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note 7 manufactured it was the batteries and poorly wired

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With only one ‘no’ vote, KC city council sends question about marijuana fines to voters.The Kansas City Council on Thursday voted to include a question about reducing pot possession fines on the April ballot.

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Jai Bullock a united airlines flight  crashed into fuel truck in new york leaving to denver spokesman says  its the 2nd collision this week

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Jai Bullock a united airlines flight  crashed into fuel truck in new york leaving to denver spokesman says  its the 2nd collision this week

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3 things the patriots should worry about when playing the steelers

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3 things that should worry the Patriots against the Steelers on Sunday

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What should the Patriots be worried about in the AFC Championship game?

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No he NOT
Emaciated Bear begs for food at the zoo.

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President Trump sworn in
as 45th commander-in-chief

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Breaking News, Latest News and Current News from FOXNews.com. Breaking news and video. Latest Current News: U.S., World, Entertainment, Health, Business, Technology, Politics, Sports.

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When it comes to travel, a “Do Not Enter” sign is almost like a beacon, welcoming us into the garden of forbidden fruits. Of the nearly 200 countries in the world today, some, like Angola and North Korea, make it incredibly hard for Americans to visit.

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The more something is off-limits, the more we want it.

When it comes to travel, a "Do Not Enter" sign is almost like a beacon, welcoming us into the garden of forbidden fruits. Of the nearly 200 countries in the world today, some, like Angola and North Korea, make it incredibly hard for Americans to visit.
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But today borders are actually more open than they were in the past 50 years. Cuba, Iran, Nicaragua and even the former Soviet Union. Today, they read like a millenial's bucket list. But back in our parents' day, they weren't even considered vacation contenders.

1. Cuba

If you want to visit a time capsule close to the U.S., go to Cuba. Between 1953 and 2014, visiting this communist island nation 90 miles south of Florida as a tourist violated the U.S. embargo. It's the only time in history the U.S. government has prohibited Americans from visiting another country.

Travel restrictions eased up in 2014 when President Barack Obama pledged to restore full diplomatic relations with Cuba. Still, solo visits weren't possible until March 2016 when people-to-people trips became one of the 12 categories of trips recognized for legal travel to Cuba. Cubans, for the most part, are excited to host their northerly neighbors. "The tension was between two governments, never between the people," points out Greg Geronemus, co-CEO of smarTours. "Not only do millions of Cubans have extensive family connections in the U.S., but we also share many passions, including baseball."

If You Go: "The most important thing to remember when visiting Cuba is that it is still very isolated," says Jackie Caradonio, Senior Travel Editor at Robb Report. "Internet is scarce, ATMs are even scarcer." Caradonio recommends booking with a tour operator with offices in the U.S. and Cuba.

2. Former Soviet Union

Before the Iron Curtain fell in 1990, American travelers were scarce in the 8.5 million square miles making up the former Soviet Union. Tensions between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. were high during the Cold War-- and the Soviet Union required most foreigners to follow tightly controlled itineraries designed by the communist government. For example, hotels and activities were assigned to tourists and not revealed in advance. Americans who did manage to secure a visa were subject to extreme propaganda and censored, and often recorded, interactions with locals.

If You Go: "Russia used to be popular, but unfortunately that's declined lately due to sanctions and an unfriendly policy toward gay travelers," says Sophia Kulich, a Ukraine native who fled to the U.S. in 1983 to escape religious discrimination. Kulich now leads heritage tours to former Soviet Bloc countries. She currently recommends Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan for their mountains and ancient monasteries and Lithuania Latvia and Estonia for their affordability and architecture. For a more extreme experience, check out Chernobyl. Starting in May, Explore will be offering guided tours of this radioactive site-a designated exclusion zone since the 1986 nuclear catastrophe.

3. Iran

"The idea of Iran being off limits to Americans is just a 'feeling'" says Annie Lucas, Vice President of MIR Corporation, a company with more than 15 years of travel experience in Iran. The U.S. State Department has imposed economic sanctions on Iran since 1979, but unlike it did with Cuba, it never prohibited Americans from visiting. "It's always been possible," adds Lucas, "It just hasn't felt right."

But in January 2015, major international sanctions on Iran were lifted when it passed nuclear weapons plans tests. As a result, this infamous country is now on the radar of Americans seeking a different kind of adventure in the Middle East. In 2015, Intrepid Travel saw a 120 percent uptick in bookings on its Iran departures from the U.S. In 2017, the tour operator is offering an 37 departures.

If You Go: Be patient. There is no Iranian embassy in the U.S. and obtaining the required visa via mail can take months. Lucas calls Isfahan exquisite and recommends visiting its bazaar, one of the largest and oldest in the Middle East. She also says Persepolis is a must-see. Finally, keep in mind the State Department issued a travel warning in August 2016 reminding travelers the U.S. does not have diplomatic or consular relations with Iran, so services and protection within the country are not guaranteed.

4. Myanmar

Prior to 2012, Myanmar, formerly Burma, welcomed fewer than 1 million visitors annually. Meanwhile, neighboring Thailand welcomed more than 25 million. Myanmar was an automatic no-go because of the oppressive military junta ruling from 1962-2011. After half a century of isolationism, Myanmar may have a lot of catching up to do in terms of infrastructure, but on the bright side, it's extremely affordable and its beaches are some of the least crowded in Southeast Asia. Still, a Burmese Big Brother may be watching.

"American tourists should assume they-including their email and phones-are under government observation," cautions Jim Hutton, Chief Security Officer at On Call International and a former special agent with the Department of State's Bureau of Diplomatic Security. "Since Myanmar is still emerging from a military dictatorship, travelers should take care when discussing politics, if not avoid politics altogether."

If You Go: "Cash is necessary for most transactions and ATMS are hard to come by," says Hutton. "If you plan on exchanging U.S. dollars make sure they're crisp, unmarked bills printed after 2006." Don't take photos of service members or military installations and if you're worried about going alone, try a company like Explore which avoids using junta-owned hotels and tries to minimize customer contact with the government when possible.

5. Cambodia

Despite what you MAY see on Instagram , Angkor Wat wasn't always teeming with tourists. Under the Khmer Rouge regime, nearly 2 million people were murdered in Cambodia in the late 1970s, according to BBC estimates. Even in the decades following the genocide, civil unrest was everywhere and the topic of tourism was taboo.

Thanks to the Paris Peace Agreements of 1991, the restoration of the monarchy in 1993 and the death of Pol Pot in 1998, attitudes toward this emerging destination have become more positive and curious. While there were only 118,000 international visitors in 1993, there were more than 4.7 million in 2015. Cambodia boasts thousands of temples in addition to Angkor, the largest religious monument in the world. The food is delicious and relatively cheap, the people are friendly and the stunning scenery is very similar to Thailand.

If You Go: The wet season, May to October, is when Cambodia is most enchanting. While templing in Siem Reap, get tickets to Phare Circus where former street children, graduates of a free school operated by an NGO, perform acrobatics and re-enact their country's tumultuous history on stage. Another way to give back to Cambodian communities is to travel with Journeys Within, one of the first American-owned boutique hotel owners and philanthropic tour operators in Cambodia. Journeys Within is involved with community projects including improving access to healthcare, education and clean water.

6. Nicaragua

Ever since the New York Times ranked Nicaragua third on its list of 46 places to visit in 2013, people have been calling it the new Costa Rica. But unlike its army-less neighbor, Nicaragua is still recovering from a revolutionary war where thousands were killed. The 1970s and 1980s were marked by extreme political unrest, and it wasn't until the 1990s that Nicaragua began investing in infrastructure for travelers.

A tourism board was established in 1992, and today, the country is able to boast Nicaragua has some of the lowest crime rates in Central America. Despite its well-rounded allure, Pacific beaches, Caribbean islands, volcanic mountains and colonial cities, Nicaragua has yet to be infiltrated by mass-market tourism. Still, it's only a matter of time before more Americans realize how easy it is to land in the land of volcanoes and lakes. Direct flights from Miami and Houston take just two and three hours, respectively.

If You Go: After flying into Managua, eat your way through the culinary capital before heading south to Granada, a well-preserved colonial city on the shore of Lake Nicaragua. Continue south until you reach San Juan Del Sur, a growing surfing community on some of the best Pacific Coast real estate. Stay at an eco-lodge like Morgan's Rock or opt for Mukul, the country's first luxury resort. Don't expect Nicaragua to be the new Costa Rica. It's not. Expect it to be unique experience your parents probably never had.

Katie Jackson is a travel writer. When she's not working, she's chasing after a Leonberger named Zeus.

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Illegal adventures? 6 places our parents couldn't go

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The more something is off-limits, the more we want it. When it comes to travel, a "Do Not Enter" sign is almost like a beacon, welcoming us into the garden of forbidden fruits. Of the nearly 200 countries in the world today, some, like Angola and North Korea, make it incredibly hard for Americans to visit.

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Calif. teacher suspended after reports of Confederate flag in classroom

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A Dog's Purpose' LA Premiere Canceled Amid Allegations of Animal Cruelty

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Donald Trump became the 45th President of the United States Friday during a time-honored inauguration ceremony that encapsulated the peaceful transfer of power that is a hallmark of American democracy.

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He arrived at the White House for the first time as President just before 5 p.m. ET following a day of tradition marking the power shift in the nation's capital.

In a time-honored ceremony on the flag-draped West Front of the Capitol earlier in the afternoon, Trump placed his left hand on a family Bible and another that belonged to Abraham Lincoln and promised to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. As light rain began to fall on a crowd stretching toward the Washington Monument, Trump took the oath of office from Chief Justice John Roberts with the new first lady, Melania, by his side.

Trump's inaugural address centered on the themes that animated his stunning outsider campaign, which shattered political conventions and gave voice to heartland voters who felt badly let down by professional politicians.

Though he paid tribute to outgoing President Barack Obama, the President sketched a vision of America that came across as a repudiation of the last administration. He promised to restore the nation's strength and purpose and to rebuild it from within, vowing to "bring back" American jobs, borders, wealth and dreams.

"We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, and in every foreign capital and in every hall of power," Trump said. "From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land, from this day forward, it's going to be only 'America first! America first!'"

Trump: 'You will never be ignored again'

Trump talked of a nation of mothers and children trapped in poverty in the inner cities and "rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones," and warned crime and gangs had robbed the nation of much of its potential.

"This American carnage stops right here and stops right now," Trump said, with Obama looking on.

"A new national pride will stir our souls, lift our sights and heal our divisions," Trump said, emphasizing that whether people are black or white they still bleed the same red blood of patriots.

And he told Americans listening to the address: "You will never be ignored again."

Former Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter attended the ceremony. Hillary Clinton, whom Trump defeated in the November election, was in the audience in a show of support for national unity and the peaceful transfer of presidential authority.

But, contrary to some expectations, Trump made no gesture of reconciliation toward Clinton or her supporters following the deeply divisive campaign in which he won the Electoral College but lost the popular vote. He later recognized her during a congressional lunch, when she received a standing ovation.

"I was very honored, very, very honored when I heard that President Bill Clinton and Secretary Hillary Clinton was coming today, I think it is appropriate to say it," Trump said. "Honestly, there is nothing more I can say because I have a lot of respect for those two people."

Many traditions

The swearing-in was one of many traditions that began Friday morning. Trump and his family attended a private worship service at St. John's Episcopal Church, known as the church of presidents. The Obamas greeted Trump and the new first lady at the North Portico of the White House before hosting them for tea.

Earlier in the morning, Obama wrote a letter to Trump and left it on the Resolute desk in the Oval Office, as outgoing presidents typically do for their successors. As Obama left the Oval Office for the final time, he was asked whether he had any words for the American people. "Thank you," Obama responded.

The customs and symbolism that are playing out -- from Trump's ride to the Capitol with Obama to the first couple's dance at an inaugural ball -- are familiar. But the circumstances of this inauguration -- the 58th in the nation's history -- could hardly be more unconventional.

When the presidential primary season began nearly a year ago, few thought Trump could survive the battle for the Republican nomination -- much less beat Clinton to win the presidency. He was the oldest president sworn in for a first term and the first president with no previous diplomatic, political or military executive experience.

In what is always a poignant moment, the former President Obama and his wife left Capitol Hill on a helicopter bound for Joint Base Andrews for a farewell ceremony before taking one last flight on the presidential jet. The Obamas are heading to Palm Springs, California, for a vacation.

Trump attended a joint congressional inaugural luncheon in the Capitol before heading back to the White House for the inaugural parade. Halfway along Pennsylvania Avenue, Trump's vehicle stopped and the new first couple walked hand in hand past the cheering crowds. By the time the motorcade approached the new Trump hotel, the President was back in the hulking car.

In the evening, Trump and the new first lady will attend two inaugural balls, part of the stripped-down inaugural festivities that aides say are meant to stress that the new president is eager to get to work.

Supporters excited; others concerned

Trump's supporters, who sent him to Washington to rip up political norms and thwart the establishment, are thrilled as he assumes power. The crowds started streaming toward the National Mall as dawn broke, with many people wearing Trump's distinctive red "Make America Great Again" baseball caps.

But millions of Americans are also anxious, owing to the abrasive tone of Trump's campaign and fears over the consequences of his strongman leadership style.

Trump has vowed to tear up US trade deals that he says disadvantage US workers, confront a rising China and improve estranged relations with Russia, despite allegations that Moscow interfered in the election. He has set high expectations for his presidency by promising to return jobs to US shores and reviving the manufacturing industry. He has pledged to crush ISIS and introduce tough new vetting on immigrants from countries where there is terrorist activity, raising fears of discrimination against Muslims.

Trump is promising to build a wall on the southern border, to crack down on undocumented migrants and to gut the financial and environmental regulations that are at the center of the Obama administration's legacy.

New presidents typically use the inaugural address -- viewed by a huge crowd fanned out on the National Mall and millions of television viewers -- to issue a call for national unity and ease the wounds of divisive elections. They typically remind Americans of the values and the history that binds them and of the nation's historic mission.

Trump, so far, has done little to reach out to his foes since November.

"He is still talking as if he is the insurgent candidate rather than the President-elect," said Robert Rowland, an expert on presidential rhetoric at the University of Kansas. "Historically, presidents who are effective use inaugural addresses to heal the wounds of the campaign, to talk about what it means to be an American, to discuss shared values and lay out their political principles to come across as a strong not vain leader."

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inauguration day 2017: historic moment arrives - cnnpolitics

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Trump becomes 45th President of the United States

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He arrived at the White House for the first time as President just before 5 p.m. ET following a day of tradition marking the power shift in the nation's capital.

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A baby being pushed in a pram was among four people killed when a driver deliberately ran over pedestrians in a busy street in central Melbourne.

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Donald trump is now president trump

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Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump says the same two things about former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in almost every campaign speech these days.

His favorite zinger is that Clinton, the Democratic front-runner, doesn't have the "strength or the stamina" for the Oval Office.

"One thing with Hillary, she doesn't have the strength or the stamina to be president. She doesn't have it," Trump said at a Wednesday-night campaign rally in Manassas, Virginia.

"You ever see Hillary? And I said, 'She doesn't have the strength, she doesn't have the stamina,'" Trump later said.

Trump's other lines that Clinton shouldn't even be "allowed" to run for president because of her controversial email practices at the State Department. The FBI has said it is investigating whether any material was mishandled in connection to Clinton's email account, which was run using a private server in her home.

"Hillary shouldn't be allowed to run because what she did is illegal. What she did is illegal," Trump asserted Thursday.

Trump is fond of repeating the same zingers against his presidential rivals, hoping they'll stick.

He bragged Thursday that he had the "ultimate sound bite" against Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) after criticizing him for his relatively poor Senate attendance record. And for a while, Trump constantly repeated a claim that retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson never recovered from the "pathological temper" he said he had as a young teen.

Trump's most famous one-liner, however, was against former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), whom he relentlessly called a "low-energy person." That insult caught on so much that it became an inside joke among politicos, and Bush himself referenced it during a debate.

The real-estate mogul told Business Insider last month that the "low-energy" line simply came to him while observing Bush. "Yeah, that's once in a decade," Trump said of the insult's success.

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Donald Trump is constantly repeating 2 things about Hillary Clinton

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Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump says the same two things about former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in almost every campaign speech these days. His favorite zinger is that Clinton, the Democratic front-runner, doesn't have the "strength or the stamina" for the Oval Office.

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Rescuers in central Italy have found 10 survivors after an avalanche buried a mountain hotel.

Four were pulled from the snow overnight, bringing the total number rescued to nine.

Workers say they will continue efforts to free the others, and to find about 20 people still missing.

At least four people died when an avalanche triggered by an earthquake engulfed the Rigopiano hotel, in the Abruzzo region, on Wednesday.

On Friday, five of the survivors - four children and a woman - were pulled from the ruined hotel.

There were cheers as the survivors emerged from a hole in the snow.

They had reportedly taken refuge beneath a collapsed portion of ceiling, where they were able to light a fire to keep warm for two days.

The rescue has been hampered by deep snow blocking an access road.

There are also concerns that further avalanches could follow, Italian newspaper La Stampa reported.

The first person pulled out was an eight-year-old boy, the son of a holidaymaker, Giampiero Parete, who had gone to his car when the avalanche struck and first sounded the alarm by calling his boss.

The boy's mother, Adriana, was pulled out next, telling rescue workers her six-year-old daughter was still trapped inside.

The little girl was also later saved and the family was reunited at a hospital in the coastal town of Pescara.

Hospital officials told the Associated Press news agency they had symptoms of hypothermia and dehydration, but were otherwise in good health.

"They had heavy clothes," said Dr Rossano di Luzio. "They had ski caps to cover themselves. They remained away from the snow and cold, they were always inside the structure. That's why the hypothermia wasn't severe."

Friends and relatives of the missing have been gathering at the hospital to wait for news.

The BBC's James Reynolds, in the nearby town of Penne, said news of the rescue had led to an outpouring of emotion.

In one village, a young woman, who's worked at the collapsed hotel, dropped to her knees and burst into tears when she heard the news, he said.

Wednesday's earthquakes included four stronger than magnitude 5, in a region already struggling with heavy snowfall that buried phone lines and took out power cables.

Many of the guests had gathered on the ground floor of the hotel to await evacuation following the earthquakes.

But the avalanche completely buried the hotel at about 17:00 (16:00 GMT) on Wednesday.

The force of the snow partially brought down the roof and, according to some reports, shifted the building 10m (11 yards) off its foundations.

Rescuers, who were forced to ski and shovel their way towards the site of the avalanche, were reportedly only dispatched hours later.

Mr Parete, who escaped the deluge when he went to his car to pick up headache tablets for his wife, telephoned his boss, a man named Quintino Marcella, just after 17:30.

Mr Marcella said he immediately contacted the authorities, but they did not initially believe him. He said he kept calling for two hours before being told help was on the way.

The first rescue team reached the hotel by 04:30 on Thursday, after a night of freezing temperatures.

Italy avalanche: A cruel coincidence

The well-loved resort hit by tragedy

Multiple tremors shake central Italy

Rescuers are unsure of the exact total of people - guests and staff - who were at the hotel, but say it could be as many as 35.

Italy has seen a wave of damaging earthquakes in recent months. The Apennines region saw three magnitude-6 tremors between August and October.

It is believed that the geological stress is spread across a number of fault lines in Italy's mountain ranges - with recent earthquakes as the result.
Are you in the area or have you been affected by this incident? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk .
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:

WhatsApp: +44 7525 900971

Send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk

Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay

Send an SMS or MMS to 61124

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Ten found alive in Italy avalanche hotel

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Rescuers in central Italy have found 10 survivors after an avalanche buried a mountain hotel. Four were pulled from the snow overnight, bringing the total number rescued to nine. Workers say they will continue efforts to free the others, and to find about 20 people still missing.

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6 people found alive in buried hotel, 2 rescued

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4 dead as car deliberately plows into crowd in Melbourne

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Photos from the scene showed wreckage of a baby's pram atop the car's bonnet, as emergency workers attended to injured people nearby on the ground.

Two men and a woman aged 25, 33 and 32 respectively, were among those killed, a spokeswoman for Victoria police confirmed. The 3-month-old had been in a critical condition early on Saturday before passing away later that evening.

At least 20 people were injured in the incident, Victoria Police said, which unfolded around 2 p.m. local time Friday and ended when police shot and wounded the driver before taking him into custody.

Video showed the driver being dragged from the car by several officers and hand-cuffed on the ground, dressed only in red underwear and white trainers.

"People were running out of the way, they were going very, very fast. I saw him hit a few people," a witness told CNN affiliate Sky News.

"I saw bodies flying into the air."

Stabbing and chase

The incident appears to have started with an argument between acquaintances several miles away. The driver of the car was allegedly involved in a stabbing in Windsor in south Melbourne early Friday morning, police said.

He then allegedly took a woman hostage and sped off in a maroon red car. Police said the driver knew both the stabbing victim and the woman, who managed to escape from the car on the Bolte Bridge.

The man had been driving erratically before mounting the curb.

"Earlier in the incident we believe this male did some donuts at Flinders Street and Swanston Street," police superintendent Stuart Bateson told reporters, according to Seven News.

Police confirmed the incident was not terrorism related.

"He then turned left into the Bourke Street Mall and then he deliberately drove into the crowd, continued over Elizabeth Street over the footpath and collided with further pedestrians."

Seven reported that the driver "sped down Swanston Street, up to Bourke Street, at times along the footpath, running down dozens of pedestrians."

'Bodies flying into the air'

A witness told Sky News "there was just all this noise and mayhem and then all of a sudden police flying everywhere and just bodies lying all over the ground."

Six people are "in a critical but stable condition" at Melbourne's Alfred Hospital, while 10 are being treated at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

Four children were admitted at the Royal Children's Hospital, including a baby who later died.

A doctor told reporters the patients include a 2-year-old, 9-year-old and a 12-year old.

Editor's note -- An earlier version of this story misstated that a baby had been killed earlier in the week.

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australia: car deliberately plows into crowd in melbourne - cnn

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Australia: Car deliberately plows into crowd in Melbourne

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Photos from the scene showed wreckage of a baby's pram atop the car's bonnet, as emergency workers attended to injured people nearby on the ground. Two men and a woman aged 25, 33 and 32 respectively, were among those killed, a spokeswoman for Victoria police confirmed.

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With only one ‘no’ vote, KC city council sends question about marijuana fines to voters

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

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City Council on Thursday voted to include a question about reducing pot possession fines on the April ballot.

The decision received 12 affirmative votes and one dissenting vote from Mayor Sly James. Today's approval was procedural. The group gathering signatures on the petition had enough to put it on the ballot.

On Wednesday, the council's public safety committee recommended that the full council approve the measure to go before voters. In order to be approved for the April ballot, the decision had to be made Thursday, which is the deadline to approve measures for the April election.

The question on the ballot will read:

Shall the City of Kansas City limit the authorized punishment that can be imposed in the Municipal Court for the possession or control of 35 grams or less of marijuana to a maximum $25 fine, eliminate jail as a potential punishment for the possession or control of marijuana, and remove marijuana from the prohibition against drug paraphernalia?

"We believe that people should not be incarcerated for small marijuana offenses, more than 1,000 people were arrested in Kansas City last year and that is people whose lives will be affected by these arrests for the rest of their lives," said Jamie Kacz, Executive Director of the Kansas City chapter of the National Organization For The Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML KC).

The group led a petition initiative asking Kansas City voters to reduce the maximum pot possession fine in municipal court from $500 to $25 for possession of 35 grams or less, as well as eliminating jail time.

"It's not perfect, but with situations like this, it's language that we put together, and it will accomplish our main goal, which will be keeping people out of prison for minor marijuana offenses," added Kacz.

During the meeting, members made it clear they have concerns about the proposal.

"We'll put it on the ballot, but I would hope that the group that`s responsible for this would be responsible, and provide the education to the voters and make sure they fully understand what you're asking for," said Councilwoman Alissia Canady, who serves District 5.

Decriminalization advocates got enough petition signatures under the city charter, so it must go on the ballot.

"I'm concerned with for a couple different reasons that the way this is being presented is very misleading, almost at the edge of deception, in the sense that it`s not just decriminalizing, it`s still criminal, you're still going to have troubling effects, and the problem we have with drug convictions in this country is the disparity impact it has on minorities," Canady said.

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With only one 'no' vote, KC city council sends question about marijuana fines to voters

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Council on Thursday voted to include a question about reducing pot possession fines on the April ballot. The decision received 12 affirmative votes and one dissenting vote from Mayor Sly James. Today's approval was procedural. The group gathering signatures on the petition had enough to put it on the ballot.

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Trump: if it rains at inauguration people will know 'it's my real hair.'

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Donald trump is now the president

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Australian authorities said Friday that a man intentionally plowed his car into pedestrians in a mall in Melbourne during lunch hour, killing at least three and injuring at least 20, but said terrorism was not a factor.

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The Oakland Raiders are most likely moving to las vegas

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donald trump is president

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Wayne Barrett muckracks about Donald Trump

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Wayne Barrett, a New York City muckraker who burnished his credentials with unsparing reporting on Donald Trump, died Thursday. He was 71.

Throughout a career that spanned four decades, Barrett established himself as a tireless investigative journalist with a pugnacious spirit that led to frequent clashes with both his subjects and editors. His dedication to a story was matched by his passion for the craft.

"All of my life, I have believed and said, we're in the truth-telling business," Barrett told CNNMoney in an interview on his back porch in Brooklyn last spring. "Our job is to tell the truth."

Barrett, who had been battling pneumonia for the last two weeks, was given Catholicism's Last Rites Wednesday afternoon. He died Thursday evening at the NYU Langone Center.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said, "For decades, Wayne was the conscience of New York." Barrett's wife, Fran, serves as an interagency coordinator for not-for-profit services under Cuomo.

"At a time in the world in which substantive and respected journalism is vital," Cuomo added, "today is a painful loss."

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted, "Wayne Barrett held the powerful accountable, inspired generations of journalists and made this a better city. RIP."

And the city's former mayor, Michael Bloomberg, called Barrett "a tenacious reporter in the tradition of the old muckrakers who could sniff out corruption and special interest politics a mile away."

Barrett's career was distinguished by tough coverage of giants of New York politics such as Ed Koch and Rudy Giuliani. He was the author of several books and spent 37 years at the Village Voice before being laid off in 2010.

His 2000 book, "Rudy! An Investigative Biography of Rudy Giuliani," revealed details about the criminal past of Giuliani's father. In 2007, when Giuliani was in the midst of an ill-fated presidential campaign, Barrett reported that the former New York City mayor was the owner of four New York Yankees World Series rings, which he had purchased from the baseball club for far less than what they were valued on the market.

"For four decades Wayne Barrett was flat out the best reporter in New York City," said David Cay Johnston, an investigative reporter who won a Pulitzer Prize with the New York Times. "No other journalists connected the corrupt dots with Wayne's insight."

Barrett was perhaps best known recently for his unflinching coverage of Trump, which began long before the president-elect was a national figure. In 1979, at a time when he said few New Yorkers were familiar with Trump, Barrett authored a two-part series on the real estate mogul's development projects.

Barrett had found his muse, even though Trump stopped taking his calls in the years after the series ran. In 1991, Barrett published a biography called "Trump: The Deals and the Downfall." That same year, Barrett crashed Trump's birthday party and was escorted out in handcuffs.

But the book was, Barrett conceded years later, a "total flop."

"Nobody took him [Trump] seriously when the book came out, so nobody was interested in reading it," Barrett said. "It had a very short life."

The book found a second life about 25 years later when Trump launched his renegade presidential campaign. Barrett re-released it last year as an e-book, replete with a freshly written 9,000 word foreword on the 2016 election.

He expected -- and hoped -- Trump would lose on Election Day.

"I'm confident that we are still the same America we were in 2012," Barrett said last year, "but that doesn't mean I don't worry."

Barrett's Brooklyn townhouse became a precious repository for reporters covering Trump for the first time. Dozens of journalists made a pilgrimage there to rifle through the reams of documents Barrett kept in his basement, desperately searching for leads in several decades' worth of archives.

"I never throw any paper out," Barrett said.

Some of the journalists who visited were exposed to a temper for which Barrett was famous in New York media.

"Battling with Wayne Barrett has been one of the best experiences of my career," Tony Ortega, the former editor of The Village Voice, said in 2011.

Barrett was also known as a mentor to young journalists. A legion of interns learned investigative journalism through working with him before going on to jobs elsewhere in the media.

By the end of his life, confined to his home due to his struggle with both lung cancer and interstitial lung disease, Barrett's ire was often provoked by the news media. He said last year that certain segments of the press could book Trump's trip to the White House.

"If the media continues to do the job as it has done, and I am really talking about broadcast media, then he has a chance to win," Barrett said. "If they report the campaign truthfully, I believe he has no chance to win."

CNNMoney (New York) First published January 19, 2017: 8:17 PM ET

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Wayne Barrett, legendary journalist and Trump chronicler, dies at 71

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Throughout a career that spanned four decades, Barrett established himself as a tireless investigative journalist with a pugnacious spirit that led to frequent clashes with both his subjects and editors. His dedication to a story was matched by his passion for the craft.

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Mr. Kohl-  Yesterday, the Mexican gov said it’s handing over Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman to the US. He’s the notorious drug kingpin who heads up one of the largest drug cartels in the world.