Company has 'parted ways' with PR exec after tweet on AIDS, Africa and race

 A public relations executive has found herself in the middle of a public relations nightmare after she sent a distasteful tweet on her way to Africa. TODAY's Dylan Dreyer reports.A New York-based public relations executive offered an unsparing apology for a toxic tweet about AIDS in Africa that triggered outrage across the Internet, but the apology wasn't enough to save her job.InterActiveCorp fired communications director Justine Sacco after she posted on her Twitter account while on an international flight to South Africa: “Going to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS. Just kidding. I’m white!”By the time she landed, it had sparked a furor online, including the Twitter hashtag #HasJustineLandedYet. It was the top non-promoted hashtag during her flight, and remained a top trending topic on Twitter on Saturday.Sacco’s Twitter account was deleted shortly after, and Sunday, she issued in a statement apologizing for what she said was a “needless and careless tweet.”"Words cannot express how sorry I am, and how necessary it is for me to apologize to the people of South Africa, who I have offended due to a needless and careless tweet," Sacco said in the statement. "There is an AIDS crisis taking place in this country, that we read about in America, but do not live with or face on a continuous basis. Unfortunately, it is terribly easy to be cavalier about an epidemic that one has never witnessed firsthand."For being insensitive to this crisis -- which does not discriminate by race, gender or sexual orientation, but which terrifies us all uniformly -- and to the millions of people living with the virus, I am ashamed."This is my father's country, and I was born here. I cherish my ties to South Africa and my frequent visits, but I am in anguish knowing that my remarks have caused pain to so many people here; my family, friends and fellow South Africans. I am very sorry for the pain I caused."IAC said in a statement Saturday: “The offensive comment does not reflect the views and values of IAC. We take this issue very seriously, and we have parted ways with the employee in question.”“There is no excuse for the hateful statements that have been made and we condemn them unequivocally,” the statement went on. “We hope, however, that time and action, and the forgiving human spirit, will not result in the wholesale condemnation of an individual who we have otherwise known to be a decent person at core.”IAC owns Match.com, About.com, Vimeo, OKCupid and the Daily Beast.

Kentucky police in standoff with military veteran barricaded in home

   Cara Owsley / The (Cincinnati) EnquirerPolice in Covington, Ky., engaged in a standoff with a military veteran Saturday at his home south of Cincinnati.By Erik Ortiz, Staff Writer, NBC NewsAn armed military veteran suffering an “emotional crisis” was arrested Sunday after barricading himself and his children for nearly an entire day inside of his northern Kentucky home, at one point firing at cops outside, police said.The home, in the Cincinnati suburb of Covington, Ky., was set on fire just before the standoff with Michael Vaughan, 43, ended around 1 p.m. ET, police said. Fire crews were able to quickly extinguish the blaze, reported NBC affiliate WLWT.Vaughan surrendered after exchanging gunfire with police, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer. A bullet struck his arm, and he was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for treatment, the newspaper said.Once released, he could face several charges, including attempted murder of a police officer, Covington Police Chief Spike Jones told The Enquirer.Police first responded to the home at 4 p.m. Saturday on a distress call.They learned the man had three children with him: a 5-year-old son, 11-year-old daughter and a 15-year-old son with autism, The Enquirer said.On Sunday morning, police were successfully able to negotiate the release of the man's three young children from the home.The children were recovered unharmed just before 8:30 a.m. and put inside an armored vehicle.Jones declined to say how many other people might also have been inside the home.He told reporters early Sunday that authorities had been monitoring the man’s Facebook page, which described his fragile state and the arrival of a SWAT team. The page has since been taken down, and police wouldn’t immediately verify his identity.“We understand that this gentleman is a decorated combat veteran of our United States military service and we want to afford him the benefits of what he’s earned and make sure ... we get him the assistance he needs,” Jones said.He added that police had contacted the Department of Veterans Affairs.The situation escalated around 8 p.m. Saturday, when the disturbed vet first shot at cops from an elevated position, police said.More gunfire was heard from inside the home at around 4:15 a.m. Sunday.As the standoff stretched into its 20th hour by noon Sunday, residents of the Latonia neighborhood were ordered to stay inside their homes and away from windows.

'Who am I to judge?': The pope's most powerful phrase in 2013

   Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images fileNewly elected Pope Francis appears on the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica on March 13, 2013, in Vatican City. Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th Pontiff and will lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer, NBC News Gregorio Borgia / AP fileA child takes off Pope Francis' white zucchetto, or skullcap, during a meeting with children and volunteers of the Santa Marta Vatican Institute, at the Vatican, on Dec. 14, 2013.Could five little words uttered in 2013 change the course of the Catholic Church?Pope Francis — also known as Time's Person of the Year and Twitter's #bestpopeever — has done a lot of talking since he was installed on the throne of St. Peter in March, tackling everything from luxury cars to income inequality in a series of interviews, sermons and written exhortations.But for veteran Vatican watcher John Thavis, the pontiff's most significant pontificating came July 29 when he gave a press conference on a flight back from Brazil."Who am I to judge?" he asked.Francis was addressing the issue of gays in the church, but it was the tone as much as the topic that caught the public's attention."The fact is that previous popes in talking about homosexuality had always mentioned the word 'disordered' and when you use that term, it immediately alienates," said Thavis, author of "The Vatican Diairies.""Not only did Francis not use that word. He avoided the whole concept."The fact that the pope — the infallible leader of the world's 1 billion Roman Catholics — refused to sit in judgement of gay priests (who were banned by his predecessor) was hailed as remarkable, even revolutionary. Luca Zennaro / Pool via AP filePope Francis blesses a child during his visit to the Varginha slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 25, 2013. Francis visited one of Rio de Janeiro's shantytowns, or favelas, a place that saw such rough violence in the past that it's known by locals as the Gaza Strip.It's an approach he has taken on any number of subjects — atheists, unwed mothers, divorcees. Scolding is out in Rome; hand-holding is in."This comes after Pope John Paul II spent 15 years rewriting the catechism of the Catholic Church and eight years of Benedict reinforcing that: 'How do you measure up to our teachings? Are you qualified to call yourself Catholic?'" Thavis said. "Francis is saying the church is a big tent and he has to be welcoming. It's an incredible change."For Thomas Reese, a Jesuit priest like Francis, the most important words from Francis this year were written, not spoken."Look at the title of his latest apostolic exhortation. It's 'the joy of the Gospel,' not the 'the truth of the Gospel,'" he said."He has rebranded the church as welcoming, compassionate, a church for the poor as opposed to a church that nags people and is worried about rules and regulations," said Reese, author of "Inside the Vatican.""The analogy I love to use is when you go home for Christmas, what you want is a hug from your mom. You don't want to be asked about your nose ring, or why you dyed your hair, or who are you sleeping with now? He is trying to turn the church into a loving parent, not a nagging parent."More often than not, when asked which of Francis' comments this year resonated most with them, Catholics immediately mentioned his gestures, not his quotes. Osservato Romano / Reuters filePope Francis holds a dove before his Wednesday general audience at Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, on May 15, 2013.Riding the bus back to the guest house after being named pope. Washing the feet of prisoners on Holy Thursday. Turning an '84 Renault into the Popemobile. Celebrating his birthday with the homeless. Embracing a disfigured fan. Cold-calling people who write to him.Some have suggested it's style over substance. Despite what he says and no matter how many selfies he takes with visitors, Francis has not changed church doctrine.Priests still can't get married, abortion remains a grave sin, and two men can't walk up the aisle in a Catholic Church. Francis even excommunicated an Australian priest who advocated the ordination of women and gay marriage.And yet his words have given hope to those pushing for change.Deborah Rose Milovec, the head of FutureChurch, which supports the ordination of women, seized on this line from his November apostolic exhortion: "Demands that the legitimate rights of women be respected, based on the firm conviction that men and women are equal in dignity, present the Church with profound and challenging questions which cannot be lightly evaded.""Giving people permission to dialogue — that's a breath of fresh air," she said. "There are many ways he has held his hand up and said, 'No, not yet,' but that sort of statement begins to open a crack in the door."That kind of statement is important because it says to me we have something to work with here. I have real hope he will sit down with feminist theologians and listen to what they have to say."If there is one theme that has dominated Francis' public pronouncements this year it has been his love and sympathy for the poor and downtrodden."How I would like a church that is poor and for the poor," he said days after the black smoke wafted out of the Sistine Chapel chimney. His November exhortation slammed unchecked capitalism and income inequality.Rush Limbaugh frothed that the new pope is a Marxist. But in Melbourne, Fla., Kathy Gilliland, 56, liked what she was hearing.Visiting the majestic St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City this week, Gilliland said it both surprised and delighted her that her spiritual leader — who has forsaken the opulent trappings of the Vatican for a spartan guest house — understood the struggles of the middle class at a time when the wealthy are richer than ever."I think it shows he's in touch with the modern world," she said. "It shows he's more humane."The magazine's managing editor, Nancy Gibbs, tells Matt Lauer that Pope Francis was selected for changing the tone of the Vatican.

Rescuer of Ariel Castro's captives signs book deal

  Scott Shaw / The Plain Dealer / Landov fileCharles Ramsey talks to members of the media as people congratulate him on helping three women escape from captivity in a Cleveland home on May 6. Ramsey will tell his story in a book that will be released in December, his publisher announced Sunday Dec. 22.By Elisha Fieldstadt, NBC NewsCharles Ramsey, the Cleveland man credited with rescuing three women from a decade of captivity under Ariel Castro’s roof, has signed a book deal, despite his previous lack of interest in attention and publicity, a publishing company announced Sunday.Cleveland publishing house Gray & Co. signed the deal for a memoir by Ramsey on Thursday, the publisher said in a statement. Ramsey, 44, garnered national attention after his unfiltered response to media attention he received for breaking down his next door neighbor’s door to rescue Gina DeJesus, Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry and Berry's daughter from a house where they had been imprisoned by their kidnapper for about 10 years.Ramsey’s unfiltered accounts during television interviews of the day he rescued the women in May were remixed, posted on YouTube and quoted incessantly by Twitter users."What you saw on TV doesn't even begin to tell the story," Ramsey said.“Bro, I knew something was wrong when a little pretty white girl ran into a black man's arms,” Ramsey told a reporter shortly after the ordeal.Randy Nyerges, who has co-written a book with former Cleveland Browns defensive back Hanford Dixon and served as a Senate speechwriter, will coauthor the book with Ramsey. “Charles says outrageous things, but what a story he has,” Nyerges said, according to Gray and Co.’s announcement.Ramsey’s resistance to the label of “hero” and refusal of giveaways made Americans even fonder of the man who may have cursed a few too many times while contacting the police about his discovery but acted bravely during the traumatic situation.Ramsey’s memoir — which is not yet titled — will describe the rescue, the short time Ramsey spent living next door to atrocities he was unaware of and the instant fame that ensued after his heroic actions, Gray and Co.’s release said.Ramsey is also expected to detail his earlier years, including time he spent in prison, according to Gray and Co.Ramsey and Nyerges have been collaborating on the book since the beginning of December, and it is slated to be published in spring 2014, which is when a memoir by Knight is also scheduled to be released.Berry and DeJesus are also set to document their harrowing experiences in a book due out in 2015.Castro was sentenced Aug. 1 to life plus 1,000 years. He hanged himself inside his cell on Sept. 3.Related:

Chase bank opens Sunday to deal with Target card hack

  Chase says the customers whose debit cards are at risk from a security breach at Target will face $100-limits on cash withdrawals. CNBC's Sharon Epperson reports. By Hasani Gittens, News Editor, NBC NewsFollowing the massive credit and debit card security breach at Target stores, Chase bank on Sunday said more than a third of its branches would be open across the country to help affected customers."We'll have the highest density in the Northeast, California and Southeast and prioritize branches near major shopping centers or those that have instant issue (where they can reissue debit card on the spot)," the bank said in a statement."(Our) employees have been unbelievable offering to work today, the Sunday before Christmas, to help customers," the statement said.The move comes after JPMorgan Chase, the largest bank in the United States, told customers Saturday that they would be limited to $100 in cash withdrawals and $300 in total purchases per day if they used Chase debit cards at Target during the recent security breach.The limit applies to about 2 million customer accounts, Kristin Lemkau, a Chase spokeswoman, told NBC News. That represents less than 10 percent of Chase customers, she said. The limit does not apply to Chase credit cards.Separately, a source familiar with the situation told CNBC that Citibank was also imposing limits on debit cards for affected customers if it sees suspicious activity, though the extent of those limits was not immediately clear.Target announced earlier this week that as many as 40 million debit and credit cards were compromised during the breach, which the store said began just before Thanksgiving and ended Dec. 15.The security breach exposed customer names, card numbers, expiration dates and the short security codes known as CVVs. The industry blog Krebs on Security, which first reported the breach, has reported that card accounts are already being sold on the black market.Target, eager to repair the public-relations damage and restore customer trust, has apologized and offered a 10 percent discount at its stores this week.Related:What to do if your data might have been swiped

Christmas in the dark? Hundreds of thousands face holiday without power after ice storm

 over the weekend and ice storms ravaged parts of the Northeast, while record warm weather was reported along the east coast. NBC's Dylan Dreyer reports.By Alexander Smith and Elisha Fieldstadt, NBC NewsThousands of people faced the prospect of spending the holidays in the dark, after a huge ice storm knocked out power throughout the Midwest and New England.Almost 400,000 homes and businesses in Michigan, upstate New York and northern New England remained without electricity Monday morning after thick ice felled trees and brought down power lines, according to utilities companies.While lights came back on in upstate New York and Vermont, power companies in Michigan and Maine reported larger numbers of outages as the sun set on Monday.Brad Hoving, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids, Mich. – the state with a bulk of the remaining power outages — said many people may still be using candlelight until Thursday."It's a big deal," Hoving told The Associated Press. "It's Christmas and we've just had a major ice storm."The Red Cross set up a shelter at Middleville, Mich., United Methodist Church, but Pastor Tony Shumaker said the crowd was getting too big and needed additional accommodations like showers, so they would be moving to a local school. Church members planned to cook a Christmas dinner and bring it to the school for people who were still without power on Wednesday, Shumaker said.Shumaker said regardless of the inconvenient timing of lost power, the people housed at the church “seem to be in pretty decent spirits, they’re glad to have a warm place to go to.”One of Michigan’s power providers, DTE, said crews were working “around the clock” and 90 percent of the 83,000 customers without electric would be restored by Christmas Eve.Stephanie Burnham, in Clarkston, Mich., was one of the luckier people who had their power restored."We had just finished making dinner and ... we cleaned everything up. Then our power went out, so we got all our candles and set up our generator," she told ClickOnDetroit.com."They told us it wouldn't be back until Christmas so we were like, 'Oh no all of our food!' But they did a great job."More than 1,000 utility workers from other companies and states headed to Michigan to help Consumers Energy customers out of the dark. Still, Consumers said more than 200,000 remained without power, and many areas in the southwest portion of Michigan would not have their electricity fully restored until after the holiday.“We might be spending Christmas at a middle school,” said Dawn Bishop, whose town of Dutton, Mich., lost power on Sunday. She said she was “a little nervous” about the possibility, but that she, her husband and her son — who is special needs — have been “taken care of very well” by the Red Cross. While Bishop’s Christmas plans remained uncertain, she stayed optimistic. “I’m sure we’ll be home by New Years,” she said.Michigan was hit with half an inch of ice over the weekend, said Brian Hurley, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. “A quarter inch of ice is pretty damaging. When you talk about a half inch, that’ll take down trees and power lines,” Hurley said.By Monday morning, “you could skate down our road,” Bishop said.Heavy snowfall buried parts of the northern Midwest, with the heaviest covering coming in Larned, Kan., which saw over 15 inches. Mike Groll / APHeather Griffin, of Buffalo, N.Y., and her dog Sal walk beneath ice-covered trees on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2013, in Buffalo. Snow and ice knocked out power in parts of Michigan, New England and upstate New York over the weekend. The storm also saw some 1,200 U.S. flights canceled over the weekend and delayed another 15,000, according to the aviation-tracking website FlightAware.Nine deaths across the U.S. were blamed on the storm, the AP reported, including five people killed in Kentucky floodwaters and a woman in Arkansas following a 130-mph tornado.In Canada, an additional five people were killed in weather-induced highway accidents. While crews restored power to almost 100,000 Canadian customers on Monday, over 200,000 in Toronto were still in the dark, according to Toronto Hydro electric company.Elsewhere, New York City and Philadelphia saw record high temperatures, with shoppers taking to the streets in shirtsleeves. Still, temperatures would drop to seasonable levels by Tuesday.  “The front which was responsible for all of the precipitation has cold air behind it,” Hurley said.Kevin Roth, lead meteorologist at The Weather Channel, said on Monday the worst of the storm was over, save for “one last gasp” to trouble commuters in the Northeast trying to see their friends and families before Christmas.AAA predicted that a record-breaking 94.5 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more between Dec. 21 and Jan. 1."It will be a rough start to the week getting to grandma’s house," Roth told NBC News. "For anyone thinking of taking to the roads in the Northeast, based on the forecasts it would be better to leave it until Tuesday, when the weather is set to be a lot quieter."He said travel problems on Monday would be caused by a small amount of snowfall in northern Maine, around Caribou, as well as rain moving up from West Virginia to New England through the morning.Temperatures in Massachusetts are still right around freezing and the state could expect some freezing rain throughout the day.Other than that, Roth said, the weather would be quiet across the whole of the U.S. from Tuesday through the week.Hurley said last-minute travelers were fortunate that the extreme weather system made its way through the country over the weekend. “It’s going to be a pretty dry stretch here going into Christmas,” he said. On the downside, few would experience a white Christmas this year, Hurley said. The Associated Press contributed to this report.Related:This story was originally published on Mon Dec 23, 2013 4:37 PM EST

John Eisenhower, historian, president's son, dies at 91

  The Associated PressJohn Eisenhower, son of Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower, says in a newspaper column this week that he'll vote for Democratic Sen. John Kerry for president on Nov. 2. Eisenhower, shown in a 1990 photo, says he switched his party affiliation from Republican to independent and that he's lost confidence in his former party. John S. D. Eisenhower, the son of a five-star general turned president who forged his own career in the U.S. Army and then chronicled the history of the American military in numerous books, died Saturday. He was 91.Eisenhower lived on Maryland's Eastern Shore in the community of Trappe, Md. In a statement, his family gave no cause of death.Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel called Eisenhower "a true patriot" and praised him as "an accomplished soldier, diplomat and author."John Sheldon Doud Eisenhower was born in Denver on Aug. 3, 1922, the second son of Dwight D. Eisenhower and Mamie Doud Eisenhower. Their first child had died of scarlet fever the year before at age 3.Eisenhower grew up as his father rose in the ranks of the Army. During World War II, the senior Eisenhower became supreme commander of Allied Expeditionary Forces in 1943 and then general of the Army with five-star rank. He was elected president in a landslide in 1952 and again in 1956.Both father and son graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the son on June 6, 1944 — the day his father oversaw the Allied invasion of Europe. He spent 35 years in the Army, including 19 years on active duty and several years in the Reserve. He retired with the rank of brigadier general."My dad being an Army officer, I was just born to it," Eisenhower said in a C-SPAN interview in 1998. "I was raised in a military manner, and it was a given that Army brats went to West Point, so I went to West Point in 1941. And being in the military has been my life."Eisenhower taught English for three years at West Point, then volunteered for service during the Korean War and later became a battalion commander.Eisenhower served on his father's White House staff for the last few years of his administration and later helped his father write his post-presidential memoirs. The younger Eisenhower began writing his own books, then served as U.S. ambassador to Belgium during the first years of the Nixon administration. He soon returned to writing, focusing on the military's relationship with government and politics."I can't get away from the military," Eisenhower once told C-SPAN. "That's my readership. And I don't think I want to."His books included "The Bitter Woods: The Battle of the Bulge" and "So Far from God: The U.S. War With Mexico, 1846-1848." He also wrote a memoir about his father, "General Ike: A Personal Reminiscence."His marriage to Barbara Eisenhower ended in divorce. He is survived by his second wife, Joanne, and his four children: daughters Anne, Susan and Mary, and son David, who married President Richard Nixon's daughter Julie.

Ice, snow, storms, possible tornadoes: Watch out way home for the holidays

The plains of the North and the Middle West are putting ice and snowfalls and 68 million are in the path of the storm. Meteorologist Mike Bettes reports.At least two people were killed in wild weather on Saturday, as rain, snow, ice and storm wreaked havoc from freezing for millions of travelers on vacation off the coast of the Gulf of Louisiana to Eastern Canada."This is a particularly strong storm with very hot, close to the temperature record in the East and very cold air in the Midwest, and that contrast is the kind of conditions which are favorable not only the climate of winter but also tornadoes," meteorologist of the national service of meteorology Ed Danaher in College Park, Maryland, told Reuters.Two people reported killed Saturday when strong winds swept areas south of Memphis, Mississippi, said that the State Emergency Management Agency. In coahoma, Mississippi County, a 43-year-old man died when the winds overturned his mobile home and immobilized him against a tree, reported NBC WMC of Memphis station. Another man died when his car collided with a tree fallen in Jasper County, and a woman in the car was seriously injured, The Associated Press reported.Coahoma, Mississippi in eastern Arkansas Northwest, a suspected tornado injured several people and damaged homes near the village of Hughes in eastern Arkansas, Lynn Morgan of Saint Francis County the Sheriff's office dispatcher told Reuters.Another tornado suspicious near Dermott in Southeastern Arkansas, damaged houses and flew four trailers next to a highway, said meteorologist of the national climate David Cox in Jackson, Miss."We are thinking that it was a tornado," Cox told Reuters. "We've had a bit of rotation and a bit of damage."More than 80,000 people in Arkansas were without electricity Saturday afternoon, according to reports of disruption of the utility company.It was reported a gust of wind from 83 mph in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, reported The Weather Channel on Twitter. A road in the Louisville Okolona area was closed after power lines fell on a car dealership and nine vehicles caught fire, NBC station wave in Louisville reported.The winds also reported late Saturday in Nashville.Thirteen States were under flood watches and warnings, severe weather expected from East Texas through Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee, Southern Ohio. Three to six inches of rain were recorded in Southeast Missouri.The main threat tornado was in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee, said Christopher Dolce, a meteorologist at the Weather Channel.While meteorological States in winter, he added, December tornadoes are uncommon. The national weather service in Nashville reported that the tornado of December last in Tennessee was in the year 2000.Bad weather was complicating travel for persons from 95 million which will fly to estimates of AAA travel agency or by car for the holidays."We have had very bad conditions weather two weeks before Christmas," said Dolce. "There has been a considerable amount of winter storms all the way back to the days before Thanksgiving and lots of travel woes continuing in December."Further to the North, ice developed in parts of the Plains and the Midwest. Snow was expected to affect parts of Kansas and Northern Michigan on Saturday and the Sunday morning Northwest Texas and Oklahoma trips.Rainy icy conditions dangerously icy on Oklahoma highways. The Oklahoma highway patrol blamed the weather for a death early Saturday morning, according to NBC affiliate KJRH in Tulsa.Chicago was aside from the storm, said Dolce, but headaches might travel there on Sunday.As parts of the Northeast took delight in high temperature record for the first day of winter, the national weather service issued a storm warning of snow to Northern New York and Vermont, and Nueva York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a State of emergency. Vermont and Maine could also be hit. In addition to travel woes, Dolce said, ice could reach more than half of an inch in some areas, creating the risk of blackouts.Dolce improvements were on the way for those traveling on Monday and on Christmas Eve. While there were "pockets of problems" for holiday travelers on Christmas day, Dolce said that most of the evils of the time will disappear once this storm subsides.Meanwhile, there was a surge of hot air in the Northeast, bringing temperatures in the upper 60's and low 70 as far north as New York and Philadelphia. High in Newark, New Jersey, 64 broke record of the city for the first day of the winter broke 62 located in 2011, said NBCNewYork.com, and Atlantic City and Philadelphia hit 67 on Saturday."It's a goodbye, White Christmas, in parts of southern New England," Dolce said.Rain and warm weather even the Empire State Plaza in Albany, N.y., ice rink closed this weekend.NBC News Gil Aegerter and Reuters contributed to this report.This story was originally posted on Sunday, December 22, 2013 12:54 AM EST

Test your memory of 2013's tongue-waggers with our quiz

  Mark Blinch / ReutersToronto Mayor Rob Ford reacts to a video released of him by local media at City Hall in Toronto in November.By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer, NBC NewsIt was a helluva year, and who better to tell you about it than the newsmakers themselves, especially now that some of them have extracted foot from mouth.So, take a trip back through 2013 with our memorable quotes quiz. Answers are in a key at the bottom or just click on the links as you go along:1. “I is what I is and I’m not changing.”a. Toronto Mayor Rob Fordb. TV chef Paula Deenc. Former San Diego Mayor Bob Filner Eric Gay / APSen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, stands on a near empty senate floor as she filibusters in an effort to kill an abortion bill.2. “I do not like green eggs and ham.”a. Texas Sen. Ted Cruzb. TV chef Paula Deenc. Texas State Sen. Wendy Davis3. “We have time and again said that under no circumstances would we seek any weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, nor will we ever.”a. North Korean leader Kim Jong-unb. Iranian President Hassan Rouhanic. Syrian President Bashar Assad4. Which new father made this comment when asked about his baby: “He's got her looks thankfully.”a. Actor Alec Baldwin b. Rapper Kanye Westc. Prince William Lucas Jackson / ReutersMiley Cyrus and Robin Thicke perform "Blurred Lines" during the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards.5. “I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity.”a. Pvt. Chelsea Manningb. Actress Angelina Joliec. Pakistani girl-power activist Malala Yousafazi6. “We’ve hit bottom.”a. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosib. Detroit Mayor Dave Bingc. MTV Video Music Awards director Hamish Hamilton7. "I'm the definition of a man, bro."a. Cleveland hero Chuck Ramsey Mandel Ngan / AFP – Getty ImagesArmy Pfc. Bradley Manning, now called Chelsea Manning, is escorted from court in Fort Meade, Md., on July 27.b. R&B star Chris Brownc. Actor Michael Douglas8. “Who am I to judge?”a. "The Voice" host Adam Levineb. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scaliac. Pope Francis9. "First party's at my cabin!"a. Lottery winner Willie Seeleyb. New Carnival Cruise CEO Arnold Donaldc. Maine hermit Christopher Knight Scott Shaw / The Plain Dealer / LandovCharles Ramsey talks to members of the media as people congratulate him on helping some women escape from captivity in a Cleveland home on May 6. 10. "If I was in the Senate right now, I’d kill myself.”a. House Speaker John Boehnerb. Former senator Hillary Clintonc. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie11. “To this day, I can hardly believe that I was capable of such violence, but I know that I was.”a. Boyfriend-killer Jodi Ariasb. Fort Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Hasanc. Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius12. “These people are trying to paint me as a monster and I’m not a monster. I’m sick.”a. Penn State molester Jerry Sanduskyb. Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castroc. Boston Marathon suspect Dzhokhar Tsarneav13. "If you're asking me if I want to compete again, the answer is hell yes, I'm a competitor."a. Sexting congressman Anthony Weinerb. NFL player and murder suspect Aaron Hernandezc. Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong14. “There are very few African-American men in this country who haven’t had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me.”a. “Treme” actor Rob Brown L'Osservatore Romano via ReutersPope Francis poses with youths during a meeting with the Piacenza diocese in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican in this August.b. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomasc. President Barack Obama15. “Internalized homophobia is a bitch.”a. NBA star Jason Collinsb. Maine Congressman Mike Michaudc. DOMA plaintiff Edith Windsor16. "I pooped my pants."a. Toronto Mayor Rob Ford FBI via Getty ImagesBoston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaevb. TODAY co-anchor Al Rokerc. Pop star Justin Bieber17. “I do not expect to see home again.”a. NSA leaker Edward Snowden b. North Korean detainee Merrill Newmanc. LAPD cop killer Christopher Dorner18. "Hold me accountable for the debacle. I'm responsible."a. University of Alabama football coach Nick Sabanb. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebeliusc. Mandela funeral sign-language interpreter Thamsanqa Jantji Toru Yamanaka / AFP - Getty Images fileFormer NBA star Dennis Rodman at an October press conference in Tokyo.19. “As far as I'm concerned, I didn't get a fair trial. This is a sham.”a. Boston mobster Whitey Bulgerb. Boyfriend-killer Jodi Ariasc. Abortion provider Dr. Kermit Gosnell20. Asked about a mass shooting, NRA chief Wayne LaPierre told “Meet the Press” in September that “there weren’t enough good guys with guns.” What was he talking about?a. The Newtown massacreb. The Washington Navy Yard shootingc. The Los Angeles Airport shooting20. In September, former NBA star Dennis Rodman said, "He's my friend for life. I don't care what you guys think about him.” Who was he talking about?a. NBA player Lamar Odomb. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Unc. “Celebrity Apprentice” host Donald Trump21. U.S. Rep Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) made headlines by referring to a group as “lemmings in suicide vests.” Who was he talking about?a. Al Qaeda terroristsb. Pro-EU protesters in the Ukrainec. Republicans shutting down the government22. Match the twerking quote with the person who said it:a. "I've never done twerking in my life and I don't intend to take it up." b. “I haven't really seen one bad comment about my twerk video.”c. "If I had a daughter of nine, I wouldn't want her twerking."d. "We think the most likely theory is that it is an alteration of work, because that word has a history of being used in similar ways, with dancers being encouraged to 'work it.' The 't' could be a result of blending with another word such as twist or twitch."e. Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn.)f. "Wrecking Ball" singer Miley Cyrusg. Oxford English Dictionary editor Katherine Connor Martinh. Singer-songwriter Ed SheeranBONUS: Which of these statements did Toronto Mayor Rob Ford NOT make:a. “I made mistakes, I drank too much, I smoked some crack some time. What can I say? I made a mistake, I’m human.”b. “I’m happily married. I’ve got more than enough to eat at home.”c. “You guys have just attacked Kuwait.”d. "I've had a come-to-Jesus moment."e. "I urinated in a parking lot. What does that have to do with anything?”f. "I am a role model."For the answer key, click here

Thieves steal Christmas — and grandma's and grandpa's ashes

 By Adrian Arambulo and Samantha Tata, NBCLosAngeles.comA group of burglars used a doggie door to break into a Southern California family’s home, steal children’s piggy banks and presents from under the Christmas tree and make off with an ornate urn holding the ashes of their grandparents.The brazen theft happened the afternoon of Dec. 20 in the 900 block of North Madison Avenue, a quiet, tree-line street in Pasadena. Police in the city said they’ve seen thieves use doggie doors to break into homes before, but not recently.Once inside, the thieves ransacked Griffin Gmelich’s home.The thieves emptied stockings, ripped ornaments off the tree, and snatched jewelry and electronics. One was caught on camera hauling what appeared to be a flat-screen TV.“You could see the TV cords ripped out of the wall,” Gmelich said.His young children’s piggy banks were stolen and their presents were plucked right out from under the Christmas tree. But most painful, Gmelich said, is that the thieves took the urn holding his parent’s ashes.“They literally stole my mom and dad," he said.The thieves left behind footprints and fingerprints. A neighbor’s security camera captured images of the thieves. For two hours, they carried stolen items out of the home and into a getaway car. Detectives are searching for four burglars, possibly teens.The family said they wanted to share their story not for donations but to see justice served and warn others.Gmelich said the doggie door the thieves used to break into his home belongs to his 100-pound Guffman, who, despite what his size may suggest, is more of a lover than a fighter.“Once they got in, he probably befriended them because he's a friendly guy,” Gmelich said of his dog.Days before Christmas, the family is dealing with unwanted changes. They’re now installing an alarm system and Guffman’s doggie door is being sealed.But most heartwrenching, Gmelich said, is how his family’s peace of mind was stolen and his children’s holiday spirit dampened.“They don’t understand,” he said. “The spirit of Christmas? It’d odd to them now.”

35-state storm system creates kaleidoscope of weather, snarling holiday travel

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

A powerful storm system spawned rare December tornadoes in the South, dropped crippling ice and snow in the Midwest and brought unseasonably warm temperatures from the mid-Atlantic to New York City. Meteorologist Mike Seidel reports.

By M. Alex Johnson and F. Brinley Bruton, NBC News

Freezing rain, snow and ice swirling in and around unseasonably warm patches created a bizarre patchwork of weather conditions over dozens of states Sunday, wreaking havoc for millions of holiday travelers.

The massive storm, covering at least 35 states, carried a little bit of everything:

Heavy snow from Oklahoma to Wisconsin — as much as 10 inches predicted through Sunday.Flash flood watches across 11 states from Texas to New York.Ice storm warnings in parts of northern New England. Record highs in other parts of the Northeast.Possible tornadoes, with the highest risk Monday from Texas to Tennessee.

"What really worries me tornado-wise about this situation is one, people don't usually expect tornadoes in December," said Greg Forbes of The Weather Channel. "Two, they are going to be in some cases farther north than people expect."

The Midwest, meanwhile, was digging out from another major snow dump. Parts of Iowa had recorded 6 inches by 5 p.m. ET Sunday, and dangerously cold air was moving in behind it to lock in ice hazards.

With wind chills expected as low as minus-25 in some counties overnight, Alex Mihalakis and his 6 year-old-son, Jace, were out helping clear off sidewalks, cars and driveways in Dubuque for people who weren't able to get out.

"We can't buy anybody anything, so we decided to help them out with this snowfall," Mihalakis told NBC station KWWL of Waterloo.

Jeffrey Phelps / AP

A police officer tags a car that spun out Sunday along Highway 172 in Green Bay, Wis. A winter storm was wreaking havoc across several states over the weekend.

"We've had pretty poor weather conditions two weeks in a row leading up to Christmas," said Christopher Dolce, a meteorologist for The Weather Channel. "There's been a considerable amount of winter storm activity all the way back to the days before Thanksgiving and a lot of travel woes continuing into December."

About 665 flights had been canceled and 5,750 more had been delayed across the country at 9:30 p.m. ET Sunday, according to the aviation tracking website FlightAware.com.

Many were in or out of major hubs like Houston's Bush International, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver International and Chicago's O'Hare Airport, where 136 flights had been canceled.

Get the latest weather news and your local forecast

The weather was suspected in at least eight deaths, including that of a driver who was killed Saturday afternoon on an icy road near Kansas City, Mo., police said, and two people in Mississippi who were killed as a result of gusty winds.

Five people also drowned in Kentucky, NBC station WLWT of Cincinnati reported — three in one vehicle in Bardstown, which became submerged in the Rolling Fork River, and another man in Carroll County, whose vehicle tipped over on top of him after getting stuck in a creek. A fifth body was recovered from an abandoned vehicle in a flooded ditch in Ballard County.

The large storm system surged into the Midwest on Friday. On Saturday night, a line of thunderstorms stretched from southern Louisiana to Indiana, and at least two suspected tornadoes hit Arkansas, injuring at least five people.

A man in Rena Lara, Miss., was killed Saturday when wind flipped his mobile home.

And another person died Saturday when the car he was driving struck a fallen tree in the road in Jasper County, Miss. A woman in the car was critically injured and taken to the hospital.

Meanwhile, a major ice storm was barreling toward New York State and northern New England, knocking out power to thousands of customers. About 52,000 customers in upstate New York and 315,000 in Michigan were affected, utility officials said.

But balmy, warm weather was also moving ahead of the front, with other parts of the East Coast seeing highs in the 70s along with high humidity. New York City's Central Park hit a record 65 degrees Saturday.

The system created wildly swinging weather patterns almost county to county. In Bennington, Vt., the high reached 63 degrees Sunday, compared to 37 in Albany, N.Y. — only 40 miles west.

John Yang and Erik Ortiz of NBC News contributed to this report.

Related:

This story was originally published on Sun Dec 22, 2013 10:42 PM EST

Family plans second opinion for teen declared brain dead after routine surgery

    Ben Margot / APNailah Winkfield, mother of 13-year-old Jahi McMath, cries at an earlier court hearing. OAKLAND, Calif. - The family of Jahi McMath - a Northern California girl on life support after being declared brain dead - was expected to appear with hospital officials in court Monday to announce the name of the independent physician they have chosen to provide a second opinion on her condition. The girl's family obtained an order Friday from Superior Court Judge Evelio Grillo to keep doctors at Children's Hospital Oakland from removing Jahi from a ventilator.Grillo ordered the family to meet with doctors to select a neurologist to evaluate the teen.In its court memorandum, the hospital said it has no duty to maintain life support because Jahi's condition is irreversible."Ms. McMath is dead," the hospital said in the memo. "Children's is under no legal obligation to provide medical or other intervention for a deceased person."The family says the girl bled profusely after a routine tonsillectomy. She then went into cardiac arrest before being declared brain dead Dec. 12.The teen's mother, Nailah Winkfield, over the weekend pleaded for prayers for her daughter."Despite what they say, she is alive. I can touch her, she is warm. She responds to my touch," Winkfield said in an open letter Saturday. "Given time I know (God) will spark her brain awake."Children's Hospital responded in a statement that while it sympathizes with Winkfield's wishes, it would be unfair to give false hope.Winkfield said her daughter bled profusely and went into cardiac arrest after undergoing a "simple procedure" to remove her tonsil to help with her sleep apnea.The hospital statement contends the surgery was complicated, and that it was committed to fully investigating what caused "this catastrophic outcome."The family's attorney, Christopher Dolan, told Grillo the family wanted independent tests because they do not believe the hospital's physicians are sufficiently independent.The hospital said in documents presented to the court Friday that a staff neurologist and Jahi's attending physician conducted separated exams, both of which determined that Jahi's entire brain, including her brain stem, stopped functioning.Related: Bioethicist: Girl's tragic case can't change reality of brain death© 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Seattle girl escapes serious injury when bullet hits glasses

 A teenage girl avoided serious injury when her glasses deflected a bullet fired during a drive-by shooting at her Seattle home, police said on Sunday.  KING 5Alonza Bryant, 16, holds the glasses that saved her life. A drive-by shooter opened fire on her Seattle home.The 16-year-old girl was asleep on her living room couch at about 9:40 p.m. local time on Saturday when shots were fired from a dark-colored sedan as it passed her house, Seattle police spokesman Detective Mark Jamieson said.Several bullets went through the walls of the house and one through the front window, Jamieson said. One of the bullets struck the bridge of the teen's glasses, Jamieson said.She suffered only minor injuries and was treated at a local hospital, he added."She is very, very fortunate," Jamieson said.Several other people were at the house at the time of the shooting, but no other injuries were reported, Jamieson said.Police believe the house was targeted in what was likely a gang-related shooting, but the girl was not the intended victim. No arrests have been made in the shooting and the police gang unit was investigating, Jamieson said.Jamieson said police do not know how many people were involved in the shooting. Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Entrepreneur, lawyer Jewish Bronfman dies

Johannes Eisele / AFP - Getty ImagesEdgar Bronfman's wealth, combined with its role in the World Jewish Congress, a group of Jewish organizations in some 80 countries which ran for more than one quarter of a century, allowed him to be a tireless advocate of his fellow Jews.Edgar M. Bronfman Sr., the billionaire businessman and Senior President of the World Jewish Congress, who pressured the Soviets to allow Jews to emigrate and helped to spearhead the search for hidden Nazi loot, died Saturday. He was 84.The Canadian Bronfman died at his home in New York, surrounded by family, according to the family charity that led, The Samuel Bronfman Foundation.Bronfman made his fortune with of the family Empire liquor of Seagram, taking over as Chairman and CEO in 1971 and continues the work of his father, Samuel. Under the leadership of Bronfman, Seagram expanded its offerings and was eventually acquired by French media and telecommunications group Vivendi Universal in 2000.But the wealth of Bronfman, combined with its role in the World Jewish Congress, a group of Jewish organizations in some 80 countries which ran for more than one quarter of a century, allowed him to be a tireless advocate of his fellow Jews."He was the first of its kind, a Titan of industry who was fully devoted to advocating, advancing and encouraging the Jewish people," said Dana Raucher, executive director of The Samuel Bronfman Foundation.In 1999, President Bill Clinton awarded Bronfman the Presidential Medal of freedom, the highest civilian honor of the nation. In the citation, Bronfman was announced for work "to ensure basic rights for Jews around the world."In a profile of Associated Press 1986, said that his position and his money helped him gain access to world leaders."It's a combination of the two," said Bronfman. "In the end, no matter that access is available, while you're there."The previous year, it had become the first President of Congress to meet with Soviet officials in Moscow, taking his case to the human rights and taking a little time to promote interests of Seagram. He visited again in 1988, moment in which the Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union, a key goal of the Congress, had begun to soar under the reformist leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev.During the Decade of 1980 and 1990, the Congress also helped to lead efforts to win $11 billion in restitution for heirs of Holocaust victims.Jews in German and Nazi-led out countries were stripped of their belongings, their works and even the fillings of gold teeth in the extermination camps of the regime.Much of the gold in Swiss banks and institutions suffered decades strong critical once the war ended for not making adequate reparations.In 1975, the Bronfman family made the news for a very different reason when one of the children of Edgar Bronfman, 2 º Samuel of 21 years of age, she was kidnapped in a suburb of New York.The family paid a ransom of $2.3 million and Samuel was found later when the authorities raided a Brooklyn apartment. The missing money was found under a bed and two men were arrested.The two were convicted of extortion, but acquitted of kidnapping, in a sensational trial of 1976 in which the Defense accused Samuel Bronfman of staging his own kidnapping as a trick to deceive his father to leave the rescue money. Samuel Bronfman, denied the accusation and the Prosecutor's Office the calls "ridiculous".-The Associated PressThis story was originally posted at 3:49 AM EST Sunday, December 22, 2013

Federal judge allows same-sex marriage in Utah to continue

 NBC News' Pete Williams reports on the breaking news that a federal judge has refused, for the third time, to halt same-sex marriages in Utah.By Erik Ortiz, Staff Writer, NBC NewsSame-sex marriages in Utah can continue after a federal judge denied the state’s request Monday to put a temporary hold on the unions.State attorneys argued the stay is necessary while they appeal U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby’s ruling Friday that allows gays and lesbians to marry.Shelby, unsurprisingly, decided not to halt his own decision. His earlier ruling had struck down a 2004 state law denying same-sex couples the right to wed, saying the ban is unconstitutional. Jim Urquhart / ReutersNatalie Dicou (left) and her partner Nicole Christensen wait for a marriage license at the Salt Lake County Clerks office in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Friday. A federal judge struck down Utah's ban on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional.It’s the latest blow in the battle over gay marriage for Utah’s attorney general. A federal appeals court in Denver on Sunday rejected the state’s initial request for a stay, essentially saying Shelby must rule on the motion first.Now that he has, the state has gone back to the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals to file for another emergency stay request.Stuart Gaffney, a spokesman for Marriage Equality USA, said Shelby upholding gay marriage in Utah is “one of the greatest gifts of all” for supporters.“It’s real impossible to argue that marriage equality hurts anybody. It’s now the law in 18 states plus the District of Columbia,” Gaffney told NBC News.When news first broke Friday of Shelby’s ruling, an estimated 100 same-sex couples rushed to file for marriage licenses — a surge of activity that stunned both sides of the debate in a widely conservative state.“It’s like Black Friday for gay people," MickieVee Cochrane, in line Friday at the Salt Lake County Clerk’s office, told the Salt Lake Tribune.Eager couples continued to line up at county clerk’s offices before Monday’s hearing, although there were reports that at least a half-dozen counties were turning away people until the stay was resolved.“It’s almost like they’re teasing us with it. I just don’t think it’s right,” Tabitha Tuck, 31 told The Herald Journal as she unsuccessfully sought a license with her partner at the Box Elder County Clerk’s Office.“It’s not just about marrying a woman and a woman or a man and a man — it’s about being with who you fall in love with,” Tuck added.State attorneys said putting a temporary hold on same-sex marriages would at least avoid potential “irreparable harm” if, ultimately, the marriages are ruled invalid.“The only potential harm plaintiffs may suffer if a stay is granted is, at most, a delay in their ability to marry in Utah or, in the case of an out-of-state marriage, recognition of that marriage,” the state’s motion said. “Granting the stay simply preserves the status quo.”But during Monday’s court hearing, Shelby shot back at the state, asking if it was “irreparable harm” to deprive Utahns of a constitutional right, The Tribune reported.Utah lawyer Philip Lott repeated the words “chaotic situation” to describe what has been happening in Utah since clerks started allowing gay weddings. He urged the judge to “take a more orderly approach than the current frenzy.”“Utah should be allowed to follow its Democratically chosen definition of marriage,” he said of the 2004 gay marriage ban.Lott said the state was disappointed with Shelby’s latest ruling and will continue its legal battle.Peggy Tomsic, the lawyer for the same-sex couples who brought the case, called gay marriage the civil rights movement of this generation and said it was the new law of the land in Utah.“The cloud of confusion that the state talks about is only their minds,” she said.Tomsic said she was relieved that Shelby stuck to his ruling and avoided being pressured by a moral or political majority in the state.“It’s awfully easy to get caught up in the emotion and do a kneejerk reaction,” Tomsic said outside the courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. “Fortunately, we have a judge who takes his oath of office seriously.”Utah Gov. Gary Herbert advised county clerks to check with their attorneys if they were unsure how to proceed during the state’s appeal.Herbert, a Republican, has vowed to protect “traditional marriage.” He called Shelby, an appointee of President Obama, an “activist federal judge attempting to override the will of the people of Utah.”For now, a state considered as one of the most conservative in the nation has joined the likes of California and New York to become the 18th state where same-sex couples can legally wed.Utah is home to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which was one of the leading forces behind California’s short-lived ban on same-sex marriage.“We continue to believe that voters in Utah did the right thing by providing clear direction in the state constitution that marriage should be between a man and a woman, and we are hopeful that this view will be validated by a higher court,” the church said in a statement.NBC News' Pete Williams and The Associated Press contributed to this report.Related:Gay marriage catches conservative Utah off guardJudge strikes down Utah's same-sex marriage banThis story was originally published on Mon Dec 23, 2013 10:33 AM EST

Christmas in the dark? Storm brings ice and outages to Midwest, Northeast

 The Midwest was hammered by deadly storms and flooding over the weekend and ice storms ravaged parts of the Northeast, while record warm weather was reported along the east coast. NBC's Dylan Dreyer reports.By Alexander Smith and Elisha Fieldstadt, NBC NewsThousands of people faced the prospect of spending the holidays in the dark, after a huge ice storm knocked out power throughout the Midwest and New England.Almost 400,000 homes and businesses in Michigan, upstate New York and northern New England remained without electricity Monday morning after thick ice felled trees and brought down power lines, according to utilities companies.While lights came back on in upstate New York and Vermont, power companies in Michigan and Maine reported larger numbers of outages as the sun set on Monday.Brad Hoving, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids, Mich. – the state with a bulk of the remaining power outages — said many people may still be using candlelight until Thursday."It's a big deal," Hoving told The Associated Press. "It's Christmas and we've just had a major ice storm."The Red Cross set up a shelter at Middleville, Mich., United Methodist Church, but Pastor Tony Shumaker said the crowd was getting too big and needed additional accommodations like showers, so they would be moving to a local school. Church members planned to cook a Christmas dinner and bring it to the school for people who were still without power on Wednesday, Shumaker said.Shumaker said regardless of the inconvenient timing of lost power, the people housed at the church “seem to be in pretty decent spirits, they’re glad to have a warm place to go to.”One of Michigan’s power providers, DTE, said crews were working “around the clock” and 90 percent of the 83,000 customers without electric would be restored by Christmas Eve.Stephanie Burnham, in Clarkston, Mich., was one of the luckier people who had their power restored."We had just finished making dinner and ... we cleaned everything up. Then our power went out, so we got all our candles and set up our generator," she told ClickOnDetroit.com."They told us it wouldn't be back until Christmas so we were like, 'Oh no all of our food!' But they did a great job."More than 1,000 utility workers from other companies and states headed to Michigan to help Consumers Energy customers out of the dark. Still, Consumers said more than 200,000 remained without power, and many areas in the southwest portion of Michigan would not have their electricity fully restored until after the holiday.“We might be spending Christmas at a middle school,” said Dawn Bishop, whose town of Dutton, Mich., lost power on Sunday. She said she was “a little nervous” about the possibility, but that she, her husband and her son — who is special needs — have been “taken care of very well” by the Red Cross. While Bishop’s Christmas plans remained uncertain, she stayed optimistic. “I’m sure we’ll be home by New Years,” she said.Michigan was hit with half an inch of ice over the weekend, said Brian Hurley, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. “A quarter inch of ice is pretty damaging. When you talk about a half inch, that’ll take down trees and power lines,” Hurley said.By Monday morning, “you could skate down our road,” Bishop said.Heavy snowfall buried parts of the northern Midwest, with the heaviest covering coming in Larned, Kan., which saw over 15 inches. Mike Groll / APHeather Griffin, of Buffalo, N.Y., and her dog Sal walk beneath ice-covered trees on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2013, in Buffalo. Snow and ice knocked out power in parts of Michigan, New England and upstate New York over the weekend. The storm also saw some 1,200 U.S. flights canceled over the weekend and delayed another 15,000, according to the aviation-tracking website FlightAware.Nine deaths across the U.S. were blamed on the storm, the AP reported, including five people killed in Kentucky floodwaters and a woman in Arkansas following a 130-mph tornado.In Canada, an additional five people were killed in weather-induced highway accidents. While crews restored power to almost 100,000 Canadian customers on Monday, over 200,000 in Toronto were still in the dark, according to Toronto Hydro electric company.Elsewhere, New York City and Philadelphia saw record high temperatures, with shoppers taking to the streets in shirtsleeves. Still, temperatures would drop to seasonable levels by Tuesday.  “The front which was responsible for all of the precipitation has cold air behind it,” Hurley said.Kevin Roth, lead meteorologist at The Weather Channel, said on Monday the worst of the storm was over, save for “one last gasp” to trouble commuters in the Northeast trying to see their friends and families before Christmas.AAA predicted that a record-breaking 94.5 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more between Dec. 21 and Jan. 1."It will be a rough start to the week getting to grandma’s house," Roth told NBC News. "For anyone thinking of taking to the roads in the Northeast, based on the forecasts it would be better to leave it until Tuesday, when the weather is set to be a lot quieter."He said travel problems on Monday would be caused by a small amount of snowfall in northern Maine, around Caribou, as well as rain moving up from West Virginia to New England through the morning.Temperatures in Massachusetts are still right around freezing and the state could expect some freezing rain throughout the day.Other than that, Roth said, the weather would be quiet across the whole of the U.S. from Tuesday through the week.Hurley said last-minute travelers were fortunate that the extreme weather system made its way through the country over the weekend. “It’s going to be a pretty dry stretch here going into Christmas,” he said. On the downside, few would experience a white Christmas this year, Hurley said. The Associated Press contributed to this report.Related:This story was originally published on Mon Dec 23, 2013 4:37 PM EST

Ohio must recognize gay marriages on death certificates: Judge

   Glenn Hartong / Cincinnati Enquirer via AP fileJim Obergefell, left and John Arthur, right, are married by officiant Paulette Roberts, rear center, in a plane on the tarmac at Baltimore/Washington International Airport in Glen Burnie, Md., in July.By Miranda Leitsinger, Staff Writer, NBC NewsA federal judge ruled on Monday that Ohio must acknowledge same-sex marriages on death certificates and went further in his decision to say that lower courts were now applying the recent historic Supreme Court decision striking down the federal ban on recognition of such unions.The decision came just hours before a federal judge in Utah denied a stay to his earlier ruling knocking down that state’s same-sex marriage ban, saying it denied gay couples equal protection under the U.S. Constitution. That ruling also relied heavily on the Supreme Court case, which struck down Section 3 of DOMA, or the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act, in June.“This conclusion flows from the Windsor (DOMA) decision of the United States Supreme Court this past summer, which held that the federal government cannot refuse to recognize a valid same-sex marriage,” wrote Judge Timothy S. Black of the US District Court of the Southern District of Ohio, who was nominated to the post by President Barack Obama.“And now it is just as Justice (Antonin) Scalia predicted,” he continued, of the question posed by one of the Supreme Court justices on how far the DOMA decision would reach. “The lower courts are applying the Supreme Court’s decision, as they must, and the question is presented whether a state can do what the federal government cannot – i.e., discriminate against same-sex couples … simply because the majority of the voters don’t like homosexuality (or at least didn’t in 2004). Under the Constitution of the United States, the answer is no.”He added: "Once you get married lawfully in one state, another state cannot summarily take your marriage away."The Ohio case was brought by attorneys for a longtime Cincinnati couple, James Obergefell and John Arthur, whose July 11, 2013 wedding on a tarmac in Maryland — where gay marriage is legal — made international headlines.Arthur, who was suffering from ALS, died on Oct. 22. That was when the marriage of the couple, who had been together since 1992, was ordered recognized by the court on Arthur’s death certificate.In recent months, four states have recognized same-sex marriage, bringing to 17 (excluding Utah) the number of states that allow gays and lesbians to wed. The District of Columbia also allows such unions. Thirty-three states prohibit it through state laws or constitutional amendments, known as state DOMAs.

Federal court refuses to halt same-sex marriage in Utah

 NEW YORK — A federal appeals court on Sunday declined to stop officials in Utah from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples following a judge's ruling last week that overturned the state's ban on gay marriage.Utah Governor Gary Herbert asked for an emergency stay to prevent marriage licenses from being issued to same-sex couples after U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby on Friday ruled the ban unconstitutional. The parties are due back before Shelby on Monday, as the state begins to appeal his ruling.The ruling, which made Utah the 18th state to allow same-sex nuptials, marked a major victory for gay rights activists in a conservative state where the Mormon Church wields considerable influence.It also touched off a rush to the altar by gay couples, especially in Salt Lake City, where a festive atmosphere broke out in the county government building that played host to a string of impromptu weddings - including that of a state senator to his longtime partner.Shelby found in the case brought by three gay couples that Utah's state constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman violated the rights of gay couples to due process and equal protection under the U.S. Constitution."I am very disappointed an activist federal judge is attempting to override the will of the people of Utah," Herbert said in a statement after the ruling.Advocates of gay marriage have won repeated victories in recent years as a growing portion of the American electorate has taken a more favorable view of same-sex relationships. A year and a half ago, just six states and the District of Columbia recognized same-sex marriage.In June, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a landmark victory for gay rights by forcing the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages in states where it is legal and paving the way for gay marriage in California.On Thursday, the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled to allow same-sex marriage across the state. In November, Hawaii and Illinois governors signed bills to legalize same-sex weddings.Related:Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Answers to our 2013 quote quiz

 The answers:1-b2-a3-b4-c5-b6-b7-a8-c9-a10-c11-a12-b13-c14-c15-c16-b17-a18-a19-b20-b21-c22 (a-e, b-f, c-h, d-g)BONUS: Trick question — he said all of them.

Utah scrambles to halt same-sex marriages after judge's surprise ruling

 NBC News' Pete Williams reports on the breaking news that a federal judge has refused, for the third time, to halt same-sex marriages in Utah.By Erik Ortiz, Staff Writer, NBC NewsSame-sex marriages in Utah can continue after a federal judge denied the state’s request Monday to put a temporary hold on the unions.State attorneys argued the stay is necessary while they appeal U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby’s ruling Friday that allows gays and lesbians to marry.Shelby, unsurprisingly, decided not to halt his own decision. His earlier ruling had struck down a 2004 state law denying same-sex couples the right to wed, saying the ban is unconstitutional. Jim Urquhart / ReutersNatalie Dicou (left) and her partner Nicole Christensen wait for a marriage license at the Salt Lake County Clerks office in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Friday. A federal judge struck down Utah's ban on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional.It’s the latest blow in the battle over gay marriage for Utah’s attorney general. A federal appeals court in Denver on Sunday rejected the state’s initial request for a stay, essentially saying Shelby must rule on the motion first.Now that he has, the state has gone back to the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals to file for another emergency stay request.Stuart Gaffney, a spokesman for Marriage Equality USA, said Shelby upholding gay marriage in Utah is “one of the greatest gifts of all” for supporters.“It’s real impossible to argue that marriage equality hurts anybody. It’s now the law in 18 states plus the District of Columbia,” Gaffney told NBC News.When news first broke Friday of Shelby’s ruling, an estimated 100 same-sex couples rushed to file for marriage licenses — a surge of activity that stunned both sides of the debate in a widely conservative state.“It’s like Black Friday for gay people," MickieVee Cochrane, in line Friday at the Salt Lake County Clerk’s office, told the Salt Lake Tribune.Eager couples continued to line up at county clerk’s offices before Monday’s hearing, although there were reports that at least a half-dozen counties were turning away people until the stay was resolved.“It’s almost like they’re teasing us with it. I just don’t think it’s right,” Tabitha Tuck, 31 told The Herald Journal as she unsuccessfully sought a license with her partner at the Box Elder County Clerk’s Office.“It’s not just about marrying a woman and a woman or a man and a man — it’s about being with who you fall in love with,” Tuck added.State attorneys said putting a temporary hold on same-sex marriages would at least avoid potential “irreparable harm” if, ultimately, the marriages are ruled invalid.“The only potential harm plaintiffs may suffer if a stay is granted is, at most, a delay in their ability to marry in Utah or, in the case of an out-of-state marriage, recognition of that marriage,” the state’s motion said. “Granting the stay simply preserves the status quo.”But during Monday’s court hearing, Shelby shot back at the state, asking if it was “irreparable harm” to deprive Utahns of a constitutional right, The Tribune reported.Utah lawyer Philip Lott repeated the words “chaotic situation” to describe what has been happening in Utah since clerks started allowing gay weddings. He urged the judge to “take a more orderly approach than the current frenzy.”“Utah should be allowed to follow its Democratically chosen definition of marriage,” he said of the 2004 gay marriage ban.Lott said the state was disappointed with Shelby’s latest ruling and will continue its legal battle.Peggy Tomsic, the lawyer for the same-sex couples who brought the case, called gay marriage the civil rights movement of this generation and said it was the new law of the land in Utah.“The cloud of confusion that the state talks about is only their minds,” she said.Tomsic said she was relieved that Shelby stuck to his ruling and avoided being pressured by a moral or political majority in the state.“It’s awfully easy to get caught up in the emotion and do a kneejerk reaction,” Tomsic said outside the courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. “Fortunately, we have a judge who takes his oath of office seriously.”Utah Gov. Gary Herbert advised county clerks to check with their attorneys if they were unsure how to proceed during the state’s appeal.Herbert, a Republican, has vowed to protect “traditional marriage.” He called Shelby, an appointee of President Obama, an “activist federal judge attempting to override the will of the people of Utah.”For now, a state considered as one of the most conservative in the nation has joined the likes of California and New York to become the 18th state where same-sex couples can legally wed.Utah is home to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which was one of the leading forces behind California’s short-lived ban on same-sex marriage.“We continue to believe that voters in Utah did the right thing by providing clear direction in the state constitution that marriage should be between a man and a woman, and we are hopeful that this view will be validated by a higher court,” the church said in a statement.NBC News' Pete Williams and The Associated Press contributed to this report.Related:Gay marriage catches conservative Utah off guardJudge strikes down Utah's same-sex marriage banThis story was originally published on Mon Dec 23, 2013 10:33 AM EST

Man tosses 3-year-old son, self off Manhattan high-rise roof

 A 35-year-old Brooklyn man in a custody battle over his 3-year-old son tossed the toddler off a 52-floor apartment building in Manhattan before plunging to his death Sunday afternoon, law enforcement sources said.Authorities responded to South Park Tower on West 60th Street around noon and found the man, Dmitriy Kanarikov, dead at the scene. The boy, Kirill Kanarikov, was found alive but later died at the hospital, police said.The man and his son landed on two roofs on 59th Street, police said. Neither of them were visible from the sidewalk.Kanarikov had visitation rights with his son, but the boy's mother had custody, law enforcement sources said. The mother was waiting at a police precinct Sunday for Kanarikov to return her son when they plunged from the rooftop. Kanarikov and his son had no obvious connection to the building, and weren't stopped when they walked in, police said. It's not known why Kanarikov chose that spot, but authorities say he knew someone who once lived there.Building residents said they were shocked and saddened."How heartbreaking, how sad it is that there was no one there to stop them, to say, 'Wait, tomorrow is another day," said Ellia Adiel.In March, a woman clutching her baby son in her arms plunged eight stories out of a Harlem apartment window to her death, but the 10-month-old survived. Authorities found a suicide note in her home.

Kicked out of high school for 'public lewdness' after reporting rape

  John Brecher / NBC NewsBy Abigail Pesta , NBC News contributor TOMBALL, Texas—When Rachel Bradshaw-Bean claimed she had been raped in the band room of her high school in Texas, school officials sprang into action—and kicked her out of school."I felt like a criminal," she said, describing the December 2010 incident in her first extended interview on the crisis and aftermath. Accused of "public lewdness," she was sent to a special school for students with discipline problems, along with the boy she said had assaulted her. "I saw him there all the time," she said.It's not an isolated incident. The events at Henderson High School in East Texas demonstrate the obstacles girls sometimes face when reporting sexual violence in schools. "High schools across the country are failing to live up to their responsibility to address sexual assault and harassment," said Neena Chaudhry, an attorney with the National Women's Law Center, a nonprofit advocacy group in Washington, D.C. "There's no excuse."Bradshaw-Bean and her family fought back, sparking a Department of Education probe into whether the school had violated Title IX, the federal law prohibiting gender discrimination in education. Under the law, schools must follow specific rules when a student reports sexual violence; those rules include launching an internal investigation separate from any police inquiry. Henderson High School relied solely on a police investigation that deemed the sex consensual.Today, with reports of teen sexual assault making national headlines, Bradshaw-Bean, now 20, said she is speaking out so that girls know their rights and schools properly address reports of sexual violence. "I don't want anyone else to have to go through what I did," she said. Her battle to clear her name, while navigating a disciplinary school that treated her "like a prisoner," she said, changed the course of her life.'It kills you. You die'Curled up in an armchair in her apartment in Tomball, on the outskirts of Houston, she described her life before the crisis blew it up. She enjoyed playing the euphonium in band. She volunteered with the Key Club around Henderson, a scenic town known for its historic homes and a syrup festival. She raised chickens as a member of Future Farmers of America. She planned to study pre-med in college.Raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, she said her mother and stepfather taught her to be modest, polite. She and her mother are close and talk often. "My mom is so polite and classy—and also a hardcore rocker," she said. "She likes Metallica." Bradshaw-Bean hadn't had much experience with boys, just one boyfriend. During her junior year, she said, a boy in band had suggested she give him a "blow job" and she didn't know what that meant so she went home and asked her mother.Midway through her senior year, on December 6, 2010, an otherwise normal day turned chaotic. She was hanging around school at day's end, she said, waiting for a Key Club meeting to start. A boy asked her to go into the band room to talk and she went; he was a year younger, she said, and she didn't know him well. In the room, she said, things took a violent turn and he raped her. She said she distinctly recalls saying no. Afterward, she said, "I was crying. I pulled my pants up and went to the bathroom to clean myself up."She then went to an assistant band director, she said, telling him what had happened. His words stunned her: "He told me to work it out with the boy. There's no way I would do that. But I didn’t know what to think. I was 17."Henderson High School declined to comment on the case, citing student privacy laws.Feeling "shocked and numb," said Bradshaw-Bean, she went to her Key Club meeting that evening. Then she went to a band meeting, where her mother, stepfather and seven-year-old brother joined her. The boy from the band room was there too, she said, with his mother. Bradshaw-Bean sat silently through it."I didn't tell my parents. I didn't want them to have to go through that," she said, looking down at a Rubik's Cube that calms her in times of stress. She stayed home from school the next day, she said, then went back a day later and told a friend what had happened. The two girls together told another assistant band director. This time, the news got to an assistant vice principal. The school called the police and her parents. When her mother arrived at the school, Bradshaw-Bean said, "she had this look in her eyes, like she had died."Her mother, Colleen Chevallier, echoes that sentiment. "It kills you. You die. You stay dead for a while," she said. "You become another person. I'm not the same person I was before this."Expert: Schools don't know the rulesThere were some 3,800 reported incidents of sexual battery and 800 reported incidents of rape or attempted rape in public high schools in the 2007-8 school year, according to a Department of Education letter to educators in 2011. (The department sends such letters periodically to issue policy guidance.) Calling the sexual violence a "call to action for the nation," the department reminded schools of their Title IX responsibilities, including the obligation to launch an internal investigation into reports of sexual assault to ensure a safe environment for students. Another requirement: appointing a Title IX coordinator to ensure compliance with the law.The problem, said Sandra Park, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, is that educators don't necessarily know the rules. For instance, she said, the Title IX coordinator is often a school employee with other responsibilities who "just wears that additional hat" and doesn't have a firm grasp of the law. The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights said it has received 59 complaints that include Title IX allegations related to sexual violence this year, up from 33 such complaints in 2012. The complaints are from all educational levels, from elementary to postsecondary.In one case similar to Bradshaw-Bean's, the office ruled last year that Forest Hills Central High School in Michigan had failed to properly respond when a girl said she was sexually assaulted in the band room. The parents say the principal had discouraged them from filing criminal charges against the boy, an athlete. (The family did file charges and the boy pleaded guilty, according to the National Women's Law Center, which is now working with the family on a suit against the school.) Superintendent Daniel Behm said the school district "strongly disagrees" with aspects of the Department of Education findings, and that the school immediately called the police and parents when the assault was reported.In Ohio, the Steubenville school district is under fire in a high-profile case in which two high-school football players raped a girl during a night of postgame partying. The boys were convicted this past spring. Last month, four current and former employees of Steubenville City Schools were indicted in a grand jury investigation into a possible cover-up of the crime. One is the superintendent, charged with obstructing justice and tampering with evidence, among other charges. A fifth school employee was indicted a month earlier.Among the obstacles teenage girls face are deep-rooted misogynistic views on rape, said Park. "We've accepted a lot of victim-blaming," she said. "We're so intent on scrutinizing what the victim did, not the perpetrator's actions." She added, "In high schools, the students are so young, I think people are also loath to believe kids could be confronting this kind of violence." But they are. Forty-four percent of rape victims in America are under the age of 18, according to the nonprofit Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network.Burden of proofWhen Bradshaw-Bean got the attention of school officials, she was sent to a children's health clinic for a medical exam. NBC News obtained a copy of the medical report, which showed lacerations to the hymen and bleeding "consistent with information given per victim," the report said. A forensic specialist who works with the police interviewed Bradshaw-Bean at the clinic, according to Michael Jimerson, the Rusk County district attorney. Bradshaw-Bean said she felt numb during the interview, not crying—which she thinks worked against her with the police. "I just felt like I couldn't cry anymore," she said. "I was just taking in so much."Rachel Bradshaw-Bean says she was sent to a disciplinary school after reporting that she was raped because she didn't conform to the authorities' idea of how a rape victim should behave.The police called her parents to the station a day later, according to her mother. There, said Chevallier, she learned that no criminal charges would be filed. "They said the sex was consensual. I was so shocked," she said. "I thought, they are pushing this under the rug. She's being treated this way because she's a female. I looked at my husband and said, 'Do they know women have the right to vote?'"Jimerson rejects those claims, saying "the case was investigated, reviewed and declined for prosecution based on the law and the evidence." Jimerson said a security-camera video showed Bradshaw-Bean walking into the band room behind the boy; it did not show what happened inside the room. "In cases like this, you can either substantiate or not substantiate the claims," he said. "We broke it down with her version of events and his. Her claims could not be substantiated. At the end of the day, I just know that objectively, there was almost no chance of a conviction. As a prosecutor, I have to be vigilant about the cases I pursue."He said the medical report is inconclusive, as lacerations to the hymen could occur from either consensual sex or sexual assault, and medical experts would testify to that. In addition, he said, according to his notes on the case, Bradshaw-Bean had used language that "implied consensual sex instead of forcible rape" in the interview with the forensic specialist, such as, "I am not saying I did not want to do it." Jimerson says he does not have the context—the statements made before and after that remark—in his notes.Bradshaw-Bean said she doesn't remember exactly what she said but that the quote sounds like something taken out of context. "I was reporting a rape," she said. "It sounds like my words are getting twisted. If you have to twist someone's words to make your case, then something's not right."The Henderson Police Department declined to comment on the case. NBC News filed an open-records request with the City of Henderson to see the police documents; the City Attorney declined the request, citing the fact that the alleged perpetrator was a juvenile.Park said she understands the "burden of proof," noting that Bradshaw-Bean "went into the band room voluntarily—she wasn't dragged." However, she said, there was a report of rape, "and I don't think you close a case like this in basically a day. There seemed to be a rush to judge her and close the case rather than doing a full investigation."'I hated the world'Regardless of what the police concluded, however, Henderson High School had a legal obligation to launch its own investigation, which it did not do. Instead, it decided to discipline Bradshaw-Bean and the boy for "public lewdness," assigning them both to a disciplinary school for 45 days.Chevallier said the high school informed her of its decision within days of the police ruling. She tried to get her daughter transferred to another high school, she said, but was denied due to the disciplinary action. "They were treating the victim like a criminal," she said. "It was really like living in hell. If it hadn't happened to me—if someone else told me this story—I'd think it wasn't true."At the disciplinary school, part of a statewide program called the Disciplinary Alternative Education Program, Bradshaw-Bean said she sat in a room with much younger students—some from the sixth grade—at a desk facing the wall, doing textbook work. During this time, she felt increasingly angry and emotional: "I hated the world," she said. At the same time, she felt vulnerable. "I felt paranoid to even take a shower by myself," she said. "Someone would have to sit with me in the bathroom."The family descended into chaos. "I felt like I was breaking in half," said Chevallier. Her husband drove their daughter to and from the disciplinary school, she said, to shield Chevallier from seeing the boy who upended her daughter's life. Bradshaw-Bean said she was not in the same class as the boy, but saw him regularly, for instance when arriving at school or going to the bathroom. The Henderson school district declined to comment on her claims. Bradshaw-Bean also believes the boy trashed her to other kids. She said a student once told her she had "asked for it." Another time she received a taunt on Facebook, she said, from a male relative of the boy. Her mother remembers that note. "It said, 'You weak,'" she said. "I wrote him back—I just let him have it. I said, 'This is Rachel's mom. If you say one more word to her, I will put you in jail.'"Chevallier, who has worked as both a substitute teacher and a prison administrator, went to the ACLU. "I thought, this cannot pass," she said. "I think everyone underestimated us."A 'really egregious' caseThe case was "really egregious," said Park, the ACLU lawyer. She filed a Title IX complaint with the Department of Education, and helped get Rachel transferred to another high school.As the government investigation began, Bradshaw-Bean graduated and went into a funk. "My personality changed," she said. "I didn't want to do anything. I blamed myself for the longest time." She had planned to go to community college. Instead she stayed home, depressed, she said, with no job. After a few months, she enrolled in nearby Kilgore College "to get out of my parents' hair," she said. But she wasn't up for it, and left soon after.In June 2012, a year and a half after the incident in the band room, Bradshaw-Bean finally got some news that helped her get her life back on track. The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights wrapped up its investigation of Henderson High School, ruling that the school had violated Title IX by failing to independently investigate the case—and also had retaliated against Bradshaw-Bean, failing to provide "a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason" for banishing her to the disciplinary school.The office laid out a 13-point plan to bring the school in line with its responsibilities under Title IX, including extensive training of the faculty. The school was also required to clear Bradshaw-Bean's record of the disciplinary-school placement, and to pay for a few counseling sessions."The counselor really helped," she said, adding that she felt vindicated by the ruling. "Finally, I thought, there are some smart people in the world—rational people with levelheaded thoughts. It restored my faith in humanity." She said she hopes her case will spur schools to know the rules and respond appropriately to reports of sexual violence.In a statement, Henderson High School said it has revised its investigation procedures "to meet Title IX requirements" and provide "a safe environment for all of our students." Further, the school said, as of Dec. 4, 2013, it is in full compliance with all 13 requirements in the plan laid out by the Office for Civil Rights.The Department of Education declined to comment on the case, saying it is still monitoring the school.'I can help others facing injustice'This past fall, Bradshaw-Bean went back to college, attending Lone Star College in Tomball. She is also a newlywed, recently marrying a young man named Robert Bean who she had met in the cafeteria at Kilgore College one morning just before leaving the school. "He is so good. He has so much understanding," she said, opening a little box of neatly handwritten love letters she has given him.Riding to dinner in a cab with him since the two don't own a car, Bradshaw-Bean talked with the driver about his troubles, nodding sympathetically while he described a leg lost from diabetes. At the restaurant, her husband held her hand. She teased him about how he is shy around strangers. When talk turned to her ordeal, her husband became serious, saying, "I encouraged her to tell her story."She describes him as her support system. One night, she said, her little brother broke her Rubik's Cube, which she calls her "lifesaver" for helping her cope in moments of anxiety about her past. "I started crying. I just lost it," she said. "Robert stayed calm. He just went out to Walmart and bought me a new one."She said she is excited about being back in college: "I'm as happy as can be right now." As for the boy who derailed her senior year, she said, "He took away my joy, but I got it back, double-fold." Her plan now is to study criminal justice and criminal psychology. "I think about how I'll live my life—I think about what I will do with my experience," she said. Because of the injustice she endured, she said, "I can help others facing injustice of their own."Abigail Pesta is an award-winning journalist who has lived and worked around the world, from London to Hong Kong. She has written for The Wall Street Journal, Cosmopolitan, The New York Times, Marie Claire and Newsweek. Follow her at @AbigailPesta.This story was originally published on Mon Dec 23, 2013 6:19 AM EST

System neglected and huge storm Snarls holiday travel

A powerful storm system generated rare December tornado outbreak in the South, fallen crushing ice and snow in the Midwest and brought unusually warm temperatures from the Atlantic to the city of New York. Advises the meteorologist Mike Seidel.By M. Alex Johnson and F. Brinley Bruton, NBC NewsIcy rain, snow and ice jostling in and around patches unusually warm created a bizarre mosaic of weather conditions over dozens of States Sunday, wreaking havoc for millions of holiday travelers.The massive storm, covering at least 35 States, took a little bit of everything:Heavy snow from Oklahoma to Wisconsin - both about 10 inches predicted through Sunday.Flash flood watches in 11 States from Texas to New York.Ice warnings of storm in parts of Northern New England. Record in other parts of tornado Northeast.Possible, with the greatest risk on Monday from Texas to Tennessee."What really worries me about this tornado-wise situation is one, people do not usually expect tornadoes in December," said Greg Forbes of The Weather Channel. "Two, going to be in some cases further north that people expect."The Midwest, meanwhile, was out another major snow dump. Parts of Iowa had recorded 6 inches by 5 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, and dangerously cold was moving behind him to block on the dangers of ice.With wind chills as low as minus-25 in some counties of waiting overnight, Alex Mihalakis and its 6 anos-viejo - son, Jace, were helping to clear sidewalks, cars and driveways in Dubuque for people who could not leave."We can buy anyone anything, so we decided to help them with this Nevada," said Mihalakis NBC KWWL of Waterloo Station.Jeffrey Phelps / APA police officer key a car that split on Sunday along the highway 172 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. A winter storm was causing havoc through several States during the weekend."We have had very bad conditions weather two weeks before Christmas," said Christopher Dolce, a meteorologist for The Weather Channel. "There has been a considerable amount of winter storms all the way back to the days before Thanksgiving and lots of travel woes continuing in December."About 665 flights had been cancelled and 5,750 more were delayed across the country at 9:30 P.M. on Sunday, according to the aviation FlightAware.com tracking website.Many were inside or outside of major centres and international of Houston Bush International, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver and Chicago or ' Hare Airport, where 136 flights had been cancelled.Get the latest news of the time and your local forecastThe weather was suspected in at least eight dead, among them that of a driver who was killed on Saturday afternoon on an icy Highway near Kansas City, Missouri, police said, and two people in Mississippi who died as a result of hurricane force winds.Five people were also drowned in Kentucky, Cincinnati NBC station WLWT reported - three in a car in Bardstown, which came to be submerged in the Rolling Fork River and another man in Carroll County, whose vehicle overturned on top of him after being trapped in a stream. A fifth body was recovered from a vehicle abandoned in a ditch flooded in Ballard County.The system of large storms arose in the Midwest on Friday. On Saturday night, a line of storms extended from southern Louisiana to Indiana, and at least two suspected tornadoes hit Arkansas, injuring at least five people.A man in Rena Lara, Mississippi, was killed Saturday when wind capsized his mobile home.And another person died on Saturday when it hit a tree fallen on the highway in Jasper County, losing the car driving. A woman in the car was critically wounded and taken to hospital.Meanwhile, a great ice storm was running towards the State of New York and Northern New England, knocking out power to thousands of customers. Some 52,000 customers in New York and 315.000 in Michigan were affected, utility officials said.But the climate is temperate and warm was also to stay ahead of the front, with other parts of the coast this seeing highs in the 70s along with high humidity. New York Central Park hit a record of 65 degrees on Saturday.The system created wildly swings the patterns of the weather almost from County to County. In Bennington, Vermont, the high reached 63 degrees on Sunday, compared with 37 in Albany, New York - only 40 kilometers to the West.John Yang and Erik Ortiz of NBC News contributed to this report.Related:This story was originally posted on Sunday, December 22, 2013 10:42 PM EST

After outrage, Cracker Barrel to sell 'Duck Dynasty' items again

  Mark Humphrey / AP fileA Cracker Barrel restaurant is in Nashville, Tenn.By Elisha Fieldstadt, NBC NewsCountry store and restaurant Cracker Barrel filled display stands once more with "Duck Dynasty" merchandise on Sunday, only two days after removing the products in the wake of a cast member's anti-gay comments and his subsequent suspension from the A&E show."Dear Cracker Barrel Customer: When we made the decision to remove and evaluate certain Duck Dynasty items, we offended many of our loyal customers. Our intent was to avoid offending, but that’s just what we've done," a letter from Cracker Barrel posted on its website said.Cracker Barrel announced on Friday in a Facebook post that stores stopped selling "Duck Dynasty" paraphernalia "which we were concerned might offend some of our guests while we evaluate the situation."Cracker Barrel never stopped selling Duck Commander merchandise, which is also affiliated with the Robertson family of Duck Dynasty. "We continue to offer Duck Commander products in our stores," the post specified.Duck Dynasty merchandise is A&E branded, while Duck Commander products — including "Miss Kay's Duck Commander Kitchen Cookbook" and a "Duck Commander Devotional Book" — aren't produced by the television network. Both franchises offer mugs, t-shirts and hats and the like.Cracker Barrel spokesman Jeff Eller would not comment on why the company did not pull Duck Commander products when it removed Duck Dynasty products.A&E suspended "Duck Dynasty" patriarch, Phil Robertson, from the show on Thursday after he offended much of the LGBT community and many others while explaining his beliefs during a GQ magazine interview. Cracker Barrel said in Friday's Facebook post that their "mission is pleasing people," but many of Cracker Barrel's customers weren't pleased by the decision.Friday's Facebook announcement garnered over 5,000 comments, many of which were from outraged customers threatening to boycott the eatery and store.One woman said her church's luncheon would not take place at Cracker Barrel as originally planned. "Chick Filet (sic) here we come," wrote Sandy Herman. "Whoever made this decision should be FIRED!!!!! think about your TARGET audience and consumers. You're in the Bible Belt. Way to cower to the GLADD community. The last few (hundred) times I ate at your restaurant, I saw traditional families and older couples. I'm officially done with your place," wrote Suzanne Sawyer Hines.Cracker Barrel's letter released Sunday referenced customer complaints, saying, "You wrote, you called and you took to social media to express your thoughts and feelings. You flat out told us we were wrong. We listened. Today, we are putting all our Duck Dynasty products back in our stores."Related:

Snow, sleet and commuter chaos as winter storm pounds Northeast

 La tormenta de invierno mortal que dejó hasta un pie de nieve en el noreste y medio oeste arrojan las carreteras y los planes de vuelo, informa Paul Goodloe del canal meteorológico. Dylan Dreyer hoy pronostica entonces cómo el tiempo afectará a viajar el lunes.Por Alastair Jamieson y Daniella Silva, NBC NewsNieve, aguanieve y lluvia helada que plantea un peligro para los automovilistas en Nueva Inglaterra el domingo como una fuerte tormenta que se trasladó desde el medio oeste al noreste apedrearon la región con fuertes nevadas, obstaculizando los planes de viaje para los compradores de fin de semana y potencialmente para viajeros de lunes.Casi un pie de nieve se reportó en partes del centro de Pensilvania Sábado tarde como la expansión tormenta se movió hacia el este a Nueva Inglaterra, donde el servicio meteorológico nacional advirtió que Maine podría ver condiciones cerca-ventisca el domingo debido a nevadas y fuerte vientos antes de la tormenta se mueve hacia fuera.El domingo por la tarde, 17 pulgadas de nieve había acumulado en la costa sur de Maine, mientras que Massachusetts norte tiene 11 pulgadas y hasta 8 pulgadas cayó en partes de Rhode Island, según el servicio meteorológico nacional.Gunther CJ / EPAUna intensa nieve cae sobre las montañas arboladas en Lake Placid, Nueva York, 15 de diciembre de 2013.Cinco centímetros de nieve cayó en sábado de Central Park de Nueva York mientras que partes de Connecticut, Nueva York y norte de Nueva Jersey tiene siete pulgadas, dijo el servicio meteorológico nacional.La ciudad de Nueva York Departamento de saneamiento dijo que tenían los equipos arar toda la noche el sábado al domingo e instó a los residentes para raspar y sal sus aceras por último domingo por la mañana.El sol y temperaturas en los años 40 el domingo probablemente derretiría la acumulación, pero bajas temperaturas durante la noche en el lunes sería volver a congelar el escurrimiento, hace las condiciones resbaladizas el lunes por la mañana, según los meteorólogos de la NBC de Nueva York. Otra ráfaga de nieve o lluvia está prevista en Nueva York otra vez el martes, creando más hielo en las aceras y caminos.Entre la nieve más alta totales registrados fue en Unión, Connecticut, que recibió 9,5 pulgadas, meteorólogo Ryan Hanrahan dijo NBC Connecticut.Hanrahan dijo carreteras de Connecticut fueron especialmente hábil domingo por la mañana debido a la lluvia helada durante la noche, pero 632 camiones estatales se dedicaban a limpiar, según Connecticut del Departamento de transporte.Caminos podrían permanecer Galán durante el viaje de lunes por la mañana ya que la solución de agua salada dependen de equipos simplemente congelaría, según Kevin Nursick, portavoz en el punto del estado.Metro-North railroad, dijo en su página web puede reducir o suspender el servicio de Connecticut a Nueva York para evitar complicaciones de frenos congelados, interruptores y señales, dejando a viajeros con pocas opciones del lunes por la mañana.Mientras la mayoría de las áreas que se atropelle nevadas el sábado tiene un descanso el domingo y una oportunidad para descongelar, "un último golpe" fue debido en el norte de Nueva Inglaterra mientras el sistema se mueve hacia el este de Canadá por la tarde, según el servicio meteorológico nacional.6 A 12 pulgadas de más nieve se esperaba en partes de Massachusetts el domingo, seguido de aguanieve y lluvia helada después de amanecer, informó The Associated Press. 4 A 8 pulgadas eran posibles en Boston.Trece centímetros de nieve cayeron en la zona de esquí de Mount Sunapee en Newbury, N.H. el domingo por la mañana, llevando a una afluencia de esquiadores emocionados, según la AP.¿Cómo es el clima en su área? Muéstranos tus fotos de tormenta de nieve añadiendo #MySnowPics a tu tweet o Instagram post, o subir tus fotos directamente haciendo clic en el cuadro de abajo.Vea nuestra galería de imágenes enviadas por los lectores Pero las condiciones de deporte de invierno gran viajes males. Múltiples accidentes fueron registrados en carreteras en todo el medio oeste y noreste el sábado debido a la tercera ronda de clima invernal en un lapso de siete días, con un alambique de semana antes de la llegada oficial del invierno.Las autoridades advirtieron a los conductores en Massachusetts para viajar sólo si es necesario el domingo y dijeron que los conductores deben dejar suficiente espacio entre vehículos y muy por debajo del límite de velocidad, según The Weather Channel.La patrulla de caminos del estado de Missouri confirmado tres muertes atribuidas al clima invernal reciente. Lo dijo que una mujer de 79 años de edad del Condado de St. Louis murió en un accidente el viernes, en el cual un 28-year-old resultó también gravemente herido. Un hombre de 80 años de edad del Condado de Henry murió cuando su auto se deslizó en un árbol del sábado por la mañana, y un hombre de 44 años fue declarado muerto en la escena de un accidente causado por el tráfico incurrido por otro accidente en el Condado de Lawrence en la tarde del viernes.Matt Campbell / EPABob Agnew utiliza un soplador de nieve para despejar la nieve desde su entrada en Norfolk, Massachusetts el domingo, 15 de diciembre como rápida bajada de las temperaturas empieza a congelar la nieve húmeda.Policía estatal de Michigan estaban investigando un accidente fatal de relacionados con el clima, en el que el conductor perdió el control y golpeó la mediana en una carretera sábado temprano por la mañana, según el teniente Michael A. Shaw.Recién fue asesinado cuando dejó a su esposa en su vehículo para ayudar a una mujer cuyo auto se deslizó en la nieve y en una carretera en Indiana. El buen samaritano y la mujer estaba ayudando estaban de pie al lado de la carretera cuando tres coches chocó contra ellos en las condiciones heladas, matándolos a ambos, según NBC Chicago.Una ambulancia de Pennsylvania apenas evitó un desastre el viernes por la mañana, informó NBC Philadelphia, cuando un trozo de hielo golpeó y rompió su parabrisas.Transporte aéreo también se vio afectado como airlines cancelaron más de 1.000 vuelos el sábado, en su mayoría en el noreste y medio oeste, según FlightAware, un sitio web que rastrea las aerolíneas comerciales. Un adicional 2.653 vuelos fueron retrasados, dijo.Más de 360 vuelos habían sido cancelados dentro y fuera de Newark Liberty International Airport solo el sábado. Chicago o ' Hare International Airport canceló más de 180 vuelos.El domingo, cancelaciones de vuelos violado los 300 por la mañana, según FlightAware.Kathy Grannis, vocera de la Federación Nacional de minoristas, dijo a la Associated Press que muchos consumidores voluntad probable tienda de regalos de Navidad en línea más valientes las difíciles condiciones.Algunos compradores en Massachusetts seguían decididos a pesar de la advertencia de condiciones climáticas extremas. "Es la temporada tienes que salir y hacer tus compras. Shopper vacaciones Nathan Foss "es sólo unas pocas ráfagas así que no me molestó, dijo afiliado del NBC WHDH.La Associated Press contribuyeron con este reporte.Esta historia fue publicada originalmente en domingo, 15 de diciembre de 2013 6:01 PM EST