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NEW YORK -- A Delta flight out of New York City was halted after a Florida couple traveling with a Great Dane puppy fled the aircraft with the pet using an emergency slide. The incident involving Antonio Murdock and Brianna Greco occurred on Monday as the jet was on a runway leaving for a flight from LaGuardia Airport to Atlanta, said the spokesperson, Morgan Durrant. Witnesses reported seeing a panicky Murdock force open a cabin door and jump out using the emergency chute leading to the runway. He was quickly followed by Greco with the puppy in tow. Murdock, 31, and Greco, 27, of Lake Worth, Florida, were taken into custody on charges including criminal mischief and trespassing, among others. Outside court, Murdock said he was having a panic attack, the New York Post reported. "I asked them three or four times to let me off," he said. "They said they were stopping the plane and they never stopped the plane, and I got to the point where I was just feeling dizzy. I didn't even know there was a slot to go down the slide. I just thought it was a regular door." Passenger Brian Plummer told The New York Times that before the couple exited the plane, the pair had changed seats several times on a flight that wasn't full. Murdock finally stood up and ignored a flight attendant's order to take a seat for takeoff, telling the attendant that he suffered from p The aircraft was forced to return to the gate where the remaining customers got off and were later put on alternate flights.
Lava lake forms at Kilauea
HONOLULU -- Lava was rising more than 3 feet per hour in the deep crater of a Hawaii volcano that began erupting over the weekend after a two-year break, scientists said Tuesday. Kilauea volcano within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island was gushing molten rock from at least two vents inside its summit crater, the U.S. Geological Survey said. A lava lake has formed, rising about 440 feet from the bottom of the crater. Since the eruption began Sunday night, Kilauea has spewed some 2 billion gallons of lava, enough to cover 33 acres. The lava has been contained inside the deep crater. It isn't threatening to get close to people or cover property, like when Kilauea erupted from vents in the middle of a residential neighborhood in 2018 and destroyed more than 700 homes. Still, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has warned residents to beware of potentially high levels of volcanic gas, rockfalls and explosions.
Plotted attack on US power grid
MINNEAPOLIS -- White supremacists plotted to attack power stations in the southeastern U.S., and an Ohio teenager who allegedly shared the plan said he wanted the group to be "operational" on a fast-tracked timeline if President Donald Trump were to lose his re-election bid, the FBI alleges in an affidavit that was mistakenly unsealed. The teen was in a text group with more than a dozen people in the fall of 2019 when he introduced the idea of saving money to buy a ranch where they could participate in militant training, according to the affidavit, which was filed under seal along with a search warrant application in Wisconsin's Eastern U.S. District Court in March. The documents were inadvertently unsealed last week before the mistake was discovered and they were quickly sealed again. The Ohio teen, who was 17 at the time, also shared plans with a smaller group about a plot to create a power outage by shooting rifle rounds into power stations in the southeastern U.S. The teen called the plot "Light's Out" and there were plans to carry it out in the summer of 2021, the affidavit states.
'Caliphate' out of the running
NEW YORK -- A high-profile podcast on terrorism from The New York Times that had been a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize was withdrawn as a contest entry in the wake of the newspaper saying the claims of a man central to "Caliphate" could not be verified. In a statement on Tuesday, the board of the Pulitzer Prizes said it "accepted withdrawal of the entry as an appropriate resolution of this matter." The 2018 podcast series, about a Canadian man who said he had carried out atrocities for the Islamic State in Syria, had been named as a finalist in the international reporting category for 2019, which was won by Reuters and The Associated Press. After the man was arrested in Canada in September for perpetrating a terrorist hoax, it investigated and the man's story didn't hold together.
Sues ex, media over nude photos
LOS ANGELES -- Former U.S. Rep. Katie Hill sued her ex-husband and two media outlets Tuesday for distributing "nonconsensual porn" that helped torpedo her political career. Hill sued Kenneth Heslep, who she said launched a "scorched earth attack" on her after she broke up with him by distributing nude photos to the Daily Mail and RedState, a conservative media site. "Less than five months after the breakup, naked images of Hill that only Heslep had previously possessed were published globally on the internet, alongside intimate text messages and cruel lies," the lawsuit said. "Media defendants helped Heslep maximize injury to Hill, widely amplifying and publishing deeply private and degrading confidential information and false statements, all supplied by Heslep." Hill's lawsuit renews abuse allegations she made in her divorce case against Heslep that led to a temporary restraining order against him earlier this month in Los Angeles Superior Court. Hill, 33, resigned from Congress last year after nude pictures of her and an aide were leaked to conservative media. Heslep has previously denied those allegations. Hill acknowledged having an inappropriate affair with a female campaign aide but denied allegations of a relationship with a male congressional staffer. A relationship with a congressional staffer would have violated House rules.
US deaths in 2020 top 3 million
NEW YORK -- This is the deadliest year in U.S. history, with deaths expected to top 3 million for the first time -- due mainly to the coronavirus pandemic. Final mortality data for this year will not be available for months. But preliminary numbers suggest that the United States is on track to see more than 3.2 million deaths this year, or at least 400,000 more than in 2019. U.S. deaths increase most years, so some annual rise in fatalities is expected. But the 2020 numbers amount to a jump of about 15%, and could go higher once all the deaths from this month are counted. That would mark the largest single-year percentage leap since 1918, when tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers died in World War I and hundreds of thousands of Americans died in a flu pandemic. Deaths rose 46% that year, compared with 1917.
Yoga mat draws Hindu complaint
BOSTON -- A Hindu activist is calling on luxury goods maker Louis Vuitton to pull a yoga mat made partly from cowhide leather, calling it "hugely insensitive." Rajan Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, said in a statement Tuesday that the mat is "highly inappropriate" to practicing Hindus, who regard cows as sacred symbols of life. "The scenario of yoga -- a profound, sacred and ancient discipline introduced and nourished by Hinduism -- being performed on a mat made from a killed cow is painful," Zed said. The company's yoga mat, made mostly of canvas with leather details and a cowhide carrying strap, retails for $2,390 online. In an email to AP, Zed called on Louis Vuitton executives to apologize and adhere to its corporate code of conduct, which includes commitments to ethical and social responsibility. The company "should not be in the business of religious appropriation, sacrilege, mocking serious spiritual practices and ridiculing entire communities," he said. The Universal Society of Hinduism, which is based in Reno, Nevada, has led several recent campaigns targeting what it considers the commercial misuse of sacred symbols.
Flint joins $641M water deal
FLINT, Mich. -- The Flint City Council on Tuesday signed off on its portion of a $641 million settlement with residents of the poor, majority-Black city who were exposed to lead-tainted water. The city's insurer would kick in $20 million as part of a sweeping deal to settle lawsuits against Flint, the state of Michigan and other parties. Facing a Dec. 31 deadline, the council approved its stake after an hourslong meeting that raised concerns about whether residents were getting shortchanged, MLive.com reported. Most of the money -- $600 million -- is coming from the state of Michigan. Regulators in then-Gov. Rick Snyder's administration allowed Flint to use water from the Flint River in 2014-15 without treating it to reduce corrosion. Lead in old pipes broke off and flowed through people's taps.
Biden hedges immigration bets
WILMINGTON, Del. -- President-elect Joe Biden says it will take months to roll back some of President Donald Trump's actions on immigration, tempering expectations he generated during his campaign and one that may rile advocates pushing for speedy action on the issue. His Tuesday comments echo those made by two of his top foreign policy advisers in an interview with Spanish wire service EFE on Monday hitting the brakes on rolling back Trump's restrictive asylum policies. Susan Rice, Biden's incoming domestic policy adviser, and Jake Sullivan, his pick for national security adviser, as well as Biden himself, warned that moving too quickly could create a new crisis at the border. Speaking to reporters in Wilmington, Delaware Wednesday, Biden said he's already started discussing the issues with the Mexican president and "our friends in Latin America" and that "the timeline is to do it so that we in fact make it better not worse." "The last thing we need is to say we're going to stop immediately, the access to asylum, the way it's being run now, and then end up with 2 million people on our border," Biden said.
Gives CPR, now has symptoms
LOS ANGELES -- An emergency medical technician said he has COVID-19 symptoms after performing CPR on a man infected with the coronavirus who later died after going into cardiac arrest during a United Airlines flight. Tony Aldapa, a Navy veteran, said his training kicked in when he saw the passenger needed medical help during the Dec. 14 flight from Orlando, Florida, to Los Angeles. He knew the potential health risks of performing CPR on someone he didn't know but didn't flinch and started chest compressions on the man, whose wife told Aldapa he had virus symptoms, KNBC-TV reported. An autopsy found the man died of acute respiratory failure and confirmed he was infected with COVID-19, USA Today reported. Aldapa said he had planned to get the COVID-19 vaccine on Friday because he is a licensed EMT and an emergency room worker. Instead, he is awaiting results from a coronavirus test. "Ten times out of ten, I would still get up and help," said Aldapa, who has had a headache, cough and body aches since soon after flight. "I was just thinking there's a guy that needs CPR." Aldapa, along with another EMT and ICU nurse, took turns doing CPR on the man, who has not been identified. The group did not do mouth-to-mouth but had rotated a resuscitator and oxygen mask to help the man breathe while doing chest compressions for 45 minutes. The man's wife was overheard saying he felt sick before the flight and had lost his sense of taste and smell.
Biden picks education secretary
President-elect Joe Biden has chosen Miguel Cardona, Connecticut's education chief and a lifelong champion of public schools, to serve as education secretary. The selection delivers on Biden's promise to nominate someone with experience working in public education and would fulfill his goal of installing an education chief who stands in sharp contrast to Secretary Betsy DeVos. Unlike DeVos, a school choice advocate whom Biden says is an opponent of public schools, Cardona is a product of them, starting when he entered kindergarten unable to speak English. In the announcement of his nomination, shared first with the Associated Press, Biden said that Cardona would offer America "an experienced and dedicated public school teacher leading the way at the Department of Education."
France relaxes ban on trucks
LONDON -- France relaxed its coronavirus-related ban on trucks from Britain on Tuesday after a two-day standoff that had stranded thousands of drivers and raised fears of Christmastime food shortages in the U.K. French authorities, who had imposed the ban to try to protect the continent from a new variant of the virus that is circulating in London and southeast England, said delivery drivers could enter by ferry or tunnel provided they showed proof of a negative test for the virus. Select passengers will be allowed back on the continent, too. After two days of intense talks with British and European Union partners, French Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari said in a statement that the coming hours would be dedicated to setting up testing sites so that British truckers could make it to the continent and back in time for Christmas. Quick tests will be accepted if they are able to detect the new virus variant, Djebbari said. At least 2,800 truck drivers had been anxiously waiting near the England Channel port of Dover for word they could cross over to the continent. French and British authorities urged them to avoid ports until they can get tested.
US close on deal with Pfizer
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. government is close to a deal to acquire tens of millions of additional doses of Pfizer's vaccine in exchange for helping the pharmaceutical giant gain better access to manufacturing supplies. Pfizer said in a statement that "we continue to work collaboratively with the U.S. government to get doses of our COVID-19 vaccine to as many Americans as possible. The company is not able to comment on any confidential discussions that may be taking place with the U.S. government."
Walmart hit for role in opioid crisis
WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department sued Walmart on Tuesday, accusing it of fueling the nation's opioid crisis by pressuring its pharmacies to fill even potentially suspicious prescriptions for the powerful painkillers. The civil complaint filed points to the role Walmart's pharmacies may have played in the crisis by filling opioid prescriptions and Walmart's own responsibility for the allegedly illegal distribution of controlled substances to the pharmacies at the height of the opioid crisis. Walmart operates more than 5,000 pharmacies in its stores around the country. The Justice Department alleges Walmart violated federal law by selling thousands of prescriptions for controlled substances that its pharmacists "knew were invalid," said Jeffrey Clark, the acting assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department's civil division. Federal law required Walmart to spot suspicious orders for controlled substances and report those to the Drug Enforcement Administration, but prosecutors charge the company didn't do that.