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A timeline of events in the Jayme Closs disappearance case

BARRON, Wis. (AP) — Notable events in the disappearance and discovery of Jayme Closs, a 13-year-old Wisconsin girl who went missing after her parents were killed in the family's home. Authorities say Jayme was found alive after being held captive for three months by a man who is now charged in her kidnapping and her parents' deaths.

U.S., Turkey at odds over Kurdish fighters in Syria

The disagreement, played out in rival tweets, is the latest consequence of U.S. President Donald Trump's Dec. 19 decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, potentially leaving the Kurdish militia under threat as Turkey weighs a new offensive there. U.S.-Turkish relations have been strained by U.S. support for the Kurdish YPG, which Turkey views as a terrorist group and an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that has for decades waged a separatist insurgency in Turkey. The Kurdish YPG has been a U.S. ally in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) jihadists and it controls swaths of northern Syria.

2019 Ram Heavy Duty Has 1,000 Lb-Ft of Cummins Torque

The diesel torque wars have reached their ultimate extreme.

Robert Mueller’s spokesman is a man of mystery

Peter Carr, spokesman for special counsel Robert Mueller, has made a virtue of saying nothing at all.

Maduro accuses opposition of staging arrest of parliament president

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro accused his opponents Monday of staging the arrest of parliament president Juan Guaido by intelligence service agents. Guaido was detained for around an hour after SEBIN agents stopped his car on a highway outside the capital Caracas, picking him up as he traveled to a political rally in a nearby town. "Ah, what a coincidence! A camera perfectly placed... professional, which caught the moment the deputy... was detained in a strange event," said Maduro, speaking to the Constituent Assembly of loyalists he created last year to replace the National Assembly he lost control of in 2016.

The Shutdown Is Disrupting Travel at America's Biggest Airports. And It's Probably Going to Get Worse

TSA workers have not been paid for the pay period that ended last Friday

F-22 vs. F-35: Which Stealth Fighter Wins in a Shootout?

The U.S. Air Force’s original plan was for the F-22 to be its high-end air superiority fighter while the F-35 was designed to be primarily an air-to-ground strike aircraft, but one which could defend itself.

Jayme Closs: Wisconsin sheriff whose team worked flat out on case tells of joy at finding her

When Jayme Closs, 13, appeared along a rural Wisconsin road Thursday, she ended an 88-day search by hundreds of investigators. Chris Fitzgerald, the sheriff of Barron County, Wisconsin — where Jayme’s parents were found dead in their home on the night Jayme disappeared — was at the helm of that desperate search, which drew thousands of tips from around the country. On Saturday, a day after Fitzgerald announced that Jayme was safely back, and that a suspect, Jake T. Patterson, 21, was being held on suspicion of murder and kidnapping, many details about what happened remained unknown, even for Mr Fitzgerald.

Graham: I have no doubt Barr with investigate deep state, FBI and Justice Department corruption

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham give his thoughts following attorney general nominee William Barr's confirmation hearing.

Senior US official vows to counter Iran on Lebanon visit

BEIRUT (AP) — The U.S. will step up efforts to counter Iran's "dangerous activities" around the region including the financing and activities of proxy organizations such as Lebanon's Hezbollah, a senior U.S. official said Monday.

France hoping British politicians will approve Brexit deal

France is hoping that members of Britain's parliament will approve Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal, an official at President Macron's Elysee department said on Monday. Asked whether France would support an extension to the official deadline to Article 50 - regarding the timetable for Brexit - the official replied: "We would hope that the vote tomorrow is a favorable one." "Afterwards, if that is not the case, it will be up to the United Kingdom to make a certain number of demands and proposals to the European Union," added the official. The fate of Britain's March 29 exit from the EU is deeply uncertain since parliament looks set to reject May's deal on Tuesday.

What happens to the 62,500 students with special needs during Los Angeles teachers' strike?

The disruption triggered by the strike that began Monday in the nation's second-largest school district could set back thousands of other children with developmental disabilities who need special education and consistency, parents told USA TODAY.

Schumer Will Force Vote Tuesday on Deripaska-Firm Sanctions

(Bloomberg) -- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he will force a vote Tuesday on a measure to block the Treasury Department’s plans to lift sanctions on three Russian companies linked to oligarch Oleg Deripaska.

Ford, VW call off joint Detroit appearance to announce alliance

Automakers Ford and Volkswagen on Monday called off a joint appearance at the Detroit auto show set for the following day during which they were widely expected to announce an alliance. The two car giants have been in discussions over a partnership to develop self-driving and electric technologies. A highly-anticipated announcement at the US's premiere auto show in the Motor City was called off late Monday, and the two sides planned a conference call with reporters instead.

Worst is over for winter storm that clobbered U.S. Midwest, D.C. and New England

All Washington D.C. federal offices would be closed on Monday, but train and bus service in the metro D.C. area would resume after being shut down on Sunday, officials said. "There's some digging out to do," Jim Hayes, a forecaster with the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland, said early Monday. "In Virginia, D.C. and Maryland, 6-to-12 inches of snow fell with some places getting 13 inches," he said.

Trump's attorney general pick: Robert Mueller is not overseeing a 'witch hunt'

Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general has contradicted the US president by saying Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Russian election meddling, is not involved in a “witch hunt”.  William Barr, who will oversee the Mueller probe if confirmed to the role, vowed to allow the investigation to be completed during a grilling by US senators on Tuesday.  Mr Barr called Mr Mueller a “friend” and said they had known each other for 30 years after being colleagues at the Justice Department, playing down the likelihood of a clash over the investigation.  The 68-year-old said that it would be “unimaginable” that Mr Mueller would do something that demanded his sacking and promised to give the special counsel the resources he needs.  Mr Barr also vowed not be biased in his handling of the Russia investigation, saying he would “not let personal, political or other improper interests” influence his thinking.  “I will not be bullied into doing anything I think is wrong by anybody, whether it be editorial boards or Congress or the president. I am going to do what I think is right,” Mr Barr told senators.  William Barr, US attorney general nominee, is sworn in prior to Barr testifying at his confirmation hearing in Washington, DC Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images North America     The appearance amounted to a determined attempt by Mr Barr to convince US senators and the American public that he would act fairly over the Russia probe despite being appointed by Mr Trump.  The Russian election meddling investigation, which was handed to Mr Mueller after the firing of FBI director James Comey in May 2017, continues to blight the Trump presidency.  As well as probing Kremlin hacking and social media interference it is looking into whether Trump campaign figures conspired with Russians to tilt the 2016 US election in their candidate’s favour.  Mr Trump became so infuriated by his initial attorney general Jeff Sessions’s decision to recuse himself from overseeing the probe that he frequently berated him in public. Mr Sessions eventually resigned the day after the November 2018 midterm elections.  Mr Barr, who has already once been attorney general under George H W Bush, was nominated as his permanent replacement. If confirmed he will have the power to sack Mr Mueller, rob his investigation of resources and keep his final report hidden from public view.     During his appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Mr Barr repeatedly sought to calm any concerns that he could handle the investigation in a partisan manner.  “I believe it is in the best interest of everyone - the president, Congress, and, most importantly, the American people - that this matter be resolved by allowing the special counsel to complete his work," Mr Barr said in prepared remarks.  He said he had the “utmost respect” for Mr Mueller, adding: “On my watch, Bob will be allowed to finish his work.”  Mr Barr played down concerns that he could keep the special counsel’s final report hidden, saying that he would provide “as much transparency in consistence with the law” – though fell short of a promise to publish it in full.  Asked if he thought Mr Mueller could oversee a “witch hunt” – Mr Trump’s favoured description of the Russia probe – Mr Barr broke with the US president. “I don’t believe Mr Mueller would be involved in a witch hunt,” he responded.  Mr Barr did reveal that he had been approached to be part of Mr Trump’s legal defence team in June 2017, but declined the offer due to professional and personal reasons.  He said shortly after the rejection he met Mr Trump in the White House where the president asked about Mr Mueller’s “integrity”, which he defended.   US Attorney General nominee William Barr attends a meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington Credit: JIM YOUNG/REUTERS Mr Trump took his telephone number but did not call until the attorney general role came up, Mr Barr said.  Some other responses stood out. Mr Barr said it would be a “crime” if any president offered a pardon in exchange for a witness’s promise not to incriminate him.  The answer drew attention because Mr Trump has not ruled out pardoning Paul Manafort, his former campaign chairman who was found guilty in a fraud trial and is currently in prison.  Mr Barr also criticised Mr Comey's handling of the Hillary Clinton email scandal - a favoured topic of Mr Trump - and promised to look into controversial text messages between two FBI officials that critics including the president have claimed showed bias against him.  Mr Barr’s previous stint as attorney general – he was confirmed unanimously by the US Senate then – and the Republicans’ increased majority in that body, holding 53 seats to 47, mean he is expected to be confirmed.

Two women rescued after being taken hostage at UPS warehouse in New Jersey

Two women have been rescued after being taken hostage at a UPS facility in New Jersey, a local prosecutor has said. The women, both UPS employees, were not seriously injured during the hours-long standoff, Gloucester County Prosecutor Charles Fiore said at a news conference. The suspect has been apprehended after the incident at the UPS processing facility in Logan Township.

American citizen killed in Nairobi attack: official

A US citizen was killed Tuesday in an attack by Islamist militants on an upmarket hotel and office complex in Nairobi, a US official said. An AFP photographer in Nairobi saw the bodies of five victims and a police source said he had seen as many as 14 dead. Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-linked Somali group that assaulted a Nairobi shopping mall in 2013, claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attack on the DusitD2 compound, which includes a 101-room hotel, spa, restaurant, and offices for local and international companies.

Russia tells Japan retaking Pacific islands not on horizon

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's top diplomat threw cold water Monday on Tokyo's hopes for a quick return of four Pacific islands at the center of territorial dispute, warning Japan it must recognize the islands as part of Russia as a starting point for talks.

Los Angeles teachers strike, claiming 'existential battle' over schools

More than 30,000 Los Angeles teachers demanding pay raises and smaller classes walked off the job in America's second-largest school system on Monday, marching downtown in the rain after negotiations over a new contract broke down. Students arriving for classes at some 900 campuses across the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) were met by their teachers carrying picket signs in the city's first teachers' strike in three decades. "It's an existential battle for the future of public education," teacher Mike Finn told Reuters outside John Marshall High School in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Los Feliz.

The Nissan IMs Concept Is a Gilded Look at Nissan’s Future Sedans

The sedan isn't dead, it's elevating.

Wisconsin kidnapper targeted teen after seeing her get on school bus: prosecutor

Authorities said Jake Patterson, 21, had confessed to killing Jayme Closs' father with a shotgun while the teen and her mother hid in a bathtub, then killing the mother after forcing her to help duct-tape her daughter's mouth shut. The October discovery of the parents' bodies in the family home in rural Barron, Wisconsin, with the door blasted open and their daughter gone, sparked a search by hundreds of police officers and thousands of volunteers. At a brief hearing in Barron County Circuit Court on Monday, Patterson appeared via live video from jail, wearing an orange jumpsuit and glasses.

Venezuela president Maduro increases minimum wage by 300 per cent as inflation approaches 2 million per cent

Venezuela‘s president has raised the country’s minimum wage by 300 per cent as part of routine wage increases as his government battles hyperinflation. Nicolas Maduro increased the minimum wage to 18,000 bolivars, around £5.20, per month amid an economy suffering from annual inflation nearing two million per cent. Mr Maduro announced his economic plans at the start of his second, disputed, term on Monday, as calls increased for him to surrender power.

Trump's evolving foreign policy challenges top US diplomat

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — If Mike Pompeo was surprised, he didn't show it. But the secretary of state had woken up in the capital of Saudi Arabia on Monday to find that President Donald Trump had tweeted a threat to NATO ally Turkey warning of economic harm should the Turks attack U.S.-backed rebel forces in Syria.

Key things to know about Gabon

Gabon, one of Africa's top oil producers, has been ruled for more than 50 years by the Bongo family. President Ali Bongo, who took over from his father in 2009, oversaw the swearing-in of a new government on Tuesday, the day after returning home from an absence that prompted a foiled coup. One in two Gabonese is aged under 20.

Delta Air Lines passenger got a gun through security and onto plane in Atlanta

A passenger got through security in Atlanta and flew on a Delta Air Lines flight to Tokyo with a gun on Jan. 2, TSA confirmed to USA TODAY.

Plane belonging to military crashes in Iran

The army say 15 out of the 16 people on an Iranian aircraft which has crashed were killed in the incident. Rough cut (no reporter narration).

2020 Ford Explorer Gets Evolutionary, High-Tech Redesign

Ford has completely redesigned the Explorer for 2020, but you might not realize it from the photos. The exterior styling is so familiar that it would be easy to overlook the extensive re-engineer...

The top 5 benefits that make the American Express Platinum Card a must-have

BGR has partnered with The Points Guy for our coverage of credit card products. BGR and The Points Guy may receive a commission from card issuers. With large banks like JP Morgan and American Express poised to start significantly changing up how they structure rewards associated with premium credit cards, consumers may find it trickier than ever these days to figure out how to wade through the choices of plastic available to them and come to a decision. These kinds of cards, in particular, come with generally high fees to go along with the abundance of perks. Large financial institutions have historically enticed borrowers to spring for their most luxe credit options by offering incentives like free air travel and tons of points, though as The Wall Street Journal reported in recent days some banks are now looking to tweak that model -- changing up the rewards so that you get less on the front end and you're induced to actually use the cards more to get the benefits over the long term. All of which is to say, when you consider all of the above and the various options on the market available to you, there are several reasons why the Platinum Card® from American Express is a smart choice for consumers who want the best mix of price and rewards. Here's some of what it offers. An impressive domestic lounge network One of the easiest reasons to cite for why it's worth it to spring for the Amex Platinum Card is the lounge access you're afforded. This card gets you into any of the more than 30 Delta Sky Clubs around the globe plus American Express' own luxurious Centurion Lounges -- which also happen to be multiplying. Examples include the new 12,500-square-foot Centurion Lounge at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport's Terminal D that opened in the fall and which offers a full bar menu that features local wines and beer as well as a menu with Texas-themed dishes. In all, this card unlocks access to more than 1,200 airport lounges across 130 countries. The Platinum Card's Priority Pass membership also makes free food and drinks available at a growing number of airport restaurants and bars, so this benefit definitely helps take the sting out of getting hit with a long layover between flights. Tons of points, baby! The Platinum card is also offering a whopping 60,000-point bonus that kicks in once you make $5,000 in purchases within the first three months of your card membership. By one estimate, those points are worth up to $1,200 according to The Points Guy's recent valuation, and come on top of the card's other benefits like lounge access. When you book through an airline or via American Express Travel, you can earn 5 points for every dollar you spend on flights and hotels. This particular benefit has also been singled out for praise as being the best offering in its category among all cards, given that the 5x multiple on points for airfare can be earned even when you book through any airline - whereas you need to book through Amex Travel to get the 5 points for every dollar benefit. A combined up to $400 in airline fee and Uber credits Among the other ways this card's benefits more than offset that $550 fee each year, you also get up to $200 airline fee credit that can pay for everything from checked bag fees to in-flight food and drink purchases. The only caveat is you have to choose one airline each year that you'll direct your fee credit to, but it's a small price to pay. And as if that wasn't enough, Amex is also throwing in up to $200 in Uber savings each year. It's structured as a $15 Uber credit each month, with up to an additional $20 extra in December - which, while frequent travelers will have no problem using that up quickly, is still one more welcome perk to have. You've got to connect the card to your Uber app, and the monthly benefit is of the use-it-or-lose-it variety, but don't worry. If you don't have need of an Uber ride during a particular month, you can always use that month's credit on an UberEats delivery, instead. Complimentary premium status and memberships galore, from hotels to car rentals The Amex Platinum also has a ton of hotel-related perks alone that will quickly offset the costs that rack up from frequent travel, including complimentary gold status at Hilton and Starwood Hotels, which lets you enjoy benefits at hotels and resorts within the Hilton chain and which can also be matched with Marriott Gold status. Likewise, Platinum card members can also upgrade to Starwood Preferred Guest Gold Elite Status without having to meet any minimum stay requirements. And as if that wasn't enough, other elite member benefits include being given an enhanced room at check-in, when available. For car rentals, it's the same story. You get complimentary elite status with brands like Avis and Hertz, giving you the ability to take advantage of free membership in premium car rental programs that include special upgrades and discounts. The verdict: As the industry-leading charge card, the Platinum Card from American Express is the quintessential credit card. It's not even hard to not only over the card's annual fee, but actually come out ahead. If you travel a lot during the course of a year, or even if you're only on the road and hopping flights sporadically here and there, the Amex Platinum Card definitely is worthy of serious consideration. Benefits span beyond travel, like the card's stellar purchase protection, which reimburses you if you use it to buy an item that's later lost, stolen or damaged accidentally. Amex will cover you for the amount you paid, up to $10,000 per item with a $50,000 yearly maximum, for starters. You'll get plenty of use out of this card, in other words, and then some.

Woman caught drinking wine from Pringles can is banned from Walmart

A woman who was caught chugging wine out of a Pringles can while riding an

Half of Americans fault Trump for shutdown, despite his blaming Democrats: poll

The Jan. 8-14 national opinion poll found that 51 percent of U.S. adults blame Trump, about the same proportion as a similar poll that ran in the first week of January. Thirty-four percent blamed Democrats in Congress and 6 percent blamed Republicans in Congress. The shutdown dragged into its 25th day on Tuesday with neither Trump nor Democratic congressional leaders showing signs of bending on the topic that triggered it - funding for the wall Trump promised to build along the border with Mexico as part of his hardline policy on immigration.

From Trump tweets to Pentagon leaks, infighting leaves US Middle East policy in tatters

US Middle East policy was plunged into fresh chaos on Monday following a pair of confusing, menacing tweets on Syria and Turkey by Donald Trump and a string of leaks from State Department and Pentagon officials targeting the hardline White House national security adviser John Bolton over Iran. In a pair of Sunday afternoon tweets, Trump threatened to “devastate Turkey economically” if it were to attack Syria’s Kurds, advocated the creation of a 20-mile buffer zone along the Syrian-Turkish border, and seemed to imply that Russia, Iran and the Damascus regime of Bashar al-Assad will take up the anti-Isis fight as the US withdraws troops from northern Syria.

Thailand to make it rain as pollution chokes Bangkok

Thailand is set to deploy rainmaking planes to seed clouds in an effort to tackle the pall of pollution that has shrouded the capital in recent weeks. "The Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation... expects the rainmaking to be done tomorrow (Tuesday) but it depends on wind and humidity levels," Pralong Dumrongthai, director-general of Thailand's Pollution Control Department, told reporters. As Thais woke up Monday morning to another day of murky air blanketing its bustling construction-filled capital, environment group Greenpeace said Bangkok was currently the 10th most polluted in the world, rivalling some cities in China.

Millions digging out from killer storm, bracing for more winter havoc

Millions of Americans from Colorado to Washington, D.C., were digging out from a major winter storm Monday while forecasters warned that more could be on the way next weekend.

The New Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Uses the Same Supercharger as the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

Put down your fists; it's not as bad as it sounds.

Latest: California governor urges end to LA teacher strike

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on a strike by Los Angeles teachers (all times local):

Man accused of killing California police officer left behind cryptic suicide note: police

A man accused of gunning down a 22-year-old California police officer before

Britain's May says she will respond quickly after key Brexit vote

British Prime Minister Theresa May told her senior ministers she would respond quickly to Tuesday's evening's vote in parliament on her proposed Brexit deal, her spokesman said. Asked by reporters if she would quit if, as widely expected, she lost the vote, the spokesman said May was determined to deliver the will of public and take Britain out of the EU.

Trump quotes racist article by man he previously called a 'Hitler lover', in effort to justify his border wall

Donald Trump used a racist article by a conservative commentator he once described as a “Hitler lover” who “doesn’t like the blacks” to justify his border wall. The US president approvingly quoted an opinion piece in which Pat Buchanan warned against a “multiracial, multiethnic, multicultural, multilingual America”. Mr Buchanan, a former aide to Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, claimed Democrats opposed a wall on the US-Mexico border because they wanted “to increase the number of women, African-Americans, Asians and Hispanics, and thereby reduce the number of white men”.

Man accused of killing child, 2 women in Harnett County to make first court appearance

Kareem Daquan Taylor, the man accused of killing his child, the child's mother, and her sister, is scheduled to make his first court appearance Monday.

Sears Chairman Eddie Lampert revises his bid to save the company, report says

Amid an auction of its assets, Sears chairman Eddie Lampert has tweaked his bid for the beleaguered retailer according to Bloomberg