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U.S. gets lottery fever as jackpots rise to $2.2 billion

Gregory Baron, 24, and Ben Nelson, 27, on Monday were eagerly purchasing $2 tickets for the Mega Millions jackpot in hopes of winning the record-setting $1.6 billion prize and becoming among the richest people in the world. "I would incorporate myself as a business and become my own company," Baron said inside the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan, adding that he would also pay off his student loans and parents' mortgage and donate to charities if he wins. The Mega Millions website briefly crashed on Monday ahead of the drawing due to a surge in visitors, said a spokeswoman for the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency, which administers the website.

State of Play: Tightening Arizona race threatens Democrats' slim Senate hopes

By James Oliphant PHOENIX, Ariz. (Reuters) - For most of this year, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona has run what has been viewed widely as one of the best races in the nation. But with less than a month to go to Election Day, there are doubts whether she can make it across the finish line. Her matchup with Republican Martha McSally appears to be tightening at the same time that some voters are casting their ballots with the start of early voting in the state. ...

Lioness kills father of her cubs at Indianapolis zoo

Zoo staff were alerted by "an unusual amount of roaring" coming from the lion pen on Monday and arrived to find the 12-year-old female lion Zuri in a fight with the 10-year-old male lion Nyack, the zoo said in a statement. "She had Nyack by the neck. A necropsy found that Nyack died of suffocation from injuries to the neck.

New York witches aim hex at Supreme Court's Brett Kavanaugh despite death threats

"It gives the people who are seeking agency a little bit of chance to have that back," Madara said. Seated at a desk phone among bird skulls and crystal balls at Catland Books, the occult shop she co-owns, Madara said the Kavanaugh hex is expected to be the most popular event the store has hosted since its 2013 opening, including spells aimed at President Donald Trump. Madara declined to provide details of what the latest ritual will entail.

U.S. Mega Millions lottery hits record $1.6 billion after no winners on Friday

The next Mega Millions draw will be on Tuesday, after no one hit all of the numbers of 15, 23, 53, 65, 70 and the Mega Ball 7 during Friday night's draw. "Mega Millions has already entered historic territory, but it's truly astounding to think that now the jackpot has reached an all-time world record," Gordon Medenica, lead director of the Mega Millions Group, said in a statement. The current jackpot beats the previous record, a $1.586 billion jackpot for a Powerball drawing in 2016, said Seth Elkin, a spokesman for Mega Millions.

Montenegrins protest against Albanian dam on shared river

Dozens of environmental activists cycled from Montenegro's capital to the Albanian border on Saturday to protest over the neighboring nation's construction of a dam on the Cijevna river that flows through both countries. As governments hurry to meet renewable energy goals set by the Paris climate change agreement, plans to build almost 3,000 small hydro-power plants have sparked protests across the Balkans this year.

USC agrees to $215 million settlement in California gynecologist case

The University of Southern California has reached a $215 million proposed settlement with former patients of a gynecologist at the school who was accused of sexual abuse, the president of the university said in a letter on Friday seen by Reuters. The settlement centers on the conduct of George Tyndall, who practiced at USC until he was suspended in 2016 after a complaint from a health worker accusing him of making sexually inappropriate comments to patients. More than 400 women have since accused Tyndall of sexual abuse, some in a federal lawsuit covered by the settlement and others in state lawsuits that are still pending.

Lotto fever grips U.S. as Mega Millions jackpot hits $1 billion

The winner of such a prize would be worth more than Vera Bradley Inc and easily have enough money left over to buy a full set of the company's trademark paisley purses and luggage. Mega Millions tickets are sold in 44 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands. If more than one winner is picked, the jackpot would be divided proportionately, as happened when the previous Mega Millions record of $656 million was drawn in March 2012 and was shared by winners in Kansas, Illinois and Maryland, a lottery official said.

Trump criticized for praising congressman who body-slammed reporter

President Donald Trump reiterated his support for a Montana congressman who body-slammed a reporter last year, even as he came under criticism on Friday from U.S. lawmakers and press organizations. Trump's praise for Greg Gianforte, a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives who pleaded guilty to an assault charge for the incident involving the reporter, coincides with an international outcry over the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. "Any guy that can do a body-slam, he's my guy," Trump told a political rally in Missoula, Montana on Thursday night, referring to Gianforte.

USC agrees to $215 million settlement in California gynecologist case

The University of Southern California has reached a $215 million proposed settlement with former patients of a gynecologist at the school who was accused of sexual abuse, the president of the university said in a letter on Friday seen by Reuters. The settlement centers on the conduct of George Tyndall, who practiced at USC until he was suspended in 2016 after a complaint from a health worker accusing him of making sexually inappropriate comments to patients. Hundreds of women have since then accused Tyndall of sexual abuse.

Texas toddler left at stranger's house, instead of with dad

The woman who left the child, a friend of the mother, was initially suspected of child abandonment after video, shared widely on social media, showed her hoisting the toddler by the arm to a stranger's house in the northern Houston suburb of Spring on Thursday, authorities said. "The suspect in the video dropped the child off after the father had left the residence and at the wrong address," Lieutenant Scott Spencer of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post. "The female in the video then left location without verifying anyone was home or who she was releasing the child to," Spencer said.

Factbox: Over 124,000 homes without power in Florida, Georgia after Hurricane Michael

In total, more than 3.3 million customers lost power from Florida to New York after Michael struck the Florida Panhandle on Oct. 10 as a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 155 miles per hour (250 kph). Some customers in the hardest-hit parts of Florida may have to wait another week or two until service is restored, utilities said.

Pennsylvania law to make hazing punishable as felony

Named the “Timothy Piazza Anti-Hazing Law” after a Penn State freshman who died during hazing activities at the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house in February 2017, the bill unanimously passed the Legislature. “It’s a really big deal, a real change in landscape,” said Tom Kline, a Philadelphia lawyer who has represented the Piazza family since their son’s death. The law also allows the seizing of fraternity houses involved in hazing incidents, a provision that could make the Pennsylvania law tougher than Florida’s, which also provides for felony charges, said Tracy Maxwell, founder of Hazing Prevention, a national group.

Texas police hunt woman who left toddler at stranger's door

A woman is suspected of child abandonment for hoisting a two-year-old boy by the arm to the house of a stranger in a northern Houston suburb, ringing the doorbell and running away, authorities said on Thursday. Neither woman nor child has been identified in the incident that unfolded in less than 30 seconds on surveillance video, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said. "The child is uninjured and appears to be in good health," it said, adding that the boy was in the custody of Child Protective Services and was being asked who left him behind.

After ad gaffe, North Dakota's Heitkamp apologizes in Senate debate

The ad, intended to highlight her support of women following the brutal debate over a U.S. Supreme Court nominee accused of sexual assault, was an untimely gaffe for Heitkamp as she struggles to hang on to her seat in next month's election in a state that Republican President Donald Trump won by a landslide in 2016. "Unfortunately, this week I not only disappointed many in North Dakota, I disappointed myself," Heitkamp said. After Heitkamp's apology, Cramer seemed to see little need to go on the attack, keeping a cordial tone as the two discussed immigration, sexual assault, gun violence in schools and the impact of Trump's trade tariffs.

Ex-FBI agent charged with leaking sentenced to 48 months

Albury's sentence is much harsher than his defense lawyers had hoped, but slightly less severe than the 52-month prison term that federal prosecutors were seeking. Albury pleaded guilty to two counts of leaking classified materials earlier this year. Joshua Dratel, Albury's lawyer who earlier confirmed the sentence to Reuters, declined to comment further.

Justice Department probes Catholic Church sex abuse in Pennsylvania

The investigation is the first statewide probe by federal authorities of allegations of sex abuse and cover-up by the Catholic Church in the United States.

Judge orders U.S. to review asylum for separated migrant families

The order directs the government to begin the process of reviewing asylum claims for about 60 detained parents and children, even if their claims had previously been denied. Civil rights attorneys argued in court papers that the government was violating a September settlement agreement that had cleared the way for more than 1,000 immigrants separated by U.S. officials to have their asylum claims reconsidered. Department of Justice attorneys at the time promised the court the government would "get moving" on the agreement.

U.S. Mega Millions jackpot nears $1 billion, second largest on record

The immediate cash value of the Mega Millions prize is $548 million. Among the throngs dreaming of what to do with potential winnings was Erica Young, who works in the Manhattan hotel industry, and who decided to buy a ticket a day ahead of the drawing. Each of the 24 semi-weekly drawings have failed to produce a top winner since July 24, when an 11-member office pool in Santa Clara County, California, hit a $543 million jackpot.

Florida's Republicans feel brunt of hurricane in upcoming election

To her shock, the 69-year-old retired teacher found her mail-in absentee ballot sitting in her post office box in the town of Port St. Joe. With much of the region still working to secure basic services like electricity, passable roads and phone service after one of the strongest hurricanes ever to hit the United States, election officials in the Panhandle are scrambling to ensure tens of thousands of people are able to vote. In Florida, the ballot includes one of the country's most closely watched races for the U.S. Senate, pitting Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson against Republican Governor Rick Scott.

Thousands in U.S. South may not be able to cast ballots in early voting

The delay disproportionately affected the area around Memphis, a majority African-American city, leading activists to charge the Republican-controlled state government has not done enough to protect the rights of young and minority voters. State officials, however, said they were simply struggling to keep up with a surge in paperwork ahead of Election Day. Democrats view that matchup as one of their few chances to pick up the two additional seats in the U.S. Senate they would need to take a majority and more effectively oppose President Donald Trump's agenda, though recent polls show Blackburn ahead.

Former USA Gymnastics boss arrested for Nassar evidence-tampering

Steve Penny, the former USA Gymnastics president, was arrested on Wednesday night in Tennessee on charges he tampered with evidence in the case of Larry Nassar, the disgraced team doctor convicted of sexually assaulting athletes, the U.S. Marshals Service said. Penny is due to be extradited to Walker County in Texas to face allegations he removed documents from the USA Gymnastics national team training center there, the U.S. Marshals Service's statement said. Nassar was sentenced in February to up to 125 years in prison after some 200 women, including Olympians, testified about decades of abuse at his hands.

Trump administration asks high court to halt climate change case

President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday for a second time asked the U.S. Supreme Court to put the brakes on a lawsuit filed by young activists who have accused the U.S. government of ignoring the perils of climate change. In the lawsuit, 21 activists, ages 11 to 22, said federal officials violated their rights to due process under the U.S. Constitution by failing to adequately address carbon pollution such as emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. The lawsuit was filed in 2015 against former President Barack Obama and government agencies in a federal court in Eugene, Oregon.

U.S. greenhouse emissions fell in 2017 as coal plants shut

Greenhouse gases emissions from the largest U.S. industrial plants fell 2.7 percent in 2017, the Trump administration said, as coal plants shut and as that industry competes with cheap natural gas and solar and wind power that emit less pollution. The drop was steeper than in 2016 when emissions fell 2 percent, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said. EPA acting administrator Andrew Wheeler said the data proves that federal regulations are not necessary to drive carbon dioxide reductions.

Trump pulling out of pact that discounted foreign postal deliveries

The Trump administration will begin withdrawing from a United Nations pact that offered low rates for foreign postal deliveries of small packages in the United States, the latest move to challenge practices it sees as unfairly advantageous to China. White House officials said on Wednesday the United States would start the process of leaving the Universal Postal Union (UPU), a Switzerland-based organization that connects postal services worldwide.

More Honduran migrants seek to join U.S.-bound group in Guatemala

The migrants hope to reach Mexico and then cross its northern border with the United States, to seek refuge from endemic violence and poverty in Central America. Several thousand people are now journeying in the caravan, according to a Reuters witness traveling with the group in Guatemala, where men, women and children on foot or riding in trucks filled a road on their long journey to Mexico. A first group made it to Guatemala City by dusk on Wednesday.

Late brothel owner Hof will win Nevada vote: campaign manager

Dennis Hof, 72, who died on Tuesday, styled himself as America's best-known pimp and a strip-club owner who ran multiple brothels. "I feel very comfortable predicting that he is still going to win the election on November 6," campaign manager Chuck Muth said in an interview, adding Republicans had a 2-to-1 advantage over Democrats in the state Assembly district in terms of voter registration. Hof was running for a seat in a heavily Republican district and had been favored to win.

More Honduran migrants seek to join U.S.-bound group in Guatemala

More Honduran migrants tried to join a caravan of several thousand trekking through Guatemala on Wednesday, defying calls by authorities not to make the journey after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to cut off regional aid in reprisal. The migrants hope to reach Mexico and then cross its northern border with the United States, to seek refuge from endemic violence and poverty in Central America. Several thousand people are now part of the caravan, according to a Reuters witness traveling with the group in Guatemala, where men women and children on foot and riding in trucks filled a road on their long journey to Mexico.

Sheriff says 'every second counts' in search for Wisconsin girl

"We believe Jayme was in the home at the time of the homicides and we believe she's in danger," Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald, who is leading the search, told a news conference. Police issued an Amber Alert for the girl on Monday afternoon after discovering the bodies of her parents earlier that day. The deaths of James and Denise Closs, who had suffered gunshot wounds, were ruled homicides on Wednesday, Fitzgerald said.

Trump slams California wildfire steps, threatens funding halt

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday rekindled his criticism of California's wildfire prevention steps and threatened to withhold billions of dollars of federal funding amid one of the most destructive fire seasons on record. "It's hurting our budget, it’s hurting our country and they better get their act together,” Trump said at a Cabinet meeting about California's forestry management. The Republican president's comments, which followed his criticism in August of California's wildfire prevention efforts, were aimed at Democratic Governor Jerry Brown, whom he has frequently criticized over immigration and other policies.

Man sentenced to nearly 25 years for arson of Texas mosque

A man convicted of a hate crime in setting fire to a mosque in Texas was sentenced to almost 25 years in prison.

Trump pulling out of pact that discounted foreign postal deliveries

The Trump administration will begin withdrawing from a United Nations pact that offered low rates for foreign postal deliveries of small packages in the United States, the latest move to challenge practices it sees as unfairly advantageous to China. White House officials said on Wednesday the United States would start the process of leaving the Universal Postal Union (UPU), a Switzerland-based organization that connects postal services worldwide. The White House said the UPU enables foreign postal services to take advantage of cheap shipments to the United States, creating an unfair cost advantage over U.S. companies that ship goods, and hurting the U.S. Postal Service.

U.S. greenhouse emissions fell in 2017 as coal plants shut

Greenhouse gases emissions from the largest U.S. industrial plants fell 2.7 percent in 2017, the Trump administration said, as coal plants shut and as that industry competes with cheap natural gas and solar and wind power that emit less pollution. The drop was steeper than in 2016 when emissions fell 2 percent, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said. EPA acting administrator Andrew Wheeler said the data proves that federal regulations are not necessary to drive carbon dioxide reductions.

Lack of power, phone service hamper post-Hurricane Michael recovery

It packed top sustained winds of 155 miles per hour (250 km per hour) that toppled power lines and unleashed a surge of seawater that demolished homes. Florida officials have not said how many people are missing. Debris, downed trees and power lines have hampered access to stranded people.

U.S. first lady's plane lands safely after smoke filled cabin

“They had a problem, but she’s fine,” Trump said in an interview on Fox Business News. The plane had a "minor mechanical issue," after the plane took off for Philadelphia, the first lady's spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in an emailed statement. Trump was scheduled to visit the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital there and meet with families affected by prenatal opioid use as part of her "Be Best" campaign.

O'Rourke gets tough in U.S. Senate battle in Texas, but is it too late?

Cruz fired back repeatedly, casting O'Rourke as out of touch with the values of Texas voters during a free-swinging debate that turned personal over divisive issues such as healthcare, climate change and the possible impeachment of Trump. "Senator Cruz is not going to be honest with you.