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Police in Florida have arrested a man they described as a “homeless drifter” in the stabbing death of a 14-year-old boy whose body was found near an interstate overpass. Semmie Lee Williams, 39, was arrested Wednesday in Miami and charged with first degree murder in the death of Ryan Rogers. “He appears to be a homeless drifter spending most of his time in the streets of Miami,” Palm Beach Gardens Chief of Police Clinton Shannon said of Williams at a press conference Thursday. Ryan, a high school freshman, went missing on Nov. 15, having been last seen leaving his home...

Former VP Al Gore on his message to Donald Trump: "I would say please do the right thing. Acknowledge reality. Stop hurting this country. Stop undermining democracy." 1 min video at link. The Hill Twitter

SNIP An officer said he could smell pepper spray inside the trampoline park, but the department says it never used any during the incident. Following the Saturday brawl, teen nights have been permanently canceled at all Elevate Trampoline Park locations in Illinois, owner Liz Wilson announced Monday, WMBD reported. “We built our trampoline parks on the foundation of creating a fun, positive and safe place for everyone of all ages to enjoy,” Wilson said. “We are committed more than ever on focusing our efforts to maintain a family friendly environment, where everyone who enters our doors, both guests and staff...

The defining photograph of the attempted insurrection on Jan. 6 was that of a man strolling through the broken halls of our national Capitol, amid the smashed windows and assorted rubble of the failed coup, proudly brandishing a Confederate flag on his shoulder and hoping to overturn an election decided largely by Black voters. It’s an image that tells the story not only of Jan. 6 or of the Trump presidency, but also of all the steps that led to that moment — the whole history of hate in America captured in one frame. For me, the echoes of that...

A U.S. judge ruled Monday that the Trump administration is operating within its authority when separating families stopped at the Mexico border, rejecting arguments that it was quietly returning to widespread practices that drew international condemnation. The American Civil Liberties Union argued that the administration was splitting families over dubious allegations and minor transgressions including traffic offenses. It asked the judge in July to rule on whether the government was justified in separating 911 children during the first year after the judge halted the general practice in June 2018. U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw indicated he was uncomfortable second-guessing government...

One of President Donald Trump’s top re-election advisers told influential Republicans in swing state Wisconsin that the party has “traditionally” relied on voter suppression to compete in battleground states, according to an audio recording of a private event obtained by The Associated Press. The adviser said later that his remarks referred to frequent and false accusations that Republicans employ such tactics. Justin Clark, a senior political adviser and senior counsel to Trump’s re-election campaign, made the remarks on Nov. 21 as part of a wide-ranging discussion about strategies in the 2020 campaign, including more aggressive use of Election Day monitoring...

Failure to tackle global warming could result in economic disaster, the United Nations Secretary-General warned Thursday in Madrid, as negotiators at the U.N. climate talks remained deadlocked over key issues. António Guterres said unrestrained climate change would allow only the “survival of the richest,” while former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the “absence of leadership” from Washington was a big obstacle in the talks. “It’s very difficult to get this done if the United States of America isn’t there,” the veteran diplomat told The Associated Press during an interview in the Spanish capital, adding that he felt negotiators...

Two correctional officers responsible for guarding Jeffrey Epstein when he took his own life are expected to face criminal charges this week for falsifying prison records, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The federal charges could come as soon as Tuesday and are the first in connection with Epstein’s death. The wealthy financier died at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York while awaiting trial on charges of sexually abusing teenage girls. The officers on Epstein’s unit at the federal jail in New York City are suspected of failing to check on him every half-hour, as...

Journalist Megyn Kelly says she has an interview with the employee fired from CBS News after they were thought to be involved in the leak of a hot mic video of ABC's Amy Robach talking about how a story about a Jeffrey Epstein accuser was "quashed" by the network. Kelly previewed the interview on her new Instagram account on Friday morning, saying that the full interview would be posted later in the day on her Instagram page and on YouTube. SNIP "Two sources familiar with the matter tell me that CBS News has fired the staffer in question," Ali tweeted...

Moscow is not blaming U.S. President Donald Trump for failing to improve U.S.-Russian relations, a pledge he had made during his election campaign, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Arab broadcasters. “We know that, including during his previous election campaign, he spoke in favor of a normalization (of U.S.-Russia relations), but unfortunately it has not happened yet,” Putin told Al Arabiya, Sky News Arabia and RT Arabic. “But we have no claims because we see what’s going on in U.S. domestic politics,” he said, according to a transcript published on the Kremlin’s website on Sunday. Putin said...

The FBI’s sworn story to a federal court about its asset, Christopher Steele, is fraying faster than a $5 souvenir T-shirt bought at a tourist trap. Newly unearthed memos show a high-ranking government official who met with Steele in October 2016 determined some of the Donald Trump dirt that Steele was simultaneously digging up for the FBI and for Hillary Clinton’s campaign was inaccurate, and likely leaked to the media. The concerns were flagged in a typed memo and in handwritten notes taken by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Kathleen Kavalec on Oct. 11, 2016. Her observations were recorded exactly...

The NYPD is warning police officers about a possible threat from the MS-13 gang, particularly when they are off-duty. CBS2’s Dick Brennan reports that in a bulletin the NYPD put out this alert: “Members of MS-13 are looking to ‘hit’ NYPD police officers, specifically in the Brentwood/Central Islip area as well as possibly Patchogue.” The bulletin says that the gang members would carry out the attacks on off-duty officers “in order to gain street credibility.” While the threat has not been substantiated, law enforcement experts say this cannot be taken lightly. “Whenever a law enforcement officer is being threatened, especially...

Employers that champion women face accusations of discriminating against their pregnant workers, showing how widespread the problem is in American workplaces. As a medical assistant at Planned Parenthood, Ta’Lisa Hairston urged pregnant women to take rest breaks at work, stay hydrated and, please, eat regular meals. Then she got pregnant and couldn’t follow her own advice. Last winter, Ms. Hairston told the human-resources department for Planned Parenthood’s clinic in White Plains, N.Y., that her high blood pressure was threatening her pregnancy. She sent the department multiple notes from her nurse recommending that she take frequent breaks. Managers ignored the notes....

Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton during an event over the weekend left the door open to a possible 2020 run, saying that even though she doesn't want to run, "I'd like to be president." Clinton's comments come as speculation has increased over whether she will launch another bid after the midterm elections. "Do you want to run again?" Recode’s Kara Swisher asked during a Friday night Q&A with Clinton. "No," Clinton replied quickly, sparking laughter from the audience. But when Swisher pressed her further, she added: "I’d like to be president." Clinton went on to say that "there’s going...

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is pressing forward with a hearing scheduled for Monday after a woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault called for the FBI to investigate her claims before she testifies. Grassley, on Monday evening, said there was "no reason" to delay the hearing. Republicans have invited both Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, his accuser, to testify publicly. “Dr. Ford’s testimony would reflect her personal knowledge and memory of events. Nothing the FBI or any other investigator does would have any bearing on what Dr. Ford tells the committee, so there is no reason for...

Antifa rioters invaded Portland City Hall just recently today injuring and attacking innocent people and officials. Arrests were made. This comes after violent riots where blood spilled into the streets and police had to respond with force to end the civil disturbance. The Willamette Week, a news organization owned by the Democrat Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum’s Backpage.com-affiliated husband, made the civil disturbance out to be that the Portland Police Chief and her team violently attacked the innocent poor Antifa rioters, when in fact it was Antifa that was doing the violence and spilling the blood.“One demonstrator, who was masked and...

Former FBI attorney Lisa Page, whose text messages with FBI agent Peter Strzok became a flashpoint amid allegations of anti-Trump bias at the bureau, will not appear for interviews on Wednesday with House lawmakers, her lawyer said. Page's lawyer said in a statement obtained by Politico that she will not comply with a congressional subpoena to testify before the House Judiciary and the Oversight and Government Reform Committees. "Instead of responding to our requests to explain the scope of the interview and provide sufficient notice to allow her to prepare, the Committees chose to issue a subpoena," Page's attorney wrote....