Emotions could be high for Virginia Tech on Saturday. The Hokies (7-3, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) are home against Pittsburgh (4-6, 2-4), and the game will be the final one at Lane Stadium for 17 seniors who will be honored before the contest. Center Eric Gallo isn’t sure how he will react, but hopes to … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Indoors and out, the White House was overrun with school spirit Friday as President Donald Trump welcomed college sports champions and declared them “great athletes.” Too many of them to fit in one room, the teams took up positions all around the mansion for separate photo ops with the president. In all, … Continue reading
BEIRUT (AP) — The Latest on developments surrounding Lebanon’s crisis with Saudi Arabia in the wake of Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s resignation (all times local): 10:30 p.m. President Emmanuel Macron says that France doesn’t want to choose one camp against another in the Middle East or become involved in “national or regional divisions.” Macron spoke … Continue reading
Dozens of neighbors rushed to the scene of a massive late-night fire that injured nearly 30 people at a Pennsylvania senior living community, wrapping the elderly in blankets and carrying them to ambulances in makeshift gurneys. Larry Kingsland, 62, said Friday he and scores of people who live around the Barclay Friends Senior Living Community … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Minnesota Sen. Al Franken personally apologized to the woman who has accused him of forcibly kissing her and groping her during a 2006 USO tour, saying he remembers their encounter differently but is “ashamed that my actions ruined that experience for you.” In a guest appearance Friday on ABC’s “The View,” Leeann … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — “You can do anything,” Donald Trump once boasted, speaking of groping and kissing unsuspecting women. Maybe he could, but not everyone can. The candidate who openly bragged about grabbing women’s private parts — but denied he really did so — was elected president months before the cascading sexual harassment allegations that have … Continue reading
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Discovery of a 210,000-gallon oil spill from the Keystone pipeline that critics say demonstrates the risks of energy transport to the environment, will not affect Nebraska regulators’ decision next week on an expansion of the system because they are not allowed to consider pipeline safety, a state official said Friday. Keystone … Continue reading
The Latest: 2 bystanders hurt in Greek clashes with police ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The Latest on riots in Greece (all times local): 9:25 p.m. Youths have clashed with police in Greece’s two largest cities, injuring two bystanders. Police say a woman was hospitalized with burns in Athens after being hit in the thigh with … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Roy Moore, the GOP nominee for the Senate in Alabama (all times local): 4 p.m. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill says Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore’s name cannot be removed from the ballot this close to the election. Merrill said Friday that if the party chose to disqualify … Continue reading
SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, Texas (AP) — The reopening of a food pantry offered this stricken Texas community another chance to mourn Friday as the charity resumed its weekly operations five days after more than two dozen people were killed at the church next door. People crowded inside the By His Grace pantry, tearfully hugging and filling … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House and Senate tax overhaul plans are broadly similar, but crucial differences are creating headaches for Republican leaders determined to keep myriad interest groups and factions of the GOP satisfied. And then there’s the ambitious timetable they’ve set of finishing in time to get legislation to President Donald Trump by Christmas. … Continue reading
IRUT (AP) — Lebanese officials insisted Friday on the return home of Prime Minister Saad Hariri from Saudi Arabia, and the leader of the militant group Hezbollah said the Saudis had “declared war” on Lebanon by holding Hariri against his will. The U.S. added its voice to those urging that Hariri be allowed to return … Continue reading
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Among those caught in the unprecedented arrests this week of top princes, wealthy businessmen and senior officials was the scion of one of Saudi Arabia’s most recognizable families: Bakr Binladin, the chairman of the kingdom’s pre-eminent contractor — and Osama bin Laden’s half-brother. It was a stunning end to … Continue reading
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A Marine Corps drill instructor was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison for choking, punching or otherwise tormenting recruits, especially three Muslims — one of whom ultimately killed himself by leaping down a stairwell. A military jury handed out the punishment to Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Felix a day after convicting … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on sexual harassment and abuse allegations against men in the entertainment and media industries (all times local): 3 p.m. “ER’ actor Anthony Edwards has revealed that he was molested as a child by a director and producer, staying quiet because of emotional manipulation. The actor accused Gary Goddard of … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — With his career imploding over allegations of sexual misconduct, comedian Louis C.K. confessed Friday to masturbating in front of women and expressed remorse for wielding his influence “irresponsibly.” The comedian said in a statement that the harassment claims by five women detailed in a New York Times report published Thursday “are … Continue reading
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Josh Norman doesn’t believe enough attention is being paid to the situation hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico and is trying to change that. The Washington Redskins cornerback is donating $50,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs in Puerto Rico and wants to convince other athletes, celebrities, corporations and foundations to donate another $200,000. … Continue reading
GENEVA (AP) — Sri Lanka’s government faced increasing pressure Friday to answer for alleged human rights violations following a recent war crimes lawsuit and allegations from over 50 men who said they were raped, branded or tortured as recently as this year. The men’s anguished descriptions of their abuses come nearly a decade after Sri … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — Since The New York Times published allegations of sexual harassment and assault against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein in October, multiple men in Hollywood and media have faced allegations ranging from sexual misconduct to rape. A look at some of the men accused: — Producer Harvey Weinstein— Accused by dozens of women … Continue reading
READING, Pa. (AP) — Police captured a big African cat, resembling a cheetah, running loose through the streets of a Pennsylvania city. Reports about the spotted feline started coming in on Nov. 3 in Reading, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) northwest of Philadelphia. When officers tracked it down, they initially thought they’d found a cheetah. … Continue reading
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. (AP) — Homeowners in high-tax states like New Jersey, where a modest house within commuting distance of New York City can easily carry property taxes of over $15,000 a year, are wondering whether the Republican bill being sold as a tax cut would actually result in higher bills for them. At issue … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — In a city shaken by its deadliest terrorist attack since 9/11, police are promising an unprecedented security effort to try to secure a soft target spanning five boroughs and 26.2 miles: the New York City Marathon. City officials have sought to calm the nerves of more than 50,000 runners and huge … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — A massive U.S. report concludes the evidence of global warming is stronger than ever, contradicting a favorite talking point of top Trump administration officials, who downplay human’s role in climate change. The report released Friday is one of two scientific assessments required every four years. A draft showing how warming affects the … Continue reading
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on the sentencing hearing for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl (all times local): 3:45 p.m. Sen. Lindsey Graham says he’s “incredibly disappointed” in the sentence Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl received from a military judge. The South Carolina Republican, who served as an Air Force lawyer for more than 30 years, … Continue reading
VALLETTA, Malta (AP) — Malta’s Roman Catholic archbishop warned those who killed an investigative reporter with a car bomb that they “would never escape the justice of God” and urged other journalists Friday to pursue the truth without fear. Archbishop Charles Scicluna celebrated Daphne Caruana Galizia’s funeral Mass in the church nearest to where the … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 