Miss Universe Host Steve Harvey Mistakenly Announces Wrong Winner
Las Vegas, NV (AP) The newly crowned Miss Universe from the Philippines is apologizing on behalf of the Miss Universe organization for the mistake that led a contestant from Colombia to first believe that she had won the crown. Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach told reporters after the Miss Universe pageant that she had conflicting emotions when…
FIFA ethics court bans Blatter, Platini for 8 years
ZURICH (AP) – FIFA’s ethics committee has banned Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini for eight years years from all soccer-related activities. Platini’s bid to succeed Blatter as FIFA president in a Feb. 26 election is now likely ended. Ethics judges ruled that Blatter broke FIFA Code of Ethics rules on conflicts of interest, breach of…
Massachusetts court to hear case on profanity-laced letter
BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts’ highest court will hear a challenge to the state’s criminal harassment law from a man convicted of sending profanity-laced letters to a local elected official. Harvey Bigelow, of Rehoboth, was convicted of writing letters to Selectman Michael Costello and his wife in 2011. The letter writer called Costello a “scumbag,” ”loser”…
Obama vetoes anti-climate change measures passed by Congress
HONOLULU (AP) — President Barack Obama has vetoed two bills that would have blocked steps that his administration is taking to address climate change. One bill would have nullified carbon pollution standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency. The second bill would have voided a set of national standards designed to reduce the amount of…
Sanders spokesman says DNC is attempting to undermine campaign
WASHINGTON (AP) -Bernie Sanders campaign manager says DNC is “actively attempting to undermine” campaign. A summary of computer logs show that four aides to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign accessed proprietary voter data compiled by the campaign of rival Hillary Clinton. And the records also show that the aides conducted 25 separate searches of…
Judge orders New Jersey ‘gay conversion’ nonprofit to close
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) – A New Jersey nonprofit that was sued for offering to turn gays to heterosexuals has been ordered to close. A judge on Friday granted a permanent injunction against Jews Offering New Alternatives for Healing, known as JONAH. In June, a Hudson County jury awarded damages to several men who had sued…
Marking anniversary, Obama says long journey for US, Cuba
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama says the process of normalizing relations with Cuba will take time, but there’s progress already. Obama is marking the one-year anniversary of the announcement by the United States and Cuba of plans to restore relations. Obama says both countries have taken important steps in that year to normalize relations.…
New Hampshire official sets February 9 presidential primary date
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – New Hampshire’s secretary of state has scheduled the first-in-the-nation presidential primary for Feb. 9, 2016, a move that had been widely expected given the lack of pressure from other states. Other states in past years have jockeyed to move their primaries and caucuses earlier in hopes of grabbing some of the…