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Domino's worker assaults co-worker over endgame spoiler

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Police in Friendswood, Texas, said an employee at a local Domino's snapped at - and even assaulted - a co-worker who revealed a spoiler for "Avengers: Endgame."

Authorities in Friendswood posted the news to the town's Facebook page in a "Police Activity Report" posted on Monday, confirming that police responded to the fast-food outlet on Sunday evening after receiving reports of an assault.
WATCH: TRUCK GOES UP IN FLAMES IN BURGER KING DRIVE- THRU
"Justin Gregory Surface, 33, of Friendswood, was issued a citation for Assault by Contact after another employee revealed a spoiler about the movie, 'End Game' [sic]," the report reads.

A representative for Domino's was not immediately available to comment on Sunday's incident, although a local resident who spoke with KTRK called the incident both "hilarious" and "insane."

"I feel like if they were that into it, they should have pre-ordered tickets," the woman told the outlet.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FAST-FOOD NEWS
The Friendswood Domino's employee wouldn't be the first to get in trouble for revealing a spoiler to the blockbuster superhero film. Buffalo Bills running back LeSean "Shady" McCoy got blasted on social media for sharing a tweet containing spoilers about the ending of the film, and a man in China was reportedly beaten after a group of fans overheard him discussing ending to the film as he was leaving a theater.

Weeks ago, "Endgame" directors Joe and Anthony Russo had also issued a lengthy statement on Twitter urging fans to keep the ending a secret, so as not to ruin the end of the film for those who didn't see the film on opening weekend.

"Because so many of you have invested your time, your hearts, and your souls into these stories, we're once again asking for your help. When you see 'Endgame' in the coming weeks, please don't spoil it for others, the same way you wouldn't want it spoiled for you," they wrote, in part, along with a hashtag reading #DontSpoilTheEnding.

"Avengers: Endgame" has already broken multiple box office records after opening last week, including biggest opening weekend, after taking in an estimated $350 million in ticket sales domestically and $1.2 billion globally.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Tyler McCarthy and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Domino's worker assaults co-worker who revealed spoiler for 'Avengers: Endgame'

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Police in Friendswood, Texas, said an employee at a local Domino's snapped at - and even assaulted - a co-worker who revealed a spoiler for "Avengers: Endgame." Authorities in Friendswood posted the news to the town's Facebook page in a "Police Activity Report" posted on Monday, confirming that police responded to the fast-food outlet on Sunday evening after receiving reports of an assault.

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Gary Martin made no secret of his intentions when he showed up for work at Henry Pratt Co. in Aurora, Illinois, on February 15, according to authorities.

He even told one employee, "If I get fired, I'm going to kill every mother*****r in here" and "I am going to blow police up."

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illinois guman threatened to kill everyone if he got fired

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but his coworker didn't believe him - cnn

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The Illinois plant shooter threatened to kill everyone if he got fired, but his coworker didn't believe him

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Gary Martin made no secret of his intentions when he showed up for work on February 15. He even told one person, "If I get fired, I'm going to kill every mother*****r in here."

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Iowa woman fatally shot while driving home from work

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iowa woman shot and killed while driving home from work  - cnn video

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Iowa woman shot and killed while driving home from work - CNN Video

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In Iowa a manhunt is underway after 25-year-old Micalla Rettinger was fatally shot while driving home from work.

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Director John Singleton has passed away at the age of 51.

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hollywood mourns director john singleton - cnn

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Hollywood mourns director John Singleton

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Director John Singleton was the kind of filmmaker who could break barriers, hearts and misconceptions in a single frame.

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Endgame pulls the freak up SHATTERING the boxoffice record for opening weekend sales topping Avengers own Infinity war. 1.2 billion dollars

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Man flushes his grandparents ashes down the toilet

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Authorities say a western Pennsylvania man flushed his grandparents' ashes down a toilet after his mother kicked him out of her home.

The Tribune-Review reports that Thomas Wells was arraigned Monday on two counts of abuse of a corpse and a criminal mischief charge.

McKeesport police say the 33-year-old Pittsburgh man had been staying with his mother for a brief time before she asked him to leave last September.

The mother told police in February that a relative told her Wells had flushed her parents' ashes before he left. The ashes were kept in a box in the mother's bedroom.

Authorities say Wells told his mother he had not flushed the ashes down a toilet.

But the mother says Wells later said he would flush her remains after she dies.

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Man accused of flushing grandparents' ashes down toilet

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Authorities say a western Pennsylvania man flushed his grandparents' ashes down a toilet after his mother kicked him out of her home. The Tribune-Review reports that Thomas Wells was arraigned Monday on two counts of abuse of a corpse and a criminal mischief charge.

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Police: Shotgun-wielding noise complainer shot by officer

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Authorities in North Carolina say a man killed by Apex police had threatened officers with a shotgun.

Police Chief John Letteney tells The News & Observer that 51-year-old Stanley Edward Thompson had called police to his home on Thursday complaining about loud music from a nearby car. Police then received a call from someone who said his 22-year-old son was adjusting a car stereo and was attacked.

Police say a sheriff's dog tracked the attacker's scent to Thompson's door, where he greeted officers with a shotgun as thick black smoke billowed behind him. The chief says Thompson refused orders to drop the weapon and instead aimed it at officers while walking toward them. The identity of the officer who killed Thompson has not been released.

---

Information from: The News & Observer, http://www.newsobserver.com

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Police: Shotgun-wielding noise complainer shot by officer

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Authorities in North Carolina say a man killed by Apex police had threatened officers with a shotgun. Police Chief John Letteney tells The News & Observer that 51-year-old Stanley Edward Thompson had called police to his home on Thursday complaining about loud music from a nearby car.

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Mystery sea opened up during the Antarctic winter.

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A swath of ice-free sea that regularly opens up during the frigid Antarctic winters is created by cyclones.

Sea ice in Antarctica is thickest in the winter, so the appearance of open water is perplexing. These open seas are called polynyas. In 2017, scientists spotted one in the Lazarev Sea, which they called the Maud Rise polynya because it sits over an ocean plateau called Maud Rise.

Now, researchers led by Diana Francis, a New York University Abu Dhabi atmospheric scientist, find that cyclonic winds push ice in opposite directions, causing the pack to open up and expose open sea. [ Antarctica: The Ice-Covered Bottom of the World (Photos)]

Polar storms

In mid-September 2017, the Maud Rise polynya was 3,668 square miles (9,500 square kilometers) in size. By mid-October, it had grown to 308,881 square miles (800,000 square km).

An analysis of high-resolution satellite imagery explained the rapid growth. Warm, moist air flowing in from the western South Atlantic hit cold air headed northward from the south, setting the stage for violent storms. The resulting cyclones rated 11 on the Beaufort storm scale, meaning they involved wind speeds of up to 72 mph (117 km/h) and waves up to 52 feet (16 meters) high anywhere they encountered open sea.

These swirling winds pushed ice away from the cyclonic centers, Francis and her colleagues wrote April 24 in the journal JGR Atmospheres.

Cyclones and climate

Polynyas aren't new or necessarily harmful. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), they can provide important ocean access for Antarctic animals and habitat for phytoplankton.

However, polynyas may change in a warming future, Francis and her colleagues speculated. Antarctica is expected to experience stronger cyclones as the climate changes, because models show that storms are likely to form more often toward the poles and to be more intense, according to the NSIDC.

If those predictions are correct, Antarctica might see more open water in future winters.

Originally published on Live Science.

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Mystery sea opened up during the Antarctic winter. Now, scientists know why.

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A swath of ice-free sea that regularly opens up during the frigid Antarctic winters is created by cyclones. Sea ice in Antarctica is thickest in the winter, so the appearance of open water is perplexing. These open seas are called polynyas.

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A 25 year old woman was killed on her drive home from work

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micalla rettinger: a 25-year-old iowa woman was shot and killed while driving home from work - cnn

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A 25-year-old Iowa woman was shot and killed while driving home from work

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A bullet tore through the vehicle's driver's side window, killing Micalla Rettinger and injuring one of her two passengers, the Waterloo Police Department said.

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NASA and FEMA practice what to do if an asteroid hits the earth

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nasa and fema are practicing what will happen if an asteroid hits the earth - cnn

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NASA and FEMA are practicing what would happen if an asteroid hits the Earth

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The agencies are holding a practice run in case an asteroid came hurtling toward us.

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McDonald's customers ask for coffee lids for their drinks instead of straws.

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For some McDonald's fans in the U.K., coffee lids are saving them from their paper-straw nightmare.

Fed up with the fast-food chain's new straws, customers at some U.K. locations have begun asking for plastic coffee lids to go with their soda drinks. The company started rolling out the new, eco-friendly straws at their U.K. locations last September, but the response has been divided, with some people praising the company for going green, and others feeling that the new straws aren't sturdy enough and dissolve too quickly.

A petition to bring back the plastic versions recently appeared online, and so far it has collected over 42,000 signatures. Some fast-food fans, however, have found a different solution: coffee lids.
MCDONALD'S CUSTOMERS SLAM 'SOGGY' ECO-FRIENDLY STRAWS: 'PAPER STRAWS AND MILK SHAKES DON'T GO TOGETHER'
One Twitter user uploaded a picture of a regular drink cup with the plastic lid on it, writing "My cousin was given this back in Feb by accident by a new McDonald's worker and I was thinking if you don't rate a paper straw. Do this?"

Another user showed off a similar picture, adding "hack ask for a coffee lid instead of the stupid and useless paper straws."

Yet another user chimed in, commenting on the environmental impact of the coffee lids. "If you don't like the paper straws ask for a coffee cup lid it's still the same amount of waste as both lids are still plastic." Of course, not everyone agreed, with a different user complaining "No no no no no, what part of we are killing our planet do you not get!"
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
McDonald's did not respond to Fox News' request for comment, but in a statement obtained by The Independent, the company said, "Our suppliers have made us paper straws that last at least 30 minutes in most, if not all liquids. They were introduced following customer feedback, and we are pleased to be doing the right thing in removing plastic from our restaurants and taking significant steps to reduce our environmental impact."

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Fed up McDonald's customers ditch paper straws for coffee lids

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For some McDonald's fans in the U.K., coffee lids are saving them from their paper-straw nightmare. Fed up with the fast-food chain's new straws, customers at some U.K. locations have begun asking for plastic coffee lids to go with their soda drinks. The company started rolling out the new, eco-friendly straws at their U.K.

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Her baby was 5 months and has contracted the measles and blames it on the doctors because the baby was to young.

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mother of measles-stricken infant: our community 'failed us' - cnn

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Mother of measles-stricken infant: Our community 'failed us'

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There have now been 704 cases of measles in the US this year the CDC said Monday. Federal health officials provided details about those cases that have not been reported this year until now including that 94% of those infected were exposed in one of the 13 outbreaks, 71% were unvaccinated, 67% are from New York City and New York state.

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6th graders in Tennessee are charged for allegedly plotting a school shooting after a hit-list went around school.

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Two 6th grade students in Tennessee have been charged for allegedly planning a school shooting, according to officials.

The students allegedly plotted to bring weapons to the South Cumberland Elementary School in Crossville, Tennessee, to shoot their classmates and faculty on the last day of school, according to a joint press release by Cumberland County Schools, the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office and the Crossville Police Department.

The school resource officer caught wind of a rumor about the existence of a "hit list" that contained the names of students to be shot, officials said.

While investigators did not find a list, they did uncover a hand-drawn map as well as a plot to bring weapons. The accused students allegedly planned to hide the weapons in the locker room, to be used on the last day of school, officials said. They allegedly intended to enter the building through the back door before shooting faculty and students and dying by suicide before law enforcement intervened, according to the release.

The investigation also revealed "multiple conversations" between the two students in the past two weeks in which they devised the plot, officials said.

After the rumor was uncovered, "immediate steps" were taken to ensure the safety of students, but authorities determined that students and staff were not in immediate danger, according to the release.

No weapons were found in either of the students' homes, and their parents have been cooperative in assisting school administration and law enforcement, police said. The students were arrested by Cumberland County Sheriff's deputies and transported to the Cumberland County Juvenile Detention Facility. They were charged with conspiracy to commit murder and will remain in custody until they appear in juvenile court.

"We take any threat to students and school faculty very seriously and we will respond, investigate and take swift appropriate action to manage each threat," Cumberland County Sheriff Casey Cox said in a statement.

The students' identities were not released.

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6th grade students charged with plotting school shooting

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Two 6th grade students in Tennessee have been charged for allegedly planning a school shooting, according to officials. The students allegedly plotted to bring weapons to the South Cumberland Elementary School in Crossville, Tennessee, to shoot their classmates and faculty on the last day of school, according to a joint press release by Cumberland County Schools, the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office and the Crossville Police Department.

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This morning the people of Venezuela Have started a Coup.

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What we covered here

What happened: Opposition leader Juan Guaido urged Venezuelans to take to the streets as he made his boldest attempt yet to seize power from embattled President Nicolás Maduro. Confrontations erupted between Guaido's military supporters and Maduro regime loyalists.

What led to this: Guaido declared himself interim president in January and was backed by the US and dozens of other nations. Since then, Venezuela -- which is mired in a deep political and humanitarian crisis -- has had two men claiming to be president.

What comes next? It's unclear right now. Guaido says the military -- seen as the key to whether Maduro remains in power -- is deserting the president. The government, however, says the situation is under control and that the military is behind Maduro.

1:09 a.m. ET, May 1, 2019
Maduro denies he was planning to head to Cuba

In his televised address Tuesday, Nicolas Maduro appeared to deny US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's claim that the Venezuelan President was planning to leave the country and head to Cuba but was convinced not to by Russia.

Pompeo said in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer that Maduro's plane was parked on the runway, and he was prepared depart to Cuba that morning before being talked out of it, by unnamed Russian officials.

The secretary of state said he could not reveal how the US obtained that information, but that Washington was talking to "scores and scores of people on the ground."

However, Pompeo's claim has been refuted by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who told CNN: "Washington tried its best to demoralize the Venezuelan army and now used fakes as a part of information war."

Maduro said Pompeo's claims were "craziness" and called them "lies and manipulation."

"Please, Mr. Pompeo, you're not being serious," Maduro said.

11:36 p.m. ET, April 30, 2019
Guaido says Maduro does not have the support of the armed forces

Opposition leader Juan Guaido said Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro does not have the support of the country's armed forces, despite the fact that Maduro took to the airwaves Tuesday night to say the military stands behind him.

Guaido's said in his message, which aired on Venezuelan television shortly before Maduro's, that the President "does not have the support nor the respect of the armed forces" and urged people to take to the streets again Wednesday, which is international labor day -- a holiday marked by protests in many parts of the world.

Guaido is the head of Venezuela's National Assembly. He declared himself interim President in January and promised a transitional government and free elections to end the rule of the socialist Maduro regime, which has overseen the once-wealthy oil nation's descent into economic collapse and a humanitarian crisis.

Maduro has accused Guaido of orchestrating a coup against his government.

12:19 a.m. ET, May 1, 2019
US government 'very focused' on Venezuela

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed diplomatic efforts in Venezuela during his acceptance speech for the Business Executives for National Security Eisenhower Award Tuesday evening.

Speaking in Washington DC, Pompeo joked that he could get pulled out "any minute" to further deal with the evolving situation. He said that "we worked on a problem set from about 2:30 this morning until literally as I walked in."

Pompeo said that not only the State Department but the intelligence community and the military "are very focused on protecting the Venezuelan people, restoring their dignity, growing their economy ... and a team that is very committed to creating democracy here in the Western Hemisphere."

Pompeo said Venezuela faced "the singularly worst humanitarian crisis, absent conflict, absent war, in the history of the world."

He also reiterated his claim that Maduro was preparing to fly out of Venezuela before being talked out of it by Russia.

10:26 p.m. ET, April 30, 2019
Leopoldo Lopez and family are now at the Spanish embassy in Caracas, Chile says

Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, and his family are being relocated from the Chilean Diplomatic Mission to the Spanish Embassy in Caracas, according to Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs Roberto Ampuero.

Ampuero said in a tweet that the decision to move was "personal," and did not elaborate.

Earlier today the Chilean Foreign Affairs Ministry said that Lopez and his family had entered the Chilean Diplomatic Mission Residency in Caracas as "guests."

Lopez, a prominent critic of President Nicolas Maduro, was sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2015 after being accused of sparking deadly violence that broke out during protests. Human rights groups at the time alleged the charges were politically motivated.

Lopez has been under house arrest since 2017. He was apparently freed and appeared alongside Juan Guaido Tuesday.

10:10 p.m. ET, April 30, 2019
Maduro accuses protesters of attempting to 'overthrow a legitimate government'

In a somewhat rambling televised address, Tuesday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro accused imperial forces of seeking "to attack and overthrow a legitimate government to enslave Venezuela."

"We have been facing various forms of coup d'etat, due to the obsessive efforts of the Venezuelan right, the Colombian oligarchy and the US empire," Maduro explained, adding that the military air base Guaido was speaking at earlier this morning was never under the control of the opposition.

He went on to congratulate the "High Military Command for its courage in defending peace," adding that five guards and the police officers were injured in the clashes.

10:06 p.m. ET, April 30, 2019
25 Venezuelan troops request asylum at Brazilian Embassy

More than two dozen members of the Venezuelan military have requested asylum at the Brazilian Embassy in Venezuela's capital of Caracas, a spokesperson for the Brazilian president said in a news conference Tuesday.

Otavio Rego Barros, the spokesman, said there are no high-ranking military officials among the asylum seekers.

Brazil also announced Tuesday a $57 million bump to the Defense Ministry's budget for emergency assistance for Venezuelans entering the country and humanitarian aid to those who are already in Brazil.

9:35 p.m. ET, April 30, 2019
Maduro says 'coup' has been defeated

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said the protests led by opposition leader Juan Guaido and Leopoldo Lopez were tantamount to an attempted coup, but their efforts had been defeated.

"I want to congratulate you for the firm, loyal and courageous attitude with which you have led the defeat of the small group that tried to fill Venezuela with violence," Maduro said.

"Factors from the right wing of the Popular Will terrorist party led the coup d'etat," he said, referring to Guaido and Lopez's political party.

"The empire seeks to attack and overthrow a legitimate government to enslave Venezuela. I want to congratulate the High Military Command for its courage in defending peace," Maduro continued.

Guaido, who earlier this year declared himself Venezuela's interim president, announced Tuesday that he was "beginning the final phase of Operation Freedom," an escalation of his bid to oust Maduro, which started in January. He was flanked by men in military fatigues and armored vehicles.

Guaido, who had previously called for nationwide demonstrations on May 1, leads Venezuela's National Assembly and has been recognized as the nation's interim president by dozens of other countries. He has led months of protest against the government, but his April 30 speech marked his most successful attempt yet to involve the military in the removal of the Venezuelan leader.

9:33 p.m. ET, April 30, 2019
Breaking: Maduro addresses the nation

Venezuela's embattled President Nicolas Maduro is delivering a televised address after Tuesday's protests led by opposition leader Juan Guaido, saying he will not surrender to US "imperialists."

Maduro said that the La Carlota military base in the capital of Caracas, where violent clashes took place earlier Tuesday, was not taken over.

More than 70 people who were injured in the clashes there between regime loyalists and protesters were taken to Salud Chacao Medical Center in Caracas, according to the hospital's president. Of the injured, 42 were wounded with rubber bullets and two were treated for gunshot wounds.

9:06 p.m. ET, April 30, 2019
What you need to know about the uprising in Venezuela

Protesters took to the streets Tuesday after the leader of Venezuela's opposition declared he was "beginning the final phase of Operation Freedom," promising to bring an end to the government of Nicolás Maduro.
Here's what you need to know:

What led up to today: Opposition leader Juan Guaido - who declared himself interim president in January - has been recognized as Venezuela's leader by dozens of other countries and has led months of protest against Maduro's government.

What happened: Guaido gave a dawn address in which he was flanked by men in military fatigues and armored vehicles in the capital Caracas. It marked his boldest attempt yet to involve the military in the removal of the Venezuelan leader.

What Guaido has promised: The 35-year-old has promised a transitional government and free elections to end the rule of the socialist Maduro regime, which has overseen the once-wealthy oil nation's descent into economic collapse and a humanitarian crisis.

What the US is saying: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed Tuesday that Maduro was preparing to leave Venezuela, but was talked out of it by Russia.

What Maduro is saying: "The situation is under control," Maduro's Communications Vice Minister Isbemar Jimenez told CNN on Tuesday. "All military garrisons support Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro."

What we covered here

What happened: Opposition leader Juan Guaido urged Venezuelans to take to the streets as he made his boldest attempt yet to seize power from embattled President Nicolás Maduro. Confrontations erupted between Guaido's military supporters and Maduro regime loyalists.

What led to this: Guaido declared himself interim president in January and was backed by the US and dozens of other nations. Since then, Venezuela -- which is mired in a deep political and humanitarian crisis -- has had two men claiming to be president.

What comes next? It's unclear right now. Guaido says the military -- seen as the key to whether Maduro remains in power -- is deserting the president. The government, however, says the situation is under control and that the military is behind Maduro.

1:09 a.m. ET, May 1, 2019
Maduro denies he was planning to head to Cuba

In his televised address Tuesday, Nicolas Maduro appeared to deny US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's claim that the Venezuelan President was planning to leave the country and head to Cuba but was convinced not to by Russia.

Pompeo said in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer that Maduro's plane was parked on the runway, and he was prepared depart to Cuba that morning before being talked out of it, by unnamed Russian officials.

The secretary of state said he could not reveal how the US obtained that information, but that Washington was talking to "scores and scores of people on the ground."

However, Pompeo's claim has been refuted by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who told CNN: "Washington tried its best to demoralize the Venezuelan army and now used fakes as a part of information war."

Maduro said Pompeo's claims were "craziness" and called them "lies and manipulation."

"Please, Mr. Pompeo, you're not being serious," Maduro said.

11:36 p.m. ET, April 30, 2019
Guaido says Maduro does not have the support of the armed forces

Opposition leader Juan Guaido said Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro does not have the support of the country's armed forces, despite the fact that Maduro took to the airwaves Tuesday night to say the military stands behind him.

Guaido's said in his message, which aired on Venezuelan television shortly before Maduro's, that the President "does not have the support nor the respect of the armed forces" and urged people to take to the streets again Wednesday, which is international labor day -- a holiday marked by protests in many parts of the world.

Guaido is the head of Venezuela's National Assembly. He declared himself interim President in January and promised a transitional government and free elections to end the rule of the socialist Maduro regime, which has overseen the once-wealthy oil nation's descent into economic collapse and a humanitarian crisis.

Maduro has accused Guaido of orchestrating a coup against his government.

12:19 a.m. ET, May 1, 2019
US government 'very focused' on Venezuela

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed diplomatic efforts in Venezuela during his acceptance speech for the Business Executives for National Security Eisenhower Award Tuesday evening.

Speaking in Washington DC, Pompeo joked that he could get pulled out "any minute" to further deal with the evolving situation. He said that "we worked on a problem set from about 2:30 this morning until literally as I walked in."

Pompeo said that not only the State Department but the intelligence community and the military "are very focused on protecting the Venezuelan people, restoring their dignity, growing their economy ... and a team that is very committed to creating democracy here in the Western Hemisphere."

Pompeo said Venezuela faced "the singularly worst humanitarian crisis, absent conflict, absent war, in the history of the world."

He also reiterated his claim that Maduro was preparing to fly out of Venezuela before being talked out of it by Russia.

10:26 p.m. ET, April 30, 2019
Leopoldo Lopez and family are now at the Spanish embassy in Caracas, Chile says

Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, and his family are being relocated from the Chilean Diplomatic Mission to the Spanish Embassy in Caracas, according to Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs Roberto Ampuero.

Ampuero said in a tweet that the decision to move was "personal," and did not elaborate.

Earlier today the Chilean Foreign Affairs Ministry said that Lopez and his family had entered the Chilean Diplomatic Mission Residency in Caracas as "guests."

Lopez, a prominent critic of President Nicolas Maduro, was sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2015 after being accused of sparking deadly violence that broke out during protests. Human rights groups at the time alleged the charges were politically motivated.

Lopez has been under house arrest since 2017. He was apparently freed and appeared alongside Juan Guaido Tuesday.

10:10 p.m. ET, April 30, 2019
Maduro accuses protesters of attempting to 'overthrow a legitimate government'

In a somewhat rambling televised address, Tuesday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro accused imperial forces of seeking "to attack and overthrow a legitimate government to enslave Venezuela."

"We have been facing various forms of coup d'etat, due to the obsessive efforts of the Venezuelan right, the Colombian oligarchy and the US empire," Maduro explained, adding that the military air base Guaido was speaking at earlier this morning was never under the control of the opposition.

He went on to congratulate the "High Military Command for its courage in defending peace," adding that five guards and the police officers were injured in the clashes.

10:06 p.m. ET, April 30, 2019
25 Venezuelan troops request asylum at Brazilian Embassy

More than two dozen members of the Venezuelan military have requested asylum at the Brazilian Embassy in Venezuela's capital of Caracas, a spokesperson for the Brazilian president said in a news conference Tuesday.

Otavio Rego Barros, the spokesman, said there are no high-ranking military officials among the asylum seekers.

Brazil also announced Tuesday a $57 million bump to the Defense Ministry's budget for emergency assistance for Venezuelans entering the country and humanitarian aid to those who are already in Brazil.

9:35 p.m. ET, April 30, 2019
Maduro says 'coup' has been defeated

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said the protests led by opposition leader Juan Guaido and Leopoldo Lopez were tantamount to an attempted coup, but their efforts had been defeated.

"I want to congratulate you for the firm, loyal and courageous attitude with which you have led the defeat of the small group that tried to fill Venezuela with violence," Maduro said.

"Factors from the right wing of the Popular Will terrorist party led the coup d'etat," he said, referring to Guaido and Lopez's political party.

"The empire seeks to attack and overthrow a legitimate government to enslave Venezuela. I want to congratulate the High Military Command for its courage in defending peace," Maduro continued.

Guaido, who earlier this year declared himself Venezuela's interim president, announced Tuesday that he was "beginning the final phase of Operation Freedom," an escalation of his bid to oust Maduro, which started in January. He was flanked by men in military fatigues and armored vehicles.

Guaido, who had previously called for nationwide demonstrations on May 1, leads Venezuela's National Assembly and has been recognized as the nation's interim president by dozens of other countries. He has led months of protest against the government, but his April 30 speech marked his most successful attempt yet to involve the military in the removal of the Venezuelan leader.

9:33 p.m. ET, April 30, 2019
Breaking: Maduro addresses the nation

Venezuela's embattled President Nicolas Maduro is delivering a televised address after Tuesday's protests led by opposition leader Juan Guaido, saying he will not surrender to US "imperialists."

Maduro said that the La Carlota military base in the capital of Caracas, where violent clashes took place earlier Tuesday, was not taken over.

More than 70 people who were injured in the clashes there between regime loyalists and protesters were taken to Salud Chacao Medical Center in Caracas, according to the hospital's president. Of the injured, 42 were wounded with rubber bullets and two were treated for gunshot wounds.

9:06 p.m. ET, April 30, 2019
What you need to know about the uprising in Venezuela

Protesters took to the streets Tuesday after the leader of Venezuela's opposition declared he was "beginning the final phase of Operation Freedom," promising to bring an end to the government of Nicolás Maduro.
Here's what you need to know:

What led up to today: Opposition leader Juan Guaido - who declared himself interim president in January - has been recognized as Venezuela's leader by dozens of other countries and has led months of protest against Maduro's government.

What happened: Guaido gave a dawn address in which he was flanked by men in military fatigues and armored vehicles in the capital Caracas. It marked his boldest attempt yet to involve the military in the removal of the Venezuelan leader.

What Guaido has promised: The 35-year-old has promised a transitional government and free elections to end the rule of the socialist Maduro regime, which has overseen the once-wealthy oil nation's descent into economic collapse and a humanitarian crisis.

What the US is saying: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed Tuesday that Maduro was preparing to leave Venezuela, but was talked out of it by Russia.

What Maduro is saying: "The situation is under control," Maduro's Communications Vice Minister Isbemar Jimenez told CNN on Tuesday. "All military garrisons support Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro."

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'operation freedom uprising in venezuela begins

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By Rob Picheta, Meg Wagner, Veronica Rocha and Joshua Berlinger, CNN

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'Operation Freedom uprising in Venezuela begins

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Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido has announced the beginning of the final phase of "Operation Freedom" to topple President Nicolas Maduro.

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Crane falls and kills 4 in Seattle

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The Latest on a deadly crane collapse in Seattle (all times local):

3:55 p.m.

The fourth person killed in a construction crane accident in Seattle has been identified as a retired city employee.

Mayor Jenny Durkan said Monday that 71-year-old Alan Justad worked for the city for decades and had served as deputy director of the Department of Planning and Development before he retired in 2014.

She described Justad as "a true public servant."

The King County Medical Examiner's Office on Monday afternoon confirmed the identities of those killed. They included two ironworkers who were on the crane when it fell, 31-year-old Andrew Yoder and 33-year-old Travis Corbet.

Justad and 19-year-old Seattle Pacific University student Sarah Wong were in cars crushed by the falling crane.

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2:30 p.m.

Experts say it appears human error may have caused a crane collapse that killed four people and injured four others in Seattle over the weekend.

Based on videos of the collapse, they say it appears workers who were disassembling the construction crane had removed pins securing the sections of the crane's mast to each other, and that could explain why the crane toppled in relatively minor wind gusts.

South Carolina crane accident investigator Tom Barth said the only safe way to disassemble a tower crane is to hook up the section being removed to another crane, and then remove the pins from that section only. In this case, he says, it appears the workers removed pins from all of the sections in advance.

The same cause was blamed for a crane collapse that killed two workers in Dallas in 2012.

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12:50 p.m.

An Oregon ironworker and former Marine has been identified by a labor union as one of the four people killed when a construction crane collapsed in Seattle over the weekend.

Iron Workers Local Union 29 based in Portland, Oregon identified him as Travis Corbet.

His wife Samantha Corbet told Seattle television stations that her husband had served in the U.S. Marine Corps for five years before becoming an ironworker.

They married last year and planned to go on their honeymoon in June.

Another ironworker killed in Saturday's accident was a member of Iron Workers Local 86, based in Seattle.

Officials say the crane was being disassembled when it fell from a building on Google's new Seattle campus.

It badly damaged the building and struck six cars below.

The ironworkers were in the crane when it fell. The other two people killed were in cars.

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9:15 p.m.

The identities of the four people killed when a construction crane fell from a Seattle building are expected to be released Monday.

The King County Medical Examiner's office said it would release the names of the female and three males who died in the accident Saturday afternoon.

Seattle Pacific University said Sunday a freshman student was among those killed when the crane fell from a building under construction on Google's new Seattle campus onto Mercer Street.

The university said in a statement that Sarah Wong was a freshman who intended to major in nursing and lived on campus.

The university says Wong was in a car when the crane fell.

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The Latest: Retired city worker died in Seattle crane crash

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The Latest on a deadly crane collapse in Seattle (all times local): 3:55 p.m. The fourth person killed in a construction crane accident in Seattle has been identified as a retired city employee. Mayor Jenny Durkan said Monday that 71-year-old Alan Justad worked for the city for decades and had served as deputy director of the Department of Planning and Development before he retired in 2014.

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Ohio boy, 8, who saved himself and sister from kidnapping is praised for quick thinking: 'This little guy is a hero

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Ohio boy, 8, who saved himself and sister from kidnapping is praised for quick thinking: 'This little guy is a hero'

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A police department in Ohio is praising the actions of an 8-year-old boy after he saved himself and his sister from an attempted kidnapping on Thursday when their grandmother's vehicle was stolen. The incident happened in Middletown, Ohio after the children's grandmother had gotten out of the vehicle while taking another woman into the emergency room at a hospital and 24-year-old Dalvir Singh jumped into the driver's seat.