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U.S. Mega Millions jackpot nears $1 billion hours before drawing

Excitement over the Mega Millions record has attracted attention from those who do not ordinarily buy tickets. "I get caught up in the frenzy, and you don’t want to get left behind,” said Venice Naidoo, a client operations specialist at a law firm. The immediate cash value of the Mega Millions prize is $548 million.

After ad gaffe, North Dakota's Heitkamp apologizes in Senate debate

The ad, intended to highlight her support of women following the brutal debate over a U.S. Supreme Court nominee accused of sexual assault, was an untimely gaffe for Heitkamp as she struggles to hang on to her seat in next month's election in a state that Republican President Donald Trump won by a landslide in 2016. "Unfortunately, this week I not only disappointed many in North Dakota, I disappointed myself," Heitkamp said. After Heitkamp's apology, Cramer seemed to see little need to go on the attack, keeping a cordial tone as the two discussed immigration, sexual assault, gun violence in schools and the impact of Trump's trade tariffs.

Ex-FBI agent charged with leaking sentenced to 48 months

Albury's sentence is much harsher than his defense lawyers had hoped, but slightly less severe than the 52-month prison term that federal prosecutors were seeking. Albury pleaded guilty to two counts of leaking classified materials earlier this year. Joshua Dratel, Albury's lawyer who earlier confirmed the sentence to Reuters, declined to comment further.

Justice Department probes Catholic Church sex abuse in Pennsylvania

The investigation is the first statewide probe by federal authorities of allegations of sex abuse and cover-up by the Catholic Church in the United States.

Judge orders U.S. to review asylum for separated migrant families

The order directs the government to begin the process of reviewing asylum claims for about 60 detained parents and children, even if their claims had previously been denied. Civil rights attorneys argued in court papers that the government was violating a September settlement agreement that had cleared the way for more than 1,000 immigrants separated by U.S. officials to have their asylum claims reconsidered. Department of Justice attorneys at the time promised the court the government would "get moving" on the agreement.

U.S. Mega Millions jackpot nears $1 billion, second largest on record

The immediate cash value of the Mega Millions prize is $548 million. Among the throngs dreaming of what to do with potential winnings was Erica Young, who works in the Manhattan hotel industry, and who decided to buy a ticket a day ahead of the drawing. Each of the 24 semi-weekly drawings have failed to produce a top winner since July 24, when an 11-member office pool in Santa Clara County, California, hit a $543 million jackpot.

Florida's Republicans feel brunt of hurricane in upcoming election

To her shock, the 69-year-old retired teacher found her mail-in absentee ballot sitting in her post office box in the town of Port St. Joe. With much of the region still working to secure basic services like electricity, passable roads and phone service after one of the strongest hurricanes ever to hit the United States, election officials in the Panhandle are scrambling to ensure tens of thousands of people are able to vote. In Florida, the ballot includes one of the country's most closely watched races for the U.S. Senate, pitting Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson against Republican Governor Rick Scott.

Thousands in U.S. South may not be able to cast ballots in early voting

The delay disproportionately affected the area around Memphis, a majority African-American city, leading activists to charge the Republican-controlled state government has not done enough to protect the rights of young and minority voters. State officials, however, said they were simply struggling to keep up with a surge in paperwork ahead of Election Day. Democrats view that matchup as one of their few chances to pick up the two additional seats in the U.S. Senate they would need to take a majority and more effectively oppose President Donald Trump's agenda, though recent polls show Blackburn ahead.

Former USA Gymnastics boss arrested for Nassar evidence-tampering

Steve Penny, the former USA Gymnastics president, was arrested on Wednesday night in Tennessee on charges he tampered with evidence in the case of Larry Nassar, the disgraced team doctor convicted of sexually assaulting athletes, the U.S. Marshals Service said. Penny is due to be extradited to Walker County in Texas to face allegations he removed documents from the USA Gymnastics national team training center there, the U.S. Marshals Service's statement said. Nassar was sentenced in February to up to 125 years in prison after some 200 women, including Olympians, testified about decades of abuse at his hands.

Trump administration asks high court to halt climate change case

President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday for a second time asked the U.S. Supreme Court to put the brakes on a lawsuit filed by young activists who have accused the U.S. government of ignoring the perils of climate change. In the lawsuit, 21 activists, ages 11 to 22, said federal officials violated their rights to due process under the U.S. Constitution by failing to adequately address carbon pollution such as emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. The lawsuit was filed in 2015 against former President Barack Obama and government agencies in a federal court in Eugene, Oregon.

More Honduran migrants seek to join U.S.-bound group in Guatemala

The migrants hope to reach Mexico and then cross its northern border with the United States, to seek refuge from endemic violence and poverty in Central America. Several thousand people are now journeying in the caravan, according to a Reuters witness traveling with the group in Guatemala, where men, women and children on foot or riding in trucks filled a road on their long journey to Mexico. A first group made it to Guatemala City by dusk on Wednesday.

Late brothel owner Hof will win Nevada vote: campaign manager

Dennis Hof, 72, who died on Tuesday, styled himself as America's best-known pimp and a strip-club owner who ran multiple brothels. "I feel very comfortable predicting that he is still going to win the election on November 6," campaign manager Chuck Muth said in an interview, adding Republicans had a 2-to-1 advantage over Democrats in the state Assembly district in terms of voter registration. Hof was running for a seat in a heavily Republican district and had been favored to win.

More Honduran migrants seek to join U.S.-bound group in Guatemala

More Honduran migrants tried to join a caravan of several thousand trekking through Guatemala on Wednesday, defying calls by authorities not to make the journey after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to cut off regional aid in reprisal. The migrants hope to reach Mexico and then cross its northern border with the United States, to seek refuge from endemic violence and poverty in Central America. Several thousand people are now part of the caravan, according to a Reuters witness traveling with the group in Guatemala, where men women and children on foot and riding in trucks filled a road on their long journey to Mexico.

Sheriff says 'every second counts' in search for Wisconsin girl

"We believe Jayme was in the home at the time of the homicides and we believe she's in danger," Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald, who is leading the search, told a news conference. Police issued an Amber Alert for the girl on Monday afternoon after discovering the bodies of her parents earlier that day. The deaths of James and Denise Closs, who had suffered gunshot wounds, were ruled homicides on Wednesday, Fitzgerald said.

Trump slams California wildfire steps, threatens funding halt

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday rekindled his criticism of California's wildfire prevention steps and threatened to withhold billions of dollars of federal funding amid one of the most destructive fire seasons on record. "It's hurting our budget, it’s hurting our country and they better get their act together,” Trump said at a Cabinet meeting about California's forestry management. The Republican president's comments, which followed his criticism in August of California's wildfire prevention efforts, were aimed at Democratic Governor Jerry Brown, whom he has frequently criticized over immigration and other policies.

Man sentenced to nearly 25 years for arson of Texas mosque

A man convicted of a hate crime in setting fire to a mosque in Texas was sentenced to almost 25 years in prison.

Trump pulling out of pact that discounted foreign postal deliveries

The Trump administration will begin withdrawing from a United Nations pact that offered low rates for foreign postal deliveries of small packages in the United States, the latest move to challenge practices it sees as unfairly advantageous to China. White House officials said on Wednesday the United States would start the process of leaving the Universal Postal Union (UPU), a Switzerland-based organization that connects postal services worldwide. The White House said the UPU enables foreign postal services to take advantage of cheap shipments to the United States, creating an unfair cost advantage over U.S. companies that ship goods, and hurting the U.S. Postal Service.

U.S. greenhouse emissions fell in 2017 as coal plants shut

Greenhouse gases emissions from the largest U.S. industrial plants fell 2.7 percent in 2017, the Trump administration said, as coal plants shut and as that industry competes with cheap natural gas and solar and wind power that emit less pollution. The drop was steeper than in 2016 when emissions fell 2 percent, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said. EPA acting administrator Andrew Wheeler said the data proves that federal regulations are not necessary to drive carbon dioxide reductions.

Lack of power, phone service hamper post-Hurricane Michael recovery

It packed top sustained winds of 155 miles per hour (250 km per hour) that toppled power lines and unleashed a surge of seawater that demolished homes. Florida officials have not said how many people are missing. Debris, downed trees and power lines have hampered access to stranded people.

U.S. first lady's plane lands safely after smoke filled cabin

“They had a problem, but she’s fine,” Trump said in an interview on Fox Business News. The plane had a "minor mechanical issue," after the plane took off for Philadelphia, the first lady's spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in an emailed statement. Trump was scheduled to visit the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital there and meet with families affected by prenatal opioid use as part of her "Be Best" campaign.

O'Rourke gets tough in U.S. Senate battle in Texas, but is it too late?

Cruz fired back repeatedly, casting O'Rourke as out of touch with the values of Texas voters during a free-swinging debate that turned personal over divisive issues such as healthcare, climate change and the possible impeachment of Trump. "Senator Cruz is not going to be honest with you.

U.S. courts abruptly tossed 9,000 deportation cases. Here's why

The notice to appear in court that Barrios had received in her deportation case hadn’t specified a time or date for her first hearing, noting that they would be determined later. The Supreme Court case involved Wescley Fonseca Pereira, a Brazilian immigrant who overstayed his visa and was put into deportation proceedings in 2006. The Supreme Court ruled that paperwork failing to designate a time and place didn’t constitute a legal notice to appear in court.

U.S. CDC confirms 62 cases of rare polio-like neurological condition

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 62 cases of acute flaccid myelitis, a rare, polio-like condition that causes weakness in the arms or legs, across 22 states. The CDC is investigating 127 reported cases, including the ones that have been confirmed. The number of confirmed cases reported to date is similar to levels reported in the fall of 2014 and 2016.

U.S. holiday hiring hits highest since 2014 as consumer confidence soars

Retailers have said they would add 704,000 jobs in total to their rosters ahead of the important holiday shopping season, which is up 1.2 percent from the previous best figures in 2014, according to global outplacement and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc in a report released on Wednesday. Target Corp, Amazon.com Inc and Macy's lead the top retailers in hiring, signaling that sales at their stores would be charged by customers digging deep into their wallets. Overall sales for the holiday season - traditionally between Thanksgiving and Christmas - is expected to rise 4.3 to 4.8 percent to $717.45 billion and $720.89 billion, excluding autos, gasoline and dining out, according to the National Retail Federation.

Rising rates knock U.S. mortgage activity to lowest since 2014: MBA

Loan applications for home refinancing tumbled to their lowest level since late 2000, while mortgage requests to buy a home dropped to their weakest level in 20 months, MBA data showed. The Washington-based group's seasonally adjusted index on mortgage applications fell 7.1 percent to 322.1 in the week ended Oct. 12. The jump in mortgage rates is another headwind for the housing sector that is already struggling with lean inventory and rising building costs.

U.S. states opposed to offshore drilling find hope in Zinke's words

LOS ANGELES/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has hinted to at least six coastal states that he will keep their waters out of a looming plan to expand U.S. offshore drilling, telling some they lack enough oil to be included anyway, according to state officials and transcripts from public hearings. Zinke's comments are the clearest indication to date that the Trump administration’s initial proposal to open nearly all U.S. waters to drilling, announced in January, will be significantly pared back by the time it is finalized. The administration had billed its initial plan as a good way to boost domestic energy production, but officials from nearly every Atlantic and Pacific coastal state opposed it on the grounds a spill would damage their multibillion-dollar tourism and fishing industries.

Mega Millions jackpot hits $868 million, second-largest in U.S. history

The Mega Millions jackpot rose from $667 million after no one hit the six numbers drawn on Tuesday, extending a winless streak for the top prize that has lasted since July. The lottery prize is the largest-ever for Mega Millions and the country's second-highest on record, trailing a $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot that was paid out in 2016. The immediate cash value of the Mega Millions prize, which winners can opt to take, is $494.5 million.

O'Rourke comes out swinging at 'Lyin Ted' Cruz in Texas debate

O'Rourke resurrected the nickname given Cruz by Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. "It’s why the president called him ‘Lyin’ Ted,’and why the nickname stuck.” Cruz took note of the more aggressive posture from O'Rourke, who had been hesitant to attack Cruz while portraying himself as a unifying figure who could bring Texans together, and made reference to O'Rourke's declining standing in the polls. "It's clear Congressman O'Rourke's pollsters have told him to come out on the attack," Cruz said.

Nevada brothel owner, dubbed 'Trump from Pahrump,' dies: sheriff

Dennis Hof, 72, styled himself as America's best-known pimp, a strip-club owner who ran multiple brothels. "This really is the Trump movement," Hof said in a June interview at Moonlite BunnyRanch, his brothel near his home in Pahrump, Nevada. The Nye County Sheriff's Office said on its website that Hof had been found dead at one of his properties in Crystal, Nevada.

Heated U.S. congressional races on pace to break fundraising records

Candidates for the House of Representatives have collectively raised $1.2 billion from January 2017 through the end of September, more than the inflation-adjusted $1 billion record set at this point in the 2010 election cycle, according to Federal Election Commission data. Senate candidates - who have six years to raise funds due to their longer terms - have raised more than $950 million, surpassing the $844 million raised during the same period ahead of the 2010 election. Democrats are aiming to pick up 23 seats in the House and two in the Senate in an effort to take control of Congress and block Republican President Donald Trump's agenda.

Death toll from Florida hurricane at least 29, hundreds missing

The death toll from Hurricane Michael rose to at least 29 as crews scoured for hundreds reported missing in Florida.

Minnesota accuses insulin makers of deceptive drug pricing

In a lawsuit filed in federal court in Trenton, New Jersey, Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson took aim at the companies after the list price for some insulin products more than tripled since 2002. The lawsuit alleged that companies fraudulently set artificially high list price for their products while offering rebates to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in exchange for them covering the drug on behalf of health plans. PBMs negotiate drug prices for employers and health plans and typically demand hefty discounts off list price from drugmakers in exchange including the medicines on their preferred formularies.

'Treason' remark stirs hotly contested Senate race in Arizona

Republican Congresswoman Martha McSally accused her opponent in the hotly contested U.S. Senate race in Arizona, Democratic U.S. Representative Kyrsten Sinema, of "being OK with treason" as the two faced off in their only debate. McSally has increasingly focused on Sinema's past as an antiwar protester and progressive activist to get an edge ahead of the Nov. 6 elections. Most recent opinion polls have shown the Democrat with a slight edge in the race for the seat held by retiring U.S. Senator Jeff Flake, a prominent Republican critic of President Donald Trump.

Record $667 million U.S. Mega Millions jackpot up for grabs

The new jackpot, which eclipses the previous high of $656 million, follows an 11-week winless streak for the top prize of the Mega Millions lottery. The Mega Millions jackpot has grown with each of the 23 semi-weekly drawings that failed to producer a top winner since July 24, when an 11-member office pool in Santa Clara County, California, hit a $543 million jackpot. The odds of hitting the jackpot by matching all six numbers correctly are an astronomical one in 302.6 million, but the odds of turning a Mega Millions ticket into a winner of any kind, including a $2 prize simply for matching the "Mega ball," are a more down-to-Earth one in 24.

Special Report: The Trump trap - Republicans duck president in key House races

Lance’s campaign website, which outlines his positions on immigration, taxes and other hot issues, offers no statement of support for President Donald Trump. On his Twitter and Facebook accounts, Lance has offered no plaudits this year for the president. When he does reference Trump, he’s more likely to note their differences.

Senate will not vote on new North America trade pact in 2018: McConnell

The U.S. Senate's top Republican said on Tuesday that senators will not vote to approve a revised North American trade pact in 2018, leaving the issue to the next Congress. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told Bloomberg Television that the Senate will not have time to take up the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement trade deal before 2019.

Ex-State Street executive gets prison in U.S. for defrauding clients

A former State Street Corp executive was sentenced on Tuesday to 18 months in prison after being convicted of taking part in a scheme to overcharge customers of the bank by applying secret commissions on billions of dollars' worth of trades. Ross McLellan, 46, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin in Boston after a federal jury in June found the one-time State Street executive vice president guilty of charges including conspiracy, securities fraud and wire fraud.

Harvard accused of bias against Asian-Americans at trial

Harvard University discriminates against Asian-American applicants in order to limit how many it admits, a lawyer for a group suing the school said on Monday at the start of a trial that could have wider implications for the role of race in U.S. college admissions. The case could eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court, giving the newly cemented five-member conservative majority a chance to bar the use of affirmative action to help minority applicants get into college, legal experts say. In previous rulings on affirmative action, which aims to offset historic patterns of racial discrimination, the Supreme Court has allowed colleges to include race as one factor among others in assessing applicants.

Hurricane strands many in Florida Panhandle's poor, rural backcountry

Bernard Sutton, a 64-year-old cancer patient, and two buddies have been living out of a camping tent and broken-down minivan since his double-wide trailer home in rural Fountain, Florida, was torn apart by Hurricane Michael last week. On Monday, five days after the storm plowed into Florida's Gulf Coast, Sutton was standing over a heap of clothes, books, furniture and other belongings he had salvaged from the wreckage. With his wife having moved in with a sister for the time being, Sutton said he had no means of transportation even if he was willing to leave.