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it was a bad car accident

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Three people were killed and 16 others were hurt Monday when an MTA bus and tour bus collided in Queens, the FDNY said.

Firefighters rushed to the scene of the 6:15 a.m. crash at the intersection of Northern Blvd. and Main St. and worked furiously to remove people from the buses and get them to nearby hospitals.

One victim died at the scene two others died at the hospital, authorities said. Six of the passengers remained in critical condition, one person was in serious but stable condition and nine others suffered minor injuries.

Witnesses said the Dahlia Travel and Tours bus was traveling on Main St. when it crashed into the Q20 bus, which was making a left turn onto Northern Blvd. The impact sent the city bus spinning onto the sidewalk.

(@NYPD109Pct via Twitter)

"That Dahlia bus must've hit it at such an impact that it spun. There's no way that bus should be facing this way," Sherrell Jordan, 42, said.

"That's the problem - downtown Flushing is just too congested. We need these tour buses out of Flushing."

Mayor de Blasio and MTA Chairman Joe Lhota were on the scene.

Photos from the scene showed the driver of the Q20 bus sitting on the sidewalk leaning against a light pole, in shock. Another man lay on his side next to the driver, receiving treatment from a firefighter. Broken glass was scattered all over the block.

A bloodied man was removed on a stretcher wearing a neckbrace.

NYPD's 109th Precinct, in a post on Twitter, wrote that the collision was "very serious" and resulted in heavy traffic delays.

(Vic Nicastro for New York Daily News)

The FDNY also extinguished a small fire and shut off leaking gas in a nearby building that was struck by the ricocheting buses, officials said.

In Feb. 2016, a Dahlia Travel and Tours bus bound for Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut rolled over during a snowstorm. Around two-dozen people were taken to the hospital. The tour company is based in Flushing.

This story is developing. Check back for updates.
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Three dead, 16 injured after MTA bus, tour bus collide in Queens

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Three people were killed and 16 others were hurt Monday when an MTA bus and tour bus collided in Queens, the FDNY said. Firefighters rushed to the scene of the 6:15 a.m. crash at the intersection of Northern Blvd. and Main St. and worked furiously to remove people from the buses and get them to nearby hospitals.

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A worker in Greensboro, North Carolina, fell from a Ferris wheel when he was trying to fix one of the cars

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video shows worker fall from ferris wheel  - cnn video

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Video shows worker fall from Ferris wheel - CNN Video

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A worker in Greensboro, North Carolina, fell from a Ferris wheel when he was trying to fix one of the cars. He was not critically injured. HLN's Lynn Smith reports.

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Everyone expected the smattering of stars at the 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards to get political, and host Stephen Colbert kicked things off in a big way. The late-night host devoted a large portion of his opening monologue to taking digs at Donald Trump.

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Everyone expected the smattering of stars at the 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards to get political, and host Stephen Colbert kicked things off in a big way. The late-night host devoted a large portion of his opening monologue to taking digs at Donald Trump.

The host began the night with a pre-taped song-and-dance number, packed with cameos from stars, before taking to the live stage to give his opener. Things started off tame, with jokes about "Game of Thrones" not being eligible to win this year and the self-congratulatory nature of the awards, but it didn't take long for the jokes about the president to come.

"The industry is booming. There were 450 original scripted shows this year," he said. "Of course, there's no way anyone could watch that much TV, other than the president, who seems to have a lot of time for that sort of thing."

He then looked directly to camera and addressed Trump.

"Hello sir, thank you for joining us. Looking forward to the tweets."

Just when you thought that would be enough, Colbert made it clear that he wouldn't pull any punches when talking about politics at the TV event.

"We know that the biggest TV star of the last year is Donald Trump," he said. "And however you feel about the president, and you do feel about the president, you can't deny that every show is influenced by Donald Trump in some way. Every late night show, obviously, 'House of Cards,' the new season of 'American Horror Story' and, of course, next year's Latin Grammys, hosted by Joe Arpaio."

The host was referencing the recent controversial pardon of the Arizona Sheriff by the president. Next, Colbert turned things back toward the show, mentioning the fact that the president was nominated for multiple Emmy Awards for "Celebrity Apprentice" in the past but never won.

"Why didn't you give him an Emmy? I tell you this, if he had won an Emmy, I bet he wouldn't have run for president. So, in a way, this is all your fault." he said, gesturing to the whole room. "I thought you people loved morally compromised anti-heroes! You love Walter White, he's just Walter much-whiter. And he never forgave you and he never will. The president complained repeatedly that the Emmys are rigged."

He then segued into a clip from the presidential debate between Trump and Hillary Clinton, where she criticized him for saying the Emmys were rigged and the then-candidate interrupted to say that he should have won.

"But he didn't, because unlike the presidency, Emmys go to the winner of the popular vote."

Despite the applause his remarks received, Colbert acknowledged that the room full of celebrities wasn't necessarily the toughest crowd to tell anti-Trump jokes.

Colbert closed out his politics-riddled monologue with a surprise cameo featuring former Press Secretary to the Trump administration Sean Spicer. Colbert pretended to lament that he was unsure how big the viewing audience is and got some help from Spicer.

"This will be the largest audience to witness and Emmys, period," Spicer said emphatically. "Both in person and around the world."

Colbert then asked for a round of applause for Spicer, who he identified as Melissa McCarthy, who previously won an Emmy for her parody of Spicer on "Saturday Night Live."

The next jab at Trump came from Alec Baldwin whose impersonations of Trump have propelled "SNL" to its best season in years, bringing in viewers and also Emmys glory. Baldwin's win is the third win for "Saturday Night Live" during Sunday's show.

"I suppose I should say at long last Mr. President, here is your Emmy."

He went on to joke that putting on the orange wig is the best birth control for men given he and his wife didn't have a baby during the election year. He left his speech with some final words about the arts during turbulent political times that seemed pointed directly at the president.

"When you die, you don't remember a bill that Congress passed or a decision the Supreme Court made or an address made by the president. You remember a song, you remember a line from a movie, you remember a play, you remember a book, a painting, a poem. What we do is important and for all of you out there in motion pictures and television, don't stop doing what you're doing, the audience is counting on you."

The next stars to take a shot at the president was "Grace and Frankie" co-stars Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda. Taking the stage to announce the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie with Dolly Parton, the actresses joked that the enemy in their 1980 film "9 to 5" was a "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot," and said that they're still fighting one in 2017.

Later in the show, Donald Glover took home two Emmys in 2017 for his FX series "Atlanta." While accepting his award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy series, he issued a backhanded "thank you" to the president.

"I want to thank Trump for making black people the number one on the 'most oppressed' list," he said. "He's probably the reason I'm up here."

When earning a record-breaking award for her role on HBO's "Veep," Julia Louis-Dreyfus joked that they abandoned a storyline about impeachment because they were worried "someone else might get there first."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Emmy Awards 2017: Stephen Colbert, Alec Baldwin and Sean Spicer All Turn Out to Mock Trump

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Everyone expected the smattering of stars at the 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards to get political, and host Stephen Colbert kicked things off in a big way. The late-night host devoted a large portion of his opening monologue to taking digs at Donald Trump.

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Florida is miserable after Irma hit

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Old lady sues nursing home for not having the home evacuated.

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A 94-year-old woman living at the Florida nursing home where eight residents died after an air conditioning system failed in the wake of Hurricane Irma is now suing the rehabilitation center, claiming it showed "negligence and reckless indifference" toward its elderly residents.

Rosa Cabrera's legal guardian filed the lawsuit in a Broward County state court on Friday on her behalf against the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills in Hollywood, Florida.

Eight of the nursing home's residents died last week after the facility's electrical system for its air conditioning stopped working in the aftermath of the hurricane that hit Florida on September 10.

Cabrera is a double amputee "without the ability to walk or live independently," the complaint says. She sustained heat-related injuries and had to be hospitalized as a result of the days-long failure of the nursing home's air conditioning system, the complaint alleges.

"As the hurricane approached, Ms. Cabrera was told by the Rehab Center that she would not be evacuated, but would be safe and cared for" at the nursing home, the complaint says. She did not know that the nursing home lacked a generator to power its air conditioning system in the event of a power failure, the lawsuit alleges.

The complaint further contends that the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills should have known that the storm would cause a power outage, and that if that happened "the temperature inside the facility would be unsafe and dangerous" for its more than 150 residents.

"Notwithstanding these foreseeable, dangerous, and life-threatening conditions, the defendant made no effort to relocate the elderly and vulnerable residents or to secure an adequate cooling system for the center," the complaint says.

Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, File

The lawsuit alleges that the Rehabilitation Center failed to adequately prepare for Irma after hurricane and storm-surge warnings were first issued for Broward County on Sept. 7.

ABC News reached out to a public relations firm representing the nursing home and has not immediately received a response.

Most of the eight residents of the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills who died had been treated for respiratory distress, dehydration, and heat-related issues, officials said. Some of the patients admitted to nearby Memorial Regional Hospital felt temperatures of up to 106 degrees, hospital officials said Thursday.

A timeline released by the public relations firm for the nursing home says that the center's staff reached out repeatedly to emergency hotlines and the local power utility in the days after the air conditioning system failed on Sept. 10.

Nursing home officials also called the personal cell phone of Florida Gov. Rick Scott seeking help, the governor's office confirmed to ABC News on Saturday.

Scott's office said the messages left on his cell phone were referred to two other agencies.

"Every call made to the governor from facility management was referred to the Agency for Health Care Administration and the Florida Department of Health, and quickly returned," John Tupps, Scott's communications director, said Friday,

In a statement, the Florida Department of Health said, "It is 100 percent the responsibility of health care professionals to preserve life by acting in the best interest of the health and well-being of their patients. Let's be clear -- this facility is located across the street from one of Florida's largest hospitals, which never lost power and had fully operating facilities. The tragic and senseless loss at Hollywood Hills Rehabilitation Center is the subject of a criminal homicide investigation by law enforcement."

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94-year-old sues Florida nursing home where 8 residents died in wake of Irma

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A 94-year-old woman living at the Florida nursing home where eight residents died after an air conditioning system failed in the wake of Hurricane Irma is now suing the rehabilitation center, claiming it showed "negligence and reckless indifference" toward its elderly residents. Rosa Cabrera's...

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The U.S. Navy has relieved two more top officers due to a "loss of confidence in their ability to command," following two deadly collisions over the summer.

The destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided with a cargo ship in the Sea of Japan in June, killing seven sailors. In August, the USS McCain, another destroyer, collided with an oil tanker off the coast of Singapore, killing 10 more sailors.

On Monday, Vice Adm. Phil Sawyer, the commander of the 7th Fleet, relieved the commander of Task Force 70 (CTF 70), Rear Adm. Charles William, and the commander of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, Capt. Jeffrey Bennett. While the Navy's press release announcing the leadership changes did not directly mention the incidents from the summer, both officials relieved of their duties were in the Fitzgerald and McCain's chain of command.

"Rear Adm. Marc Dalton, commander of Task Force 76 (CTF 76), assumed duties as commander, CTF 70. Capt. Jonathan Duffy, deputy commander, DESRON 15, assumed duties as commander," the Navy said.

The Navy relieved the three-star admiral in charge of the 7th Fleet, Vice. Adm. Joseph Aucoin, following the McCain's collision. Aucoin was slated to retire in September and turn over command of the 7th Fleet to Rear Adm. Phil Sawyer, but his relief showed the Navy's focus on accountability in the wake of mishaps.

In addition to the collisions by the Fitzgerald and McCain, the USS Lake Champlain, a guided-missile cruiser, collided with a fishing boat in the Sea of Japan in May. There were no injuries.

In February, the USS Antietam, also a guided-missile cruiser, ran aground off the coast of Japan, damaging its propellers and spilling oil into the water.

On Tuesday, Secretary of Navy Richard Spencer and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson will testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee about the recent Naval incidents.

Joining the top Navy leaders will be John Pendleton, director of Defense Force Structure and Readiness Issues at the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which issued a report highlighting the Navy's readiness issues.

"GAO's prior work shows that the Navy has increased deployment lengths, shortened training periods, and reduced or deferred maintenance to meet high operational demands, which has resulted in declining ship conditions and a worsening trend in overall readiness," the report said. "The Navy has stated that high demand for presence has put pressure on a fleet that is stretched thin across the globe."

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Navy relieves 2 more top officers following deadly ship collisions

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The U.S. Navy has relieved two more top officers due to a "loss of confidence in their ability to command," following two deadly collisions over the summer. The destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided with a cargo ship in the Sea of Japan in June, killing seven sailors.

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woman 19- body found dead in hotel freezer room.

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Police in Rosemont, a suburb northwest of Chicago, said Kenneka Jenkins, 19, was last seen early Saturday, September 9, at a party at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare Hotel. Her family reported her missing later that day, and Jenkins' body was found in the walk-in freezer at the hotel shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday. The results of an autopsy by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office are pending.

Surveillance video from inside the Crowne Plaza, released by the Rosemont Public Safety Department and obtained by CNN, shows Jenkins staggering through the hotel's hallways early Saturday.

In the footage, Jenkins is first seen walking through the hotel with several unidentified people around 1:13 a.m. on that Saturday. She appears to be steady.

But when Jenkins is next sighted exiting an elevator at 3:25 a.m., she is alone and visibly impaired, and staggers out of the elevator, briefly leaning on the wall for support before heading down the hallway.

Surveillance cameras next catch Jenkins in hallways at 3:27 and 3:29 a.m., also alone. She struggles to head in one direction, and nearly falls over several times, but catches herself.

The last clip shows Jenkins stumbling through the hotel kitchen, which appears to be empty.She walks out of view of the cameras at 3:32 a.m., the last time she was seen before her body was found in the hotel's walk-in freezer.

Police say they have 36 hours of surveillance video from that weekend and have publicly released all clips in which Jenkins can be seen.

At no point in the footage provided to CNN can Jenkins be seen walking into the freezer.

Andrew Holmes, a community activist who police said is working with Jenkins' family, said Thursday that Rosemont police showed him surveillance video of the young woman walking into the freezer in the hotel basement on her own.

Holmes told CNN affiliate WBBM Jenkins appeared to be lost and tried several doors to get upstairs to the hotel lobby before she walked into the freezer, located in an unsecure area.

"We all wanted to know: Did anybody pull her down there? Did anybody force her down there? Was anybody on the other side in that room when she got down there? And the answer to that is no," Holmes told WBBM.

Holmes urged anyone with evidence in the case to contact police and stop making accusations on social media.

"Just don't put it out there on Facebook because if you put it out there, then be prepared to answer what you put out there," Holmes told WBBM.

When her friends realized Jenkins was missing, they notified her mother, Tereasa Martin. In recordings of 911 calls released by the police and obtained by CNN, Martin said the friends her daughter was with had gone upstairs to find a phone and left Jenkins in the hotel's lobby.

When they came back, Martin said, Jenkins was gone. Martin told the police dispatcher that her daughter's friends said she drank "one cup" but that "one cup is too much for her," Martin said.

Police: 'Not ruling out anything'

In a news release, the Rosemont Public Safety Department said it was publicly disclosing all the video surveillance from the Crowne Plaza Hotel that showed Jenkins the night of her disappearance. Jenkins' family has seen the surveillance video, the release said.

Rosemont police spokesman Detective Joe Balogh said Holmes was shown portions of the surveillance footage, in the hope that he could help with the investigation, but Balogh declined to confirm Holmes' account of the video.

"On our end, we're not ruling out anything but we are using that footage to try and pinpoint what happened," Balogh told CNN.

Rosemont police said in a statement they have interviewed and located a dozen people "who were involved in some way," including eight who were at the party. Police were looking for four others.

Police said they are also combing through hours of footage from 47 hotel cameras. Technicians were also looking at videos related to the investigation.

Balogh told CNN that authorities also handed over the video to an attorney for Jenkins' mother and to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.

Martin and her attorneys said at a news conference Friday they had seen "snippets" of surveillance video, but had not seen all of it.

"I thank everybody for your help, the love and support," Martin said. "But I also want to know what happened. I want to see all -- I want to see her actually walking into this freezer and closing herself within this freezer and freezing to death."

Hotel offers to pay for funeral

In the news conference, Jenkins' mother and her attorneys were critical of the hotel's response.

Martin, the attorneys said, called the hotel and went there early Saturday to ask them to review surveillance footage to find her daughter.

"They never checked. They never searched," said Sam Adams, one of Martin's lawyers. "They never did anything while a young, 19-year-old disoriented girl is sitting in their freezer."

"Ms. Martin just wants to know what happened to her daughter," Larry Rogers, another lawyer for the Jenkins family, told CNN Saturday. "We're just trying to see where the facts lead."

Wednesday, Jenkins' family and supporters gathered at the hotel demanding answers. They carried signs and chanted: "Release the tapes."

Rosemont police said the hotel has cooperated with the investigation.

According to WBBM, a hotel spokesman, Glenn Harston, said Jenkins' death was "a tragic accident." He added that the freezer had latches on the inside and outside and did not lock.

Crowne Plaza hotel representatives could not be reached. The hotel has offered to pay for Jenkins' funeral, CNN affiliate WGN reported.

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chicago hotel freezer death: surveillance video shown - cnn

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Video shows woman before hotel freezer death

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Police in Rosemont, a suburb northwest of Chicago, said Kenneka Jenkins, 19, was last seen early Saturday, September 9, at a party at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare Hotel. Her family reported her missing later that day, and Jenkins' body was found in the walk-in freezer at the hotel shortly before 1 a.m.

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Dozens were arrested in Saint Louis as another protest went hectic and turns violent.

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Police in St. Louis are bracing Sunday for a third day of protests following the acquittal of a white former police officer in the fatal shooting of a black man.

A small group of protesters who refused to disperse Saturday night clashed with cops as protests turned violent for a second night in a row.

The protesters broke windows at dozens of businesses and threw objects at police, who moved in and made nine arrests. More than 30 protesters were arrested Friday.

Radio talk show host Kevin Jackson told "Fox & Friends" Sunday that the protests weren't helpful.

"These types of incidents don't help" in trying to prevent St. Louis' issues, which include a shrinking population and businesses leaving the city, he said. "The root cause is that young black kids don't have their fathers, their families."

Saturday's confrontation took place in the Delmar Loop of the St. Louis suburb of University City -- known for concert venues, restaurants, shops and bars. The area had been the scene of a peaceful march earlier in the evening to protest a judge's ruling Friday clearing ex-Officer Jason Stockley of first-degree murder in the 2011 shooting of 24-year-old Anthony Lamar Smith. That march ended with organizers calling for people to leave and reconvene Sunday afternoon.

Organizers are planning to hold a "die in" on Sunday at 3 p.m. near St. Louis Police headquarters on Olive Street, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

But the small group that stayed behind drew hundreds of police in riot gear, who moved in and ordered them to leave.

A reporter for The Associated Press found at least half of the businesses on one side of the street with broken windows along a two block area.

Sam Thomas, who was helping his friend clean up the glass from the shattered windows of his business, OSO, a clothing and accessories boutique, said he understood why people were angry. The U.S. justice system is broken and needs to be fixed, Thomas said.

"I'm not saying this is the right way to fix it," he said of the damage.

"The window isn't murdered. Nobody is going to have a funeral for the window. We can replace it."

Earlier Saturday, demonstrations consisted mostly of marching and chanting through University City in a change from Friday evening's violence, which saw 11 police officers injured - several by bricks tossed from the crowd - and the smashing of windows at the home of Mayor Lyda Krewson.

Krewson wasn't home at the time, but family members were. She called the vandalism "irritating."

"These are not the images we want to see of our city," Krewson said at a news conference Saturday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. "We have some work to do here."

Stockley's trial came in the wake of the August 2014 shooting death of Michael Brown in nearby Ferguson, Mo., another police-involved death that sparked days of unrest in that town and elsewhere. The white officer in that case did not face charges.

Friday's violence in St. Louis prompted the cancellation of concerts planned by rock band U2 on Saturday and singer Ed Sheeran on Sunday. Other events were postponed or canceled as well, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Earlier Friday, FOX2 in St. Louis captured video of an elderly woman being knocked down and trampled by riot police. That woman, who was unidentified, was charged with "interfering," St. Louis police tweeted Saturday.

On Saturday, U2 frontman Bono issued a statement on Instagram about the cancellation and about the events transpiring in St. Louis, Variety reported.

"Deeply saddened at what has happened in St. Louis and having to cancel our show tonight," Bono's statement read. "I found myself reading Dr. King's speech from the National Cathedral and asking myself is this 1968 or 2017?"

St. Louis police said 33 people were arrested in connection with Friday's protests. In addition to the mayor's home, there was also damage to two police vehicles, the St. Louis Public Library and 10 businesses in the city's Central West End, police said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Dozens arrested as second night of St. Louis protests turns violent

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Police in St. Louis are bracing Sunday for a third day of protests following the acquittal of a white former police officer in the fatal shooting of a black man. A small group of protesters who refused to disperse Saturday night clashed with cops as protests turned violent for a second night in a row.

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Hurricane Maria:´sightificant´ strengthening likely as storm nears land

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Story highlights

The Caribbean island of Dominica has been "devastated" by Hurricane Maria, the country's Prime Minister tells CNN.

The powerful storm, which made landfall Monday night, has since been downgraded to a Category 4 with sustained winds of 155 mph. After it passes over Dominica it is on course to score a direct hit on the US territory of Puerto Rico - the first hurricane of its strength to do so in 85 years.

"We're just waiting for daybreak to do an assessment of the damage," Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit told CNN's Rosemary Church.

"Our first order of business will be search and rescue to ensure we can account for every single citizen and residents who were on the island during this really devastating hurricane."

A statement from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that its record-topping winds reached 160 miles per hour when it hit the island nation. In an update the Center said that reports "indicate significant damage to structures has occurred in Dominica."

Maria made landfall on Dominica late Monday, coming ashore at 9:15 p.m. ET. It was so powerful that it tore the roof off the Prime Minister's residence.

"Personally I was affected," Skerrit said. "The roof of the residence caved in because of the strength of the wind. But I was taken to safe ground by ... police officers, thank God.

"This hurricane stayed in the country for a very, very long time and (was) just unrelenting. I don't think there were very many roofs which would survive the hurricane."

In a Facebook post he added: "So far we have lost all what money can buy and replace.

"My greatest fear for the morning is that we will wake to news of serious physical injury and possible deaths as a result of likely landslides triggered by persistent rains."

Initial reports are of widespread devastation. So far we have lost all what money can buy and replace. My greatest fear...
Posted by Roosevelt Skerrit on Monday, September 18, 2017

Relentless march

The storm will continue moving toward Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands as a strong Category 4 or a Category 5 and is not expected to diminish in strength.

After Dominica, Puerto Rico is in Maria's sights. It is moving toward the island as an "extremely dangerous major hurricane, and a hurricane warning has been issued for that island," the hurricane center said.

Puerto Rico's governor, Ricardo Rosselló, has declared a state of emergency ahead of that landfall, which will likely happen Wednesday.

A hurricane warning from the NHC remains in effect for Guadeloupe, Dominica, St. Kitts, Nevis, and Montserrat, the US and British Virgin Islands as well as Puerto Rico, Culebra, and Vieques.

US President Donald Trump issued an emergency declaration for the US territory for federal assistance to augment the territory's storm-response initiatives.

The ferocity of Maria bears striking similarities to Hurricane Andrew, the Category 5 hurricane which hit the Bahamas and Florida in 1992, says CNN meterologist Pedram Javaheri. Both storms are compact, and Maria's wind speed comes close to that of Hurricane Andrew - 165 mph - when it hit southern Florida.

Thanks to our #reservecitizenairmen maintainers for keeping aircraft flying so we're able to maintain around-the-clock storm reconnaissance. pic.twitter.com/ZcJQUyVE3I
- Hurricane Hunters (@53rdWRS) September 18, 2017

Track the storm here

Bracing for impact

Hours before Maria's expected landfall on Dominica - and just over week after the island was brushed by Irma - Skerrit urged residents to take any belongings that could become dangerous projectiles indoors.

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national oceanic and atmospheric administration

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Dominica PM: Hurricane Maria 'devastates' island | CNN

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The Caribbean island of Dominica has been "devastated" by Hurricane Maria, the country's Prime Minister tells CNN. The powerful storm, which made landfall Monday night, has since been downgraded to a Category 4 with sustained winds of 155 mph.

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The U.S. Navy has relieved two more top officers due to a "loss of confidence in their ability to command," following two deadly collisions over the summer.

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The U.S. Navy has relieved two more top officers due to a "loss of confidence in their ability to command," following two deadly collisions over the summer.

The destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided with a cargo ship in the Sea of Japan in June, killing seven sailors. In August, the USS McCain, another destroyer, collided with an oil tanker off the coast of Singapore, killing 10 more sailors.

On Monday, Vice Adm. Phil Sawyer, the commander of the 7th Fleet, relieved the commander of Task Force 70 (CTF 70), Rear Adm. Charles William, and the commander of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, Capt. Jeffrey Bennett. While the Navy's press release announcing the leadership changes did not directly mention the incidents from the summer, both officials relieved of their duties were in the Fitzgerald and McCain's chain of command.

"Rear Adm. Marc Dalton, commander of Task Force 76 (CTF 76), assumed duties as commander, CTF 70. Capt. Jonathan Duffy, deputy commander, DESRON 15, assumed duties as commander," the Navy said.

The Navy relieved the three-star admiral in charge of the 7th Fleet, Vice. Adm. Joseph Aucoin, following the McCain's collision. Aucoin was slated to retire in September and turn over command of the 7th Fleet to Rear Adm. Phil Sawyer, but his relief showed the Navy's focus on accountability in the wake of mishaps.

In addition to the collisions by the Fitzgerald and McCain, the USS Lake Champlain, a guided-missile cruiser, collided with a fishing boat in the Sea of Japan in May. There were no injuries.

In February, the USS Antietam, also a guided-missile cruiser, ran aground off the coast of Japan, damaging its propellers and spilling oil into the water.

On Tuesday, Secretary of Navy Richard Spencer and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson will testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee about the recent Naval incidents.

Joining the top Navy leaders will be John Pendleton, director of Defense Force Structure and Readiness Issues at the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which issued a report highlighting the Navy's readiness issues.

"GAO's prior work shows that the Navy has increased deployment lengths, shortened training periods, and reduced or deferred maintenance to meet high operational demands, which has resulted in declining ship conditions and a worsening trend in overall readiness," the report said. "The Navy has stated that high demand for presence has put pressure on a fleet that is stretched thin across the globe."

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Navy relieves 2 more top officers following deadly ship collisions

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The U.S. Navy has relieved two more top officers due to a "loss of confidence in their ability to command," following two deadly collisions over the summer. The destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided with a cargo ship in the Sea of Japan in June, killing seven sailors.

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That afternoon in late spring, her daughter finally got the jeweled belly button ring she had been asking for, and Breuner got a reminder that her little girl was growing up.

Breuner felt a swell of emotion, she said.

"I did my usual Dr. Mom thing and found out the person doing it had been a surgical tech before he decided to do piercings, and I watched him," Breuner said of taking her daughter, who's now in her early 20s, to get her belly button pierced.

He changed his gloves three times when performing the piercing and washed his hands between each glove change, said Breuner, an adolescent medicine specialist at Seattle Children's Hospital.

"He was honest with her -- he said, 'this is going to hurt' -- and I went in with her and held her hand, and of course I thought she was going to snap my hand off," Breuner said.

"I'm not saying everybody should do that," she added, "but at least for me, my sense of this whole world is that it's changing right in front of us, and we can either have our eyes open and be supportive and help our children make informed decisions when they're young adults, or ignore it and hope it goes away."

On Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics published a clinical report about the potential consequences and health risks of tattooing and piercing in adolescents and young adults, co-authored by Breuner and Dr. David Levine, a general pediatrician and professor at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta.

The report is the first to review the methods used to perform such body modifications in this age group, and it offers long-overdue guidance for parents, Breuner said.

"The number of young adults who want to get tattoos or pierced is increasing," she said. "It's really our mission and our job to promote safety and healthy living for our children as our children go into adulthood."

'It's very similar ... to do the sex talk'

In the report, Breuner and Levine make a clear distinction between self-selected body modifications and self-harm, and they explain how various methods of tattooing, piercing, permanent makeup, henna skin dye "tattoos," scarification and ear stretching are performed professionally.

Of all piercing sites, the navel takes the longest to fully heal: up to nine months, according to the report.

Complications from piercings or tattoos are not common but may include severe infections, allergic reactions or keloids, a growth of extra scar tissue, Levine said.

"I do have a majority of African-American families in my practice, and African-Americans are overrepresented when it comes to the formation of keloid scars," he said. "So that's another thing that parents should just be aware of: that if their child has had a keloid from almost any other kind of skin injury, then it's likely that this would be a disaster to do piercing or tattooing."

The report also turned a spotlight on the social implications of tattooing and piercing at a young age, including how some employers may frown upon visible tattoos in the workplace or how some adolescents may get tattoos they later regret.

"Adolescents may overestimate the effectiveness of tattoo removal when having one placed and should be instructed that tattoo placement is permanent, and it is expensive and sometimes difficult to remove them," the researchers wrote.

Yet the overall aim of the clinical report was to encourage parents to talk with teens about tattooing and piercing, and to offer guidance if their child has an interest in or questions about body modifications.

"The big thing is that parents really should bring this up, to talk with their children intentionally, because the teenagers are likely thinking, 'My parents will kill me, so I either have to hide (the tattoo), or I'll just actually abide by my parents' rules and get it when I'm 18.' Even then, 18-year-olds are still fairly impulsive. It still would be good for them to have had a discussion with their parents," Levine said.

"It's very similar when we talk to parents about the time to do the sex talk is at age 11, before they actually need it. ... Even if it's not right at that moment, it will open up the conversation and keep the communication open on these issues as kids negotiate adolescence," he said.

The new clinical report focused on adolescents and young adults, but Levine said the most common piercing-related question he receives from parents regards at what age it is safe to first have a child's ears pierced.

His recommendation: Wait until the child voices a preference.

"My biggest advice to the parents, unless this is a cultural issue where everybody in the culture gets their kids' ears pierced in early childhood, I'd like the kid to actually want it," he said.

Turning a spotlight on tattoo regret

From tattoo regret to tattoo desire, Richard Dukes focused much of his research on tattoos and piercings among youth during his career as a sociology professor.

The professor emeritus at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, who was not involved in the new clinical report, said it compiles current medical knowledge and does not contradict any of his own research findings.

"Tattoo regret is fairly common because meanings, values and norms change, and tattoos do not," Dukes said, adding that when someone gets a tattoo at an older age, the likelihood for regret is less.

"We have three grown sons. Two of them wanted to be tattooed. We said to wait until you are 18 and be sure to get good artwork," Dukes said of his own family.

"They complied," he said. "Now, one of them has had the small tattoo removed from his back, because he did not want his young daughter to think that he thought it was a good thing to do. The other son has two tattoos. I asked him if he would ever get another one. He said that if he had no tattoos, he would not get one. Since he already has tattoos, he is more likely to get another one."

As for other pediatricians, the new clinical report offered advice including:

Encouraging adolescents to seek medical care if they see signs or symptoms of infection after a tattoo or piercing.

Familiarizing themselves with local laws and regulations related to tattooing or piercing.

Recommending that all jewelry be removed during contact sports.

Counseling adolescents about the implications on how tattoos or piercings may be viewed in the workplace.

"It shouldn't be a conversation people should shy away from, and it really shouldn't be a conversation that health care providers should shy away from," Breuner said. "It really should be up there in the conversation that pediatricians and other health care providers have with teens and young adults, that is, 'Have you considered getting a tattoo or piercing?' "

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tattoos and piercing: here's what pediatricians recommend - cnn

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Before kids get pierced or tattooed, talk to your doctor

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That afternoon in late spring, her daughter finally got the jeweled belly button ring she had been asking for, and Breuner got a reminder that her little girl was growing up. Breuner felt a swell of emotion, she said.

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3 dead after buses collide at the most packed intersection in New York.

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Three people are dead and 15 others are injured after two buses collided at an intersection in Queens, New York, this morning, officials said.

The crash between a New York City MTA bus and a Dahlia charter bus happened in Flushing at just after 6:15 a.m. during the morning commute, officials said.

The accident sent the charter bus onto the sidewalk and it came to a rest in a restaurant, sparking a small fire, officials said.

The fire was quickly put out by firefighters, who treated the injured.

This story is developing. Please check back for more updates.

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3 dead after buses collide in Queens, New York

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Three people are dead and 15 others are injured after two buses collided at an intersection in Queens, New York, this morning, officials said. The crash between a New York City MTA bus and a Dahlia charter bus happened in Flushing at just after 6:15 a.m. during the morning commute, officials said.

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A tour bus and an MTA bus collided. There were 3 deaths and 16 injuries reported.

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Three people were killed and 16 others were hurt Monday when an MTA bus and tour bus collided in Queens, the FDNY said.

Firefighters rushed to the scene of the 6:15 a.m. crash at the intersection of Northern Blvd. and Main St. and worked furiously to remove people from the buses and get them to nearby hospitals.

One victim died at the scene two others died at the hospital, authorities said. Six of the passengers remained in critical condition, one person was in serious but stable condition and nine others suffered minor injuries.

Witnesses said the Dahlia Travel and Tours bus was traveling on Main St. when it crashed into the Q20 bus, which was making a left turn onto Northern Blvd. The impact sent the city bus spinning onto the sidewalk.

(@NYPD109Pct via Twitter)

"That Dahlia bus must've hit it at such an impact that it spun. There's no way that bus should be facing this way," Sherrell Jordan, 42, said.

"That's the problem - downtown Flushing is just too congested. We need these tour buses out of Flushing."

Mayor de Blasio and MTA Chairman Joe Lhota were on the scene.

Photos from the scene showed the driver of the Q20 bus sitting on the sidewalk leaning against a light pole, in shock. Another man lay on his side next to the driver, receiving treatment from a firefighter. Broken glass was scattered all over the block.

A bloodied man was removed on a stretcher wearing a neckbrace.

NYPD's 109th Precinct, in a post on Twitter, wrote that the collision was "very serious" and resulted in heavy traffic delays.

(Vic Nicastro for New York Daily News)

The FDNY also extinguished a small fire and shut off leaking gas in a nearby building that was struck by the ricocheting buses, officials said.

In Feb. 2016, a Dahlia Travel and Tours bus bound for Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut rolled over during a snowstorm. Around two-dozen people were taken to the hospital. The tour company is based in Flushing.

This story is developing. Check back for updates.
Send a Letter to the Editor

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Three dead, 16 injured after MTA bus, tour bus collide in Queens

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Three people were killed and 16 others were hurt Monday when an MTA bus and tour bus collided in Queens, the FDNY said. Firefighters rushed to the scene of the 6:15 a.m. crash at the intersection of Northern Blvd. and Main St. and worked furiously to remove people from the buses and get them to nearby hospitals.

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Utah mom killed, daughters injured when teen boy driver swerves into oncoming traffic

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A Utah mother was killed and her two daughters were injured on Saturday after a 15-year-old driver veered out of his lane and crashed into the family's vehicle, officials said.

The 15-year-old boy, who had a learner's permit, was driving near Smithfield when he veered out of his lane and into oncoming traffic about 3:40 p.m., FOX13 reported. The woman's vehicle slammed into the teenager's Ford Fusion, crumpling the white car.

The woman, identified as Samantha Perkes, 28, was killed on impact. Her two daughters, ages 4 and 7, were sitting in the backseat of the car and suffered minor injuries. They were hospitalized and later released.

The teenage boy was also injured in the crash. He was airlifted to the hospital.

It's unclear how the boy lost control of his vehicle. The teenage boy was the only person in the vehicle. Utah law requires drivers with a learner's permit to be accompanied by an adult, Utah Highway Patrol said.

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Utah mom killed, daughters injured when teen driver swerves into oncoming traffic

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A Utah mother was killed and her two daughters were injured on Saturday after a 15-year-old driver veered out of his lane and crashed into the family's vehicle, officials said. The 15-year-old boy, who had a learner's permit, was driving near Smithfield when he veered out of his lane and into oncoming traffic about 3:40 p.m., FOX13 reported.

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Maria strengthens to Category 1 hurricane
Three storms are spinning through the Atlantic . Two are hurricanes and look to threaten areas hit by Irma.

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maria strengthens to category 1 hurricane - cnn video

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Maria strengthens to Category 1 hurricane - CNN Video

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Three storms are spinning through the Atlantic Ocean. Two are hurricanes and look to threaten areas battered by Irma.

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Georgia Tech student shot dead by police on campus.

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A student at Georgia Institute of Technology was shot and killed by police Saturday night on the university's campus after he allegedly refused to follow the officers' orders to put down a knife he was holding, officials said.

Scout Shultz, 21, was pronounced dead early Sunday morning while he was being taken to the hospital, FOX5 Atlanta reported. Georgia Tech police were called to West Campus residential community after a person called 911 claiming someone with a knife and gun was near the campus.

Shultz, who was a fourth-year computer engineering major, was allegedly armed with a knife and refused to put the weapon down when officers urged him multiple times to do so. Videos taken by witnesses showed Shultz, who appeared to be barefoot, holding an object in his right hand, WSB-TV reported. He then yelled, "shoot me" to the officers.

"Drop the knife! Drop the knife!" the officers are heard yelling back.

"Nobody wants to hurt you man. Drop the knife," an officer said again, ordering him to put the weapon down.

Another video showed Shultz walking forward before an officer fired his gun at Shultz. Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Nelly Miles said the officer shot the student after he "continued to advance on the officers with the knife."

As the situation was unfolding, Georgia Tech issued a "seek shelter" alert to campus students until further notice. It advised students to lock all windows and doors. The alert was lifted around midnight Sunday, saying there was "no longer a threat to campus."

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into the situation, the college said.

"The Georgia Tech community was notified Sunday morning of the tragic death of Scout Schultz, fourth-year computer engineering major from Lilburn, Georgia. Schultz died Sunday, Sept. 17, as a result of an incident in the West Campus residential community," the statement read.

Schultz was the president of the Georgia Tech Pride Alliance. The organization released a statement Sunday afternoon saying it was "saddened" by the death.

"They have been the driving force behind Pride Alliance for the past two years. They pushed us to do more events and a larger variety events, and we would not be the organization we are known as without their constant hard work and dedication," the statement posted on Facebook read.

"Scout always reminded us to think critically about the intersection of identities and how a multitude of factors play into one's experience on Tech's campus and beyond," it continued. "We love you Scout and we will continue to push for change."

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Georgia Tech student shot dead by police on campus

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A student at Georgia Institute of Technology was shot and killed by police Saturday night on the university's campus after he allegedly refused to follow the officers' orders to put down a knife he was holding, officials said. Scout Shultz, 21, was pronounced dead early Sunday morning while he was being taken to the hospital, FOX5 Atlanta reported.

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Mom that talks about how her daughter got a tattoo from a previous surgeon.

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That afternoon in late spring, her daughter finally got the jeweled belly button ring she had been asking for, and Breuner got a reminder that her little girl was growing up.

Breuner felt a swell of emotion, she said.

"I did my usual Dr. Mom thing and found out the person doing it had been a surgical tech before he decided to do piercings, and I watched him," Breuner said of taking her daughter, who's now in her early 20s, to get her belly button pierced.

He changed his gloves three times when performing the piercing and washed his hands between each glove change, said Breuner, an adolescent medicine specialist at Seattle Children's Hospital.

"He was honest with her -- he said, 'this is going to hurt' -- and I went in with her and held her hand, and of course I thought she was going to snap my hand off," Breuner said.

"I'm not saying everybody should do that," she added, "but at least for me, my sense of this whole world is that it's changing right in front of us, and we can either have our eyes open and be supportive and help our children make informed decisions when they're young adults, or ignore it and hope it goes away."

On Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics published a clinical report about the potential consequences and health risks of tattooing and piercing in adolescents and young adults, co-authored by Breuner and Dr. David Levine, a general pediatrician and professor at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta.

The report is the first to review the methods used to perform such body modifications in this age group, and it offers long-overdue guidance for parents, Breuner said.

"The number of young adults who want to get tattoos or pierced is increasing," she said. "It's really our mission and our job to promote safety and healthy living for our children as our children go into adulthood."

'It's very similar ... to do the sex talk'

In the report, Breuner and Levine make a clear distinction between self-selected body modifications and self-harm, and they explain how various methods of tattooing, piercing, permanent makeup, henna skin dye "tattoos," scarification and ear stretching are performed professionally.

Of all piercing sites, the navel takes the longest to fully heal: up to nine months, according to the report.

Complications from piercings or tattoos are not common but may include severe infections, allergic reactions or keloids, a growth of extra scar tissue, Levine said.

"I do have a majority of African-American families in my practice, and African-Americans are overrepresented when it comes to the formation of keloid scars," he said. "So that's another thing that parents should just be aware of: that if their child has had a keloid from almost any other kind of skin injury, then it's likely that this would be a disaster to do piercing or tattooing."

The report also turned a spotlight on the social implications of tattooing and piercing at a young age, including how some employers may frown upon visible tattoos in the workplace or how some adolescents may get tattoos they later regret.

"Adolescents may overestimate the effectiveness of tattoo removal when having one placed and should be instructed that tattoo placement is permanent, and it is expensive and sometimes difficult to remove them," the researchers wrote.

Yet the overall aim of the clinical report was to encourage parents to talk with teens about tattooing and piercing, and to offer guidance if their child has an interest in or questions about body modifications.

"The big thing is that parents really should bring this up, to talk with their children intentionally, because the teenagers are likely thinking, 'My parents will kill me, so I either have to hide (the tattoo), or I'll just actually abide by my parents' rules and get it when I'm 18.' Even then, 18-year-olds are still fairly impulsive. It still would be good for them to have had a discussion with their parents," Levine said.

"It's very similar when we talk to parents about the time to do the sex talk is at age 11, before they actually need it. ... Even if it's not right at that moment, it will open up the conversation and keep the communication open on these issues as kids negotiate adolescence," he said.

The new clinical report focused on adolescents and young adults, but Levine said the most common piercing-related question he receives from parents regards at what age it is safe to first have a child's ears pierced.

His recommendation: Wait until the child voices a preference.

"My biggest advice to the parents, unless this is a cultural issue where everybody in the culture gets their kids' ears pierced in early childhood, I'd like the kid to actually want it," he said.

Turning a spotlight on tattoo regret

From tattoo regret to tattoo desire, Richard Dukes focused much of his research on tattoos and piercings among youth during his career as a sociology professor.

The professor emeritus at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, who was not involved in the new clinical report, said it compiles current medical knowledge and does not contradict any of his own research findings.

"Tattoo regret is fairly common because meanings, values and norms change, and tattoos do not," Dukes said, adding that when someone gets a tattoo at an older age, the likelihood for regret is less.

"We have three grown sons. Two of them wanted to be tattooed. We said to wait until you are 18 and be sure to get good artwork," Dukes said of his own family.

"They complied," he said. "Now, one of them has had the small tattoo removed from his back, because he did not want his young daughter to think that he thought it was a good thing to do. The other son has two tattoos. I asked him if he would ever get another one. He said that if he had no tattoos, he would not get one. Since he already has tattoos, he is more likely to get another one."

As for other pediatricians, the new clinical report offered advice including:

Encouraging adolescents to seek medical care if they see signs or symptoms of infection after a tattoo or piercing.

Familiarizing themselves with local laws and regulations related to tattooing or piercing.

Recommending that all jewelry be removed during contact sports.

Counseling adolescents about the implications on how tattoos or piercings may be viewed in the workplace.

"It shouldn't be a conversation people should shy away from, and it really shouldn't be a conversation that health care providers should shy away from," Breuner said. "It really should be up there in the conversation that pediatricians and other health care providers have with teens and young adults, that is, 'Have you considered getting a tattoo or piercing?' "

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tattoos and piercing: here's what pediatricians recommend - cnn

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Before kids get pierced or tattooed, talk to your doctor

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
That afternoon in late spring, her daughter finally got the jeweled belly button ring she had been asking for, and Breuner got a reminder that her little girl was growing up. Breuner felt a swell of emotion, she said.

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Kate McKinnon won an Emmy last night for her portrayal of Hillary Clinton on SNL. She praised Clinton, saying "thank you for your grace and grit."

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Hurricane Maria intensifies as it barrels toward Puerto Rico. It should make landfall on Wednesday.

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Story highlights

The Caribbean island of Dominica has been "devastated" by Hurricane Maria, the country's Prime Minister tells CNN.

The powerful storm, which made landfall Monday night, has since been downgraded to a Category 4 with sustained winds of 155 mph. After it passes over Dominica it is on course to score a direct hit on the US territory of Puerto Rico - the first hurricane of its strength to do so in 85 years.

"We're just waiting for daybreak to do an assessment of the damage," Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit told CNN's Rosemary Church.

"Our first order of business will be search and rescue to ensure we can account for every single citizen and residents who were on the island during this really devastating hurricane."

A statement from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that its record-topping winds reached 160 miles per hour when it hit the island nation. In an update the Center said that reports "indicate significant damage to structures has occurred in Dominica."

Maria made landfall on Dominica late Monday, coming ashore at 9:15 p.m. ET. It was so powerful that it tore the roof off the Prime Minister's residence.

"Personally I was affected," Skerrit said. "The roof of the residence caved in because of the strength of the wind. But I was taken to safe ground by ... police officers, thank God.

"This hurricane stayed in the country for a very, very long time and (was) just unrelenting. I don't think there were very many roofs which would survive the hurricane."

In a Facebook post he added: "So far we have lost all what money can buy and replace.

"My greatest fear for the morning is that we will wake to news of serious physical injury and possible deaths as a result of likely landslides triggered by persistent rains."

Initial reports are of widespread devastation. So far we have lost all what money can buy and replace. My greatest fear...
Posted by Roosevelt Skerrit on Monday, September 18, 2017

Relentless march

The storm will continue moving toward Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands as a strong Category 4 or a Category 5 and is not expected to diminish in strength.

After Dominica, Puerto Rico is in Maria's sights. It is moving toward the island as an "extremely dangerous major hurricane, and a hurricane warning has been issued for that island," the hurricane center said.

Puerto Rico's governor, Ricardo Rosselló, has declared a state of emergency ahead of that landfall, which will likely happen Wednesday.

A hurricane warning from the NHC remains in effect for Guadeloupe, Dominica, St. Kitts, Nevis, and Montserrat, the US and British Virgin Islands as well as Puerto Rico, Culebra, and Vieques.

US President Donald Trump issued an emergency declaration for the US territory for federal assistance to augment the territory's storm-response initiatives.

The ferocity of Maria bears striking similarities to Hurricane Andrew, the Category 5 hurricane which hit the Bahamas and Florida in 1992, says CNN meterologist Pedram Javaheri. Both storms are compact, and Maria's wind speed comes close to that of Hurricane Andrew - 165 mph - when it hit southern Florida.

Thanks to our #reservecitizenairmen maintainers for keeping aircraft flying so we're able to maintain around-the-clock storm reconnaissance. pic.twitter.com/ZcJQUyVE3I
- Hurricane Hunters (@53rdWRS) September 18, 2017

Track the storm here

Bracing for impact

Hours before Maria's expected landfall on Dominica - and just over week after the island was brushed by Irma - Skerrit urged residents to take any belongings that could become dangerous projectiles indoors.

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national oceanic and atmospheric administration

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Dominica PM: Hurricane Maria 'devastates' island | CNN

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The Caribbean island of Dominica has been "devastated" by Hurricane Maria, the country's Prime Minister tells CNN. The powerful storm, which made landfall Monday night, has since been downgraded to a Category 4 with sustained winds of 155 mph.

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Lady Gaga postpones tour due to 'severe physical pain'

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In a statement posted on the promoter's site, Live Nation revealed that the portion of the tour that was set to begin September 21 in Barcelona, Spain, and conclude on October 28 in Koln, Germany, has been postponed until 2018.

"Lady Gaga is suffering from severe physical pain that has impacted her ability to perform," the statement read. "She remains under the care of expert medical professionals who recommended the postponement earlier today."

"Lady Gaga is devastated that she has to wait to perform for her European fans," the statement said.

"She plans to spend the next seven weeks proactively working with her doctors to heal from this and past traumas that still affect her daily life, and result in severe physical pain in her body," the statement said. "She wants to give her fans the best version of the show she built for them when the tour resumes."

Gaga recently opened up about her struggles with fibromyalgia, a chronic musculoskeletal disease that causes pain and can also leave those suffering from it battling fatigue, headaches and insomnia.

Her new Netflix documentary, "Five Foot Two," explores the singer's health issues.

The latest news comes just days after Gaga was hospitalized and had to cancel a planned performance at the Rock in Rio music festival in Brazil.

"Brazil, I'm devastated that I'm not well enough to come to Rock In Rio," Gaga wrote in the caption of an Instagram photo showing an IV needle in her arm. "I would do anything 4 u but I have to take care of my body right now."

The Grammy winner also posted an Instagram photo after the European tour postponement was announced, writing that she has "always been honest about my physical and mental health struggles" and has been "searching for years to get to the bottom of them."

"It is complicated and difficult to explain, and we are trying to figure it out," she wrote. "As I get stronger and when I feel ready, I will tell my story in more depth, and plan to take this on strongly so I can not only raise awareness, but expand research for others who suffer as I do, so I can help make a difference."

Gaga assured fans that she is a fighter and that she appreciates them.

"I am looking forward to touring again soon, but I have to be with my doctors right now so I can be strong and perform for you all for the next 60 years or more," she wrote. "I love you so much."

No new dates for the European tour were announced. Live Nation said the second leg of Gaga's North American tour is currently still set to kick off in November as previously announced.

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lady gaga postpones tour due to 'severe physical pain' - cnn

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In a statement posted on the promoter's site, Live Nation revealed that the portion of the tour that was set to begin September 21 in Barcelona, Spain, and conclude on October 28 in Koln, Germany, has been postponed until 2018. "Lady Gaga is suffering from severe physical pain that has impacted her ability to perform," the statement read.

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Georgia Tech student shot dead by a police officer on campus for not dropping a knife

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A student at Georgia Institute of Technology was shot and killed by police Saturday night on the university's campus after he allegedly refused to follow the officers' orders to put down a knife he was holding, officials said.

Scout Shultz, 21, was pronounced dead early Sunday morning while he was being taken to the hospital, FOX5 Atlanta reported. Georgia Tech police were called to West Campus residential community after a person called 911 claiming someone with a knife and gun was near the campus.

Shultz, who was a fourth-year computer engineering major, was allegedly armed with a knife and refused to put the weapon down when officers urged him multiple times to do so. Videos taken by witnesses showed Shultz, who appeared to be barefoot, holding an object in his right hand, WSB-TV reported. He then yelled, "shoot me" to the officers.

"Drop the knife! Drop the knife!" the officers are heard yelling back.

"Nobody wants to hurt you man. Drop the knife," an officer said again, ordering him to put the weapon down.

Another video showed Shultz walking forward before an officer fired his gun at Shultz. Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Nelly Miles said the officer shot the student after he "continued to advance on the officers with the knife."

As the situation was unfolding, Georgia Tech issued a "seek shelter" alert to campus students until further notice. It advised students to lock all windows and doors. The alert was lifted around midnight Sunday, saying there was "no longer a threat to campus."

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into the situation, the college said.

"The Georgia Tech community was notified Sunday morning of the tragic death of Scout Schultz, fourth-year computer engineering major from Lilburn, Georgia. Schultz died Sunday, Sept. 17, as a result of an incident in the West Campus residential community," the statement read.

Schultz was the president of the Georgia Tech Pride Alliance. The organization released a statement Sunday afternoon saying it was "saddened" by the death.

"They have been the driving force behind Pride Alliance for the past two years. They pushed us to do more events and a larger variety events, and we would not be the organization we are known as without their constant hard work and dedication," the statement posted on Facebook read.

"Scout always reminded us to think critically about the intersection of identities and how a multitude of factors play into one's experience on Tech's campus and beyond," it continued. "We love you Scout and we will continue to push for change."

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Georgia Tech student shot dead by police on campus

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A student at Georgia Institute of Technology was shot and killed by police Saturday night on the university's campus after he allegedly refused to follow the officers' orders to put down a knife he was holding, officials said. Scout Shultz, 21, was pronounced dead early Sunday morning while he was being taken to the hospital, FOX5 Atlanta reported.

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Three people are dead and 15 others are injured after two buses collided at an intersection in Queens, New York. Happened around 6:15 a.m. during the morning commute.

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Three people are dead and 15 others are injured after two buses collided at an intersection in Queens, New York, this morning, officials said.

The crash between a New York City MTA bus and a Dahlia charter bus happened in Flushing at just after 6:15 a.m. during the morning commute, officials said.

The accident sent the charter bus onto the sidewalk and it came to a rest in a restaurant, sparking a small fire, officials said.

The fire was quickly put out by firefighters, who treated the injured.

This story is developing. Please check back for more updates.

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3 dead after buses collide in Queens, New York

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Three people are dead and 15 others are injured after two buses collided at an intersection in Queens, New York, this morning, officials said. The crash between a New York City MTA bus and a Dahlia charter bus happened in Flushing at just after 6:15 a.m. during the morning commute, officials said.

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80 people arrested at a protest in St.Louis over a police officer 's acquittal

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St. Louis Riot police arrested dozens Sunday night following the latest round of clashes with demonstrators protesting the acquittal of a white police officer in the shooting death of a black man.

At least 80 arrests were made in what was the third night of violence in the city, with hundreds of people protesting Friday's court decision that found Jason Stockley, a 36-year-old cop, not guilty in the 2011 death of Anthony Lamar Smith.

The verdict has enraged some of the city's residents, prompting daily protests that at times turned violent. Both Friday and Saturday, the protesters got agitated and confronted the police officers. Thirty were arrested on Saturday night. On Sunday, hundreds marched through the downtown streets of St. Louis. Despite the march remaining peaceful in the early hours amid the deployment of massive police forces, the protest turned violent by nightfall after roughly 100 protesters became confrontational while marching towards the center of downtown.

The violent agitators reportedly damaged property and sprayed unknown substance on police officers. One cop suffered a leg injury and was taken to the hospital, the police said.

After ignoring the call to disperse, arrests were made before midnight by officers wearing riot gear and successfully cleared the streets of protesters. "Whose streets, our streets," some cops shouted as they liberated the streets from violent agitators.

Organizers of the protest are fearing that violent marchers are giving a bad name to the cause, making it harder to spread the message.

Mayor Lyda Krewson told reporters at a late-night news conference that "the vast majority of protesters are non-violent," and the violence was perpetrated by "a group of agitators," Reuters reported.

Bruce Franks, Democratic State Representative, who participated in the march, seconded the Mayor, saying people who engage in violence "are not protesters" but rather a distinctive group from the actual marchers.

Protest organizer Anthony Bell, however, said that while he believes non-violence is the best way to achieve change, he does not condemn the violent protesters, citing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"I do not say the demonstrators are wrong, but I believe peaceful demonstrations are the best," he said.

Some protesters have defended themselves saying the police provoked the violence by showing up in riot gear and armored vehicles. Police said the measures were taken to ensure safety of their officers as the protesters throw things at them.
The Associated Press contributed to this report

Police giving order to disperse immediately at Tucker and Pine. This is no longer a peaceful protest. #stlverdict

- St. Louis, MO Police (@SLMPD) September 18, 2017

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80 Arrested in St. Louis Protests Over Police Officer's Acquittal

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St. Louis Riot police arrested dozens Sunday night following the latest round of clashes with demonstrators protesting the acquittal of a white police officer in the shooting death of a black man.