Russian Passenger Jet With 224 On Board Crashes in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula

CAIRO (AP) — A Russian aircraft carrying more than 220 people crashed Saturday in a remote mountainous region in the Sinai Peninsula more than 20 minutes after takeoff from a Red Sea resort popular with Russian tourists, Egypt's Ministry of Civil Aviation said.

It is not immediately known whether there are any survivors among the 217 passengers and seven crew members but an Egyptian government spokesman said 50 ambulances were headed to the crash site to offer medical care if needed.

Adel Mahgoub, chairman of the state company that runs Egypt's civilian airports, said all passengers and crew were Russian citizens.

A ministry statement said Egyptian military search and rescue teams found the wreckage of the passenger jet in the Hassana area south of the city of el-Arish, an area in northern Sinai where Egyptian security forces are fighting a burgeoning Islamic militant insurgency led by a local affiliate of the extremist Islamic State group.

It said the plane, believed to be an Airbus model, took off from Sharm el-Sheikh shortly before 6 a.m. for St. Petersburg in Russia and disappeared from radar screens 23 minutes after takeoff. The reported time lapse between takeoff and loss of contact with the aircraft means that the plane was possibly flying at a cruising altitude of some 30,000 feet when it crashed.

The U.S. Has Launched An Offensive Plan On ISIS

The offensive commenced at midnight on Saturday, an alliance spokesman said. A group monitoring the war reported fighting and coalition air strikes in the northeast area. The battling is set to “continue until all occupied areas in Hasaka are freed from Daesh,” stated a spokesman for the alliance’s general command.

An additional spokesman said Islamic state fighters were already attacked at 12 a.m. by U.S special forces.


“The battle began after midnight,” Talal Salu told Reuters via internet messaging service. “They were flanked by our forces… (who) thwarted a counter attack.”

The U.S decision to aid Syrians in their ongoing battle with ISIS was birthed several weeks ago once they decided to drop ammunition for the rebels. Washington’s main focus now is to supply groups headed by U.S.-vetted commanders, instead of trying to train fighters outside the country.

Fighting was said to be raging on Saturday near al Hawl- a town close to the Iraqi border. The fighting has been accompanied by air support, which was reported by the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights- a monitory group for development on the ground.

Kurdish officials have additionally supplied that the U.S involvement is the Syrian rebels most effective partner in the battle with ISIS.

State Police Using Shotguns To Deflate Wayward Blimp

State police were using shotguns Thursday to deflate a wayward surveillance blimp that broke loose in Maryland before coming down into trees in the Pennsylvania countryside.

It could take days, or even weeks, to remove the blimp, which came down Wednesday, said U.S. Army Captain Matthew Villa. He said it is in two "mostly intact" pieces, with the main body and the tail section a few hundred meters apart.

Very sensitive electronics onboard have been removed but the vast majority of blimp is still there, Villa said. The wreckage was secured with additional ropes and state police troopers were using shotguns to deflate it Thursday morning, he said.

The blimp's remains were in trees along a ravine in a hard-to-access area with no roads leading directly to the site and officials are working on the removal plan.

"The terrain is extremely steep," he said. "It's rocky, slippery, leaves, in fact there's a stream going through the site as well."

The slow-moving, unmanned Army surveillance blimp broke loose from its mooring at Aberdeen Proving Ground and then floated over Pennsylvania for hours Wednesday afternoon causing electrical outages as its tether hit power lines.

The 240-foot helium-filled blimp, which had two fighter jets on its tail, came down near Muncy, a small town about 80 miles north of Harrisburg, the state capital. No injuries were reported.

The radar-equipped blimp, fitted with sensitive defense technology, escaped from the facility around 12:20 p.m. Authorities said it drifted northward, climbing to about 16,000 feet. It covered about 150 miles over about 3½ hours.

Villa said it was also unknown how the blimp broke loose, and an investigation was underway.

People gawked in wonder and disbelief as the blimp floated silently over the sparsely populated area, its dangling tether taking out power lines.

Tiffany Slusser Hartkorn saw it fly over her neighborhood on the outskirts of Bloomsburg around 2:15 p.m. and soon disappear from sight.

"I honestly was worried that there were people in it that would be injured. A neighbor down the road is thinking it knocked down a tree branch and power pole by his house that could've potentially destroyed his house," Hartkorn said.

About 27,000 customers in two counties were left without power, according to electric utility PPL. Electricity was restored to most people within a few hours.

Source WBAL

House Elects Paul Ryan As Speaker of the House

Splintered House Republicans elected Rep. Paul Ryan to be the chamber's 54th speaker on Thursday, turning to the youthful but battle-tested Wisconsin lawmaker to mend the party's self-inflicted wounds and craft a conservative message to woo voters in next year's elections.

"The House is broken," Ryan said in his first remarks to the chamber, seemingly referring as much to a GOP civil war between hard-liners and pragmatists as to the House's usual partisan divisions. "We are not settling scores. We are wiping the slate clean."

In a slow-moving roll call that mixed politics with pageantry, 236 Republicans called out Ryan's name as their pick for the job. That put him second in line to the presidency and atop a chamber that has been awash in tumult ever since defiant conservatives hounded Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, into announcing his resignation from that post last month.

Just nine hard-line conservatives voted against Ryan, instead backing little-known Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Fla. Most, including members of the rebellious House Freedom Caucus, backed Ryan, though it was clear that future tensions between them and the chamber's new leader could not be dismissed. Conservatives have demanded changes in how the chamber operates, including a greater voice for rank-and-file lawmakers in shaping legislation and deciding who will chair committees.

"If you have ideas, let's hear them," Ryan said in message that seemed aimed at those unruly conservatives. "A greater clarity between us can lead to a greater charity among us."

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., received 184 votes for speaker, all from Democrats. Following tradition, she handed the speaker's gavel to Ryan after praising Boehner for "his dedication to this House and his commitment to his values."

Ryan also saluted Boehner, who for conservatives became a symbol of Washington's ills as a man who too readily accepted compromises with President Barack Obama.

"He's a man of character, a true class act," he said of Boehner, who shook hands with Ryan at the lectern and walked up the aisle to the chamber's rear, his eyes brimming with the tears the emotional lawmaker is known for and accepting hugs from Republicans and Democrats alike.

Watching the vote from the visitors' gallery was Mitt Romney, the GOP's unsuccessful 2012 presidential nominee who vaulted Ryan, 45, to national prominence by selecting him as his vice presidential running mate. Also in the audience were Ryan's wife Janna and their three young children, who gained some attention after Ryan insisted he would take the time-draining speaker's post only if he could carve out time with his family.

Before the vote, Boehner bade farewell to his colleagues after a quarter-century House career, including the last five as speaker.

"I leave with no regrets, no burdens," said Boehner in a 10-minute speech. "If anything, I leave the way I started, just a regular guy, humbled by the chance to do a big job."

Boehner's valedictory did not lack his trademark tears, and he earned a bipartisan standing ovation before even starting when he pulled out a box of tissues.

Ryan's ascension was coming as Congress neared completion of a bipartisan accord to avert a jarring federal default next week and likely prevent a December government shutdown by setting spending levels for the next two years.

The House approved the bill Wednesday 266-167, with final Senate passage on track in a few days, despite opposition from conservatives including senators seeking the GOP presidential nomination.

The budget vote underscored Ryan's challenge in leading Republicans who often have scant interest in compromise, especially with a GOP presidential contest dominated by candidates who vilify Washington insiders. Republicans opposed the budget deal by 167-79, but Democrats supported it unanimously.

Conservatives complain that Boehner has been excessively powerful, forcing bills to the House floor without rank-and-filed input, dictating committee chairs and punishing rebels. One Freedom Caucus leader, Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, said conservatives expect Ryan to alter that.

"We're going to have his back for the next few months and make sure that we give him the opportunity to show that he can be the leader that we hope he can be," Labrador said.

Boehner's resignation prompted a month of GOP turbulence after the Freedom Caucus derailed the candidacy of the heir-apparent, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. Establishment Republicans pressured a reluctant Ryan to seek the speakership, viewing him as their best shot at patching the GOP's ragged ruptures.

The amiable Ryan has been in Congress 17 years and has strong ties with all wings of the GOP. Past chairman of the House Budget Committee and current head of the Ways and Means Committee, he has put his imprint on deficit reduction, tax, health and trade legislation - prime subjects that have raised his stature and put him at the center of many of Congress' highest profile debates.

Many Democrats like Ryan but none is hesitating to attack him as a symbol of Republican policies they consider harsh. These include efforts to reshape Medicare into a voucher-like program, squeeze savings from Medicaid and pare taxes for the rich.

Source WBAL

Jeb Bush Comeback Strategy Backfires In GOP Debate

Jeb Bush sought to calm anxious donors with a comeback strategy focused on taking down rival Marco Rubio. But Bush's plan backfired badly on national television in the third GOP presidential debate.

Instead of generating much needed momentum, Bush's attack on his onetime protege raised new questions about his underwhelming candidacy in the primary contest he was once expected to dominate. And Bush's continued struggles highlight a deepening sense of uncertainty settling over a 2016 Republican presidential race that remains crowded and without a clear front-runner.

Even with an estimated $100 million in the bank, Bush headed into Wednesday's primetime debate at the weakest point of his campaign.

Just five days earlier, the son and brother of former presidents announced deep campaign spending cuts designed to salvage his floundering bid. He slashed salaries by 40 percent and shifted staff from his Miami headquarters to early voting states.

With his powerful family on hand, Bush spent much of the weekend huddling behind closed doors outlining a strategy that depended, above all else, on challenging Rubio. Bush appeared to get the perfect opportunity to test his strategy when he was positioned right next to Rubio on the debate stage.

The mild-mannered Bush mustered up an attack on Rubio for missing so many votes in the Senate. "Marco, when you signed up for this, this was a six-year term, and you should be showing up to work. I mean, literally, the Senate - what is it, like a French work week? You get, like, three days where you have to show up? You can campaign, or just resign and let someone else take the job."

It was the moment Bush's supporters had been waiting for. But so, apparently, was Rubio.

The first-term senator, Bush's junior by 18 years, quickly charged that Bush had praised Arizona Sen. John McCain, who has missed many votes as well.

"I don't remember you ever complaining about John McCain's vote record," Rubio said. "The only reason why you're doing it now is because we're running for the same position, and someone has convinced you that attacking me is going to help you."

The fresh-faced senator then pivoted beautifully: "My campaign is going to be about the future of America, it's not going to be about attacking anyone else on this stage."

The crowd cheered. Bush's team did not.

Ari Fleischer, who worked in the George W. Bush administration, said Bush should have attacked Donald Trump instead of Rubio. "Mistake going after Rubio," Fleischer tweeted.

And Bush never seemed to recover from the exchange, which took place just minutes into the debate.

He almost completely disappeared for long stretches. In fact, Bush had the least speaking time of anyone in the debate, by some counts.

Despite his challenges, there is no sign that Bush is close to abandoning his campaign. An allied super PAC has raised more than $100 million on his behalf.

Yet if Bush World was worried heading into the debate, they will feel no better Thursday morning.

Rubio, who has been showing signs of momentum recently, shined for most of the night. He continues to face questions about his ability to build a national organization and raise the money necessary to support it - a problem Bush does not have. Yet his fundraising should improve coming off a strong performance on national television.

"This is all part of slowly moving up in the process," Rubio's campaign manager, Terry Sullivan, said after the debate. Asked about Bush's performance, Sullivan said, "There's no need to pile on Gov. Bush."

The other candidates had varied performances.

The soft-spoken retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who has led recent polls, flashed his personality at times, but struggled to articulate his policies at others. Trump was on the attack early and often, but also was silent for long stretches. And Texas Sen. Ted Cruz earned top marks from the audience and on social media for attacking the media and defending single mothers.

Yet nearly three months before the Iowa caucuses, the race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination is an unsettled as ever.

Bush's team conceded that Rubio had a strong night.

"No one is going to argue Sen. Rubio is an outstanding performer," said Bush campaign manager Danny Diaz. "But there's a difference between an outstanding performer and someone who has delivered over and over again."

He said Jeb was able to talk about issues, and if he keeps doing that he will win over voters.

Meanwhile, Bush retreats to New Hampshire on Thursday for a two-day campaign swing in a state that increasingly looks like a must-win.

Bush's team circulated talking points shortly before the debate noting he has more paid staff in New Hampshire than any of the four states set to hold primary contests in February. And further increasing expectations, the talking points note that "we are placing a special focus on increasing our New Hampshire operation."

Rubio is scheduled to visit New Hampshire next week.

Source WBAL

Streaming: Hillary Clinton Testifies On Benghazi Attack

Democratic Presidential Candidate and Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is testifying before the Benghazi Select Committee on the 2012 attack by Islamic militants on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Libya. WBAL NewsRadio 1090 will stream today's hearing. 

Stream it here: Audio 1 | Audio 2 | ABC News Video 

The Latest:

The latest from the House Benghazi committee's hearing featuring testimony from former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton (all times local):

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11:30 a.m.

Rep. Susan Brooks is using a collection of emails as a way to suggest that the Obama administration and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton lost interest in Libya in the months before to deadly attacks in Benghazi in September 2012.

At a House committee hearing on Benghazi, the Indiana Republican is brandishing two piles of printed emails that she says show messages related to Benghazi and Libya.

Brooks says he pile from 2011 has 795 emails, and the pile from 2012 has 67 emails.

Here's what Brooks is telling Clinton: "I can only conclude by your own records a lack of interest in Libya in 2012."

Clinton denies there was any diminished interest in Libya. She says most of her work wasn't done by email, but in personal meetings and briefings, secure telephone calls, diplomatic cables and other types of communication.

Clinton says she didn't even have a computer on her desk.

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11:10 a.m.

Hillary Rodham Clinton is pleading with the Republican-led House Benghazi committee to put - in her words - "national security ahead of politics and ideology."

The former secretary of state says that after deadly attacks against Americans abroad during the Reagan, Bush and Bill Clinton administrations, leaders from both parties in Congress and the executive branch came together to figure out what went wrong and how to respond.

Clinton says that what's happened after the Sept. 11 attacks, after the bombings of U.S. embassies in Africa in 1998 and after attacks against Americans in Lebanon when Ronald Reagan was president.

She's telling committee members that "Congress has to be our partner as it has been after previous tragedies."

The committee is examining the deadly 2012 attacks on a U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya. Four Americans were killed.

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10:50 a.m.

The top Democrat on the House Benghazi committee is offering a vigorous defense of Hillary Rodham Clinton and unleashing a scathing critique of the Republican-led panel.

Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland cites comments by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy - the California Republican who credited the committee with driving down Clinton's presidential poll numbers.

Clinton is the front-runner for her party's nomination in 2016.

Cummings is mocking the committee chairman, GOP Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, for saying it was hard to conduct the inquiry in such a partisan atmosphere.

Cummings wants to know why Gowdy was telling fellow Republicans to "shut up when they are telling the truth" - and not when they made what Cummings calls "baseless claims" against Clinton.

Cummings says it's time to end the "fishing expedition" by the committee against Clinton.

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10:40 a.m.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is telling a House committee there were "no delays in decision-making" immediately after the deadly 2012 attacks on a U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya.

Clinton is the star witness in the GOP-led investigation.

She's also says that in the U.S. response, there were "no denials of support from Washington" or from the U.S. military.

She's calling for transparency in the investigation - which critics say is focused on hampering Clinton's run for the White House in 2016. She's the Democratic front-runner.

Four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, died in the attacks.

The committee chairman - GOP Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina - accuses Clinton and the Obama administration of withholding information, including Clinton's emails, about what happened in Washington following the attacks.

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10:15 a.m.

The chairman of the House committee investigating the deadly attacks on a U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012 is telling former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton that the investigation is not about her.

That is the message in Rep. Trey Gowdy's opening statement at a public hearing where Clinton - the Democratic front-runner for president in 2016 - is testifying.

The South Carolina Republican says the investigation is focusing on the four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, who died in the attacks.

Gowdy say the committee is looking for the truth about the diplomatic compound's request for more security, equipment and personnel - and what was being discussed in Washington while the Americans were under attack.

After months of buildup, Clinton is taking center stage as the star witness in the Republican-led investigation.

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9:50 a.m.

Hundreds of people are gathering outside the Longworth House Office Building before the highly anticipated public hearing where Hillary Rodham Clinton is to testify before the House Select Committee on Benghazi.

News photographers are packing the well of a hearing room normally used by the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee. It's the largest hearing room on the House side of the Capitol.

Clinton - the Democratic front-runner for president in 2016 - is the sole witness at the hearing.

It's the fourth hearing since the committee was formed in May 2014.

Stakes High For Clinton, GOP As Benghazi Takes Center Stage

After months of buildup, Hillary Rodham Clinton finally takes center stage as the star witness in the Republican-led investigation into the deadly 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya.

Clinton, the Democratic front-runner for president, testifies from a position of political strength as her potential rival for the nomination, Vice President Joe Biden, announced Wednesday that he will not jump into the presidential race and she rides the momentum of a solid debate performance.

Meanwhile, the Benghazi committee is on the defensive as the panel's GOP chairman scrambles to deflect comments by fellow Republicans that the inquiry is aimed at hurting Clinton's presidential bid.

Even so, Clinton faces a formidable challenge as she tries to explain security lapses at the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, the slow military response to the violence and the Obama administration's changing narrative about who was responsible for the attacks that killed four Americans, including U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens, and why the attacks were launched.

In a high-stakes, day-long appearance that could solidify her hole on the Democratic nomination or raise doubts about her candidacy, Clinton also is certain to face questions about her use of a private email account and server while serving as secretary of state.

The committee also faces a make-or-break moment. The panel's chairman, Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, and other Republican investigators know their questioning of Clinton could revive the beleaguered panel's credibility or undermine it even further.

A new Associated Press-Gfk poll offers solace to both sides. While the investigation into the attacks is not a burning issue for the public — except among Republicans — Americans are more likely to view the investigation as justified rather than as a political attack on Clinton, the poll finds.

Many Americans don't have an opinion about Clinton's handling of the investigation. Four in 10 say they neither approve nor disapprove of how she has answered questions about the attack, while 20 percent approve and 37 percent disapprove.

Americans also are divided on Clinton's emails. More than half of those polled view her use of a private server as a minor problem or no problem at all, compared with 1 in 3 who think it is a major problem. Nearly two-thirds of Republicans call it a major problem.

Gowdy pledged in a recent interview that the hearing will be "Benghazi-centric," focused on security before and during the attacks. Some questions on Clinton's emails are likely, Gowdy said, but he maintains that his approach may "shock you with fairness."

Clinton has said the use of a private server was a mistake.

The hearing comes amid an escalating partisan feud on the 12-member committee, which has spent more than $4.5 million since its creation in May 2014.

Democrats have complained about "selective and out-of-context leaks" that they said mischaracterized testimony by top Clinton aides and other witnesses. They say the panel has devolved into partisan harassment intended to hurt Clinton's bid for president.

Gowdy and other Republicans say the panel has been and remains focused on those killed in Benghazi and on providing a definitive account of the attacks. There have been seven previous investigations.

"This has never been political for us," said Rep. Martha Roby, R-Ala., a member of the Benghazi panel. "This has always been about finding out the truth."

While Thursday's hearing has drawn worldwide attention, "the investigation isn't solely about Secretary Clinton. She's just one piece of a much larger investigation," Roby said.

"After 17 months and millions of taxpayer dollars spent, the Select Committee on Benghazi has uncovered nothing that alters our core understanding of the facts as revealed by the other (seven) investigations," said Schiff, who has called for the committee to be disbanded.

"When you consider the committee's obsessive focus on attacking Secretary Clinton, the reason becomes quite clear: the (GOP) majority has little interest in the events in Benghazi except to the degree they can be used to diminish her standing in the polls," Schiff said.

Source WBAL

Lamar Odom Leaves Las Vegas Hospital For More Treatment In LA. Khloe Kardashian Puts James Harden Relationship On Hold To Be With Him

Lamar Odom has left the Las Vegas hospital where he had been since falling into a coma after being found unconscious at the Love Ranch South brothel in Pahrump, Nevada on Tuesday, October 13th.

He's now in Los Angeles where he will receive more treatment as he continues to recover.

TMZ reports that the former NBA Sixth Man of the Year faces months of rehab. Doctors have advised his family that Odom will have permanent damage. The extent of which is not known.

His estranged wife, Khloe Kardashian, left the hospital with him. She has been by his bedside since the ordeal began. The Keeping Up with the Kardashians star has vowed to remain with Odom while he recovers.

Khloe has put her relationship with Houston Rockets superstar James Harden on hold, according to TMZ.

Maryland Adds More than 28,000 Jobs Since January

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics has released state jobs and unemployment data.

Compared with September 2014, Maryland jobs are up by 44,700. Maryland has added 28,700 total jobs since January 2015; our private sector gained 22,000 jobs. The September preliminary unemployment rate remained steady at 5.1 percent. 

According to the survey data, Maryland’s preliminary jobs estimate for August remained unchanged with revision reflecting a gain of 2,700 jobs. Maryland‘s job totals decreased by 4,000 in September. Public sector jobs increased by 2,200 and the private sector jobs declined by 6,200 jobs over-the-month.

“Economic development and jobs are a priority for Governor Hogan's Administration as we work to make it easier for families and small businesses to stay in Maryland," said Maryland Labor Secretary Kelly M. Schulz. “The Maryland Department of Labor supports local employers and will continue to foster job creation and invest in skills development to prepare Marylanders for new opportunities." 

According to data released Tuesday, the Leisure and Hospitality sector led private sector growth by adding 2,300 jobs. The Accommodation and Food Services subsector added 2,800 jobs. The Mining, Logging and Construction sector added 1,000 jobs in September.  

Source WBAL

NBA: Lamar Odom Continues to Improve & Has Begun Physical Therapy

Lamar Odom has shown steady improvement including breathing on his own, speaking and moving around a bit.  He is not totally out of the woods yet as doctors will begin tests to access the extent of damage done to his brain but he has begun therapy to get him on the right track.

via LA Daily News:

Odom has not experienced any setbacks after breathing without the help of a ventilator in the past three days. He showing marked improvement with his breathing, vision and the ability to have simple conversations, sources said.

Odom is slated to begin physical therapy that will show whether the 35-year-old former basketball player can walk, said sources familiar with Odom’s progression. But it remains unclear how well he can navigate that challenge.

Odom has experienced frequent fatigue and has received constant treatment on his lungs and kidneys, sources said. Odom could also have serious brain damage considering a 911 call released last Wednesday reported Odom took cocaine and 10 doses of a sexual performance enhancer over three days.

Police: Mom, Daughter Charged in Love Triangle Slaying

Police say a mother, her daughter and the daughter's boyfriend have been charged with murder in the killing of the woman's husband and a lover. 

Anne Arundel County police say the wife and her husband had been part of a love triangle with a women they let move into their basement over the summer. 

Police say the wife plotted with her 13-year-old daughter and they recruited the teen's boyfriend to kill her husband and the other woman, Jacqueline Riggs. The husband and Riggs were found dead in the Lothian home Oct. 5. 

The couple was married for 18 years. The 13-year-old's grandfather says the girl is one of the couple's five children. 

The Associated Press is not naming the girl or her parents because she is a juvenile.

Source WBAL

NFL: Adrian Peterson Says He Has Signed With Adidas After Nike Terminated Their Deal Last Year

It appears those off the field issues for Adrian Peterson are a thing of the past because things are right back to normal. He is running the ball pretty well, fans are cheering for him like he never left and he is still being thrown endorsement deals. Peterson recently revealed that he has signed with Adidas.

Peterson actually wore Adidas gear back in his MVP year of 2012 but he did that with no deal in place. In wasn’t long after that he signed with Nike but as you might remember, AP really wasn’t feeling any love from them during his off the field situations. They eventually terminated his contract when he plead no contest to misdemeanor charges.

Now that Peterson is back on the field and playing well — he was leading the NFL in rushing before the Vikings’ Week 5 bye — sponsors are evidently beginning to warm back up to him. Peterson, though, said he isn’t concerned at this point with how many endorsements come his way.

“I get a couple texts from my marketing guy, saying different things,” Peterson said. “But I’ll look at it and go on about my day. It’s not really a big deal, to be honest with you. I’m with Adidas now, and that’s well. But mostly, I’m focusing on football and handling business. Everything else will work out.”

He should just focus on football like he said because he knows all too well these brands and corporations only care about you when they can make money with you.

source

Jeezy Announces ‘Church In These Streets’ Tour Dates

Jeezy will be bringing his new album to a city near you soon. Kicking off a day beforeChurch In These Streets hits stores, his accompanying tour will hit NYC, Chicago, Philly and more before wrapping in New Orleans later in the month.

Check out the full list of tour dates below and cop the tickets here. Church In These Streets drops November 13.

November 12 New York, NY The Highline Ballroom

November 17 Chicago, IL Thalia Hall

November 18 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer

November 22 Los Angeles, CA Mayan Theatre

November 25 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle

November 27 New Orleans, LA House of Blues

Source IFWT

President Obama Warns Afghanistan Fragile, Will Leave 5,500 US Troops

President Barack Obama will keep 5,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan when he leaves office in 2017, according to senior administration officials, casting aside his promise to end the war on his watch and instead ensuring he hands off the conflict to his successor.

Obama had planned to only retain a small, embassy-based U.S. military presence by the end of next year, a timeline coinciding with the final weeks of his presidency. But military leaders argued for months that the Afghans needed additional assistance and support from the U.S. to beat back a resurgent Taliban and hold onto gains made over the past 14 years of American bloodshed and billions of dollars in aid.

The president was to announce the changes at 11 a.m. Thursday from the White House.

Officials said he would outline plans to maintain the current force of 9,800 troops in Afghanistan through most of next year, then draw down to 5,500 troops in 2017, at a pace still to be determined by commanders.

The officials previewed the decisions on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly ahead of the president's announcement.

For weeks, U.S. officials have hinted at the policy shift. They noted that conditions in Afghanistan have changed since Obama's initial decision on a sharper troop withdrawal timeline was made more than two years ago. The White House also has been buoyed by having a more reliable partner in Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who succeeded the mercurial Hamid Karzai last year.

"The narrative that we're leaving Afghanistan is self-defeating," Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday during a speech at the Association of the U.S. Army. "We're not, we can't, and to do so would not be to take advantage of the success we've had to date."

Obama's decision was reinforced when Taliban fighters took control of the key northern city of Kunduz late last month, leading to a protracted battle with Afghan forces supported by U.S. airstrikes. During the fighting, a U.S. air attack hit a hospital, killed 12 Doctors Without Borders staff and 10 patients.

Beyond the recent security troubles in Afghanistan, U.S. commanders have expressed concern about Islamic State fighters moving into the country and gaining recruits from within the Taliban.

The troops staying in Afghanistan beyond next year will continue to focus on counterterrorism missions and training and advising Afghan security forces, the officials said. They will be based in Kabul and Bagram Air Field, as well as bases in Jalalabad and Kandahar.

The president's decision thrusts the Afghan conflict into the 2016 presidential race. The next president will become the third U.S. commander in chief to oversee the war, with the options of trying to bring it to a close, maintaining the presence as Obama left it or even ramping up U.S. involvement.

Source WBAL

O'Malley Severs Ties With Volunteer Charged With Child Porn

Democratic presidential candidate Martin O'Malley's campaign has "severed all ties" with a campaign volunteer in Virginia following the supporter's arrest on felony child pornography charges.

The Pamunkey Regional Jail in Hanover confirmed Saturday that Michael C. Teegarden was being held without bail on charges related to the online trading of child pornography. It was not clear if the 51-year-old Teegarden had an attorney.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch first reported his arrested Thursday in Hanover County. The newspaper said he was O'Malley's Virginia campaign chairman.

In an email sent to The Associated Press, O'Malley spokeswoman Haley Morris said the campaign was "horrified by these allegations." She described Teegarden as a volunteer.

The Times-Dispatch reported that Teegarden was an executive at a wealth management company in the Richmond area and a former educator.

Source WBAL

Student Killed In Northern Arizona University Shooting Attended Maryland High School

An overnight confrontation between two groups of students escalated into violence Friday when a freshman at Northern Arizona University opened fire on four fraternity members, killing one and wounding three, authorities said. 

The university identified the student who died as Colin Brough. Officials told WBAL TV 11 News Brough attended the ninth and 10th grades at Broadneck, and his last academic year at the school was 2010-11.

University police chief Gregory T. Fowler identified the shooter as 18-year-old Steven Jones and said he used a handgun in the 1:20 a.m. shootings. Police were still interviewing Jones and he had not been booked into jail Friday morning. They would not say what precipitated the altercation.

The victims were all members of the Delta Chi fraternity, the organization said in a statement. The university identified the student who died as Colin Brough. The victims being treated at Flagstaff Medical Center are Nicholas Prato, Kyle Zientek and Nicholas Piring. The hospital said it couldn't release any information on conditions.

"This is not going to be a normal day at NAU," said school President Rita Cheng. "Our hearts are heavy."

She called it an isolated and unprecedented incident and said classes would go on as scheduled Friday.

The parking lot where the shooting happened is just outside Mountain View Hall dormitory on the Flagstaff campus, which provides housing for many of the campus' sororities and fraternities. The gate to the dorm's main entrance was closed Friday, and police had the surrounding area taped off.

Source WBAL

Saudi Prince Now Owns 5% of Twitter

Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal has given Twitter a big vote of confidence just months after suggesting CEO Jack Dorsey should step aside. Alwaleed has increased its stake in Twitter over the last six weeks to 5.17%, making him the second biggest shareholder after former CEO and co-founder Evan Williams. 

The announcement comes just days after Twitter (TWTR, Tech30) named Dorsey as its permanent CEO.

Alwaleed, one of the richest men in Saudi Arabia, bought a 3% stake in the company in 2011 before it went public in 2013. The current stake of 35 million shares is worth $1 billion, and includes 30 million shares owned directly by the prince and five million by his Kingdom Holding Company.

US Supreme Court Won't Hear Appeal In The Murder Of Yeardley Love

The Supreme Court won't hear an appeal from a former University of Virginia lacrosse player convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend. 

The justices on Monday let stand a lower court ruling that upheld the conviction of George W. Huguely V in the beating death of Yeardley Love, a 22-year-old from suburban Baltimore.

Love graduated from Notre Dame Prep in Towson before attending UVA where she was a member of the nationally ranked UVA women's lacrosse team.

Huguely's lawyers argued that he was denied the right to a fair trial after one of his attorneys became too sick to appear in court and the trial judge allowed proceedings to go ahead anyway. 

The Virginia Supreme Court refused to hear Huguely's appeal last year. 

Huguely's murdered Love in May 2010 in Charlottesville.

The two had had an on-again, off-again relationship.

Source WBAL