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President Donald Trump taunted North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un, warning him that his nuclear button is bigger and it works.

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"North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the 'Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.' Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!" Trump tweeted.

The evening message followed more than a dozen others Trump had sent throughout the day on issues ranging from The New York Times' coverage of his administration to conflict in the Middle East.

Kim had said Monday in his annual New Year's Day address that "The entire mainland of the US is within the range of our nuclear weapons and the nuclear button is always on the desk of my office. They should accurately be aware that this is not a threat but a reality."

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trump tweets about nuclear war with north korea - cnnpolitics

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Trump tweets about nuclear war with North Korea

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"North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the 'Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.' Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!"

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President Trump taunted Kim Jong Un, warning him that his nuclear button was bigger, powerful, and it actually worked

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"North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the 'Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.' Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!" Trump tweeted.

The evening message followed more than a dozen others Trump had sent throughout the day on issues ranging from The New York Times' coverage of his administration to conflict in the Middle East.

Kim had said Monday in his annual New Year's Day address that "The entire mainland of the US is within the range of our nuclear weapons and the nuclear button is always on the desk of my office. They should accurately be aware that this is not a threat but a reality."

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trump tweets about nuclear war with north korea - cnnpolitics

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Trump tweets about nuclear war with North Korea

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"North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the 'Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.' Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!"

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Colin Kaepernick was named one of 2017 most impactful player

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Someday people will look back at the just-completed 2017 NFL season and behold the brilliance of Tom Brady at 40 and Drew Brees at 38. They will marvel at how eight teams made the playoffs who had not done so last year. They will chuckle at Cleveland's 0-16 record and wonder how the New York Giants could have tumbled to 3-13.

But these recollections will be footnotes in a record book. The 2017 NFL season had little to do with what happened on the field. It wasn't about the quarterbacks who defied age but rather the quarterback who wasn't there, the one who once nearly won a Super Bowl and then became too toxic to touch - all for the crime of making us think. If we are being honest about 2017's most impactful player then we have to say it was not Brady or Brees or Carson Wentz or Todd Gurley or Aaron Donald for the touchdowns they scored and the quarterbacks they sacked. It was Colin Kaepernick for the contract he never got.

Kaepernick had already changed football in the summer of 2016 when he refused to stand for the national anthem. His plea for the nation to start a conversation about race moved other players to speak out as well, breaking through an unwritten edict that football players should be seen but not heard. By sitting he freed others to take stands they wouldn't have dared to make.

He paid for this with his career. It wasn't hard to see the sacrifice he was making. When the 49ers didn't re-sign him last winter, the rest of the NFL soon followed. No team seemed willing to take a chance on a quarterback who awakened so many players and outraged fans who couldn't understand how an athlete refused to stand for the anthem. Seattle considered him for a backup quarterback job, Baltimore's coaches seemed interested in signing him only to be refused by the team's owner who polled fans and decided he was too radioactive to add to the roster.

When US president Donald Trump tried to stir a nation's anger against Kaepernick and the African American players who carried the unsigned quarterback's protest into this season, he ensured the 2017 season wouldn't be about the games. Owners turned against owners. Racial lines were drawn in locker rooms. Prominent league sponsors like Papa John's threatened to pull their advertising. Games started with tallies of who stood and who didn't for the national anthem. Players wondered why Kaepernick was being kept from the league. Many fans asked this, too.

In the end, the NFL will not be the same. The league has been forced to listen to the concerns of Kaepernick and other players. Social issues far from football are being discussed. While many of these conversations might be empty public relations stunts designed to get players to stand for the anthem again, the fact the league is having any talks at all is still progress. This is the season many players discovered they had voices on important matters and they learned to use them.

The longer Kaepernick goes unsigned the less likely it seems he will play again in the NFL, this despite the fact he is probably better than two-thirds of the quarterbacks in the league. Few around the NFL believe he should be sitting out. But even if he never throws another pass he will have impacted the league in ways that many of the other stars can't. He made a football season about things other than football. He started a conversation and then kept it going.

In the end, that will be the enduring memory of 2017 - not a tackle or a touchdown. A sport that needed awakening is a little more socially conscious heading into 2018. Maybe someday we will look back at the four months that made up the 2017 season and say this was the year that football finally found a soul.

Fantasy player of the week

Matthew Stafford. Talk about too little too late. The Detroit Lions, playing for pride, playing for a winning season and perhaps even playing for coach Jim Caldwell's job, got a game they desperately needed on Sunday in beating Green Bay, 35-11. Stafford, who was underwhelming in the previous Sunday's 26-17 loss to Cincinnati that knocked Detroit from the postseason, was fantastic against the Packers. He completed 20 of 29 passes for 323 yards and three touchdowns.

Of course, these are not the same Packers whose Super Bowl dreams died when quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down with a broken collarbone. And Sunday's win might not have done anything for Caldwell whose job security has been in constant question despite being the only Lions permanent coach with a winning record in six decades. Before Sunday's game, the NFL Network reported that the Lions will fire Caldwell and hope to replace him with New England's defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.

Stat of the week

586, 754. These are the rushing totals for Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson and Carolina quarterback Cam Newton, both of whom led their teams in rushing this season. It is the first time in the modern NFL era that two quarterbacks were the top rushers on their teams and raises the question of will this become more of a trend. NFL teams prefer their quarterbacks to remain in the pocket out of fear they will get hurt running around, but with the rise of players like Wilson and Newton whose elusiveness makes them better throwers, it's likely more coaches let their quarterbacks run.

Neither Wilson nor Newton intended to lead their teams in rushing the way Philadelphia's Randall Cunningham did four times in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Seattle went through six running backs this year, losing most to injury while the Panthers mix of Christian McCaffrey and Jonathan Stewart diluted their numbers, allowing Newton to out-rush them.

Ultimately, only Newton was able to run his team to the playoffs, though the Panthers lost the NFC South to New Orleans and will have to face the Saints on the road next weekend. The Seahawks, decimated by injuries, lost three of their last four games including a 26-24 defeat to Arizona on Sunday, finishing 9-7 and out of the postseason for the first time in six seasons.

Video of the week

Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn)
Maybe the greatest flop of all time pic.twitter.com/aBBSDjnnc6

And they complain that soccer players flop too much ...

Maybe it says a lot about the Jets' season that the only real shot they had to take down the Patriots was this spike from receiver Robby Anderson that bounced off the turf on the Gillette Field sideline and smacked Johnson Badamosi in the helmet. After a surprising 3-2 start, New York quickly plummeted to the bottom the AFC East. Sunday's 26-6 loss to New England was the final dreary blow in a 5-11 season too wretched to savor and yet too successful to land them the first overall draft pick.

As for the Patriots, Badamosi might be one of New England's few flops in a season that took off in October. In the end, this has been one of the Pats' most efficient seasons with equally as effective offenses and defenses. Somewhere in the playoffs someone will give them a game, but with home field through the AFC championship game, it's hard to imagine which team that will be.
Quote of the week
"Paul Stark passed away December 27, 2017 of complications from a brief illness, exacerbated by the hopeless condition of the Cleveland Browns" - from an obituary in the Sandusky (Ohio) Register

Fittingly for the Browns their season ended the only way it should: with receiver Corey Coleman dropping a fourth-down pass at the 11-yard line that would have given Cleveland a last chance at winning their first game of the year. As far as drops go this was as comical and head-smacking as any should be in a 0-16 season. The ball simply rolled through his hands before clunking off his helmet. skittering away and securing a 28-14 loss to Pittsburgh.

No one should blame Coleman, however. This season was a collective effort. Few Browns players escape blame for the disaster that unfolded. Cleveland is the second team in NFL history to go winless since the 16-season was introduced in 1978. The other, the 2008 Detroit Lions, recovered to go 10-6 three years after their 0-16 year. For the Browns, though, the losing has been established as last season's team went 1-15 and 2015's was 3-13. The good news is they can't go 0-17 next season. The even better news is they have two picks among the first five in April's draft, including No1. Sooner or later, they are bound to be much better than this.

Elsewhere around the league

* Oakland fired coach Jack Del Rio after a disappointing 6-10 season that included a 30-10 loss to the Chargers on Sunday. The firing allows the Raiders to pursue former coach Jon Gruden, who has been working on ESPN's Monday Night Football the past few years after winning a Super Bowl back in the 2002 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

* New Orleans clinched the NFC South despite losing 31-24 to Tampa Bay. Drew Brees threw for 245 yards and a touchdown in the defeat.

* Tennessee made the playoffs for the first time since 2008, clinching a wild card spot with a 15-10 victory over Jacksonville. Marcus Mariota threw and ran for touchdowns in the victory for the Titans, who finished 9-7.

* Baltimore looked certain to have wrapped up a wild card spot until Cincinnati's Andy Dalton threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd with 44 seconds left to give the Bengals a 31-27 victory and put Buffalo (who beat Miami, 22-16) into the playoffs.

* Kirk Cousins was intercepted three times in what may well be his final game in the nation's capital as Washington lost 18-10 to the Giants.

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The man who wasn't there: 2017's most impactful player was Colin Kaepernick

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Someday people will look back at the just-completed 2017 NFL season and behold the brilliance of Tom Brady at 40 and Drew Brees at 38. They will marvel at how eight teams made the playoffs who had not done so last year.

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Paris Hilton gets engaged to Chris Zylka to start the new year off. He proposes with a 2M diamond ring.

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The heiress, model and former reality star is engaged to marry actor, Chris Zylka.

Hilton announced the news in an Instagram post Tuesday, and professional photographers were on hand to capture the moment Zylka proposed atop a mountain in Aspen, Colorado.

"I said Yas! So happy & excited to be engaged to the love of my life," Hilton wrote in the caption. "My best friend & soulmate. Perfect for me in every way. So dedicated, loyal, loving & kindhearted. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world! You are my dream come true! Thank you for showing me that fairytales do exist."

Zylka, who starred on the HBO show "The Leftovers," made a public declaration of his love for Hilton by getting her name tattooed on his arm in Disneyesque font in July.

The couple have been dating for two years and made their relationship public last February.

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The heiress, model and former reality star is engaged to marry actor, Chris Zylka. Hilton announced the news in an Instagram post Tuesday, and professional photographers were on hand to capture the moment Zylka proposed atop a mountain in Aspen, Colorado. "I said Yas!

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Yvonne Raquel Ramirez has been charged with murder after her boyfriend (Joshua McKinney) was shot and killed. She was attempting to rob him to steal firearms and money. A witness said McKinney had Ramirez in a neck hold with a gun to her head and the witness went to call the police. When the witness returned they found McKinney dead in the street. Another witness saw the suspect trying to move McKinney's body.

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&#151; -- A Texas teenager has been charged with murder after her boyfriend was found shot to death on New Year's Eve, according to police.

Yvonne Raquel Ramirez, 19, allegedly shot and killed Joshua McKinney at around 4:30 a.m. Sunday during an attempted robbery in Baytown, Texas, about 30 minutes east of Houston, police said. The two had just started dating, according to ABC's Houston station KTRK.

Ramirez allegedly stole multiple firearms from the victim and demanded $2,000 for their return, KTRK reported Tuesday, citing charging documents.

Details on what happened next are murky, but a witness told police that McKinney placed the suspect in a neck hold at one point and held a gun to her head, according to KTRK. The witness said they ran to call 911, but returned to find McKinney lying dead in the street.

Another witness said they saw Ramirez trying to move McKinney's body after the shooting, according to the charging documents.

Ramirez, who sustained a bullet wound to the shoulder herself, told investigators that she grabbed McKinney's gun and fired in self-defense after he dropped it, according to prosecutors.

However, police said her story didn't add up and accused her of fatally shooting McKinney and stealing his wallet afterward.

She's currently being held at a jail in Harris County, Texas, on a $50,000 bond, court records show. She is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.

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Texas teen charged with killing, robbing her boyfriend on New Year's Eve

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151; -- A Texas teenager has been charged with murder after her boyfriend was found shot to death on New Year's Eve, according to police. Yvonne Raquel Ramirez, 19, allegedly shot and killed Joshua McKinney at around 4:30 a.m. Sunday during an attempted robbery in Baytown, Texas, about 30 minutes east of Houston, police said.

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A Youtube ¨star¨ that has been the focus in the media before has been getting backlash about a recent video posted. This person, Logan Paul, recorded a trip to Aokigahara (suicide forest) in Japan and came across a body and video taped in and posted it. His viewers are mainly the ages of 10-13 and this video got over a million views before it was taken down. Many people found this disrespectful and have called him out for being ¨continuously problematic.¨

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Logan Paul, one of YouTube's biggest stars, treated a video he uploaded over the weekend as the equivalent of a TV sitcom's "very special episode." To indicate the seriousness of the matter to his young fans, Paul posted a warning at the beginning, telling viewers who are having thoughts of suicide or self harm to seek help. He also demonetized the video so that he would not earn advertising money off its views.

The now-deleted video was titled, "We found a dead body in the Japanese Suicide Forest . . .", and that is, more or less, exactly what the vlog showed - complete with extended footage of the body of an apparent suicide victim. In a short intro, Paul called it "the most real vlog I have ever posted on this channel" and "a moment in YouTube history."

On Monday, amid outrage on Twitter and from other YouTube personalities, the video disappeared from Paul's YouTube channel, and the social media superstar tweeted out an apology. Paul said he "intended to raise awareness for suicide and suicide prevention" with the video, and claimed he "didn't do it for views."

"I'm often reminded of how big a reach I have & with great power comes great responsibility," He said. "For the first time in my life I'm regretful to say I handled that power incorrectly. It won't happen again."

A moment like this was perhaps inevitable in Paul's world, where everything is content before it is anything else. The only wrong decision in this universe is to turn the camera off.

On Tuesday afternoon, after several national news stories were published on Paul's video, the social media star tweeted a second video apology. In it, Paul said that now, he realizes he "should have put the cameras down."

"I've made a severe and continuous lapse in my judgement," Paul said, adding that his behavior in the original video was his "raw" and "unfiltered" reaction to finding a body.

"I want to apologize to the Internet," Paul said. "I want to apologize to anyone who has seen the video. I want to apologize to anyone who has been affected or touched by mental illness or depression or suicide." Paul also issued an apology to someone who was not included in his original response to the outrage: the victim and the victim's family.

So sorry. pic.twitter.com/JkYXzYsrLX

- Logan Paul (@LoganPaul) January 2, 2018

If you're over 25, this might be the first time you've heard of Logan Paul. The thing you need to know about him is that he is very famous. Paul has 15 million subscribers on YouTube. Each one of his daily videos routinely gets more than 5 million views. Like his younger brother Jake Paul, who also vlogs daily on his own YouTube channel, Logan's fans are young - tweens and under, often.

Each Paul has a boy band-like role to play in the brotherhood. Jake Paul was the bad boy, the one who lost his Disney gig after the news picked up on the mayhem outside of his former Los Angeles-area home. Until he vlogged about a dead body, Logan played the relatively responsible older brother, or at least responsible enough to still get cast in TV and movie roles.

Logan calls his fans the "Logang;" Jake's are the "Jake Paulers." The brothers treat fandom like a competition, pitting their viewers against each other by maintaining a mostly fake, on-camera rivalry to see who can get the most YouTube views or merchandise sales.

[Jake Paul doesn't need Disney. YouTube already gives him an army.]

It works, and because of their success, the brothers have become the prosperity gospel preachers of social media stardom, inviting their young fans to follow in their vlogging footsteps. Your daily life, the gospel says, is meant to be monetized, just as the Pauls have done. Jake Paul's catch phrase is "It's every day, bro," which explicitly refers to the fact that he posts a new vlog about his life, every day. He turned "it's every day bro" into a rap video that, while mocked into the meme stratosphere for its horrible lyrics, currently has more than 167 million YouTube views.

Experiences that don't become content are, in the Pauls' world, money and influence left on the table. The daily vlogging gospel only promises wealth and influence if your life on camera is interesting enough to deserve it.So in this context, consider that Logan Paul had footage of a dead body - and more importantly, his own on camera reaction to seeing a dead body for the first time in his life. As I said, it was inevitable.

Dozens of research studies suggest that media sensationalizing suicide, showing it extensively and graphically as this vlog did, can put vulnerable individuals at risk. But that research doesn't seem to register as even a blip for Logan Paul.

The now-deleted video reveals something else: from the moment Paul walked into that forest, he intended to make a video about death and suicide. But his original plan was to fake it, treating the Aokigahara - where dozens of real corpses are found every year - like a haunted house. They were going to camp overnight in the forest. When it was dark, they'd pretend to see things, maybe a dead body. It's the sort of video that tons of YouTubers make while visiting Japan.

Several minutes into the video, Logan and his crew are walking in broad daylight to find a place to camp, like the other YouTubers who have visited this forest for content before them have done. Then they find the body. They move in closer, camera rolling. Logan zooms the camera he is holding in on the body, closer still. He then turns the camera on himself. "I'm so sorry about this Logang," Paul said, using the nickname for his millions of YouTube fans, "this was supposed to be a fun vlog."

Still standing there, feet from the body of an apparent suicide victim, Logan tells his viewers that "we came here with an intent to focus on the haunted aspect of the forest, this just became very real and obviously a lot of people are going through a lot of s- in their lives."

"Suicide is not the answer, guys, there are people who love you and care for you," Paul said.

Later, Paul and his crew are beginning to freak out. "I've never seen a dead person. Like, I've never discovered a dead person," Paul says. But standing there, it's clear that they have already decided to use this footage. Paul tells his viewers that they will be blurring the face of the victim to protect his identity. Authorities have not yet arrived.

"This is the most real vlog I've ever made," Paul says. "400 vlogs And I've never, I've never had a more real moment than this."

The vlog is now gone from Paul's channel. But before it went, a cached version shows, the video had hundreds of thousands of likes and more than 6 million views.
Note: this post, originally published at 7:28 AM, has been updated to include a second statement from Logan Paul. More reading:

The saga of a YouTube family who pulled disturbing pranks on their own kids

What happened when Jake Paul, YouTube's most divisive star, decided to rescue Texas from Harvey

Was this YouTube video showing an abducted woman a hoax, or something much worse?

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Analysis | YouTuber Logan Paul apologizes for showing dead body in Japan's 'suicide forest'

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Logan Paul, one of YouTube's biggest stars, treated a video he uploaded over the weekend as the equivalent of a TV sitcom's "very special episode." To indicate the seriousness of the matter to his young fans, Paul posted a warning at the beginning, telling viewers who are having thoughts of suicide or self harm to seek help.

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After the heating system in a remote cabin undergoes a complete failure, a family of four was found dead. They were found due to a concerned friend who called authorities because they had not been heard from in days. When the deputy arrived to the cabin, he smelled gas coming from the cabin. Officials believe that the cause of their death was carbon monoxide poisoning.

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Four members of an Arizona family were found dead in a cabin on New Year's Day after a "significant failure" in the building's heating system, officials disclosed Tuesday.

The Coconino County Sheriff's Office said in a news release the family was found dead Monday inside the cabin they were staying at in Parks, located in the northern part of the state between Williams and Flagstaff.

The sheriff's office identified the individuals as 32-year-old Anthony Capitano, 32-year-old Megan Capitano, 4-year-old Lincoln Capitano and 3-year-old Kingsley Capitano.

Authorities received an initial call around 12:26 p.m. from a friend of the family who said relatives had been trying to contact the Capitanos "for a few days with no success" and had became concerned and wanted a welfare check.

A deputy who arrived at the home around 1:17 p.m. reported a strong odor of gas coming from the home and requested fire officials. Officials from the Ponderosa Fire Department put on protective breathing equipment before entering the cabin, where they made the grim discovery.

"We believe possibly carbon monoxide poisoning malfunction in the heater or any other gas appliance in the residence. We have not determined what that was exactly yet," Jon Paxton of the Coconino County Sheriff's Office told FOX10 Phoenix.
FLORIDA FAMILY OF 4, BASKETBALL STANDOUT AMONG NEWLY IDENTIFIED VICTIMS OF COSTA RICA PLANE CRASH, REPORTS SAY
On Tuesday, a contractor found a "significant failure" in cabin's the heating system, which would be consistent with carbon monoxide overcoming the residence, according to the sheriff's office. The heating unit was the only gas appliance in the structure.

While officials have determined the heating system failed, the official manner and cause of death of the family is still to be determined by the Coconino County Medical Examiner's Office.

Neighbors and friends of the family said Tuesday they were devastated by the loss.

"He loved his family, he loved his children, just a great example to follow," Daniel Matlock told FOX10 about his friend, Anthony.

The couple were diehard Arizona Cardinals fans, frequently posting social media pics attending games, and had a family dynamic Matlock said was "something all can strive towards."

A neighbor who did not know the Capitanos personally said she planned to monitor their house to make sure no one took anything from the home.

"When it comes to little people, it's upsetting, but to lose your whole family," Chrissy Smith said.

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Arizona family found dead in cabin after 'significant failure' of heating system

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Four members of an Arizona family were found dead in a cabin on New Year's Day after a "significant failure" in the building's heating system, officials disclosed Tuesday. The Coconino County Sheriff's Office said in a news release the family was found dead Monday inside the cabin they were staying at in Parks, located in the northern part of the state between Williams and Flagstaff.

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freed from the Taliban forces, Joshua Boyle returns to Canada and is facing 15 charges

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Joshua Boyle and his American wife, Caitlan Coleman, returned to Canada in October with their three children. Now, Boyle is facing 15 charges in connection with incidents alleged to have occurred since the family's arrival in Canada, according to Canadian media reports citing court documents.

CNN has not seen the court documents. Boyle's attorney told CNN the charges were accurate as reported.

Boyle has been charged with eight counts of assault, two counts of sexual assault, two counts of unlawful confinement, one count of uttering death threats, one count of causing someone to take a noxious substance, and one count of misleading police, according to Canadian media reports citing court documents.

Lawyer Eric Granger said he had not yet seen the evidence against his client, "which is typical at this early stage," he told CNN. He pointed out two publication bans in place: one against reporting information disclosed in bail proceedings, and another on information that would identify potential victims or witnesses.

"We look forward to receiving the evidence and defending him against these charges," Granger said, noting his client has never been in trouble before. "Mr. Boyle is presumed innocent."

The couple was kidnapped in Afghanistan by terrorists from the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network in 2012. Coleman was pregnant and the couple had two more children during their five years in captivity. The couple and their children were freed in a mission carried out by Pakistani forces based on intelligence from US authorities.

Upon arriving at Toronto's Pearson International Airport, Boyle told reporters his captors authorized the killing of one of his children and raped his wife. He did not say whether the militants killed a child, only that his captors were responsible for "authorizing the murder" of his infant daughter. Sources close to the family said Boyle alluded to at least one forced abortion while in captivity.

Details of their harrowing detention made headlines worldwide. The couple met Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in December and shared images from the visit from their Twitter account, the Boyle Family.

After his return, Boyle told CNN's Paula Newton the family was doing as well as could be expected. He said his goal in Canada was to build "a secure sanctuary" for his children and help them "regain some portion of the childhood that they have lost."

Boyle was previously married to the sister of Omar Khadr, a Canadian imprisoned for 10 years at the US detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, after fighting US troops in Afghanistan. A senior official said Boyle refused to board an American military plane over concerns he could face arrest. Boyle said his family had been delayed due to a medical emergency surrounding one of his children.

As of Tuesday, Boyle remained in police custody, Granger said. He is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning in Ottawa via video conference.

Boyle's brother, Dan Boyle, declined to comment. His parents did not return calls Tuesday afternoon.

CNN's Paula Newton, Ryan Browne and Barbara Starr contributed to this report.

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Chris Boyette and Emanuella Grinberg, CNN

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Freed Taliban hostage accused of crimes in Canada

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Joshua Boyle and his American wife, Caitlan Coleman, returned to Canada in October with their three children. Now, Boyle is facing 15 charges in connection with incidents alleged to have occurred since the family's arrival in Canada, according to Canadian media reports citing court documents. CNN has not seen the court documents.

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Color-blind teenager is given Enchroma glasses from his co-workers for secret Santa. He has a hard time seeing the difference between red and green. With the class he can now determent the difference between the colors.

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A bomb cyclone is likely to drop 6-12 inches of snow in New England. It is also snowing in Florida.

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Winter storm threatens East Coast, bringing temps colder than Mars - CNN

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A massive "bombogenesis" -- an area of rapidly declining low pressure -- will wreak havoc on the Northeast this week, threatening hurricane-force winter wind gusts and blinding snow.

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In 2017, the number of deaths caused by lightning strikes was record-low.

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Deaths from from lightning strikes hit a record low in 2017 in the United States, according to a new report.

There were 16 lightning-related fatalities in 2017, breaking the previous low of 23 deaths in 2013, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The records go back to the 1940s, when farmers using tractors and other farm equipment made up a large proportion of the 200 to 400 people who died from lightning every year, Live Science reported previously.

"While we don't like to see any lightning deaths, the continuing downward trend in yearly fatalities is encouraging," John Jensenius, a NSW lightning safety specialist, told reporters in an email. [ Images of Lightning Unfolding, Frame by Frame]

With five deaths, Florida had the most lightning-related fatalities, followed by Alabama (three), and Colorado, Texas and North Carolina (two each). Ohio and Puerto Rico each had one lightning-related death.

The year 2017 also set a record for fewest U.S. male deaths (15) and female deaths (one) from lightning in a year. The victims' ages ranged from 0 to 82, although six of the fatalities were in ages from 30 to 39, Jensenius said.

Half of the people were doing recreational activities outside - including walking on the beach, horseback riding, fishing, boating, camping and golfing - before lightning struck them. July was the deadliest month, with eight lightning-related fatalities, followed by August, which had three.

An analysis of lightning victims from 2006 to 2016 showed that 352 people were struck and killed by lighting in the United States, including 39 in 2016.

"The common belief that golfers are responsible for the greatest number of lightning deaths was shown to be a myth," Jensenius wrote in a report, noting that in the same period, from 2006 to 2016, in which lightning killed nine golfers, it claimed the lives of 33 fishermen, 20 people on the beach, 18 campers, 16 boaters and 12 soccer players.

The NWS lightning safety education and awareness program, which started in 2001, has "undoubtedly contributed to the reduction in U.S. lightning fatalities," Jensenius told reporters. What's more, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) have saved the lives of people hit by lightning, he said in the report.

However, many lightning survivors report having lifelong problems, including memory issues. "Oftentimes, they have trouble remembering old things, or storing new information and then recalling that information," Jensenius told Live Science previously.

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Lightning deaths hit a record low in 2017

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Deaths from from lightning strikes hit a record low in 2017 in the United States, according to a new report. There were 16 lightning-related fatalities in 2017, breaking the previous low of 23 deaths in 2013, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

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Youtube star Logan Paul apologizes for video of apparent suicide victim amid severe backlash. He appeared to show a lifeless, hanging body in Japan's "Suicide Forest".

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The clip reportedly showed a body of someone who'd committed suicide.

— -- After an onslaught of online criticism for a video he made, which appeared to show a lifeless, hanging body, YouTube star Logan Paul has apologized on social media for his incredible "mistake."

Paul posted, and has since removed, a video he shot in a Japanese forest, in which the body of an apparent suicide victim appeared to have been hanging from a tree. In the clip, Paul and his crew claimed to have come across the incident while exploring the Aokigahara forest, known widely as Japan's "Suicide Forest." In the posted video, the face of the person who appeared to have taken his or her own life is blurred.

The comedian continued shooting after discovering the body and asked the tour guide if they should call the police, in the posted video. He then told his viewers that his crew had come to the forest to focus on the "haunted aspect" of a placed historically connected to suicides. He's also seen laughing in the clip, but said that was his way of coping with the incident.

Paul is known for his pranks and comedy vlogs, and has more than 15 million subscribers on YouTube.

In his first statement Monday, the 22-year-old comedic actor and host said his intentions in posting the video were to raise awareness for suicide prevention, not to anger anyone. Paul posted a warning at the start of the video advising viewers who are considering suicide to seek help.

"Where do I begin," he wrote. "Let's start with this - I'm sorry." Paul added that he's never "made a mistake like this before."

"But I'm still a human being. I can be wrong," he continued. "I didn't do it for views ... I did it because I thought I could make a positive ripple on the internet, not cause a monsoon of negativity."

Paul added that if his video had saved at least "ONE life," he thought it was worth posting.

"I'm often reminded of how big of a reach I truly have & with great power comes great responsibility ... for the first time in my life I'm regretful to say I handled that power incorrectly."

He later added a video apology Tuesday afternoon, adding that his reactions in the video were raw and unfiltered and that "none of us knew how to react." He knew he should have put the cameras down and stop filming.

His apologies didn't stop the Twitter community, fellow actors and activists alike, from slamming him.

" Breaking Bad" star Aaron Paul wrote, "You disgust me. I can't believe that so many young people look up to you. So sad. Hopefully this latest video woke them up. You are pure trash. Plain and simple. Suicide is not a joke. Go rot in hell."

Actress Anna Akana also slammed his attempt to say his video was to start a dialogue about mental illness.

"When my brother found my sister's body, he screamed with horror & confusion & grief & tried to save her. That body was a person someone loved," she wrote. "You do not walk into a suicide forest with a camera and claim mental health awareness."

Mortician and author Caitlin Doughty wrote, "The young person who died was not for Paul- not their body, not their image, not their story."

Others were brief in simply describing the comedian as "disgusting."

People have also been calling for more than just the video to be taken down.

Can we start 2018 by removing all Logan Paul content from the internet? - Andrew Reiner (@Andrew_Reiner) January 2, 2018

A representative for YouTube told ABC News in a statement, "Our hearts go out to the family of the person featured in this video. YouTube prohibits violent or gory content posted in a shocking, sensational or disrespectful manner. If a video is graphic, it can only remain on the site when supported by appropriate educational or documentary information and in some cases it will be age-gated. We partner with safety groups such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to provide educational resources that are incorporated in our YouTube Safety Center."

YouTube added that the channel places a strike on such videos posted that violate its policies and according to the channel's guidelines, first strike is a warning, followed by a halt on posting. Accounts are suspended if they have three strikes within three months.

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YouTube star Logan Paul apologizes for video of apparent suicide victim amid severe backlash

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The clip reportedly showed a body of someone who'd committed suicide. - -- After an onslaught of online criticism for a video he made, which appeared to show a lifeless, hanging body, YouTube star Logan Paul has apologized on social media for his incredible "mistake."

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Eric Hosmer has been offered a 7 year, $147 million deal to return to the Royals organization. The San Diego Padres offered Hosmer $140 million deal also for 7 years. Hosmer is looking for an 8 or 9 year deal but no team has met his request.

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Eric Hosmer, coveted all winter by the San Diego Padres, now has another surprising small-market team going head-to-head for his services.

Yes, his old team.

The Kansas City Royals have offered Hosmer a franchise-record seven-year, $147 million contract, persons close to Hosmer told USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity since negotiations are still undergoing.

Hosmer also has a seven-year, $140 million offer from the Padres, people close to Hosmer say, which is $1 million less a year than the Royals' deal.
MORE MLB NEWS
The length of the proposals were confirmed by high-ranking members of the Padres and Royals, but they declined to divulge the total guarantee, or whether opt-out provisions or buyouts are in the offers.

Hosmer is seeking at least an eight-year or nine-year deal, but it's unknown whether either team will increase their offer to meet Hosmer's request.

Jason Heyward received an eight-year, $184 million contract two years ago from the Chicago Cubs, and the New York Yankees signed outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury to a seven-year, $153 million four years ago, and the Baltimore Orioles signed Chris Davis to a seven-year, $161 million contract in January 2016.

Hosmer, 28, is coming off a career year. He hit .318 with 25 homers and 94 RBI with a career-best .385 on-base percentage, and has hit at least 25 homers with 90 or more RBI the past two years.

The Royals and Padres also are placing great value on Hosmer's leadership skills and his value in the community. He became their most popular player among the fan base as the Royals won consecutive AL pennants in 2014-15 and, in 2015, their first World Series title since 1985.

No free agent has yet received more than Carlos Santana's three-year, $60 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. It's quite possible Hosmer may wind up the highest-paid player this entire winter.

Who would ever have imagined his old team could be the ones willing to pay the most?

Gallery: 2017-18 top free agents

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Eric Hosmer offered seven-year, $147 million deal to return to Royals

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Eric Hosmer, coveted all winter by the San Diego Padres, now has another surprising small-market team going head-to-head for his services. Yes, his old team. The Kansas City Royals have offered Hosmer a franchise-record seven-year, $147 million contract, persons close to Hosmer told USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity since negotiations are still undergoing.

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After the 23rd straight drawing without a jackpot, the new jackpot is $418m.

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Mega Millions drawing: No big winner as jackpot hits $418 million

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There was no winner in Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing, the 23rd straight drawing without a jackpot winner in the game, dating back to Oct. 13.

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The Buffalo Bills finally ended an 18 year drought and finally makes the playoffs. It was a miracle considering after winning their game they were hoping that the Cincinnati Bengals would beat the Baltimore Ravens. Which they did.

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NFL Steve Silverman @@profootballboy Featured Columnist
The Action Network @ActionNetworkHQ
Bills fans/Bengals bettors stand up! Andy Dalton to Tyler Boyd 49 yards to take the lead! https://t.co/ROJfqX5OGI
2018-1-1 00:54:18

The Buffalo Bills needed a miracle-and they got it.

After beating the Miami Dolphins 22-16 in the season finale, the Bills needed the Cincinnati Bengals to beat the Baltimore Ravens if they were going to make the playoffs for the first time since 1999.

However, the Bengals were trailing the Ravens 27-24 in the final minute, and the Bengals were facing a 4th-and-12 from the Baltimore 49.

While the Baltimore defense had been all over Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, the quarterback got protection on the key play. Dalton found Tyler Boyd about 25 yards downfield, and from there he eluded the Ravens defense and made his way into the end zone.

Touchdown, Cincinnati. Hello, postseason, Buffalo!

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Bills Make Playoffs After Late Bengals TD Eliminates Ravens

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NFL Steve Silverman @@profootballboy Twitter Logo Featured Columnist The Action Network @ActionNetworkHQ Bills fans/Bengals bettors stand up! Andy Dalton to Tyler Boyd 49 yards to take the lead! https://t.co/ROJfqX5OGI 2018-1-1 00:54:18 The Buffalo Bills needed a miracle-and they got it.

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Wixen Music Publishing accused Spotify of using artists' music without a license and without compensation. This will be a $1.6 million lawsuit. There is more than 10,000 songs listed on the lawsuit. Wixen is seeking damages of $150,000 per song, the maximum award possible under the U.S. Copyright Act. There are two separate copyrights for every recorded song: one for the sound recording and one for the musical composition. Spotify is being faced with three lawsuits in Tennessee that were filed by songwriters and music publishers.

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A leading music publishing company is going after streaming giant Spotify with a $1.6 billion dollar lawsuit.

Wixen Music Publishing accused Spotify of using artists' music "without a license and without compensation," according to documents filed in a California court on Friday.

Wixen handles copyright management and royalty compliance for artists including Tom Petty, The Doors, Neil Young and Missy Elliot.

Petty's "Free Falling," Rage Against the Machine's "Calm Like A Bomb" and more than 10,000 other songs are listed in the lawsuit. Wixen is seeking damages of $150,000 per song, the maximum award possible under the U.S. Copyright Act.

Related: Siri, what's that song? Apple buys Shazam

According to that act, there are two separate copyrights for every recorded song: one for the sound recording and one for the musical composition (the song's words and musical notation).

Wixen says Spotify "took a shortcut" when it struck deals with major labels to get the necessary rights to the songs' sound recordings, but then failed to obtain the equivalent rights for compositions.

Spotify, which is based in Sweden, did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday outside of regular business hours.

Related: Taylor Swift's 'Reputation' sells a million copies in four days

The lawsuit is just the latest copyright headache for the music-streaming service.

In May, Spotify settled a class action lawsuit with a group of songwriters for $43 million. The songwriters had accused Spotify of using their songs without a license and without paying royalties.

Spotify is currently facing three other lawsuits in Tennessee that were filed by songwriters and music publishers. In those cases, Spotify is also being accused of using songs without paying royalties to publishers and songwriters.

Spotify is reportedly valued at $19 billion. The company is expected to list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange this year.

CNNMoney (Hong Kong) First published January 3, 2018: 2:58 AM ET

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Spotify sued for $1.6 billion over Tom Petty, Doors songs

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Wixen Music Publishing accused Spotify of using artists' music "without a license and without compensation," according to documents filed in a California court on Friday. Wixen handles copyright management and royalty compliance for artists including Tom Petty, The Doors, Neil Young and Missy Elliot.

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President Donald Trump taunted North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un, warning him that his nuclear button is bigger and it works.

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"North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the 'Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.' Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!" Trump tweeted.

The evening message followed more than a dozen others Trump had sent throughout the day on issues ranging from The New York Times' coverage of his administration to conflict in the Middle East.

Kim had said Monday in his annual New Year's Day address that "The entire mainland of the US is within the range of our nuclear weapons and the nuclear button is always on the desk of my office. They should accurately be aware that this is not a threat but a reality."

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trump tweets about nuclear war with north korea - cnnpolitics

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Trump tweets about nuclear war with North Korea

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"North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the 'Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.' Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!"

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A 19-year-old Texas woman has been accused in the fatal New Year's Eve shooting of a man that she had been dating. Yvonne Raquel Ramirez was arrested and charged in the death of Joshua McKinney, 19. Ramirez was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to her shoulder. Ramirez, reportedly, recently met McKinney and they had been spending time together before the deadly shooting. The young woman had allegedly planned to take McKinney's guns when they met up, but she then told him that she would pay $2,000 for the weapons. Ramirez has said that she fired the gun out of self-defense. A witness has told authorities that she saw McKinney place Ramirez in a neck hold whilst holding a pistol to her head, but the woman ran to call 911 before the deadly shots were fired.Ramirez is being held on a $50,000 bond and is expected to appear in court on Wednesday, January 3, 2018

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A Texas woman accused in the fatal New Year's Eve shooting of a man she was dating had planned to steal his guns before the murder, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Yvonne Raquel Ramirez, 19, was arrested and charged in the death of Joshua McKinney, 19, FOX26 Houston reported. She was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to her shoulder.

Ramirez reportedly met McKinney recently and the two had been spending time together before the deadly shooting, according to KTRK. She allegedly planned to take McKinney's guns when they met up but then told him she would pay $2,000 for the weapons. At some point, Ramirez also told authorities she fired the weapon out of self-defense, KTRK reported.

A witness told authorities she saw McKinney place Ramirez in a neck hold while holding a pistol to her head, but the woman ran to call 911 before the deadly shots were fired.

Gloria Chaplin, an area resident, told FOX26 that McKinney ran to her house and said "someone was after him."

"And then he ran back out, and just a [second], it all happened between 4 and by 4:30 the police were here. It all happened so quick," Chaplin said.

She added, "There was so many bullets flying. All I did was duck in the house. I didn't even see it happen."

Police are looking for possible accomplices involved in McKinney's death, according to FOX26.

Ramirez is being held on $50,000 bond. She is expected to appear in court on Wednesday.

Katherine Lam is a breaking and trending news digital producer for Fox News. Follow her on Twitter at @bykatherinelam

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Texas woman, 19, who killed New Year's Eve date planned to steal his guns, prosecutors say

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A Texas woman accused in the fatal New Year's Eve shooting of a man she was dating had planned to steal his guns before the murder, prosecutors said Tuesday. Yvonne Raquel Ramirez, 19, was arrested and charged in the death of Joshua McKinney, 19, FOX26 Houston reported.

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Trump taunts North Korea: My nuclear button is 'much bigger,' 'more powerful'

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"North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the 'Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.' Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!" Trump tweeted.

The evening message followed more than a dozen others Trump had sent throughout the day on issues ranging from The New York Times' coverage of his administration to conflict in the Middle East.

Kim had said Monday in his annual New Year's Day address that "The entire mainland of the US is within the range of our nuclear weapons and the nuclear button is always on the desk of my office. They should accurately be aware that this is not a threat but a reality."

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trump tweets about nuclear war with north korea - cnnpolitics

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Trump tweets about nuclear war with North Korea

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"North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the 'Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.' Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!"

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CNN star Anderson Cooper claims he was 'surprised' by pot-soaked New Year’s Eve segments.

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CNN stood for the Cannabis News Network on New Year's Eve with ongoing "hits" from Denver, where marijuana is legal, but the network's biggest star and the evening's co-host Anderson Cooper claims he was "surprised" by the segments.

Cooper appeared on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" on Tuesday to discuss the situation.

At various points of the New Year's telecast, reporter Randi Kaye held a joint, lit a bong, marveled over a special gas mask used by stoners and wondered where she was.

Colbert asked, "Do you still have a contact high from Randi Kaye?"

The CNN star fired back, "It's legal in Colorado... she did not smoke, obviously. She was just in the environment."

"Second hand," Colbert jokingly replied.

"The whole thing surprised me as much as anybody else, I gotta tell you," Cooper said.

"Do you still have a contact high from Randi Kaye?"
- Stephen Colbert

Kaye didn't partake herself while on the air, but the bit was enough to appall some viewers and confuse people who might be locked up for doing the same thing.

Cooper played along, but not as much as his co-host Andy Cohen.

"This is for you, Andy!" Kaye said at one point, addressing Cohen and holding a lit marijuana cigarette out to the camera.

Cohen enthusiastically praised Kaye's report, while a smiling Cooper reminded viewers that Kaye's high-jinx was all above board, even if a bit unseemly.

Meanwhile, CNN is apparently all-in on weed content despite outrage from some viewers. The verified Twitter account of CNN's "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" tweeted an elaborate illustration on Tuesday night that detailed "how to roll a joint." The stoner instructions were originally published back in November to coincide with the Seattle episode of Bourdain's program, but were resurfaced amid the attention CNN is receiving for its pot-themed New Year's celebration.

Bourdain's instructions include tips such as, "If you're looking for a strain that doesn't make you too tired stick to sativa, which is a head high, versus indica, which is a body high. If you don't want one that rips so hard but is still strong try Purple Haze, because Jimi Hendrix didn't write one of his most iconic songs about it because it sucks."

CNN is also the network that aired "High Profits," a 2015 original series following a Colorado couple as they attempt to build a marijuana empire. The liberal network has also aired a series of "Weed" specials hosted by chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Brian Flood covers the media for Fox News. Follow him on Twitter at @briansflood.

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CNN star Anderson Cooper claims he was 'surprised' by pot-soaked New Year's Eve segments

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CNN stood for the Cannabis News Network on New Year's Eve with ongoing "hits" from Denver, where marijuana is legal, but the network's biggest star and the evening's co-host Anderson Cooper claims he was "surprised" by the segments. Cooper appeared on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" on Tuesday to discuss the situation.

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Mega Millions drawing: No big winner as jackpot hits $418 million

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Not Happy News: Unfortunately Erica Garner, daughter of civil right activist  Eric Garner, died on Saturday 2 days before the New Year. Erica had suffered from a heart attack on Christmas Eve ans spent majority of her time afterwards in a coma. Erica died at the very young age of 27 3 years after her father, Eric, had been murdered by Officer Daniel Pantaleo of the NYPD had placed him in a banned choke hold and kept him there despite his cries of suffocation.

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Erica Garner at a vigil for her father, Eric Garner, at the site of his death in Staten Island. Credit Credit Carlo Allegri/Reuters

Erica Garner, the civil rights activist and a daughter of Eric Garner, died on Saturday, two days before the New Year and in the middle of the holiday season - a time when we're all encouraged to be with our families. It is impossible to think of her death without thinking of her father's death, the devastation their family must feel and the ways that black families have been destroyed throughout history.

Other families could devote themselves to spending time together around tables piled with celebratory food. But the Garners had to keep vigil around a hospital bed, because Erica suffered a heart attack on Christmas Eve and spent most of last week in a coma. She died unfairly young, at 27. That's three years after her dad died unfairly young, at 43, when Officer Daniel Pantaleo of the New York Police Department placed him in a banned chokehold.

Erica Garner is survived by her two young children. If both she and her dad had been alive this holiday season, they would have almost certainly spent it together. "He was a family man," she said about him, in one of the last interviews she gave before her death, on the third anniversary of the grand jury's decision not to indict Officer Pantaleo. "Like all the holidays, any type of events, he was always there. He always made sure you knew he supported you any way he can."

Since the country's founding, black families have never been able to thrive. Slavery broke them apart by allowing family members to be sold at auctions to different owners, and by prohibiting slaves from legally marrying, since slaves were classified as property, not people. Millions of black family members were killed during slavery and the lynching era, from 1877 to 1950. The modern legal system separates black families at higher rates than other families through many methods, including disparate sentencing schemes. Black defendants often receive far longer sentences than similarly situated white defendants.

In the latest insult to families, prisons increasingly don't allow for in-person visits, forcing families to pay money to private companies if they want to call incarcerated family members. The decision to make families that are disproportionately poor and black pay to speak to their loved ones over the phone or internet, instead of allowing free visits to them in person, is a blatant attempt to weaken the bonds that tie those families together.

Black families are also destroyed by police brutality. Michael Brown is no longer with us because a cop couldn't let go of the violent fantasies he entertained about black men. Tamir Rice was shot to death at 12. Philando Castile was killed while his girlfriend and her young daughter were with him in their car.

Black families are also disproportionately affected by the seemingly arbitrary decisions that the child-protection system inflicts on low-income parents. Laura Browder was arrested in 2015 for leaving her 6-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son a couple of dozen feet away from her while she attended a job interview in a mall food court, since she didn't have time to line up child care beforehand. Debra Harrell was arrested in 2014 for having her 9-year-old daughter play at a playground while she worked a shift at McDonald's. The charges against both women were eventually dropped, but only after they'd incurred thousands of dollars in legal fees, became subject to extensive amounts of unwanted public attention and suffered the indignity of having their children yanked away from them.

Every single one of those incidents has devastated a black family. Black families are forced to attempt to prove our humanity over and over again to a legal and administrative system that doesn't seem to believe in it, all the while hoping that we won't have to lose our family members, or if we do, that other families won't have to suffer the same pain.

One way to describe Erica Garner's last few years is to say she spent them fighting against police brutality. Another way is to say she fought against the forced separation and destruction of black families by the state. And that fight may have killed her, just as it might have killed the mother of Kalief Browder, a young man who had been unjustly accused of a minor crime and sent to Rikers Island, where he spent two horrific years in solitary confinement.

"They do these things for you to give up," Erica Garner said in an interview last month. "Look at Kalief Browder's mother. She died of a broken heart because she kept fighting for her son." She added, "I'm struggling right now, with the stress and everything."

"The system," she said, "beats you down to where you can't win."

The Garner family continues to be disrespected. Officer Pantaleo is still employed by the New York Police Department. Eric Garner's death was ruled a homicide, but it increasingly looks like one of those homicides no one committed. Similar to the Immaculate Conception, which meant Mary was free of original sin, apparently we are also supposed to believe that deaths like Eric Garner's are immaculate executions, just as free of sin.

If there is no sin in killing Eric Garner, no crime, then black families like the Garners can be destroyed without anyone having to answer for it.

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A15 of the New York edition with the headline: How America Destroys Black Families. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe

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Opinion | Erica Garner and How America Destroys Black Families

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Erica Garner, the civil rights activist and a daughter of Eric Garner, died on Saturday, two days before the New Year and in the middle of the holiday season - a time when we're all encouraged to be with our families.

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2018 will be predicted to sell more electric cars than any other car type. Electric cars are simpler for everyone. Electric cars make up of 1.5% of car sales.

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In 2018, electric cars will finally turn the corner from curious niche product to become a viable option for America's families. Next year will mark a turning point in the ultimate electrification of America's roads.

Electric cars will still only make up just 1.5% of all U.S. auto sales according Navigant Research. But, for EVs, the really important numbers to watch are price, driving range and availability.

Americans will finally be able to buy reasonably affordable and widely available electric cars that can hold enough power to breeze through their daily routines with no worries. Cars like the Chevrolet Bolt EV, the redesigned Nissan Leaf and the Tesla Model 3 will begin to strip away the "trust issue," as Kelley Blue Book analyst Rebecca Lindland terms it.

Electric cars are far simpler, mechanically, than internal combustion cars and should be more reliable. But it will take time for people to realize that they aren't going to freeze up like their smart phones do, she said. Seeing more electric cars on the road in large numbers will help ease those fears.

Next year will be the first full year that the Chevrolet Bolt EV will be available nationwide. But it's already been a clear marketplace success. Already more than 20,000 have been sold. And it wasn't even available in all 50 states for most of the year. Prices for the Bolt EV start at about $37,000 and it has batteries that can take it an estimated 238 miles.

The redesigned Nissan Leaf is also just entering production. For now, the Nissan Leaf isn't going head-to-head against the Bolt EV, since it doesn't go as far -- only 150 miles on a charge. But it also doesn't cost as much, with a starting price in the U.S. of under $30,000. A version of the leaf that will be closer to the Bolt's range and price is expected to come later.

Motor Trend Car of the Year: Alfa Romeo Giulia

The Tesla Model 3, with a starting price about the same as the Bolt EV, was supposed to be leading the charge for the mass-market EV. But something went wrong. Tesla has struggled to make the car -- only 260 had been produced as of October. That's given GM a long lead in the marketplace.

Still, if it can get its production troubles behind it quickly enough -- something that remains far from certain -- Tesla could handily outsell either Nissan's or GM 's electric cars, despite Tesla's far more limited dealer network.

Over 400,000 people have already paid refundable deposits to buy a Model 3. Sam Abuelsamid, a transportation analyst with Navigant Research, expects more than half of those people will ultimately back out when they learn how much options cost, and about what he describes as the car's awkward interior controls. Even then, the Model 3 would be well positioned to take the lead in sales.

Tesla has two advantages. First, there's the allure of the Tesla brand band. KBB's Lindland, who holds a reservation for a Model 3 herself, said she'd never consider the Bolt EV despite the fact that she knows it's at least as good.

"There is a mystique about Tesla," she allowed.

The other factor is that Tesla's dealer network, while paltry compared to Chevrolet's or Nissan's, is far more effective at selling electric cars. Salespeople at mainstream auto dealers often push customers interested in electric vehicles toward gasoline-powered models, according to a recent study by the marketing research firm Ipsos.

Each of these three cars are helping to change consumer attitudes about EVs. Tesla has transformed the idea of what electric cars can be, making them intriguing and desirable. The Leaf and the Bolt EV show that these cars are accessible -- they can be purchased from the same dealer that sells you a pickup truck, not just from a start-up car manufacturer.

One remaining wrinkle is the $7,500 federal tax credit that manufacturers are counting on to help sell these electric cars. That incentive survived the Republican tax overhaul but the full credit is only good on the first 200,000 electric cars sold by each automaker. And GM, Nissan and Tesla are expected to hit that number some time next year.

Maybe by then enough people will have changed their minds, and electric cars will be able to stand on their own.

CNNMoney (New York) First published December 21, 2017: 6:24 AM ET

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2018 will be the year of the electric car

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Electric cars will still only make up just 1.5% of all U.S. auto sales according Navigant Research. But, for EVs, the really important numbers to watch are price, driving range and availability. Americans will finally be able to buy reasonably affordable and widely available electric cars that can hold enough power to breeze through their daily routines with no worries.

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A "bomb cyclone" is set to dump snow and ice Wednesday across parts of the East Coast that rarely see winter weather, the latest bombardment of frigid weather that's brought freezing temperatures to vast portions of the United States. Expected to bring snow, ice, rain, strong winds, and tidal flooding

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A nasty winter storm that has brought freezing temperatures to parts of the U.S. is getting ready to dump snow and ice across parts of the South that rarely see any kind of flurries.

The National Weather Service said Tuesday that a mix of snow and freezing rain was expected Wednesday mainly along the East Coast from Florida to North Carolina.

The agency also issued a Winter Storm Watch on Tuesday for all of Southeast Georgia, Interstate 10 corridor in Northeast Florida, and portions of the North and South Carolina costs due to the possibility of ice and snow. The agency expected snow to fall as far south as Tallahassee, Fla.

Savannah, Ga. Mayor Eddie DeLoach urged residents to stay home and keep off the roads. The city, which has not seen measureable snowfall since 2010, is expected to get up to 2 inches of snow and sleet.

The streets will be slick," DeLoach said at a news conference Tuesday. "We could have some serious issues for folks who aren't used to driving in this kind of weather."

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency through Friday for 28 counties because of the bone-chilling weather.

"The state has begun preparations for potential winter weather in the 28 counties, including sending all Georgia Department of Transportation brine trucks and 75 additional plows to impacted areas," Deal said.

Fox News Senior Meteorologist Janie Dean warned Tuesday that the system moving through the Southeast could potentially develop into a "monster snowstorm" in the Northeast.

"We still could see a line of several inches of snow and ice across Florida and the Southeast," she said on "FOX & Friends."

Several other parts of the U.S. were expected to experience dangerously cold temperatures as well.

The National Weather Service issued wind chill advisories and freeze warnings Tuesday covering a vast area from South Texas to Canada and from Montana through New England. The agency warned areas along coastal areas of New Jersey and the Mid-Atlantic could see up to 6 inches of snow.

The cold weather has already been blamed for at least a dozen deaths as well as freezing a water tower in Iowa and halting ferry service in New York.

Indianapolis saw temperatures reach a whopping low of -12 degrees, tying a record low set in 1887. Chicago-area wind chills were also expected to between -35 and -20 degrees.

Traveling in the ice and snow has also proven to be treacherous.

At least one person was killed in upstate New York in an accident involving dozens of vehicles on I-90 east, WIVB-TV reported. At least 11 others were hospitalized.

Plunging temperatures in Texas brought rare snow flurries as far south as Austin, and accidents racked up on icy roads across the state. The Abilene police chief said more than three dozen vehicle crashes were reported in 24 hours.

Officials in Michigan said dozens of cars piled up in crashes on Sunday, according to the Detroit News. Officials said there were no deaths reported in the crashes, but there were at least seven hospitalized.
Fox News' Travis Fedschun and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ryan Gaydos is an editor for Fox News. Follow him on Twitter @RyanGaydos.

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Brutal winter weather expected to dump snow from Carolinas to Florida

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A nasty winter storm that has brought freezing temperatures to parts of the U.S. is getting ready to dump snow and ice across parts of the South that rarely see any kind of flurries. The National Weather Service said Tuesday that a mix of snow and freezing rain was expected Wednesday mainly along the East Coast from Florida to North Carolina.

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Mega Millions drawing: No big winner as jackpot hits $418 million

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Mega Millions drawing: No big winner as jackpot hits $418 million

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There was no winner in Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing, the 23rd straight drawing without a jackpot winner in the game, dating back to Oct. 13.

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No winners yet but jackpot get larger and lager.

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David Irving hid concussion symptoms from Cowboys doctors. Irving decided to stay in the game after halftime during his game against Washington. Irving hasn't played since and felt severe aftereffects from the concussion.

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Dallas Cowboys Timothy Rapp Wesley Hitt/Getty Images @@TRappaRT Featured Columnist
Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman David Irving told Mike Fisher of Scout.com that he didn't reveal to the team's medical staff that he believed he suffered a concussion during a Nov. 30 game against Washington.

"I wanted to get another sack," he admitted, choosing to stay in the game at halftime rather than talk to the team's trainers about the injury.

Irving hasn't played since the injury and felt severe aftereffects.

"I found myself constantly looking for my phone and then realizing I was holding my phone in my hand," he said. "It's hard to put my words in order. I'll be talking and I'll know what I want to say but then when it's time to talk, I can't say it. ... Like a deer caught in headlights."

He also said he felt the most severe effects the day after he suffered the injury, not during the game or on that Sunday. The extent of his injury kicked in while he was driving his daughter, Zoe, to school.

"I rolled through a stop sign and got in a fender bender with the truck ahead of me, and didn't even realize what I'd done or where I was," he said. "That's when I knew I needed help."

Irving, 24, will be a restricted free agent this offseason. He registered 22 tackles, seven sacks (including one in that Washington game) and a forced fumble in eight games, missing the first four contests after being suspended for taking a banned supplement and the last four games recovering from his concussion.

"It's a bad season," Irving said while evaluating the 2017 campaign, per Clarence E. Hill Jr.of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "I missed eight games. That's not good. I keep thinking what if I had played all the games. Comeback year. Stay the hell out of trouble. Hopefully, I won't get injured. And see what I can do next year."

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David Irving Says He Hid Concussion Symptoms from Cowboys Doctors

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Dallas Cowboys Timothy Rapp Wesley Hitt/Getty Images @@TRappaRT Twitter Logo Featured Columnist Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman David Irving told Mike Fisher of Scout.com that he didn't reveal to the team's medical staff that he believed he suffered a concussion during a Nov. 30 game against Washington.