Native American travels across U.S. photographing citizens of tribal nations

a Courtesy Matika WilburJenni Parker, right, and granddaughter Sharlyse Parker of the Northern Cheyenne tribe pose in Lame Deer, Mont., in August.By Simon Moya-Smith, Staff Writer, NBC NewsShe sleeps on couches, dines with strangers and lives out of her car. Still, Matika Wilbur does it for the art and for the people.Wilbur is Native American. Invariably strapped to her arm is a camera, and other than a few provisions and clothing, she owns little else. Last year she sold everything in her Seattle apartment, packed a few essentials into her car and then hit the road.Since then, she's been embarking on her most recent project, "Project 562."The plan is to photograph citizens of each federally recognized tribe, Wilbur said. Sometimes she'll journey to an isolated reservation, other times she'll meet some of the 70 percent of Native Americans living in urban settings. Yet she hopes that when her project is complete it will serve to educate the nation and "shift the collective conscious" toward recognizing its indigenous communities.To date, Wilbur has photographed citizens of 159 tribes.In 2010, when Wilbur first conceptualized the campaign, there were 562 federally recognized tribes in the U.S., hence the name. Since then, the U.S. government has added four more nations to the list. Courtesy Matika WilburNative American activist and poet John Trudell, left, and Son Coup of the Santee Sioux Nation pose for a photo in San Francisco, Calif., in July.The project all began three years ago when Wilbur photographed her elders from both of her tribes, the Swinomish and Tulalip. She soon decided it was not enough to photograph only her people. After raising $35,000 through Kickstarter.com, an online funding platform, she had enough to realize her project and zip across the country capturing the faces of this nation's first peoples.Wilbur said her project is aimed toward debunking the bevy of erroneous stereotypes surrounding Native American culture and society and to reiterate the continual presence of Native Americans."We are still here," she said. "We remain."One of those stereotypes is the image of Indians clad in feathers, nearly naked running across the prairie, whooping it up like what's oft portrayed in western cinema. Also the caricature image of Indians as mascots.With that in mind, Wilbur said the project is meant to drive conversations about the ubiquitous appropriation of Native American culture and to discuss how U.S. citizens can evolve beyond the co-opting of indigenous images and traditions."I hope to educate these audiences that it's not OK to dress up like an Indian on Halloween," she said. "I'm not a Halloween costume. I hope to encourage a new conversation of sharing and to help us move beyond the stereotypes."Wilbur added that she hopes her photos -- her craft -- will display the "beauty of (Native) people and to introduce some of our leaders to a massive audience."Wilbur, 29, operates on a modest budget and relies heavily on the "generosity and kindness" of the people she meets when travelling throughout Indian country. Many of her photo subjects will host her overnight and provide her with meals. Courtesy Matika WilburAnna Cook of the Swinomish and Hualapai tribes poses for a photo in Swinomish, Wash., earlier this month."I come in a good way. I bring gifts. I interact with their children well. I behave myself. I walk the red road," she said. "People believe in my project because they, too, have been affected by the stereotypical image and they want to see it change."In between shoots, or maybe over dinner, Wilbur will tape record her subjects as they impart their wisdom and life stories. She plans to transfer the files to an application, which will coincide the corresponding photos in a future exhibition.In the last year, Wilbur has slept in her two-seater Honda only once or twice but, following a new fundraiser in January, she hopes to get a van to sleep in on those long nights out on the open road. Wilbur said that the fact that there are newly recognized tribes is indicative of the progress Native Americans are making today and that she plans to photograph the four tribes as well as various others who haven't been recognized by the federal government.Currently, Native Americans make up 1.6 percent of the entire U.S. population, according to the U.S. Census. On Oct. 31, President Barack Obama proclaimed November 2013 as Native American Heritage Month and designated Nov. 29, 2013 as Native American Heritage Day.Wilbur's previous work has been showcased across the U.S. and internationally at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Canada and the Fine Arts Museum of Nantes in France.In May 2014, the Tacoma Art Museum in Washington will host an exhibition of Wilbur's collection of photos. In the meantime, she says she'll continue her project and "let it flow as the spirit moves it."This story was originally published on Sat Nov 23, 2013 4:34 AM EST

Teen suspect in murder of teacher Colleen Ritzer left 'hate' note, documents say

a By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer, NBC NewsThe 14-year-old boy accused of slitting the throat of his math teacher in the school bathroom left a chilling note that said, "I hate you all," near her "sexually staged" body, new court papers reveal.The documents released Friday say that Massachusetts detectives believe Philip Chism planned the gruesome murder of Colleen Ritzer, 24, because he came to school that day with a box cutter, a ski mask, gloves and multiple changes of clothing.In requesting a warrant to search Chism's home, a state trooper laid out a detailed chain of events — from Chism getting upset with the teacher to the teen telling an officer that the blood on his blade came from "the girl."He also revealed that another student may have walked in on the crime in progress but hurried away after getting a glimpse of someone partially unclothed and a pile of garments on the floor.Interviews with students and security video from the school gave investigators a timeline of Chism's and Ritzer's movements at the end of the day on Oct. 22.After the last class period ended, they were in a second-floor classroom with another student for some extra help.The other student told police "that at some point, Ms. Ritzer mentioned Tennessee. She said that Philip became visibly upset after she mentioned Tennessee,” the police affidavit said.“She said that Ms. Ritzer became aware that Philip was getting upset about her talking about Tennessee. She said that Ms. Ritzer later changed the topic.’’The significance was not completely clear, but Chism had recently moved to Massachusetts from Tennessee, where his parents were going through a "stressful" divorce, relatives told police. Nicolaus Czarnecki / Zuma PressPhilip Chism, 14, is charged with murdering teacher Colleen Ritzer.Just before 3 p.m., the popular teacher left the classroom and headed to the rest room, and one minute later, Chism followed her inside with a hood over his head, pulling on gloves, police said.Law-enforcement sources have said her throat was slit from behind.Eleven minutes after Chism tailed Ritzer into the bathroom, another student opened the door but quickly hurried away. She later told investigators she thought she had walked in on someone getting changed.Chism soon left the bathroom, returning less than 10 minutes later with a green recycling bin and wearing different clothing. When he left at 3:22 p.m., dragging the barrel, he was wearing a black ski mask, police said.After leaving the building with the barrel, he returned about a half-hour later, changed clothes, visited his locker and the scene of the crime and walked out.When he didn't go home, a missing persons report was made. And hours later, Ritzer's parents reported her missing.Chism was found shortly after midnight, walking on a highway. The police officer who searched him found the box-cutter and asked him where the blood on it came from."The girl," he answered, according to the documents.He also had Ritzer's credit cards and a pair of underwear. He initially said he had found them, then said he had taken them from her car, the affidavit said.Hours later, police searching the woods near the high school found Ritzer's body under some leaves. She was naked from the waist down and her body had been "sexually staged," the court papers say. An indictment said Chism sexually assaulted her with an object.Chism, a standout on the school's junior varsity soccer team, was charged as an adult with murder and with aggravated rape and robbery as a juvenile offender. He has pleaded not guilty. His lawyer could not be reached for comment on Friday. His mother has said her "heart is broken" for Ritzer.The slain teacher's family released a statement after the indictment was filed Thursday."We are devastated and heartbroken by the details of the horrific circumstances surrounding the death of our beautiful daughter and sister, Colleen," said the family. "As a family, we continue to mourn Colleen's passing and ask that the media respect our privacy during this very difficult time.NBC News' Tom Winter contributed to this report.Related:This story was originally published on Fri Nov 22, 2013 11:03 AM EST

System of winter storm relentless proving deadly in West

Yellow Globe-News Reader Brandy RamirezDebris are strewn along Interstate 40 after a multiple vehicle accident near Vega, Texas, that killed three on Saturday.A dangerous storm that brought snow and heavy rains in the southwestern United States blamed for several deaths from road threatens Thanksgiving travel for millions of people in the Eastern States, forecasters said Saturday.The storm is expected to bring rains to the Southeast on Tuesday and then to the North and bring to the East Coast, possibly interrupting the journey through Wednesday, according to meteorologists at AccuWeather.com."If the storm hugs the coast and is developed to its full potential, can be a nightmare of flight, not only for travellers in the East, but also in the entire nation," said Evan Myers of AccuWeather.com.The holiday of Thanksgiving weekend is one of the most heavily traveled in the United States. Some 39 million people are waiting for the roads from Wednesday to Sunday, centered around Thanksgiving on Thursday, said that the AAA group trip earlier this week.About 3 million people to fly to their destinations, according to AAA.Winter storm warnings are in effect across the country, with a possible ice storm possible snow in Oklahoma and Texas. Dylan Dreyer reports today.Rain and snow have already been linked to several deaths. Motorists stranded and caused accidents in traffic in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Texas.Three people died in a multiple vehicle accident Friday afternoon in conditions of frost on Interstate 40 West of Amarillo, Texas, said a dispatcher for the State Patrol.In Central - Eastern New Mexico, a 4-year-old girl died when a vehicle that was traveling in it slipped off a road ice and return Friday afternoon, said Emmanuel Gutierrez State Police Sergeant. He wore no seat belt, he said.In Oakland, California, a man was killed on Thursday when a power line fell and he had electrocuted, according to the Contra Costa Times. Another man died trying to avoid debris on a road, the newspaper reported.Principles of the Saturday morning near Sulphur Springs, Texas, the driver of a bus carrying the band of Willie Nelson seemingly lost control and crashed into a highway bridge support. A member of the band, Paul English, broke a hip in the accident.The winter storm was expected to grind through the southern States of the Plains through Sunday night, bringing water, snow and freezing rain and in parts of Northern Texas and the Western half of Oklahoma light snow and frigid conditions, said the national weather service.AccuWeather predicted the storm hit coastal Texas and Louisiana on Monday, eastward along the Gulf Coast on Tuesday and then expand northward.The exact track of the storm is directed toward the coast Tuesday in the Wednesday night still is unknown and is the key to whether the region will be dry weather, rain or snow, AccuWeather, said.The rain could it be sufficiently heavy to delay flights in New Orleans, Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina and other airports, according to AccuWeather.Related:Rain, snow and strong winds are punched to the West, and that system time now moves eastward just in time for the Thanksgiving Feast. Miguel Almaguer NBC reportsThis story was originally posted on Sunday, November 24, 2013 12:34 AM ESTCopyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Jitters at LAX: Car crash prompts gunfire reports

a By Christina Cocca, NBCLosAngeles.comAt the same time the sound of a car crash scared passengers into thinking shots were fired at Los Angeles International Airport Friday, travelers in another terminal were evacuated after a false report of a man with a weapon, airport officials said.Police received a call about 7:30 p.m. of possible shots fired, but upon investigation realized the loud noise of a multiple-car crash outside a parking structure between Terminal 4 and Terminal 5 incited a panic, LAX Police Sgt. Ortiz told NBC4.After hearing the crash, travelers began to evacuate the airport on their own, Ortiz said. No shots were fired at the airport, he said."Part of that (reaction), we believe, is some hypersensitivity to what occurred on Nov. 1, three weeks ago," said LAX Police Chief Patrick Gannon during a news conference outside the airport.Friday's incidents come in the wake of the Nov. 1 shooting when a lone gunman opened fire near Terminal 3, killing a TSA officer and wounding four others.Aerial video showed officials investigating what appeared to be a wrecked SUV or van on the curb near a parking structure.About 8:20 p.m., crowds could be seen gathered outside as police evacuated Terminal 4 and Terminal 5 after an anonymous caller reported a man with a weapon was at Gate 45, airport officials said.At least 2,000 passengers either left the airport on their own or were evacuated by airport police, LAX officials said.About 4,600 arriving and departing travelers were impacted by the incidents, officials said. Delta Airlines (Terminal 5) and American Airlines (Terminal 4) reported a total of 60 delayed flights but no cancellations.Police found no weapon and cleared both terminals for people to return inside just before 9 p.m.Flight operations in Terminal 4 were disrupted as police cleared the airport, and slowly resumed as passengers were screened by security and returned to their gates, officials said.Ambulances could be seen lining the roadway in the pick-up and drop-off area of the airport.

Newspaper deliveryman finds bomb stuffed in teddy bear

aBy Michael Biesecker, The Associated PressA North Carolina newspaper deliveryman picked up a teddy bear on a rural road, only to have authorities tell him later a bomb had been stuffed inside. Anthony Cannon, who works for The Shelby Star, said Friday he spotted the booby-trapped toy before dawn Thursday along his route near Lattimore, a tiny town about 50 miles west of Charlotte. Later, he circled back to pick it up. "I thought it was real unusual to be sitting in the middle of the road," Cannon, 42, said by telephone. "It was pitch-black out there. When I picked the bear up some sort of container fell out."  Not realizing he was holding an improvised explosive device, Cannon left the bear and put the cylindrical item in his car for the 20-minute drive back to Shelby. He drove to his cousin's home, where he examined what he had found more closely in the light.  He says it was a small, liquid-filed bottle covered with tape with some wires coming out of it. Suspecting what he was holding might be dangerous, Cannon set the device down on the porch and dialed 911. Among those who responded was a bomb squad from the larger nearby city of Gastonia. "Within about two minutes of walking up, they said it was an IED and cleared us out of the house," Cannon said. Cleveland County Sheriff Alan Norman said Cannon was very lucky. Though he said he couldn't speak to the construction of the device or how it could be set off, the sheriff said it was capable of causing serious damage. "It could have caused personal injury had the device activated," Norman said. The bomb was deactivated and sent to a lab. Federal investigators are inspecting the device, looking for clues as to who made it. Another bomb was discovered in the same area six months ago. In 2009, authorities discovered two homemade bombs several days apart in Shelby. None of those cases has been solved. Cannon said he and other local residents are concerned that whoever is making the bombs will eventually hurt someone. Even though he could have been seriously injured or killed, Cannon said he is happy he picked the bear up out of the road. "If a kid had walked down the road and seen that bear, I'm pretty sure they would have picked it up," he said. 

Jitters at LAX: Car crash prompts gunfire reports, causes travelers to flee terminal

a Chris Heric via TwitterOfficers with assault rifles move through a terminal at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday night after reports of gunfire. The reports turned out to be unfounded.By Christina Cocca, NBCLosAngeles.comAt the same time the sound of a car crash scared passengers into thinking shots were fired at Los Angeles International Airport Friday, travelers in another terminal were evacuated after a false report of a man with a weapon, airport officials said.Police received a call about 7:30 p.m. of possible shots fired, but upon investigation realized the loud noise of a car crash outside a parking structure between Terminal 4 and Terminal 5 incited a panic, LAX Police Sgt. Ortiz told NBC4.See original report at NBCLosAngeles.comAerial video showed officials investigating what appeared to be a wrecked SUV or van on the curb near a parking structure.After hearing the crash, travelers began to evacuate the airport on their own, Ortiz said. No shots were fired at the airport, he said.About 8:20 p.m., crowds could be seen gathered outside as police evacuated Terminal 4 after a report of a man with a weapon, airport officials said.Police found no weapon and cleared Terminal 4 for people to return inside just before 9 p.m.Flight operations in Terminal 4 were disrupted but will resume once passengers are screened by security and return to their gates, officials said.Ambulances could be seen lining the roadway in the pick-up and drop-off area of the airport.The incident comes in the wake of the Nov. 1 shooting, during which a lone gunman opened fire near Terminal 3, killing a TSA officer and wounding four others. NBC Los AngelesA wrecked vehicle is seen outside the Terminal 5 parking structure at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday night.

Army officer who wanted 'more average looking women' in PR materials steps down

a There has been a shakeup in the Unites States Army. One female colonel has stepped down from her job after suggesting attractive women should not be portrayed in promotional materials. NBC's Kristen Welker reports.By Courtney Kube and Jim Miklaszewski, NBC NewsA U.S. Army colonel who wrote an email suggesting attractive women should not be portrayed in U.S. Army promotional materials stepped down from her job Friday.Col. Lynette Arnhart recently sent an email arguing that an attractive woman shown in a photo in an Army magazine sent the wrong signal. Arnhart argued that unattractive women are perceived as competent while attractive women are perceived as having used their looks to get ahead.She went on to argue that the Army should use "more average looking women" or women who are willing to do the dirty work. Arnhart said that photos of attractive women in uniform lead people to ask if breaking a nail is considered hazardous duty.Until she stepped down, Arnhart was in charge of the Army research project examining women's transition into combat roles."In order to protect the integrity of the ongoing work on gender integration in the Army, Col. Lynette Arnhart agreed to step down as the gender integration study director," an Army spokesperson said tonight.The public affairs officer at the Army Training and Doctrine Command -- the recipient of Arnhart's email -- has also been suspended, pending the outcome of an investigation.That officer, Col. Chris Kubik, sent NBC News a statement about the email earlier this week, saying that it "was an internal discussion; nothing more.""This discussion was not and is not reflective of Army policy. The intent of the message was to help ensure that images depict professional female soldiers as they are, and to ensure they are recognized based on their hard-earned achievements as members of the profession of arms," Kubik wrote.

Five hurt as explosion rocks Wyoming natural gas field

aFive workers were injured after a fire and tank explosion at a natural gas field in western Wyoming on Friday, officials said.Police said they received multiple calls about a blast at about 10:18 a.m. local time at Encana Corp's Antelope 91-29H facility in the Jonah Field near Pinedale, about 230 miles west of Casper.One of the injured workers was airlifted to hospital in critical condition and the others were taken by ambulance to a local clinic and hospital, according to Encana Oil & Gas USA spokeswoman Bridget Ford."We know that some welding work was being conducted on the condensate tanks on location, however the exact reason for the explosion is not known at this time," she added.Firefighters contained the blaze, which burned out by 1 p.m., Ford said.A drilling rig operating near the facility where the incident occurred was not affected, according to Ford.  She said  there was no apparent environmental impact."Our thoughts are with our friends and co-workers that were hurt today, and their families, Ford said.The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident.This story was originally published on Sat Nov 23, 2013 7:15 AM ESTCopyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

'Hope and hatred collided': Nation pauses to remember John F. Kennedy 50 years after his death

aIn Dallas the cold and windy weather on Friday provided a sharp contrast to the bright sunshine of 50 years ago when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. The nation paused to remember Kennedy, and what was most important about his legacy. NBC's Brian Williams reports. By Simon Moya-Smith, Staff Writer, NBC News Benny Snyder / APA crowd gathers at a ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy on Friday at Dealey Plaza in Dallas. Thousands of dignitaries, historians and citizens across the nation collectively commemorated the life and legacy of fallen president John F. Kennedy 50 years to the day, and even to the moment, when he was brutally assassinated on the afternoon of Nov. 22, 1963.In Dallas, amid a cold rain, heightened security clad in lime reflective vests met 5,000 ticket holders, mostly in ponchos, to the damp plaza in preparation for a stately commemoration.The event was held adjacent to the exact spot where the 35th president of the United States was fatally wounded.Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings told those assembled that Kennedy's death ushered in a new generation."A new era dawned and another waned a half-century ago when hope and hatred collided right here in Dallas," he said. "Our collective hearts were broken."The mayor unveiled a new addition to the monument at the plaza; the final words from the speech Kennedy was to give that day in Dallas:We, in this country, in this generation, are — by destiny rather than by choice — the watchmen on the walls of world freedom. We ask, therefore, that we may be worthy of our power and responsibility, that we may exercise our strength with wisdom and restraint, and that we may achieve in our time and for all time the ancient vision of “peace on earth, good will toward men.” That must always be our goal, and the righteousness of our cause must always underlie our strength. For as was written long ago: “except the Lord keep the city, the watchmen waketh but in vain.”Mayor Mike Rawlings of Dallas, Texas holds a moment of silence in Dealey Plaza, 50 years ago to the moment that President Kennedy was shot.Historian David McCullough, a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, lauded Kennedy for his eloquence and enthusiasm."He was ambitious to make it a better world and so were we," he said. "He was an optimist, and he said so, but there was no side stepping reality in what he said. He spoke to the point and with confidence. He knew words matter. His words changed lives. His words changed history."INTERACTIVE: ‘Everything changed’: Remembering JFK, 50 years pastA sampling from President John F. Kennedy's speeches, in which he spoke about the New Frontier of the 1960s, the search for "the kind of peace that makes life on Earth living," and the importance of civil rights. Cities across the country followed suit in paying tribute to the late president.The Boston Globe reprinted its front page from the morning after the president, a native son, was murdered. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum had a day-long docket of events which included a display of the American flag which once draped Kennedy's coffin.U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder visited Arlington National Cemetery just before sunrise on Friday. Holder spent several minutes bowing his head before the graves of John F. Kennedy, his wife Jackie and two deceased Kennedy children.Social media was ablaze with the hashtag #JFK and Twitter users were re-tweeting quotes and comments from Kennedy's most memorable speeches.President Barack Obama ordered that all flags be flown at half-staff in remembrance of Kennedy.NBC's Brian Williams set the scene, live from Dealey Plaza in Dallas, where 50-years ago President Kennedy was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald.

Firefighters combat wildfires unusual winter in Northern California

Kent Porter / the Press Democrat via APFirefighters in Schell Vista in Sonoma County and Santa Clara County are prepared to attack hot spots in the hills of Soda Canyon up Napa, on Friday.Nearly 800 firefighters and more than 50 firefighters fought a fire of great end of season which destroyed a structure and was threatening several others in Northern California on Saturday, according to the California Forestry Department and fire protection.Nicknamed McCabe fire, the fire that began on Friday morning had burned 2,000 acres in The Geysers in Sonoma County, a rural area north of San Francisco, which produces geothermal energy, at noon on Saturday, destroying a power plant cooling tower.Fire, containing 10 per cent, in rough terrain and tough, making it difficult to firefighters to access certain areas, said Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for Cal Fire burned. He said that dry conditions in the area and strong offshore winds in recent days have fueled the fire and allowed him to grow rapidly despite being the fire season."Absolutely having a fire this big this late in the year is very uncommon, especially in Northern California along the coast", he said.Calpine Corp., which owns much of the land where the fire is burning, evacuated employees on Friday. Apart from geothermal plants, the area is remote and devoid of many structures. But Berlant said that firefighters were focused on the protection of the installations of geothermal energy in the area. According to the website of Cal Fire, the fire threat currently 12 structures.Berlant said that weather conditions have made it more difficult for firefighters to contain the fire."We are seeing strong winds today that could allow this fire to grow even bigger and thus increase the risk of new fires," he said.Additional resources of fire were underway to 783 staff and 54 firefighters already on the scene, including some of Southern California.On Saturday afternoon the cause of the fire is unknown and Cal Fire said was still under investigation. No injuries have been reported.Click to view more weather newsBerlant cautioned that if conditions remain dry state, which has seen little rainfall this season, California would an additional fire hazard later in the winter."This year in California saw very little rainfall early in the season and that has allowed this year will be a season very prolonged fire and unfortunately until we have a good amount of precipitation remain susceptible to forest fires," he said.

Mom of kids submerged in pond after crash did not have license

a By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer, NBC NewsThe driver of a car that plunged into an ice-cold Minnesota pond — killing two children and leaving three others in critical condition — did not have a valid license, police said Friday.Marion Guerrido, 23, had a learner's permit and should not have been behind the wheel because she did not have a licensed driver in the seat next to her, officials said.Guerrido escaped from the Pontiac Grand Am after it left a highway in a Minneapolis suburb and plunged into an eight-foot-deep pond.But the five children in the sedan — three of them her children, and two the children of her boyfriend — were submerged between 25 and 45 minutes.The kids were unresponsive when divers pulled them from the vehicle. Two of them, 5-year-old Zenavia Rennie and 7-year-old Alarious Coleman-Guerrido, later died. The others, between ages 1 and 6, were being treated at local hospitals."Devastating. It doesn’t get worse than this," said John Sedey, director of the Odyssey Academy charter school in Brooklyn Park, Minn., where four of the children were students.St. Louis Park Fire Chief Steve Koering said the water was so muddy divers had to blindly feel their way around the car. The front window was open, and they pulled three kids through it, then broke a back window to get to the others."The water was extremely dark and murky," he said.Minnesota State Patrol Lt. Eric Roeske said it's unclear how the crash happened. The road was wet but was not icy and there was some fog.Counselors will be on hand at Odyssey Academy on Friday to console children and teachers."They are awesome kids," Laura Montray, a kindergarten teacher who has taught three of the children, told NBC affiliate KARE."They're so sweet and so nice. Just the best kids."Related:Car plunges into pond; 5 children in critical conditionThis story was originally published on Fri Nov 22, 2013 6:50 AM EST

'Colonial Bros and Nava-Hos' frat party investigated by California university

aBy Simon Moya-Smith, Staff Writer, NBC NewsSexism and racism were the topics of discussion during a forum Friday at a northern California university after a fraternity and sorority hosted a theme party last week deemed offensive to women and Native Americans.Officials at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo told NBC News that they were investigating an off-campus party allegedly called, "Colonial Bros and Nava-Hos."At the party, men reportedly dressed up in colonial-era costumes and women wore scantily clad Native American-themed attire."Cal Poly is currently reviewing an off-campus party that occurred on Nov. 16 that may have included culturally insensitive, sexist, and offensive behavior," university spokesman Matt Lazier wrote in an email. "While the gathering was held off campus, the university takes diversity and inclusivity very seriously."In a campus-wide email, university President Jeffrey D. Armstrong denounced the party and said university officials "will respond to any violations of the Standards for Student Conduct" following an investigation."Let us be clear, events like these have no place in the Cal Poly community and are not reflective of the principles of The Mustang Way," he wrote. "Obviously, this was not a university-sponsored event."A Cal Poly student and fraternity member named Daniel, who declined to provide his last name, told the San Luis Obispo Tribune that he didn't think the party "was meant to be racist."“It’s unfair,” he said. “We are taught that Thanksgiving is Pilgrims and Indians.”Tristin Moone, a citizen of the Diné (Navajo) Nation who is a student of Native American Studies at Columbia University in New York, told NBC News that she's concerned by the psychology of those who would think this type of party is acceptable."I think the mentality that went into the creation of this party, the mentality that thought this was OK, is ubiquitous in America," she said.Moone, who was born and raised on the Diné reservation in northeast Arizona and northwest New Mexico, said she's concerned for the indigenous students who may attend Cal Poly and whether their peers view them as contemporary individuals."I’m worried about indigenous students in that institution not having an ally or advocate who can help mentor them, and guide students for a better understanding of Native peoples around the world," she said.Lazier wrote that Friday's forum was a part of several "ongoing efforts to promote a culture of support, diversity, inclusivity and community engagement" at Cal Poly.Moone said she believes such efforts should also include hearing and learning from the Native American community and allowing them to teach their own history."I think (parties) like these are very reflective of how the dominant narrative is supported and nurtured throughout American schools and universities, and how it stifles and hinders and silences the Native American narrative," she said.Related:Duke students rally against anti-Asian frat party

System of relentless winter storm kills four in West

Yellow Globe-News Reader Brandy RamirezDebris are strewn along Interstate 40 after a multiple vehicle accident near Vega, Texas, that killed three on Saturday.A dangerous storm that brought snow and heavy rains in the southwestern United States blamed for several deaths from road threatens Thanksgiving travel for millions of people in the Eastern States, forecasters said Saturday.The storm is expected to bring rains to the Southeast on Tuesday and then to the North and bring to the East Coast, possibly interrupting the journey through Wednesday, according to meteorologists at AccuWeather.com."If the storm hugs the coast and is developed to its full potential, can be a nightmare of flight, not only for travellers in the East, but also in the entire nation," said Evan Myers of AccuWeather.com.The holiday of Thanksgiving weekend is one of the most heavily traveled in the United States. Some 39 million people are waiting for the roads from Wednesday to Sunday, centered around Thanksgiving on Thursday, said that the AAA group trip earlier this week.About 3 million people to fly to their destinations, according to AAA.Winter storm warnings are in effect across the country, with a possible ice storm possible snow in Oklahoma and Texas. Dylan Dreyer reports today.Rain and snow have already been linked to several deaths. Motorists stranded and caused accidents in traffic in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Texas.Three people died in a multiple vehicle accident Friday afternoon in conditions of frost on Interstate 40 West of Amarillo, Texas, said a dispatcher for the State Patrol.In Central - Eastern New Mexico, a 4-year-old girl died when a vehicle that was traveling in it slipped off a road ice and return Friday afternoon, said Emmanuel Gutierrez State Police Sergeant. He wore no seat belt, he said.In Oakland, California, a man was killed on Thursday when a power line fell and he had electrocuted, according to the Contra Costa Times. Another man died trying to avoid debris on a road, the newspaper reported.Principles of the Saturday morning near Sulphur Springs, Texas, the driver of a bus carrying the band of Willie Nelson seemingly lost control and crashed into a highway bridge support. A member of the band, Paul English, broke a hip in the accident.The winter storm was expected to grind through the southern States of the Plains through Sunday night, bringing water, snow and freezing rain and in parts of Northern Texas and the Western half of Oklahoma light snow and frigid conditions, said the national weather service.AccuWeather predicted the storm hit coastal Texas and Louisiana on Monday, eastward along the Gulf Coast on Tuesday and then expand northward.The exact track of the storm is directed toward the coast Tuesday in the Wednesday night still is unknown and is the key to whether the region will be dry weather, rain or snow, AccuWeather, said.The rain could it be sufficiently heavy to delay flights in New Orleans, Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina and other airports, according to AccuWeather.Related:Rain, snow and strong winds are punched to the West, and that system time now moves eastward just in time for the Thanksgiving Feast. Miguel Almaguer NBC reportsThis story was originally posted on Sunday, November 24, 2013 12:34 AM ESTCopyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

System of winter storm relentless proving deadly in West

Yellow Globe-News Reader Brandy RamirezDebris are strewn along Interstate 40 after a multiple vehicle accident near Vega, Texas, that killed three on Saturday.A dangerous storm that brought snow and heavy rains in the southwestern United States blamed for several deaths from road threatens Thanksgiving travel for millions of people in the Eastern States, forecasters said Saturday.The storm is expected to bring rains to the Southeast on Tuesday and then to the North and bring to the East Coast, possibly interrupting the journey through Wednesday, according to meteorologists at AccuWeather.com."If the storm hugs the coast and is developed to its full potential, can be a nightmare of flight, not only for travellers in the East, but also in the entire nation," said Evan Myers of AccuWeather.com.The holiday of Thanksgiving weekend is one of the most heavily traveled in the United States. Some 39 million people are waiting for the roads from Wednesday to Sunday, centered around Thanksgiving on Thursday, said that the AAA group trip earlier this week.About 3 million people to fly to their destinations, according to AAA.Winter storm warnings are in effect across the country, with a possible ice storm possible snow in Oklahoma and Texas. Dylan Dreyer reports today.Rain and snow have already been linked to several deaths. Motorists stranded and caused accidents in traffic in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Texas.Three people died in a multiple vehicle accident Friday afternoon in conditions of frost on Interstate 40 West of Amarillo, Texas, said a dispatcher for the State Patrol.In Central - Eastern New Mexico, a 4-year-old girl died when a vehicle that was traveling in it slipped off a road ice and return Friday afternoon, said Emmanuel Gutierrez State Police Sergeant. He wore no seat belt, he said.In Oakland, California, a man was killed on Thursday when a power line fell and he had electrocuted, according to the Contra Costa Times. Another man died trying to avoid debris on a road, the newspaper reported.Principles of the Saturday morning near Sulphur Springs, Texas, the driver of a bus carrying the band of Willie Nelson seemingly lost control and crashed into a highway bridge support. A member of the band, Paul English, broke a hip in the accident.The winter storm was expected to grind through the southern States of the Plains through Sunday night, bringing water, snow and freezing rain and in parts of Northern Texas and the Western half of Oklahoma light snow and frigid conditions, said the national weather service.AccuWeather predicted the storm hit coastal Texas and Louisiana on Monday, eastward along the Gulf Coast on Tuesday and then expand northward.The exact track of the storm is directed toward the coast Tuesday in the Wednesday night still is unknown and is the key to whether the region will be dry weather, rain or snow, AccuWeather, said.The rain could it be sufficiently heavy to delay flights in New Orleans, Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina and other airports, according to AccuWeather.Related:Rain, snow and strong winds are punched to the West, and that system time now moves eastward just in time for the Thanksgiving Feast. Miguel Almaguer NBC reportsThis story was originally posted on Sunday, November 24, 2013 12:34 AM ESTCopyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Indigent accused of pushing 72-year-old on the route of the metro

Police say that a homeless man has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly pushing a man of 72 years of age on a Manhattan subway platform on Friday afternoon.Rudralall Baldao, 57, was also charged with assault for pushing a man on the platform of the train at 145th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue at around 16:30Police say passenger at the station helped a man who had been waiting for the train with his wife, backup before a train. He remained hospitalized Saturday after suffering a skull fracture and broken collarbone.Information on an attorney for Baldao was not immediately available.© 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material does not may be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Suspect accused of possible hate crime assault 'knockout' in Brooklyn

New York Police have arrested a man and charged him with aggression as a crime of hatred after a 24-year-old says he was hit in the face.Police on Saturday were investigating if it was part of an attack called "knockout", in which the object is to knock out an innocent person with a punch. The man said he heard a group of talking about it until he was beaten.Police say the victim told them that he was walking in Brooklyn 2:45 on Friday when he was beaten once. He was not seriously injured.Amrit Marajh, 28, of Brooklyn, was arrested on charges of assault as a hate crime and aggravated harassment as a hate crime because the victim is Jewish. It was not clear if he had an attorney.Three other detainees were released.Police are investigating similar incidents, including in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. At least two deaths have been linked to attacks this year.New York Police has deployed additional agents to the districts of the city where at least seven attacks occurred in recent weeks, including an assault a 78-year-old woman.Authorities and psychologists say that the "knockout" assaults have been around for decades - or more - and that is played mostly by impulsive teenagers to impress your friends.© 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material does not may be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Eagle deaths at wind turbine farm: Duke Energy agrees to pay $1 million

a  Dina Cappiello / AP fileA golden eagle flies over a wind turbine on a Duke Energy wind farm in Converse County, Wyo., in April.By Dina Cappiello, The Associated PressWASHINGTON -- The government for the first time has enforced environmental laws protecting birds against wind energy facilities, winning a $1 million settlement Friday from a power company that pleaded guilty to killing 14 eagles and 149 other birds at two Wyoming wind farms.The Obama administration has championed pollution-free wind power and used the same law against oil companies and power companies for drowning and electrocuting birds. The case against Duke Energy Corp. and its renewable energy arm was the first prosecuted under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act against a wind energy company."In this plea agreement, Duke Energy Renewables acknowledges that it constructed these wind projects in a manner it knew beforehand would likely result in avian deaths," Robert G. Dreher, acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division, said in a statement Friday.An investigation by The Associated Press in May revealed dozens of eagle deaths from wind energy facilities, including at Duke's Top of the World farm outside Casper, Wyo., the deadliest for eagles of 15 such facilities that Duke operates nationwide. The other wind farm included in the settlement is also in Converse County and is called Campbell Hill. All the deaths, which included golden eagles, hawks, blackbirds, wrens and sparrows, occurred from 2009 to 2013.The Charlotte, N.C.-based Duke has a market capitalization of nearly $50 billion."We deeply regret the impacts of golden eagles at two of our wind facilities," said Greg Wolf, president of Duke Energy Renewables Inc. in a statement. "Our goal is to provide the benefits of wind energy in the most environmentally responsible way possible."A study in September by federal biologists found that wind turbines had killed at least 67 bald and golden eagles since 2008. Wyoming had the most eagle deaths. That did not include deaths at Altamont Pass, an area in northern California where wind farms kill an estimated 60 eagles a year.Until Friday's announcement, not a single wind energy company had been prosecuted for a death of an eagle or other protected bird — even though each death is a violation of federal law, unless a company has a federal permit. Not a single wind energy facility has obtained a permit."Wind energy is not green if it is killing hundreds of thousands of birds," said George Fenwick, president of the American Bird Conservancy, which supports properly sited wind farms. "The unfortunate reality is that the flagrant violations of the law seen in this case are widespread."In 2009, Exxon Mobil pleaded guilty and paid $600,000 for killing 85 birds in five states. The BP oil company was fined $100 million for killing and harming migratory birds during the 2010 Gulf oil spill. And PacifiCorp, which operates coal plants, paid more than $10.5 million in 2009 for electrocuting 232 eagles along power lines and at its substations.Wind farms are clusters of turbines as tall as 30-story buildings, with spinning rotors as wide as a passenger jet's wingspan. Though the blades appear to move slowly, they can reach speeds up to 170 mph at the tips, creating tornado-like vortexes.Flying eagles behave like drivers texting on their cellphones; they don't look up. As they scan for food, they don't notice the industrial turbine blades until it's too late.The wind farms in Friday's settlement came on line before the Obama administration drafted voluntary guidelines encouraging wind energy companies to work with the Fish and Wildlife Service to avoid locations that would impact wildlife. Companies that choose to cooperate get rewarded, because prosecutors take it into consideration before pursuing prosecution.Once a wind farm is built, there is little a company can do to stop the deaths. Some firms have tried using radar to detect birds and to shut down the turbines when they get too close. Others have used human spotters to warn when birds are flying too close to the blades. Another tactic has been to remove vegetation to reduce the prey the birds like to eat.As part of the agreement, Duke will continue to use field biologists to identify eagles and shut down turbines when they get too close. It will install new radar technology, similar to what is used in Afghanistan to track missiles. And it will continue to voluntarily report all eagle and bird deaths to the government.The company will also have to apply for an eagle take permit, and draft a plan to reduce eagle and bird deaths at its four wind farms in Wyoming.Duke's $1 million will be divided. The fine — $400,000 — will go into a wetlands conservation fund. The state of Wyoming gets $100,000. The remainder will be used to purchase land or easements to protect golden eagle habitat and for projects aimed at minimizing interactions between eagles and wind turbines in Wyoming.While the settlement with Duke is a first, there could be more enforcement. The Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating 18 bird-death cases involving wind-power facilities, and about a half dozen have been referred to the Justice Department."No form of energy generation, or human activity for that matter, is completely free of impacts and wind energy is no exception," said the American Wind Energy Association in a statement, adding that air pollution-free wind power helps what experts say is the greatest threat to wildlife and their habitats — global warming. More stories on the environment:© 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Instructora de Zumba que dirigió la empresa prostitución liberado de la cárcel

WCSHBy Simon Moya-Smith, writer, NBC NewsThe instructor de Zumba who was convicted earlier this year of a business of prostitution in his studio in Maine was released from prison Saturday early in the morning.Alexis Wright, 30, came out quickly from the York County prison in Alfred, Maine, at 9:45 with a gray suit and a stack of folders."I have no comment," he told reporters.In may, Wright was sentenced to run and operate a lucrative prostitution business with partner Mark Strong, 58. She was also found guilty of several charges related to welfare and taxes.According to the police, observed strong sexual encounters unfold in real time on a computer in his office of insurance business.Police began to suspect Wright this year after fielding complaints about moaning, loud music and men entering and leaving an Office Wright rented across the street from his Studio.York County Sheriff Moe Ouellette said Wright sentence was shortened because of good behavior and his time working in the prison laundry while she was imprisoned, reported NBC Bangor.Records detailed for a period of 18 months indicated Wright made $150,000 tax-free, reports the Associated Press. She also collected more than $40,000 in benefits, prosecutors said.Strong served 20 days in jail for his involvement in the prostitution business and admitted to having an affair with Wright.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

RFK killer Sirhan Sirhan moved to another prison -- on anniversary of JFK assassination

aBen Margot / AP fileSirhan Sirhan was convicted of assassinating Sen. Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. He is shown at a parole board hearing in 2011. Parole was denied.By Monica Garske, NBCSanDiego.comExactly 50 years to the day of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, his brother’s assassin, Sirhan Sirhan, was moved to a prison in San Diego County.The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation confirmed Friday that Sirhan was moved from Corcoran State Prison in central California to the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego County’s South Bay area.See original story at NBCSanDiego.com“As a routine matter of housing allotments, Sirhan Sirhan was moved from Corcoran State Prison to the RJ Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego County today,” said Luis Patino, spokesman for the California Department of Corrections.“The date of the move is simply an unfortunate coincidence. Any number of inmates are moved from institution to institution on any given day as necessary,” Patino added.Sirhan – now 69 years old – shot Robert F Kennedy on Jun. 5, 1968 in the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after Kennedy won the California presidential primary. Kennedy had just finished addressing supporters in the hotel’s ballroom when he was fatally shot multiple times by Sirhan.RFK died from wounds sustained in the shooting.Sirhan was originally sentenced to death for the assassination of RFK, but the sentence was commuted to life in prison after the California Supreme Court declared the death penalty law in effect at the time, in 1972, as unconstitutional.In 2011, Sirhan was denied parole for the 13th time.

Texas actress has appeal dealing with ricin letters sent to Obama, Bloomberg

TODAYShannon to Richardson and her husband, Nathanial RichardsonAn actress of Texas accused of sending letters ricin cords Nueva York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and President Barack Obama has reached an agreement with federal prosecutors, according to federal court documents.Shannon Richardson, 36, whose career included minor television roles, had tried to blame her husband for sending letters in May that test positive for the presence of ricin, according to prosecutors.The agreement was presented Thursday at the District Court of United States for the Eastern District of Texas. Richardson's Attorney, Tonda Curry, could not immediately reached is to detail the terms of the agreement of guilt.Richardson was detained in June and a federal grand jury accused in an indictment of three threads to send letters to Obama, Bloomberg and Mark Glaze, the director of mayors against illegal guns, a group founded by Bloomberg that lobbies for stricter gun laws.Ricin, a highly toxic substance, is found naturally in Castor seeds, but it takes a deliberate act to make ricin and use it to poison people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Exhibition that even a small amount can be fatal and there is no known antidote exists.The new Boston, Texas, woman is accused of a charge of making a threat against the President of the United States and two counts of mailing threatening communications. He faces up to five years in prison each if convicted.They read the cards, in part: "will have to kill me to my family and before you get my weapons. Nobody wants to come to my house soar in the face, "according to court documents.-Reuters

Woman killed in first walk after motorcycle accident

Shomari Stone, NBCWashington.comSally Ann Okuly survived cancer. And he survived a motorcycle accident six months ago, feels it sufficiently well to leave the House last week for the first time in half a year.But his determination was no match for a car on Sunday morning. Okuly was run over by a car and killed when he left his Woodbridge, Virginia House for the first time, to cross the street to your favorite store and buy a newspaper and a cup of coffee.Police say that a car driven by Amanda styles-Mays, 24, crashed into Okuly as she crossed in Opitz Boulevard and Montgomery Avenue. Okuly was crossing with the light and was in the crosswalk.Styles-Mays has been charged with failure to yield to a pedestrian and reckless driving."One of her favorite to make things was to walk on that front Wawa gas station," said her husband, Bill Okuly, who still struggles with his emotions when he speaks of his wife.Sally Ann was also a mother of two children. The couple - who were members of the motorcycle club Rolling Thunder - was created to celebrate their anniversary 41 on Monday."She's the most generous in the world person," said Bill Okuly.However, he said, feels that his wife will always remain with him. "Oh yes, she will always be there," said Bill Okuly.

Soldier linked to sex assaults can blame identical twin, judge rules

aBy Simon Moya-Smith, Staff Writer, NBC NewsA Fort Carson, Colo., officer suspected of sexually assaulting three young females and luring a total of 11 into his car can blame his twin brother at trial, a judge in Colorado Springs ruled Friday. Colorado Springs Police via APThis booking photo released by the Colorado Springs Police Department shows Army 1st Lt. Aaron G. Lucas, of Alabama.First Lieutenant Aaron Lucas, 32, is linked by DNA to a string of sexual assaults that occurred in Colorado, Alabama and Texas, the Colorado Spring Gazette reported.Fourth Judicial District Judge David Shakes said it would be "inappropriate" to prohibit Lucas' attorneys from presenting his identical twin, Brian Frederick Lucas, as an alternate suspect since the pair share DNA.Shakes also referred to evidence that both Aaron Lucas and Brian Lucas drive a black Acura sedan, similar to the one described by a young girl who was sexually assaulted in Madison, Ala., in 2007 — a crime that Aaron is suspected of committing.A DNA test also linked Lucas to an 8-year-old girl's abduction in Colorado Springs. His DNA also matched biological material recovered from an unsolved Alabama case and another attack on a young girl in Texarkana, Tex., in 2009, the Gazette reported.The judge also said Lucas' attorneys can suggest a third man from Colorado Springs as the possible suspect in some of the local crimes, reported the Gazette. Lucas' trial is slated to begin in January, 2014.

Dozens of Tornadoes Kill 6, injure at least 37 in Midwest

Mobile phone video captures a tornado in a central district of Illinois.By M. Alex Johnson and Jeff Black, NBC NewsA powerful storm system swept the Midwest on Sunday, dozens of tornadoes that killed at least six people, injured many others and left damage in parts of Illinois devastating of spawning.Brookport, Illinois at Massac County near the Kentucky line, was particularly hard hit. They were confirmed at least two people have been killed and police with dogs were going door to door to search for trapped residents. Roads into the city closed by debris and downed power lines, Brookport authorities imposed an 18-to-touch curfew 6.At least four people were killed in Illinois, the State Emergency Management Agency told NBC News. A 80-year-old man and his 78-year-old sister died about new Minden, according to Washington County coroner Mark Styninger, and unidentified victims were confirmed dead in the city of Washington and Unionville."Suddenly, the wind began to lift and [my wife] said: ' we have to go to the basement now!'" Steve Bucher in Washington said that the NBC station week of Peoria."In less than a minute, it all started inside the House, cracking, sputtering, collapsing," he said. "The next thing we know, is light inside the garage."Do after bringing rain and tornadoes to Illinois, this time set what next? Reports of Mike Seidel of The Weather Channel.In the early afternoon, 37 people were being treated at St. Francis Hospital in Peoria, seven of them as trauma patients. Numerous injuries were also reported in Massac County, with communications difficult and many impassable roads, it was still unclear how many people could be hurt.In the semana-TV, presenters had to go outside the air abruptly as they were counts that they themselves were in the path of the twister. According to the national weather service, was damaged the roof of the station.Steve Smedley / APA storm system a spin multiple tornadoes, killing several people and flattening an entire neighborhood.In the Tazewell County in central Illinois, emergency teams were responding to a tornado flattens homes in several neighborhoods. Cities with damage reported include Washington, Perkin and East Peoria, spokesman for the County Sara Sparkman told NBC News. Photos of Washington showed an expansive trail of wooden remains of wrecked homes as the tornado laid waste to a neighborhood.East Peoria Mayor Dave Mingus said that about 100 houses were damaged in his city of about 23,000 residents, with 25 to 50 destroyed and uninhabitable.The Red Cross was working with the County to open shelters in the area for families whose homes were damaged.Altogether, The Weather Channel recorded 40 reports of tornadoes: 16 in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky 14 in eight each in Missouri and Ohio. There were more than 250 reports of damage from wind and strong winds through eight States.At least 83,000 customers were without power Sunday afternoon in most of the people in the area of Peoria, Illinois, said Jonathon Monken, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.Rescue teams were deployed in multiple areas throughout the State, focusing on the affected areas of Washington and Gifford, Monken said.Damage extended throughout the region, with damage reported as far East as Kentucky.Corey Mayes of Corydon in Henderson County, KY., said that he, his wife and their 4-year-old dashed down as a tornado abruptly.A violent storm system spawned tornadoes in the Illinois Center. Kevin Tibbles, NBC reports."I yelled to everyone down to the basement, and checked in my family and he came back running," Mayes said NBC WFIE near Fort Wayne, Indiana station"At that time, had already come across the street and I was trying to touch down," he said. "Simply again and blew up above."The Governor of Illinois, Pat Quinn warned residents that the climate and storms across the State were "very serious".In Chicago, the NFL Baltimore Ravens-Chicago Bears game was delayed due to the climate, and the area of seats at Soldier Field was evacuated. The game was resumed in envelope 14:20 (3:20 p.m. ET) after a delay of nearly two hours.The highest point of the threat of tornadoes was eastern Illinois in Southern Michigan, Western Kentucky, Indiana and Western Ohio, but dangerous winds were also a cause for concern, as the storms move through the Appalachians, as well as parts of the northeast of the country in the early hours of Monday, said the national weather service.They reported significant damage in Lebanon, Indiana, where Elizabeth MacDougal was in a Starbucks coffee when a possible tornado appeared."I looked out the front window of the Starbucks and in fact was on the phone with my mother saying: ' Hey, we are entering a not so good time '", said McDougal station NBC WTHR of Indianapolis."And then, suddenly, I see a white cloud, and I'm like, 'Oh, moving funny,'" said. "And then they tracked down eyes, and it is then when the rubble started to lift. And that's when he said: ' MOM, I have to go!' "The Starbucks Windows were shattered, and the vehicles in the parking lot were revoked, WTHR reported.Wind and hail can cause the fallen trees and scattered power outages in a wide area from Chicago to Buffalo.The weather channel provides that the storm might decrease as it moved east to Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey, but the winds could reach up to New York on Monday morning.Michelle Acevedo, Christopher Essner, Azhar Fateh, Elisha Fieldstadt, Alastair Jamieson, Christopher E. Nelson and Julmary Zambrano of NBC News contributed to this report.This story was originally posted on Sunday, November 17, 2013 6:28 PM EST

Powerful Midwest storm threatens severe tornadoes, damaging winds

aCellphone video captures a twister touching down in a central Illinois neighborhood. By M. Alex Johnson and Jeff Black, NBC NewsA powerful storm system rampaged through the Midwest on Sunday, spawning dozens of tornadoes that killed at least six people, injured many others and left devastating damage in parts of Illinois.Brookport, Ill., in Massac County near the Kentucky line, was particularly hard hit. At least two people were confirmed to have died, and police with dogs were going door to door to search for trapped residents. With roads entering the city closed by debris and downed power lines, Brookport authorities imposed a 6 p.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew.At least four other people were killed in Illinois, the state Emergency Management Agency told NBC News. An 80-year-old man and his 78-year-old sister were killed near New Minden, according to Washington County Coroner Mark Styninger, and unidentified victims were confirmed dead in Washington city and in Unionville."All of a sudden, the wind started picking up, and [my wife] said, 'We've got to get in the basement right now!'" Steve Bucher of Washington told NBC station WEEK of Peoria."Within less than a minute, everything started collapsing inside the house, cracking, sputtering," he said. "Next thing we know, it's light inside the garage."After bringing rain and tornadoes to Illinois, what will this weather system do next? Mike Seidel of The Weather Channel reports.By early evening, 37 people were being treated at St. Francis Hospital in Peoria, seven of them as trauma patients. Numerous injuries were also reported in Massac County, and with communications difficult and many roads impassable, it remained unclear how many other people might be hurt.At WEEK-TV, newscasters had to go off the air abruptly as they realized they themselves were in the path of the twister. According to the National Weather Service, the station's roof was damaged. Steve Smedley / APA storm system spun off multiple tornadoes killing several people and flattening an entire neighborhood.In Tazewell County in central Illinois, emergency crews were responding to a tornado that flattened homes in several neighborhoods. The cities with reported damage include Washington, Perkin and East Peoria, county spokeswoman Sara Sparkman told NBC News. Pictures from Washington showed an expansive trail of wood debris from homes torn apart as the twister laid waste to one neighborhood.East Peoria Mayor Dave Mingus said about 100 homes were damaged in his city of more than 23,000 residents, with 25 to 50 destroyed and uninhabitable.The Red Cross was working with the county to open up shelters in the area for families whose homes were damaged.Altogether, The Weather Channel recorded 40 reports of tornadoes: 16 in Indiana, 14 in Illinois, eight in Kentucky and one each in Missouri and Ohio. There were more than 250 reports of wind damage or high winds across eight states. At least 83,000 customers were without electric power Sunday evening in Illinois, most of those in the Peoria area, said Jonathon Monken, director of the Illinois Emergency management Agency.Rescue teams were deploying to multiple areas across the state, focusing on the hard-hit Washington and Gifford areas, Monken said.Damage extended across the region, with damage reported as far east as Kentucky.Corey Mayes of Corydon in Henderson County, Ky., said he, his wife and their 4-year-old dashed downstairs as a tornado rushed through.A violent storm system spawned tornadoes in central Illinois. NBC's Kevin Tibbles reports. "I yelled at everybody to get down to the basement, and I checked on my family and ran back up," Mayes told NBC station WFIE of nearby Fort Wayne, Ind."About that time, it had already come across the street and was trying to touch back down," he said. "It just sucked back up and blew on over."Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn warned residents that the weather and storms across the state were "very serious."In Chicago, the Baltimore Ravens-Chicago Bears NFL game was delayed because of the weather, and the seating area at Soldier Field was evacuated. The game resumed at about 2:20 p.m. (3:20 p.m. ET) after a nearly two-hour delay.The highest threat area for tornadoes was eastern Illinois into Indiana, southern Michigan, western Kentucky and western Ohio, but dangerous winds were also a concern as the storms move across the Appalachians as well as parts of the Northeast into early Monday, the National Weather Service said.Significant damage was reported in Lebanon, Ind., where Elizabeth MacDougal was in a Starbucks when a possible tornado appeared. "I was looking out the front window of the Starbucks and I was actually on the phone with my mom saying, 'Hey, we're entering some not-so-nice weather here,'" McDougal told NBC station WTHR of Indianapolis."And then all of a sudden, I see this white cloud, and I'm like, 'Oh, that's moving funny,'" she said. "And then my eyes tracked downward, and that's when the debris started to kick up. And that's when I said, 'Mom, I gotta go!'"The windows of the Starbucks were shattered, and vehicles in the parking lot were overturned, WTHR reported.Wind and hail could cause downed trees and scattered power failures across a broad area from Chicago to Buffalo.The Weather Channel predicted that the storm would diminish as it moved east through Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey, but high winds could reach as far as New York on Monday morning.Michelle Acevedo, Christopher Essner, Azhar Fateh, Elisha Fieldstadt, Alastair Jamieson, Christopher E. Nelson and Julmary Zambrano of NBC News contributed to this report.This story was originally published on Sun Nov 17, 2013 6:28 PM EST

Ex-Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to join Wall Street equity firm

a a Carolyn Kaster / AP fileThen Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner during a news conference at the Treasury Department in 2012. Former Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has landed in the private sector, taking a job as president of the private equity firm Warburg Pincus, the firm announced on Saturday.Geithner, who was president of the New York Fed at the outset of the financial crisis and has spent much of his career in the public sector, will take an active role in managing the firm."In his role, Mr. Geithner will work closely with Warburg Pincus' co-chief executive officers, Charle R. Kaye and Jospeh P. Landy, on overall firm strategy and management, investing and portfolio management, organizational and funding structure, and investor relations," the firm said in a statement.Warburg's principals first approached Geithner with the idea this summer, the Wall Street Journal reported."When they approached me, they clearly wanted me to play a substantive role in helping them manage the firm," Geithner told the Journal.Geithner worked closely with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and the chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, to devise a response to the crisis while serving as head of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He was involved in many of the most pivotal financial decisions of 2008, including the rescue of Bear Stearns, one of the largest global investment banks and brokerage firms, and the collapse of Lehman Brothers. After being appointed Treasury Secretary in 2008,, he also oversaw allocation of $350 billion of funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program, which was enacted during the administration of George W. Bush.He stepped down as Treasury secretary last year and was succeeded by Jack Lew. At one point over the summer, Geithner had been seen as a possible replacement for Ben Bernanke as chairman of the Federal Reserve.Before going to work for the Fed, Geither worked as an assistant financial attache for the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo and had several jobs in the Treasury Department, including under secretary of international affairs, and with the International Monetary Fund.NBC News' Patrick Rizzo contributed to this report.

US quietly offers bounties for Benghazi attackers

By Matthew Lee, The Associated PressThe State Department said Friday that it has been quietly offering rewards since January of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of any person involved in last year's attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound in Libya. The announcement ends weeks of Obama administration silence on questions about whether it was using all available means to catch the attackers. In a letter sent to lawmakers on Friday, the department said the rewards were not publicized on its "Rewards for Justice" website as is normally done because of security issues around the ongoing investigation into the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the mission in Benghazi that killed U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and three other Americans. "Due to security issues and sensitivities surrounding the investigation, the event-specific reward offer has not been publicly advertised on the RFJ website," the department said in a statement. "RFJ tools can be utilized in a variety of ways, without publicizing them on the website."  A State Department official familiar with the letter sent to Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, by Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs Julia Frifield acknowledged that it's unusual not to publicize offers of rewards, but said investigators have other ways of making sure the information is known "as needed." In the course of the probe, investigators have made it known to individuals that cash is available for those coming forward with actionable information.  The official said the rewards have been in place since Jan. 7, while Hillary Rodham Clinton was still secretary of state. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about the private correspondence and spoke on condition of anonymity. Lawmakers had complained the department was not using everything at its disposal to catch the perpetrators. McCaul, chairman of the House Homeland Security committee, had been the lead author of an Oct. 30 letter to Secretary of State John Kerry asking why rewards were not being offered for the Benghazi attackers. Eighty-two other lawmakers signed that letter. The State Department had previously ducked questions about whether rewards for the Benghazi attackers had been offered, citing concerns about identifying possible suspects. The refusal to discuss the issue had led to criticism from many, mostly conservative, lawmakers who believe that the administration has badly mishandled Benghazi and may have even attempted to cover up key details about the attack that occurred on the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States.© 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Dos muertos, 20 heridos en accidente en Colorado mía

a Por Simon Moya-Smith y M. Alex Johnson, NBC NewsInexplicables "gases nocivos" mató a dos mineros y otros 20 en un accidente en un Colorado heridos mía el domingo por la mañana, dijo la gerente de la mina.Todos menos dos de los mineros heridos fueron tratados y liberados de los hospitales del área, dijeron las autoridades el domingo.El accidente ocurrió a las 7:20 (9:20 a.m. hora del este) en los ingresos-Virginius plata, plomo, zinc, cobre y la mina de oro cerca de Telluride en el Condado de Ouray, dijeron las autoridades.Rory Williams, director del proyecto de la mina, dijo que la estación de NBC KUSA de Denver que no sabía lo que pudo haber llevado a la liberación de los humos, que dijo que era muy raro. Estaba investigando a los Estados Unidos mina Safety and Health Administration, dijo.Williams, quien dijo que estaba "entristecido" por las muertes, no lanzar nombres de las víctimas, diciendo que dependía de sus familias.Ver los mejores videos en MSNBC.comEsta historia fue publicada originalmente en domingo, 17 de noviembre de 2013 9:49 PM EST

Rod Blagojevich corruption appeal to be heard by US appeals court

a  Charles Rex Arbogast / AP fileFormer Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich pictured in 2012 on his way to prison in Colorado.By M. Alex Johnson, Staff Writer, NBC NewsThe case of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich will be back in court next month after a federal appeals court agreed Friday to hear arguments over whether to toss out his 2011 corruption conviction.In a brief ruling filed Friday in 7th U.S. Circuit of Appeals in Chicago, the court set Dec. 13 for oral arguments on Blagojevich's contention that it should overturn his 14-year sentence to a federal penitentiary in Englewood, Colo.The mop-haired former politician has argued that he was simply engaging in standard political horse-trading when he was recorded wheeling and dealing for money and possibly a Cabinet position in return for appointing Valerie Jarrett to replace President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate in 2008."It's a f---ing valuable thing," he was heard saying in a recording of a phone call played in court. "You just don't give it away for nothing." "If I don't get what I want ... I'll just take the Senate seat myself," he was recorded saying.Neither Jarrett — a senior adviser in the Obama White House — nor Obama have been accused of wrongdoing.Blagojevich eventually ended up appointing Roland Burris. After a legal battle, the appointment was upheld, and Burris served a little less than two years in the Senate. Blagojevich was impeached and later prosecuted.In an exhaustively detailed 169-page filing opposing Blagojevich's motion (PDF), Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Riggs Bonamici wrote that the "evidence was overwhelming" that Blagojevich broke the law by seeking to sell Obama's Senate seat to the highest bidder.She also noted that evidence at Blagojevich's trial showed that he had also been offered $1.5 million in campaign contributions from supporters of then-Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., if he would appoint Jackson to Obama's seat. "Blagojevich led, organized, and directed substantially more than five government and fundraising employees and outside consultants, whom he used to assist him in exchanging official acts for personal benefits," Bonamici wrote.Related:Former Illinois Gov. Blagojevich appeals corruption conviction, sentence

Boy found handcuffed on porch with dead chicken on his neck, police say

a Boy found handcuffed on porch with dead chicken on his neck, police say - U.S. NewsMSNOutlookMoreAutosMy MSNVideoCareers & JobsPersonalsWeatherDelishQuotesWhite PagesGamesReal EstateWonderwallHoroscopesShoppingYellow PagesLocal EditionTrafficFeedbackMaps & DirectionsTravelFull MSN IndexBing NBCNews.comTODAYNightly NewsMeet the PressDatelinemsnbcBreaking NewsNewsvineHomeUSWorldPoliticsBusinessSportsEntertainmentHealthTechScienceTravelLocalWeatherAdvertise | AdChoicesRecommended: Scores of tornadoes kill 6, injure at least 37 in MidwestRecommended: DC insurance commissioner fired a day after criticizing Obamacare stepsRecommended: Alex Calderwood, co-founder of artsy Ace Hotels chain, dies at 47Recommended: Urban hens often abandoned once they stop laying eggsheader.top_header {background-image: url(http://cdn.lib.newsvine.com/chrome/usnewsfranchise/images/header.jpg?v=11182);}footer .links {background-image: url(http://cdn.lib.newsvine.com/chrome/usnewsfranchise/images/footer.jpg);}NBC News reporters bring you compelling stories from across the nation. For more US news, follow us on Twitter and Facebook. ? About this blog? Archives E-mail updates Follow on Twitter Subscribe to RSS583commentsPrint1dayagoBoy found handcuffed on porch with dead chicken on his neck, police sayBy Simon Moya-Smith, Staff Writer, NBC NewsAn 11-year-old boy who was handcuffed to a porch with a dead chicken draped around his neck was found by a deputy searching for a loose pig, authorities said Saturday.A Union County sheriff's deputy had responded to a complaint of swine roaming a resident's yard in Monroe, N.C., when the deputy saw the boy handcuffed and shivering. The child was discovered around 9:30 a.m. local time in frigid temperatures, Capt. Ronnie Whitaker told NBC News.Dorian Lee Harper, the boy's foster parent, emerged and asked the deputy why he was there, Whitaker said. The deputy asked the 57-year-old man for identification. Another child opened the door, releasing several dogs that chased the deputy back to his cruiser, Whitaker said.Advertise | AdChoicesBy the time back-up units arrived and the dogs were secured, the man had removed the 11-year-old boy from the porch, but left the dead chicken on a nearby barrel, Whitaker said.Deputies searched the house and found five children, ages 14, 13, 11, 9 and 8. The children were taken from the home and the man was placed under arrest. Union County Sheriff's OfficeDorian Lee Harper, left, and Wanda Sue Larson are charged with child abuse.A second foster parent, Wanda Sue Larson, 57, was not home at the time of the incident, but was arrested when she arrived later at the sheriff's office. Both are charged with intentional child abuse, inflicting serious injury, false imprisonment and cruelty to animals, according to a police report.Larson is a supervisor with the Union County Department of Social Services, and Harper is an emergency room nurse.Larson is accused of being complicit in mistreatment of the children. She also was charged with willful failure to discharge her duty as a public official.Carolina's Healthcare System confirmed Saturday that Harper has been placed on administrative leave, NBC station WCNC of Charlotte reported.Whitaker said that because of the investigation he could not disclose whether Harper could explain why the boy was handcuffed to the porch and a dead chicken was hanging on his neck.Harper and Larson adopted four of the children. The pair had been fostering the fifth, the child handcuffed to the porch, WCNC reported.Sheriff Eddie Cathey called the case "shocking."“I can assure you that we have only just begun our investigation into what has happened, and we will pursue it to its fullest extent,” he told WCNC.Harper and Larson were being held in the Union County Jail. Harper's bail was set to $500,000, and Larson’s was set at $525,000. The five children are with an undisclosed social services agency outside of the county.583commentsExplore related topics: north-carolina, child-abuse, handcuffsolder1dayagoUrban hens often abandoned once they stop laying eggsnewer14hoursago'They're trying to figure out what happened': Malfunctioning drone hits Navy shipMost popular postsolder1dayagoUrban hens often abandoned once they stop laying eggsnewer14hoursago'They're trying to figure out what happened': Malfunctioning drone hits Navy shipMost popular posts159Woman accused of leaving bomb in car at Washington state hospital — second found in homeUpdated3daysago205Dead baby found in NY recycling plant, police say5daysago303NC man arrested at airport, charged with trying to join al Qaeda-linked terrorist group6daysago185Whitey Bulger sentencing pits victims' families against jurors6daysago523Baby boy gunned down with his dad in New Orleans car ambush4daysagoBrowsefeatured, crime, updated, weather, military, california, florida, shooting, texas, new-york, environment, us-news, education, police, chicago, murder, colorado, new-jersey, obama, nbcnewyork, trayvon-martin, guns, los-angeles, afghanistan, gulf-oil-spill, kari-huus, george-zimmerman, barack-obama, arizona, nbclosangeles, fire, boston, sandy, politics, washington, veterans, gay, crime-and-courts, crime-courtsAlsoAdvertise | AdChoicesArchives2013November (206)October (443)September (409)August (444)July (461)June (405)May (461)April (608)March (548)February (510)January (563)2012December (457)November (460)October (477)September (432)August (525)July (519)June (508)May (566)April (538)March (576)February (471)January (417)2011December (455)November (190)October (9)September (3)August (51)July (8)June (3)May (12)April (5)March (3)February (1)January (8)2010December (5)November (1)October (2)September (28)August (40)July (35)June (177)May (50)April (9)March (2)February (2)January (4)2009December (5)November (5)October (2)September (11)August (4)July (12)June (1)May (1)April (1)March (3)February (3)January (2)2008December (3)November (2)October (6)September (30)August (26)July (10)June (4)May (8)April (13)March (9)February (7)January (6)2007December (10)November (6)October (22)September (11)Most CommentedParents of Renisha McBride on charges: 'I hope he spends the rest of his life in jail' (2025)Obamacare website model felt bullied by critics (924)US crushes 6 tons of illegal ivory to send message to poachers, traffickers (548)Boy found handcuffed on porch with dead chicken on his neck, police say (583)Teen charged after three students shot near Pittsburgh high school (927)Students ban 'Redskins,' get sent to principal (560)Death-row organ donations pose practical, ethical hurdles (419)Other blogsRed Tape ChroniclesPhotoBlogInvestigations top stories3700,10 © 2013 NBCNews.comUS news on NBCNews.comAbout usContactHelpSite mapCareersClosed captioningTerms & ConditionsPrivacy policyAdvertise

53 million people at risk as powerful Midwest storm brings tornadoes, severe winds

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Cellphone video captures a twister touching down in a central Illinois neighborhood.

By M. Alex Johnson and Jeff Black, NBC News

A powerful storm system rampaged through the Midwest on Sunday, spawning dozens of tornadoes that killed at least six people, injured many others and left devastating damage in parts of Illinois.

Brookport, Ill., in Massac County near the Kentucky line, was particularly hard hit. At least two people were confirmed to have died, and police with dogs were going door to door to search for trapped residents. With roads entering the city closed by debris and downed power lines, Brookport authorities imposed a 6 p.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew.

At least four other people were killed in Illinois, the state Emergency Management Agency told NBC News. An 80-year-old man and his 78-year-old sister were killed near New Minden, according to Washington County Coroner Mark Styninger, and unidentified victims were confirmed dead in Washington city and in Unionville.

"All of a sudden, the wind started picking up, and [my wife] said, 'We've got to get in the basement right now!'" Steve Bucher of Washington told NBC station WEEK of Peoria.

"Within less than a minute, everything started collapsing inside the house, cracking, sputtering," he said. "Next thing we know, it's light inside the garage."

After bringing rain and tornadoes to Illinois, what will this weather system do next? Mike Seidel of The Weather Channel reports.

By early evening, 37 people were being treated at St. Francis Hospital in Peoria, seven of them as trauma patients. Numerous injuries were also reported in Massac County, and with communications difficult and many roads impassable, it remained unclear how many other people might be hurt.

At WEEK-TV, newscasters had to go off the air abruptly as they realized they themselves were in the path of the twister. According to the National Weather Service, the station's roof was damaged.

Steve Smedley / AP

A storm system spun off multiple tornadoes killing several people and flattening an entire neighborhood.

In Tazewell County in central Illinois, emergency crews were responding to a tornado that flattened homes in several neighborhoods. The cities with reported damage include Washington, Perkin and East Peoria, county spokeswoman Sara Sparkman told NBC News. Pictures from Washington showed an expansive trail of wood debris from homes torn apart as the twister laid waste to one neighborhood.

East Peoria Mayor Dave Mingus said about 100 homes were damaged in his city of more than 23,000 residents, with 25 to 50 destroyed and uninhabitable.

The Red Cross was working with the county to open up shelters in the area for families whose homes were damaged.

Altogether, The Weather Channel recorded 40 reports of tornadoes: 16 in Indiana, 14 in Illinois, eight in Kentucky and one each in Missouri and Ohio. There were more than 250 reports of wind damage or high winds across eight states. 

At least 83,000 customers were without electric power Sunday evening in Illinois, most of those in the Peoria area, said Jonathon Monken, director of the Illinois Emergency management Agency.

Rescue teams were deploying to multiple areas across the state, focusing on the hard-hit Washington and Gifford areas, Monken said.

Damage extended across the region, with damage reported as far east as Kentucky.

Corey Mayes of Corydon in Henderson County, Ky., said he, his wife and their 4-year-old dashed downstairs as a tornado rushed through.

A violent storm system spawned tornadoes in central Illinois. NBC's Kevin Tibbles reports.

"I yelled at everybody to get down to the basement, and I checked on my family and ran back up," Mayes told NBC station WFIE of nearby Fort Wayne, Ind.

"About that time, it had already come across the street and was trying to touch back down," he said. "It just sucked back up and blew on over."

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn warned residents that the weather and storms across the state were "very serious."

In Chicago, the Baltimore Ravens-Chicago Bears NFL game was delayed because of the weather, and the seating area at Soldier Field was evacuated. The game resumed at about 2:20 p.m. (3:20 p.m. ET) after a nearly two-hour delay.

The highest threat area for tornadoes was eastern Illinois into Indiana, southern Michigan, western Kentucky and western Ohio, but dangerous winds were also a concern as the storms move across the Appalachians as well as parts of the Northeast into early Monday, the National Weather Service said.

Significant damage was reported in Lebanon, Ind., where Elizabeth MacDougal was in a Starbucks when a possible tornado appeared.

 "I was looking out the front window of the Starbucks and I was actually on the phone with my mom saying, 'Hey, we're entering some not-so-nice weather here,'" McDougal told NBC station WTHR of Indianapolis.

"And then all of a sudden, I see this white cloud, and I'm like, 'Oh, that's moving funny,'" she said. "And then my eyes tracked downward, and that's when the debris started to kick up. And that's when I said, 'Mom, I gotta go!'"

The windows of the Starbucks were shattered, and vehicles in the parking lot were overturned, WTHR reported.

Wind and hail could cause downed trees and scattered power failures across a broad area from Chicago to Buffalo.

The Weather Channel predicted that the storm would diminish as it moved east through Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey, but high winds could reach as far as New York on Monday morning.

Michelle Acevedo, Christopher Essner, Azhar Fateh, Elisha Fieldstadt, Alastair Jamieson, Christopher E. Nelson and Julmary Zambrano of NBC News contributed to this report.

This story was originally published on Sun Nov 17, 2013 6:28 PM EST

Bomb suspect's husband arrested after device found outside Washington state hospital

aKING-TVThe bomb was found Thursday morning in a car parked in front of the Harrison Medical Center emergency room in Bremerton, Wash., police said.By M. Alex Johnson, Staff Writer, NBC NewsA Washington state couple were ordered Friday held on $50,000 bond each after bombs were found outside a hospital and in their home.Krista Leeann Hendershot and Dennis Dale Hendershot Jr., both 43, were arraigned in Kitsap County District Court on felony explosives charges. Their next hearing was set for Dec. 3.Krista Hendershot was arrested Thursday after a State Patrol bomb squad found an explosive device in the car in which a good Samaritan had driven her to Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton, about 20 miles west of Seattle, police said.A similar device was found in her mobile home in nearby Poulsbo, which police searched after questioning Hendershot.Late Thursday, Dennis Hendershot was arrested by police who'd staked out the home and waited for him to return. He initially was also charged with a misdemeanor count of violating a no-contact order, which was later dropped.Dennis Hendershot, a felon with previous burglary and drug convictions, is suspected of having made the bombs, police said.The bizarre story began early Thursday morning, when a motorist picked up Leeann Hendershot because she looked to be in "distress," police said. As he was driving her to the hospital, she told him she had a bomb, they said.The man alerted hospital staff, who called Bremerton police about 7:30 a.m.Police sealed off the area of the emergency room and called the State Patrol bomb squad, which found the device in the car parked out front, Bremerton police said in a statement. Officers described it as an "improvised explosive device" made up of an agricultural field bomb nestled in a ring of six carbon dioxide canisters.After police questioned Hendershot, the bomb squad found a second device wrapped in tape at her home and immediately evacuated surrounding homes, Poulsbo police said. Deputy Police Chief Robert Wright told NBC station KING of Seattle that the bomb was "very similar in nature to the one they took in Bremerton."Watch US News crime videos on NBCNews.com

Body believed to be that of missing plane passenger

aThe body of the passenger who reportedly fell out of a small plane into the ocean near Key Biscayne has likely been found, according to Miami-Dade Police.Police said they presume a body found in a mangrove area just south of SW 184 Street at 10:30 a.m. Saturday is 42-year-old Gerardo Nales, but authorities said they are waiting for official identification from the Medical Examiner's Office.Nales fell out of Piper PA46 Thursday about eight miles southeast of Tamiami Airport with no parachute, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.The pilot was identified to NBC 6 as Felipe Fons, a student at Dean's International Aviation flight school at Tamiami Airport. Police have not indicated any evidence of foul play and the pilot was very cooperative with the investigation, authorities said.

DC insurance commissioner fired a day after criticizing Obamacare steps

a By Kristen Welker and Ali Weinberg, NBC NewsWashington, D.C.'s insurance commissioner confirmed Sunday that he was fired after questioning President Barack Obama's proposed fixes to his troubled health-care law. William White told NBC News that Mayor Vincent Gray's office didn't explicitly link his dismissal to his comments. But he strongly suggested it wasn't a coincidence."Anyone who looks at this can draw their own conclusions. My statement came out on Thursday, and by Friday [at] 4:15 I was out," he said.White's deputy, Chester McPherson, takes over as acting insurance commissioner. Gray's office didn't respond to a request for comment.Watch US News videos on NBCNews.comIn a statement Thursday, White criticized Obama's announcement earlier in the day that insurance plans scheduled to be canceled next year under the new law could be extended for a year.White said the extensions would create problems for health-care exchanges because they contradict legislation the District and many states passed to implement the law. "The action today undercuts the purpose of the exchanges, including the District's DC Health Link, by creating exceptions that make it more difficult for them to operate," he said Thursday.White told NBC News that he was disappointed "that I won't be able to complete all of what I was trying to do." "I understand the mayor has every right to change his mind, and I respect that," he said.Related:

Students ban 'Redskins,' get sent to principal

a By MaryClaire Dale, NBCPhiladelphia.com Classic court cases involving students and free speech usually involve teens trying to push the limits of provocative, political or even profane language.But a looming clash of cultures at a suburban Philadelphia football powerhouse presents a new twist on the usual First Amendment fight.Editors of a student newspaper are getting heat from school officials after banning the word "Redskins'' - their mascot at Neshaminy, a high school named for the creek where the Lenape Indians once lived."Detractors will argue that the word is used with all due respect. But the offensiveness of a word cannot be judged by its intended meaning, but by how it is received,'' read an Oct. 27 editorial in the Playwickian, backed by 14 of 21 staff members. (An equally well-written op-ed voiced the dissenting group's opinion.)The ban comes as Native American activists and a few media outlets, along with President Barack Obama, challenge the moniker of Washington's NFL team, which visits Philadelphia on Sunday.At Neshaminy - where the welcome sign sometimes reads: "Everybody do the Redskin Rumble'' and the football team is 11-1 with a shot at its second state title - news editors had pledged to stop using the term ``Redskins'' as far back as 2001, but sometimes wavered. This year's staff decided to take it on full-force."You are not afraid to write about the hard and sensitive issues. You take risks on editorial pages - bravo!'' judges wrote last month in a student journalism contest, when the Playwickian earned a top award.Nonetheless, Principal Robert McGee ordered the editors to put the ``Redskins'' ban on hold, and summoned them to a meeting after school Tuesday, according to junior Gillian McGoldrick, the editor-in-chief."People are (saying), 'Just give in. It doesn't really matter.' But it's a huge deal, that we're being forced to say something that we don't want to,'' said McGoldrick, a 16-year-old junior.McGee called the editors' motives ``valiant,'' but said the dispute pits the rights of one group of students against another.His approximately 2,600 students must each publish an article in the Playwickian for course credit. He doesn't think anyone should be barred from writing about the Neshaminy Redskins, especially, he said, when the harm alleged is open to debate."I don't think that's been decided at the national level, whether that word is or is not (offensive). It's our school mascot,'' said McGee, who said he's consulted with the school solicitor and others. "I see it as a First Amendment issue running into another First Amendment issue.''School officials had also ordered the Playwickian to run a full-page, $200 ad - submitted by a Class of `72 alumnus - celebrating the ``Redskin'' name, McGoldrick said.In response, the nonprofit Student Press Law Center and other groups bought a rival ad detailing the ``Freedom of Expression'' students enjoy under state and federal law.  That ad is set to appear in the edition due out Wednesday, although the alumnus pulled the pro-Redskins ad late last week, McGoldrick said.Both the student law center and the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania believe school districts are on shaky ground if they try to compel students to use a given word, especially one the students deem offensive."I understand that there's an inclination to want to protect a tradition at the school. But the First Amendment is a longer and a better-established tradition,'' said Frank LoMonte, executive director of the Student Press Law Center in Arlington, Va."It's exactly what we tell young people in the abstract we want them to do: use their voices in positive ways to bring about social change. And yet when they tried to do it in practice, the school slapped them down,'' he said. "That's a bad place for an educator to be.''

Funeral director Caleb Wilde is an undertaker for the overshare generation

a John Brecher / NBC NewsFuneral director Caleb Wilde in the Upper Octorara Cemetery, a site often visited by his family business. By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer, NBC NewsHe tweets. He blogs. He embalms.Caleb Wilde is a sixth-generation mortician, working for the family business in small-town Pennsylvania — a Victorian-style funeral home where the only visible concessions to modernity are two big-screen televisions used by overflow crowds to watch a service.But when he's not making 2 a.m. house calls and loading "customers" (the deceased)  into "the pickup" (the hearse), Wilde is engaged in the most modern of pursuits: spreading his very intimate view of death on the web.The 32-year-old from Parkesburg, Pa. (pop. 3,628)  may just be the undertaker for the overshare generation.He has more than 8,000 Twitter followers. He says his blog, Confessions of a Funeral Director, gets 80,000 visits a month and his Facebook page has drawn up to 500,000 hits in a week.His goal: to demystify death and shine some light on the funeral industry with a mix of humor and helpful hints (don't smoke cigarettes soaked in embalming fluid and don't sext at a wake). John Brecher / NBC NewsCaleb Wilde poses with his father and grandfather, who came before him as funeral directors in Parkesburg, Penn."Death gives you an important perspective on life," the former theology student says. "It's a tragedy not to think about death."The Wilde family has been in the death business since 1888, but Caleb didn't have any plans to join them until he realized he couldn't make ends meet as a humanitarian worker in Madagascar and came aboard 12 years ago.He started the blog about a year and a half ago and made enough of a splash that a cable TV channel asked him to submit an audition tape for a possible reality show about death rituals around the world that never got off the ground.Some entries read like Emily Post channeling the Grim Reaper: "If you’re attending a funeral, the best piece of advice I can give you is this: Turn your phone off," "A family funeral is not a great second date" or "Don't expect the funeral home staff to let you in on the family dirt. We will not be the source for #NOTTHEBABYDADDY on your Twitter feed."Wilde says he began his own Twitter feed so he could reach a younger, hipper audience and "push the envelope" with breezy 140-character commentaries on amusing obituaries, tricked-out hearses, and headstones with unusual names.He invented the hashtag #hearsebombing for snaps of the funeral home's modified Chrysler Town and Country in incongruous locations, like the parking lot of Chili's.There have been missteps. A post-mortem photo he grabbed off the Internet and put on his Facebook page offended some followers, and when he griped about evening viewings, the daughter of a man who was about to have one sent a sheepish apology.He gets hate mail from people who think he's too irreverent — well, he did take a selfie in a casket, practicing his "death look" — or too open about industry secrets.To wit, a recent post about embalming contained this nugget: "In most states, what is pushed out of the body goes down the drain and out into public sewage. Now you know."Wilde's father, Bill, says he think the blog is "cool" and jokes that his son is "our movie star." His grandfather, Bud, who boasts that he still dresses most of the bodies for funerals, is less enthralled."I don't read it. I don't think I'd like it," he says.Robby Bates, president of the National Funeral Directors Association, said he had not heard of Wilde but after reading his blog declared him "the future.""The more information our families have, the better they're going to be served," Bates said. John Brecher / NBC NewsFuneral director Caleb Wilde picks up a deceased person from Brandywine Hospital in Coatesville, Penn.Wilde thinks pulling back the curtain is healthy for a business that got a bad rep with the 1963 publication of Jessica Mitford's scathing expose "The American Way of Death.""Funeral directors can take advantage of people, and a lot of them do," he says, citing gougers here and there who encourage the bereaved to buy a casket before a cremation, push the most expensive merchandise, or convince the grieving their loved one must be embalmed at extra cost.Educating the public also dispels misconceptions, like the idea that funeral directors are rolling in it, he says. Wilde drives a BMW M3, but it's a 2001, and "the bank owns most of it."“We don’t make a lot of money. It's a living but it's not an upper-class living.",” he says, pegging the average salary of an independent mortician at about $50,000. Plus, as he noted in a blog post, the hours are brutal, and so are the smells.“The other 'misconception' is that we’re weird," he adds. "But that one's true. Being around death all the time makes you different.”For Wilde, a decade of ushering folks into the hereafter has shaken his religious beliefs and made him turn to anti-depressants. But it's also encouraged the married dad — he and his wife adopted a boy more than a year ago — focus on the here and now, something he wants his readers to do."We kind of live as though we're immortal," he says. "I don't want to have any regrets because life is fleeting."Wilde has, of course, thought about his own death."I want a natural burial" -- no embalming, the body displayed in his home instead of a mortuary. As for the casket, his pick might be considered heresy by a different breed of funeral director.“Something small," he says. "And inexpensive.”