White House Says Trump Isn’t Considering Firing Mueller

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is not considering firing the special counsel investigating Russian election interference, a top White House lawyer said, after a cascade of Trump tweets revived chatter that the deeply frustrated president may be preparing to get rid of the veteran prosecutor. The late-Sunday statement from White…

Death Penalty For Drug Traffickers Part Of Trump Opioid Plan

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s plan to combat opioid drug addiction nationwide calls for stiffer penalties for drug traffickers, including the death penalty where appropriate under current law, a top administration official said Sunday. It’s a fate for drug dealers that Trump, who aims to be seen as tough on…

Bridge Collapse Victim’s Uncle Rages At ‘Incompetence’

By JENNIFER KAY and ALLEN G. BREED, Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — As crews began removing bodies from beneath a collapsed pedestrian bridge Saturday, a victim’s uncle raged against what he called the “complete incompetence” and “colossal failure” that allowed people to drive beneath the unfinished concrete span. “Why they had to build this monstrosity in…

Trump Lauds Firing Of Ex-Top FBI Official As ‘Great Day’

By ERIC TUCKER, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he has fired Andrew McCabe, a former FBI deputy director who was a regular target of President Donald Trump’s anger and criticism, just two days before McCabe’s scheduled retirement date. McCabe suggested the move was part of the Trump administration’s “war on the…

Bridge Collapse Puts Spotlight On Rapid Building Technique

By JASON DEAREN, Associated Press As the 950-ton concrete bridge section was swung into place over a highway last weekend, Florida International University officials were beaming with pride. The pedestrian bridge on the edge of the Miami-area campus was a signature achievement of the school’s Accelerated Bridge Construction University Transportation Center, a research group set up…

Fallen Bridge: ‘Stress Test’ Preceded Collapse That Killed Six

By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON, Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — An innovative pedestrian bridge being built at Florida International University had been put to a “stress test” and its cables were being tightened when it collapsed over traffic, killing six people and sending 10 to a hospital, authorities said. As state and federal investigators worked to determine…

Footbridge Collapses Onto Busy Highway, Crushes 8 Vehicles

By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON, Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — A pedestrian bridge that was under construction collapsed onto a busy Miami highway Thursday, crushing at least eight vehicles under massive slabs of concrete and steel and killing multiple people, authorities said. Search-and-rescue crews drilled holes into the debris and used dogs to look for survivors. They…