Wednesday. Mayra Bernice Gallo, 24, was taken into police custody at her Santa Ana home on Tuesday. Police received multiple tips from the public, Cpl.

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Body of 13 year old Hania Aguilar was found in Lumberton, North Carolina. The FBI has asked the public to send in tips to help them find her killer.

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The body of abducted 13-year-old Hania Aguilar was believed to be recovered this week in North Carolina but the search for answers is far from over.

"We have to find out how she died and who did this to her," Andy de la Rocha of the FBI said in a statement Wednesday. "We have to bring the person responsible to justice."

A body believed to be Hania, who was kidnapped in Lumberton at the beginning of the month, was found in a body of water in Robeson County on Tuesday, authorities announced Wednesday.

FBI via AP

Investigative leads had prompted authorities to search that area for the missing girl, according to the FBI.

FBI Charlotte

But the FBI is now asking the public for tips on when and how the body was left there.

Anyone with surveillance cameras near Wire Grass Road in Robeson County is asked to call the tip line at 910-272-5871.

Authorities do not have a person of interest, according to the FBI.

The #FBI is heartbroken to discover the body of Hania Aguilar, who was kidnapped on 11-5. We still need the public's help, & offer the $25k reward for info that leads to the arrest & conviction of the man responsible for her kidnapping & now her death. Tip line- 910-272-5871 pic.twitter.com/GAchfNIWxH
- FBI Charlotte (@FBICharlotte) November 29, 2018

Hania was kidnapped outside her home at the Rosewood Mobile Home Park in Lumberton, North Carolina, on the morning of Nov. 5.

She had taken the keys to her aunt's SUV to start the car before school when a man dressed in all black with a yellow bandanna over his face forced her in the car and drove away, police said. The stolen SUV was found three days later in Lumberton.

FBI via AP

Lumberton Police Chief Michael McNeill said he was "devastated" to make the "heart-wrenching" announcement Wednesday that the recovered body was believed to be Hania's.

"I wish we had a different outcome for Hania's family," he said at a Wednesday news conference.

An autopsy will determine her cause of death, the chief said.

McNeill did not discuss the condition of the body.

The state medical examiner's preliminary tests indicated the body is Hania but final confirmation will be made through dental records, McNeill added.

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FBI pleads for help after girl's body found

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The body of abducted 13-year-old Hania Aguilar was believed to be recovered this week in North Carolina but the search for answers is far from over. "We have to find out how she died and who did this to her," Andy de la Rocha of the FBI said in a statement Wednesday.

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The average American could expect to live to 78.6 years old in 2017, down from 78.7 in 2016, according to data released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). That decline may be modest, but it marks the third year in a row that life expectancy at birth has fallen. The modern trend seems to be propelled by steady increases in deaths by suicide and drugs, according to the new data.

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Time 4 hrs ago Jamie Ducharme

U.S. life expectancy dropped in 2017 for the third consecutive year, as deaths by suicide and drug overdose continue to claim more American lives.

The average American could expect to live to 78.6 years old in 2017, down from 78.7 in 2016, according to data released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). That decline may be modest, but it marks the third year in a row that life expectancy at birth has fallen - a noteworthy phenomenon, since the previous multiyear drop recorded by the NCHS was in the early 1960s.

The modern trend seems to be propelled by steady increases in deaths by suicide and drugs, according to the new data. Upticks in deaths by suicide and accidental injuries (including drug overdoses), as well as due to conditions including Alzheimer's disease, stroke, influenza and pneumonia, have outpaced reductions in fatal heart disease and cancer, the country's two leading causes of death. All together, the U.S. death rate rose by 0.4% from 2016 to 2017, going from 728.8 deaths per 100,000 people to 731.9.

Drug overdoses alone took 70,237 lives in 2017, the highest number ever recorded for a single year. While that number corresponds to a 9.6% increase in the death rate, it's much smaller than the 21% jump recorded between 2015 and 2016 - perhaps a sign that the nation's substance abuse epidemic may be starting to stabilize. Preliminary data released last month also said drug overdose deaths have fallen over the last year.

Still, drugs - namely opioids such as heroin - continue to be a considerable cause of fatalities. And synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, are a growing problem: The rate of overdose deaths involving these drugs rose by 45% from 2016 to 2017.

Deaths by suicide, meanwhile, rose by 3.7% between 2016 and 2017, according to the new report. While still relatively uncommon, suicides accounted for 14 deaths per 100,000 people in the U.S. last year. In 1999, by contrast, that number was around 10.5 per 100,000 people.

Increases have been particularly pronounced among women, even though most people who die by suicide are male. The female suicide rate rose by 53% between 1999 and 2017, compared to 26% for men. Past CDC data has shown particularly worrisome increases among teen girls, for whom the suicide rate rose by approximately 70% between 2010 and 2016.

The new data is sobering, but the continuing declines in heart disease and cancer deaths provide a silver lining. While the reduction in heart disease deaths was fairly minor last year, the cancer death rate fell by 2.1% - a trend likely reflective of better screening and detection, tumbling smoking rates, expanded vaccination against HPV-related cancers and other public health advances.

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U.S. Life Expectancy Dropped for the Third Year in a Row. Drugs and Suicide Are Partly to Blame

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Time 4 hrs ago Jamie Ducharme U.S. life expectancy dropped in 2017 for the third consecutive year, as deaths by suicide and drug overdose continue to claim more American lives. The average American could expect to live to 78.6 years old in 2017, down from 78.7 in 2016, according to data released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).

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According to the information read out in court, Cohen made a false statement regarding a proposed Trump Tower deal in Moscow that he was working on in 2015 and 2016. He had a discussion about the project at a later date. Cohen had previously said that the deal was stopped in January 2016.

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Michael Cohen pleads guilty, says he lied about Trump’s knowledge of Moscow project | CNN Politics

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President Donald Trump spoke more extensively with his former attorney Michael Cohen about the proposed Trump Tower project in Moscow, Cohen admitted while pleading guilty in federal court Thursday

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3 U.S. Special forces soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. So far 13 U.S. soldiers have died this year during service.

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The Department of Defense has identified three U.S. special operations service members killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. They were identified as Army Capt. Andrew Patrick Ross, 29, of Lexington, Virginia, Army Sgt. 1st Class Eric Michael Emond, 39, of Brush Prairie, Washington, and Air Force Staff Sgt. Dylan J. Elchin, 25, of Hookstown, Pennsylvania.

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Their vehicle was struck was by an improvised explosive device in Andar District in Ghazni Province on Tuesday.

Their deaths mark the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Afghanistan in over a year, and brings the total number of U.S. service members killed in the country this year to 13.

This is a breaking story please check back for updates.

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Pentagon identifies 3 US special operations service members killed in Afghanistan

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The Department of Defense has identified three U.S. special operations service members killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. They were identified as Army Capt. Andrew Patrick Ross, 29, of Lexington, Virginia, Army Sgt. 1st Class Eric Michael Emond, 39, of Brush Prairie, Washington, and Air Force Staff Sgt. Dylan J.

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Samuel Little, who is already serving a life sentence for the killing of 3 women has been confessing to at least 34 new murders and is suspected of killing up to 90 people in 16 different states across the country. If this is true, Little will be one of the most prolific serial killers in history with his murders stretching back to 1956. Little stands by the idea that, "God put him on the Earth to do it" but is willing to cooperate with officials in exchange to be moved to a new prison.

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A convicted murderer dubbed one of the "most prolific serial killers in U.S. history" confessed to 90 killings - a majority of which had remained unsolved for years - in 16 states dating back to the early 1970s, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said.

Samuel Little, who is already serving a life sentence for murdering three women in California, made the confessions while being held in Texas for the 1994 murder of Denise Christie Brothers. The serial killer said earlier this year he's willing to cooperate with officials in exchange for a move to a different prison.

"Little is in poor health and will likely stay in prison in Texas until his death. The goal now is to identify his victims and provide closure and justice in unsolved cases," the FBI said in a news release Tuesday.

Authorities nationwide traveled to the state to interview Little - and have corroborated at least 34 of the murders, which were committed between 1970 and 2005, according to the FBI. Officials said there are "many more pending confirmations" to murders in 16 states.

"Over the course of that interview in May, he went through city and state and gave Ranger Holland the number of people he killed in each place. Jackson, Mississippi-one; Cincinnati, Ohio-one; Phoenix, Arizona-three; Las Vegas, Nevada-one," ViCAP Crime Analyst Christina Palazzolo said in an FBI news release.

Little's criminal history began in 1956 and he's been arrested nearly 100 times, the New York Times reported. But it was only recently officials began examining the extent of his murderous past, the FBI said.

"By the time we are done, we anticipate that Samuel Little will be confirmed as one of the most prolific serial killers in American history," Bobby Bland, the district attorney of Ector County, Tex., told the New York Times.

Little, who also goes by the name Samuel McDowell, was arrested in 2012 in a shelter in Kentucky and extradited to California on a narcotics charge. DNA evidence, however, linked him to the murders of three women - Carol Alford, 41, Audrey Nelson, 35, and Guadalupe Apodaca, 46 - in Los Angeles that occurred from 1987 to 1989, the Los Angeles Times reported at the time.

"In all three cases, the women had been beaten and then strangled, their bodies dumped in an alley, a dumpster, and a garage," the FBI said.

Throughout his murder trial, Little insisted he was innocent. But he was convicted in 2014 and given three consecutive life sentences with no possibility of parole.

During the murder trial, authorities in other states began digging up unsolved murders that had similarities to those linked to Little, who preyed on "vulnerable women," often prostitutes or drug addicts. Some of the women Little killed remain unidentified.

Authorities said it wasn't always obvious the women had been murdered because there were no signs of a stabbing or shooting. Some of the deaths were ultimately classified as drug overdoses or accidents.

Little, a former boxer, would punch the victims until they were unconscious, strangle them, dump the bodies and leave town, detectives in Texas said.

But in recent weeks, officials have announced several cold cases have been solved due to Little's confessions.

The Marion County Sheriff's Office announced on Nov. 15 that Little confessed to the 1982 murder of Rosie Hill, whose remains were discovered in a wooded area in Florida. Little told Sgt. Michael Mongeluzzo that he killed the 20-year-old woman because "God put him on this Earth to do it."

Prince George's County Police in Maryland announced Wednesday that Little is responsible for the death of a still-unidentified woman. The remains of the woman, who was described as being about 19 years old with blonde or reddish hair, was found in 1972.

Little told detectives he picked the victim up at a Washington bus station and she indicated she was recently divorced, from the Massachusetts area and might be a mother.

Louisiana police said in a memo this month that Little provided details to the strangulation deaths of Dorothy Richard, 59, and Daisy McGuire, 40, in Houma that "only the murderer would have known." Richard was found dead in 1982 and the body of McGuire was discovered in 1996.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Convicted killer, 78, confesses to 90 murders, mostly cold cases, in 16 states, officials say

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A convicted murderer dubbed one of the "most prolific serial killers in U.S. history" confessed to 90 killings - a majority which have remained unsolved for years - in 16 states dating back to the early 1970s, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said.

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According to this article the US averaged 1 mass shooting per month. The FBI defines a mass shooting as an incident where four or more people -- not including the suspect -- are killed.  They article has a list of 18 instances where these parameters fit. There were also more that don't fit this rule that are not on the list.

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Some of the deadliest mass shootings in the U.S. this year prompted widespread national horror, including the Parkland high school shooting and the massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.

News of other mass shootings, however, seemed to have only reached local audiences. There were a number of incidents where spouses or former spouses killed their partners (and sometimes their children) in Texas, Delaware, Tennessee, Maryland and California.

The FBI defines a mass shooting as an incident where four or more people -- not including the suspect -- are killed. While there is no publicly accessible federal tracker of such incidents, various groups and watchdog organizations keep their own lists, often using different definitions of what qualifies as a mass shooting.

For the list compiled by ABC News below, the incidents took place over the course of one day and involved four or more victims, not including the suspect. For instance, shooting sprees that spanned longer amounts of time were not included on this list. As of Nov. 28, there were at least 18 shootings that fit these parameters.

There are hundreds of other deadly shootings that took place across the U.S. this year that don't fit these conditions, including some that received national attention, like the shooting at a Maryland Rite Aid, or the shooting at a Chicago hospital. In both of those incidents, three victims were killed and the respective suspects also killed themselves.

But whether they made national headlines or not, the common, heartbreaking thread among the 18 incidents below was that they happened in the first 11 months of 2018.

1. Jan. 28: Shooting at a Pennsylvania car wash, 4 victims

Four people were killed in a shooting outside a self-service car wash in a rural western Pennsylvania town when a man wearing body armor and wielding three guns, including an AR-15 semiautomatic assault rifle, opened fire on them, according to Pennsylvania authorities.

The shooting in Melcroft in Fayette County, about 55 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, occurred at 2:52 a.m. and was described by the local district attorney as a "horrible and senseless event."

2. Jan. 28: Shooting at an apartment in Pennsylvania, 4 victims

The suspect in the shooting of four people at a Reading apartment complex is still at large, authorities said.

"We cannot remember any time in recent history when this many people were shot at one time," James Marasco Jr., the deputy chief of the Reading Police Department told the Associated Press at the time.

Capt. Paul Reilly of the Reading Police Department's investigation division told ABC News that as of Nov. 26, there have been no arrests and it is still an open investigation. They do not believe it was a random shooting, Reilly said.

3. Feb. 10: Domestic shooting spree in Kentucky, 4 victims

The suspect who killed his parents, his girlfriend and her mother allegedly struggled with drug addiction before the shooting, his pastor told The Lexington Herald Leader.

The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Joseph Nickell, killed himself after he killed his parents, James Wayne Nickell, 75, and Arlene Nickell, 70; his girlfriend Lindsey Vanhoose, 41; and her mother Patricia Vanhoose, 57.

The shooter's teenage son was reportedly at his grandparents' home where the first shooting occurred and escaped before calling 911, the paper reported.

4. Feb. 14: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, 17 victims

The deadliest shooting of the year took place in Parkland, Florida, when a former student opened fire and killed 17 students and school staffers.

The suspect, Nikolas Cruz, fled the scene and was later apprehended by authorities. He has been charged with 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the school shooting, and is now facing new charges after allegedly attacking a deputy in jail, according to ABC affiliate WPLG.

The massacre prompted survivors to launch a national movement and Florida to change its gun laws. Held a month after the deadly shooting, the March for Our Lives became a national event and some of its student organizers -- including Emma Gonzalez, David Hogg and Jackie Corin -- have become widely recognized figures in the fight for gun reform. The group also launched a national bus tour to try to get other young people involved.

5. Feb. 26: Shootings at gas station and a home in Detroit, 4 victims

A man pulled up to a car at a Detroit gas station and opened fire on his child's mother, Ciera Bargaineer, after an altercation.

The suspect, George Davis Jr., killed Bargaineer, another woman who was in the car with her, 21-year old Kristin Thomas, and Bargaineer's father, 60-year-old Raphael Hall, ABC affiliate WXYZ reported.

Davis then reportedly fled the scene and fatally shot his cousin at a home about two miles away, according to WXYZ.

Davis shot himself after leading police on a chace, the station reported.

6. April 22: Waffle House shooting in Nashville, 4 victims

A bystander a deadly massacre at a Waffle House. James Shaw Jr., 29, confronted the gunman, took his gun, threw it over a counter and forced the gunman outside. The suspect, Travis Reinking, who was later apprehended by law enforcement officers and is now facing four counts of criminal homicide.

Four people were killed: Taurean Sanderlin, 29, a cook at the restaurant who was on a cigarette break and was one of the first slain in the shooting; DeEbony Groves, 21, an honor student at Belmont University in Nashville; and Akilah DaSilva, 23, a Middle Tennessee State University student. The youngest victim was 20-year-old Joe Perez, whose mother wrote in a Facebook post, "Me, my husband and sons are broken right now with this loss. Our lives are shattered."

7. May 17: Domestic violence incident in Texas, 4 victims

A woman, identified as Amanda Lee Simpson, survived a shooting where she says her ex-husband Justin Painter killed their three children and her then-boyfriend, according to The Dallas Morning News.

The victims were identified as 29-year-old Seth Richardson, and Odin, 8, Caydence, 6, and Drake Painter, 4.

Simpson told The Huffington Post that Painter told her that he was intentionally letting her alive to live with the pain of losing her children.

8. May 18: Santa Fe High School shooting, 10 victims

Gov. Greg Abbott called the shooting, where 10 people were killed and 13 others injured, "one of the most heinous attacks that we've ever seen in the history of Texas schools."

The suspect, 17-year-old Dimitrios Pagourtzis, is in custody and has been charged with capital murder, officials said. The suspect allegedly wrote in journals that he wanted to carry out the shooting and then commit suicide, but he gave himself up to authorities, according to Abbott.

9. June 10: Domestic violence incident in Florida, 4 victims

Four young children were fatally shot by their mother's boyfriend and the suspect shot an officer in the head after police responded to the scene.

Orlando Police Chief John Mina said the suspect, Gary Lindsey Jr., was the father of two of the children -- Dove Lindsey, 1, and Aiden Lindsey, 6. He allegedly killed them along with the other two children in the home -- Lillia Pluth, 10, and Irayan Pluth, 12 -- in the altercation. Lindsey then killed himself at the scene.

Orlando Police Department officer Kevin Valencia was shot in the head and remains in a coma more than five months after the incident, according to a spokesperson for the department.

10. June 28: Shooting at Maryland newspaper office, 5 victims

The shooting at a Maryland newsroom that killed five people was a targeted attack, according to local police.

The suspect, armed with a shotgun, looked for victims in the newsroom of the Capital Gazette, a daily newspaper in Annapolis, which is located in the first floor of a multi-office building, Anne Arundel Police Department Deputy Chief Bill Krampf said at the time.

Rob Hiaasen, 59, Wendi Winters, 65, Gerald Fischman, 61, John McNamara, 56, and Rebecca Smith, 34, all were shot to death, allegedly by 38-year-old Jarrod Ramos, who had a longstanding feud with the newspaper and has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder.

11. July 9: Domestic violence incident in Delaware, 4 victims

A man in Wilmington shot his wife and three children before shooting himself, the Delaware State Police reported. Julie Edwards, 41, and a 6 year-old boy, a 4 year-old girl and a 3-year-old boy were all killed by Matthew Edwards, 42, authorities said.

The case was ruled a murder-suicide by the Delaware State Police.

12. July 27: Domestic violence incident in Texas, 4 victims

A man killed his 85-year-old father, 60-year-old stepmother, her 41-year-old son and the couple's adopted 13-year-old son before turning the gun on himself, according to the Alice Echo News Journal.

The two sons, Roel Mireles, 41, and Isaiah Starry, 13, were found shot dead at their parent's residence and their parents, Ernest Starry and Thelma Montalvo, were found dead at a nursing home in Robstown, Texas, alongside their suspect son, Richard Starry, the paper reported.

13. Sept. 12: Domestic violence incident in California, 5 victims

A man shot his ex-wife and four other people, some of whom appeared to be responding to his first gunshots, in Bakersfield.

ABC-owned station KABC reported that there were two separate but related shootings before the suspect shot himself when he was confronted by a sheriff's deputy.

The suspect, Javier Casarez, killed his ex-wife Petra Maribel Bolanos De Casarez. Their divorce was finalized in June, months after he claimed in court that he believed his wife was cheating on him, according to KABC.

14. Sept. 17: Domestic violence incident in Maryland, 4 victims

A father fatally shot his wife, his 10-year-old son and his 22-year-old stepdaughter before killing himself at their home in their Montgomery County, Maryland.

He also shot his 11-year-old daughter, who died three days later, according to NBC Washington.

NBC Washington reported that the suspect, Yong Mun Kim, left names and phone numbers of relatives for police, which suggests he planned the murder-suicide.

15. Oct. 13: Shooting at a birthday party in Texas, 4 victims

A toddler's first birthday party turned deadly following an alleged altercation between two families attending the party.

Texas Department of Public Safety officials said that four men were fatally shot and two others were wounded, with two suspects fleeing the scene, the Associated Press reported.

16. Oct. 15: Mother kills teenage children and herself in Tennessee, 4 victims

A mother killed her four teenage children in their Columbia, Tenn., home before reportedly shooting herself, local law enforcement said.

The Tennessean reports that the four children were Bo Li, 14, Meigan Lin, 14, Lia Lin, 15, and Kaileigh Lin, 17. Their mother, Cynthia Collier, 55, was found with self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

The Associated Press reported that the bodies were discovered by an adult child who returned home from work, and a local sheriff said that the teen victims had all been adopted and home schooled.

17. Oct. 27: Shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue, 11 victims

Eleven worshipers, including a 97-year-old woman, were gunned down inside the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood in what is believed to be the deadliest attack on Jews in America.

"Words escape me of what you can say," said Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, who was officiating a service when a gunman started shooting. "They were all beautiful, wonderful, good decent people. Hate was not in their vocabulary."

18. Nov. 7: Shooting at a California bar, 12 victims

At least 12 people, including a police officer, were killed when a gunman opened fire in a packed Southern California bar during its "college night," leaving the community of Thousand Oaks in shock and in mourning.

The lone suspect, 28-year-old Ian David Long, was found dead inside the Borderline Bar & Grill after the overnight shooting, Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean said. Authorities believe he shot himself.

ABC News' Emily Shapiro and Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.

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2018 has seen more than 1 mass shooting per month in the US

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Some of the deadliest mass shootings in the U.S. this year prompted widespread national horror, including the Parkland high school shooting and the massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. News of other mass shootings, however, seemed to have only reached local audiences. There were...

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Top high school QB in the country Max Johnson committed to LSU last night.

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ESPN 300 four-star quarterback Max Johnson, the son of former NFL and Florida State quarterback Brad Johnson, made a verbal commitment to LSU on Wednesday.

Count that as the second time Miami head coach Mark Richt lost to the Tigers this fall. But this was more personal.

Richt is one of Max Johnson's uncles and until Wednesday was thought to have the inside track on his nephew's recruitment, dating back to his verbal offer in February 2016 -- a few months before Johnson had even entered Oconee County High School in Watkinsville, Ga.

However, Max Johnson announced on Twitter he had chosen to go with the Tigers while gratefully acknowledging Richt for making the first scholarship offer.

Committed! #GeauxTigers🐯 pic.twitter.com/U4PZHzjFbt
- Max Johnson (@qbmjohnson2020) November 28, 2018

The 6-foot-5 Johnson is the third-rated pocket passer in the Class of 2020 and 47th-ranked recruit overall. Johnson also had offers from Florida State, Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina, among others.

Johnson's commitment gives LSU two quarterbacks in the 2020 class, including another ESPN 300 recruit TJ Finley of Ponchatoula, La. The Tigers also have a ESPN 300 quarterback in the 2019 class, Peter Parrish of Phenix City, Ala.

Meanwhile, Richt and Miami have no quarterback commitments in their 2019 or 2020 classes.

That's a continuation of a troubling trend as quarterback play has been an ongoing problem for the Hurricanes this season. Malik Rosier and then N'Kosi Perry have failed to establish themselves as consistent passing threats in Richt's preferred pro-style offense. In Miami's season-opening 33-17 loss to LSU, Rosier went 15-of-35 for 259 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

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Top QB recruit commits to LSU over uncle Richt

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ESPN 300 four-star quarterback Max Johnson, the son of former NFL and Florida State quarterback Brad Johnson, made a verbal commitment to LSU on Wednesday. Count that as the second time Miami head coach Mark Richt lost to the Tigers this fall. But this was more personal.

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A woman claims that her jailed rapist was given the chance to see her son who was born as a result of the attack. She spoke out in attempt to change the law so the man would not be given the opportunity to apply for parental rights.

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rotherham abuse: rapist offered chance to see his child

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Her rapist was offered the chance to see her child, victim claims

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A child sex abuse victim is alleging her jailed rapist was offered the chance to see her son, who was born as a result of the attack.

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A New Jersey man, already accused of setting his own house on fire while his family was inside, was charged with murder Thursday in the deaths of his brother and his brother's family.  Paul Caneiro was also charged with possession of a firearm and possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose.

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A New Jersey man, already accused of setting his own house on fire while his family was inside, was charged with murder Thursday in the deaths of his brother and his brother's family, officials said.

Paul Caneiro, 51, was charged with four counts of murder in the slayings of Keith Caneiro, 50, Jennifer Caneiro, 45, and the pair's children, NJ.com reported, citing online court records. Paul Caneiro was also charged with possession of a firearm and possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose.

Keith Caneiro's body was found fatally shot outside his burning home in Colts Neck last week, and the bodies of his wife and children were discovered inside the blaze. At least one of the children's bodies was found to have stab wounds, a law enforcement source told NJ.com.

The apparent killings of the wealthy family of four came hours after a fire was reported at Paul Caneiro's Ocean Township home, located about 10 miles away from Colts Neck. Until Thursday, Paul Caneiro had only been charged with aggravated arson. His family was able to escape the fire at their house without injuries.

Robert A. Honecker Jr., Caneiro's attorney, said Wednesday he received new evidence from prosecutors in the case, delaying the hearing until Friday, according to NJ.com. Honecker didn't comment on what the evidence was.

Caneiro allegedly used gasoline to set his home ablaze at around 5 a.m. Less than eight hours later, the fire that destroyed his brother's home was reported, around 12:30 p.m., authorities said

"We believe that this family in some form or fashion was targeted," Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said last week.

Keith Caneiro was the CEO of tech company Square One in Asbury Park and Paul Caneiro was listed as the vice president of the company. It's unclear what the alleged motive may have been for the murders.

Colts Neck is an upscale community about 50 miles south of New York City and is home to horse farms. Bruce Springsteen reportedly owns a home in the town, and his youngest son, Sam, joined the Colts Neck Fire Department in 2014, NJ.com reported.

Gramiccioni announced an 11 a.m. news conference about the case.
Fox News' Travis Fedschun and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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New Jersey man charged with murder in mansion slayings of brother, his family

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A New Jersey man, already accused of setting his own house on fire while his family was inside, was charged with murder Thursday in the deaths of his brother and his brother's family, officials said. Paul Caneiro, 51, was charged with four counts of murder in the slayings of Keith Caneiro, 50, Jennifer Caneiro, 45, and the pair's children, NJ.com reported, citing online court records.

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A 13 year old girl in Oklahoma was found 3 days after her family was reported missing.

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A 13-year-old North Carolina girl was found safe in Oklahoma on Wednesday night, nearly three days after her family reported her missing.

Authorities found Aubrey Acree with a 23-year-old man in Checotah, Oklahoma, more than 900 miles from the girl's home in Rutherford County, North Carolina, according to the FBI.

Police arrested Jacob Gardea, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, on the scene. He faces abduction charges from North Carolina and additional charges could be pending, FBI officials said in a statement.

WSCO

"Aubrey's family has been notified of this great news and arrangements will be made in the near future to return her home to her loved ones in North Carolina," the statement said. "Law enforcement is grateful to a keen eyewitness who helped begin our investigative process with a strong lead that brought us to this joyful outcome."

Aubrey was last seen by family members on Sunday night and was reported missing the following day, according to ABC affiliate WSOC.

A witness reporting seeing her get into a car with an unidentified person in Mooresboro, North Carolina, on Monday. Detectives said a white 2005 to 2007 Subaru SUV had been suspected as the vehicle of interest.

"It's heartbreaking," Crystal Hope, a neighbor, told WSOC at the time. "I can't imagine what her family is going through. I know we're giving continued prayers. I would be devastated if it was my child."

The FBI is still investigating the circumstances surrounding the girl's disappearance.

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Missing girl found after alleged abduction

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A 13-year-old North Carolina girl was found safe in Oklahoma on Wednesday night, nearly three days after her family reported her missing. Authorities found Aubrey Acree with a 23-year-old man in Checotah, Oklahoma, more than 900 miles from the girl's home in Rutherford County, North Carolina, according to the FBI.

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The average american life expectancy is being lowered by 0.1 to 78.6 years due to the increase in suicides and drug overdoses. Last year there was 2.8 million U.S. deaths.

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The average U.S. life expectancy fell in 2017 as suicide and drug overdose rates continue to rise, according to three government reports released Thursday.

Americans born in 2017 are expected to live 78.6 years, down about 0.1 from the previous year, according to the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overall, there were more than 2.8 million U.S. deaths in 2017, or nearly 70,000 more than the previous year, the center said.

"Life expectancy gives us a snapshot of the Nation's overall health and these sobering statistics are a wake-up call that we are losing too many Americans, too early and too often, to conditions that are preventable," CDC Director Robert Redfield said in a statement. "[W]e must all work together to reverse this trend and help ensure that all Americans live longer and healthier lives."

John Moore/Getty Images, FILE

The drop was largely driven by deaths from drug overdoses and suicides, which have increased steadily over the past few years. Nearly 70,240 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, compared to about 63,630 during the previous year.

"The pattern of drugs involved in drug overdose deaths has changed in recent years," the CDC said, noting a 45 percent increase in overdose deaths involving drugs synthetic opioids between 2016 and 2017.

President Donald Trump has made fighting the country's opioid epidemic one of his tenants. The president declared the crisis a national health emergency in December 2017 and even said he'd be willing to institute the death penalty for those peddling the drugs.

John Moore/Getty Images, FILE

Separately, suicide rates have increased by about 2 percent per year between 2006 and 2017, according to the CDC's data.

Suicide was ranked as the 10th-leading cause of death for Americans of all ages and the second-leading leading cause of death for people between ages 10 and 34, the data said.

For males, the suicide rate increased 26 percent from 17.8 in 1999 to 22.4 in 2017, while the rate for women increased 53 percent over the same time frame, according to the CDC.

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centers for disease control and prevention

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Suicides, opioid overdose deaths push US life expectancy lower

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The average U.S. life expectancy fell in 2017 as suicide and drug overdose rates continue to rise, according to three government reports released Thursday. Americans born in 2017 are expected to live 78.6 years, down about 0.1 from the previous year, according to the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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The woman who attacked a McDonald's manager because she wasn't given enough Ketchup has been arrested. She is in custody at the Orange County jail on a $15,000 bond.

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Woman who attacked McDonald’s manager over ketchup arrested, police say

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The 24-year-old woman is unemployed, according to online jail records.

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A 13 year-old girl who was reported missing in North Carolina has been found. She was found in Oklahoma after 3 days she was reported missing.The guy who abducted the girl he is facing abduction charges. A witness said that they saw her get into a car in North Carolina, and after that no one saw her again until now.

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A 13-year-old North Carolina girl was found safe in Oklahoma on Wednesday night, nearly three days after her family reported her missing.

Authorities found Aubrey Acree with a 23-year-old man in Checotah, Oklahoma, more than 900 miles from the girl's home in Rutherford County, North Carolina, according to the FBI.

Police arrested Jacob Gardea, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, on the scene. He faces abduction charges from North Carolina and additional charges could be pending, FBI officials said in a statement.

WSCO

"Aubrey's family has been notified of this great news and arrangements will be made in the near future to return her home to her loved ones in North Carolina," the statement said. "Law enforcement is grateful to a keen eyewitness who helped begin our investigative process with a strong lead that brought us to this joyful outcome."

Aubrey was last seen by family members on Sunday night and was reported missing the following day, according to ABC affiliate WSOC.

A witness reporting seeing her get into a car with an unidentified person in Mooresboro, North Carolina, on Monday. Detectives said a white 2005 to 2007 Subaru SUV had been suspected as the vehicle of interest.

"It's heartbreaking," Crystal Hope, a neighbor, told WSOC at the time. "I can't imagine what her family is going through. I know we're giving continued prayers. I would be devastated if it was my child."

The FBI is still investigating the circumstances surrounding the girl's disappearance.

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Missing girl found after alleged abduction

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A 13-year-old North Carolina girl was found safe in Oklahoma on Wednesday night, nearly three days after her family reported her missing. Authorities found Aubrey Acree with a 23-year-old man in Checotah, Oklahoma, more than 900 miles from the girl's home in Rutherford County, North Carolina, according to the FBI.

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Micheal Cohen has just pleaded guilty to misleading congress about the Russian Investigation.

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Michael Cohen pleads guilty, says he lied about Trump’s knowledge of Moscow project | CNN Politics

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President Donald Trump spoke more extensively with his former attorney Michael Cohen about the proposed Trump Tower project in Moscow, Cohen admitted while pleading guilty in federal court Thursday

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NASA is set to announce the U.S. companies that will help send astronauts back to the moon. The date is set for today, 11/29 at 2 pm.

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NASA is set to announce the U.S. companies that will help take American astronauts back to the Moon.

The space agency's Administrator Jim Bridenstine will make the announcement at 2 p.m. ET Thursday. "Working with U.S. companies is the next step to achieving long-term scientific study and human exploration of the Moon and Mars," NASA said in a statement.

The Trump administration has cited Moon missions a key element of the 2019 NASA budget. President Donald Trump wants U.S. astronauts to return to the Moon as a foundation for future Mars missions.
TO THE MOON AND BACK: APOLLO 11 LUNAR CHECKLIST OFFERS GLIMPSE INTO HISTORIC MISSION
In December, Trump signed a policy directive instructing NASA to "refocus America's space program on human exploration and discovery." The move, Trump said, "marks an important step in returning American astronauts to the Moon for the first time since 1972 for long-time exploration."

The last time a human set foot on the Moon was during the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972. Only 12 men, all Americans, have set foot on the Moon.

Mars also looms large in America's space future. NASA's long-term goal is to send a manned mission to the Red Planet in the 2030s.
NASA'S INSIGHT MARS LANDER ARRIVES ON THE RED PLANET, ENDS SUCCESSFUL JOURNEY
As part this effort, NASA's unmanned InSight Lander touched down on the Martian surface Monday, becoming the space agency's first probe to reach the Red Planet in six years/
Fox News Chris Ciaccia and The Associated Press contributed to this article. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers

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NASA set to announce partners for Moon missions

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NASA is set to announce the U.S. companies that will help take American astronauts back to the Moon. The space agency's Administrator Jim Bridenstine will make the announcement at 2 p.m. ET Thursday. "Working with U.S. companies is the next step to achieving long-term scientific study and human exploration of the Moon and Mars," NASA said in a statement.

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Taysom Hill is a backup quarterback for the New Orleans Saints and plays multiple positions. Hill is on kickoff, kickoff return, punt, punt return, offense and defense. Hill is 6'2, 230 pounds and runs a 4.44 40-yard dash. His 40 time is faster than his team mates, Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas who ran 4.56 and 4.57. He is expected to go to the pro bowl as a special teams player.

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METARIE, La. - A little more than a year ago, Mike Westhoff came out of retirement to coach special teams for the Saints. He didn't know any of the players on his new team.

Westhoff walked through the locker room and noticed a player coming out of the shower wearing a towel around his waist.

He thought, "He's big, put together."

Later, he was with head coach Sean Payton.

"Who the hell is that guy?" he asked.

"He's a quarterback," Payton told him.

"A quarterback?" Westhoff said.

"A quarterback," Payton replied.

"How big is he?"

"He's 6'2", 230."

"How fast is he?"

"He ran a 4.44 40-yard dash at his pro day."

"Excuse me?" Westhoff said.

Then Payton told Westhoff the story of Taysom Hill.

Playing for Highland High School in 2009, Hill was the All-Idaho Player of the Year. He committed to Stanford, but he then decided to fulfill a two-year Mormon mission to Sydney, Australia. Then he resumed his football life at Brigham Young, where he threw an 18-yard touchdown pass on his first play from scrimmage.

By the time he was a junior, he was a Heisman candidate along with Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston. But that season-like all but one of his five college seasons-ended with an injury. There was a knee injury in 2012, a broken fibula in 2014, a fracture of his foot in 2015 and an elbow strain in 2016.

The Packers liked his potential and brought him to camp as an undrafted free agent in 2017, and he was impressive. They waived him on cut-down day, but they planned on signing him to their practice squad.

As Payton studied wide receiver Max McCaffrey, whom the Packers had waived, he kept noticing the player who was throwing him the football. He saw the last name on his jersey and thought it was veteran Shaun Hill. Then he found out the player was a rookie. He asked around the building to find out why the Saints had not been interested in Hill. He kept watching him, and the more he watched, the more he liked.

The Saints put in a claim and got their man. For most of the 2017 season, Hill served as the team's third-string quarterback behind Drew Brees and Chase Daniel.

Late in the season, the Saints needed a player to cover kickoff returns. Payton asked Westhoff if he thought Hill could play on special teams. Yeah, Westhoff said, he sure could.

That week, Hill practiced on special teams in what has become the first chapter in one of the NFL's most fascinating stories.
December 3, 2017
In his NFL debut, Hill splits a two-man wedge and tackles Panthers kick returner Fozzy Whitaker. He brings down Whitaker again on another return. He also comes close to blocking two punts, including one the punter drops. In the locker room after the game, Payton gives Hill a game ball.

As a sophomore in high school, Hill played wide receiver on varsity because the team had a senior quarterback. He became the quarterback the next year, and he also was the team's punter and kicker. He moonlit as a cornerback, safety and linebacker. He also lettered in basketball and track, competing in the long jump and the 200 meters.

The Saints play a game similar to horseshoes in their weight room with washers, and Hill dominates. He drives a golf ball 100 yards farther than anyone in the foursome, according to his golfing buddies on the team.

His combination of strength and speed would be outstanding for a running back. It's unheard of for a quarterback. Saints coaches shake their heads and smile recalling him squatting 625 pounds, which would be impressive for an offensive lineman. His 40-yard dash time was faster than Marcus Mariota's (4.52), Russell Wilson's (4.55), Cam Newton's (4.59), and Tim Tebow's (4.71). It also was faster than the 40 times of teammates Alvin Kamara (4.56) and Michael Thomas (4.57).

But Hill never had done anything like covering a kick in the NFL. The week before the game, Saints secondary coach Aaron Glenn told Hill he wanted to take him through some tackling drills. Hill told his fellow quarterbacks what he needed to do that day.

"He never should have told us," Brees says.

When the time came to try to take down a large tackle wheel with perfect form, Brees, Daniels and quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi made sure to be in the front row, where they could critique Hill savagely.

"I'm out there doing these tackling drills wearing a red jersey," Hill said. "There were some laughs going around."

Whitaker wasn't laughing on Sunday, however.

Hill's role on special teams grew. Westhoff put him on the kickoff return team and assigned him the toughest blocks. Kamara probably would not have had his 106-yard kickoff return against the Bucs if not for a block by Hill. He was made the personal protector on the punt team, lining up three yards behind the line to make sure the rush doesn't disrupt the punt. He became a kick returner. He was put on the field-goal block team. And on the punt return team, he was asked to rush the punter-Westhoff says he is one of the best in the league at doing so. Hill also is the backup holder and the backup long snapper.

Now, Payton and Westoff believe Hill should make the Pro Bowl as a special teams player.
Oct. 21, 2018
In a 24-23 Saints victory over the Ravens, Hill plays every skill position offensively-three receiver spots, two tight end positions, halfback and quarterback, as well as having a full plate on special teams. He ran the ball six times for 35 yards, including once on a fake punt in which he takes a direct snap from his personal protector position and rushes for a first down. Among his responsibilities are blocking pass-rusher Terrell Suggs and Ravens defensive ends on some plays.

On Payton's desk is a yellow legal pad with page after page of offensive plays he has drawn up for this week's opponent. This season, Payton began designing plays for Hill on that pad. If Hill had the versatility to cover kicks, Payton thought, he should have the versatility to contribute on offense.

"Man," Payton says, "he's fun to coach."

When Hill enters the game as an "F," or receiving tight end, it's part of a personnel package called BYU. If he comes in the game as a quarterback, the personnel package is called Cougar.

Defenses have no idea how to play Hill. He can start at one position and motion to another. Safety up, or safety back? Some have tried to play nickel when he's in the game. Others have remained in base. Hill almost always creates some kind of defensive concession.

"For him to do the things he does, I can't think of anybody who has ever done it to that degree," Brees says.

Teammates call him Jim Thorpe after the Hall of Famer who played multiple positions in the 1920s. And it is as if Hill came to the Saints from a previous time, when square-jawed sports stars were more legends than athletes.

But there is so much that goes on that enables Hill to do what he does. Here is his typical practice day:

6:30 a.m.: Studies the game plan with Brees and the other quarterbacks.

9 a.m.: Team meeting.

9:35 a.m.: Special teams meeting.

9:50 a.m.: Catches up with what he's missed in the 9:35 quarterback meeting.

Noon: Special teams walkthrough while the quarterbacks practice QB-center exchanges.

12:15 p.m.: Offensive walkthrough.

12:30 p.m.: Practice. He participates in quarterback drills, throws to unguarded receivers and then takes reps at various offensive positions during team periods. He also often is the scout team quarterback when the Saints starting defense is on the field. He leaves the quarterbacks during special teams periods, missing the review of the game plan and the preview of the next period.

2:30 p.m.: Lifting, then lunch.

3:45 p.m.: Special teams meeting.

4 p.m.: Offensive meeting in which practice is reviewed.

4:45-7:30 p.m.: He and Brees review the plays that were installed for quarterbacks, and then Hill goes over his non-quarterback plays that were installed.

The temptation is to do too much with Hill. Payton is aware of the possibility of overtaxing him physically or mentally. He would like to limit him to about 15 offensive snaps per game.

But Payton assuredly has more up his sleeve with Hill. "I hope there will be more coming," Hill says.

After Hill broke his fibula in 2014, Jim Harbaugh called. Harbaugh had recruited him to Stanford and stayed in touch. Harbaugh told him about when he broke his arm as Michigan's quarterback in 1984 and had to sit out the rest of the season.

"You and I are so similar," Harbaugh told him, according to Hill. "What I found is I needed to find something else to compete at, because I couldn't do it on the football field. Go compete in life, go compete in the classroom."

Hill took his advice and committed himself to the finance curriculum at BYU. He subsequently became one of the top students in the rigorous program, What he accomplished gave him great satisfaction, even though he missed football.

There's a parallel between then and now. With the Saints, Hill can't do what he wants to do-be a starting quarterback. But he still can compete at something and throw himself into a multipurpose role.

"If you can provide value somewhere and have a coach who believes in you and creates opportunities for you, it's so important to continue to try to excel," he says.

That meant learning to block as if he were in Pop Warner. Early this season, tight ends coach Dan Campbell pulled him aside and explained the fundamentals-leverage, keeping his pad level down and leading with the same shoulder and foot.

He regularly works with five assistant coaches-Campbell, Westhoff, Lombardi, offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael and running backs coach Joel Thomas-on an almost daily basis, and he also interacts with other assistants sporadically.

At the BYU pro day after Hill's senior year, a scout from the Patriots approached him. "We really like you as a quarterback," the scout told him. "But what if I told you we want to bring you to camp, and that might involve playing some running back or doing some other things-how would you respond to that?"

"I'll do whatever it takes," Hill said.
Oct. 28, 2018
Hill lines up at quarterback in shotgun, takes a short drop and launches a deep pass over the middle to Michael Thomas, who has run by Vikings safety Harrison Smith. Thomas slows down and makes the catch for a 44-yard completion in a 30-20 Saints victory.

Ask Hill what he is, and he laughs. He always answers the same: "A quarterback."

In a preseason game against the Cardinals, Hill, playing quarterback for the first half, threw two interceptions and fumbled three times, leading many to believe he was incapable of being an NFL quarterback. Twelve days later, the Saints traded a third-round pick to the Jets for Teddy Bridgewater.

But Payton's belief in Hill as a quarterback was never shaken.

"I think he's going to be a great NFL quarterback," Payton says. "I'm excited about his prospects as a quarterback. He's strong, he can run, he's accurate. He's got a quick throwing motion. He's got a real good stroke. I think there are traits of Steve Young. People forget it took a while for Young to move and get into a system and then all of a sudden play at a high level."

Hill, 28, may succeed Brees just like Young succeeded Joe Montana. In the meantime, Hill is learning everything he can from the NFL's all-time passing leader.

He has adopted Brees' routine. He gets to work when Brees gets to work and leaves when Brees leaves. He follows Brees' in-season workout regimen.

"He's been so welcoming," Hill says. "That's the unique thing about Drew. He's really opened up his routine to me and given me an opportunity to get to know him. I jumped all over it."

They even spend their off days together. On one recent Tuesday, they had breakfast, watched a few games of their next opponent, took a hot tub, sauna, steam and cold tub, and then watched another game.

"What he's doing is like going to grad school sitting next to Albert Einstein," Westhoff says.
Nov. 4, 2018
On a 4th-and-1 in the first quarter, Hill takes a pitch from Brees on a reverse. The play calls for him to throw it back to Brees, but Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald grabs Brees, disrupting the play. Hill subsequently takes off for a nine-yard gain, including about four yards after plowing into Rams safety Lamarcus Joyner. The sideline erupts with teammates who are bouncing and laughing. When Hill jogs back, linebacker Craig Robertson leads a contingent of players and coaches who greet him with high-fives, hugs and pats on the helmet or shoulder pads.

Hill provides a value to the Saints beyond his catches, yards, passes, blocks and tackles. When he makes a play, it sends a current through his team.

"It gets me hyped," Saints linebacker Alex Anzalone says. "It gets me excited. Last year when he started covering kicks, that was probably the coolest thing. This year, returning kickoffs starting in the Cleveland game, now that was cool."

It's one thing if Kamara runs wild. It's something different if Hill does it.

"There is this energy around him," Payton says. "It's a little like Ferris Bueller. His teammates feel it, they really do. The other players around him are better because of him, because of his effort, because of his smile, because of his attitude."

Like no other player in the league, Hill belongs to every position group on his team. Speaking for the linebackers, Anzalone says, "He's one of us. "

A quarterback doing linebacker things or tight end things is revered like few players could be. "A quarterback who is willing to go out on a kickoff or cover a kickoff?" Saints linebacker Vince Biegel says. "That's the type of guy you want on your team."

Hill doesn't just fill multiple roles-he fills them with fervor. He covers kickoffs like his career depends on getting to the returner first. He hits so they remember his number. He finishes his runs as though he thinks he's Earl Campbell.

"I love it," Payton says of the way Hill lowers his shoulder into a tackler.

For Hill, finishing runs is not done without thought, however.

"When I had those injuries in college, I had all of these conversations with coaches about protecting myself," he says. "It was a constant internal struggle for me. ... Being the full-time quarterback, there is a big responsibility to stay healthy for your team. I feel like my role has been different now. Here, my responsibility is to add a spark, add value where I can. I think I'm able to do that by being aggressive and fighting for every yard I can get."

He doesn't do this because of what he could be in one of his tomorrows. He does this because of who he is today.

Hill resonates because he sacrifices. He sacrifices his body. He sacrifices his free time like few players. And he sacrifices personal ambition.

"The ultimate compliment you can pay to a teammate is he'll do whatever he's asked to do to help the team win," Brees says. "Taysom was a highly successful college quarterback. He's a great athlete, leader and competitor. So to come in and have great dreams and aspirations of playing quarterback, and then all of a sudden you have this unique skill set to where we want you to go down and return a kickoff.

"As a quarterback, he is trying to master this 1,000-play playbook and master the position, now you want him to run down on kickoffs. And you want him to be [the] personal protector on [the] punt [team]. And you want him to return kickoffs. Then you want him to go in and run-block, block defensive ends, block strong safeties, crack linebackers, run out for passes, get in the backfield. That's unbelievable."

That's why the sideline erupts when Hill makes a play.

Hill thinks it's pretty cool, too.

"It's been a blast," he says. "My mindset is I'm a quarterback. But I love being on the field. I love competing. So this is the next best thing."

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Meet Taysom Hill: The NFL's 28-Year-Old Do-Everything Weapon

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METARIE, La. - A little more than a year ago, Mike Westhoff came out of retirement to coach special teams for the Saints. He didn't know any of the players on his new team. Westhoff walked through the locker room and noticed a player coming out of the shower wearing a towel around his waist.

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Country singer star, Keith Urban, embarrassed his movie star wife, Nicole Kidman, while hosting the ARIAs. Kidman was left covering her face after her husbands first line upon walking on the stage was singling her out in the audience. Urban won laughs from the audience while he gestured to his wife and said, "Hi baby, right in the front row--hi!" Urban also mentioned his wife and her successful career after welcoming Troye Sivan to the stage.

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Keith Urban may have won plenty of laughs from the audience in his role as ARIAs host but that doesn't mean everyone was impressed.

Kidman, who let her husband take the lead as the couple walked the red carpet, might've hoped for a relatively low key night from her position in the ARIAs audience.

But she was left covering her face with embarrassment after her country singer husband singled her out in the audience the second he walked on stage.

"Hi everyone, hi Australia," Urban said as he opened the awards show, before gesturing to Kidman. "Hi baby, right in the front row - hi!"

Urban's early shout-out to his wife won laughter from the audience, as did his joke about the ARIA statues.

"They're not the biggest pricks in the room but they are close," he cautioned.

Urban couldn't resist singling his wife out again while introducing singer Troye Sivan to the stage.

"Let's say hello to our next presenter, this guy is a singer, two-time ARIA winner and an actor currently co-starring in a really beautiful film that I highly recommend you see called 'Boy Erased' alongside an up and coming new actress called Nicole Kidman," Urban quipped.

"I think good things are ahead for her."

Earlier the couple had put on a loved-up display on the red carpet together, with Kidman wearing a strapless feather top and pants.

The 'Boy Erased' star was accompanied to the ARIAs by her niece, sister Antonia's lookalike daughter Lucia Hawley.

"Going to the #ARIAs with my niece, we're so excited to see Keith hosting!" Kidman captioned a photo of the pair on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on news.com.au.

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Keith Urban made Nicole Kidman cringe at ARIA Music Awards

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Keith Urban may have won plenty of laughs from the audience in his role as ARIAs host but that doesn't mean everyone was impressed. Kidman, who let her husband take the lead as the couple walked the red carpet, might've hoped for a relatively low key night from her position in the ARIAs audience.