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ISIS uses boy "from America" to issue new threat

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LONDON -- Facing all-but guaranteed defeat in their last urban stronghold, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ( ISIS) extremists seem to be relying more heavily on the youngest of their recruits to carryout both attacks, and deliver their propaganda.

For the first time, a child of purported U.S. origin has been put in front of ISIS cameras as a mouthpiece for the terror group.

His message, clearly crafted by adults, seems to acknowledge the terror network's weakening grasp on the vast swath of territory it once held across Syria and northern Iraq, warning President Trump by name that the battle, "is not gonna end in Raqqa or Mosul," but rather "in your lands."

The ISIS propaganda video featuring the alleged American ISIS "cub" was released online Wednesday by the terror group's media operation in Raqqa, Syria. It came out one day after the terror group published photos online of a purported suicide bomber in Iraq, who appeared to be in his early teens, if not younger.

CBS News monitors ISIS propaganda channels online, and while the group's use of child soldiers is not new we have noted an increase in the appearance of children in videos and photographs from the battlefields around Raqqa and western Iraq in recent months.

In June, U.S.-backed Kurdish and Arab forces launched an offensive to recapture Raqqa, ISIS' de-facto capital city since the summer of 2014. The battle has grown deadlier by the week, with mounting claims of civilian casualties caused by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes.

Those strikes have enabled the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to slowly tighten the noose on the remaining ISIS contingent in Raqqa, but militant holdouts -- estimated to be about 2,000 in number -- are entrenched in the center of the city, many with their families.

CBS News cannot confirm the claims made in the ISIS video, including that it was shot in Raqqa and that the boy who appears in it came to Syria with his mother two years ago, when he was eight. He says his father is a member of the U.S. military who fought in Iraq.

Asked about the video on Wednesday, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the U.S. government could not confirm that the boy is a U.S. Citizen and added that, regardless, the video was "depraved. It's another example of how wrong and evil ISIS is."

With reports of civilian casualties in Raqqa rising fast, United Nations humanitarian adviser on Syria Jan Egeland told reporters in Geneva on Thursday that the various sides fighting in and around the city should "think of possibilities, pauses or otherwise, that might facilitate the escape of civilians, knowing that Islamic State fighters are doing their absolute best to keep them in place."

The U.N. estimates that some 20,000 civilians are still trapped in ISIS-controlled Raqqa, a figure which likely includes the family of some ISIS family members.

In a statement released Thursday afternoon, the SDF announced a curfew would be enforced in Raqqa, at least the portion it controls, from 8 p.m. until Friday morning. The statement warned residents not to leave their homes during during that time and said the measure was meant to give SDF forces an opportunity to "distinguish civilians from ISIS fighters."

As Charlie D'Agata reported in " Children of ISIS," the premier episode of our " CBSN: On Assignment" series, as ISIS loses ground, legions of young victims are being left behind.

Unless they are caught and given help, the fear is that they will pose a long-term threat to the security of the region, and the world at large.

Children have been victimized by ISIS as both bystanders caught up in a brutal war, and more shockingly, as soldiers who were recruited and indoctrinated with the group's deadly ideology, then trained to kill and fight on the battlefield.

The "American" boy in the video released Wednesday shows him training with weapons amid the rubble of heavily damaged buildings, but it also shows him playing around with another youngster he identifies as his best friend, a Yazidi Muslim who says he was swept up by the militants as they "liberated" the border town of Sinjar.

A boy who identifies himself as a 10-year-old who moved with his mother from the U.S. to Syria to join ISIS is seen being trained on weapons in a propaganda video released by the terror group on Aug. 23, 2017.

Thousands of teens and children as young as six years old have been caught up in the battlefield, and now many are held in jails across neighboring Iraq, suspected of being ISIS fighters.

Many other former child soldiers have slipped back into their homes in the region undetected, and likely back to Europe and the Americas, too. While thousands of recruits joined ISIS from Europe, a much lower number, in the low hundreds, are thought to have travelled from the United States.

As D'Agata reported in "Children of ISIS," the most insidious of all of ISIS' war tactics may have been implanting its dangerous mentality into the minds of its youngest victims, "to help ensure their deadly ideology lives on for generations, and effectively planting time bombs throughout the region, and the world."

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ISIS uses boy "from America" to issue new threat

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LONDON -- Facing all-but guaranteed defeat in their last urban stronghold, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ( ISIS) extremists seem to be relying more heavily on the youngest of their recruits to carryout both attacks, and deliver their propaganda. For the first time, a child of purported U.S.

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Here's why your Galaxy Note 8 won't explode

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Samsung has done several things to ensure that what happened last year won't happen again

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Korean spies were caught photographing what they believed to be secret missile projects.

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international relations and national security

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The North Korean spies caught stealing plans | CNN

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Grainy surveillance images show two North Korean spies photographing what they think are top-secret missile designs in Ukraine.

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11-year-old suffers severe burns in sleepover prank

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11-year-old suffers severe burns in sleepover prank

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The 11-year-old girl who suffered second- and third-degree burns to her face and shoulders during a sleepover prank allegedly put on by a school bully is making a remarkable recovery.

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North Korea Tries to Get Russian Tourists by approving a Russian travel in the country.

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North Korea says country ‘safer than an evening walk in London,’ as it targets Russian tourists

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North Korea, amid near daily proclamations promising doom and death to America, has approved a travel agency in Russia as a way to coax travelers into visiting the hermit kingdom.

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A UN panel recently criticized the U.S government for not intervening in several race related protests that have occurred as of late including Charlettesville. U.S government declares free speech as a core value.

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A U.N. panel that blamed recent racist violence in the United States on a U.S. government "failure at the highest political level" is itself coming under criticism for hypocrisy and selection moral outrage.

The 18-member U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, responding to an alt-right rally in Charlottesville, Va., on Aug. 12 that left at least 19 injured and one counterprotester dead, said Wednesday the U.S. must "undertake concrete measures to address the root causes of the proliferation of such racist manifestations."

The panel also took a swipe at public U.S. figures who, while criticizing white nationalists and neo-Nazis, defend the American tradition of free speech.

The U.S. must "ensure that the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly are not exercised with the aim of destroying or denying the rights and freedoms of others. [The U.S. must] provide the necessary guarantees so that such rights are not misused to promote racist hate speech and racist crimes."

Critics why the panel expressed outrage over the U.S. handling of recent incidents but ignoring far more chronic and acute violence and abuse around the world.

"The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination's report that it is alarmed by recent protests in Charlottesville is precisely the reason the UN enjoys little support in this country," said Robert C. O'Brien, who served as a U.S. representative to the U.N. General Assembly under President George W. Bush.

The U.N. panel is silent on "Palestinians ramming their cars into Jews in Israel or Islamic extremists doing likewise anywhere in Europe."
- Anne Bayefsky

"Instead of focusing on the 200,000 people in concentration camps in North Korea or the genocide of Christians in the Middle East or the recent murders of innocent Europeans by extremists, this U.N. committee wasted its time on 'alerting' the world to a fringe group that was roundly condemned by every politician in the United States from the president on down. The fact that this committee includes members from Russia, China, Burkina Faso and Algeria tells Americans just how little heed they should give its 'alerts.'"

Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust, and president of Human Rights Voices, also criticized the U.N. panel.

"The 'urgent action' procedure on all forms of racial discrimination, that was invoked by the Committee for the United States, is intended to deal with 'problems requiring immediate attention,'" said Bayefsky, "but it has not been used by the committee for any other nation on earth in 2017 and only applied to five other nations at all in the last decade according to the committee's own website.

"The committee sounded a global alarm for the car-ramming attack in Charlottesville, but never Palestinians ramming their cars into Jews in Israel or Islamic extremists doing likewise anywhere in Europe," Bayefsky added. "The end result is another example of the notorious inequality of U.N.-based equality rights systems."
The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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UN panel critical of US government for 'proliferation' of racism draws fire

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A U.N. panel that called for Washington to take concrete steps to stem the proliferation of racist violence in the country, a problem the panel said reflected a U.S. government "failure at the highest political level," is itself coming under criticism for hypocrisy and selection moral outrage.

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Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney signed 8 year contract extension that averages $6.75 million a year

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Clemson Football Mike Chiari Chuck Burton/Associated Press Twitter Logo Featured Columnist This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.
Clemson and head football coach Dabo Swinney have agreed to an eight-year, $54 million contract extension, according to college football reporter Brett McMurphy.

Per Dan Wolken of USA Today, there is a $6 million buyout clause if Swinney leaves Clemson after two seasons, but that number drops later in the deal.

Get the best sports content from the web and social in the new B/R app. Get the app and get the game.

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Dabo Swinney, Clemson Reportedly Agree to 8-Year, $54 Million Contract Extension

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Clemson Football Mike Chiari Chuck Burton/Associated Press Twitter Logo Featured Columnist This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available. Clemson and head football coach Dabo Swinney have agreed to an eight-year, $54 million contract extension, according to college football reporter Brett McMurphy.

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Denver police launched an investigation after a cheer video was relased .The superintendent called it, "extremly ditressing"

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police investigate video of cheer practice - cnn video

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Police investigate video of cheer practice - CNN Video

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Denver police launched an investigation after a video from a high school cheerleading practice surfaced that the superintendent called "extremely distressing."

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Indian Guru found guilty of raping two of his followers , dating back to 1999. Tens of thousands of supporters came to see the trial, and after he was charged the supporters started a riot that killed 17 people.

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deadly clashes break out in india after guru convicted of rape - cnn

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Deadly clashes break out in India after guru convicted of rape

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Deadly clashes broke out Friday in northern India after followers of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh clashed with officers in the city of Panchkula.

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North Korean spies are caught taking images of what they think are top secret missile designs.

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international relations and national security

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The North Korean spies caught stealing plans | CNN

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Grainy surveillance images show two North Korean spies photographing what they think are top-secret missile designs in Ukraine.

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North Korea says country ‘safer than an evening walk in London,’ as it targets Russian tourists

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North Korea, amid near daily proclamations promising doom and death to America, has approved a travel agency in Russia as a way to coax travelers into visiting the hermit kingdom.

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In the last week, 58 civilians were killed by airstrikes in Saudi Arabia. This death toll is higher than the entire month of June, which was 57.

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The attack, which flattened two residential buildings in Sanaa's southern district of Faj Attan, comes amid escalating violence in the war-torn country.

A Saudi coalition spokesman told CNN that they were looking into the reports.

Saudi Arabia, backed by a coalition of Arab states, launched a military operation in March 2015 against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels who toppled the internationally recognized leadership in Yemen.

In the last week alone, the UN estimates that 58 civilians have been killed in airstrikes, including 42 in Saudi-led coalition bombings. That death toll is higher than the entire month of June, when 52 were killed, and in July, which saw 57 civilian deaths.

Since fighting began, the UN Human Rights Office has documented 13,829 civilian casualties, including 5,110 killed. The numbers, based on casualties individually verified by the UN's Yemen Office, are believed to be a fraction of the overall death toll.

Hotel attack

Friday's attack comes two days after an airstrike hit a hotel on the outskirts of Sanaa early Wednesday, leaving dozens dead.

The United Nations has launched an investigation into that attack. A witness told the UN that two airstrikes hit the area in close succession at around 3:30 a.m. The first struck a security checkpoint purportedly manned by Houthi rebels, and, several minutes later, a second strike hit the Istirahat Al Shahab hotel.

Mohammed al-Sarhi, a farmer, told CNN that most of those killed at the hotel died while sleeping and were buried under rubble.

The UN has confirmed that at least 33 civilians were killed and another 25 injured in the attack. Yemen's health ministry, which is controlled by Houthi rebels, says 51 people died.

The health ministry is based in Sanaa and is not part of the internationally-recognized, Saudi-backed government based in the southern city of Aden.

"We remind all parties to the conflict, including the Coalition, of their duty to ensure full respect for international humanitarian law," UN human rights spokeswoman Liz Throssell said Friday. "We call on the relevant authorities to carry out credible, comprehensive and impartial investigations into this incident."

Humanitarian crisis

Two-and-a-half years into its grinding civil war, Yemen is facing a near famine and one of the worst outbreaks of cholera in decades.

Last week, the World Health Organization reported that the number of suspected cholera cases in Yemen had reached 500,000 -- making it the largest cholera epidemic in the world.

Nearly 2,000 people have died since the cholera outbreak began to spread at the end of April, the WHO added.

CNN's Simon Cullen reported from London.

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children among dead in airstrikes on yemen's capital - cnn

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Hakim Almasmari, Hamdi Alkhshali, and Eliza Mackintosh

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Children among dead after airstrike in Yemen's capital

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The attack, which flattened two residential buildings in Sanaa's southern district of Faj Attan, comes amid escalating violence in the war-torn country. A Saudi coalition spokesman told CNN that they were looking into the reports. Saudi Arabia, backed by a coalition of Arab states, launched a military operation in March 2015 against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels who toppled the internationally recognized leadership in Yemen.

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Bre Baughn-What you need to know about the government shutdown 

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Bre Baughn-What you need to know about the government shutdown 

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Donald Trump said he is willing to shut down the government in order to pay for/build the wall between the U.S and Mexico. It' would be the first shut down under Republican control of the white house.

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President Donald Trump's threat Tuesday to force a government shutdown over the battle to pay for his promised southern border wall raised concerns on Capitol Hill among legislators who fear that the fight for funds could turn into a hostage situation.

It's been four years since the last federal government shutdown and would be the first time under Republican control of the White House, Senate and House.

Here's what you need to know about a possible government shutdown:

What happens when the government shuts down?

A shutdown occurs when full-year or interim appropriations for federal agencies and programs expire. If additional funding isn't approved by the president and Congress in time to continue government operations, the government shuts down. Under the Antideficiency Act, agencies are required to stop operating, with some exceptions.

During a shutdown, several hundred thousand federal employees are furloughed, government services like school lunch programs are halted, national parks are closed and several sectors of the economy, like tourism, are impacted. Depending on the duration of the shutdown, delivery of millions of Social Security benefit checks could be temporarily halted.

Why might it happen this time?

Lawmakers have until Sept. 30 -- 12 legislative days after their return from August recess -- to pass funding through both chambers of Congress. Otherwise, the government runs out of money on Oct. 1.

The president and some conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus are insistent that a spending bill contain wall funding. Without it, some conservatives may refuse to support any budget resolution. With it, Senate Democrats may filibuster.

A shutdown under Trump would be the first shutdown under unified Republican control of government.

The budget resolution could also become part of the negotiations over raising the nation's debt ceiling, an issue coming to a head at nearly the same time. The Treasury Department has estimated that sometime in October the government will reach its borrowing limit.

Where does President Trump stand?

President Trump told the crowd at a Phoenix campaign rally on Aug. 22 that he's willing to "close down our government" in order for his wall on the southern border to be built.

"Let me be very clear to Democrats in Congress who oppose the border wall and stand in the way of border security, you are putting all of America's safety at risk." said Trump.

A "Good Shutdown"

Trump's message in Phoenix echoes a stance he took when he was unhappy with the last bipartisan spending deal reached in May. The president at that time tweeted: "Our country needs a good 'shutdown' in September to fix mess!"

Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, when asked to describe what the president meant by a "good shutdown," said: "It would be one that fixes this town. The one that drives the message back home to people, it was as broken as they thought that it was when they voted for Donald Trump."

Mulvaney said that if Democrats don't "behave better", a shutdown may be inevitable.

What are Congressional Leaders Saying?

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said that while he agrees on the need for a border wall, he doesn't think a shutdown is "in our interest."

"I don't think a government shutdown is necessary and I don't think most people want to see a government shutdown," Ryan said in a press conference in Oregon on August 23. The Speaker has expressed his interest in passing a stopgap measure to give lawmakers more time to fund the government.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. said in a statement Aug. 23 that he is working with President Trump on shared goals, including funding the government. He made no mention of the border wall.

What happened during the government shutdown in 2013?

The most recent funding gap started on Oct. 1, 2013, the first day of fiscal year 2014; a 16-day shutdown followed.

During that time, 800,000 federal workers stopped working, school lunch programs were curbed, millions of tourists saw vacations disrupted as national parks closed. Capitol Police officers worked but did not receive a paycheck. Government grants dried up as furloughs at military bases squeezed local charities. Catholic Charities in Biloxi, Miss. reported being flooded with requests for food and assistance.

During the shutdown, families of deceased service members also didn't receive so-called "death benefits" -- a $100,000 payment usually issued within three days of notification of death. A charity called the Fisher House Foundation stepped in to provide funding for funeral arrangements and travel and the Pentagon eventually reimbursed the charity.

The Social Security Administration issued a warning that if the shutdown stretched into Day 17, checks would not be sent out. Sixty million Americans would have been impacted, each receiving an average of $280 a week in benefits.

An analysis by the Standard and Poor's ratings agency concluded the shutdown effectively took $24 billion out of the economy. It was the first shutdown to occur in over 17 years. The longest shutdown lasted 21 days during fiscal year 1996.

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What you need to know about the government shutdown showdown

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President Donald Trump's threat Tuesday to force a government shutdown over the battle to pay for his promised southern border wall raised concerns on Capitol Hill among legislators who fear that the fight for funds could turn into a hostage situation. It's been four years since the last federal...

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Some people think that Mcgregor will win because Mayweather is 40 years old. And he's going for the knockout since he "owes" the people for the paciou fight.

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What if the impossible is possible? What if a foot slips, a hand drops, a lucky swing lands right and Conor McGregor knocks Floyd Mayweather cold in the craziest of flukes?

What if everybody with any good sense is wrong, and Mayweather at 40, having not fought in nearly two years, is no match for McGregor? What if the loudest mouth in UFC turns out to be the better boxer on Saturday night? What if Mayweather's 49-0 becomes 49-1 and the result isn't even in doubt? Well, what then?

Few experts feel McGregor, the UFCs lightweight and featherweight champion, has a chance in a boxing match against this generation's most dominant boxer. But scarce were the experts who believed Donald Trump could beat Hillary Clinton, or that Buster Douglas would defeat Mike Tyson. The unimaginable sometimes does happen. And if it does, if McGregor really beats Mayweather, it will propel him to a greater height than even he might have dreamed.

"If you look at this thing and you look at how big this fight is and you look at how big these athletes are that are involved in this fight ... if Conor does knock Floyd Mayweather out, he's the biggest athlete on earth," UFC president Dana White said in June. "He's the biggest athlete [on this planet] - on other planets - he's the biggest athlete. It's pretty crazy."

But what does being the biggest athlete as an MMA fighter mean? McGregor, who dazzled White as a brash, unproven fighter in 2013, has climbed so fast in UFC it's almost as if he runs the organization himself - dictating who he fights and what belts he tries to claim. After his 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo in UFC 194, his exhausting side-battles with Nate Diaz and his destruction of Eddie Alvarez that made him the first UFC fighter to hold two titles at once, there isn't much left for him to accomplish in MMA. Even before talk of the Mayweather fight he seemed to be running out of achievements to chase.

It was only five years ago that McGregor was collecting welfare checks while trying to build an improbable mixed martial arts fighting career in Dublin. In that short a time he has made himself one of the world's most recognizable athletes - a single-name sensation in a sport that, aside from Ronda Rousey, has not had many breakout mainstream celebrities. But that also has some limits.

Going back to UFC and resuming his foul-mouthed, insult-laden press conference sideshows will not make him transcendent, or bring the outrageous paydays he demands. While he may continue in UFC he, like Rousey, might have a bigger future away from MMA.

"He's one of those guys you can see on Dancing With The Stars or crossing over to television shows," Bob Dorfman, the executive vice-president of Baker Street Advertising, told the Guardian. "He's got name and face recognition and he's also got a real out-there personality."

But as much as McGregor's name will get bigger, it's hard to imagine Mayweather's shrinking. His 49 victories have come against some of the best boxers of his era. Twenty-six of those past 31 bouts have had a title on the line. He has dominated for more than two decades and losing to a mixed martial artist aged 40 will not wipe that record away. His legacy has been winning all the boxing matches that mattered. Aside from not allowing him to surpass Rocky Marciano's 49-0 record, a loss to McGregor will be an outlier - one of those dumb decisions people make for money - but it won't tarnish the legacy of an undefeated boxing career.

A bigger issue is what a defeat might do to boxing. For years, the sport has suffered from an image problem, combating perceptions of corruption while a sea of organizations claim so many champions it's hard to keep track of who truly is the best boxer at each weight. While UFC has probably not surpassed boxing, it has become a well-packaged, overly controlled alternative offering single champions for each size and compelling match-ups.

In a telling example of how the two sports have shifted, one of MMA's harshest critics, US senator John McCain, who famously called it "human cockfighting", instead praised UFC to the Guardian last year, saying "the MMA has cleaned up their act," while denouncing boxing as "an alphabet soup" of champions.

A McGregor victory over Mayweather may only bring more eye-rolling about boxing and siphon potential fans either to MMA organizations like UFC or simply drive more people away from boxing for good. It might set in the minds of a new generation of sports fans that boxing is just a punching sport and perhaps not as complete a fight as MMA. If McGregor wins, will there be another pay-per-view boxing star like Mayweather?

"It would definitely be great for MMA if McGregor won," Dorfman said. "Aside from the monumental events there is no enticement to follow boxing these days. Who are the champions at each level? There's not a lot of exposure to the fights aside from a pay-per-view level."

Could the image of Mayweather lying flat on the canvas or slumping away in defeat become another blow for a sport that could use a big hit? Especially with current face of the MMA walking away with his fists upraised and his hands in boxing gloves.

Related slideshow: The 25 most purchased pay-per-view boxing matches of all time (Provided by Yardbarker)

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What if everybody is wrong and Conor McGregor beats Floyd Mayweather?

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What if the impossible is possible? What if a foot slips, a hand drops, a lucky swing lands right and Conor McGregor knocks Floyd Mayweather cold in the craziest of flukes? What if everybody with any good sense is wrong, and Mayweather at 40, having not fought in nearly two years, is no match for McGregor?

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A guru in India has gotten backlash for raping 2 of his followers, resulting in 17 people being killed

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deadly clashes break out in india after guru convicted of rape - cnn

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Deadly clashes break out in India after guru convicted of rape

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Deadly clashes broke out Friday in northern India after followers of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh clashed with officers in the city of Panchkula.

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Hurricane Harvey has been updated to a category two hurricane and Texas is expected to get 35 inches of rain in 24 hours making parts of it unlivable for months. This strength in a storm hasn't been seen since Katrina

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Powerful Hurricane Harvey makes landfall in Texas | CNN

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Hurricane Harvey, now a Category 4 storm, is hitting the Texas coast with harsh winds and torrential rain. Houston, Corpus Christi and Galveston are in its path.

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United Daughters of the Confederacy Monument removed from Ward Parkway

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FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The United Daughters of the Confederacy Monument will be removed from 55th and Ward Parkway Friday morning.

Before the sun even came up, parks and rec workers removed boards put up Sunday after it was vandalized. On that day, the Daughters of the Confederacy told Fox 4 they plan on moving the monument, but they haven't given specific details as to where.

Last week, FOX 4 reported that the parks and rec board had received a request for its removal and was reviewing the request. At that time, the board did not reveal who requested its removal.

The Missouri Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy then also requested that the monument be removed 'from its current location to a place of safety to prevent further vandalism,' after the memorial was found vandalized Saturday morning.

The 9-foot-tall monument, now standing in the grassy median between the lanes of Ward Parkway, was initially located at the entrance to the Country Club Plaza. Dedicated on Sept. 9, 1934 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy to honor "the women of the Old South."

The KC Parks & Rec website describes the 83-year-old monument, saying, "the top of the shaft is the U.D.C. emblem with a wreath enclosing the letters U.D.C. and beneath the wreath are the crossed flags of the Union and the Confederacy with the dates 61-65. Lower on the monument is inscribed the dedication, 'In loving memory of the Loyal Women of the Old South.'"

The monument was moved to its current location in 1958.

The request to remove it from its current location came amid a wave of action to remove Confederate monuments across the country.

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Crews begin removal of Confederate monument located along Ward Parkway

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The United Daughters of the Confederacy Monument will be removed from 55th and Ward Parkway Friday morning. Before the sun even came up, parks and rec workers removed boards put up Sunday after it was vandalized.

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A teen from California was charged with trying to bring a baby tiger into the U.S

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Hands where I can see them -- meow!

A California teenager said he was arrested Wednesday after he attempted to smuggle a tiger cub he bought for $300 in Tijuana into the United States.

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Luis Eudoro Valencia, 18, of Perris, Calif., was charged with smuggling a male Bengal tiger into the U.S. after Customs and Border Protection officials found the furry cub lying on the floor of his 2017 Chevy Camaro during an inspection early Wednesday at the Otay Mesa border crossing.

"CBP officers are often faced with unusual situations," said Pete Flores, director of field operations for CBP in San Diego.
CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT BACKS PLAN TO SPEED DEATH PENALTY CASES
Valencia said he purchased the felonious feline from someone who was walking a full-sized tiger on a leash in Tijuana, according to court documents. Several Bengal tigers, which are native to South Asia, have been seized this year by Mexican authorities in Tijuana.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service officials took custody of the cub and handed the male cat over to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park to care of it.

Mexican circuses have been trying to get rid of exotic animals after a law went into effect in 2015 prohibiting such acts. Drug lords in Mexico have also been known to keep big cats as pets. Infamous drug lord El Chapo reportedly had tigers as pets, according to The Sun.

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All species of tigers are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Importing an endangered species into the United States requires a permit from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and a declaration filed with the agency.

Prosecutors said Valencia lacked the permit and declaration.

The tiger purchaser was released on a $10,000 bond and ordered to appear for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 5 in federal court in San Diego.

If convicted, Valencia could face up to 20 years in prison.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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California teen charged with trying to smuggle tiger cub into US

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Hands where I can see them -- meow! A California teenager said he was arrested Wednesday after he attempted to smuggle a tiger cub he bought for $300 in Tijuana into the United States. Related Image Expand / Collapse Luis Eudoro Valencia, 18, of Perris, Calif., was charged with smuggling a male Bengal tiger into the U.S.

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Bill Nye is claiming fraud and breach of contract against Disney. He claims they owe him 9 million dollars.

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Bill Nye the Science Guy has turned his attention to accounting.

The famed science enthusiast filed suit against Disney on Thursday, claiming the media giant hoodwinked him out of more than $9 million in earnings from "Bill Nye the Science Guy."

The beloved television series originally aired between 1992 and 1997, gaining a loyal following among children while winning multiple broadcasting awards for its fun, science-focused programming. It's still streamed on services like Netflix .

Two decades after production wrapped up, Nye has accused Disney of fraud and breach of contract in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. Disney subsidiaries including Buena Vista Television and ABC are also named as defendants.

Disney and the other defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Related: It's been a tough year in the courtroom for media companies

The lawsuit claims that Nye, who was owed 16.5% of the show's profits, became suspicious after Disney-owned Buena Vista demanded he repay a large portion of his 2007 "Science Guy" earnings, citing an "accounting error."

Nye doubted the company's bookkeeping. But his efforts to engage the firm in negotiations to resolve the matter were "futile," according to the lawsuit. Nye claims that Buena Vista stopped making royalty payments in 2008 because of the dispute.

The suit says that Nye eventually hired an auditor to review the company's records, but the inquiry was delayed for years and the defendants allegedly did not provide all the requested documentation.

The "defendants failed to engage in the process in good faith," says the suit, which accuses the companies of engaging in "an ongoing, deliberate conspiracy to deceive Mr. Nye."

According to the complaint, the limited documentation provided to auditors showed revenues were skewed and royalties went unreported.

Nye claims that he has suffered damages of at least $9.4 million, while the defendants enriched themselves with "ill-gotten" profits of over $28 million.

CNNMoney (London) First published August 25, 2017: 10:21 AM ET

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Bill Nye to Disney: You owe me $9 million for 'Science Guy'

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The famed science enthusiast filed suit against Disney on Thursday, claiming the media giant hoodwinked him out of more than $9 million in earnings from "Bill Nye the Science Guy." The beloved television series originally aired between 1992 and 1997, gaining a loyal following among children while winning multiple broadcasting awards for its fun, science-focused programming.

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After the fact of the Kyrie Irving trade in Cleveland, things are getting worse and worse for cavs fans. Now, fans are concerned that Lebron James might now leave in response to the Cavs trading Kyrie.

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There is no consensus among NBA executives on who got the better end of the deal that shipped four-time All-Star Kyrie Irving from Cleveland to Boston on Aug. 22, but there is when it comes to how they see the trade impacting LeBron James' decision to stay or go next summer.

The deal doesn't change a thing.

The prevailing sentiment among the league executives B/R contacted remains that when it comes time to exercise the option on his final contract year with the Cavaliers, James won't.

"He's out," a Western Conference scout says.

"Foregone conclusion," one Eastern Conference general manager adds.

"I don't see him staying in Cleveland," another thinks.

Now, obviously, a lot can change over the course of a season. No one saw the 73-win Warriors losing to the Cavaliers in the Finals two years ago-much less blowing a 3-1 lead-but then no one forecast that a knee injury would knock Andrew Bogut out of the series in Game 5 or that Draymond Green would get suspended for a game, either.

Stuff, as the sanitized version of the saying goes, happens.

That applies to where the Cavs find themselves now and possibly next summer as well. Would they have even acquiesced to Irving's desire to be dealt if they had won a second consecutive championship and were pursuing a three-peat? Could LeBron really ditch his hometown mere days after another parade through downtown Cleveland?

All that aside, most executives don't see the trade of Irving for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and Brooklyn's 2018 first-round pick making the Cavs, as is, good enough to beat the Warriors next June, which is considered the biggest reason James would stay. In fact, the deal has been interpreted by some as the Cavs hedging their bet, splitting their focus between staying competitive with James and preparing for life without him.

Anyone who has worked with James will tell you that putting your focus on anything other than helping him win another ring does not engender his favor.

The biggest concern is that Thomas apparently is still recovering from the hip injury he suffered in last year's playoffs. Several executives interpreted Celtics GM Danny Ainge's comments that Thomas might not be ready to start the season as a major red flag.

If Thomas misses a significant part of the season or isn't the same fourth-quarter scorer he was for the Celtics last season, the argument that the deal might have made the Cavs better in 2017-18 is moot.
Charles Krupa/Associated Press
As for flipping the Brooklyn pick for a player who could help them this season, several executives independently said they could only envision the Cavs doing that if James guaranteed them he'd stay, a pre-empting of his option that James has consistently avoided.

There is also concern that Thomas elected to recover from his hip injury without surgery because he's aware of what that could've done to his market value as a free agent next summer.

"We all have the numbers when a guy gets hip surgery," one executive says. "They're not good. Now what if he's not right and needs surgery anyway? That is not nearly the same trade."

With all that in mind, league executives not only expect James to leave but have circled his destination-the Los Angeles Lakers -for a host of reasons. The top three are:

* Setting up his post-playing career in TV and movie production.

* Attempting the unique feat of leading three different teams to a championship.

* Creating a path to an ownership stake in the Lakers.

The first motive is obvious. He already has founded a Los Angeles-based production company, SpringHill Entertainment, and has developed several shows already. James and his two childhood friends-turned-business partners from Akron, Ohio-agent Rich Paul and business manager Maverick Carter-have all purchased homes in Los Angeles in the last two years as well.

The second is a byproduct of the presumptive dynasty built by the Warriors. LeBron has relinquished his goal of Michael Jordan's collection of six championship rings, a league source says.

"That was once his obsession," the source says. "But even if LeBron thinks he has five good years left, he's not thinking he's going to beat Golden State four out of the next five years. I don't think he's making it about that anymore. When he said, 'I don't have anything left to prove' during the Finals, that's where that came from."
Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images
While winning a second championship in Cleveland-and fourth overall-wouldn't measurably change where James stands in the pantheon of all-time greats, winning one more with a third team might. The only other surefire Hall of Fame players who can say they helped lead more than one team to a championship are Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, Dennis Rodman and Dennis Johnson. Only Robert Horry and John Salley have won rings with three different teams, and both were considered role players.

"LeBron did what he came to do [in Cleveland]," the scout says. "He needs to prove he can do it somewhere else now. Three different teams will make him more unique."

One Eastern Conference GM envisions LeBron in the Eastern Conference to join a stocked team-the Washington Wizards, for example-because the path to the Finals should remain easier than in the West. A former member of the Cavs organization disagrees.

"He doesn't care if he has to beat the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals or the Finals," the source says. "He knows he has to go through them at some point, and it doesn't matter when. Winning another Eastern Conference banner doesn't mean anything to him."

Finally, there is James' aspiration to one day be a team owner. Lakers legend Magic Johnson, who became the team's president of basketball operations in February, expressed the same post-career aspiration and saw it come true, securing 4 percent of the Lakers from late owner Dr. Jerry Buss.

He subsequently divested himself of that stake but remains close with Dr. Buss' daughter and the team's controlling owner, Jeanie. Some executives have speculated that offering James the same ownership opportunity is, or will be, part of their pitch to lure him to Los Angeles.

"It's all more about life after basketball than anything else," the first Eastern Conference GM says.

The only question: Will life in Cleveland this season do anything to change it? Thomas' hip might hold the answer.

Ric Bucher covers theNBAfor Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @RicBucher.

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Did Kyrie Trade Convince LeBron to Stay in Cleveland? NBA Execs Doubtful

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There is no consensus among NBA executives on who got the better end of the deal that shipped four-time All-Star Kyrie Irving from Cleveland to Boston on Aug. 22, but there is when it comes to how they see the trade impacting LeBron James' decision to stay or go next summer.

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A former lottery worker rigged the system so he could collect the jackpots. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Tuesday.

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A former lottery worker was sentenced to 25 years in prison onTuesday for rigging the system in several states so he could collect the jackpots.

Eddie Tipton, former security director of the Multistate Lottery Association, received the maximum sentence from an Iowa judge, who mentioned Tipton's "greed" in his sentencing.

"I certainly regret my actions," Tipton told the court. "It's difficult even saying that with all the people that I know behind me that I hurt."

Tipton pleaded guilty in June to a charge of ongoing criminal conduct for a scheme involving seven lottery tickets in five states, according to court documents. He admitted to rigging computer codes to produce winning numbers -- netting Tipton and his accomplices millions of dollars.

Tipton has agreed to pay about $2.2 million in restitution, including $1.1 million to the Colorado lottery, $644,000 to the Oklahoma lottery, $391,000 to the Wisconsin lottery and $30,000 to the Kansas lottery.

Related: Powerball jackpot hits $700 million

When Judge Brad McCall asked him on Tuesday how he intended to repay the money, Tipton said, "Initially, I really don't know."

Prior to his sentencing, Tipton's lawyer said his client was ready to accept his punishment.

"He looks forward to putting this entire matter behind him and moving on with his life after he serves his sentence," lawyer Dean Stowers said in an email to CNNMoney. He had asked the judge for a suspended sentence.

Tipton was formerly a programmer with the Multistate Lottery Association, the agency that administers state lotteries. He designed and maintained software "for computerized random number generators used to select winning lottery numbers in many states across the country," according to the office of Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller.

Tipton, who lives in Texas, is accused of buying lottery tickets in various states, including Iowa, and selecting numbers that he knew would win, since he designed the program that generated the winning numbers. Tipton then gave these tickets to third parties who agreed to cash them and split the money with him.

Related: Biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history

One of these accomplices was his brother, Tommy Tipton, authorities said. The investigation against the Tipton brothers began in 2010, with a suspicious claim for a $14.3 million Hot Lotto jackpot in Iowa that lottery officials refused to pay. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation traced Tipton's scheme to other states as well.

Eddie Tipton made a deal with prosecutors in June, in which he pleaded guilty to the Iowa charge of ongoing criminal conduct. Prosecutors dropped a charge of money laundering. He will be allowed to serve the Iowa sentence concurrently with a sentence of up to five-and-a-half years in Wisconsin, where he pleaded guilty to theft by fraud and computer crime.

His brother Tommy Tipton, a former judge in Texas, is currently serving a 75-day sentence in Texas for a misdemeanor theft charge and deferred judgment on a felony charge of conspiracy to commit theft.

The Tiptons' friend Robert Rhodes, who also lives in Texas, was the one who attempted to redeem the $14.3 million jackpot. He has pleaded guilty to fraud and will be sentenced on Friday.

CNNMoney (New York) First published August 22, 2017: 3:43 PM ET

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Prison looms for ex-lottery worker who rigged winnings gets 25 years in prison

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Eddie Tipton, former security director of the Multistate Lottery Association, received the maximum sentence from an Iowa judge, who mentioned Tipton's "greed" in his sentencing. "I certainly regret my actions," Tipton told the court. "It's difficult even saying that with all the people that I know behind me that I hurt."

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Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper have entertained the idea of forming a unity presidential ticket to run for the White House in 2020

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Under this scenario, Kasich, a Republican, and Hickenlooper, a Democrat, would run as independents with Kasich at the top of the ticket, said the source, who cautioned it has only been casually talked about.

"The idea of a joint ticket has been discussed, but not at an organizational or planning level," said the source, who spoke only on the condition of anonymity. "What they are trying to show the country is that honorable people can disagree, but you can still problem solve together. It happens in businesses and it happens in families. Why can't it happen in Washington?"

News of the discussions was first reported by Axios.

In early August, Hickenlooper didn't lend much credence to rumblings of a unity ticket, telling Politico: "I don't think Kasich would ever do that. ... I don't think it's in the cards. But I do like the idea of working with him in some context at some point."

Kasich and Hickenlooper are working together on major policy issues such as healthcare and immigration -- a rare, bipartisan alliance at a time of deep seeded acrimony between the two political parties.

The next steps for the two governors will be more policy than politically focused.

"Watch on the policy front as they expand beyond healthcare and also include other governors into the coalition," said the source, who noted that Kasich and Hickenlooper are keeping all 2020 options on the table.

CNN has reached out to both Kasich and Hickenlooper for comment.

CNN's Miranda Green contributed to this report

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hickenlooper consider unity presidential ticket in 2020 - cnnpolitics

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Source: Kasich, Hickenlooper consider unity presidential ticket in 2020

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Under this scenario, Kasich, a Republican, and Hickenlooper, a Democrat, would run as independents with Kasich at the top of the ticket, said the source, who cautioned it has only been casually talked about. "The idea of a joint ticket has been discussed, but not at an organizational or planning level," said the source, who spoke only on the condition of anonymity.

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Mavis Wanczyx won the powerball jackpot. Her jackpot was 785.7 million dollars.

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Because of Hurricane Harvey, gas prices are going to increase. Refiners are shutting down platforms and rigs in preparation for the storm. The prices should go down by next week.

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Gas prices are going to jump in some parts of the country as Tropical Storm Harveyslams the Texas coast.

A gallon of gas is a penny more expensive than it was a day ago, but it may ultimately cost between five and 15 cents more, according to Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst for the Oil Price Information Service. Prices should be back down by next week.

"Spikes in pump prices due to the effects of hurricanes tend to be brief but dramatic," explained Jeanette Casselano, an AAA spokesperson.

Platforms and rigswere shut down in anticipation of the storm, which made landfall late Friday as a Category 4 storm but weakened mid-Saturday into a tropical storm.

"You're seeing prices move up because refiners have to take precautionary measures," Kloza said.

Related: Tanker becomes first to cross Arctic without icebreaker

As of Saturday,personnel had been evacuated fromfrom 39 production platforms and one oil rig, according to the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.

"Most of the increases, at least right now, would probably be in the South, the Southeast and the mid-Atlantic," said Patrick DeHaan, a senior petroleum analyst with GasBuddy.

The good news for drivers is that gas prices are currently low. On average across the country, gas cost $2.35 per gallon on Saturday, according to AAA.

That said, the situation on the ground is still developing, and damage from the storm could be worse than expected, DeHaan said.

And Harvey hit an area that's immensely important for U.S. oil production.

The Gulf Coast accounts for 17% of total U.S. crude oil production and 45% of total U.S. petroleum refining capacity, according to the Energy Information Administration.

CNNMoney (New York) First published August 24, 2017: 6:44 PM ET

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Gas prices will jump thanks to Tropical Storm Harvey

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A gallon of gas is a penny more expensive than it was a day ago, but it may ultimately cost between five and 15 cents more, according to Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst for the Oil Price Information Service. Prices should be back down by next week.