Three years later, dog found
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WHEATON, Ill. -- A whiff of her old blanket was enough for Lola: The black Lab was back in her owners' arms three years after the Michigan dog disappeared on a trip to suburban Chicago. "I feel like I'm in a dream right now," Debra Mejeur said Saturday when she and her husband, Steve, were reunited with Lola at DuPage County Animal Services. Lola vanished from a fenced yard in 2017 when the Mejeurs, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, were visiting a friend in Elk Grove Village. The couple returned for about a month hoping to find a dog that was specially trained to help Debra Mejeur in case of a seizure. The Mejeurs posted notices, got help from volunteers and hired a professional pet searcher. No luck. DuPage County authorities got a call last week from a couple in Glendale Heights who had noticed Lola the past few years going into a forest preserve. They had been leaving food for the dog and earned her trust. A microchip revealed Lola's owners. "I still had an ounce of hope, I guess, but the majority of me was thinking she had already crossed the rainbow bridge. I was just completely stunned," Debra Mejeur said. Lola wagged her tail when she smelled her old blanket. Of course, no one knows how the dog survived for three years. "If she could talk," Debra Mejeur said.
Dish telemarketing penalized
RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina's public schools will receive $14 million for the state's share of a record settlement with a satellite television company that federal courts have determined participated in unlawful telemarketing activities. State Attorney General Josh Stein and other government attorneys who anchored the litigation against Dish Network announced the $210 million settlement several months after a federal appeals court decision addressing a 2017 trial judgment in Illinois. Dish will pay $126 million to the federal government, with the remainder being distributed to North Carolina and three other states, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The judgment had found Dish accountable for millions of unwanted calls to people on the Do Not Call Registry and for tens of millions of illegal robocalls, Stein's office said in a news release on Monday. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the lower court decision but vacated $280 million in awards, saying the total should be recalculated, according to the California attorney general's office, which was involved in the case. That led to the settlement, which also requires Dish Network to alter its telemarketing practices. The settlement is the largest civil penalty ever paid to resolve telemarketing under FTC laws. Dish said in an emailed statement on Monday that "we respectfully disagree with the underlying liability judgment," but consider the matter resolved. "We have long taken our compliance with telemarketing laws seriously and we maintain rigorous telemarketing compliance procedures and policies," the statement said.
Arrest made in Brady break-in
BROOKLINE, Mass. -- Police arrested a man Monday they say broke into a mansion owned by former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and model Gisele Bundchen and made himself comfortable on a couch while no one else was in the home. Police in Brookline, just outside Boston, responded to the home around 6 a.m. after a security company monitoring the home reported that alarms had gone off in the house. They reported seeing an intruder in the house on a security camera. Officers found 34-year-old Zanini Cineus lying on a couch in the basement while no one was home. Brady and his family moved to Florida after he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the offseason. The former Rhode Island resident, whose last known address was in Brockton, Massachusetts, was charged last year with stealing a signed Brady jersey from the New England Patriots Hall of Fame that had been valued at around $10,000. At the time, he was ordered to stay away from Gillette Stadium, where the team's hall of fame is located, the Boston Herald reports. Brady's 12,112-square-foot mansion on 5 acres is for sale but is an off-market listing, so the exact asking price is unclear. It had mostly recently been listed at $33.9 million.
Black woman named exec editor
MIAMI -- McClatchy has named Monica R. Richardson to lead its newsrooms in Florida, becoming the Miami Herald's first Black executive editor in the newspaper's 117-year history. Richardson, 50, who is currently the senior managing editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, will join the Miami Herald on Jan. 1, the newspaper reported. She has expertise in metro reporting and a specialization in digital news. "We are thrilled to welcome Monica to Miami," Kristin Roberts, McClatchy's senior vice president of news, said in a statement. "She has a strong record of leadership in local journalism at one of the great metro newsrooms in the country. Now, she brings her commitment to accountability journalism and a track record of successful digital innovation that serves local audiences." Richardson succeeds Aminda Marques Gonzalez, who last month ended a 10-year run as the Herald's executive editor to join book publishing company Simon & Schuster.
Britain readies for V-Day
LONDON -- It's been dubbed "V-Day" in Britain -- recalling the D-Day landings in France that marked the start of the final push in World War II to defeat Nazi Germany. A week after the U.K. became the first Western country to authorize widespread use of a vaccine against COVID-19, it is preparing to administer its first shots on Tuesday in its war on the virus. Those 800,000 doses will first go to people over 80 who are either hospitalized or already have outpatient appointments scheduled, along with nursing home workers. In other words, the National Health Service is saying to the waiting public, in effect: Don't call us, we'll call you. Only those who have been contacted by the NHS to arrange an appointment will be getting the jab. Most people will have to wait until next year before there is enough vaccine on hand to expand the program.
Trump honors legendary wrestler
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump presented the nation's highest civilian honor to Dan Gable, a renowned wrestler and coach from Iowa who won a gold medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics. "He's the greatest wrestler, probably ever," Trump said. "He's made our country very proud and he's a true GOAT." Trump used an October campaign rally to announce the selection of Gable for the Presidential Medal of Freedom, bringing him on stage to the delight of the crowd as he sought to win over Iowa voters. The ceremony on Monday at the White House fulfills that commitment. Gable is one of several sports figures to be presented the award during Trump's time in office. Gable was a champion wrestler at Iowa State University, compiling a 117-1 record and winning two NCAA titles. During his six matches at the Munich Olympics, he went unscored upon. Gable would go on to an incredibly successful coaching career at the University of Iowa, where his teams won 15 NCAA titles. "No one has done more to promote wrestling in America than Dan Gable," Trump said.
Tennis pavilion ready to be used
WASHINGTON -- Tennis anyone? Weeks before her family turns the White House over to President-elect Joe Biden, Melania Trump announced that a new tennis pavilion on the south grounds is ready for action. The project included sprucing up an existing tennis court and children's garden, in addition to building a pavilion to replace a smaller structure. The first lady's office said Monday that the pavilion's design was inspired by the architectural style of the White House, especially the East and West Wings. A colonnade, parapet wall and fanlight windows tie the new building to the look and feel of the White House. Planning for the project began in early 2018, followed by approval in June 2019 by the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission. Mrs. Trump helped break ground for the project in October 2019. Construction was in partnership with the Trust for the National Mall and the National Park Service. The new building was funded by private donations. The White House did not disclose the cost.
Unidentified illness in India
NEW DELHI -- At least one person has died and 200 others have been hospitalized due to an unidentified illness in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The illness was detected Saturday evening in Eluru, an ancient city famous for its hand-woven products. Since then, patients have experienced symptoms ranging from nausea and anxiety to loss of consciousness, do. A 45-year-old man who was hospitalized with symptoms similar to epilepsy and nausea died Sunday evening. Officials are trying to determine the cause of the illness. So far, water samples from impacted areas haven't shown any signs of contamination, and the chief minister's office said people not linked to the municipal water supply have also fallen ill. The patients are of different ages and have tested negative for COVID-19 and other viral diseases such as dengue, chikungunya or herpes.
Truck kills 2 kids at putt-putt
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. -- A 4-year-old boy and his 6-year-old sister died after they were hit by a truck as they played miniature golf at a Florida course, officials said Saturday. The driver, Scott Donaldson, veered from the road and ended up in the course, striking the two young siblings on Friday. Debbie Ward, a spokeswoman of Panama City Beach, said the family was visiting from Louisville, Kentucky. Charges were pending as the crash remains under investigation. "This is a tragic event and our thoughts and prayers go out to the family," Ward said in an emailed statement. "We have had grief counselors and clergy with the family since this happened."
Thugshots Christmas tree out
MOBILE, Ala. -- An Alabama sheriff's department has removed a photo of a Christmas tree adorned with what they called "thugshots" of people who have been arrested after criticism that it was demeaning and cruel. The Mobile County Sheriff's Department deleted the photo from its Facebook page on Saturday, AL.com reported. The post showed a doctored image of a Christmas tree decorated with photos of people arrested or wanted for crimes. "We have decorated our Tree with THUGSHOTS to show how many Thugs we have taken off the streets of Mobile this year! We could not have done it without our faithful followers!" said the message posted Thursday. Sheriff's spokeswoman Lori Myles said the post was part of a series of "thug Thursday" messages that highlight photos of people who are wanted for various crimes. The campaign will now be rebranded "Warrant Wednesday," she told AL.com on Monday. She said the department had received numerous threats on Facebook over the post, and a representative with dispatch was concerned about the possibility of people flooding phone lines and preventing deputies from responding to emergencies. "I said, 'This is not worth it,'" Myles said.
Alaska landslide danger remains
HAINES, Alaska -- The search has been suspended for two people missing after a landslide in a small southeast Alaska community amid continued rain and the likelihood of additional slides, Alaska State Troopers said Monday. Torrential rains prompted several landslides in the community last Wednesday. The largest, about 600 feet wide, took out four homes in the community of Haines. David Simmons, 30, and Jenae Larson, 23, have been missing since the slide. Simmons, the interim executive director of the Haines Economic Development Corp., owned one of the homes that was destroyed. Larson, 23, a recent University of Idaho graduate who returned to her hometown to teach kindergarten, rented an apartment above Simmons' garage. More than four dozen families have evacuated because of the conditions, and motels in the city of about 2,500 are full. Borough officials have encouraged nearly a third of the town's residents to pack essentials and be ready to move on a moment's notice as weather conditions deteriorated and the risk of landslides remained high.
Griffin out as MSNBC president
NEW YORK -- Phil Griffin is stepping down as the longtime president of MSNBC, to be replaced early next year by rising NBC News executive Rashida Jones. Griffin, 64, has worked at NBC News for 35 years and has been president of MSNBC since 2008. With a primetime lineup led by Rachel Maddow, it has become established as the favorite of those wanting news from a liberal perspective. Jones, who has been with NBC News for the past seven years, is currently chief of breaking news and major events at the network. She just led the network's coverage of the 2020 presidential election and the team preparing Kristen Welker as moderator of the third presidential debate.
Becerra named health secretary
WILMINGTON, Del. -- In choosing Xavier Becerra to be his health secretary, President-elect Joe Biden tapped a robust defender of the Affordable Care Act who will face questions about whether he possesses the health care and management experience needed to lead the massive effort to vaccinate a nation against a deadly pandemic. As California's attorney general, Becerra leads the nation's largest state justice department, an influential perch from which he's fought Republican efforts to roll back health coverage. But he has been less involved in the day-to-day work to combat the coronavirus, is not a health care expert and has not overseen an office as sprawling as the Department of Health and Human Services. With the U.S. expected to begin vaccine distribution in the coming months, few Cabinet posts will have such influence over the nation's ability to move past the pandemic, an effort that will likely define the Biden presidency. Allies of Becerra, a former congressman who would be the first Latino HHS secretary at a time when the pandemic is taking a disproportionate toll on people of color, say he's well suited for the role. If confirmed by the Senate, Becerra would lead a $1 trillion-plus agency with 80,000 employees and a portfolio that includes drugs and vaccines, leading-edge medical research and health insurance programs covering more than 130 million Americans. Becerra, 62, tweeted Monday that in Congress he helped pass the Affordable Care Act and as California's attorney general he has defended it.
Aid appeal for Yemen launched
JERUSALEM -- Yemen is "on the edge of a precipice" after years of civil war, a senior U.N. official has warned on Monday, with millions of children suffering from malnutrition and facing the risk of famine. Ted Chaiban sounded the alarm about the worsening humanitarian situation as the United Nations Children's Fund launched an appeal for a record $2.5 billion in emergency funds from global donors. As UNICEF's director for the Middle East and North Africa, Chaiban oversees an effort to assist children and families in a region hit hard by conflict, natural disaster and the coronavirus crisis. With some 39 million children in need of assistance, the Middle East alone accounts for 40% of the agency's $6 billion global appeal. The region includes some of the world's most pressing humanitarian disasters -- from Yemen, where years of conflict have left it on the brink of famine, to Sudan, which is coping with floods and an influx of refugees from Ethiopia as it emerges from years of civil strife. Lebanon, meanwhile, is dealing with political paralysis, an unprecedented economic crisis and a large population of Palestinian and Syrian refugees as it tries to recover from a massive blast in its capital of Beirut in August. Syria continues to struggle with a civil war, now in its tenth year, which has displaced millions of people internally and scattered millions more as refugees. Yemen, which plunged into chaos and civil war after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels captured the capital in 2014, may be the most challenging area for UNICEF. The agency estimates that virtually all of Yemen's 12 million children require some sort of assistance. This can include food aid, health services, clean water, schooling and cash grants to help the poorest families scrape by.
Trump says Giuliani doing well
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump said Monday his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani was "doing very well … "I just spoke to him. No temperature" after being hospitalized with the coronavirus as lawmakers in battleground states that Giuliani visited last week scrambled to make sure they did not contract the virus. The 76-year-old former New York mayor, hospitalized in Washington, had traveled extensively to battleground states to press Trump's quixotic effort to get legislators to overturn his election loss to Joe Biden and subvert the November vote. On numerous occasions, Giuliani met with officials for hours at a time without wearing a mask.
Brain scans being questioined
NEW YORK-- Brain scans offer a tantalizing glimpse into the mind's mysteries, promising an almost X-ray-like vision into how we feel pain, interpret faces and wiggle fingers. Studies of brain images have suggested that Republicans and Democrats have visibly different thinking, that overweight adults have stronger responses to pictures of food and that it's possible to predict a sober person's likelihood of relapse. But such buzzy findings are coming under growing scrutiny as scientists grapple with the fact that some brain scan research doesn't seem to hold up. Such studies have been criticized for relying on too few subjects and for incorrectly analyzing or interpreting data. Researchers have also realized a person's brain scan results can differ from day to day -- even under identical conditions -- casting a doubt on how to document consistent patterns. With so many questions being raised, some researchers are acknowledging the scans' limitations and working to overcome them or simply turning to other tests. Earlier this year, Duke University researcher Annchen Knodt's lab published the latest paper challenging the reliability of common brain scan projects, based on about 60 studies of the past decade including her own. "We found this poor result across the board," Knodt said. "We're basically discrediting much of the work we've done."