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In their own words: Patriots describe Julian Edelman's unbelievable catch

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"It was one of the greatest catches I've ever seen," quarterback Tom Brady said. "I don't know how the hell he caught it."

It's a play that will be on highlight reels for years to come. It was 1st-and-10 from New England's own 36, and the Patriots wide receiver, fighting off three Atlanta Falcons defenders -- even going through the legs of one of them -- somehow scooped up the ball before it hit the ground.

Atlanta challenged the pass completion ruling, but Edelman felt like he had it.

"I knew I had a good feel on it," Edelman said. "I didn't know if a piece of the ball was touching. I don't know what the dang rule is. No one knows what the rule is. I am pretty sure I caught it."

Replays confirmed the call on the field. It was a catch, a catch that will forever live in Super Bowl lore.

Four plays later, New England scored, tying the game at 28 and forcing overtime.

"If we didn't have it, we wouldn't be where we are," Patriots tackle Nate Solder said. "That was a crazy catch by Edelman. In real time you couldn't even tell what happened, but when you saw the replay, it was unbelievable. It kind of rolled our way today."

New England has been on the wrong end of spectacular plays. One of the most iconic happened in Super Bowl XLII in 2008, when New York Giants wide receiver David Tyree made a leaping catch on a deep throw from a scrambling Eli Manning. Tyree pinned the ball to his helmet to help set up the upset against the Patriots, who were trying to become the first team to go 19-0.

"Oh man, we were going crazy (on the sideline)," Patriots safety Duron Harmon said of Edelman's grab on Sunday night. "It was great to get a crazy catch to go our way, you know? We're usually on the other end of that -- some type of miraculous catch."

When asked if it was his best catch ever: "I don't know," Edelman said. "It was only good if we won the game. Thankfully we did."

Here's what other Patriots players are saying about the catch:

Running back James White: "I was actually right in front of him when he caught it. I was pretty sure he caught it. It was a big play in the game. It seems like there is one of those catches in every Super Bowl. I'm just glad it went our way this time."

Wide receiver Chris Hogan: "I was outside running an under route. I saw Tom throw it up. Jules made an amazing play. I mean, I thought he caught it watching it live. That was incredible."

Wide receiver Danny Amendola: "Unbelievable. It was an awesome catch. I don't know how he did it. Catch of the night!"

Linebacker Dont'a Hightower: "That is the best catch that I've ever seen in person, hands down. I thought, I couldn't even tell, 'Did he catch that?' Incredible, man. Really incredible."

Defensive lineman Trey Flowers: "That unbelievable catch, right before the overtime, and I just knew if we go into overtime, we're going to win, we're the champs."

Running back LeGarrette Blount: "I've never seen anything like that. That was probably something that will be one of the top 10 plays in Super Bowl history."

Linebacker Rob Ninkovich: "Wow, that was an amazing catch. Just the concentration, everything about it. He did a great job to get his hands underneath it, and it was an amazing play."

Defensive back Devin McCourty: "It was about time we got one of those crazy catches for ourselves. He put that behind the catch that (Falcons wide receiver) Julio (Jones) had on the sideline (earlier in the game) -- two great catches. I said on the field to Logan (Ryan), 'Why aren't all these crazy catches happening to us?' And then once Jules caught it, I turned around and said, 'Finally, we got one.'"

Defensive end Chris Long: "A funny thing, the first thing that popped in my head was Tyree. As a fan of the game and watching as a football player, that magic kind of reversed. Julian is such a great player, that's where hard work and focus meets luck. We deserved that luck."

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julian edelman's unbelievable catch saves the patriots - cnn

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"It was one of the greatest catches I've ever seen," quarterback Tom Brady said. "I don't know how the hell he caught it." It's a play that will be on highlight reels for years to come.

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After 10-year effort, Army selects new pistol maker. After a long and much-criticized search, the US Army has chosen Sig Sauer to produce its next generation of handgun, eventually replacing the current standard issue sidearm, the Beretta M9 pistol.

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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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US bombs an ISIS camp in Libya and dozens of people were killed

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Jai Bullock  more than 20 firefighters  were killed in Tehran on thursday  when a multi story building collapsed while they were puttin out a blaze 

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Jai Bullock  more than 20 firefighters  were killed in Tehran on thursday  when a multi story building collapsed while they were puttin out a blaze 

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Big Ben responds back to Julian Edelmans comments he said during a live Facebook video

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Six Britons have been killed in a road crash in Saudi Arabia, the Foreign Office says.

It is understood the dead, including a baby, were on a pilgrimage when their bus crashed after a tyre burst.

Four members of a family from Manchester and a couple from Glasgow are thought to have been killed in the accident on Wednesday.

The baby's mother was among four other UK tourists who were injured on the minibus, which had 12 people on board.

Travel firm Haji Tours named the youngest victim as Muhammad Adam Anis, who was just two months old, and known as Adam.

It also named the baby's grandparents among the dead, 64-year-old Khurshid Ahmed and Noshina Ahmed, 49, and Noshina's sister Rabia Ahmad, 57, who were all from Manchester.

The Manchester-based tour operator, which booked the trip, said it has arranged for relatives to fly from London to Saudi Arabia on Thursday evening.

The couple from Scotland were named by Glasgow Central Mosque as Mohammad Aslam and Talat Aslam, who have five children.

Among the injured was a 63-year-old woman, now in a critical condition, while the baby's mother Ataka Anis and two of her children, aged two and four, are in a stable condition, Haji Tours said.

It is believed those involved were in Saudi Arabia for Umrah - a pilgrimage to Mecca which can be undertaken at any time of the year.

'A beautiful angel'

Relative Sophia Ahmed, whose mother was injured, said she had been "living a nightmare" since learning of the crash on Wednesday.

"We were praying that we'd been given the wrong news," Ms Ahmed told BBC News from her home in Manchester. "They all left very happily on Wednesday night... half those people are not there any more."

Ms Ahmed said baby Adam, who was her second cousin, was "a cute, beautiful angel".

She added: "My mother has been injured very badly, she has injures to her head, her eyes, her face, her body."

A Foreign Office spokesman said consular assistance was being provided to relatives.

"We are supporting the families of six British people who have sadly died following a road accident in Saudi Arabia," the spokesman said.

"We are also helping several more British nationals who were injured in the crash," he added.

"Our thoughts are with the victims and their families at this very difficult time."

Haji Tours said it was the first accident it had been involved in during nearly 15 years of running tours there.

Mohammad Arif of Haji Tours told the BBC: "A tyre burst on the motorway and you can understand what happens on the motorway when a tyre has burst.

"It's a very bad time for the families here in the UK."

'Popular' couple

The Britons had been in Mecca for five days and were thought to be on their way to the Prophet's Mosque, a holy site in Medina.

Glasgow Central Mosque said Mr and Mrs Aslam were "popular members of the community".

"They had just completed Umrah and were travelling in a minibus," a statement released by the mosque said.

"Tragically they were involved in a fatal accident."

The statement added: "We would kindly request the family be given space and time to grieve for their loved ones and to come to terms with their sudden loss."

Nearly 7,800 people died on Saudi Arabian roads in 2013, according to police records compiled by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The data says 27.4 out of 100,000 Saudis were killed on roads in one year, compared with a recorded 2.9 per 100,000 people living in the UK.

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Six Britons have been killed in a road crash in Saudi Arabia, the Foreign Office says. It is understood the dead, including a baby, were on a pilgrimage when their bus crashed after a tyre burst. Four members of a family from Manchester and a couple from Glasgow are thought to have been killed in the accident on Wednesday.

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Dozens missing in an avalanche in Italy

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Rescuers have removed two bodies from a hotel engulfed by an avalanche in central Italy as a desperate search for up to 35 other people continues.

Heavy snow and disruption caused by multiple earthquakes have hindered rescue efforts in the rubble of the Rigopiano hotel, in the Abruzzo region.

Rescuers say they have heard nothing in the rubble while sniffer dogs are reportedly unable to locate victims.

Two people who were outside the hotel at the time of the avalanche survived.

Four earthquakes above magnitude five rocked central Italy on Wednesday, with tremors continuing into the night.

Italy avalanche: A cruel coincidence

Multiple tremors shake central Italy

The well-loved resort hit by tragedy

The quakes compounded problems resulting from snow and freezing weather, with power lines brought down and villages temporarily cut off.

Rescue operations are under way across central Italy and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has said the EU is ready to help.

What happened?

It appears the guests had gathered on the ground floor of the four-star spa hotel, close to the Gran Sasso mountain, to await evacuation following the earthquakes.

Twenty-two guests and seven staff members were registered as being at the hotel, among them children, but rescuers say the actual number could be 35.

The avalanche struck some time between 16:30 (15:30 GMT) and 17:40 on Wednesday, when the first known appeal for help was made.

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

A guest who was outside the building at the time raised the alarm with his phone.

Giampiero Parete, whose wife and two children are missing, said he had gone to get something from his car: "I was covered by the snow but I managed to get out. The car was not submerged and I waited for the rescuers to arrive."

A couple was quoted as telling rescuers in a message: "Help, we're dying of cold."

Mr Parete, who was taken to hospital with a fellow survivor, continued to make phone calls but it reportedly took until 20:00 before his pleas were acted on by the authorities.

Who are the missing?

A list of 23 names given by La Stampa newspaper suggests that most are Italians but they include a Swiss national and a Romanian.

Three are children aged six, seven and nine, and the oldest person on the list is a man of 60.

Seven of the missing are from the neighbouring region of Marche.

A couple from Marche who are not recorded in La Stampa's list, Marco Vagnarelli and Paola Tomassini, were last heard from at 16:30 on Wednesday, when Marco contacted his brother Fulvio on WhatsApp, Ansa reports. The avalanche had still not started at that point.

Marco had told his brother that their departure from the area was being delayed by the bad weather.

Why is the rescue work so difficult?

Video shows hotel interiors choked with walls of debris and snow.

"The hotel is almost completely destroyed," Antonio Crocetta, a member of the Alpine rescue squad who was at the scene, told Reuters news agency by phone.

"We've called out but we've heard no replies, no voices. We're digging and looking for people."

The first rescuers only reached the hotel on skis at 04:30 on Thursday morning. A line of rescue vehicles snaked along an approach road as they waited for it to be cleared.

Earlier on Thursday, Italian media said three bodies had been extracted while, according to an unconfirmed report, a fourth body had been found inside but not yet recovered.

But the fire service said only two bodies had been retrieved.

How widespread is the damage from the quakes?

The tremors caused chaos across central Italy, compounding problems caused by heavy snow and freezing weather.

Rescue services initially struggled to reach rural communities in regions like Marche.

One man was killed by a falling roof in Marche and another person swept away by a landslide in Abruzzo.

People have been evacuated from their homes in some areas.

An earthquake rocked central Italy on 24 August, killing 298 people die. Another quake in October killed no-one, as most of the population centres had been evacuated.

Analysis: Why so many quakes in Italy?
By Jonathan Amos, BBC science correspondent
The Apennines region saw three magnitude-6 tremors between August and October. A succession of quakes like this is often how the geology works.

The big picture is reasonably well understood. Wider tectonic forces in the Earth's crust have led to the Apennines being pulled apart at a rate of roughly 3mm per year - about a 10th of the speed at which your fingernails grow.

But this stress is then spread across a multitude of different faults that cut through the mountains. And this network is fiendishly complicated.

It does now look as though August's event broke two neighbouring faults, starting on one known as the Laga and then jumping across to one called the Vettore.
Read more from Jonathan Are you in the area or have you been affected by this incident? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk .
Then came October with a swathe of quakes that broke the rest of the Vetorre. But the stress, according to the seismologists, wasn't just sent north, it was loaded south as well - south of August's event.

And it's in this zone that we have now seen a series of quakes in recent days. About a dozen magnitude fours and fives.

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

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Rescuers have removed two bodies from a hotel engulfed by an avalanche in central Italy as a desperate search for up to 35 other people continues. Heavy snow and disruption caused by multiple earthquakes have hindered rescue efforts in the rubble of the Rigopiano hotel, in the Abruzzo region.

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Kamiyah Mobley spent the first 18 years of her life raised by her kidnapper, police say — and she had no idea.

She didn’t know her so-called mother, Gloria Williams, allegedly posed as a nurse and snatched her from a Florida hospital when she just a few hours old.

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Chelsea manning due to be released in may decades before her original release date

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US bombs ISIS camps in Libya, dozens killed

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The strikes were on external actors who were actively "plotting attacks in Europe," Secretary of Defense Ash Carter told reporters.

The mission was approved several days ago by President Barack Obama and is expected to be the last short-notice military operation ordered by him, according to sources.

"The fighters training in these camps posed a security risk to Libya, to its neighbors, to our allies in Africa and Europe, and to the United States," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told reporters. "While we are still evaluating the results of the strikes, the initial assessment indicates they were successful."

A US defense official said the militants were seen immediately beforehand carrying weapons, wearing tactical vests, holding mortars and standing in formation.

The Department of Defense showed reporters a rare video of surveillance footage of the ISIS fighters as they loaded what appeared to be shells and rocket-propelled grenades into pick-up trucks. A second video showing the camps being bombed was also shown.

The number killed was not released by the Pentagon, but the first estimate put the figure at over 80. There were no women or children in the area, the official said.

Cook described the camps as being in a "very rural area."

US surveillance aircraft had been watching the sites for weeks as fighters fled from Sirte on the coastline into what they perceived to be the safety of remote desert areas. But the isolation of the area gave those surveillance aircraft clear imagery showing military-aged males in several areas, according to officials.

The two camps that were destroyed were located about 28 miles southwest of Sirte, the Pentagon said.

Cook said the strike was carried out by two US Air Force B-2 Spirit bombers flying from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, a 30-plus hour roundtrip mission, and that over 100 bombs and missiles were dropped on the targets. It was the first time the aircraft were used in an attack since 2011.

In addition to the B-2 bombers, unmanned aircraft also took part in the strikes, the defense official said.

Initially, the rudimentary camps had moved and surveillance had to be conducted again before the strike.

The B-2s heavy bombers flying from the US were planning to bomb four camps, according to early reports. Some of the sites may have been empty, with fighters having moved again. US Navy warships equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles were also on standby, but initial reports indicate they were not needed.

The President's approval of the strike underscores in the closing hours of his administration the difficulty of targeting ISIS fighters in dozens of countries around the world. Obama has increasingly relied on armed drones, bombers and special forces on the ground to go after these types of targets in Syria and Iraq.

"We are committed to maintaining pressure on ISIL and preventing them from establishing safe haven," Cook said in a statement released earlier, using another acronym for ISIS, also known as the Islamic State. "These strikes will degrade ISIL's ability to stage attacks against Libyan forces and civilians working to stabilize Sirte, and demonstrate our resolve in countering the threat posed by ISIL to Libya, the United States and our allies."

Helping Libya's recovering oil sector was also a likely factor in the US decision to target the training camps, according to Geoff Porter, president of North Africa Risk Consulting.

"Since the defeat of the Islamic State in Sirte, Libyan oil production has increased from roughly 500,000 to 750,000 barrels per day. This is largely due to the inability of the Islamic State to threaten upstream, midstream and downstream oil infrastructure in the Sirte Basin," Porter told CNN. "Targeting Islamic State training camps in the Sirte Basin consolidates the oil production gains made in the last two months and reduces the risk that they will be targeted by the Islamic State again in the future."

Porter says the stakes could not be higher. "Without oil production, Libya has no revenue. The only thing that could possibly save the struggling Government of National Accord is being able to restore the provision of social services. If oil flows, then the GNA has funds. If the GNA has funds, it can spend some of that money on electricity, gas, fuel, water, and can bolster the currency to reduce inflation."

CNN's Ryan Browne and Paul Cruickshank contributed to this report.

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Barbara Starr, CNN Pentagon Correspondent

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First on CNN: US bombs ISIS camps in Libya, dozens killed

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The strikes were on external actors who were actively "plotting attacks in Europe," Secretary of Defense Ash Carter told reporters. The mission was approved several days ago by President Barack Obama and is expected to be the last short-notice military operation ordered by him, according to sources.

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Shocking first court appearance for man accused of killing Orlando officer: Refuses lawyer, shouts profanities

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U.S bombs an ISIS camp in Libya. Dozens were killed.

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The strikes were on external actors who were actively "plotting attacks in Europe," Secretary of Defense Ash Carter told reporters.

The mission was approved several days ago by President Barack Obama and is expected to be the last short-notice military operation ordered by him, according to sources.

"The fighters training in these camps posed a security risk to Libya, to its neighbors, to our allies in Africa and Europe, and to the United States," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told reporters. "While we are still evaluating the results of the strikes, the initial assessment indicates they were successful."

A US defense official said the militants were seen immediately beforehand carrying weapons, wearing tactical vests, holding mortars and standing in formation.

The Department of Defense showed reporters a rare video of surveillance footage of the ISIS fighters as they loaded what appeared to be shells and rocket-propelled grenades into pick-up trucks. A second video showing the camps being bombed was also shown.

The number killed was not released by the Pentagon, but the first estimate put the figure at over 80. There were no women or children in the area, the official said.

Cook described the camps as being in a "very rural area."

US surveillance aircraft had been watching the sites for weeks as fighters fled from Sirte on the coastline into what they perceived to be the safety of remote desert areas. But the isolation of the area gave those surveillance aircraft clear imagery showing military-aged males in several areas, according to officials.

The two camps that were destroyed were located about 28 miles southwest of Sirte, the Pentagon said.

Cook said the strike was carried out by two US Air Force B-2 Spirit bombers flying from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, a 30-plus hour roundtrip mission, and that over 100 bombs and missiles were dropped on the targets. It was the first time the aircraft were used in an attack since 2011.

In addition to the B-2 bombers, unmanned aircraft also took part in the strikes, the defense official said.

Initially, the rudimentary camps had moved and surveillance had to be conducted again before the strike.

The B-2s heavy bombers flying from the US were planning to bomb four camps, according to early reports. Some of the sites may have been empty, with fighters having moved again. US Navy warships equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles were also on standby, but initial reports indicate they were not needed.

The President's approval of the strike underscores in the closing hours of his administration the difficulty of targeting ISIS fighters in dozens of countries around the world. Obama has increasingly relied on armed drones, bombers and special forces on the ground to go after these types of targets in Syria and Iraq.

"We are committed to maintaining pressure on ISIL and preventing them from establishing safe haven," Cook said in a statement released earlier, using another acronym for ISIS, also known as the Islamic State. "These strikes will degrade ISIL's ability to stage attacks against Libyan forces and civilians working to stabilize Sirte, and demonstrate our resolve in countering the threat posed by ISIL to Libya, the United States and our allies."

Helping Libya's recovering oil sector was also a likely factor in the US decision to target the training camps, according to Geoff Porter, president of North Africa Risk Consulting.

"Since the defeat of the Islamic State in Sirte, Libyan oil production has increased from roughly 500,000 to 750,000 barrels per day. This is largely due to the inability of the Islamic State to threaten upstream, midstream and downstream oil infrastructure in the Sirte Basin," Porter told CNN. "Targeting Islamic State training camps in the Sirte Basin consolidates the oil production gains made in the last two months and reduces the risk that they will be targeted by the Islamic State again in the future."

Porter says the stakes could not be higher. "Without oil production, Libya has no revenue. The only thing that could possibly save the struggling Government of National Accord is being able to restore the provision of social services. If oil flows, then the GNA has funds. If the GNA has funds, it can spend some of that money on electricity, gas, fuel, water, and can bolster the currency to reduce inflation."

CNN's Ryan Browne and Paul Cruickshank contributed to this report.

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Barbara Starr, CNN Pentagon Correspondent

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First on CNN: US bombs ISIS camps in Libya, dozens killed

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The strikes were on external actors who were actively "plotting attacks in Europe," Secretary of Defense Ash Carter told reporters. The mission was approved several days ago by President Barack Obama and is expected to be the last short-notice military operation ordered by him, according to sources.

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danaya vann -  last- minute love for Obama care 

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danaya vann -  last- minute love for Obama care 

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Americans views of Obamacare tilt narrowly positive, according to a new CNN/ORC poll, marking the first time more have favored than opposed the law since its passage in 2010.

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Golden State beat OCK 121-100

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B-2 bombers kill nearly 100 ISIS terrorists in Libya

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A pair of B-2 "stealth" bombers blasted two ISIS training camps in Libya on Wednesday evening, dropping 108 precision-guided bombs and sending jihadists scattering -- many of whom were then "cleaned up" by drone-launched hellfire missiles, U.S. defense officials told Fox News.

The assault killed an estimated 85 terrorists at the camps, which were about 30 miles southwest of the Libyan coastal city of Sirte. Many of the fighters were "actively plotting operations in Europe," Defense Secretary Ash Carter said at a news conference Thursday.
PENTAGON RECOMMENDED AGAINST MANNING COMMUTATION, OFFICIAL SAYS
President Obama authorized the action. Most of the terrorists targeted had escaped Sirte after extensive military actions there.

U.S. drones "cleaned up" the operation by launching hellfire missiles that killed a several of ISIS fighters trying to run to safety.

Immediately prior to the attack, the militants were seen in formation carrying weapons and mortars and wearing tactical vests.
THE HOTTEST MILITARY GEAR FOR 2017
The bombers took off from their permanent base in Missouri and refueled at least five times midair during the mission. The flight lasted about 30 hours. The planes flew around the world and back without landing.

The strikes used strategic nuclear-capable bombers as opposed to more conventional jets stationed in England in order to "send a strategic message" to other adversaries such as Russia and China, a source told Fox News.

Carter said the bombers were the most capable tools for this mission even though other available airpower was closer to North Africa. Previous strikes in Libya used drones and F-15s from a U.S. Air Force base in England, and two Navy guided-missile destroyers were off the coast of Libya armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles.

B-2 Spirit stealth bombers had last seen combat in March 2011, helping to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya, Pentagon officials said. "The B-2 Spirit is the world's most technologically-advanced strategic bomber and brings massive firepower to bear, in a short time, anywhere on the globe," Air Force spokesman Capt. Mark Graff told reporters.

The strikes were part of the Pentagon's goal to give ISIS "the lasting defeat it deserves," Carter added. He said "little nests" of fighters had sprouted up in recent years amid the civil war in Libya.

Two U.S. Navy ships -- the USS Donald Cook and USS Porter -- remained in the Mediterranean to provide search and rescue if necessary. Sirte is located about halfway between Tripoli and Benghazi.

The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is about to leave the Mediterranean after hosting a Libyan general, Khalifa Haftar, fighting the U.S. and U.N.-backed government in Tripoli. The Russians reportedly pledged weapons and financial support.

The U.S. has conducted 495 airstrikes in Sirte since August, mostly from drones flown from the region to target ISIS. Marine Harrier jets and Cobra attack helicopters conducted airstrikes as well from a Navy amphibious assault ship off the coast of Libya in August.

At the start of the August strikes, Pentagon officials said the bombing campaign would last "weeks." President Obama approved extensions to the campaign four times.

Late last month, the U.S. Africa Command announced the bombing campaign had ended.

The military has conducted unilateral strikes two other times since November 2015, targeting ISIS camps and leaders. These strikes originated out of an Air Force base in England.

In addition to the Libya operation, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said that two Al Qaeda operatives were killed in separate airstrikes in Syria last week. The first airstrike, on Jan. 12, resulted in the death of Abd al-Jalil al-Muslimi, who the Pentagon described as a travel "facilitator" who had ties to numerous attack plotters and terrorists.

The second airstrike, on Jan. 17, killed Mohammad Habib Boussadoun al-Tunisi, who officials said was involved in a number of plots to attack Western targets. Boussadoun had been in Syria since 2014 after spending several years in Europe and the Middle East.

Cook also said that a Jan. 8 airstrike in Syria killed Abu Anas al-Iraqi, a senior ISIS member. He said al-Iraqi oversaw media and financial operations and was a member of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's inner circle.

Since taking office, President Obama has authorized airstrikes in at least seven countries: Libya, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Lucas Tomlinson is the Pentagon and State Department producer for Fox News Channel. You can follow him on Twitter: @LucasFoxNews Jennifer Griffin currently serves as a national security correspondent for FOX News Channel . She joined FNC in October 1999 as a Jerusalem-based correspondent. You can follow her on Twitter at @JenGriffinFNC.

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B-2 bombers kill nearly 100 ISIS terrorists in Libya

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A pair of B-2 stealth bombers blasted two ISIS training camps in Libya on Wednesday evening, dropping 108 precision-guided bombs and sending jihadists scattering -- many of whom were then cleaned up by drone-launched hellfire missiles, U.S. defense officials told Fox News.

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Paul McCartney sues to get Beatles songs back

hes attempting to regain the rights to a long list of Beatles hits that he either wrote or co-wrote with john Lennon

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Donald Trump's education secretary nominee, Betsy DeVos, once criticized members of her own party for opposing school choice reforms, saying in a 2015 speech that many suburban Republicans do so out of fear that poor, minority students would enroll in their neighborhood schools.

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DeVos made the comments at the South by Southwest education conference while speaking about the partisan gridlock that prevents the kind of education reforms she envisions.

At her contentious confirmation hearing Tuesday evening, DeVos faced tough questioning from Democrats about her views on charter schools and voucher programs, guns in schools, and accountability for for-profit schools.

In her 2015 speech, she introduced her comments by saying she was going to get "politically incorrect" in discussing the opposition.

"Many Republicans in the suburbs likes the idea of education choice as a concept, right up until it means that poor kids from the inner cities might invade their schools," DeVos said, in a video of the speech reviewed by CNN's KFile. "That's when you'll hear the sentiment 'well, it's not really a great idea to have poor minority kids come to our good suburban schools' though they'll never actually say those words aloud."

DeVos expanded on her point by telling a story about a Michigan Republican legislator who opposed public school choice because his suburban district bordered the city of Detroit, which is urban and primarily black.

She also criticized Democrats for opposing school choice, though said the reason for their opposition was because of their loyalty to teachers unions.

DeVos did praise some politicians on both sides for their support of school choice and voucher programs, specifically naming Republicans John Boehner and Jeb Bush, as well as Democrats Cory Booker and Andrew Cuomo, for their support on the issue.

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betsy devos in 2015: many suburban republicans oppose school choice because they fear 'poor minority kids' invading their schools - cnnpolitics

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Nathan McDermott and Andrew Kaczynski, CNN

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DeVos in 2015: Suburban Republicans oppose school choice out of fear 'poor minority kids' will invade schools

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Donald Trump's education secretary nominee, Betsy DeVos, once criticized members of her own party for opposing school choice reforms, saying in a 2015 speech that many suburban Republicans do so out of fear that poor, minority students would enroll in their neighborhood schools.

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The world's oldest known gorilla has died peacefully in her sleep, just a month after celebrating her 60th birthday. Her death was announced on Tuesday

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The world's oldest known gorilla has died peacefully in her sleep, just a month after celebrating her 60th birthday. Her death was announced on Tuesday.

At her death, Colo, the first gorilla to be born in captivity, had outlived the average gorilla by 20 to 30 years, according to her keepers.

In her long time on Earth, Colo became the matriarch of a huge gorilla family, having lived to see the birth of three children, 16 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren, according to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, where she lived.

On Dec. 19, thousands of people, both at the zoo and online, celebrated the beginning of her seventh decade with a big party, complete with a decorated enclosure, special presents and a custom, gorilla-friendly cake.

"Colo touched the hearts of generations of people who came to see her and those that cared for her over her long lifetime," Tom Stalf, president and CEO of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, said in a statement. "She was an ambassador for gorillas and inspired people to learn more about the critically endangered species and motivated them to protect gorillas in their native habitat." Photos: Colo, World's Oldest Gorilla, Turns 60]

Humble beginnings

Colo was born at the Columbus Zoo on Dec. 22, 1956, at a time when little was known about keeping and raising western lowland gorillas in captivity, according to a statement from the zoo. She was born a preemie, and a zookeeper found her still in her amniotic sac in a zoo enclosure, after having been abandoned by her mother, according to a 2009 video about her by Columbus Zoo Media. Thanks to 24/7 attention by her human caregivers, she survived and thrived. Colo was briefly called "Cuddles," but after a naming contest, was given her current moniker - a combination of "Columbus" and "Ohio."

In 1958, she met a male gorilla named Bongo, who became her mate. The duo's "love affair" outlasted many human marriages, continuing for 25 years.

Slowing down

Though Colo spent her life near other gorillas, as she aged, she seemed to do better with more personal space, and so she was moved to a private enclosure. She was also plagued by arthritis in her later years, Audra Meinelt, the assistant curator of the Congo Expedition at the Columbus Zoo, previously told Live Science.

In addition to dietary supplements to prevent joint stiffness, Colo was also given a kind of gorilla physical therapy to encourage her to stay active.

"Her arthritis is very specific to her hands and feet, so we came up with ways to get her to use her fingers more often," Meinelt said. "We also changed the way that we present her diet, so that also causes her to exercise her fingers," she said.

Colo also became choosier about her food, shunning green beans, grapes, zucchini, honeydew, oranges, cantaloupe and strawberries as she got older, Dana Hatcher, manager of animal nutrition at the Columbus Zoo, previously told Live Science. To make sure that she got ample nutrition, her caregivers also gave Colo probiotics, brewer's yeast for B vitamins and iceberg lettuce for its water content.
Originally published on Live Science .

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Goodnight, Colo! Oldest gorilla in the US dies in sleep

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The world's oldest known gorilla has died peacefully in her sleep, just a month after celebrating her 60th birthday. Her death was announced on Tuesday. At her death, Colo, the first gorilla to be born in captivity, had outlived the average gorilla by 20 to 30 years, according to her keepers.

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MLB inducted some players into the hall of fame

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"A Dog's Purpose" faces backlash after disturbing video surfaces

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Over half of primates now facing extinction, new report says

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Trump team prepares dramatic cuts

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At least 30 firefighters killed in Iran high-rise building collapse

TEHRAN, Iran –  A high-rise building in Tehran engulfed by fire collapsed on Thursday, killing at least 30 firefighters and injuring some 75 people, state media reported.

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Mr. Kohl - Toni Anderson, a 20yr old UMKC student has been missing since Sunday morning.  She sent a text to her friend about "being pulled over again" that was the last anyone has heard from her.

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Mr. Kohl - Toni Anderson, a 20yr old UMKC student has been missing since Sunday morning.  She sent a text to her friend about "being pulled over again" that was the last anyone has heard from her.

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The boyfriend of missing UMKC student Toni Anderson is taking to social media to help find his girlfriend.

"It was love at first sight you know, and we've just been attached ever since," said Pete Sanchez.

Sanchez and Toni Anderson have been dating for two years. Anderson is the 20-year-old UMKC student who vanished early Sunday morning after she was pulled over near a QuikTrip in North Kansas City.

"I don't think I can cry anymore. It just doesn't feel real," said Sanchez. "I don't sleep. I'm brain storming what I can do to better the situation."

Sanchez says he's keeping busy - posting to facebook and twitter.

"We're mostly aiming for people with platforms of massive followings."

He's using #BringToniHome to spread her story. He's trying to raise money for a reward. And he's pushing back against rumors.

"I know some media outlets are trying to make her out like an exotic dancer,"

Sanchez says others are questioning whether her working as a server at an adult night club played a role in her disappearance.

"Bottom line. It's a person. It's someone's daughter. It's my girlfriend...I just want to find out what happened. I want a conclusion to everything."

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Boyfriend of missing UMKC student using social media to #BringToniHome

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The boyfriend of missing UMKC student Toni Anderson is taking to social media to help find his girlfriend. "It was love at first sight you know, and we've just been attached ever since," said Pete Sanchez. Sanchez and Toni Anderson have been dating for two years.